Parents and students are accustomed to accessing an array of information, including the directory, schedules, report cards, and more through the website portal. We will continue to expand the array of online educational material available through our resource boards.

Norfolk Academy has expanded the use of Canvas, a web-based learning management system for 1st through 12th grades. This platform promotes the sharing of information like assignments and resources, while also allowing teachers to assess student learning and mastery.

A digital educational platform students use to create digital portfolios. Students and teachers can upload student work in the form of pictures and videos in order to demonstrate learning progress and growth throughout the school year.

A web-based version of Microsoft’s Office suite of productivity applications, including Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. Storage on One Drive allows for easy sharing of work between teachers and students.

Cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools.

Everyone arriving on campus will receive a screening with our temperature scanning cameras, positioned at the entrance points. If the temperature of a student or faculty/staff member is 100.4°F (38.0°C) or greater, the individual will be sent to the clinic for further evaluation and, if necessary due to continued elevated temperature and/or other symptoms, to await a ride (if needed) and depart campus.

Students in carpool may arrive between 7:45 - 8:15 a.m. After health screening, students will proceed directly to classrooms through multiple designated entry points that allow students to avoid large groups and observe physical distancing. We are continuing to evaluate any additional changes that will be needed to have an orderly morning arrival.

Everyone on campus, including essential visitors, will wear masks covering nose and mouth. Individuals who have medical difficulties may be permitted to wear a face shield that extends below the chin but only with a doctor’s note. Students will be expected to bring two disposable or washable face masks to school every day, donning one prior to boarding a bus or (if arriving by car) before exiting a car and presenting for the morning temperature check.

While students can use decorative fabric and show creativity, masks may not have messaging, political content, or design that draws undue attention or distracts. Masks must cover nose and mouth, and they must fit the student comfortably, so that students do not have to adjust the mask frequently. Students will be permitted supervised breaks from mask wearing, as health experts recognize that structured breaks improve compliance and provide relief.

Students will be separated in classrooms, keeping 6 feet between students as much as possible. In some cases, students may be seated in slightly closer proximity, but never at a distance less than 3 feet, the guideline set by the Virginia Department of Health. We expect to use other large spaces in the school as temporary classrooms. Movement between classes will be staggered to maintain distancing.

In order to maintain physical distancing and avoid group congregating, we will not be using lockers in grades 6-12. Students will need to carry all supplies in their backpacks and bring those with them to classes; however, we will not expect students to tote all of their textbooks with them daily. Lower School students will be able to use their cubbies in the classrooms, but teachers will regulate movement to the cubbies, so that students are not gathering in close proximity.

To limit transmission through hand contact, teachers will be directing students to wash and/or sanitize their hands frequently. We have installed numerous sanitizing stations (Purell) throughout the buildings.
We will be cleaning and disinfecting more frequently throughout the day and in the evenings, using hospital-grade, EPA-approved, green disinfectants. We have acquired electrostatic sprayers, which allow us to disperse disinfectant more effectively and across a larger area; these sprayers will be used to clean buses and in other areas as needed.

We have upgraded to touchless operation in our restrooms, including installing hardware that allows doors to be opened using the forearm; upgrading toilets to hands-free options; and replacing paper towel dispensers that have hand cranks with touchless dispensers.

We will encourage the opening of windows and classroom doors to the greatest extent possible in order to maximize airflow.  All HVAC units will be equipped with the highest rated filters possible, up to MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) rating of 13.  These filters are intended to trap the vast majority of airborne particles on the first pass.  Our systems are designed to re-circulate air at least once every 30 minutes.  These air filtration methods, coupled with appropriate mask usage and physical distancing, are sound mitigation strategies.  

The clinic has been expanded to allow for assessing individuals who present with COVID-19 symptoms in a separate space from the wellness room, where nurses will assess those who come to the clinic for routine care.

We will post signs and floor decals to help everyone follow health protocols, including physical distancing, mask wearing, and handwashing techniques. We will reinforce these visual messages with frequent spoken reminders.

In order to maintain safety protocols, we will be restricting visitors to campus. Parents, friends, and non-essential visitors will not be allowed on campus, except for student drop-off and pick-up. Unfortunately, we will not be able to utilize parent volunteers at this time. Essential visitors will also undergo a temperature check and a health history screening.

