Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

Rectory School administrators and staff continue to work remotely and on campus to meet the needs of our families. For information, please review the FAQs below and if you have additional questions, please contact the appropriate COVID-19 response team members:

Families and students - Glenn Ames, Maria Carpenter, Erin Hayden, Rebecca Pagitt-Mungai

Student & Faculty Technology Support Issues - Donna Dubinsky

Newly Admitted and Inquiring Families - Lesley Gibbs

Staff and Administrators - Tonya Rayment, Dan Newman (Infirmary)

Faculty - Lisa Hart, Rebecca Pagitt-Mungai

Coaches and student-athletes - Mike Healy

Secondary School Placement - Evan Campbell

Alumni - Freddy Nagle

Residential Life - Justin Bendall

This is a difficult question to answer based on the rapidly evolving—and never before seen—situation at hand.  Based on the information we are getting from governmental and health officials, it could be two months before things begin to return to normal, however, this is just a prediction, not an exact science.  What we do know is that distance learning will be a reality for most if not all of the spring trimester, and a decision on whether Rectory expects to return to on-campus learning will be made in the coming weeks as we better understand the spread of the virus and its implications for Rectory.  What we do know is that we will hold a graduation ceremony, whether in person or virtually, for our ninth graders as they complete their course of study at Rectory. 

Please note that all areas of campus, other then the Admission Circle are off limits to those not presently residing on campus at this time. We have set this protocol in place to keep everybody safe. If you need something that is on campus, please contact the AOD (860-234-0467) for instructions.

With Rectory's decision to move to a distance learning program for the coming weeks, we wanted to make all middle school families aware of the protocol put in place so that they have the opportunity, if necessary, to gather travel and academic items from campus. Please note that all areas of campus, other then the Admission Circle, as noted below, are off-limits to those not presently residing or working on campus at this time. We have set this protocol in place to keep everybody safe, understanding that students may need some items not planned for prior to Mr. Williams' recent announcement. As always, feel free to contact the Education Office (860-963-6740) should you have questions.

Boarding students may return to campus to gather travel/academic items under the following protocol:

1. Student and/or parents must alert the AOD (860-234-0467) to arrival time, and items to be collected, limited to travel documents and essentials necessary for distance learning. The AOD will collect requested items; student and/or parents are not to enter dorms or other areas of campus.
2. Upon arrival, students and/or parents alert AOD (860-234-0467) and meet in the Admissions Circle to collect requested items. 
3. Once items have been collected, student and/or parents are to leave campus.

Day students may return to campus to gather travel/academic items on Friday, March 27, albeit under the above protocol.

On March 13, 2020, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (an agency of Homeland Security) posted a letter entitled COVID-19: Guidance for SEVP Stakeholders. Because Rectory is implementing distance learning, nonimmigrant students should participate in online or other alternate learning procedures and remain in active status in SEVIS.

Please reach out to the technology department at technology@rectoryschool.org and we will get right back to you and help resolve any issues you may be having. Please include your contact information in your email so that we can reach you in your preferred way.

Please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher.  If your child is having trouble accessing Schoology, please have them reach out to the Education Office at educationoffice@rectoryschool.org.

Rectory administration, faculty, and staff have created an online* academic schedule that will mirror the one students are all familiar with, albeit with some necessary changes. Our discussions on what the Rectory school day should look like have been inspiring and innovative, as we explored the myriad possibilities associated with moving our program to the online world.

• Each day will start with a brief recorded assembly message posted to Schoology.
• The first two periods of the day (8:15 a.m.-10:15 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) will be synchronous (live); students will join their synchronous classes via Schoology. 
• For pedagogical purposes, all Rectory synchronous classes and IIP sessions will be recorded and accessible within each course. Recorded classes and IIP sessions will be archived for seven days.
  From 10:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. EST, classes will be asynchronous (at your own pace) with teachers available for support.
• IIP Sessions will be arranged directly between the IIP tutor and the student. 
• Advisory and Related Arts will be part of the online program.
• Performing Arts will have regular check-ins.
• Electives and Skill Block will not be part of the online schedule.

*Classes will continue to follow the same lettered days as presented in the Rectory Wolf Den under the "Spring 2020 Schedule" link. However, as noted above, we have amended the academic day to support our distance learning program. Each week's academic schedule will be shared via Schoology so that students and parents are prepared for the week ahead. Next week's schedule is at the end of this letter.

