We hope you are having a wonderful Winter Break with your students and enjoying the holiday season. We are excited to have our community come together again when students return to school on Monday, January 3rd for a productive winter term.
As we prepare to welcome students back to campus early next week, we are keeping a close eye on the status of COVID-19 and the spread of the Omnicron variant across the globe. Given the rise in cases, it is essential that we take all necessary precautions to keep the Hyde community safe and healthy. We are committed to protecting everyone on campus while, at the same time, offering our students the co-curricular character programming that is the hallmark of the Hyde education. Thus, we have instituted the following protocols to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on our campus.
Return to Campus Protocols
Our first priority is to get everyone back to school safely on Monday, January 3rd. Therefore, all students are required to return to campus with a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 24-hours in advance of arrival. Options for testing include either a rapid antigen test or, if available, a rapid PCR test. Proof of the negative test results (this can be simply a photo or screenshot) should be emailed to Teresa Coffey, RN, Director of Hyde School Health Center, at tcoffey@hyde.edu. In the event you are unable to secure a rapid test in a timely manner, please reach out to Teresa at (207) 443-7180, and she can help you make arrangements.
Should your child test positive for COVID-19 or display any COVID-like symptoms prior to returning, Hyde will work with you regarding their future return to school.
All community members will be required to wear masks indoors, including during athletics, until such time as we feel comfortable that we have created our campus “bubble.” Students will be allowed to be in their specific dormitory mask-free and are required to engage in hand hygiene and safe distancing.
Students and employees will be pooled tested on Wednesday, January 5th and again on Wednesday, January 12th.
Please notify Teresa if your child has tested positive since leaving campus in December.
Testing Positive on Campus
If your student tests positive for COVID-19, we will work with each family to follow your COVID plan. Most students will be convalescing at home or at an alternative location. We understand that leaving campus in a timely manner to get home may not be possible for every student, and we will assess these situations on a case-by-case basis.
Arrangements will be made for academic work while students are either quarantining on campus or recovering off-campus.
Campus Life
For the first two weeks after they return to campus, students will be required to remain on campus and will be restricted from walking off campus to Big Apple and other local establishments. Arrangements will be made with faculty for “curbside pickup” for students.
Athletic contests will be determined on a case-by-case basis depending as we monitor the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community. As of right now, we are prohibiting spectators, other than students and employees, from attending athletic events.
We will continue to keep you posted as the situation evolves over the coming weeks. Our goal is to continue to create our on-campus “bubble” so that students can experience as much normalcy as possible, and we can continue with in-person learning.
As always, the health and safety of our community is our overarching goal, and, therefore, we will continue to closely monitor the spread of the virus, follow CDC guidelines when applicable, and update our COVID-19 protocols as appropriate. We are grateful for your partnership as we continue to navigate our way through these challenging times. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our Health Office, your Discovery Group Leader, or the Hyde administration. We look forward to having your child back on campus!
All the best for a happy and healthy new year,
Hyde School’s COVID-19 Task Force
August 17th, 2021
Dear Hyde Community,
The link below is a critical update for parents, students and staff for the 2021-2022 school year, including important dates and protocols that the Hyde School is implementing. Please take the time to read it and share the information, so that we can all be prepared for the upcoming first day of school.
After a successful yet challenging year balancing COVID-19 protocols with our rigorous character curriculum, we are looking forward to returning the Hyde School campus to its pre-pandemic normal. Our overarching goal has always been, and continues to be, ensuring the health and safety of the Hyde community – students, employees, and families – while delivering our co-curricular character programming. Given the new Maine COVID-19 recommendations, along with the development of safe and effective vaccines, we are able to lift some of our protocols while continuing others to maintain a healthy community.
