US Plan Details

Upcoming Events

August 20 and 21: First Two Days of School

Group A will be on campus on our first day of school on Thursday, August 20.
Group B will be participating from home on that first Thursday.
Group B will be on campus on Friday, August 21.
Group A will be participating from home on Friday, August 21.
Attendance is required for all class sessions, whether in-person at school or at home.
Failure to attend a class, even if you are at home, is considered skipping and will be dealt with accordingly.
On that Thursday, Group A will have an US Orientation session. Some students will be in the PAC in-person, and some students will be in their classrooms watching the livestream version.
Group B will not be required to attend the Orientation assembly on Thursday, and will be given a break at home.
Group B will have a repeat of Thursday’s Orientation assembly on Friday.
Group A will not be required to attend the Orientation assembly from home on Friday and will be given a break.

US Hybrid Groups: Based on Last Names

Seniors: Group A = A-J Group B = K-Z
Juniors: Group A = A-L Group B = M-Z
Sophomores: Group A = A-L Group B = M-Z
Freshmen: Group A = A-H Group B = I-Z

First Two Days of School Schedule

We do not use our rotating schedule on the first two days of school.
The rotating schedule begins on Monday, August 24. The first full week of school.
Please pay close attention to the First Two Days Schedule posted on the US Re-Opening Plan page on the website.

Split Lunch Schedule

Because we have two lunch periods every day, it is important for “at home” students to pay close attention to the Split Lunch Schedule.
While “at home” students may eat lunch at their leisure, they need to make sure that they are not taking a lunch break, when they are supposed to be in class.

Carpool and Morning Entrance Screening

Please pay close attention to our US carpool routes, especially for freshmen and sophomores.
The freshmen have one entrance but two choices for drop off.
Students who arrive after 8:00 a.m. on Monday-Thursday, will all enter through the main entrance on the north side of the Upper School.
It is critical that all US students have the Titan HST app downloaded onto their phones, as well as all parents.
Instructions to come.
Parents will need to screen their children in the mornings before coming to school. It just takes a few seconds to answer the questions.
When a parent completes the screening process, it will populate on their child’s phone and a green screen will emerge.
US students simply need to hold up their green screens on their phones and they will be allowed into the building.
Students who have a red screen will not be allowed into the building. Red means that symptoms are present.
Students who have not been screened by their parents, will be detained at the door until the screening process is completed.
The US process should be very easy and simple, if students are screened and their phones show their green screens.

Staggered Dismissals

Due to physical distancing guidelines and carpool congestion, we will have a staggered dismissal of students in the Upper School.
When students are dismissed, they will be expected to leave the building immediately to create less of a traffic jam in the hallways and in the carpool road.
Dismissal Times:
- Seniors = 3:20 p.m.
- Juniors = 3:22 p.m.
- Sophomores = 3:24 p.m.
- Freshmen = 3:26 p.m.

US First Days

First page of the PDF file: First_Days_of_School_Aug_2020_1

US Rotating Schedule

First page of the PDF file: RotatingSchedule20-21-color

Face Coverings

We will require masks in the Upper School at all times when inside the building, except when we sit down at a lunch table.
Students may only wear face masks. Updated: shields and gaiters are NOT acceptable.
Masks should fit snugly but comfortably against the side of face.
Masks may be any solid color, plaid, pattern, camouflage, sports teams or clothing brand; no slogans, political statements or cartoon characters, please.
Nose and mouth must be covered.
We will allow outside “mask breaks” periodically. More to come on that.

Beginning and Ending of the School Day

Arrival Time. Monday – Thursday. Across campus, students will not be allowed to enter buildings until 7:30 a.m..
In the Upper School, when students arrive between 7:45-8 a.m., they will be required to proceed to their classrooms.
Face coverings must be worn upon entrance to the building.
We are finalizing our screening procedures for each door.
We will have designated doors for each of the Upper School grade levels to enter.
Freshmen will enter through the PAC door on the east side of the Upper School at the covered drive-through.
Sophomores will enter through the History/English door on the west side of the Upper School and near the parking lot where most sophomores park or are dropped off.
Juniors will enter through the Commons door on the west side of the Upper School, which is near to the parking lot where most sophomores park.
Seniors will enter through the north main entrance near the Senior Parking Lot.
Dismissal Times:
- Seniors = 3:20 p.m.
- Juniors = 3:22 p.m.
- Sophomores = 3:24 p.m.
- Freshmen = 3:26 p.m.
Our plan this year is to dismiss different grade levels in staggered two-minute increments to make it possible for less congestion and contact in the hallways, parking lots, and carpool lines.

