Safe Start 2020: Webb's Reopening Plan

Health and Safety
Tabetha Sullens

Update 7/9/20

The philosophy of our approach to Health & Safety and Residential Life as we reopen amid the pandemic can be found below these updates. The updates are clarifications and/or new pieces of information as we fine-tune our Safe Start.

Health & Safety

• Masks/face coverings will be required in all indoor classrooms and common spaces (chapel, dining hall, bathrooms, hallways, etc.).
• Students will be permitted to go to downtown Bell Buckle. Students will be required to wear a mask indoors. 
• Increased janitorial staffing and standard of cleaning along with new safety protocols will be executed throughout the Webb community.

Residential Life

• A residential nurse will be hired as a support for the health and well-being of boarders.
• Increased janitorial staffing and standard of cleaning along with new safety protocols will be executed in the dorms.
• Masks/face coverings will be required in all indoor common spaces (kitchen, common room, laundry, hallways).
• Dorm parents will temperature check and health assess after study hours at night.
• Beds will be placed 6 feet apart and may not be moved.
• Specific laundry schedules will be posted in dorms. The schedules will not be flexible. 
• Weekend trips will continue but be limited to allow for distancing, with proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), as well as an increased amount of Wilderness Instruction and Leadership Development (WILD) offerings and events on campus. 
• Overnight trips, weekends and holidays, must be parent approved via boardingware and phone call. Upon return, students will be screened.
• There will be no weekday leaves. Students will be able to go on local visits on the weekends, only with proper PPE and parent permission.

6/19/20

As we look to reconvene and welcome new families to our school community in August, we strive to create a student experience of which each of your children will be proud to be a part. To ensure teaching and learning are practices of excellence, we have taken many steps to ensure the academic day is reminiscent of the school day experience prior to COVID-19.

Each day, we honor our Enduring Understandings, which are the hallmarks of The Webb School. Each person shares the responsibility and honor of SERVING OTHERS. To serve your child in the best way possible, our top priorities are student, community, and family safety. We value the relational aspect of every academic day. The face-to-face experiences faculty and students share cannot be fully replicated online. To ensure respect and care for others, we will practice daily health checks prior to students moving about the campus, with the goal of ensuring that we remain on campus for learning. 

• Extra time has been built into the academic schedule to allow for daily health assessments. Each morning, your child (and his or her teachers) will have his or her temperature checked via a touchless thermometer, as well as be asked to answer a few questions to assess risk to the greater community. Any student with a fever, evidence or symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or contact with a family member with symptoms, will be asked to report to the Health Center immediately for additional assessment and/or isolation. Per Governor Bill Lee’s Executive Order 38:  Persons with COVID-19 or COVID-19 symptoms are required to stay at home, and employers may not require or allow employees with COVID-19 to work.
• In the absence of fever, evidence or symptoms, your child will be permitted to move about campus and encouraged to wear a mask when appropriate to protect others.
• Any late arrivals will be asked to check in with Melissa James, Student Informations Specialist, in the Rand Dorm Attendance Office. She will record your child’s attendance and administer the health assessment in her office. Any student with a fever, evidence or symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or contact with a family member with symptoms, will be asked to report to the Health Center immediately for additional assessment and/or isolation.
• The availability of our school nurses and counselors will be increased this fall as a precaution and support for the school community.
• All classrooms and offices will be well-stocked with proper hygiene essentials, as per recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines. 
• The janitorial staff has been increased and will employ properly approved daily practices for sanitation, hygiene, and disinfecting soft surfaces.
• Increased signage throughout campus will remind students and staff to wash their hands properly, remain distanced, and sanitize their devices often.
• All drink fountains on campus are touchless and will be sanitized multiple times daily.
• Extra lunch periods have been added to the daily schedule to allow for social distancing. Likewise, additional lunch-and-go stations have been created on campus. Plexiglass protection has been added to the hot-bar and salad-bar stations in the dining hall.
• Additional sections of classes have been created to allow for smaller classes with consistent socially distanced student experiences.
• Extra time has been allotted between classes to allow for more staggering of dismissals.
• Chapel has been moved to a larger location to allow for proper social distancing.