COVID-19 Vaccination
We are committed to creating a normalized setting where our students are comfortable and safe. To do so, we strongly encourage that your child arrives on campus Monday, July 12th fully vaccinated for COVID-19. The majority of our students participating in the Summer Leadership Challenge are vaccinated which has allowed us to create a critical mass with our ultimate goal of achieving herd immunity within our community. Because this is a recommendation, we anticipate there will be a few students who opt out of the COVID-19 vaccine. We embrace all students on campus and will work to create a unified sense of inclusion. Those students who are unvaccinated will be subject to additional testing so that we can ensure their safety throughout the program. If you would like to have your child vaccinated while they are here, or you would like more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, please contact Teresa Coffey, RN, Director of the Hyde School Health Center, at tcoffey@hyde.edu.
Campus Life
Almost 100 percent of our employees have been vaccinated for COVID-19.
Based on prevailing recommendations from the State of Maine, we have decided to lift our masking requirement this summer for all students whether vaccinated or unvaccinated. Students will be able to roam the campus and be in indoor spaces without masks. They will, however, be required to have a mask on them at all times in the event one is needed.
In an effort to create a unifying experience for our students, all students, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, may be co-mingled including rooming with each other in the dormitories. All students and faculty will go through morning screenings (temperature, symptom, and exposure checks) and unvaccinated students will be tested one to two times per week.
Arriving on Campus
All students who are fully vaccinated do not need any testing prior to their arrival. We do require that all students who are unvaccinated arrive with a negative PCR COVID-19 test (a regular or rapid PCR test is acceptable) taken no longer than 72-hours prior to arrival. All visitors, including students and parents, should refrain from coming to campus if they are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.
Additional Protocols
In the event a student tests positive for COVID-19, we will be following the guidelines we set in place last year. If your child tests positive, it may be preferable to have them convalesce at home. If that is not possible, we will work out arrangements to help them convalesce on campus, and you may be asked to come help with their care. Accommodations will be provided by Hyde School.
We ask that you complete the COVID-19 Treatment Plan provided by our Health Center. If your child is unvaccinated and has been exposed to an individual with COVID-19, they will be tested, quarantined on campus, and closely monitored for symptoms.
Last year, our community came together and embraced our safety protocols, as well as Hyde’s in-person educational program. We were able to have a year of growth for our students with no transmittal of the virus.
We are keenly aware of the ever-changing landscape of public health guidance regarding COVID-19, as well as potential variants. Hyde is closely monitoring all state and federal recommendations and may make adjustments to our protocols as necessary.
We are excited for your child to join our Summer Leadership Challenge. Our theme this summer is “Find Your Best.” We look forward to welcoming you in August for the family weekend.
July 2, 2021 - Covid update
July 2nd, 2021
COVID-19 Update
Sincerely,
Rich Truluck
Associate Head of School
Dear Hyde Community,
On January 4th, 2021, Hyde School welcomed our students back to campus for in-person learning. We put in place several protocols to create our campus “bubble” for the winter term. All students were required to arrive on campus with a negative COVID-19 test and quarantine in their dorms for approximately ten days prior to receiving a second test. While in quarantine, students participated in remote classes, school meetings, Discovery Groups, as well as outdoor activities in dorm cohorts.
On January 14th, in partnership with CIC Health in Cambridge, Massachusetts, we were able to test our entire student body and a group of employees. Once we confirmed that our “bubble” was intact, in-person learning resumed on January 18th, 2021 with increased vigilance, including heightened masking, physical distancing, and hygiene protocols.
While we continue to chart our course through these challenging times, we reaffirm our commitment to keep our community safe and healthy while delivering the Hyde education in person. Additionally, we will continue to follow Maine and federal CDC guidelines to maintain our campus “bubble.”
July 9, 2020 - Charting Our Course 2020
July 9, 2020
COVID-19 Update
Dear Hyde Community,
After careful consideration, based on both federal and state public health guidance, we have decided to reopen Hyde School’s campus for in-person learning. Our plans to resume Hyde’s co-curricular character education learning program are predicated on all relevant public health advice, particularly that of the State of Maine and local officials, as well as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). As such, with a reimagined vision of life on campus, we have begun to chart our course for the coming school year… Read our full plan by clicking the link below.
