Reopened Campus Updates

Dear Parents, Students, Staff, and Faculty,

We are pleased to announce that all of this week’s COVID saliva tests came back negative. Thank you to everyone on campus for remaining vigilant with hand washing, wearing masks over the mouth and nose, and social distancing—and for paying close and honest attention to the symptom checklist each and every day. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact my office via email at nurse@brewsteracademy.org.

Be safe,
Carrie MacDonald and the Student Health Center team
 

Dear Parents, Students, Staff, and Faculty,

We are pleased to announce that all of this week’s COVID saliva tests came back negative.

I can also report that a student who left campus for an approved event tested positive for COVID while in quarantine. The student is now isolating at home. We’ve conducted thorough contact tracing and close contacts who attended the same event are also in quarantine off campus.

Especially as we are so close to the end of a successful school year, I’d like to thank everyone on campus for remaining vigilant with hand washing, wearing masks over the mouth and nose, and social distancing—and for paying close and honest attention to the symptom checklist each and every day. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact my office via email at nurse@brewsteracademy.org.

Be safe,
Carrie MacDonald and the Student Health Center team

Dear Parents, Students, Staff, and Faculty,

We are pleased to announce that all of this week’s COVID saliva tests came back negative. Thank you to everyone on campus for remaining vigilant with hand washing, wearing masks over the mouth and nose, and social distancing—and for paying close and honest attention to the symptom checklist each and every day. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact my office via email at  nurse@brewsteracademy.org.

Be safe,
Carrie MacDonald and the Student Health Center team

Dear Parents, Students, Staff, and Faculty,

We are pleased to announce that all of this week’s COVID saliva tests came back negative. Thank you to everyone on campus for remaining vigilant with hand washing, wearing masks over the mouth and nose, and social distancing—and for paying close and honest attention to the symptom checklist each and every day. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact my office via email at nurse@brewsteracademy.org.

Be safe,
Carrie MacDonald and the Student Health Center team

Dear Brewster Community,

The results of this week’s COVID saliva testing have been delayed. We hope to have results tomorrow and will share results as soon as we have them.

Also, we were notified that a member of our community was identified as a primary contact to a non-Brewster individual who tested positive for COVID-19 off campus. We’ve identified a small group of secondary contacts who subsequently had contact with our community member. Out of an abundance of caution, we’ve quarantined the primary contact and those individuals considered secondary contacts pending further testing.

Thank you,
Carrie MacDonald

Dear Brewster Community,

A member of our community has tested positive for COVID-19 while in quarantine subsequent to off-campus travel. The community member quarantined off campus and took a test as required by our re-entry guidelines in order to return to campus, and that test yielded a positive result. The individual is in isolation until the quarantine period is completed.

We’ve conducted thorough contact tracing and three close contacts have been identified. Those individuals have been notified and they are in quarantine.

I am confident we will get beyond this trying period, and remain grateful that Brewster's detailed and rigorous onboarding process continues to work as it should in protecting our community.

In the meantime, please continue to take care of one another and yourselves.

Best,
Craig

Dear Parents, Students, Staff, and Faculty,

Unfortunately, our weekly COVID saliva tests this week returned with four positive results in our testing pools. We have contacted the individuals in each of those pools and have asked some other members of the community to quarantine as a precautionary measure until we have more information. If you have not been contacted at this time, you/your student is not included in one of the positive pools.

As a reminder, all members of the Brewster community are assigned a small test pool of no more than five people, so when a pool comes back with a positive result, we can identify the people in that group immediately, notify them so they may isolate, and retest them with a PCR nasal swab. We will provide updates on this week’s results as they are available.

We will hold in-person classes tomorrow as scheduled for all other members of the community who have not been asked to quarantine.

Because of these positive cases, students will not be allowed to leave campus. This will hopefully be a temporary restriction, and we will notify students as soon as they are able to head into town again.

Please remain vigilant, following the Brewster Covenant in regard to hand washing, wearing masks over the mouth and nose, and social distancing. And please continue to pay close and honest attention to the symptom checklist each and every day.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Director of Health Services, Carrie MacDonald, via email at nurse@brewsteracademy.org.

