Reopened Campus Updates

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

Dear Brewster Community, A member of the Brewster community traveled off campus and subsequently entered quarantine. The community member quarantined off campus and took a COVID-19 test as required in order to return to campus per our re-entry guidelines. Unfortunately, the test result came back this morning and was positive. Of note: The person who tested positive was not in close contact with other members of the Brewster community after returning from travels nor will be. This positive case suggests that data doesn’t lie: this virus is becoming ever more real, even in Northern New England, where we are seeing significant rises in its presence in communities like ours. Our decision to keep students closely monitored on campus and restrict travel at this time is a reflection of this burgeoning reality and need for heightened awareness. In close, I ask that all keep this community member in their thoughts as we continue to work through the challenges and worries this pandemic has created. Sincerely, Craig Gemmell

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 

July 23, 2020

Dear Students and Parents,

Hello from Wolfeboro! We have been planning with immense care over the past months for the reopening of campus in the midst of COVID-19, and I am so pleased to share an overview of our Back to Brewster Plan. This plan emerged steadily over the past months and was shaped by science, public policy, and feedback from faculty and staff. Moreover, this document and associated operations plans are the result of the work of more than 60 members of the Brewster Academy community, and I believe their work has positioned us optimally to live and learn effectively during COVID-19. To say that I am proud of their work is an understatement. In my conversation with Brewster employees yesterday, I underscored the following points:

• We believe that it is in the best interest of the social and emotional development and academic progress of students to return to school, if they can do so, while we manage for an appropriate standard of care for our community;
• In forming our reopening plans, we have been informed by international, national, regional, state, and local public sector guidance as well as guidance from leaders in the scientific and medical communities, guidance from peer schools and a host of other resources we’ve reviewed on a daily basis;
• Our planning has been the work of many, many people at Brewster, and that work will continue in earnest over the coming weeks;
• Though the Back to Brewster Plan is 38 pages long, the particular details of how we will operationalize this plan will ultimately be far longer and denser;
• We will share details about those matters that pertain to particular constituencies as the details of all of our planning concludes over the coming few weeks;
• We will continue to communicate regularly with all of our community members in a variety of ways to keep them informed as we continue to finalize and adjust details when necessary.

I ask that you please take time to review this plan thoughtfully and thoroughly with your student(s). We will be holding a follow up webinar for families next week on Wednesday, July 29th at 6:00 p.m. where we can address any questions you may have as well as some of the essential next steps for registration and returning to campus. We will also be launching a Registration/Orientation webpage prior to this webinar that will provide you with all of the information you will need to prepare for your child/ren’s arrival in August.

If you have not completed the Travel Survey form yet, please do so ASAP so that we can coordinate the testing process, collect the important contact/guardian information, and manage the details surrounding housing and transportation needs. You will also be contacted at a later date to confirm these arrival details.

In closing, I look forward to digging into an even richer and more meaningful dialogue and partnership with Brewster parents during a time that will surely pose challenges for all along the way, but that certainly has the capacity to shape the trajectories of Brewster students in an extremely positive way this year and through the course of their lives.

Enjoy the waning days of July!

All best,
Craig

Dear Brewster Families,

I’m writing today to update you on the plans we have been and are continuing to develop around the opening of school.

A review of our goals
Early in our planning process, the Opening of School Strategy Team acknowledged the critical importance of opening school in Fall 2020 given the widespread concern over the social-emotional and educational toll a prolonged closure would have on our students—and the optimal value of student centeredness and collaboration through in-person instruction. To accomplish this goal, we have relied on science and public policy, and detailed and flexible planning continues so that we will be able to open school effectively and manage attendant risks with extreme care. On Friday, The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement in which our goal and associated emergent practices were clearly validated.

Parent feedback has shaped our planning
During last Monday’s well-attended parent webinar on the opening of school, we reviewed our current thinking, planning goals, and process. We have responded individually to questions we couldn't get to during the webinar and are updating the Frequently Asked Questions on the Reopening Campus webpage as soon as details are confirmed. Many of you completed the parent survey, and we are using those survey results to shape our planning efforts.

Notably, the parent survey responses we’ve received thus far gave us a clear indication of a preferred date to start repopulating campus (mid-August) and validated our interest in a longer break with optional online enrichment courses from Thanksgiving through mid-January. Moreover, parents expressed concerns about the stress such a long fall stretch would place on students and families. As a result, we have planned several key days off for students during the term and reviewed parent visiting policies as well.

Reflections on faculty/staff surveys
In addition to surveying parents, we surveyed faculty and staff members. We were not surprised to learn that our faculty are digging into serious work this summer and are fully prepared to act with deep care and flexibility as we navigate school during COVID-19. Many are right now teaching in Brewster’s free online Summer Enrichment Program courses; others are adapting courses to serve students better; still others are developing novel afternoon and co-curricular programming. Such work now bodes well for a school year in which students and faculty will live and learn together effectively despite the challenges we all face and will continue to face into the foreseeable future.

The emergent schedule
We are so pleased to offer our revised schedule for SY 20-21. While this schedule will diminish somewhat families’ time together during August, we are confident that an early start will allow us to complete appropriate testing and self-quarantining necessary to mitigate risk of COVID-19 on our campus—and will allow us to have meaningful time together on campus.

Ongoing program planning
Recognizing that some students may be unable to return to campus, we are developing an improved Brewster Online program that will allow students to both be virtually present in Brewster classes and to engage in asynchronous learning where appropriate. Our revised dormitory and dining practices are also coming into focus nicely. We anticipate that our plan for cohorts of students in the dorms will allow them to feel more relaxed and allow students to make their dormitories comfortable homes while on campus. Further, we have been collaborating closely with other Lakes Region schools to develop shared approaches to living on our campuses during COVID-19, and we are hopeful that we will be able to have limited interscholastic athletics in some or all sports. Details on all of these matters will be shared as we become yet clearer on policies and practices.