If you have trouble opening the link above click here.
June 26, 2020 - Looking Forward to the Fall
June 24, 2020 - Update From Head of School, Laura Gauld
June 24, 2020
COVID-19 Update
Dear Hyde Families,
As soon as we wrapped up the amazing virtual graduation, our team began meeting and planning for the coming school year. So many questions still exist, yet there has been an air of excitement both to welcome students back on campus and also to incorporate some of the lessons learned during this period of distance learning.
We fully expect that Hyde will open for the fall semester and are currently planning to begin the school year on August 17, 2020. Beginning earlier will allow us some flexibility to alter our academic schedule if needed during the school year. A small group of returning students will be coming to campus in mid-July to work with faculty, help prepare procedures for the coming year, and provide role modeling for the new students coming for the Summer session.
As we plan and develop protocols for safety in all areas of school and campus life, we are also following the Maine and national CDC guidelines around best practices for keeping our entire community healthy and safe. Early next week we will be sending out the dates for summer programming and the start of the fall trimester. Within the next two weeks, we will also be sending out a Roadmap for Reopening booklet outlining our protocols and procedures so that all members of the community will be able to see Hyde’s plan for making safety the foundation for our learning.
Our goal for the fall will be to create a Hyde “bubble” of safety allowing the school to effectively operate and maintain the health of our community members while simultaneously providing a Hyde education. Along with this will be clear procedures for if and when we need to address quarantine and isolation on campus.
We will continue to monitor the latest on the timeline of the Covid-19 virus and how this might affect Thanksgiving and the Winter Holiday break. One thought under consideration would be to dismiss students just before the Thanksgiving holiday and ask them to return right after the new year, embedding a two week remote learning program during this time. This change would help eliminate the need for two trips home in a short time period of time.
An additional step we are taking to keep students safe will be to start the year with individual rooms for each student. This will allow each student at Hyde to have a sense of security as we find our way in the new normal. Towards that end, we are planning for a smaller school so that we can accomplish our goals. As we are interviewing prospective families, we are aware that our first priority is to ensure that your family has a space if you are committed to the Hyde education for the coming year. If you have not yet re-enrolled we ask that you share your plans with us as soon as possible so that we can plan accordingly.
We know that this crisis will pass and each of us will emerge stronger with more knowledge and deeper understanding about how to learn and how to bring out the best in each other. I am confident that the coming year will prove to be an important one for our students and for Hyde’s future. We have learned the value of character in challenging times. After all, We are Hyde.
Sincerely,
Laura D. Gauld ’76
President & Head of School
March 31, 2020 - Wolfpack Fitness, Athletics Week One
March 31, 2020
COVID-19 Update
Hyde Athletics Home Program Week #1
Welcome to Wolfpack Fitness!
Tune in tonight (March 31, 2020) at 7:00pm for the Athletics Webinar and an explanation of the remote learning Athletics Program, Wolfpack Fitness!
Parents: Reminder this is the same link that you will use every night to log into the optional nightly webinars that are on the schedule. There is more information on the webinars in the “Reminders And Tips” section at the bottom of this email.
Please follow the steps below as we prepare for Week #1 of Wolfpack Fitness!
Step 1: In order to calculate your steps download the app “StepsApp Pedometer” Step 2: Steps Goal – 25,000 Steps for Week 1 Step 3: Perform home exercise workouts Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Following each week, send in your Weekly Step Count and a brief description of how your Athletics went.
Throughout our remote learning period we will be keeping track of each student’s step count. A leaderboard will be posted following each week. Please send a screenshot of your weekly counts to either to Stefan Jensen (sjensen@hyde.edu), Murphy Duffy (mduffy@hyde.edu) or Kearney Gutierrez (kgutierrez@hyde.edu).
Static Stretches:
Each stretch should be held for 30 seconds and then repeat on the opposite side.