Our Enduring Understandings also remind us that learning is an ongoing process. We will continue to closely monitor the Governor’s recommendations, best practices, and research to ensure your child’s safety and well-being. We ask, now more than ever, that parents partner with us to ensure we protect each other in the Webb community. Please refrain from sending your child to school if he or she displays any symptoms. Similarly, if anyone in your home displays any symptoms, we ask that you refrain from sending your child to school. We intend to protect our faculty and staff along with your family.

As always, we extend our blessings to you and your families. We are ever grateful you have chosen to be a part of Webb; we look forward to a healthy and successful fall together.

Academics and Arts
Nicole Taucare

Update 7/9/20

The philosophy of our approach to academics and arts as we reopen amid the pandemic can be found below in these updates. Our guidelines for Academics/Arts as we safely reopen are informed not only by the most up-to-date safety protocols but also our Mission, Enduring Understandings, and the Webb Difference. The updates are clarifications and/or new pieces of information as we fine-tune our Safe Start.

Faculty are preparing to conduct classes in two concurrent modes: 

• In-person classes 
• Distance learning for those students who are unable to attend in person due to travel restrictions or COVID-19-related reasons. 

After spending considerable time analyzing the square footage of Webb’s instructional space, students are being scheduled in classes with a limited number of students to be able to social distance in the classrooms. Faculty are preparing to teach those students who will be present in the classroom while also teaching a concurrent class for students who cannot be on campus. This model will ease the transition from in-person to distance learning if a student must self-quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure. Faculty have dedicated time during the summer to focus their efforts on the concurrent instruction outlined above while maintaining the course learning objectives as the central driver of curricular choices. 

One major addition to the academic program is the new Learning Management System, Canvas, which will be the consistent and primary system for the academic program for both modes of instruction. 

Another important change to the school year will be the adjusted daily schedule, which can be found here. The schedule takes into consideration additional passing time and lunch periods as well as added community time dubbed “Feet Life.” We maintain and strengthen our community by adding time with advisory groups and maintaining chapel and club periods.

Student schedules and additional information about Canvas will be forthcoming.   

6/19/20

Webb’s focus in the classroom for academics and arts will be based on two, main modes of teaching and learning, and they will be delivered simultaneously: 

• In-person, small-class teaching and learning, similar to what our students and parents have experienced in the past.
• Distance Learning-virtual, online teaching and learning -- much more comprehensive than what was delivered in the spring of this year.

Our in-person teaching and learning will be informed by the protocols of social distancing that our Governor’s Office requires and some recommendations of federal, national, state, and local organizations.  Toward that end, we have hired additional staff to ensure that every in-person class is small enough to allow social distancing. Embedded in our in-person academic and arts classes will be the protocols enumerated in the Health & Safety section of Safe Start 2020:  Webb’s Reopening Plan.

Our distance-learning program will be closely aligned to our in-person program.  At least one section of every class we offer will be live-streamed (synchronous) so those who can only join us at home can join their classes in real time.  Additionally, our live-streamed classes will be recorded so those at home, particularly those in time zones significantly different than Bell Buckle’s, can engage in our teaching environment at times other than scheduled class times (asynchronously). Additionally, faculty will make themselves available to virtual learners via Zoom.

In addition, the daily schedule will be adjusted to a block schedule to maximize class time and to minimize student movement on campus.  Webb has utilized a hybrid block schedule for the last few years -- sometimes meeting every day, sometimes meeting every other day. A detailed schedule will follow in the coming weeks.

The COVID-19 experience spring taught us a lot about distance learning. We learned quickly what worked well and what needed to be changed. We take that knowledge with us into the summer as we prepare for the fall semester.  Building on that knowledge, this summer faculty will be introduced to a new Learning Management System (LMS) that will be the central and consistent platform for all classes to use. We are investing significant resources of time and money in providing training for all faculty to lead this dual platform in powerful and effective ways. 

