FAQs

This is school calendar for the 2020-21 school year—we anticipate that it will grow to include more events and may change in order to meet the needs of the community. Please keep in mind that this year will require a great deal of adaptability, and please do not make plans to travel to and from campus for vacations and breaks that cannot be changed as our calendar may need modification based on prevalent conditions.

The spring trimester resumes on Tuesday, March 16, 2021.

All enrolled students are invited to return to campus for classes. However, we recognize that some students and faculty may be unable to return due to health concerns or other restrictions. These individuals may participate in learning and campus life remotely.

Take a look at some of our spaces here.

Families should first connect with Sasha Skulsky, Dean of Residence Life, to confirm their return to campus details.

• Students must present negative COVID-19 results within three (3) days prior to returning to campus and share those results with our nurses.

• Boarders who must use mass transportation to return to campus or cannot drive directly to campus must complete a 14-day quarantine at Solebury School. If families do not want their student to quarantine on-campus or if on-campus quarantine spaces are full then boarders can quarantine at a local family member’s house, a hotel, or a local rental. 

• Students who can drive directly from their home or a relative’s home must complete a 10-day at-home quarantine before returning to campus with the remaining four days completed on campus.

For day student families, during the 10-day transitional period prior to their return to campus, be sure your student:

• Schedules and gets negative COVID-19 results within three (3) days prior to returning to campus and shares those results with our nurses.

• Refrains from indoor gatherings with others outside your household

• Refrains from unnecessary travel as your family is able...and if they travel, please minimize exposure and follow State of Pennsylvania COVID-19 Information for Travelers

• Notifies us if anyone in your household has been diagnosed with, had exposure to a positive case of, or has signs/symptoms consistent with COVID-19

The 2020-21 school year will be a rich and robust educational experience, inclusive of strong academics and active community engagement for all of our students. Our program is thoughtfully designed to meet the needs of both in-person and remote members, including after school and community-building activities. Every activity and experience may not be available to every student; however, a rich community experience will be offered to every student. Any information on refunds will be shared at the end of the school year. If you have any questions, please contact Scott Eckstein, Director of Enrollment Management & Financial Aid

To support remote learning when it is necessary, students will be best prepared for the upcoming school year if they equip themselves with a full laptop computer rather than a Chromebook or iPad. In addition, we recommend a set of headphones with a boom microphone for use when they are not present in the classroom. Click here for more detail on devices and recommendations.

For the safety of our community, we will do our best to limit visitors to campus, and to limit the spaces that visitors use when they are invited on campus. Parents of our boarding students will be permitted to visit with their student on campus outdoors and with a negative test prior to arrival, and we will host some prospective families interested in admission to Solebury School (if they meet our health protocols) on campus in a very restricted fashion. In addition, we anticipate that contactless food delivery and package delivery will still be available.

Solebury School’s campus reflects our founders' belief that the outdoors is an important part of learning. For the 2020-21 school year, we are using our 140-acre campus to its fullest extent, from our walking trails to the Sycamore Patio adjacent to the dining hall and other spaces. Outdoor learning spaces and areas for socializing are located throughout campus.

Yes. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania issued a Universal Mask Mandate on November 17, 2020, which is still in place. All community members must wear a face covering when in the presence of anyone outside their household. Research has repeatedly shown that mask use significantly limits the transmission of COVID-19 by capturing virus as it is shed by the sick person. In addition, certain masks also protect the wearer from inhaling airborne viruses. Please remember that repeated non-compliance with wearing a face covering will result in the loss of the privilege of being on campus. If you are unable to wear a mask due to a diagnosed disability, please contact the school administration to determine alternative means of participation.

There are two potential benefits to a face covering. One, it captures or reduces the wearer’s virus emissions by filtering the air as it leaves the wearer’s nose and mouth. Two, depending on construction and correctness of use, it can minimize inhalation of virus droplets. A face covering, as defined by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a “covering of the nose and mouth that is secured to the head with ties, straps or loops over the ears or is wrapped around the lower face. A face covering can be made of a variety of synthetic or natural fabrics…While procedural and surgical masks intended for health care providers and first responders, such as N95 respirators, would meet these requirements, these specialized masks should be reserved for appropriate occupations and health care settings.” A face shield that does not have an enclosure at the bottom is not appropriate as the only face covering because it accomplishes neither goal adequately due to the free flow of air below the plastic shield. Face shields that do have an enclosure are acceptable alone and any type of face shield can be worn in addition to a mask. More information on Solebury School’s guidance on Face Coverings can be found here.

