Guided by our mission and the health and safety of our students and the entire Charlotte Latin community, this document details how we will deliver a Latin-quality education to our students in the 2020-21 school year, through four teaching modalities based on a risk matrix:

We are committed to providing you with as much clarity as possible about the year to come. The Return to Campus Plan is our best thinking about what the return to campus will look like. If conditions change, we may need to make updates over the summer. Be assured that we will inform you of any changes made. While we hope that the trajectory of the virus in North Carolina allows for further loosening of restrictions in August, the plan accommodates for a range of possibilities in response to the level of risk. This uncertainty is challenging, but realistic.

Our goal is to have all students on campus when possible. The importance of in-person learning is well-documented. Lengthy time away from school and associated interruption of supportive services often result in social isolation, making it difficult for schools to identify and address important learning deficits and mental/emotional health of students. As risk increases, we will move to hybrid learning, with divided classrooms in Lower School and A/B Days in Middle and Upper School. These are explained in detail in the Teaching and Learning section below. We will move to Remote Learning only when the risk is elevated to Red. Risk levels and risk criteria are articulated in detail on the Risk Matrix. (The Risk Matrix will be shared with you later this summer.)

Please note that risk levels and their associated teaching modalities among the divisions may be combined, e.g., Lower School may be at Yellow (in-person learning) while Middle and Upper School students are in Orange (hybrid learning). From our experience in the spring, we learned that Lower School Remote Learning is most difficult. Maintaining safe, in-person instruction for Lower School is a priority. The combined modality model allows the flexibility for Lower School to be in-person as much as possible.

An extremely important part of the plan is the ability to keep students at home if there is any question about their health, as they are able to fully and actively participate in instruction using new in-classroom technology. Heightened caution, coupled with this technology, ensures that no child will fall behind in instruction.

Please note that the Remote Learning plan is vastly different from what was delivered in spring 2020. Your feedback was crucial in creating the Remote Learning section of the plan and all other risk levels.

Our goal is to return to campus for the 2020-21 school year in a healthy, risk-mitigated way with new routines and protocols (e.g. dismissal procedures, recess rules, cleaning, etc.) The guiding and organizing principles for the Return to Campus Plan make provision for:

• The health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff.
• Latin-quality programming and courses in each division, regardless of instructional modality.
• Before- and after-care for families and Latin employees.
• Transportation services.
• On-campus learning as priority.
• Synchronous learning as priority.
• Consistent, division-specific schedules.
• Consistent instruction across subjects.
• Increased small group learning opportunities.
• Remote Learning as an option for the immunocompromised or for those who otherwise cannot come to campus.

Key Understandings*

• This is a monumentally stressful and disruptive time in history; and we should not expect to flip a switch back to “normal”;
• There will be heightened attention to matters of wellness and public health which will impact our students, their families, and the format in which teaching and learning need to occur;
• Various formal and informal forms of social distancing will continue; and
• COVID-19 waves are predicted to cause future short-term, place-specific, stay-at-home orders for the foreseeable future.

*Thank you to Cary Academy for allowing us to use this wording from their plan.

The first day of school is Wednesday, August 19. In the Middle and Upper Schools, this will be an A day. (See Teaching and Learning below for details.)

We currently plan to maintain the 2020-21 Master Calendar with no change to holidays and breaks. Events such as concerts, community events, assemblies, and field trips may be altered or canceled. Decisions regarding events will be made as early as possible. We remain hopeful that conditions will improve and allow events to resume. All changes to the Master Calendar will be shared with you via Welcome to the Week.

Returning to campus is going to look and feel different from a typical school year, with many new safety precautions and procedures in place. Orientation sessions for Middle and Upper School students will include health and safety procedure training to familiarize students with new procedures (see A Health Community: New Procedures below). Lower School students will receive training beginning on the first day of school. Parents will be fully informed of those safety procedures through communication from the Lower School office and their child’s classroom teacher.

Parents will receive information in early August with division-specific details about Orientation and safety procedure training.

