• Option A: Return to campus on January 3, 2021 or January 4, 2021. Remain on campus until Saturday, February 27 after the matinee performance of High School Musical.

• Option B: Remain at home and engage in remote learning through at least February 27, 2021.

NOTE: Families will receive a 20% credit at the end of the year, prorated weekly as credit towards room & board costs. Families receiving financial aid will also receive this credit after applying the FA award. 

NOTE: The remote option requires case-by-case approval from the Assistant Head of School for Internal Affairs. Approval is based on: sound academic performance with no failing grades during Trimester 1, consistent on-time attendance to at least 95% of classes and required campus activities during Trimester 1, access to reliable internet, access to a working microphone and camera on a daily basis, access to a printer, a quiet space to learn remotely, and family commitment to remote engagement in all school activities except in cases of excused absence.

• Option A: Join the student residential bubble on January 3, 2021 or January 4, 2021. Remain in the student residential bubble until February 27, 2021 after the matinee performance of High School Musical. Attend classes on campus, in-person. 

NOTE: Cost for joining the residential bubble for this duration is based on a variety of factors: the prorated weekly cost paid by a 7-day boarding student, the family’s financial aid award (if applicable), and the family’s current financial situation. St. Margaret’s is committed to working to the fullest extent possible with all day families who wish to exercise this option. Please contact Assistant Head of School for External Affairs John Birney at jbirney@smsapps.org with questions related to cost and any applicable aid for the student residential bubble. 

• Option B: Remain at home and engage in remote learning through at least Friday, February 27, 2021. 

NOTE: The remote option requires case-by-case approval from the Assistant Head of School for Internal Affairs. Approval is based on: sound academic performance with no failing grades during Trimester 1, consistent on-time attendance to at least 95% of classes and required campus activities during Trimester 1, access to reliable internet, access to a working microphone and camera on a daily basis, access to a printer, a quiet space to learn remotely, and family commitment to remote engagement in all school activities except in cases of excused absence.

The student residential bubble is a contained, on campus, fully residential student community. It includes all SMS students, after the initial 10 days and 2 negative COVID-19 tests (one a rapid antigen test upon arrival to campus, the second a PCR test on or around Day 6), who are residing full-time on campus. 

After the initial 10 days and 2 negative COVID-19 tests, students are able to become a family unit with the other students inhabiting their assigned residential hall. This allows students in the same hall to live as normally as possible during this difficult time: masks are not required for students within the assigned residential hall, room-to-room visits are permitted, and hallmates may share meals together in groups as long as they eat together within the hall (or clustered together in the Dining Hall, on special occasions). 

NOTE: Per the CDC Guidelines, any person exhibiting symptoms of any kind will be required to perform the standard 14 day quarantine.

The student residential bubble recognizes the most developmentally appropriate setting for adolescents is one where safe gathering with peers is possible. It also allows students opportunities to lessen individual anxiety surrounding COVID-19 and return to a sense of normalcy that comes with the day-to-day school routine. The student residential bubble is a way to dramatically minimize risk of COVID-19 exposure by minimizing the amount of contacts a student may have on any given day. Based on research done of The Hill School design by a team from Cornell University, the majority of the contacts a boarding school student may have on any particular day on campus are with other students. Thus, if all the students within the bubble are free from COVID-19, then the risk of contracting COVID-19 is remarkably less than if on/off campus movement transpired. 

Another distinct advantage to building a student residential bubble is for the safest possible athletic and activity programming. Student athletes within the student residential bubble will have the opportunity to practice and train together starting in January, thus best prepared when the season for competitive play begins (dependent upon decisions made by the League of Independent Schools and guidelines from the VISAA). After the initial 10 day period, student athletes in the student residential bubble will be able to engage in regular play and interaction on courts, fields, etc. with one another (and eventually, with other schools using a similar strategy.)

