Lower School
Drop-in Day will take place on Monday, August 10 and Tuesday, August 11. Families will receive a link to sign up for a time slot in Sign Up Genius prior to Drop-in Day.

Middle School
We will not have the traditional drop-in day on Monday, August 10.

High School
We will not have the traditional drop-in day on Monday, August 10.

Lower School
We will not have New Student Orientation for lower school students this year. 

Welcoming all students and faculty back to campus is our goal for the fall. However, that is not the model in which we are re-opening school in August.

**Please note we will not have late arrival Wednesdays in this model.

Grades K-4 will begin the year in a hybrid rotation for the first two days of school (August 12 and August 13). Beginning Friday, August 14, all lower school students will be on campus, unless they have chosen the virtual learning model.

Grade 5 will begin the school year on campus on August 12.

• Due to their age, the unique transition from lower to middle school, as well as the steep learning curve with new technology, all 5th grade students will be on campus everyday through Friday, August 28, at which time this plan will be re-evaluated.

Grades 6-12 will open in a hybrid model on August 12 for students in grades 6-8 and on August 13 for students in grades 9-12.

• Middle and high school students will be divided into two evenly distributed groups, alphabetically by last name to keep families together, and each group will be on campus every other day.
• Green Group - Last names A-J.
• Gold Group - Last names K-Z.
• The group that is not on campus will connect live into the classroom to stay on-track with their classes and teachers.
• We will remain in this model for the first two full weeks of school (Friday, August 28) and then re-evaluate the status of the COVID-19 virus in our community and the effectiveness of the health and safety measures we are implementing.
• It is our goal to have 100% of students on campus as soon as we can, but we will approach this model in two-week increments.
• Again, our ability to be fluid and flexible and to adjust to the changing conditions and guidelines as related to COVID-19 in our community will be critical to our success as a school this year.

The virtual learning model allows students to engage in online learning from home and will be available to all K-12 families who choose it, regardless of whether we are in the hybrid model or the 100% on campus model.

• In lower school, a teaching assistant will manage a cohort of virtual learners. Students will experience several live classes each day, participate in small group discussions, and connect with peers through social interactions. Teaching assistants will provide daily check-ins and logistical support.
• In middle school and high school, students will join their classrooms virtually on the same schedule as students who have chosen to be on campus.
• Wesleyan has invested in technology for each classroom that includes iPads mounted on mobile stands, enhanced audio devices for teachers, and video conferencing software with Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
• Students choosing the virtual learning option can still participate in Wesleyan's extracurricular offerings.

For a full overview of this plan, see the Distance Learning Plan.

In the event it was deemed necessary for Wesleyan to move to an entirely off-campus learning model, the reimagned distance learning introduced in June would go into effect.

One of the best things all of us can do to protect ourselves and others from the virus is to be committed to developing regular, consistent, personal hygiene habits: frequent hand washing/hand sanitizing and not touching one’s face.

We will be more prescriptive with our lower school students in mandating this frequently throughout the day. Middle and high school students will be reminded of these practices in a variety of ways, including encouragement from classroom teachers, broadcasted announcements, and increased signage in classrooms and hallways.

Additionally, we have more than doubled the number of free-standing hand sanitizer stations across campus. Each classroom on campus will have a pump bottle of hand sanitizer that will be checked and refilled each day.

Finally, all bathroom soap dispensers on campus are hands-free.

A two-tiered process will be in place for checking temperature.

1. Families should take their child’s temperature each morning before leaving for school.
2. Temperature scanning devices are being installed at building entrances that continuously measures body temperatures of groups of people entering a building.

If an individual’s temperature is over 100.4, they will not be allowed to attend or stay at school.

Health agencies and medical experts continue to recommend physical distancing as a
mitigation measure in slowing the spread of the virus.  We are continuing to optimize all of our classrooms and spaces on campus, identifying and removing non-essential furniture in an effort to create as much spacing of student desks in classrooms as possible. In middle and high schools where students are not self-contained in a classroom, substantial work has been done to create class sizes to reduce the number of students in each classroom to support our effort to space children as far apart as possible in each classroom.