Best,
Craig

Dear Parents, Students, Staff, and Faculty,

Happily, we can announce that all of this week’s COVID saliva tests for students who remain on campus came back negative. We want to keep this going through Spring Break and into the weeks ahead, so please continue to follow all the safety protocols in the Brewster Covenant—even as you are enjoying time off this week. For those students who are off campus, please remember to upload your PCR test results onto the Magnus Health Portal before you return to campus. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact my office via email at nurse@brewsteracademy.org.

Thank you, and be safe,
Carrie MacDonald and the Student Health Center team

Dear Parents, Students, Staff, and Faculty,

We are pleased to announce that all of this week’s COVID saliva tests came back negative. Thank you to everyone on campus for remaining vigilant with hand washing, wearing masks over the mouth and nose, and social distancing—and for paying close and honest attention to the symptom checklist each and every day. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact my office via email at nurse@brewsteracademy.org.

Be safe,
Carrie MacDonald and the Student Health Center team

Dear Parents, Students, Staff, and Faculty,

We are pleased to announce that all of this week’s COVID saliva tests came back negative. Thank you to everyone on campus for remaining vigilant with hand washing, wearing masks over the mouth and nose, and social distancing—and for paying close and honest attention to the symptom checklist each and every day. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact my office via email at nurse@brewsteracademy.org.

Be safe,
Carrie MacDonald and the Student Health Center team
 

Dear Parents, Students, Staff, and Faculty,

We are pleased to announce that all of this week’s COVID saliva tests came back negative. Thank you to everyone on campus for remaining vigilant with hand washing, wearing masks over the mouth and nose, and social distancing—and for paying close and honest attention to the symptom checklist each and every day. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact my office via email at nurse@brewsteracademy.org.

Be safe,
Carrie MacDonald and the Student Health Center team
 

Dear Brewster Community,

I am writing to follow up with more information regarding the two positive pools we reported to you on Wednesday evening. We’ve received the PCR test results for each of the individuals in the positive pools. One community member has tested positive from the two pools. That individual was already in quarantine and has not had contact with others for two weeks. We’ve conducted thorough contact tracing, and no other members of the community will need to quarantine. This is really good news! 

The PCR results for the five individuals in the second pool all came back negative. None of those individuals have reported any symptoms. However, Brewster will take a cautious approach, and those individuals will complete the full ten-day quarantine before returning to normal activities on campus.

Thank you for your care and concern. 

Best,
Carrie MacDonald 
Director of Student Health Services  

Dear Brewster Community,

Today we learned that two quarantined individuals have tested positive for the virus. These two individuals have been in quarantine for the past 10 days and have not been in contact with any other members of the Brewster community during that time. They will remain fully isolated as directed by the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services.

All other PCR tests that our Health Center administered last week have come back negative. Despite the negative tests, those in quarantine will remain in quarantine for the full 10 days required by N.H. public health guidance. We will continue to carefully monitor and support those individuals.

Thank you for your care and concern,
Craig

Dear Brewster Community,

Good morning. I am writing to share the results of the PCR tests that were conducted this week in response to the COVID case that was identified during our community saliva testing. I’m sorry to report that one additional member of our community has tested positive. This community member had already been identified as a close contact to the positive case identified on Wednesday, and therefore has been in quarantine and has not been in the Academic Building since we launched in-person learning. The good news is that our protocols to test weekly and quarantine potential close contacts quickly are working. This limits exposure to the larger community. We’ve conducted thorough contact tracing, and no additional members of the Brewster community have been identified as close contacts.

Thank you in advance for your care and concern for these individuals. Please take care of yourselves and of one another.

Best,
Craig

Dear Parents, Students, Staff, and Faculty,

I’m sorry to share that one of our employees has tested positive for COVID. The employee is in quarantine, and, out of precaution, the other members of the testing pool are also in quarantine awaiting further testing. The members of our community who require quarantine have been contacted.

With this new case, we must remind our entire community of adults and students: It is essential that every one of us adheres to the Brewster Covenant and COVID protocols. This pandemic has stretched on longer than any of us thought it would, and we are all weary. Please, be vigilant.