Orientation and safety procedures training will include:

• Arrival and dismissal procedures and expectations
• Entering and exiting classrooms and buildings
• Passing time social distancing
• Materials use
• Lunches and snacks
• Recess and outdoor breaks
• Healthy hygiene practices
  • Healthy Hawk Habits
  • Handwashing schedules
  • Bathroom procedures
  • High-use surface cleaning during the school day
• Transportation

Information and demonstrations of the various tools and software used in the 2020-21 school year are part of Orientation and training. Division-specific information will be sent to parents in early August.

All families must commit to support Charlotte Latin’s health, wellness, and safety protocols, and must agree to keep their children home when they are not feeling well, have COVID-like symptoms, or have potentially been exposed to the virus. Families are required to complete and sign the Charlotte Latin School Health and Wellness Pledge. The Health and Wellness Pledge is now a requirement on the Magnus Health Portal and must be completed by August 1.

Before coming to school each day, students will have a daily temperature check at home and complete the checklist on the Magnus App. The checklist is a short symptoms and exposure review. Anyone without a device to use the App must contact the Health Office for a paper-based system.

The Magnus App includes questions about exposure and quarantine. Use this to report possible exposure, quarantine, and testing to the school. Keeping the school informed of any known exposure and symptoms is critically important in keeping our students, faculty and staff, and community safe and healthy.

Every person entering campus will be temperature screened by trained personnel. (See more under Arriving at School below.)

Everyone on campus (including TK–Grade 12) is required to wear a face covering at all times. Face coverings have been shown to reduce the risk of virus transmission and are recommended by the Center for Disease Control for all children two years and older.

• Everyone on campus (including TK–Grade 12) is required to wear a face covering that fully covers both the mouth and nose every day.
• Faculty and staff will model face covering wearing.
• Students must come to school wearing a face covering.
• CLS has a limited supply of single-use face coverings in case a student’s face covering is made unwearable during the course of the school day.
• Parents are responsible for cleaning the face coverings.
• Read more about the efficacy of cloth face coverings.
• Instructions on how to make cloth face coverings from the CDC.

All aspects of the school day have been examined to identify ways we can reduce possible transmission of the virus. Some of these new procedures are classroom-specific, but others apply to the school as a whole. Details of key procedures are covered in this document. New procedures include:

• Arrival and screening (see Arriving at School below).
• Upon arrival, everyone is expected to proceed directly to a classroom or office.
• Foot stops will be placed on many doors to eliminate the need for opening and closing doors.
• Garbage bins will be placed outside of bathrooms, allowing students and faculty to open the bathroom door as they exit using the paper towel and depositing it in the bin afterwards.
• Crowd control will be monitored at bathroom breaks, allowing fewer students in the bathrooms at one time.
• Floor stickers will be installed to indicate safe standing distance when waiting in line.
• Outdoor instruction opportunities will be maximized.
• Arrival, dismissal, and pick-up times will be staggered to allow for crowd control and social distancing.
• Remote Learning is available for anyone who is feeling ill, has been in contact with anyone with COVID-like symptoms, or is under quarantine (or a family member is under quarantine).

• Thorough nightly cleaning and disinfecting (see Operations section below).
• Deep clean procedures as needed
• Frequent daily cleaning of high traffic/touch surfaces, e.g., door handles, bathroom faucets
• Hand sanitizer dispensers checked and refilled daily
• Classroom cleaning procedures established in individual classrooms. All include disinfecting high-use surfaces before and after use.
• Handwashing breaks are incorporated into the daily schedule in each classroom.

The pandemic has been extremely challenging for all of us. In anticipation of the need for additional student mental/emotional health and counseling support in the new school year, our counselors received additional training over the summer in preparation for upcoming needs. They are collaborating with faculty and staff on early identification/warning signs of students who may be in need of assistance.

We are actively assessing staffing needs to ensure the Health Office has adequate personnel to meet current health and wellness demands.

Students with daily medical needs, i.e., medications and chronic illnesses, will continue to use the existing Lower and Middle School Health Rooms, designated “well student” Health Rooms. All students coming to the well student Health Rooms will be screened before entry. Any student exhibiting symptoms of illness will be escorted to the new Health Room in Fennebresque Hall. Procedures for students who are ill are detailed in the next section.

