By Reynolds Hester

In just the first few weeks of school, it has already become evident that the 2020-2021 school year is, and will be, far from normal. Over the past four months, “more than 80 faculty and staff members, administrators, Trustees, Parents’ Association leadership, medical professionals and experts from various fields put in countless hours running scenarios, searching out details, monitoring changing conditions, refining approaches and developing Collegiate’s Reopening Plan.” As new information about the COVID- 19 pandemic continues to develop, the Collegiate community has learned how to adapt in these unprecedented times.

Alongside the countless hours of work done by faculty, staff, and administrators over the summer, it has been up to the students to follow the rules and schedules that have been put into place. As Head of School Penny Evins stated in the 2020-2021 reopening plan, “Despite the challenges and perhaps because of the challenges, we can, we will and we shall commit ourselves to being careful, brave and positive educators – ‘good citizens in the widest sense’ as called for by our founder, Helen Baker.”

With CDC guidelines recommending social distancing, Collegiate modified classrooms, libraries, theaters, and outdoor spaces to accommodate the new normal. 

New classroom space formed on the stage of Oates Theater.

In an interview, Head of Upper School Patrick Loach said that in preparation for the school year, “[The reopening staff] had an architect who has worked with the school for a long time, who felt very strongly that [the school] had enough square footage under roof in order to make this work and bring everybody back.” After deciding that it would in fact be possible to bring everyone back, new classrooms had to be made. Loach added that “We had to look and see if we could modify these spaces, and turn them into classrooms.” After careful consideration, temporary walls were added to “reduce some of the sound.” In some classrooms, walls were even partially removed to turn two 20-person rooms into one larger classroom to accommodate social distancing.

In the Upper School, the usually crowded Sharp Academic Commons and Saunders Family Library have been converted solely into new classrooms that provide enough space between students. Instead of preparing for music concerts and the fall musical in Oates Theater, students can be seen studying hard in a variety of classes in the balcony or on the stage, which now both serve as classrooms. 

Collegiate students enjoy socially distant conversations outside.

Outside, the grounds are broken into zones where, when sitting on a clearly marked chair or line, students can remove their masks to eat lunch, study, chat with their advisor, or participate in a class outside. This year it is more crucial than ever to have time outside without the restrictions of a mask.

When asked what she thinks is the most important part in making this year successful, Ryann Zaun (‘22) stated, “In my opinion, the ability to spend part of our day outside is important, because during class time, especially split classrooms, it is a great way to be with your whole class, you can also take your mask off which makes me feel more normal.”

A new concept that has been created due to the success of last spring’s virtual Zoom classes has been the implementation of split classrooms. A split classroom is where half of the class is taught in person with a teacher, and the rest of the class is in another room viewing and participating in class via Zoom. Students are able to ask questions and participate from across the hall, and teachers are able to share their screen to provide an optimal learning environment.

On the topic of split classrooms, Loach added, “I have to give credit to the math department, because I think for the most part the math department has taken on the largest burden of volunteering to teach their first semester classes in split classrooms… and that definitely is a humongous sacrifice that they are making for the rest of the faculty, because it is not easy to teach in a split classroom.” 

Another new way that the school has used Zoom is with remote learners. Now, if a student is off-campus for any reason, ranging from exposure to COVID-19 to wisdom teeth removal, they are able to join and participate in class as if they were live on campus. 

Maggie Rohr (’22), who briefly participated in remote learning on Zoom, stated, “I am really grateful Collegiate has Zoom for students who can’t be in person. I was able to Zoom into my classes and stay up-to-date on homework, tests, and quizzes, which made my transition back to school a lot smoother.”

While Rohr was only online for a short time, staring at the screen all day for weeks at a time definitely can take its toll. 

Aaron Moore (’22), who has been on Zoom since the beginning of the school year, said that, “The days online seem much longer than they do in person. Staring at a computer screen for hours on end is very draining.”

As the 2020-2021 year is kicking off, students have begun to find their way around the school while always wearing a mask and constantly sanitizing their hands. Although it is unsure what the rest of the school year will look like, faculty and students have proven to be ready to adapt to the next change, and with the tools and resources that have been acquired, the school is equipped to do so.

All photos courtesy of Collegiate School.