As a reminder, the requirements of the Covenant include:

• Adhere to prescribed testing, quarantine requirements, and routine screenings.
• Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth when not in your dorm room or alone in your office.
• Maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet inside and outside, even when masked.
• Practice hand washing and cleaning of our spaces.
• Report all symptoms of COVID-19 you may be experiencing.

You can see the full Covenant here.

Also, please remember that Brewster is currently closed to parent visitors until further notice. We hope to reopen to pre-approved visitors as soon as we can safely do so.

Although getting positive results is alarming, it proves our testing protocol is working as it should and allowing us to move quickly to identify and help those affected. As the weekly saliva testing moves forward, we will continue reporting those results and, of course, hope for all negative results.

Thank you,
Carrie MacDonald and the Student Health Center team

Dear Parents, Students, Staff, and Faculty,

As was communicated via email last night, there was a positive COVID test among the day student pooled saliva tests taken on Sunday. Following testing protocol, that pool is separated into smaller groups. The handful of students in the day student group that had the positive result—and their families—have now been notified. The next step is PCR testing for that group to confirm and identify which student(s) and family(ies) will need to quarantine at home.

If you are a day student and you were NOT contacted this morning about being in the group with the positive test result, your result was negative and you may resume campus activities and classes as scheduled.

If you are a day student who was contacted, Brewster will continue to be in touch regarding further testing.

There were no positive test results among the boarding student pool, so those students are cleared for their campus activities and classes.

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact my office via email at nurse@brewsteracademy.org.

Thank you,
Carrie MacDonald and the Student Health Center team

Dear Parents, Students, Staff, and Faculty,

We have just learned that there was a positive COVID test result among the day student pool (from the tests taken on Sunday). No day students are permitted to come onto campus for morning athletics, activities, or classes tomorrow (Wednesday, January 20) until they hear from Brewster that they are cleared to do so. We will have more details around 9 a.m. tomorrow, and all day families will be contacted with their status.

All BOARDING students can participate in athletics, activities, and classes as planned tomorrow.

Please remain vigilant, following the Brewster Covenant in regard to hand washing, wearing masks over the mouth and nose, and social distancing. Please continue to pay close and honest attention to the symptom checklist each and every day.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact my office via email at nurse@brewsteracademy.org.

Be safe,
Carrie MacDonald and the Student Health Center team

Dear Parents, Students, Staff, and Faculty,

Great news! All our Wave 1 students have been tested for COVID using our new saliva test plan, and all results came back negative. We anticipate all our employee test results very soon and will share those when they are available.

The plan moving forward: Our Wave 2 students return to campus this weekend and will be tested, along with all day students, on Sunday. After that, all students, faculty, and staff will have weekly testing, the results of which we will report via email each Wednesday.

Thank you for remaining vigilant with hand washing, masks over the mouth and nose, and social distancing. We truly appreciate everyone doing their part to keep COVID at bay in our community. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact my office via email at nurse@brewsteracademy.org.

Be safe,
Carrie MacDonald and the Student Health Center team
 

Dear Brewster Parents and Students,

I am writing to follow up on the information about students and the COVID-19 vaccination we provided to you on June 11, 2021. As we have seen during this pandemic era, guidance and regulations from the state and federal government change rapidly. After we sent the notice to our families requiring that students be vaccinated by August 15, 2021, we learned that New Hampshire’s Department of Education put out a Technical Advisory indicating that schools in this state are prohibited from mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for any students. This Technical Advisory applies only to students, and does not affect any vaccine requirements we may put in place for our employees.

While we are in the process of determining whether this directive on vaccines applies to independent boarding schools, as of now, we are rescinding a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for our students this fall. Nonetheless, we remain committed to having as many members of our community vaccinated as possible, in hopes of being in a position to provide for the safety of our students and provide them with the fullest experience possible next school year. Therefore, we strongly recommend that students who are eligible for the vaccine receive the full series prior to August 15, 2021.

If we learn that independent schools are exempt from this Technical Advisory, or New Hampshire’s guidance changes, we will be sure to inform you and we will likely reinstate a vaccine requirement for students. Of course, in that case, we will continue to honor medical and religious exemptions.