You can help ready your children this summer by beginning to implement the new procedures for school:

• Daily temperature checks
• Daily Magnus App check-in
• Incorporate handwashing breaks in your daily routine
• Wear face coverings in public
• Maintain 6’ social distancing in public
• Continue regular doctor visits and well-child appointments
• Keep immunizations and physicals current
• Encourage physical activity and time outside

Keeping the Latin community safe is a shared responsibility. This cannot be overemphasized. More than 2,500 people in our Latin community rely on you and your family to follow the directives and procedures for health and safety. There are many external risks beyond our control, but we can mitigate preventable risk by keeping students home if they are not feeling well. This plan is designed to err on the side of caution with regard to health, allowing students to continue the pace of teaching and learning from home. No children will be pressured to come to school if there is any concern that they are not well. Please familiarize yourself with the guidelines for when to stay home for general health and wellness, as well as during COVID-19.

CLS Stay at Home Guidelines (non-COVID-19)
CLS Stay at Home Guidelines COVID-19 (below)

If you have any questions about sending your child to school please contact the specific Division Health Office.

Arrival procedures include screening. Any person who does not pass the morning screening will be sent home. Screening stations will be placed in parking lots and carpool lines throughout campus, staffed by screeners. Screening stations will be staffed from 7:15 – 9:00 a.m. to accommodate staggered start times. Click for detailed information on:

• Screening station locations
• Screener duties
• Students arriving by bus
• Students arriving by car. Note: Our nurses advise against carpooling. If one student in the car has an elevated temperature, the whole car may need to be sent home for the day.
• Late arrivals
• Visitors and guests arriving on campus

If a student experiences any symptoms of illness during the school day, they must:

1. Go directly to the “well student” Health Office in their division.
2. They will be screened outside of the Health Office.
3. Any student with symptoms of illness will be escorted to the new Health Room in Fennebresque Hall.
4. Students continue wearing a face covering and must remain 6 feet away from others until picked up to go home.

The purpose of a quarantine is to reduce the spread of COVID-19. If your child is quarantined, but feels well, the measures we have set in place for Remote Learning should prevent anyone from feeling left behind. All students are able to attend classes, regardless of whether they are physically in their classroom or are at home learning remotely.

• Quarantine Guidelines and Information

Three Latin employees have completed a contact tracing course through Johns Hopkins University. If CLS is notified by the health department that a student has tested positive, a contact tracer will provide details regarding the student’s interactions and locations. Contact tracers will ask the student questions about his contacts and activities during the time period in question. They will review the student’s schedule and track his or her eligibility to return to school

Our commitment to Charlotte Latin School’s Mission is central to our pandemic planning and response. We are, therefore, focused on striking an appropriate balance which prioritizes academic excellence, safety, inclusivity, and wellness with the flexibility needed to adjust to an ever-changing situation.

Our transition to emergency Remote Learning in spring 2020 provided valuable insight about how we can most effectively honor our Mission and create opportunities to expand our approach to teaching and learning. To increase the effectiveness of Remote Learning delivery, we invested in professional development for our faculty to align best practices in technology-based instruction, including modified daily schedules and course expectations, to fit various instructional delivery modes with considerations for student wellness. Faculty have worked throughout the summer to enhance these skills, and each faculty member completed the Reimagining School course through the North Carolina Association of Independent Schools.

The school is committed to delivering an academic program defined by excellence and inclusivity. While we recognize that an on-campus experience is the most conducive to delivering this commitment, we also understand that some students may not be able to return to campus for health reasons. To support and include all of our students, Latin will utilize Swivl, a technology to connect the classroom — via real-time access — beyond the physical space on campus. This technology will improve the learning experience beyond the pandemic; when students are absent for a day, week, or longer, they will still be able to actively participate in classes, learn, ask questions, and receive feedback in real-time.

• Watch how Swivl works for synchronous learning
• Watch an overview of Swivl use in a classroom setting

We will use this technology in all classrooms daily, regardless of the risk level designation, allowing those who are immunocompromised to join their regular classrooms, and anyone who is ill, under quarantine, or exhibiting COVID-like symptoms to stay at home and attend class remotely.

