Pandemic Response

We will  continue to employ a layered prevention approach as recommended by the CDC, which includes:

• Universal indoor masking; in general, masks are not required when outdoors
• Physical distancing of at least three feet
• Handwashing and respiratory etiquette
• Cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities
• Continued air filtration and air handling
• Contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine

At this time, we anticipate continuing wellness screening for students and employees using SchoolPass; however, we may modify this requirement as the school year progresses. We have had such few instances of illness on campus this year as a result of parents keeping their children home when they have contagious symptoms that we will ask all to continue this practice for the health of all.

We don’t anticipate making vaccines mandatory for students at this time. We will offer the full, core Awty experience for all students regardless of vaccination status, though it may be the case that supplemental experiences will be available only to vaccinated students.

At this time ~98% of our employees are vaccinated or on their way to being fully vaccinated. We strongly encourage employees to get the vaccine and have facilitated opportunities for them to do so, through on-campus clinics and accommodations in their work schedule. We have not mandated the vaccine at this time.

All individuals will be required to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status. In general, masks will be optional outdoors, regardless of vaccination status, unless engaged in sustained close contact with other people who are not fully vaccinated.

Masks will be required on buses, regardless of vaccination status. This is in accordance with the CDC’s order that applies to buses operated by public and private school systems.

All individuals are welcome to wear a mask at any time for their comfort, and we fully support those who choose to wear a mask.

Any student exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19 should stay home and will be cleared to return pending a negative COVID test and a note from their healthcare provider or clearance from a school nurse depending on the situation. Students who come to school exhibiting symptoms will be held in quarantine in the clinic until a caregiver can pick them up. These symptoms include:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Any individual who is not fully vaccinated and has a close-contact exposure to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 will be required to quarantine for 14 days per CDC and health department recommendations for schools.

Following CDC guidance, individuals who are fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine after close contact with someone with COVID-19 unless they have symptoms. However, fully vaccinated people should get tested 3-5 days after their exposure, even if they don’t have symptoms, and wear a mask indoors in public for 14 days following exposure or until their test result is negative.

Individuals who travel internationally and are not fully vaccinated are required to quarantine for 7 days with a negative COVID test or 10 days without. We will follow CDC guidance and changes related to international travel as outlined here. Please take this into account when planning international travel, as remote learning will not be available in this circumstance.

Report all positive COVID cases and exposures to the nursing staff. They will advise on protocols and necessary precautions in consultation with the Houston Health Department. You can reach them in the Clinic or at COVID@awty.org.

To upload your child's COVID-19 vaccine card in Magnus Health, click here and follow the step-by-step directions.

To upload your child's COVID-19 test results in Magnus Health, click here and follow the step-by-step directions.

Our nursing staff is here to help and is available with a rotational call schedule. Please address your questions to COVID@awty.org for the nurse on call.

Individuals who travel internationally and are not fully vaccinated are required to quarantine for seven days with a negative COVID test or ten days without. We will follow CDC guidance and changes related to international travel as outlined here. Please take this into account when planning international travel, as remote learning will not be available in this circumstance.

New guidance prioritizes a return to in-person learning and some changes to protocols that will allow us to continue to operate on campus safely and return to as many of our valued program offerings as possible, in a way that is safe for students. We believe we can provide the best quality of education for our students through in-person instruction.

As such, we will discontinue equal optionality of at-home learning. At-home learning will be provided in 2021-2022 only in rare and special cases, as long as there are no significant changes in guidance from health and governing authorities. These unique circumstances include:

• Students with an Extended Excused Absence (EEA). EEA is offered to students with a medical condition or extenuating circumstance that necessitates a long-term absence from school. Approval is granted by the Division Office and may require supporting documentation.
• Individuals who require quarantine (under CDC or health department guidance) due to close contact exposure to a person(s) known to have contracted COVID-19. These cases will be approved by the campus nurse.
• At-home learning will not be allowed for international travel quarantines required by the CDC. Please consider this when planning international trips.