Rather than requiring that students be vaccinated by August 15, we ask that families inform Brewster’s health center by that date whether or not a student has been vaccinated. Vaccination information may be uploaded into the Magnus Health Portal and any questions may be directed to the health center at nurse@brewsteracademy.org. This information will help us in planning and implementing appropriate protocols based on the percentage of students who are inoculated against COVID-19.

Thank you,

Carrie MacDonald
Director of Student Health Services

Dear Brewster Parents and Students,

Hello, everyone. It’s been a quiet (and hot!) week here in Wolfeboro as we all continue to reflect happily on the end of our school year and the Class of 2021 Commencement. I hope your summers are off to a smooth start, wherever you are spending the sunny months ahead. 

I am writing to you today with the director of our Health Center, Carrie MacDonald, BSN, RN, to update all Brewster families as early as possible on vaccination requirements for the 2021-22 school year. We are optimistic about the return to the traditions of a full student experience and a dynamic, active campus life when students arrive in Wolfeboro this fall. While discussion of how we plan for a safe return will continue through the summer, we do know that having a fully vaccinated student population will be a requirement for the 2021-22 school year. 

We ask that all students complete a COVID-19 vaccination series by August 15, 2021 to ensure they are fully vaccinated before returning to campus. (“Fully vaccinated” for students receiving the Pfizer vaccination, the only vaccine approved right now for children 12 and older, means two weeks after the second shot.) Proof of vaccination must be uploaded to Magnus on the Parent Portal by August 25, 2021. This will be an important step toward what we all desire: getting back to some level of pre-pandemic operations. It is important to note that Brewster will not be offering an online learning option in the coming school year. 

Vaccines are widely available in the United States. Unvaccinated international students who may have trouble accessing a vaccine at home will be asked to provide a negative PCR test to enter the U.S. through their airline as required and complete a full vaccination series once they arrive (Brewster will assist in taking these students to necessary appointments). These students will then enter short-term quarantine at a local hotel before taking a second PCR test. If that test is negative, they will join the campus community.   

We are exceedingly grateful for the science that has given the world highly effective vaccines against the COVID-19 virus. And once again I thank Carrie and her team for organizing and administering vaccination clinics on campus for employees and eligible students. (About 80% of our eligible students took advantage of the on-campus clinic earlier this year!)

As I’ve shared many times this spring, everyone had a role to play in Brewster’s successful 2020-21 school year, and once again I thank all the students, parents, staff, and faculty who worked hard to make sure Brewster remained open, managed extensive on-going testing, followed comprehensive protocols, and—most of all—remained united in our fight to keep each other healthy. 

We’ve all seen the evolving nature of the pandemic, and rest assured Brewster’s COVID Task Force remains vigilant. We will share any new requirements or changes to existing guidelines as decisions are made. 

If you have any questions about the vaccination requirement, please feel free to contact Carrie at nurse@brewsteracademy.org. We both thank you for your ongoing support and partnership—and wish you a safe and restful summer.

Craig Gemmell, Head of School
Carrie MacDonald, BSN, RN, Director of Health Services

Dear Brewster families,

We are all seeing and hearing the news that COVID 19 vaccinations for adults are moving along, that some states are offering the vaccine to teens as young as 16, and that testing in children younger than 16 is underway. We have been in communication with New Hampshire officials regarding the process for students who are age eligible, and I have some information to share with Brewster parents here today.

First, Brewster strongly encourages anyone who is able to get the vaccine to do so, but it is not a requirement. 

Currently, the State of New Hampshire has authorized any permanent residents over the age of 16 to sign up for a vaccine appointment starting April 2. Right now, it appears that only Brewster students who are already permanent residents of New Hampshire may register in the State; however, we are seeking further clarification and advocating on behalf of all our students with appropriate officials. As more information becomes available, we will follow up via email. 

If you live outside New Hampshire and you would like your boarding child to get vaccinated in your state, please complete the off-campus request form with a notation that this request is for a vaccination appointment. We will do our best to work with families on the specific protocols needed to accommodate this process—including re-onboarding and quarantining. If a student must use public transportation to travel for their vaccination, there may be additional requirements for onboarding and quarantine. 