Students' spring schedules have been uploaded to Rectory's Family Access Module (FAM), the same location where parents access student grades and comments. We recommend that you print out your student's schedule prior to the start of Monday's classes. 

Schoology will remain Rectory's networking service for teacher communication, lessons, and student interaction. In addition, Rectory will utilize a number of enriching software applications that will be introduced across the coming weeks.

The transition to distance learning may be seamless for some, yet challenging for others. Creating a positive learning environment in your home will help foster new skills and encourage active learning for your student. The guidelines listed below will help your child get the most out of distance learning:

• Designate a space for learning. This should be distraction-free and reserved for your child.
• Make the space functional, but personalized. Inject your child's personality into the space.
• Establish a no-phone rule while your child is connected to School.
• Set daily routines so that your child will get into a regular habit of getting work done.

Although Rectory has shifted its teaching and learning to a distance model, all students are expected to be in attendance for synchronous classes and to interact and communicate with their teachers during asynchronous class times. Students are expected to meet their teacher's academic expectations in a consistent and timely manner.  

Student behavior is to abide by the standards and expectations as detailed in Rectory's Statement of Understanding, Honor Code, and the policies contained within Rectory's Middle School Handbook. Failure to abide by these standards and expectations will result in consequences consistent with Rectory policy.

During synchronous classes and/or IIP sessions, students are expected to be in Rectory casual or class dress, as detailed in Rectory's Middle School Handbook. 

The Link to Rectory's PAW provides access to Rectory's internet resources and online textbooks.

The elementary faculty have been collaborating to design a developmentally appropriate online experience for your child, and we will continue to be flexible as we begin to reconnect. Our discussions on what the Rectory school day should look like has been inspiring and innovative, as we explore the sometimes overwhelming possibilities of moving our program to an online platform.

• Your child will use Google Classrooms as the platform for our distance learning.
• Your child will be able to access these classrooms through their Rectory gmail account, which is in this format: (example) maria.carpenter@rectorywolves.org. (You will receive a separate email with your child's passwords for their distance learning, and we will also include this information in their Academic Bucket.) 
• Each child will have access to their day through Google Classrooms. When they sign into Google with their rectorywolves.org gmail, they will see a variety of classrooms for each course:
  • -DISTANCE LEARNING (This classroom will host the Morning Meeting and will include posts to show your child their daily schedule and expectations.)
  • -LITERACY
  • -MATHEMATICS
  • -SCIENCE & SOCIAL STUDIES
  • -WOLF DEN
  • -Related Arts: MUSIC, MOVEMENT, SPANISH & VISUAL ARTS
  • -IIP (for some students)
• Each day will start with a synchronous Morning Meeting for each Classroom; you will find the Zoom link in the DISTANCE LEARNING classroom.
• Elementary Teachers will be available to communicate with your children each day between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. 
• Some of the learning experiences will be Synchronous between 9:00 and 11:30 a.m. (Live through Zoom Audio & Video) OR Asynchronous between 12:30 and 3:00 p.m. (Work will be posted in the Google Classrooms, and children will be guided to complete the work throughout the school day, with teachers available for support.)
• After Morning Meeting, Elementary children are expected to work on Literacy Experiences from 9:30-10:30 and Mathematics Experiences from 10:30-11:30. 
• Related Arts Classrooms will post 1 lesson per week. These experiences will be available every Monday morning by 8:00 a.m., and children will be expected to complete the work at their own pace, before 3:00 p.m. on Friday.

Each day, your child will find their daily schedule, classroom work, and resources in the Distance Learning Classroom…your child's classroom will meet there each day at 9:00 a.m.

Google Classroom will be the platform used to connect your child to their learning. This is where your child will find teacher communication, lessons, and student interaction. 

The transition to distance learning may be challenging. Creating a positive learning environment in your home will help foster new skills and encourage active learning for your child. The guidelines found in the ES Distance Learning Protocol 2020 will help your child get the most out of distance learning. 

Although Rectory has shifted its teaching and learning to a distance model, all students are expected to be in attendance for synchronous classes and to interact and communicate with their teachers during asynchronous class times. Students are expected to meet their teacher's academic expectations in a consistent and timely manner.   

Student behavior is to abide by the standards and expectations as detailed in Rectory's ES Distance Learning Code of Conduct, and the policies contained within Rectory's Elementary School Handbook. When a student does not abide by these standards and expectations, it will result in consequences consistent with Rectory School policy.

During synchronous classes and/or IIP sessions, students are expected to be in Rectory's Casual School Dress, as detailed in Rectory's Elementary School Handbook.