Right Arm Across
Left Arm Across
Right Leg Over Left Touch Your Toes
Left Leg Over Right Touch Your Toes
Both Feet Together Touch Your Toes
Right Leg Quadriceps Pull
Left Leg Quadriceps Pull
Wall Push Right Leg
Wall Push Left Leg
Warm Up Options:
Each warm-up should be done in place 2 times through for 15 seconds.
Here is the link for the reoccurring Nightly Webinars that are on the schedule. You can join by clicking the link here or you may save the link and paste it into the address bar at 7:00 to join that night’s Webinar.
This link is also present on your Student’s Google Calendar. The link will be the same for every Webinar, it will not change, so feel free to save this link however it is easiest for you.
Refer to our Remote Learning Student Expectations. Please read it carefully and follow the guidelines listed.
March 27, 2020 - Reminders & Tips For Remote Learning
March 27, 2020
COVID-19 Update
Hyde Families and Students,
I hope this finds you well and that most of your questions have been answered as we gear up to begin our remote learning on Monday!
We have put a lot of work into preparing what we hope will be engaging classes and a well-rounded schedule to keep our mental and physical wheels turning during this time of social distancing. With no doubt, some of us will likely run into issues as we navigate the first few days, so stay patient and know that we always welcome feedback to make this experience meaningful for all of you.
We go LIVE on Monday, March 30th at 10:30 am EST beginning with Discovery Group check-ins, followed by academic classes. You may elect to do your workout in the morning before we begin or in the afternoon.
This is a video tutorial of how to log into your discovery groups and academic classes. You should practice with Google Hangouts Meet before Monday to ensure you have webcam and audio settings ready to go.
Here is the link for the reoccurring Nightly Webinars that are on the schedule. You can join by clicking the link here or you may save the link and paste it into the address bar at 7:00 to join that night’s Webinar.
This link is also present on your Student’s Google Calendar. The link will be the same for every Webinar, it will not change, so feel free to save this link however it is easiest for you.
100% live class attendance is expected if you live in the Continental US.
Those in other countries will have access to the recorded classes in your Google Classrooms.
Those of you in China will be in contact with folks via WeChat and your email address.
Your Discovery Group Leaders and teachers will do everything they can to answer any of your questions as they arise.
Refer to our Remote Learning Student Expectations. Please read it carefully and follow the guidelines listed.
Families and students need to pick a book to read and we will discuss them in groups as we go through the spring.
Students will begin with one of the following:
Educated by Tara Westover — A coming of age memoir and a portrait of resilience, courage and the power of education.
OR
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens — A mystery, a celebration of the natural world, and the story of a young woman’s commitment to being herself and to fighting for her passions.
Parents, Faculty, and Staff will begin with one of the following:
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell–an incredible novel that plays on the theme of isolation (in this case in 18th- and early 19th-century Japan) and tells a story about the courage of commitment and the meaning of truth. It is one of the best novels of recent years
OR
The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting up a Generation for Failure by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt. The title speaks for itself!
Stay safe, commit to starting this new adventure of remote learning in a positive manner, and we’ll get through this together!
Best wishes from all of us on campus!
Crystal Peltzer
Director of Studies
March 25, 2020 - Letter From Hyde's School Counselor
March 25, 2020
COVID-19 Update
It is certainly a different world from the time, a few short weeks ago, that we said goodbye to our students as they headed off for March Break. Like many of you, I have had plenty of time to think about what this change might bring and how we will all manage, grow, and support each other. I want to assure you that at Hyde School we are all committed to doing just that… Helping to manage the academics as well as the challenges of uncertain times, growing during a time of new schedules and supporting in any way that we can.
As the School Counselor, I will be offering my support to students and families by phone, emails, Zoom, Google Hangouts, and other video platforms.
In these times of chaos and uncertainty in the world, I find it helpful to remind myself that there are still many things that remain the same. For one, Hyde’s commitment to students and families. Though the path to get there currently looks different, our commitment to helping our students discover their unique potential is the same.
As parents and educators, we must bring the calm and regularity that our children need right now. There is very little that matters more than caring for and educating our youth. In any way that I can, I am here to support students and families as we navigate some unchartered waters. I feel confident that we will all come out stronger having shared this experience.
