Dear Stone Ridge Community,

Thank you for your continued collaboration as we navigate the challenge of keeping our community healthy while also living out our mission in the fullest way possible. Our external COVID metrics and our internal protocols have been assessed carefully over the past few days in order to decide how to proceed with instruction during the month of December. We are writing today with an update on that plan.

Our philosophy of access to campus remains the same as it always has. We are prioritizing earliest and most consistent access to our youngest learners, with the goal of giving all students access to in-person programming as much as we feel is reasonable. In brief, starting on Monday, December 7, the students in Little Hearts and Kindergarten-Grade 5 will resume full in-person programs. Grades 6-8 students will resume a hybrid learning model, beginning with the Blue Team (the Blue Team was virtual November 16-20.) All Upper School students will remain in virtual learning, with specific invitations to campus for grade level events and athletic opportunities. This decision has been made based on a thorough review of known risks of infection and transmission across different age groups, the impact of mitigation methods, and the benefits of in-person school attendance.

If you choose to have your child(ren) remain in virtual learning, please submit this for Lower School and this form for Middle School by Friday, December 4.

We are also adding the requirement of COVID TESTING for all students and faculty members prior to returning to campus. The details are included below.

Please note that students will be on campus based on the following revised calendar:

Little Hearts (Infants-Preschool): 12.7-12.11; 12.14-12.17; All virtual on 12.18.
Kindergarten through Grade 5: 12.7-12.11; 12.14-12.17; All virtual on 12.18.
Grades 6-8 Blue Team: 12.7-12.11.
Grades 6-8 Gold Team: 12.14-12.17; All virtual on 12.18.
Upper School: Virtual from 12.7-12.18. (The Class of 2021 will be on campus December 9.)

While we understand that this decision may be disappointing news for our Upper School community, we also appreciate the social emotional benefits of bringing students to campus for them to connect with classmates. Our Upper School team is working with student leaders to plan social events for Grade 9 and 10 students that will take place after school the week of 12.14. The plans for the Grade 11 and 12 on campus events are moving forward as scheduled: The Grade 12 Rally Day on 12.9 and Grade 11 Movie Night on 12.11. The Athletic Department is also investigating some opportunities for Upper School students to come to campus for optional physical activity. Spots would be limited and students must register in advance. These classes would be held outdoors. Please stay tuned for more information regarding the specifics of these programs in this week’s Thursday Page and other direct communications.

We are also pleased to announce that we have added one more member to our Medical Advisory Council, Dr. Ricardo LaGrange, father of Ella ‘24. Dr. LaGrange is a Licensed Clinical and Research Psychologist with over 20 years of experience in the fields of public health; psychotherapy and counseling; training and consultation; seminar and workshop presentation; and evidence-based practices. Dr. LaGrange received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia, his Masters’ degree in Public Health from George Washington University and Doctorate degree in Psychology from Howard University. He has proven expertise in the science of behavioral change and leading healthcare-related initiatives with high-risk populations across multiple sectors. We are so grateful for his expertise on the team and his investment of time in our work together.

The School and our Medical Advisory Council will continue to monitor both the external case burden in the region and the incidence of COVID within our community very carefully. If necessary, we will adjust this plan. Thank you for your continued partnership and understanding as we continue to work through this school year. We remain committed to serving our mission while putting the health and safety of our community first. If you have any questions, please feel free to continue directing them to covid@stoneridgeschool.org.

Sincerely,

Catherine Ronan Karrels

Head of School

Information on Testing

FiveMedicine will provide PCR testing on campus, in Gym 1.

The test is a nasal swab and it is available for all ages, including infants. FiveMedicine is experienced in working with children of all ages.

FiveMedicine will bill each individual’s insurance provider for the cost of the test. (If the insurance provider ultimately does not provide coverage for any reason, the School will be billed.)

Testing Dates:

Thursday, December 3, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (last slots at 5:30 pm) for faculty, all Little Hearts through Grade 5 students and Grade 6-8 Blue Team
TBD Sunday, December 6 (times TBA) for Grade 12 and (optionally) for faculty and staff, space permitting.
TBD Thursday, December 10 (times TBA) for Grade 6-8 Gold Team and (optionally) for faculty and staff, space permitting.
Note: Lower and Middle School will hold asynchronous instruction on Thursday, December 3 so that the respective community members can be tested.

Pre-registration Required:

For those testing on December 3, please see the instructions below to register and provide your insurance information.
We will communicate separately when registration details and times are available for the December 6 and 10 groups.

Results will be provided by FiveMedicine to individuals and to the School in 24-48 hours (likely Friday evening or on Saturday, following December 3).

Anyone with a positive test result will be excluded from campus until the required isolation period ends. Results will be reported to the appropriate local Health Department, which ultimately makes quarantine and isolation determinations.

If the student or employee has previously tested positive and is past the required isolation period and symptom-free, please contact the Health Services Office (healthservices@stoneridgeschool.org) to discuss whether the circumstances warrant testing this week.