Supporting our students through Learning Resources (LR) has never been more critical. The divisions are working thoughtfully to ensure that opportunities are available to connect students with their LR teachers — both on campus and remotely. Division-specific information about LR will be sent to you prior to the start of school from Margaret Sigmon, Director of Learning Resources.

Athletics participation will be offered following the guidance of school, county, state, and conference association policies. Should we have limited or no competition, the Athletics Department will continue to offer team activities and other programming to support the physical and mental/emotional well-being of our student-athletes. We will share more information about Athletics over the summer as it becomes available.

Fall Sports Update – August 7, 2020

See the Performing Arts Department's Plan for Returning to Co-Curricular Activities.

Minimal Risk

• Pre-COVID operation and daily schedule. All students attend school in-person without consideration of social distancing.
• No face coverings required.

Low Risk

• Pre-COVID teaching schedule with staggered arrival and dismissal times (see below) to reduce the number of students arriving and departing at the same time.
• Students and teachers wear face coverings. Teachers may wear additional personal protective equipment (PPE), e.g., plastic face shields.
• Students go to the gym or outside for P.E.
• Students are socially distanced 4 feet apart.
• All students are in their assigned classrooms for instruction. Specials area teachers will come to the classroom to teach.
• Students are socially distanced at lunch, with students eating lunch either in their classrooms or another designated area. Lunches ordered from FLIK will be delivered to students in classrooms or designated lunch areas.
• Hallway traffic will be kept at a minimum, and the playground will be sectioned off to minimize volume of students.

Medium Risk

• Pre-COVID teaching schedule with staggered arrival and dismissal times to reduce the number of students arriving and departing at the same time. Classes are divided in half to reduce the number of students in each classroom.
• Social distancing increased to 6 feet apart.
• Spaces throughout the Lower School, such as special area classrooms, Shelton Hall, Hawks’ Club, and the Library will be used to accommodate students.
• Assistant teachers and special area teachers will be supervising and facilitating instruction in these additional areas.
• All other stipulations in yellow mode apply.

High Risk

• Instruction is fully remote.
• Instruction will be a balance of synchronous and asynchronous teaching.
• Students have four days of core academic instruction, with those days including either Spanish or P.E.
• One day each week will be set aside for the other special area classes: Music, Library, and Art/STEAM.
• School day hours: 8:15 a.m.–2:15 p.m.

No Risk

Middle and Upper Schools follow the schedule for 2020-21. All students attend school in-person without consideration of social distancing.

Low Risk

In this mode, students will be at least 4 feet apart with face coverings in their classrooms. The distancing within enclosed spaces and elsewhere requires:

• Staggered arrivals to campus
• Greater passing time (US only)
• Smaller student cohorts at lunch to promote distancing outside the classroom

Division-specific details will be shared with parents in early August.

Medium Risk

In this mode, social distancing is expanded to 6 feet. Middle and Upper Schools move to a hybrid model of learning with 1/2 of the students on campus each day and the other 1/2 participating remotely from home via livestream.

• Students follow an “A Day” / “B Day” schedule, with ½ of the students on-campus for in-person instruction on the “A Day” and the other ½ at home for Remote Learning. On “B Day,” the groups are reversed. Those who were on campus for instruction the previous day move to Remote Learning. Those who were at home for Remote Learning, come to campus for in-person instruction.
• For families with students in both Middle and Upper Schools, students will be assigned to the same grouping, i.e., if your Middle School student is on campus for in-person instruction on A Days, your Upper School student will also be on campus for A Days. They will have the same on-campus schedule.

High Risk

In this mode, all students move to Remote Learning. For consistency, the daily schedule remains the same as above. Teachers will use a portion of their assigned periods for synchronous class meetings, with other assignments (both on- and off-screen) completed by students independently with teacher support. Some asynchronous assignments will require screen time, while others will not. Teachers will work to maintain a healthy balance between screen time and non screen time work. Small-group class discussions are scheduled within the class period.

