COVID-19 & Reopening Updates | Click here Explore Apply Give Shop Calendar Contact First here, then anywhere. AC : COVID-19 COVID-19 At Allendale Columbia School, the safety and well-being of our students, faculty, staff and entire AC community is our number one priority. We are continuing to take proactive measures to ensure the health and safety of our school community, and we are closely monitoring and following the advice of local and national health professionals and guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Monroe County Department of Public Health (MCDPH). This area of our website is dedicated to providing resources for our families and information about how Allendale Columbia School is responding to COVID-19, how we are supporting our AC families academically, socially and emotionally, and making resources available for families. Opening Plans 2021-2022 In response to the health and safety guidelines of local and national health professionals, the MCDPH, and the CDC, Allendale Columbia has revised the School Reopening Plan that it developed for the 2020-2021 school year. A copy of the full plan can be viewed here: Read Allendale Columbia’s 2021-2022 Reopening Plan (19 pages) Health and Safety Protocols for the 2021-2022 School Year Prior to welcoming students back on campus, our facilities team conducted a deep clean of the interior of all of our buildings. We will continue to clean the building thoroughly on a daily basis, giving special attention to high touch surfaces such as railings and doorknobs. AC provides its faculty and staff with disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer for classroom and office use, which cuts down on every type of illness. In addition, we are fortunate to have a large campus and smaller classes at AC, a benefit that many of the public schools are struggling with right now. This enables AC to provide distance to students as they learn and play. The following health and safety protocols are in place for the 2021-2022 school year: Protocols Continued from Last Year Masking: All students (except for Little School) and employees will be required to wear a mask while indoors at all times. Masks may be removed while eating and drinking, during mask breaks, and while outdoors if students are physically distanced. This will likely be NYS mandate for all public and non-public schools. Physical Distancing: We will continue to physically distance whenever possible and ask that students remain at least 3 feet apart. Students will be 6 feet apart while eating. Arrival and Dismissal: We will follow the same process as last year. – Little School and Pre-Primary students (18 months – Pre-K) should be dropped off at the Pre-Primary entrance to the right of the Admissions Entrance for drop off in the morning and picked up in the afternoon at this entrance. – Lower School students (K-Grade 5) should be dropped off at Columbia Circle near the Admissions and Welcome Desk entrance in the morning and picked up at the Gannett Gym located on the back parking lot. – Middle and Upper School students (Grades 6-12) should be dropped off at the Allendale Entrance (right before heading to the back parking lot and near Phil Schwartz’s office) in the morning. Middle School students will be picked up at the back of the Gannett Gym. Upper School students will be picked up at the Columbia Entrance by the bus circle. – All bus riders will be dropped off either at the Columbia entrance near the Welcome Desk/Admissions entrance (for K-5) or at the Allendale entrance (for 6-12) in the morning. For afternoon dismissal, they will go to the Dining Commons at the end of the school day to wait for their bus to be called. They will get on the bus at the Columbia entrance near the Welcome Desk/Admissions Entrance. Cleaning and Disinfecting: We will keep cleaning the entire building after dismissal each day. We will also continue to have sanitization stations, hand sanitizer in each classroom, and reminders for hand washing throughout the school day. If your child is feeling unwell: PLEASE be sure to keep your child home if they are not feeling well. We need to work together as a school community to keep all of our students and employees safe. New/Revised Protocols Mandated Vaccines Policy for All Employees prior to the start of the school year. Cohorting by Division: This year we will be cohorting all students by Division during school hours. Health Screenings and Temperature Checks: We will no longer require each student to have a health screener submitted by their parent/caregiver each day. Students will also not be required to have their temperatures taken. We are trusting our parents/caregivers to not send their child(ren) in if they have a temperature or are not feeling well. Lockers: Middle and Upper School students will be allowed to use lockers. Lounges: Middle and Upper School students will be allowed to use their student lounges. After School Activities: We will be holding after school activities such as AC After 3 p.m. (formerly known as AC Encore), Rainbow Room, HAC Athletics, theatre productions, and clubs on campus. Visitors and Events: We will be allowing parents, prospective families, and speakers on campus BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. Everyone will be required to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status. Outdoor events are permitted to take place and indoor events will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Return to School After Illness/Exposure In the event that a student or employee tests positive for COVID-19, AC will follow the flow charts below, per the Monroe County Department of Public Health (MCDPH): MCDPH COVID-19 Protocols (Updated 10/05/21) Allendale Columbia’s N-12 Health Procedures & Return to School Requirements AC Little School Health Procedures & Return to School Requirements Providing Social/Emotional Support Student support – Our number one priority has always been, and will continue to be, the health and safety of our students, physically and mentally. Our faculty work closely with students to talk about, and work through, the challenges they’re facing and the emotions they’re experiencing. Our full-time School Counselors, Ms. Mardie Vella for the Lower School and Ms. Kate Woodard for the Middle and Upper Schools, are also available for all students and their families to provide coping mechanisms, guidance and social/emotional support. Parent support – Continuing our strong partnerships with parents and guardians during this pandemic is essential for the success of our students. We are constantly engaging internal and external health professionals to provide the best guidance and advice to our families to help cope with the stressors we all sometimes experience. Here are some examples of resources we have provided so far: Grade-specific Parent Support chats with AC’s School Counselors Weekly and bi-weekly or by appointment parent meetings with teachers and Division Heads COVID-19 Panel of Health Professionals webinar If you have any additional questions or concerns, please reach out to your Division Head or contact Shannon Baudo. Looking for a way to learn more about AC, here’s how! Virtual Open Houses – Attend one of our upcoming virtual Open Houses,Friday, January 21st at 9:00AM, to learn more about AC and see if it is the right fit for your family. Learn more & register Inquire Online – Submit an online inquiry to learn more about AC! A member of our admission staff will reach out to you by phone or email and will be happy to provide you with additional information and materials. Apply Online – Ready to apply to AC? Start your online application now! Allendale Columbia School 519 Allens Creek Road Rochester, New York 14618 585.381.4560 info@allendalecolumbia.org First here, then anywhere. Allendale Columbia School is a proud member of the National Association of Independent Schools and has received full accreditation from the New York State Association of Independent Schools. © 2021 Allendale Columbia School Selecteer een taal▼