Remember to take time for yourselves, practice self-care, take a break from the news when you need to and reach out for support.
If you would like to schedule a time to “meet”, please reach out to me at lhobart@hyde.edu.
As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions.
On behalf of all of us here in Bath, I truly hope that this letter finds you and your loved ones
well and moving forward. As we continue to navigate through a changing world, we want to
connect with our Alumni, HAPA, and friends to provide support, challenge, encouragement,
and a sense of community while also updating you on what is happening here at school.
Please continue to visit this page to see the updates posted on our ongoing communications.
Here at school, life has changed dramatically just as it has all over the world.
While most of our students were on spring break when the news of nation-wide school closures
took place, there has been a group of international students who are still on campus working
with a few faculty members who were not able to travel home. They have shown caring,
courage, and creativity as they enjoy some downtime and make the most of their situation.
Most of the faculty have returned from spring break and are self-isolating in their apartments
here on campus while some are isolating off-campus. The team continues to work tirelessly
to put into place our new remote educational program, which will begin on March 30th. Most
of the staff are working remotely but we will continue answering our telephones, receiving
mail, processing gifts and checking in on our Hyde family. Our employees are active,
engaged, and working as hard as ever on your behalf.
Hyde has always been committed to building and serving our community.
In times like these, that means more than ever. We have already begun working on some
opportunities to connect remotely as a community and look forward to sharing more details
about these opportunities in the coming weeks. Long time Hyde veteran Bob Felt is working
with our founder Joey Gauld to set up remote Hyde conversations and many alums and
HAPAs are offering to help our current students and families during this time. First, we want
to ensure that those interested can receive news and information.
We encourage each of you to click on this form to update your contact information.
You can also email us at alumni@hyde.edu (whether you’re an alum, HAPA, or friend)!
Please follow us on Facebook @HydeSchool and @HydeAlumni and on Instagram @HydeSchool and share with us using the hashtag #wearehyde.
We are deeply grateful to the Hyde community during this time. Whatever we face in the
coming weeks and months, we will face together. Stay safe, follow health guidelines, and I
know that we will take care of each other. #wearehyde
Sincerely,
Laura D. Gauld ’76
President & Head of School
March 20, 2020 - Employee Update
March 20, 2020
COVID-19 Update
Team,
I hope this email finds everyone safe and hunkered down for a weekend of rest and isolation. First, I want to thank everyone this past week for the incredible attitude and willingness to adjust our work model in order to stay safe and also to keep our school moving forward. We have had productive phone calls, email, Blackbaud training, and video conferencing throughout the week. The facilities team along with the Dining team has been doing amazing work on the campus cleaning and disinfecting buildings. The faculty that have worked with the International students on campus along with Fang Jiang have taken such good care of the students here. So many of you have worked tirelessly to get communications out, answer phones, deal with short and long term planning and it is truly making a difference as we face this crisis together.
For the coming week, we will continue in this new model, with most staff working remotely and faculty preparing for the remote learning which begins March 30th. There will be no meetings on campus but there will be a google call on Monday at 2 pm for those who will be working with the students and families. Please work with your direct Supervisor as to where you will be working this week and make sure that Sarah Clifford is aware so we can know where our team is. Also, remember that many of the buildings and the gym are closed so we can keep the campus closed off for now. Walks out at the track and on the edge of campus are fine if we all keep our distance from the Renewal Center where the students are located.
Another reminder is to keep our health and handwashing in place and reach out if anyone needs groceries or supplies. We will continue to monitor the situation and review each week as it comes. I suspect that we will know more if a student return before June is possible in the next week. We are also planning for the summer and for the date when we will be able to have students back on campus.
Thank you. Whatever we face, we know that we have a better chance to face it when we work as a team. We do not need to be standing next to each other to be a team.