If an at-home learning situation is approved, the Division Office and the student's teachers will develop a personalized learning plan for the student. Learning plans may blend synchronous and asynchronous elements to allow the student to remain connected to their Awty education.

Health and safety are still paramount, and we have learned that contact tracing is key to understanding impacts in the event of a positive case. We will emphasize seating charts, distancing, and attendance, as well as an added shared accountability charge for Secondary students. These measures will help us effectively contact trace.

Early Learning Campus will continue with class cohorts but will return to normal levels of in-person instruction. We will also resume music and art instruction in cohorts. In some cases in CP/1st grade, students may mix across homeroom cohorts for L2, art and PE classes. CP/1st grade students will also receive specials classes (Art and PE) in their respective L2 languages.

Lower School will return to a traditional homeroom model for 2nd-4th grades. Fifth graders will incorporate some mixing, to prepare them for the Middle School model. In some cases, students will mix across homeroom cohorts for L2 classes and will also receive specials classes (Art and PE) in their respective L2 languages.

Secondary School will allow more mixing of students within each grade level. L2 and L3 cohorts may mix across grade levels. They will continue to use seating charts and attendance for contact tracing purposes.

Generally, masks will be optional outdoors, regardless of vaccination status (per CDC guidelines). When recess is indoors due to weather, classes will not mix and masks will be required.

Early Learning Campus will maintain a smaller cohorted recess model, as this model has proven more developmentally beneficial to the preschool students. CP/1st grade students will have recess by grade level.

Lower School will have recess by grade level.

Secondary School will have division-specific break times. Students will participate in a shared accountability framework, which will allow them to better understand and take ownership of their contact tracing.

We are actively considering revised approaches (including potential outdoor options) for some of Awty’s signature events. We will share updates as available.

Secondary school clubs, athletics, and music programs will return with an emphasis on attendance and shared accountability. In the area of co-curricular activities, please be aware that this is the starting point. Should health conditions deteriorate, we may need to restrict potentially high-risk activities to those students who are vaccinated. As in other areas of this guidance, vaccination creates the most possibility for Awty students.

Awty Plus and other ancillary activities (tennis lessons, soccer academy) will resume with the observation of the same health and safety protocols practiced throughout the regular school day. Students will mix according to their Awty Plus activities and will not remain in their classroom groups.

We anticipate our menu offerings will return to normal. New CDC guidance suggests that there is a very low risk of COVID transmission from surfaces and shared objects. As such, we will no longer limit food service to single-use items and prepackaged meals. Students will eat in their classrooms or when possible utilizing outdoor space as much as possible.

At this time, Student Bistro remains closed due to construction constraints. Students should bring their own snacks for consumption.

We look forward to welcoming parents back to campus for select scheduled school events. Parents will be informed and invited to these events with guidance for health and safety protocols.

All visitors to campus outside of these events will require approval from school officials. All campus visitors will need to complete a health screening and follow masking guidance.

While not as restricted as last school year, the visitor protocol will remain limited for health and safety purposes and due to our ongoing construction project on the main campus.

We will continue to offer busing. Please see the busing information here. Masks will be required on buses. This is in accordance with the CDC’s order that applies to buses operated by public and private school systems.

Currently, student drop-off and pick-up are only available using one of the carpool lanes, or on the main campus, via the pedestrian access at the East Gate for those walking to school. Students in 6éme/6th grade and above may enter and exit unaccompanied. Students in Lower School must be dropped off and picked up at the gate either by an adult parent/guardian or by a secondary student sibling). Parent/guardian authorization is required for student pedestrian access to campus.

For the time being, "walk-in" (parking on campus and walking a student to or from classes) is not permitted on either campus.

Complete arrival, dismissal, and transportation procedures and operation times will be communicated by the division offices before the start of classes.

We expect to open the School Store with visitor limitations. The School Store will continue to offer email ordering.

Yes, libraries will be open during the school day, with visitor limitations. Due to the temporary relocation of the Secondary library for construction, library visits will be limited to assigned, prescribed, or approved times.

Secondary students will go back to locker use, with lockers grouped by grade level. Loitering at lockers will not be permitted, in an effort to limit contact time.