With regard to health and wellness items, we ask that boarders return to campus with a supply of hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes, a minimum of seven (7) reusable face masks, and a digital thermometer that they know how to use. Solebury School’s recommendations around face coverings/masks can be found here. We also suggest boarders bring a reusable water bottle, and headphones. To minimize the risk of community spread, it is imperative that students wipe down all surfaces before and after use.

We ask that day students bring a clean reusable water bottle for their beverages during the day, labeled with their name. Students should bring at least two clean face coverings/masks to campus each day—we recommend that they also have at least seven face coverings/masks available to them at home, among other considerations. Students are welcome to bring their own hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes, although those items will also be provided throughout campus.

Solebury School uses REACH, a student management system for boarding schools and residential campuses. One great function of REACH is the ability to conduct quick surveys. Via the survey function all students, faculty, and staff will complete a symptom and temperature check daily. The information is stored securely within REACH’s industry leading security standard database with encrypted data and information will only be made available to appropriate members of our staff.

We recognize the possible impact on our students from both anxiety and isolation surrounding the pandemic and are prepared to support each student to our fullest capability. The emotional well being of our students is as important to our community as their physical well-being; with this in mind, we have increased our mental health services for this year.

Click here for our Spring 2021 Athletics Health and Safety Plan.

To fully support our boarding students, Solebury School will keep residence halls open and available to our boarding students throughout the school year, barring any prohibition from doing so. Minimizing travel helps to minimize risk of infection, and we strongly encourage our boarding students to remain on campus throughout the spring trimester. 

Any boarding student who needs to leave campus during the spring term must request permission through REACH/the Dean of Residence Life. The request will be assessed for both necessity and risk. This policy will be reassessed on a regular basis, taking into account the prevalence of COVID-19 at Solebury School, in our surrounding communities, and the student’s destination. If boarding students return home/travel, we will work with families on an individual basis regarding their student’s return to campus. Families are welcome to visit their student outside at Solebury School and should coordinate with Sasha Skulsky, Dean of Residence Life.

We will coordinate with county and state health officials to isolate infected Solebury community members according to CDC guidelines, trace contacts, and isolate and quarantine as necessary. All buildings and rooms will be cleaned and disinfected. If possible, a diagnosed student will be sent home to isolate and quarantine. If this is not possible, we will have designated on-campus isolation areas identified, separate from students with routine health care needs. If care beyond the basic management of symptoms is required, we will notify parents/guardians and transfer the student to our local Emergency Department. We will notify our community of a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 on campus and will respect and maintain the privacy of those individuals, as we would with any health concern. 

View health protocols here.

Students who use Solebury School transportation to get to and from school, athletics, and/or other activities will be required to submit daily wellness checks prior to embarkation, wear face coverings at all times when getting on, riding, and getting off the vans, and use the hand sanitizer provided on each van. Our current guidelines are that minivans will transport a maximum of four (4) students—two per row with no one in the middle seats. The larger vans will transport a maximum of six (6) students with the same wellness check, face covering, and hand sanitizer requirements. Windows will be open for ventilation as appropriate. All Solebury School drivers will also wear masks and submit wellness checks. In addition, each vehicle will be fully disinfected before and after each use.

For families who rely on their public school for transportation, please reach out to your district’s transportation office to let them know your needs for the trimester. Peter Redmond has already alerted all transporting school districts that we will resume learning on campus on March 16, but they need to hear about your student’s needs directly.  

If you have any questions about student transportation, please contact Peter Redmond.

Yes, the faculty will complete attendance for classes, assembly, and activities and Greg Lewis, Assistant Dean, will follow up with students and parents with any concerns or issues.

We anticipate that we will hold an in-person graduation for the Class of 2021 with a focus on students and their families and guided by health and safety considerations. We are evaluating other types of in-person gatherings this spring as well—all decisions will be communicated directly. Solebury School’s largest fundraising event, our annual auction, will be a week-long remote event—more information on how to get involved here.

Much of the timeline and application process will remain the same, although some colleges delayed their application deadlines. Students should still explore colleges in junior year and into their senior year. In addition, nearly 60% of the four-year colleges in the US have committed to remaining “test optional” for the class of 2022, and that number is growing. Some of the colleges are open and accepting admission visitors while others are closed and/or not accepting visitors. Colleges are doing what they can to provide robust opportunities online through virtual tours, online information sessions, student-produced videos, etc. Please visit individual colleges' websites for the most up-to-date information and opportunities.