Onward,
Laura D. Gauld ’76
President & Head of School
March 18, 2020 - Update For Families
March 18, 2020
COVID-19 Update
Dear Hyde Families,
As we continue to navigate through a new world, it seems that our only constant is the change that is unfolding each day. No doubt many of you, like many of us at Hyde, are staying at home and balancing both your professional roles as well as your biggest job as parents! While our adult children are no longer in residence, Malcolm and I are in regular communication with them and Harrison just came for a visit. There are certainly many opportunities that his autism presents, but it was clear that he is blissfully unaware that the world is in lockdown mode. He helped me to see that life is still about making connections even if we cannot hug or even stand too close to each other right now.
Here at school, life has also changed dramatically. The faculty who are returning from spring break are self-isolating in their apartments here on campus and some are at home off-campus. Most of the staff are working remotely so that we can limit human contact on campus. There is a small crew working to thoroughly clean and disinfect each building on campus. And finally, there is a team meeting remotely to put into place our new educational program, which will begin on March 30th.
In the midst of all this, there is a group of international students who are still on campus working with a few faculty members who were not able to travel home. They have shown caring, courage, and creativity as they enjoy some downtime and make the most of their situation.
As we practice social distancing, we are forced to learn some new skills. Hyde has always been about the concept of community. Simply put, everyone does everything. So much of Hyde life happens during school meetings, performing arts shows, academic presentations, and family weekends. As we have imagined the key components of our new remote learning program, there is one thing we all agreed upon: we need to maintain some sense of community and create some activities that we are all going to commit to – students, parents, faculty, and staff. We are also going to have to reach out to each other through calls, texts, webinars, etc. to continue the support and challenge that is essential to the Hyde education.
The schedule that we are developing includes aspects that we will all be involved in:
Everyone will commit to their work – the students will have academic work and the parents will be facing their own new work schedules.
Everyone will be on one Wolfpack athletic team – We will be running, walking or engaging in exercises if we are limited in getting outside. (more details to come)
We will read – We will start with fiction and nonfiction options.
Students will begin with one of the following: Educated by Tara Westover — Both a coming of age memoir and a portrait of resilience, courage and the power of education OR Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens–a mystery, a celebration of the natural world, and the story of a young woman’s commitment to being herself and to fighting for her passions.
Parents, Faculty, and Staff will begin with one of the following: The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell–an incredible novel that plays on the theme of isolation (in this case in 18th- and early 19th-century Japan) and tells a story about the courage of commitment and the meaning of truth. It is one of the best novels of recent years OR The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting up a Generation for Failure by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt. The title speaks for itself!
We will learn from each other – There will be weekly webinars on college counseling, family education, the senior evaluation process, making healthy choices, and more.
There will be human voice contact – Once a week, each family will have a phone check-in with their Discovery Group leader, as well as having other opportunities for individual calls for academics, family support and mentoring.
We will share our learning! – Using the hashtag #wearehyde we will share our photos, messages, and inspiration to encourage and support each other.
The challenge before us will continue to test us. We can do this, for our families have already embraced a character approach. Know that our team, both here and remote, will go to the ends of the Earth to help you and your child, not just to endure this period, but also to embrace the opportunities that we may not be able to envision at this moment. As Helen Keller said, “When one door closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us”.
While the Hyde schedule template (linked below) is still in development, I thought it would be helpful for all of us to start to envision what lies directly ahead. Next week, our faculty team will be preparing for remote lessons in all of Hyde’s subject areas. You can always look for updates on the Hyde website, but soon as we know if there might be a potential return date, we will communicate that to our families. In the meantime, we must prepare for the reality that a return date this year may not happen. Whatever we face in the coming weeks and months, we will face together. Stay safe, follow health guidelines, and I know that we will take care of each other.
As the world-wide coronavirus outbreak continues to dominate our news each day, we know this may be a source of growing concern for our employees. We want to assure you that keeping our staff safe and well is our top priority during this time. To that end, we want to share with you some important information about coronavirus (COVID-19) and how we can all work together to minimize its impact in our communities.