Finally, the student residential bubble puts the responsibility for protecting the community into the hands of the caring adults ranging from grandparents to parents, teachers to staff members, board members to community friends, administrators to coaches, all of whom act as protectors. We all want the very best for our St. Margaret’s Scotties. This student residential bubble allows the adults to work together, as a unified team, to give Scotties the best possible schooling experience during this difficult time. 

SMS has 80 students and 21 faculty members. This is considerably smaller than many high schools. Thus, the recommended best practices for COVID-19 mitigation are much more easily implemented here than in a larger school that, for example, may have 125 faculty members and 1,200 students. 

The SMS community values differentiated, high quality instruction. This is best achieved on campus in our classrooms. Of course, we can improvise as needed to adapt to world events and stay-at-home orders. But if we can safely teach Scotties on campus, we want to do so as we work to fulfill our mission. 

Third, while remote learning worked well for most students, and our SMS remote learning program is a robust one, it does present complex challenges for some students and families. SMS is proud to serve all kinds of learners, including students learning English as a new language, students with learning differences, and students who need social-emotional support. The hybrid option best serves the needs of our community in as safe a way as possible at this time.

Fourth, there are some SMS families that live in rural areas with limited or no wifi access. The lack of internet connectivity is a frustrating barrier to any student attempting remote learning. 

Finally, safely reuniting on campus enables Scotties to be together, engage with peers in healthy social activities including athletics and outdoor adventures, and build friendships with new sisters. The SMS program is all encompassing and we believe in the value of the varied aspects of the school day beyond academics. 

A bubble is defined as the group of individuals who, at the end of 10 days of campus isolation and 2 negative COVID-19 tests, are set apart from the surrounding community by eliminating all close and all frequent outside contacts that bring risk for COVID-19 exposure.

Thus, the first 10 days on campus for all students will look different than the “regular schedule” that follows.

For the first 10 days on campus, the students will stay in a single room and only use designated bathrooms to minimize cross-contact. 

NOTE: Students with a roommate may select to experience this initial 10 day phase together, in their assigned room, as long as both families agree.

All students will wear masks at all times outside of the assigned room, even in the residential hall. Contact amongst students will be minimized and many “all school” events will be remote to eliminate needs to gather together. Athletic practices will be held to the same rigid standards as summer workouts: no contact, no shared equipment, and distanced spaces only for exercise. All meals will be “grab and go”, meaning students will pick up food and return to the room to eat. Classes, Chapel, and social activities will transpire, of course, to ensure learning, support and connection amongst Scotties. But strict protocols will be in place to protect all community members. 

Research surrounding the incubation period of the virus that causes COVID-19 indicates vigilance with mitigation strategies is especially important in the first 10 days on campus until this bubble is defined. Hence, this extra layer of precautions is necessary. 

After the 10 days and 2 negative COVID-19 tests, students within the residential bubble will be able to eat together in the Dining Hall, socialize together in designated residential halls as a “family unit”, and engage in athletic play. Students within the bubble will be able to have social activities with one another during the evenings and on weekends. 

NOTE: Per the CDC Guidelines, any person exhibiting symptoms of any kind will be required to perform the standard 14 day quarantine.

SMS relies on our hard-working employees to keep our school operational, safe, and welcoming for our students. We are fortunate that many of our faculty live on campus and are deeply rooted in our community. 

All faculty and staff are asked to sign and abide by an SMS Employee Community Agreement similar to students. In addition, all faculty and staff working on campus must adhere to policies including:

• COVID-19 testing at least twice in the first 10 days of January and regularly thereafter. 

• Additional COVID-19 testing for any employees who must travel out of the region for work or family responsibilities. 

• Daily health screenings to monitor temperature variations, symptoms, and potential exposure.

• Masking at all times on campus unless alone in a closed office, eating in a designated area, or in the private residence. 

• Social distancing at all times on campus unless in the private residence.  

• Practicing healthy hand hygiene including frequent hand-washing. 