Once a student has been fully vaccinated, please email a copy of that documentation to my attention at nurse@brewsteracademy.org. Once proof of being fully vaccinated is received, students may be released from the weekly saliva testing requirement. But masking, social distancing, and the other requirements of the Brewster Covenant that have helped maintain Brewster’s “bubble” will still be in effect and enforced. (The definition of “fully vaccinated” is 14 days after receipt of the second dose of Moderna or Pfizer mRNA vaccine or 14 days after receipt of the single-dose Janssen vaccine, also known as the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.) 

This phase of the pandemic brings a lot of hope and excitement, but we also know numbers of infections are still on the rise in most places. As we all navigate the new guidelines and decide what is best for ourselves and our families, please know that Brewster and the COVID Task Force that has guided us this far will continue to place the highest priority on the health and safety of the students in our care and our faculty and staff. 

Thank you for being vigilant and patient as we all look forward to easier days ahead,

Carrie MacDonald
Director, Student Health Center

Dear Students and Families,

Today I’m sharing some happy news. Recognizing that both faculty and students need a chance to catch their breath, we’ve worked out a plan for a limited Spring Break. I’m so very proud of our community for showing resilience this winter, but recognize that sometimes recharging is important to maintain our overall well being.

So, to that end, here are the details of our adjusted Spring Break.

Students will be allowed to leave campus March 20-28 for travel within New England only. This is because New Hampshire state guidelines require a 7-10 day quarantine for those who travel in from outside New England, and unfortunately, we will not have the time or quarantine space to manage long-haul quarantines. We strongly encourage students and families to consider bringing their non-New England friends and classmates home with them if possible. However, students who are not able to leave campus for a destination within New England will have an opportunity for a great staycation on campus, with a team of adults and student leaders planning a range of fun activities.

For those students who plan to try out for varsity boys’ or girls’ lacrosse, the lacrosse coaches will offer a week of spring training if enough students opt to remain on campus. The teams are tentatively scheduled to have their first game against New Hampton School on March 27.

An important notice
Please note that this is a chance to spend some time at home or at a friend’s home, and the Brewster Covenant remains in place the entire time you are away from Brewster. To ensure that we do not have a COVID outbreak upon your return, we ask all parents and their students to respect the safety protocols (masks, social distancing, not eating inside restaurants, limiting outings outside the house, etc.)

Key dates:
March 20 - Students may depart after they complete their last commitment
March 25 - Students must have a PCR test at home; results should be loaded onto the Magnus Health Portal, which can be accessed via the Parent Portal
March 28 - Students return to campus with a copy of their negative PCR tests and enter in-room quarantine (Please note: Parents should drop students off outside their dorms. Please do not enter dormitories.)
March 29 - Online classes begin and pooled saliva tests will be administered
March 30 - Online classes continue
March 31 - Online classes continue and saliva test results are expected that evening
April 1 - Return to in-person classes

Process for leaving campus
Students will be asked to fill out a form with their plans for the Spring Break. Parents of students who will be leaving with friends should contact Brewster’s main office to give their permission. Brewster personnel will work with families to confirm permissions and plans.

As I said at the beginning of this school year, the ability to be nimble was going to be an important trait for us as a community as we continued to handle the changing circumstances of our pandemic reality. I appreciate the input our team received as we made this decision, and applaud the adults in our community who are pivoting to allow our students to enjoy this break with their families.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s advisor or dorm parent, or any member of the COVID Task Force. (You will find the Task Force names and contact information on the Reopening Campus Updates webpage here.)

With gratitude,

Craig Gemmell
Head of School

Dear Members of the Brewster Community,

The purpose of this note is to update you on plans for winter in light of the challenges COVID-19 will undoubtedly present. You will note that I focus here on general themes—you will find details in our updated FAQs (there is a link at the bottom of this letter).

Current and Anticipated Realities
As all who follow the news know all too well, the frequency of COVID-19 infections has risen precipitously in many areas globally over the past months. As a case in point, a mere 21 people were classified as new infections in New Hampshire on August 31. Fast forward to yesterday, December 15, and 919 new infections were reported in New Hampshire, representing a nearly 44-fold increase since the waning days of summer. The profound increase in the incidence of COVID-19 represents a significant challenge.

