Great News to Start the School Year!

Brewster has received the results of the COVID PCR tests that were recently conducted for Group One students who arrived the weekend of August 14, as well as all faculty and staff who reside on campus and work directly with students. All 62 students and 144 adults tested negative for the COVID-19 virus. We now await a handful of results for Group One late arrivals as we prep for the Group Two students, arriving August 28-30. They will receive their COVID tests at that time, and of course we’ll all be hoping for the same outcome so we can start the school year COVID-free. 

Since their arrival on campus, boarding students have been quarantining in their respective dormitories with regular health screening, food deliveries, and virtual activities with student life staff and student leaders. They have also been able to get outdoors for coordinated activities at Brewster Beach and around campus to make sure that a healthy dose of action and fun is interspersed with thoughtful oversight.

The students have been incredibly positive and appreciative of the efforts of many on campus to keep them safe and connected. Now that the tests have come back with negative results, engagement will change slightly to allow a bit more freedom for appropriate on-campus activities. (Even with a negative test result, students are not allowed to go into town until they have completed their quarantine.) Group Two students are scheduled to be on campus this weekend, and we will be shifting to a segregated approach so that we can keep the groups separated as our latest students transition onto campus and follow their quarantine protocols to fully engage when ready and cleared.

Kudos to so many people who have helped to make these results a reality—parents who have helped to maintain the quarantine expectations at home, and faculty and staff for their tireless efforts to prepare campus, to serve and accommodate students on an individual basis, and to maintain their own quarantine reality at home within their family structure. The Back to Brewster Plan continues to be implemented, and so far the results have shown the plan is solid. We are committed to move forward with the right balance of due diligence and nimble responsiveness in order to provide the safe learning environment for our students and faculty, and for our surrounding community.