Charlotte Latin is committed to in-person instruction for Lower School students as much as it is possible, with two social distancing plans for operation. Both plans require students and teachers to wear face coverings. The Yellow Plan allows for all students in a class to be together with social distancing at 4 feet. Special area classes will either be in the classroom or in an additional location that allows for 4 feet of social distancing. For lunch, half of the students will remain in the classroom and the other half will go to another designated location, with social distancing at 6 feet.

The Orange Plan allows for 6 feet of social distancing, with classes divided into two smaller groups in separate learning spaces. Assistant teachers and special area teachers provide the supervision and instructional support in the additional space. By using Swivl technology (see page 23), the lead teacher can move back and forth between groups, and may deliver and coordinate core instruction. Special area classes will either be in the classroom or in an additional location that allows for 6 feet of social distancing. When possible, in order to give students the chance to move about and be with their other classmates, special area classes may be in a larger space that allows for the class to combine while still maintaining 6 feet of social distancing. Lunch will be delivered to the classrooms.

In Yellow and Orange plans, the playground will be open for recess, with specific areas being designated for each group. Because we will have to limit the number of students on the playground at one time, there will be other areas around the Lower School where students can have recess. All precautionary measures to ensure our students’ health and safety will be in place.

Students at Risk

For students who are at risk for health reasons, Swivl technology (see page 23) allows for them to attend remotely. The classroom teachers will work with families to ensure these children have a positive and rich experience even though they will not be physically present at school. The remote option can be used flexibly and on an as-needed basis.

Returning to School on August 19–24

In order to allow adequate time for student orientation, training, and practice on the various procedures, the Lower School will begin the school year with a staggered start for the first four days of school. Half of the children will come on August 19 and 21, and the other half on August 20 and 24 (specific details to come later). The TK/K staggered entry plan will be slightly different, with details to come within the next week. Beginning on Tuesday, August 25, the Lower School will operate in Orange, with hopes of being able to move to Yellow when it proves safe to do so.

5-Day Rotating Schedule

Instead of a 10-day rotating schedule, the Lower School will operate on a 5-day (A-E) rotation. Returning families will notice little difference in this change, but with some slight adjustments in the big picture, the daily schedules ensure generous blocks of time for core academics and the flexibility to incorporate as needed instruction in areas such as health and wellness and educational technology.

Red - Remote Learning Plan

Should the need arise for the school to transition to Remote Learning, the Lower School is equipped to build upon its successful venture last spring. Students will experience a balance between synchronous and asynchronous learning, with ample opportunity to build relationships and community. To give our teachers planning time during the week and for students to have a more robust experience in their special area classes, one day a week will be set aside for special area classes. Each grade level will have a unique, age-appropriate plan with a concerted goal of a consistent experience for all of our classes. In the event we return to remote learning during the school year, you can expect frequent and direct communication about the daily schedule.

The Middle School has a new schedule to be used at all risk levels. It is designed for flexibility and seamless transition in anticipation of moving to different risk levels over the course of the year. Your feedback this past spring was crucial in constructing the plan — with a balance between synchronous and asynchronous learning.

Key Research-Informed Aspects of the MS Schedule:

• Students will be divided alphabetically; half the students attend school in-person on A days, while the other half will attend on B days. On the remote days, students will follow the same schedule via livestream using the Swivl technology. A breakdown of the alphabetical groupings will be sent soon.
• Electives change to semester-long, with instruction every day, as opposed to year-long, with instruction every other day. This allows for the same amount of elective instructional time as the pre-pandemic model. P.E. and Hawks’ Quest curriculum will run asynchronously and through screen-free wellness breaks.
• A later starting time for MS students aligns with research on student wellness. Additionally, two extended “brain breaks” during the academic school day allow MS students time away from screens to interact with peers and exercise outside, weather permitting.
• 6th and 7th Grade students will not have World Language on their remote day. This becomes P.E. and Hawks Quest asynchronous time.

The Upper School has a new schedule to be used at all risk levels. It is designed for flexibility and seamless transition in anticipation of moving to different risk levels over the course of the year. Your feedback this past spring was crucial in constructing the plan — with a balance between synchronous and asynchronous learning.