Friday Arrivals and Dismissals

Based on some modifications of our rotating schedule, we will not be having our traditional .ORG on Wednesday mornings or backwork after lunch each day.
This limits our ability to have clubs and organizations and to schedule make-up quizzes, tests, and labs.
We are moving .ORG to Friday mornings from 8-9 a.m. This is optional time.
If a student has a club or organization meeting or needs to make-up work or meet with a teacher, they will be able to schedule that during the .ORG time on Friday mornings.
Students may also work with their teachers to find alternative times to make-up work during the course of the school week during the school day.
Students who do not have a club or organization to attend or do not need to make-up work or get help from a teacher, may arrive at school before their 9 a.m. 4^th period class begins.
If a student doesn’t need to be at school on Fridays until 9 a.m. but needs to be dropped off by 7:30 a.m. or later, we will have designated areas for them to sit and work following physical distancing guidelines.
Students, who get to school early on Fridays and have nothing scheduled, will not be allowed to congregate together in the hallways for long periods of time. Plan accordingly.
Dismissal time. School is out at 1:45 p.m. on Fridays, unless we get out at 11:55 a.m. on certain days throughout the school year.

Class Schedules

Classroom Desks

During our 50/50 Hybrid days at the beginning of the school year, all desks in classrooms will be distanced six feet apart.
When we return to 100% on campus, desks will be distanced as much as possible based on the size of the room and the number of students in a particular section.
Desk tops and other surfaces will be cleaned after each class period, when students have been present.

Lunch

Split Lunches. We will have two lunch periods every day to reduce the number of contacts in the Commons.
Students will wear face coverings in the Commons until they are physically seated.
We will have many tables with designated spots for seating based on physical distancing guidelines.
We will have many tables outside as well.
When the weather does not permit us to go outside, we will have alternative seating locations in the Upper School.
Upon entering the Commons, there will be two lines.
Each line will have hot and cold, pre-packaged offerings.
It will be a “build your own lunch” format or a “grab and go”.
Every person will grab a bag and put their choices in the bag and then go find a seat inside or outside.
All containers and utensils will be disposable.
Students will be required to wash/sanitize their hands before and after lunch.
When finished eating, students will be required to put their masks back on their faces.
Because every student has an individual, unique class schedule, we will be communicating who eats first and who eats second.
It will be based on hallways and subject areas and will be a different combination every day.
Mondays will always be the same group. Tuesdays will always be the same group, etc.
Students, who are at home for the day, will need to know if they have lunch or class first on that day at home.

Study Halls

Approximately 80% of our students have a study hall.
As always, our 9^th graders will be assigned to a classroom with a teacher for a supervised study hall.
As always, students in grades 10-12 will have unsupervised study halls.
They will be allowed to sit in designated spots in the library and other locations throughout the Upper School.
Physical distancing guidelines will apply.
Students who are working from home will be under the supervision of their parents to use study hall as deemed appropriate.

Restrooms

Yearbook Pictures

Seniors

Senior Trip. The Senior Trip is tentatively being rescheduled for May.
It will be scheduled for the few days leading up to Graduation.
The 6^th and 8^th grade end-of-year trips, which some of our juniors and seniors go on as counselors, will take place the week after Graduation, so the Senior Trip will not be a conflict.
This trip should be an outstanding way to end the senior year in a carefree, relaxed manner and a chance to celebrate the end of a long and winding road to the finish line.
More details to come as that trip is firmed up.
Car Decoration Day is Friday, September 4.
- When we begin our normal rotating schedule during the first full week of school, we do not start school until 9:00 a.m.
- This gives us more time to have our car decorating morning without disruption to carpool.
Senior Letters. Parents, we encourage you to finish writing your senior letters and recommend that you give them to your senior on the Wednesday night, August 19, the day before the first day of school.
Senior Privileges:
- TCA Seniors have a variety of “Senior Privileges”.
- Seniors have their own parking lot directly across from the main entrance of the Upper School.
- Seniors receive extra jeans days every other Wednesday.
- Seniors, who have an 8:00 a.m. study hall, are allowed to arrive at 9:00 a.m.
- Seniors, who have a 2:25 p.m. study hall, are allowed to leave school early.
- At the beginning of the school year, due to our current guidelines, seniors will not be allowed to leave campus during the school day.
- Seniors will be eating on campus until our guidelines change.