The best way for us to maintain a safe and healthy on campus environment is to work together as a community. The more each of us individually embraces the safety measures and guidelines below, not only on campus, but while we are away from campus, the greater the likelihood we will be able to maintain an on campus learning environment and do our part to limit the spread of COVID-19. This is a great way to live out the JOY (Jesus, Others Yourself) motto as these steps not only protect you but protect the people around you as well.

Closely monitoring the health of everyone in your household is an important way to keep the community healthy. Use this Daily Screening Checklist as needed.

To help you answer common questions about potential scenarios you or someone in your household could experience this school year, we have created COVID Exposure Guidelines.

If you have COVID, you are considered a positive case, and you should isolate for a full 10-days from the onset of your symptoms (or from your test specimen collection date if you did not have any symptoms); 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.

• You should notify any close contacts of yours during your infection period, which is 2-days before your onset of symptoms or your test specimen collection date if you did not have any symptoms.
• If any of your close contacts are associated with Wesleyan, you should include that in your report to reportcovid@wesleyanschool.org.

Please keep in mind that the State Department of Health issues 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.

If you have been exposed to a positive case (friend, family member, etc.) by being inside of 6 feet for 15 cumulative minutes or greater within a 24-hour period, you are considered a close contact, and you should quarantine for a full 14-days. 

• If you do not develop symptoms, you can reduce the quarantine to 10-full days.
• If you do not develop symptoms and receive a negative COVID test on day 5 or greater, you can reduce the quarantine to 7-full days.
• Both the reduced 10-day and reduced 7-day quarantines require that you remain socially distant (6 feet or greater) and wear a mask when around people for the balance of the 14-day quarantine period.
• Participation in extracurricular activities (including practices and rehearsals) cannot resume until the 14-day quarantine period is complete, even if you return to school after day 7 or day 10.
• If you develop symptoms at any time during your quarantine period, you should get tested at that point, and you should revert to the 14-day quarantine period.
• If you test positive during your quarantine period, you are now considered a positive case and should isolate 10-days from your onset of symptoms (or positive test, if asymptomatic) – see above “WHAT IF YOU HAVE COVID?”

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 installed at building entrances to continuously measures body temperatures of people entering the building.

If an individual’s temperature is 100.4 or greater, 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 have worked 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. However, it is not possible to maintain 6’ distance between all students and faculty at all times.

We will continue with our detailed, daily cleaning regimen that we initiated in January, which includes the use of static foggers 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 areas that have frequent turnover (e.g., middle and high school classrooms), we are also leveraging some new solutions that have an extended effectiveness timeframe, even with constant rubbing and friction from usage. We spot check with testing equipment to help ensure cleanliness and effectiveness.

Students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade returned to school every day in person on January 6.

Families will still be given the opportunity to select 100% virtual learning. See the virtual learning section below.

Beginning January 6, high school students returned to campus in a 50/50 hybrid model. Divided into two groups alphabetically, students will alternate days for on-campus instruction and virtual instruction from home.

The current plan is for the high school to remain in the 50/50 hybrid model through Friday, January 22.

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 teach and 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.

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; band groups will utilize bell covers on instruments.
• 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.

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 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.


High School

Breakfast: High school students may purchase breakfast from the Spirit Shop and consume it OUTSIDE prior to entering any buildings.

Lunch: Select items will be available via pre-order from the Spirit Shop and may be picked up by students for lunch.

After school:  Select items will be available via pre-order from the Spirit Shop and may be picked up by students after school.

Parent access
Parents are allowed to visit the Spirit Shop via the door facing Scott Patio. Face coverings are required and social distancing must be maintained.

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.

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 in the morning.
• 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 Board of Trustees created and approved the budget for the 2020-2021 school year in December of 2019. This allows the school to communicate tuition for the upcoming school year to you at the time of re-enrollment in February. There are no plans to alter tuition for the 2020-2021 school year, regardless of the instructional model in which the school is engaged. The general idea behind refunding or discounting tuition is that virtual learning is of less value than an in-person experience and that schools save money when not operating with students on campus. The reality is that savings for schools like Wesleyan are nominal, as most campus operations must continue even when buildings are not occupied. The bulk of the school’s budget consists of the investment in teachers and staff through compensation, benefits, and professional development, and regardless of the instructional model, these costs do not decrease at all. Finally, preparing to open campus safely has been particularly expensive, easily consuming any potential savings and adding significantly to the expense side of our budget.

Tuition refund insurance is available for purchase through August 11 (the day before school starts). We encourage families who are considering the possibility of withdrawing to purchase tuition refund insurance. All families that are on Plan B (pay approximately 60% of tuition July 1 and 40% of tuition November 1) have already purchased tuition refund insurance.

If a family is on Plan A (pay 100% of tuition by July 1), and has not already purchased tuition refund insurance, please contact Johnny Turner at jturner@wesleyanschool.org, and let him know that you would like to purchase the tuition refund insurance. You can check your Smart Tuition account to see if you have already purchased this insurance. The cost is $135 for Kindergarten, $155 for Prefirst through 4th grade, $180 for 5th and 6th grade, and $195 for grades 7 through 12. The benefit is 75% of the unused tuition.

Please note, though, that a child must attend school for two weeks or ten school days to be eligible for the insurance. Distance learning is considered attending school.