We will continue with our detailed, daily cleaning regimen that we initiated in January, which includes the use of handheld static foggers that are used to apply disinfectant to surfaces. This daily cleaning schedule includes doorknobs, desks, chairs, light switch covers, handrails, toilets, sinks, water fountains, tables, shelves, locker rooms, and buses. The chemicals we use kill germs in ¼ the dwell time, do not have to be rinsed, and are not caustic to surfaces, materials, or humans.

Wesleyan will continue to offer morning and afternoon bus service to students already registered for this service.

• Bus drivers will take student temperatures before students will be allowed to board the bus.
• Students must board the bus wearing a face covering and must wear the face covering for the entirety of the bus ride.
• Bus driver temperatures will be taken before the start of a bus route.
• Bus drivers will wear face coverings while taking student temperatures and for the entirety of the bus route.

The Wesleyan Fine Arts faculty and staff, K-12, remains committed to providing our students with a quality fine arts experience while keeping them safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to following Wesleyan’s guidelines for masks and social distancing, students in fine arts classes can expect additional measures to ensure their safety.

• Entry and exit protocols will be in place in each classroom, minimizing gathering at band lockers, folder cabinets, and art cubbies.
• In visual arts, extra materials have been purchased to minimize shared supplies. Supplies that must be shared will be disinfected between classes.
• Choral and band classes will utilize outside space for rehearsals and class when possible; choral groups will limit their singing to no more than thirty minutes at a time.
• Theater students will continue to maintain social distancing during rehearsals and performances.

While the Wesleyan performing arts schedule has been set for the 2020-2021 school year, we will remain flexible regarding the details of these events, always keeping student and patron safety as a top priority. Performances will look different this year, be it venue (outdoor, indoor), medium (live, streamed, pre-recorded, etc.), size (limited seating, shorter programs, etc.) and otherwise. We thank our parents and patrons for their patience as we work to provide creative and safe performing arts opportunities for our students during this time.

Lower School Class Plays

• We hope to have class plays this year.
• We will not have a division-wide performance this fall.

Middle School
As a member of the Georgia High School Association (GHSA), we will continue to follow GHSA recommendations and procedures for athletics. At this time, we plan to have middle school fall sports.

Middle School
Students will NOT have lockers this year so that they can easily transition between on campus learning and learning from home. Not having lockers will also minimize students gathering in the hallway. Students can continue to store bags for after school activities in designated areas.

The Spirit Shop will not be accepting cash at this time. The preferred method of payment is preloaded house accounts or credit cards.

Middle School
Breakfast: Middle school students may purchase breakfast from the Spirit Shop in the morning and then proceed to Dubose Dining Hall.

After school: Middle school students will NOT be allowed in the Spirit Shop after school. Students staying after school are encouraged to bring a snack from home.

Individual water bottles should be brought to school each day. Water fountains will only be used for refill opportunities.

Middle school students are encouraged to bring an after school snack from home as they will not have access to the Spirit Shop after school for the time being.

Middle School
For students with phones: since students will no longer be able to store their phones in their lockers, we ask that students leave their phones at home if possible. If students bring their phones to school, grade chairs will collect them in the morning, and they will be safely stored throughout the day.

The State Department of Health issued guidelines regarding the policies and procedures for confirmed positive cases and for those exposed to someone with a confirmed positive case, in the form of an administrative order, which has the force and effect of law. Wesleyan School is REQUIRED by law to follow these quarantine guidelines.

A student or employee who has a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 must:

• Stay home and be isolated for a period of 10 days from the first symptoms or positive test results; and,
• Remain home for the 10-day period, AND be fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication; AND until symptoms improve. A negative test does not end the isolation period.

A student or employee who has been in close contact with someone who has a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 must:

• Stay home and quarantine for 14 days from the first known contact with the person who has a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 and monitor symptoms.
• Since the incubation period for the virus could be anywhere from two to 10+ days, it is recommended that you do not get a test prior to day 10.
• Students and employees who have been exposed to someone who has a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 will not be allowed to return to campus sooner than the end of the 14-day period, even with a negative test result. A negative test does not end the quarantine period.

If a student or an employee receives a positive COVID test, the individual or their parents should contact the school as soon as possible using the confidential email address reportcovid@wesleyanschool.org.