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.

View our daily schedule here for the winter 2021 trimester. Our approach to education extends far beyond the classroom, even in the virtual realm. Throughout the winter term, we are offering opportunities for students to connect, learn, and share—and just have fun. View our activities schedule here.

Yes, all boarding students need to quarantine before returning to Solebury. Boarding students who can arrive on campus without making any stops may quarantine for two weeks at home. The “at home” quarantine option is not available if prohibited through restrictions as designated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Boarding students who need to take any form of public transportation to arrive at school, who are returning to live on campus from a travel restricted area, and students who need to make stops during their travel must quarantine for two weeks at Solebury. All returns should be coordinated with Sasha Skulsky, Dean of Residence Life. We recognize that families have many questions about how the return to campus. For return after winter break, please review this Q&A.

Campus is currently closed to all non-residential visitors with the exception of individuals with a scheduled admissions appointment, contactless food delivery, and packages. Day students who need access to campus must coordinate with Annette. Boarding students not currently residing on campus must contact Sasha prior to return to campus. 

Our faculty will not hold exams at the end of the winter trimester. Instead, February 24 and 25 will be reclaimed as instructional (class days) and February 26 will be used as a grading day for teachers with no class meetings.

As announced on January 14, Solebury School has shifted our spring break dates for the 2020-21 school year. Solebury School’s Spring Break will now begin after a student’s last obligation on Thursday, February 25 and will extend through Monday, March 15, 2021. First day of classes for the spring trimester will be Tuesday, March 16, 2021.

Solebury School’s campus reflects our founders' belief that the outdoors is an important part of learning. For the 2020-21 school year, we anticipate 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. We are identifying and designing outdoor learning spaces throughout campus, as well as creating areas for socializing.

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.

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 the 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 the coming year. In addition to scheduling one-on-one sessions, Julie Laing, Director of Counseling, and Bill Christy, Associate Director of Counseling, hosting group mental health Zoom drop-ins during all arts blocks.

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.

Solebury’s renowned arts program has continued to flourish during the 2020-21 school year, with classes in Filmmaking, Music Theory, Audition Techniques, AP Studio Art, Rock Band, and Ballet/Hip Hop, among others. We are planning for two more theater productions (see below for more information). 

Our winter production will be presented virtually, with the intention that the spring show may have an audience and be presented in an outdoor space. Our shows will be Try to Remember: A Retrospective of Years of SoleStage Musicals (Winter - virtual), and Ride the Cyclone (Spring - to be determined, hopefully outdoors).

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.

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.

Much of the timeline and application process will remain the same, although some colleges are pushing back their Early Application deadlines. Students should still explore colleges in junior year and into their senior year.  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. While this website is compiling colleges’ plans for this fall, it is best to visit individual colleges’ websites for the most up-to-date information.

Not necessarily. Each college will handle this differently, and each college will see a different level of deferrals.  While in some cases, that will indeed mean that colleges will need to be more selective next year, the colleges that have communicated with Solebury have indicated that this should not lessen the chances for admission for the class of 2021. College enrollment is a four-year process, not a year-by-year process, so colleges will be considering their overall enrollment and not just the prior years. So if a smaller class was admitted this year, that could conceivably mean that many colleges are looking to enroll a larger class next year.