Given our success in remaining in-person for those who were able to come to campus this fall, we have good reason to be confident that we can thoughtfully and effectively prepare for the challenges for winter, and this preparation has resulted in our refining the set of policies and procedures developed this fall given that increased risk will require increased vigilance.

Return to Campus in Waves
As was the case this fall, we will ask those students traveling to campus via public transport to arrive between January 3-5. All students will be required to self-quarantine prior to travel and provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test result within seven to 10 days of arrival. They will then be in strict on-campus quarantine for approximately seven days before being re-tested. The second wave of students (those travelling by car) will arrive on January 16 after a 14-day self-quarantine at home. Wave 2 students are also required to produce evidence of a negative COVID-19 PCR test within seven to 10 days of arrival and will be tested upon arrival and remain in a brief on campus quarantine until test results come back.

A Less Permeable Bubble
Once we have students back and all students and employees have been screened, we will make every effort to mitigate pathways by which COVID-19 finds its way onto our campus. Given the critical importance of our providing in-person instruction to as many students as is possible, the following measures will be implemented. We will:

• Radically minimize the interaction between students and anyone other than their classmates and the specific adults charged with their education and care.
• Close access to town until further notice.
• Have all non-student-facing employees, as possible, work remotely, and physically separate those non-student-facing employees from the on-campus community of teachers and learners.
• Begin interscholastic athletics only if clear and well-informed criteria are met, and continue to deny student requests to play in club sports.
• Bring as many day students, as is possible, onto campus to board for January and February.
• Suspend parent visits to campus until further notice.

Regular Testing

All students and employees will be tested every week, and contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine measures will be utilized to manage against community spread.

Heightened Expectations for All Community Members
Community members were reminded relentlessly about mask wearing, social distancing, and hand-washing, yet we saw students and adults alike lose focus on these essential mitigation strategies as the fall wore on. We will both remind community members of these expectations prior to and upon return to campus and will reserve the right to take more stringent measures to ensure that expectations are met in service to community wellbeing. To that end, we very well could send students home for online learning in response to flagrant or repeated violations of COVID-19 expectations.

A Mighty Mountain to Climb, but Light IS at the End of the Tunnel
Our shared goal is to continue to offer a robust and meaningful in-person learning experience for as many students as possible, and to fully support those students who must remain in online learning this year. In order to, as one of our senior prefects recently said, "make lemonade out of lemons," we will need to dig deep and work in partnership as students, faculty, staff members, and parents alike to ensure a joy-filled and productive winter and spring.

We are sanguine about the possibility that a vaccine will be made available to us at some point by the end of this school year. We will keep the community informed as we gain clarity about its availability for our community.

More Details Here
The Frequently Asked Questions for parents and students have been updated on our website here with information regarding reopening in January. Look for reminders and more information over the coming weeks.

Some Solace
While this has been quite a year, we are getting stronger as a community, and for that I will be eternally grateful. And as I look ahead to holidays, I hope all members of our community will make smart choices in service to our individual and collective health and enjoy time to recharge, relax, and reflect on what happinesses the new year could bring.

Sincerely,

Craig Gemmell
Head of School

Dear Brewster Community,

I’m very sorry to report that a non-student facing adult in the Brewster community had symptoms of COVID-19 and subsequently tested positive for the virus. We have conducted thorough contact tracing and no students are considered close contacts with this community member. However, several other non-student facing adults are considered close contacts and have been directed to immediately begin a 14-day quarantine. 

We have conducted a thorough cleaning of all spaces the individual has entered in the past 48 hours. Classes and activities are proceeding as scheduled today.

As the number of cases in the local community continues to rise, I urge everyone to remain vigilant; maintain six feet of social distancing at all times, wear your mask, practice good hygiene, and please report any symptoms. Thank you for taking good care of yourselves and of one another. 

Best,
Craig

Dear Members of the Brewster Community,

Having completed contact tracing and rapid testing of the primary contacts, all primary contacts tested negative. This is very good news and suggests that the layers of risk mitigation we've put into place have worked. Despite the negative tests results, those primary contacts will stay in quarantine for the interval designated by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. We await results from the PCR tests we administered to all primary contacts.