As of 3/13/2020, there have been several reported positive cases of COVID-19 in Maine. Infectious disease experts have yet to see evidence the virus is spreading through our communities, and therefore the current risk of getting COVID-19 here is still regarded as low.
Obviously, this can change as it has in other communities across the country. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to minimize your chances of contracting the virus and limit its spread. Here is what the CDC recommends:
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds;
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, especially when out in public;
Avoid contact with people who are sick and stay home if you are sick;
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue away;
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend the general public wear a mask to prevent COVID-19.
Older adults and people with serious chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and lung disease are at a higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19. If you are in this high-risk group, the federal Centers for Disease Control is now recommending that you reconsider travel and avoid crowds. If you are not in a high-risk category, there are also some recommendations and warnings about traveling to places in the world with ongoing outbreaks of COVID-19. Please continue to monitor CDC’s website for the latest developments.
What is Hyde School doing now in response to COVID-19 developments?
We are keeping surfaces clean and practicing and promoting good hand hygiene in all offices and working spaces.
Our dining hall will remain closed until March 23rd. When we reopen the dining hall, there will likely be newly established protocols that we will ask employees to follow.
We are asking all employees who have traveled away from campus for spring break to provide travel details to the Business Office (sclifford@hyde.edu or ahennin@hyde.edu) as soon as possible. We will need to ask you questions about where and when you have traveled, including airports you have passed through.
For employees who reside in on-campus housing and who have traveled away from campus, there is a possibility that you will be asked to self- quarantine in an off campus location for 14 days prior to returning to campus.
We are asking all employees to stay home from work if they experience a cough or flu-like symptoms accompanied by a fever.
Employees who miss work due to illness will be allowed to receive an additional four (4) paid sick days if they need it between now and June 30, 2020.
As noted above, if you have flu-like symptoms and experience shortness of breath or are otherwise concerned about your symptoms or have reason to believe you were exposed to someone known to have COVID-19, call your health care provider.
To keep up with the latest information, consult trusted sources such as the CDC. You can also get updates on our website here.
We will be monitoring the situation closely and providing regular updates to all employees.
Take good care,
Sarah Clifford, CFO
March 12, 2020 - Letter To The Hyde Community
March 12, 2020
COVID-19 Update
Dear Hyde Community,
Over the last few days, we have watched, listened and felt all the emotions surrounding our new reality unfolding. Following conversations with Maine educators, webinar discussions with national colleagues and multiple meetings on campus, I am writing to inform you about our most current plans in light of the evolving reality of COVID-19.
Given the uncertain trajectory of the virus and our responsibility to support public health efforts and our own precious students, we have determined the following and will adjust our schedule as needed:
We will have an extended spring break for our students through Sunday, March 29.
On Monday, March 30, remote learning will begin for our students.
Our current plan is to bring students back on campus Monday, April 13, however, this is pending developments in the coming weeks.
In response to directives from the larger health community, we will be canceling the Spring Family Weekend (April 24-26) along with the traditional Spring Sports schedule.
In addition, the three spring on-campus FLCs dates of March 26-29, April 2-5, and April 21-23 will be canceled.
Beginning tomorrow morning, we are deploying veteran Hyde faculty members to reach out to each family to check in and share more in detail of our plans as we move forward with the learning modifications needed to meet our educational goals. We are currently meeting around the clock to discuss long distance learning, Discovery group meetings, college counseling, and parenting support as we adjust to the new normal in front of us.
Thank you for your flexibility, support, and understanding as we all prioritize health and safety, both within our community and in the communities that we are all a part of. Our school motto has long been #hydetough and we believe that there are opportunities in these obstacles that will be uncovered.
Following our one-on-one phone calls, we will post frequent updates both here and through email. As always, we welcome the opportunity to get on the phone and process any thoughts and feelings.
Our thoughts and prayers are with all those in the world who are affected by this crisis and also to our Hyde families and employees who make up this amazing community. We truly will practice the spirit of Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper to help everyone get through this and emerge stronger.
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