Faculty and staff are required to be extra vigilant about masking and distancing at all times when on campus; this includes while teaching classes and performing other campus duties. While the state of Virginia recommends at least 6 feet of space for an unmasked person when teaching (or 3 feet of distancing and masking), at SMS, all faculty teach while masked and distanced to ensure the strictest precautions are in place. 

The only exceptions to this distancing expectation will be in cases of individualized and small group learning support that may require a teacher to be in closer proximity than 6 feet due to the learning needs of a student. 

NOTE: Residential faculty may choose to “opt-in” to the student residential bubble in order to eat meals inside the Dining Hall, sing during Chapel services, work in more close contact with students, and/or invite small groups of students into their campus residence. 

For the residential faculty who choose to opt-in to the student residential bubble, they agree to eliminate all close contact (close contact is defined as contact with any individual who is not distanced and/or not masked) and/or frequent contact (regular contact of more than 15 minutes in any situations where any individual in the setting is not distanced and/or not masked) with anyone outside of the bubble at any time.

SAGE, the food service provider contracted by SMS, has designed a comprehensive plan to ensure safe food handling and serving procedures are in place. The SAGE team working on campus follows all SMS guidelines, SAGE guidelines, and guidelines set forth by the Virginia Department of Health. SAGE employees wear masks at all times while working on campus, and have minimal, distanced contact with students only while serving food. 

“Grab and go” options provided by SAGE during the initial period on campus are designed to provide a wide array of healthy options in individually portioned containers. Disposable containers and utensils are utilized to further minimize potential for cross contamination.

Given the ever-evolving nature of COVID-19, and our community’s small size, we can adjust guidelines based on current community factors, local conditions, and state recommendations. However, we also recognize that stability is important for adolescents. This 8 week period will allow for seven weeks of classes and one week of Minimester. On February 27, 2021, all students will depart for a 3 week Spring Break. There will be a Spring Break program offered for students wishing to remain in the care of SMS.

A community member becomes part of the bubble after 10 days on campus (no outings) and 2 negative COVID-19 tests. Thus, if a student needs to leave the bubble for a family obligation or other excused absence, we ask that she return to campus prepared to be assigned to a designated room away from her residential hallmates for 10 days. She will also receive 2 COVID-19 tests during this time. At the end of these 10 days, she may again become part of the residential bubble.

NOTE: Per the CDC Guidelines, any person exhibiting symptoms of any kind will be required to perform the standard 14 day quarantine.  

St. Margaret’s School will provide Spring Break programming for students in the student residential bubble who choose not to travel to (or are unable to travel to) their homes of record. The cost of the Spring Break program is $2250 and includes housing, meals, programming, and daily supervision by trusted SMS faculty and staff for the 3 week break. 

Contact Assistant Head of School for Internal Affairs Cheryl MacPherson at cmacpherson@smsapps.org to confirm participation in the Spring Break program.

We encourage families to minimize non-essential visits during the academic year. However, we also recognize that some appointments are necessary. All students leaving campus for necessary medical or dental appointments will be accompanied by a school nurse or trained SMS staff member who will supervise masking, distancing, and minimize contact to ensure the safest possible practices are employed. 

Please see the most current version of the 20-21 Academic Calendar here.

Important Calendar Notes:

• Student returns to campus will be staggered on Sunday, January 3, 2021 and Monday, January 4, 2021. This allows for rapid testing to be done in a safe manner.

• Minimester is the week of February 1 - 5, 2021. Faculty will offer a range of courses. All students will take 1 or 2 courses, depending on selections. Seniors wishing to do ISPs will participate in Minimester courses and do ISPs over Spring Break. 

• There are no culminating exams during Trimester 2. Instead, teachers will develop performance assessments and stagger these throughout the trimester. 

• High School Musical will have a community performance open to families midday on Saturday, February 27 with departures beginning immediately thereafter. More information to follow.

• Spring Break will run from February 27, 2021 - Sunday, March 21, 2021. 

Yes. Hybrid learning requires innovative technology, flexibility, and pedagogical innovation. We will continue with our Hybrid Learning schedule to maintain Wednesdays as Scottie Days.