With confidence that we have followed protocols carefully and completely, we plan to continue with school as planned, wrapping up one week from today. Given that we have a confirmed positive case on campus, per our agreement with Lakes Region schools, we will not have any more interscholastic competitions prior to or during break but will proceed with afternoon activities in a modified form for this week ahead.

As scheduled, we will hold athletic awards tonight at 8pm.

Onward to Thanksgiving!

Craig

Dear Brewster Community,

Understandably, the communication I sent earlier today has caused some concern, so I am writing to share an update as we continue to work through the situation.

Here's where we are:
A member of the community tested positive through our ongoing sentinel testing and displayed symptoms of COVID-19; we did careful contact tracing; we reached out to primary contacts and placed them into isolation and have arranged to have them leave campus today subsequent to giving them rapid antigen tests. Out of caution, we also are sending home the members of one dorm in which a number of close contacts reside. We are also sending home all of the primary contacts' roommates. Sending the entire dorm and roommates of primary contacts in other dorms far exceeds CDC and New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services guidance, an extra step to allow us to finish out this final week of school with confidence for those remaining on campus.

Here's how we all need to react:
We ask that all react calmly and with trust in our collective ability to both respond to these events (which will quite possibly happen again during the winter) and to move through them in ways that are effective. Please give us the time we need to respond thoughtfully.

Here's how we will move forward:
We will wait to see what the rapid tests reveal. Assuming there are no other positive cases (which, given the mitigation measures we have in place, is expected), we will continue with school as planned this week. We will notify the community of the results of those tests once they are complete.

In the meantime, your calm response is immensely appreciated.

All the best,
Craig

Dear Members of the Brewster Community,

I write to report that we received word this morning that an adult member of the Brewster community has presented symptoms of and tested positive for COVID-19. This is a different case from the positive case I wrote about yesterday, which involved a member of our community who was already in quarantine off campus.

Today’s news led us to deploy contact tracing measures and identify primary contacts. We are currently communicating with all primary contacts and parents. All primary contacts are currently isolating and beginning the process of quarantine.

While this news has caused and will cause concern, we know from experience that calm, well-reasoned thinking and reaction will allow us to get through this moment effectively.

Of note: 

Communicating
Parents and students should feel free to check in with each other, but we ask that everyone wait to reach out to Brewster administrators since we are managing details and plans in real time and will communicate broadly as further plans are solidified. Stay tuned to email—this will be the communication channel we utilize. 

Cautious Approach to Contact Tracing
A significant fraction of the primary contacts live together in one dormitory; though CDC guidance does not necessitate that we do so, all members of that dormitory will be placed in quarantine. Those students and their parents are in the process of being notified and the students will head home as soon as is reasonably possible. 

All Those Who Need to be in Quarantine Are in Process of Entering It
Other primary contacts are more diffuse throughout our community, but, again, all are in isolation as I write. 

Don’t Let Fear Shape Response
COVID-19 becomes more real when such matters hit so close to home, but we all need to be calm and follow directions as they emerge.

I will be back in touch shortly with an update.

Sincerely,
Craig

September 27, 2020

Dear Brewster Community,

I am happy to report that we’ve received the results of the PCR tests we conducted this week and all tests have come back negative for COVID-19. We’ve worked throughout the weekend with New Hampshire Health and Human Services to determine what this means for members of our community who have been quarantined. Due to the initial positive antigen test (rapid test), DHHS will continue to treat the situation as if it were a positive case. This means that those who have been quarantined will need to complete their 14-day quarantine before returning to normal campus activities. 

This news will be very disappointing for some among our community and I ask that we continue to do all we can to support one another however possible, even virtually from afar. 

I want to express my deep appreciation and gratitude to the faculty and staff responsible for responding to the events this week, in particular our exceptional health center team led by our Director of Student Health Services, Carrie MacDonald. I’d also like to thank our students and families for their partnership, patience, and care for one another. 