The underpinnings of our approach to reporting will be transparency and clarity. If a student or employee tests positive for COVID-19, the School Nurses, once notified, will consult with the Norfolk Health Department to consider next steps, including quarantining of those infected or exposed. We will have a COVID-19 team that will meet daily to provide clear, detailed updates to families about school activity specifically related to the pandemic, from changing protocols to any positive cases.

We are modifying schedules to establish and maintain small groupings of students and minimize movement throughout buildings during the day. We will be using space creatively, setting up classrooms in our larger spaces and using tents to allow for more gatherings outdoors. For some Lower School grade levels, we will be adding homerooms in order to accommodate physical distancing in classrooms. Resource teachers will typically travel to homerooms, limiting the movement of students in hallways; PE will be conducted outside whenever possible.  

We are currently adjusting the schedule for Middle and Upper School students in order to limit movement throughout buildings each day; additional reliance on block scheduling (longer classes) is likely. More details will be available soon.  

Nutritious boxed lunches will be provided by Meriwether Godsey, our current food service provider. All students may bring their own lunches, although the school will not provide refrigeration or heating for student lunches. Students who bring their own lunches should have them in a sealable container and should be able to serve themselves without any assistance. Students may also bring snacks to school as the Bulldog Bookstore will not be available for snacks.

We will not be using the refectory space for lunches. Students will eat in their classrooms or in outdoor spaces; we are developing a schedule that allows for an enjoyable lunch, recognizing its importance as a time for building friendships, while maintaining safety protocols.

Our students have adopted the healthy practice of frequent hydration, and many already bring water bottles to school. In the upcoming year, all students will need to bring a filled water bottle to school each morning; we have installed additional touchless bottle filling stations, and we will eliminate use of water fountains in the upcoming year.

We are slightly relaxing the dress code this year, in large measure because students will not be able to change their clothes for P.E. While the rules of the dress code remain in effect, we are making the following modifications:

• Boys in grades 7-12 will not be required to wear ties.
• Boys will wear collared shirts (no t-shirts) and may wear shorts of appropriate length and fit.
• Girls are permitted to wear shorts of appropriate length and fit.
• Students participating in physical education classes (grades 1-9) must wear athletic footwear on days when they have PE.

We plan to hold recess and physical education classes for the Lower School. These will be outdoors whenever possible. Students will not change clothes for PE. Students will stay in class groups for recess and will observe physical distancing; in some instances, when permitted by teachers, PE and recess may be used as a period for a break from mask-wearing.

We will adapt our schedule to eliminate large gatherings. Chapel will be done utilizing camera/audio technology, so that students can remain in their classrooms while viewing 9th grade and Senior speeches.

We have been working with Tranquest, our transportation provider, to secure sufficient bus capacity to enable us to have only one rider per seat, with the exception of siblings who would be asked to sit together. We will also require riders and the driver to wear face masks at all times while on the bus, and the windows will be kept open in order to maximize the flow of fresh air.

Athletics

Recognizing the multitude of benefits that derive from team activity, we are still investigating our ability to organize students for athletic training after school. The Virginia Independent School Athletic Association (VISAA), in which Norfolk Academy competes, has canceled its postseason for all fall sports, while leaving decisions on the regular season up to individual schools and conferences. We will provide more details soon.

Performing Arts

Initially, we will need to suspend an array of musical activity that has proven to increase infectious spread of COVID-19. Choral activities, in particular, have proven to spread the virus more than general conversation; instrumental groups, which require students to sit in close proximity, also are risky, particularly if students are playing instruments that require expelling large quantities of air. Therefore, we will be pausing chorus and band; string players, whether in orchestra or chamber groups, may be able to meet. We anticipate that teachers will be able to provide some individual lessons in person, if they can be done with masks and social distancing, while other lessons may need to be done using technology for distance learning. We are considering our approach to drama and dance, and we will provide further details.

Before and Aftercare

Before Care will be open from 7:15-7:45 a.m. Aftercare will be available for the Lower School from 3:15-6:00 p.m., and physical distancing and masks will be required. The students will be allowed outside as usual (weather permitting) and will be able to take their masks off outside.

Enrichment

We plan to have limited enrichment offerings during the fall, but we are still compiling that list. More details will be coming. Physical distancing and mask-wearing will be observed during enrichment programs.