Every day at SMS begins with the health screening, performed by a registered nurse, in SMS hall. This screening includes a temperature check, questions about symptoms and potential exposure. All SMS employees participate in this health screening as do all students living on campus. 

All community members wear masks at all times on campus with few exceptions. Exceptions include: while eating at the designated location, in private offices with doors shut, in designated residential halls (exception applies amongst students and faculty in the residential bubble only), during athletic time (when engaged with other students in the residential bubble), and when stationary outdoors with at least 6 feet of social distancing.

Social distancing of a minimum of 6 feet is practiced by all community members on campus at all times with few exceptions. Exceptions include: in designated residential halls (exception applies amongst students and faculty in the residential bubble only), during athletic time (when engaged with other students in the residential bubble), during individual learning support times when closer proximity may be necessary to achieve learning goals.

 All SMS community members will receive 2 COVID-19 tests within the first 10 days on campus in January. Faculty and staff are tested regularly through collaboration with the Three Rivers Health District. 

The SMS Health Clinic has a rapid testing machine and antigen tests are available at a cost of $35/test. Costs associated with rapid tests upon entry to campus will be billed to student accounts. 

Any community member who, after the daily health screening, is reporting and/or exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 will be immediately separated from the community and tested promptly. 

All community members will participate in hygiene workshops with the school nurse. Designated procedures for hand-washing are followed before every meal, athletic practice, and social gathering involving food consumption. ​​​​​​​

Additional cleaning and sanitation is performed in afternoons and on weekends to ensure the cleanest possible campus for all.

The first floor south wing of Latane is the Health Wing. This includes the nurse’s office, a well-person exam room, 4 isolation rooms, designated bathrooms, and a kitchen area. Should additional isolation rooms be necessary, another 2 rooms can be repurposed in the Health Wing. ​​​​​​​

By assigning students to residential halls, seats within classrooms, and tailoring student movements to specific locations, we can best protect students in the unfortunate event that a faculty or staff member tests positive for COVID-19. Swift and clear identification of interactions can allow for comprehensive information to be provided to the local health department should cases be identified on campus.

All families are asked to review our SMS Community Agreement, discuss it as a family, and prepare for a safe return to school. SMS Employees will review and be asked to abide by the SMS Employee Community Agreement as well. 

Families should send Scotties to school with these additional supplies:

• a minimum of 5 washable, minimum 2-ply face coverings or a two month supply of disposable, minimum 2-ply masks that fit snugly and cover the mouth and nose (required);

• a minimum of 5 reusable, washable grocery bags to use for carrying the “grab and go” options from the Dining Hall to designated eating areas (required).

• at least one box of disinfectant wipes or disinfectant spray/paper towels for use within the room (required). 

• A utensil kit and a set of durable, microwave-safe dishes for eating snacks in the residence hall as no communal dishes or utensils in shared kitchens will be available this year (strongly encouraged);

• A comfortable camping chair for outdoor gatherings and activities (strongly encouraged).   

• School materials: Make sure to return to campus with all textbooks, novels, notebooks, pens, pencils, etc. 

• A pre-paid credit card or debit card: Students will be permitted to order from “Wal-Mart Pick Up” and “Food Lion To Go” in Tappahannock as these are contactless systems. The only way to pay for these services is via digital payment method. The Business Office will not distribute cash to students any longer for allowance. Instead, we encourage parents and guardians to use a debit card and load it with funds on an incremental basis or purchase pre-paid cards. 

The health and safety of each community member is always the first priority at SMS. Should a confirmed case of COVID-19 be identified on campus, Nurse Livesay will notify the local health department. In conjunction with the local health department, Nurse Livesay will identify the community members (if any, given the various mitigation strategies in place) that must isolate or quarantine for a given period of time. 

(Special note: anyone with a suspected case of COVID-19 will be asked to isolate until a medical doctor reviews the test result.)