Professional Development Summer 2020

Global Online Academy

GOA’s mission is to reimagine learning to empower students and educators to thrive in a globally networked society.

1.     Design Bootcamp (June 15-19): Select members of the faculty participated in Design Bootcamp and will be key facilitators to their departments.

2.     Designing for Online Learning (June 22-26)

3.     Deep-Dive Classes After Designing for Online Learning

3a. Assessment (July 13-17): This is a practical one-week course for educators looking to rethink and reimagine assessments in online learning settings. 

3b. Wayfinding (July 20-24): Wayfinding is the practice of designing pathways and cues that help a person navigate a complex system on his or her own. 

3c. Student Agency (July 27-31): Topics include Introduction to Student Agency, Pace and Choice, Student Voice, Student Support)

Community Events
Tabetha Sullens

Update 7/9/20

Below is an updated copy of the At-A-Glance Calendar. We are finalizing the orientation and opening weekend schedule for our on-time start Monday, August 17. We anticipate the schedule to be available in this section on Thursday, July 23. We are very excited to welcome our families back to campus.

At-A-Glance Calendar

6/19/20

Webb encourages full participation inside and outside the classroom.  Through social activities and gatherings, there are numerous opportunities for students to gain a sense of community and belonging.  In addition, the importance of learning how to work effectively with others dates to the original mission and is part of the "Webb Difference."  Webb has already begun planning its communal activities and events this fall so that they are safe and enjoyable for everyone.  As we begin the year, we humbly ask for your patience and for your attention to the particular protocols for each event.  While we ARE opening safely, there will be many adjustments to the way we organize our community events. Many of those will be changes from what our students, parents, and faculty are accustomed to doing.  Please look at each community event as a “new” event with which you have to familiarize yourself.

For example, standing before the Webb community and delivering a prepared declamation, oration, or presentation is one of the rites of passage at the school. To accommodate large groups, the "Emerging Voices" program is adjusting the timing and venues for these public performances.  Relatedly, we will have to adjust the way we conduct chapel, offering a live stream available in smaller settings throughout campus several days a week and meeting occasionally as a larger group in Barton Athletic Center so we can distance students better.  Another Webb difference, the WILD (Wilderness Instruction and Leadership Development) program, trains students to develop leadership skills through outdoor activities.  WILD will be continuing its work of providing students with opportunities to grow while enjoying the beauty of the outdoors.

Webb also plans to host a number of social events in the fall and will be following the guidelines and protocols noted in the "Health and Safety" section of this document.  Signature events include the beginning of school "Orientation and Welcome Back Social" in August; Parents’ Weekend in September; a special campus Webb 150th anniversary celebration in October; and Senior Blazer Day in November.

One of the hallmarks of a Webb education is the teaching and learning that occurs outside the classroom, often complementing the academic and arts programs.  Many of these opportunities come in the form of field trips.  To be clear, it is our intent to continue to offer these opportunities.  It is likely this year, however, that we may have to adjust to local and regional venues to achieve the same aims we achieved in other, more far afield, settings.  As we finalize dates and details for these important out-of-the-classroom opportunities, we will communicate those to our parents and students.  

To help families plan their activities, Webb will have several online resources.  A weekly schedule of classes, a daily calendar with special events listed, and an "At-a-Glance Calendar" with highlights for the year.

• Daily calendar with notes on special activities/events:  coming soon 
• Visitors to campus will be asked to check in at the Administration Building for sign-in and a health check.  Masks will be available upon request.  Visitors to athletic contests will also be asked to follow appropriate protocols as indicated by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA).  Webb faculty and staff attending social gatherings on and off campus will be given a health check similar to the health screening being given to students and visitors.  Health checks for guests coming to one-time Webb events on campus will be conducted in accordance with the most recent guidelines for visitors.

