Five-days-a-week, in-person classes begin August 24
Academy to continue following CDC and state guidelines to ensure community safety and well-being while focusing on educating the
“whole child”
Harrisburg Academy (HA), Central Pennsylvania’s premier independent, co-educational, International Baccalaureate-focused Preschool-Grade 12 school, will require masks to be worn indoors by all individuals on campus, regardless of vaccination status, when five-days-a-week, in-person classes begin on August 24, 2021. Harrisburg Academy’s Pandemic Response Team created a health and safety plan after studying recommendations and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PA departments of education and health, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), HA’s Physicians Advisory Council, and the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS). Due to the success HA experienced during the past year, the policies for the 2021-22 school year are modified from last year’s efforts and are subject to change based on local infection rates and changing guidance from local, state, and federal authorities. The CDC recently changed its guidance on mask-wearing for schools and now recommends them for all indoor school activities.
“Our primary focus is, was and always will be the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff, administration and the community,” noted Adrian Allan, head of school. “Our goal for the 2021-22 academic year is to offer continuous in-person classroom experiences to ensure continuity of learning and the socio-emotional wellness of each of our students from preschool through Grade 12. With the rise in COVID-19, and delta variant-related infections, Harrisburg Academy will take evidence-driven steps to mitigate the potential for disease spread among members of our Academy and the greater community. Mask-wearing, spatial-distancing and enhanced hygiene and health monitoring practices at school have helped us successfully educate and protect our students and faculty and remain important measures to accomplish that objective.”
The Academy will redeploy aggressive efforts centered on mitigation, including:
- Masks indoors
- Social distancing
- Signage and teaching hygiene and sanitation best practices
- Hand-sanitizing stations upon entrance to and throughout the school facilities
- Completion of daily online health screening questionnaire documenting temperature and reporting any COVID-19-related symptoms
- Individuals with fever at or above 100. 4° and/or having symptoms may not attend school
- Daily and nightly cleaning and disinfection of shared spaces
- Contact tracing and notification reporting to PA Dept. of Health
- Faculty training in safety and wellness procedures
- Middle and Upper School students resume indoor and outdoor field trips
- Early Childhood and Lower School students limited to outdoor field trips
- Visitors to campus restricted to essential personnel
- Sports will take place with visiting teams restricted to essential areas
To read the entire 2021-22 Pandemic Health and Safety Plan, please visit: Safety Plan (harrisburgacademy.org)
About Harrisburg Academy
At Harrisburg Academy, an outstanding, forward-thinking, hands-on education is paramount with students engaged on a unique journey of self-discovery, academic achievement and social growth. Students, preschool through high school, excel in a challenging and diverse curriculum, and are well-rounded scholars and creative artists, exceptional athletes and talented musicians, and globally minded philanthropists. They benefit from the enormous advantages of a small learning community each and every day that offers stimulating growth to prepare them for 21st Century success to learn boldly and to think analytically, creatively and innovatively.
Media Contacts:
Lucy Gnazzo, 717-979-0692, [email protected]
Nell McCormack Abom, 717-514-6301, [email protected]