The testing this month is tied to campus reopening following an extended break, so it is designed for screening: we are testing all students and faculty prior to their return to campus due to potentially elevated risks from the holiday. We expect to follow similar procedures in January, following the Christmas break, and additional details will be shared later. For the longer term, the School is working to implement a surveillance testing program in 2021, by which there would be regular, weekly testing of a percentage of students and employees. This would enable the School to monitor trends and spot possible areas of concern. Additional details about future testing will be shared when available.

Instructions from FiveMedicine to Register for Testing on Thursday, December 3

Go to www.fivemedicine.com
Select "Book An Online Appointment"
Scroll down and click on "Stone Ridge School"
Select a time slot (you may show up at any point within your 30-minute window, e.g. if you sign up for the 11:00 am slot, you may arrive between 11:00 am and 11:30 am)
You should then receive two emails, one confirming the time slot and the second labeled Patient Intake Form. (The emails may not arrive immediately, please be patient.)
Click the Patient Intake Form link in your email and then fill out the online form with demographic, medical history (including current symptoms), & insurance information.

Quick Reminders for Testing

When inputting information in the patient intake forms please input the information of the individual receiving the test (e.g. if your child is getting tested, input the child's information on the intake form, not the parent's information).
When you register, you will receive a second email confirming your appointment. This is not an automated process, so we ask for your patience as we manually confirm each appointment.
If you do not fill out all your demographic and insurance information in advance you will be asked to step out of line so as not to delay the process. We are unable to provide testing if your information is not accurate and in the system.
Lab results will be sent from the following email address - Root <notify2@labgenlis.com>
Everyone being tested should bring a photocopy of their ID and Insurance Card.

If you have any questions about registering, FiveMedicine, or their forms, please email support@fivemedicine.com. If you have questions for Stone Ridge, please email covid@stoneridgeschool.org.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What enables this decision now, in contrast to the decision to switch to virtual learning as of November 12?

External factors: At current levels (positivity hovering near 5%, caseload above 15/100k), the Maryland state guidelines recommend “limited in-person programs.” We believe that with the addition of a testing program in place, and with continued adherence to the internal controls that have been successfully implemented for multiple weeks now, our plan is consistent with that intent.

The CDC’s Indicators for Dynamic School Decision-Making broadly characterizes what activities are advisable within certain levels of disease burden within a community and emphasizes the impact that mitigating controls can have on that risk. Stone Ridge’s use of hybrid learning for older students, symptom screening, use of masks, spacing, enhanced ventilation, and sanitation programs, complemented with testing, represent best practices that enable a return to campus.
Proven success of our internal controls: Though we have had cases of COVID identified at Stone Ridge, there has been no evidence of virus spread within the school. This demonstrates that our internal controls are working.
Testing: We will be piloting a testing program that will begin this Thursday, December 3. This will provide another layer of protection for the community.
Balance of perspective: We are dedicated to a holistic approach that both assesses risk and considers the social-emotional and spiritual lives of our students, and the benefits of in-person instruction.

What can we expect on campus? Will community life have changed at all to meet new internal requirements?

COVID Testing: As explained above, we will be doing a pilot of COVID testing on campus in December.
Internal Controls: We will be enhancing several internal controls during the month of December. We have been encouraging employees to wear the KN95 masks that the School is providing (rather than their own masks). During the remaining days in December, these KN95 masks will be required PPE for all employees while on campus. We will continue working with our students to maintain 6 foot distancing, which is especially challenging during transition times. Given that lunch will largely be served indoors throughout December, we will be continuing to work with the community to improve adherence to our expectations during lunchtime. All other safety measures as articulated in SR Forward will remain in place.
Opting Out: As always, families can opt to keep their children remote during the month of December if that works better for the family’s circumstances.
Group Sizes: What about the ten person Montgomery County limit for indoor gatherings? While the county has re-imposed restrictions on group sizes for social gatherings, these limits do not apply to classroom instruction.

What if our child has been traveling within the past two weeks?

As we communicated prior to Thanksgiving, Maryland updated its advisory on November 10 to include states with high case rates (more than 20 per 100,000 of population), in addition to those with positivity rates above 10%. The advisory states that travelers “should get tested and self-quarantine at home until the test result is received.” The FiveMedicine testing provided by Stone Ridge would satisfy this requirement for purposes of campus access.

What if we are not available to come to campus for testing on the date I am assigned? Can I get testing done elsewhere, and if so, what is the process for submitting results?

We strongly request that all tests be completed via FiveMedicine on the date(s) scheduled by the School, so that the School may ensure that results are received in a timely manner. If that proves impossible, you may submit a negative test result to the Health Services Office (healthservices@stoneridgeschool.org). The test must be a PCR test; it must be administered no sooner than the date your child would have been scheduled to test with FiveMedicine; and you must allow up 48 hours after submitting your test result for your campus access to be approved by the School. If you have questions or concerns, please contact covid@stoneridgeschool.org or the Health Services office. If a family prefers that their student not be tested, they must remain off campus.