SLSReady
School Policies
School Policies for a Safe Reopening
A number of school policies have been amended this year to aid in optimizing our students' educational experience while maintaining health and safety for all:
Backpacks
Cell Phones
Dress Code
School Supplies & Books
Travel
Transportation
Visitors & Parents
Backpacks
Cell Phones
Dress Code
School Supplies & Books
Travel
Transportation
Visitors & Parents
Backpacks
Students will be required to carry their backpacks during the school day this year. They will not have access to lockers due to the need to stay physically distant while minimizing transitions and passing time. Students must have their backpacks with them at all times and may not leave them unattended (e.g., in the Café to “hold” a spot, etc.). Any bags left around the school unattended will be confiscated and become a reportable infraction.
Cell Phones
Students may carry their cell phones with them, but phones must remain in backpacks throughout the day. They will not have access to lockers due to the need to stay physically distant while minimizing transitions and passing time. All students may check their phones before or after class while seated in a classroom. Upper School students are also allowed to use their phones during free periods while in a classroom (note: Middle School students do not have free periods).
No students may use cell phones in public spaces like commons, Café, library, gyms, etc.
No students may use cell phones in public spaces like commons, Café, library, gyms, etc.
Dress Code
The dress code will be the same whether a student is on campus or at home.
Upper School Dress Code
The Upper School dress code will resemble the spring dress code for the entire year. Students may wear a properly-fitting traditional polo style shirt year round. This dress code is simple and makes sense whether students are on campus or at home. We assume many families will have their children attend Upper School classes from home, and this shift to a year-round spring dress code allows flexibility for students while maintaining age-appropriate standards.
Middle School Dress Code
The Middle School functional dress code will ensure that students can remain comfortable throughout the school day this year. Functional dress code is athletic and leisure wear that students wear to P.E. and after school activities. We’ve made this decision to allow Middle School students the ability to easily transition from academics to P.E. classes, outside free-play, and co-curricular activities without the use of locker rooms/lockers and by avoiding potential contact with other students and unintentional crowded areas.
Upper School Dress Code
The Upper School dress code will resemble the spring dress code for the entire year. Students may wear a properly-fitting traditional polo style shirt year round. This dress code is simple and makes sense whether students are on campus or at home. We assume many families will have their children attend Upper School classes from home, and this shift to a year-round spring dress code allows flexibility for students while maintaining age-appropriate standards.
Middle School Dress Code
The Middle School functional dress code will ensure that students can remain comfortable throughout the school day this year. Functional dress code is athletic and leisure wear that students wear to P.E. and after school activities. We’ve made this decision to allow Middle School students the ability to easily transition from academics to P.E. classes, outside free-play, and co-curricular activities without the use of locker rooms/lockers and by avoiding potential contact with other students and unintentional crowded areas.
School Supplies & Books
The most important thing for families to know about School Supplies is that every student is required to have: 1) headphones with a microphone, and 2) a printer at home.
Most students already have headphones and new ones are not needed. Ideally, headphones should have a built in microphone and a regular headphone jack. The built-in mic allows multiple people to use Zoom without feedback.
We recognize that having a printer at home will be a change for some families. A printer at home allows teachers to design screen-free assignments, especially in the event of distance learning. Of course, there will be times the printer runs out of ink or just doesn’t cooperate, and teachers will always provide workarounds for students in these situations. Any kind of printer is acceptable as long as the student can connect to it from their school laptop or someone else at home can print things for them.
Note that Middle School students will have all other school supplies bundled with their textbooks this year and provided to them during the week of August 24. Upper School students will shop for their own school supplies based on a list that will be shared by Mr. Yavenditti after student schedules are published (this is the normal procedure from past years). Upper School families will order books from our new online book vendor EdTech. Details on that procedure were shared in this letter from Mr. Brusko.
Most students already have headphones and new ones are not needed. Ideally, headphones should have a built in microphone and a regular headphone jack. The built-in mic allows multiple people to use Zoom without feedback.