Residential Life
Jon Bloom

Update 7/9/20

The philosophy of our approach to Health & Safety and Residential Life as we reopen amid the pandemic can be found below these updates. The updates are clarifications and/or new pieces of information as we fine-tune our Safe Start.

Health & Safety

• Masks/face coverings will be required in all indoor classrooms and common spaces (chapel, dining hall, bathrooms, hallways, etc.).
• Students will be permitted to go to downtown Bell Buckle. Students will be required to wear a mask indoors. 
• Increased janitorial staffing and standard of cleaning along with new safety protocols will be executed throughout the Webb community.

Residential Life

• A residential nurse will be hired as a support for the health and well-being of boarders.
• Increased janitorial staffing and standard of cleaning along with new safety protocols will be executed in the dorms.
• Masks/face coverings will be required in all indoor common spaces (kitchen, common room, laundry, hallways).
• Dorm parents will temperature check and health assess after study hours at night.
• Beds will be placed 6 feet apart and may not be moved.
• Specific laundry schedules will be posted in dorms. The schedules will not be flexible. 
• Weekend trips will continue but be limited to allow for distancing, with proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), as well as an increased amount of Wilderness Instruction and Leadership Development (WILD) offerings and events on campus. 
• Overnight trips, weekends and holidays, must be parent approved via boardingware and phone call. Upon return, students will be screened.
• There will be no weekday leaves. Students will be able to go on local visits on the weekends, only with proper PPE and parent permission.

6/19/20

Mr. Bloom, Dean of Students and Director of Residential Life, is in weekly contact with The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS).  We are one of 300 member boarding schools, all of which are collaborating to find the best and safest protocols to reopen our dorms and provide the fullest experience possible.  Additionally, Mr. Bloom is in close weekly contact with several Southeast and Tennessee boarding schools to share ideas and challenge each other to serve our boarding students and parents effectively.  Additionally, we look to a few college and university associations for guidance. 

Residential protocols and new policies are focused on the following areas:

• Appropriate social distancing in different times of day and different venues
• Room configurations that allow for more space
• Daily and thorough room inspections
• Separate quarantine areas, separated by gender, for those who have symptoms
• Additional and more robust custodial common area cleanings 
• Smaller group dorm family gatherings, much like our academic and arts classrooms
• Rigorous orientation of new protocols for all boarding students and staff
• Use of the combination of COVID-19 testing and/or quarantine as boarders return to campus
• Touchless, laser thermometers for nightly temperature checks
• Extended dinner hours to increase accessibility and social distancing in the dining hall

We recognize these uncertain times will lead us all to adjust, but please know we are still going to cherish your children in the same caring way.  We will continue to update this information as we and our peer schools further clarify residential protocols.

International Students
Julie Harris

Update 7/9/20

We are fully committed to supporting our international families, and it is our goal to provide timely and accurate information. As many of you are aware, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) just released new guidelines for international students. We have analyzed the guidelines and consulted with the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). The Webb School is reopening on time this fall with a hybrid model, offering both in-person and online classes. Based on the new guidelines, we have created the following important information:

• International students currently in the United States may remain in the United States and take in-person classes at Webb.
• International students who are currently not in the United States will be allowed to enter the United States to take in-person classes. We recognize that some new students are still waiting to receive visa interviews and will join us late. In addition, there are still travel restrictions for non-U.S. citizens who have passed through or been in specific countries for 14 days before entry. These countries include Austria, Brazil, Belgium, China, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom (excluding overseas territories outside of Europe). We will continue to monitor these travel restrictions closely.  
• International students who are unable to join us in-person when classes begin on August 17, due to travel restrictions or visa interview delays, can remain enrolled at Webb by taking online courses.  These students' I-20 forms will likely need to be updated to indicate a later program start date, so they will be able to keep their status active until they can enter the United States. The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) is accepting electronic copies of 1-20 forms. All updated I-20 forms will be sent by email.
• International students who have United States citizenship are allowed to enter the United States and begin in-person classes on time. However, if you have passed through or have been in any of the countries listed below in the past 14 days, you must arrive at one of the following airports: Atlanta (ATL), Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), Dallas, (DFW), Detroit (DTW), Honolulu (HNL), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK or EWR), San Francisco (SFO), Seattle (SEA), or Washington (IAD). These countries include Austria, Brazil, Belgium, China, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom (excluding overseas territories outside of Europe).
• All students who plan to attend in-person classes this fall 2020, must be issued a new I-20 form certifying that The Webb School is not operating entirely online, and that the student is not taking an entirely online course load for the fall 2020 semester.  This information will be added to the remarks field of the I-20 form. The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) is still accepting electronic copies of 1-20 forms. All updated I-20 forms will be sent by email. Please notify Mrs. Harris if you are planning an on-time arrival to campus for in-person classes, which begin on August 17.
  