Goals of the 2020-21 schedule:

• Every student maintains five core academic classes and the opportunity for at least one elective course, with a Zero Period allowing additional options for elective scheduling and/or free time during the school day.
• Teacher preparation time is preserved to allow for 1:1 student interaction, classroom preparation and communications, and professional development/planning with colleagues.
• Student discretionary time, within safe guidelines, is preserved. This includes the regular mid-morning activity/break period to allow for assemblies, clubs, and other organizational meetings, which may be in person or remote.

Please note:

• Scheduling and pedagogy will provide time for students and teachers to move away from their screens to refresh themselves, thereby varying the pacing and substance of interactions.
• The schedule supports our priority to maintain the opportunity for five core academic classes with access to electives.
• The school can only provide equitable, high-quality opportunities to all students with the support of its entire community. For example, although this schedule omits the free period for most students, all elective teachers will cooperate in supporting student needs for meeting time with academic teachers, advisors, counselors, mentors, and LR support.
• Teachers will take great care, especially in the Orange and Red levels, to ensure that classroom engagement is varied and engaging for those in the classroom as well as for those learning remotely.

Swivl robotic cameras will be installed in every classroom. The Swivl camera follows the teacher and those who are speaking, including those who are remote, for a full-class experience when Remote Learning is in place in Red, hybrid learning is in place in Orange, and when anyone is home due to quarantine or for health reasons. Swivl:

• Facilitates distance/hybrid learning.
• Provides synchronous and asynchronous distance learning.
• Provides live streaming.
• Gives remote students the ability to interact with in-classroom peers.
• Allows teachers to record screencasts.
• Watch how Swivl works for synchronous learning
• Watch an overview of Swivl use in a classroom setting

Read more about Swivl in the classroom.

• Google Classroom
• Google Meet for real-time meetings.
• Google Docs for collaborative document creation.
• Seesaw in Lower School for student-driven digital portfolios and simple parent communication.
• Screencastify to produce screen recordings.
• Other tools, such as FlipGrid, Padlet, Notability, and Kahoot!, are used in specific classrooms, subjects, and divisions.
• iPads, with expanded use in LS

We are intentionally selecting a limited core group of apps and digital tools for use in the classroom.

Visitors and volunteers are allowed on campus in level Green, but restricted at all other risk levels. Details on visitors and volunteers will be included in the Risk Matrix that you will receive in August.

Maintaining community for all members of the Latin community is a priority. The school is working closely with Parents’ Council, Latin Arts Association, and Booster Club leaders on creative ways to stay connected in the coming year.

You will receive division-specific information about food options. The Founders’ Hall traffic pattern has been changed to control the flow of diners, promote safety, and maintain social distancing.

• Lower School - Pre-ordered lunches will be delivered to the classrooms. Students will eat in their classrooms or in their designated lunch area.
• Middle School - Students eat in Founders’ Hall or a designated outdoor area, weather permitting. FLIK meals are available in Founders' Hall both grab-and-go or through a new pre-ordering website/app.
• Upper School - Students have assigned supervised spaces for lunch, approximately 25% of the students eat lunch at a given time (see US Schedule for more information); FLIK meals are available in Founders' Hall both grab-and-go or through a new pre-ordering website/app.

Read FLIK’s comprehensive New Beginnings plan for school year 2020-21.

Latin is committed to providing bus transportation during the 2020-21 school year. We have staggered the start times for Lower School and Middle/ Upper School in order to accommodate 50% capacity for social distancing. While we can't guarantee anything until we get final numbers, we believe this staggered start will accommodate those students interested in bus transportation.

Due to the health risks of traveling in a group in an enclosed space, carpooling is discouraged. If one person in a carpool is quarantined, all passengers would need to be quarantined.

Regarding bus cleaning, all buses will be disinfected between each bus run using handheld foggers.

Extended Day – Hawks' Club After-School Care is available for students in Grades TK to Grade 5 and will follow the same safety guidelines as Lower School. Hours and and detailed information will be sent to families in the coming weeks.

Extended Day – Hawks' Club Before-School Care is new this year. For families with children in different divisions, if there is a gap in a division start time, e.g., your Kindergarten student starts at 7:45 a.m. and your Grade 6 student starts at 8:45 a.m., supervised care will be provided for the student with a wait time. Details will be shared in division-specific communications.