We recognize that having a printer at home will be a change for some families. A printer at home allows teachers to design screen-free assignments, especially in the event of distance learning. Of course, there will be times the printer runs out of ink or just doesn’t cooperate, and teachers will always provide workarounds for students in these situations. Any kind of printer is acceptable as long as the student can connect to it from their school laptop or someone else at home can print things for them.
Note that Middle School students will have all other school supplies bundled with their textbooks this year and provided to them during the week of August 24. Upper School students will shop for their own school supplies based on a list that will be shared by Mr. Yavenditti after student schedules are published (this is the normal procedure from past years). Upper School families will order books from our new online book vendor EdTech. Details on that procedure were shared in this letter from Mr. Brusko.
Travel
St. Luke’s requires that all members of the community avoid traveling to states listed on Connecticut’s Travel Advisory List within 14 days of returning to campus, or follow precisely Connecticut quarantine guidelines (detailed on the Travel Advisory List page) after returning from those listed states. To return to school on August 24th after visiting one of those states, for example, a student will need to have begun quarantine by August 9th. A negative test will not be a substitute for this quarantine period.
For everyone’s protection, we have suspended school-related travel for the first semester. This includes field trips and travel for professional development.
We also ask that students, faculty and staff avoid personal travel away from the local area during the first semester except under exceptional circumstances (e.g., a sick family member). Again, this expectation is based on our need to work together for the safety of the entire community. Please remember that, depending on the nature and location of any travel and the status of the pandemic, there could be quarantine requirements either upon arrival at the destination or upon return.
For everyone’s protection, we have suspended school-related travel for the first semester. This includes field trips and travel for professional development.
We also ask that students, faculty and staff avoid personal travel away from the local area during the first semester except under exceptional circumstances (e.g., a sick family member). Again, this expectation is based on our need to work together for the safety of the entire community. Please remember that, depending on the nature and location of any travel and the status of the pandemic, there could be quarantine requirements either upon arrival at the destination or upon return.
Transportation
When traveling to and from campus, drop-off and pickup procedures remain as in previous years. The first period of the day for Upper School and Middle School is 9:00 am. We will encourage families to stagger morning drop off times to reduce traffic congestion.
Seniors may drive to campus but may not leave campus during the day including lunch and free periods.
Those students traveling by B&B Transportation and/or New York buses will follow the safety and distancing procedures implemented by both providers, following guidelines set forth by the State of Connecticut. Masks will be required while traveling to and from school on any bus.
Families can take comfort knowing that everyone in the building has completed the health screening prior to arrival and that people do not leave and come back during the day.
Seniors may drive to campus but may not leave campus during the day including lunch and free periods.
Those students traveling by B&B Transportation and/or New York buses will follow the safety and distancing procedures implemented by both providers, following guidelines set forth by the State of Connecticut. Masks will be required while traveling to and from school on any bus.
Families can take comfort knowing that everyone in the building has completed the health screening prior to arrival and that people do not leave and come back during the day.
Visitors & Parents
Access to campus for visitors will be strictly limited and granted only by special request.
While our ordinary St. Luke’s culture welcomes and encourages parents to come to campus, under current conditions parents are permitted on campus only in a vehicle to drop off or pick up students. Parents may not enter the building except by special arrangement.
Parent conferences/meetings and all Admissions and College Counseling activities will take place remotely or after school hours.
Visitors and parents will be asked to attest to being symptom free and having no known COVID-19 exposures in the 72 hours prior to their arrival to campus.
Any visitor to campus must wear a mask at all times.
While our ordinary St. Luke’s culture welcomes and encourages parents to come to campus, under current conditions parents are permitted on campus only in a vehicle to drop off or pick up students. Parents may not enter the building except by special arrangement.
Parent conferences/meetings and all Admissions and College Counseling activities will take place remotely or after school hours.
Visitors and parents will be asked to attest to being symptom free and having no known COVID-19 exposures in the 72 hours prior to their arrival to campus.
Any visitor to campus must wear a mask at all times.
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St. Luke’s School is a secular private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5 through 12 serving 25 towns in Connecticut and New York. Our exceptional academics and diverse co-educational community foster students’ intellectual and ethical development and prepare them for top colleges. St. Luke’s Center for Leadership builds the commitment to serve and the confidence to lead.