Rogers project is a go
We are so excited to be pushing forward with Phase I of the Rogers Project and anticipate a Fall 2021 opening for this transformational space on campus. We will therefore have active construction happening on campus starting as early as September, but we will take the typical precautions to support this project and take extra measures to ensure that construction protocols reflect our need for increased vigilance given COVID-19. Additionally, because the majority of the Phase 1 construction will take place inside the existing Rogers building, we do not anticipate construction noise will be a nuisance. More information on this project can be found on our Reimagine Rogers webpage.

We are moving forward with confidence and cognizance of uncertainty
Our planning processes have yielded strong results to date, and we are extremely enthusiastic about all we’ve learned and decided through these past months. We will continue to communicate with openness and an interest in listening closely to all concerns, for this dialogue surely makes us stronger. We have long talked about the virtues of partnership with Brewster families. Now such partnership needs to be stronger than ever before, and we ask for your ongoing engagement with us and support as we seek to serve the needs of our students.

As we continue to study and learn and plan, we recognize that this virus and how society and public policy respond to it are all evolving, and we must be ever vigilant to respond in turn in service to our students and the broader Brewster community.

In closing
I look forward to both the post-COVID-19 Brewster and world and hope that we can all do our part to ensure that we work together so that Brewster and the broader world are stronger, wiser, more humane, and more resilient as a result of weathering this global pandemic with determination and shared purpose. I believe in my heart that our students could benefit mightily for the rest of their lives if we help them move through this time effectively. There is no greater legacy to strive for than that, and I’m hopeful that this notion will motivate all of us to carry forth with bravery and belief in a brighter future.

Sincerely,

Craig

Dear Parents, 

Spring is surely in full swing in Northern New England in all its hopefulness, and I write today to share details about ongoing planning for the 2020-21 school year. The intention of this note is to provide you with the information and planning around our decision-making in order to seek your position and viewpoints. We will follow up with a survey soon to gather your concerns and perspectives. 

Overarching Goal: Return to Campus, Live and Learn Safely, and Grow from the Experience
While we are proud of the extraordinary work teachers and students did to adapt to Brewster Online and a new way of learning at the outset of the COVID-19 crisis, we recognize the peril of students being physically and socially isolated for long periods of time from our learning community. Brewster’s characteristic student-centeredness and collaborative modes are supported most richly and effectively through in-person instruction. Moreover, so much of what students learn happens outside of the classroom—on the playing fields, in the dormitory, and in our campus community. 

We believe that the prospect of returning to campus is an objective of deep value to the students in our care and to their families, yet we need to ensure that we have managed the myriad risks of doing so effectively before we can come together as a community. Knowing how important this goal is in the lives of our students, their families, and the mission of the school, we have developed a comprehensive and well-integrated planning process to understand and respond to the challenges before us. 

Planning Process
The COVID-19 Task Force has been meeting regularly since February and has been proactively planning and reacting to the crisis with care and effectively organized efforts. The Opening of School Task Force was convened in early May in order to develop plans for the 2020-21 school year, and its composition reflects the complex nature of the endeavor. 

Membership: Assistant Head for Campus Affairs Bret Barnett, Director of Human Resources Maryann Biedak, Assistant Head for Academics Raylene Davis, myself, COO Peter Gilligan, CFO Susan Harrington, Associate Head Kristy Kerin, Director of Student Health Services Carrie MacDonald, and Director of Summer Programs Jonathan Fouser. 

We have recognized eight interrelated areas of work and have thus created eight subcommittees populated by personnel from across the organization. 

Sub-committees: Academic Program, Residential Life, Student life, Campus Operations, Human Resources, Medical Planning, Travel, and Communications. 

These sub-committees have been working vigorously, are collaborating regularly, and are being guided by the Opening of School Task Force. 

Current Thinking
Given all of the work we’ve done over the past months, we have a clear sense of the multiple dimensions of this challenge—both those we can control and those we cannot. We are guided by a clear goal—to do all we can to ensure the safety of students and members of our community—and we are optimistic that we will be able to open safely for SY 2020-21. While plans are still being finalized, some changes you might prepare for include an earlier start to school in the month of August, adjustments to our school year calendar, and specific expectations for maintaining your child’s safety and that of our community.

See the sidebar for a flowchart that offers a rolled-up sense of our planning schema and a list of Frequently Asked Questions that we will update regularly, as soon as we have clear decisions and direction.

Next Steps and a Few Notes
Our work will continue through the summer and details will become clearer through the process. We will keep you up-to-date on our planning both through this page and through bi-weekly letters from me. We will actively seek your feedback every step of the way. To that end, we will be hosting a parent webinar next week to follow up on this information and respond to your questions. You will receive information on how to participate early next week.

In the meantime, know that we are looking carefully at a host of matters about which you surely have ample questions: How we will manage travel, dormitories, classes, athletics, dining, health, testing, visitors, and all aspects of reopening as a community. We are and will continue discussing all the matters exhaustively and we will provide you with the details and reasoning as they develop. 

In Closing
I am certain that the way that we have responded to this crisis to date has given so many people confidence in our capacity to evolve as an institution, but know that we are not resting on any of those laurels—we are pushing ever harder to deliver on the mission of the school for Brewster families. I invite your deep partnership as we move through the next weeks and months and believe that we will all be stronger—kids and families, faculty and school—when we emerge together one day in a post-COVID-19 world. 

I hope all are well and safe. 

Sincerely, 

Craig N. Gemmell
Head of School