We understand that uncertainty and anxiety may come with returning to school in person. While we will continue to do our best to ensure the health and safety of the students in our care, we recognize that we cannot know the specific health and wellness challenges each of our families face. We know that it will be impossible for us to meet the needs of every student; in this situation, there is no one-size-fits-all plan. 

Therefore, we will support parents who choose to keep their children home, and we have invested heavily in technology in an effort to create an equitable experience for those learning remotely. We ask that families work in concert with their physicians to determine whether a child will attend school in person.

To ensure the health and safety of the entire school community, all positive cases of COVID-19 should be reported to the school. Positive cases in students or parents should be reported to the students’ division head. Faculty and staff should report positive cases to their respective department head. An internal reporting structure has been put in place to ensure confidentiality. Individuals will be notified of possible exposure to illness and/or cases of COVID-19 should they or their student(s) be impacted. We will not send community-wide communications regarding a positive test result.

Cloth masks are appropriate and should cover both your nose and mouth. Please make sure that masks are comfortable but fit snuggly and do not slip off the face. Please note that masks with respirators are not allowed.For handy hints on how to help your child acclimate to the mask, please see our helpful plan.

Yes. Students will be required to wear masks unless they are actively eating or drinking. This includes recess and PE. If your child has a serious health condition, check with your doctor to determine if masking is appropriate and communicate that information to the appropriate division head. We advise students to pack an extra mask in their backpack should theirs go missing or become uncomfortable during the day.

Face coverings may be removed while eating or drinking but should be worn at all other times.

Middle and Upper School students are asked to bring their own laptops or tablets to school each day to help us minimize the sharing of technological devices. Devices should be taken home at the end of each day. Mac-compatible devices are preferred, but our network will accommodate all types of devices, including Chromebooks. If you need assistance with a device, please email computerguys@paceacademy.org.

We are not welcoming visitors at this time. Our primary focus must be the safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff. Therefore, parents, grandparents and friends may not have lunch on campus at least through Sept. 12. We will evaluate this policy on a month-to-month basis.

Through at least Sept. 12, on-campus visitors are limited to essential works and those with appointments. We will evaluate this policy on a month-to-month basis and communicate with parent volunteers as appropriate. All drop-offs and visitors with appointments must register at the Castle. No visitors should enter any other building other than the Castle. Visitors will undergo a temperature and health check upon arrival.

Our teachers are experts! We will do our best to both maintain social distance and create community. We cannot promise social distances at all times; it just isn’t practical. However, we can limit students’ exposure to others outside their respective class/grade level. To that end, Lower School students will remain in their classrooms for lunch. In addition, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, all students, faculty and staff are required to wear face coverings.

Should your child show signs of illness at home, please keep the child home and consult your family physician before sending the child back to school (see our Returning to Work/School guidelines). Should your child show signs of illness at school, the child should report immediately to the clinic, where one of our nurses will provide assistance and determine the appropriate course of action. 

We have found that social media posts regarding COVID-19 stoke hysteria and often promote the spread of misinformation. We ask that you respect the privacy of our students, faculty, staff and fellow parents and refrain from speculating on situations related to Pace and COVID-19 on social media platforms. 

In most cases, siblings may remain in school. Quarantine is recommended after a direct exposure to a COVID-positive individual. If a sibling has not been in direct contact with the individual who has tested positive, the sibling does not need to follow the same guidelines. Please report the case to our COVID staff; they will review these protocols with your family during contact tracing. Please also review the CDC’s When to Quarantine Guidelines.