  The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) Frequently asked questions about the fall 2020 semester: https://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/sevisFall2020_FAQ.pdf. 

Athletics
Scott Dorsett

Update 7/9/20

As every other area in education, athletics in the State of Tennessee is ever changing. I want to give an update on what is going on with our fall sports programs. As of this writing, volleyball, cross-country, and golf are moving forward as scheduled with practices and scheduled contests. We will adhere to all directives that have come down from the governor’s office, CDC, and the NFHS in following best practices of operating these programs amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We just received word from the TSSAA that is working closely with the governor’s office, that contact sports for the fall, football and girls soccer, are being limited to non-contact practice and social distancing until August 29th. TSSAA is currently working on modifying the season schedule and working to develop a plan for a safe return to contact practices. I will continue to have updates as information becomes available.

6/19/20

It is such a blessing to hear the sounds of our students, your children, on campus again! Some athletic pre-season workouts and athletic summer camps have safely begun, consistent with state and local guidelines.  For practice and interscholastic competition, we will be closely following protocols from the Tennessee Association of Athletics (TSSAA) and the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS).  For the number of fans who can attend our games and the protocols at large gatherings, we will follow directions from the Tennessee Governor’s Office.  We, along with all associations and the Governor’s Office, are constantly looking at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations as well. 

In addition to our usual daily routine procedures, the Athletic Department at Webb has implemented COVID-19 infection prevention measures to promote the health and safety of our student athletes and coaches.  Your child’s safety is our first concern, and the Athletic Department staff will continue to make sure all local, state, and national protocols are followed as they continue to develop. 

Some precautions you will find in our facilities include:

• Temperature checks and completion of the Symptom Monitoring Form before each workout and practice
• Required hand washing/hand sanitation from athletes and coaches before each workout and practice
• Increased distance between athletes and a limit on the number of participants at each workout and practice
• The use of personal water bottles only for hydration
• Restriction on the use of locker rooms by student athletes
• Limited use of the Athletic Training Room-reserved for scheduled rehabs only

Please click here for more detailed information on return-to-play guidelines

We will soon have a link to our Fall 2020 Athletics Calendar. You will be able to find it here and on our school calendar. 

Finances
Jim Callis

Update 7/9/20

Tuition Discounts or Credits
Like most independent schools, Webb invests more than 80 cents of every tuition dollar in our people, in the form of annual commitments for salary and benefits.  These commitments would not change in a potential transition to distance learning or even campus closure.  Also, the school has incurred considerable unbudgeted costs to prepare for a robust distance-learning experience and to bolster our campus health and safety resources.

In the event of a transition to online learning, the Board of Trustees, working with Webb’s leadership team, is committed to a careful and transparent review of the school finances to determine the possibility of a credit or discount. 

6/19/20

This section is still under development by our new Associate Head for Finance and Operations, Mr. Jim Callis, who joined us on June 1st, and our new head of school, Mr. Ken Cheeseman, who will be on campus July 1st.  As they work cooperatively with the finance committee of our board of trustees, you may expect helpful information to be posted in this section in the coming weeks.

We know that finances involve important considerations and decisions for every family here at Webb. Thank you for your ongoing communication and feedback as we develop information to give you insights into the finances for next year.