Our community and our reopening planning has been tested this week, and I was incredibly proud that as we worked together to respond to circumstances that are new for each of us, we did so with strong communication and a commitment to one another and to our broader community. We will debrief this week’s events fully to understand what can be learned to continue to strengthen our plans and procedures.

I want to remind everyone that we must continue to make every effort to adhere to the Brewster Covenant. The first several weeks of school have been full of joy, growth and learning; by working together, we can continue to make the most of the Brewster experience.

Thank you, and all good wishes,

Craig 

September 24, 2020

Dear Parents,

I am writing with an update on yesterday’s communication regarding the presumptive positive case of COVID-19 on campus. I want to thank you for your care, concern, and patience as we work through the details related to contact tracing and facilitate an institutional response.

First, we are still awaiting the results of the PCR tests we sent out yesterday and hope to have those results back within the next several days. In the meantime, we must assume the suspected positive case is in fact positive.

Second, we have been in close communication with New Hampshire Health and Human Services, and we conducted contact tracing protocols with their guidance and support to identify any individuals who had direct contact with the person who tested positive. We have tested and quarantined those who did. All individuals with direct contact will be quarantined for 14 days according to public health guidance. Quarantining will happen at home if possible; if not, we will quarantine community members in a secondary health center we have created on campus for that purpose. As they are quarantined, they will receive regular health checks and can continue to participate in online learning. At this time, none of the other rapid tests our health center conducted have come back positive.

With that update, I thought it wise to slow down a bit and explain more about our protocols in these situations:

1. Our Reopen Campus Team, in consultation with medical experts, developed a broad set of preventative protocols including: social distancing, mask wearing, hygiene, dining, facilities ventilation, and cleaning practices.

2. Even with all of these protocols in place, given how COVID is transmitted, we've also developed diagnostic protocols because members of the community have and will present symptoms of COVID. Those who present symptoms associated with COVID are evaluated in our health center, and if appropriate, get an antigen test that can be processed quickly right on campus. When someone presents symptoms of COVID, these tests are very accurate. Our health center has administered a number of these rapid tests over the past weeks. Until today, all of those tests came back negative.

3. If we have a suspected positive case in the community, we contact New Hampshire Health and Human Services immediately and begin contact tracing protocols and other campus cleaning guidance as directed by public health officials. Contact tracing guidance is clear: anyone who has had recent direct contact (defined as within six feet for more than ten minutes) might have been exposed to COVID and thus has to be quarantined from others immediately and for fourteen days subsequent to exposure. Cleaning guidance is also clear and overnight we thoroughly cleaned all campus spaces that may have been impacted.

I am pleased with how rapidly and thoughtfully appropriate decisions were made, and I thank all those who live in this community for their calm and well managed response.

Today, classes and activities will resume, and anyone requiring quarantine will complete their work remotely. We will continue to keep boarding students on campus and out of town until we have all test results back, and we ask day students to restrict their travels to home and school to the fullest extent possible. We will continue to emphasize the importance of all the dimensions of the Brewster Covenant -- wear masks, social distance, wash hands, pay attention to your health, and communicate any concerns.

If you find that your child is struggling with any of this, please reach out to his/her advisor or dorm parent so that we can provide any support needed.

Thank you,
Craig

September 23, 2020

Dear Parents and Students,

I am sorry to report that a member of the Brewster campus community has had a presumed positive test for the COVID-19 virus. We are awaiting a full PCR test from Huggins Hospital to confirm the initial rapid test. Due to privacy reasons, we are not disclosing details about the individual with the presumed positive case. 

We have alerted the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, and we are receiving guidance as we conduct thorough contact tracing. Those who are known to have crossed paths with this individual are in the process of being contacted directly. Health and Human Services has instructed Brewster to conduct PCR tests and quarantine anyone who has been in close contact (defined as within six feet for more than ten minutes) with the individual for fourteen days. 

The affected individual will be quarantined at home until cleared to return to campus life by medical and public health professionals. At this time we are asking all students to remain on campus and to not use any local food delivery services until further notice.

The dining servery will remain open but indoor dining seating will be closed pending deep cleaning. Additional deep cleaning will be implemented in areas associated with this situation.

We remain grateful to all members of the Brewster community as we work our way through these challenging times. 

Craig