Yes, we will monitor symptoms for all students and staff before they enter any of our buildings, including mandatory temperature checks. Any students or staff showing symptoms of illness should stay home, for their own well-being and the safety of others.

Yes, health experts advise that wearing masks is one of the most important ways we can lower virus transmission. While in school, all students and staff will be required to wear masks.

Yes, Uncommon will provide masks for students and staff. We will provide more information about the distribution of masks closer to the start of school. Students and staff can also bring their own masks from home if they prefer.

Yes, health experts tell us that, along with wearing masks, physical distancing is the most important way we can lower virus transmission. We will rearrange our classrooms to have fewer students in each room, and stagger and separate large group moments like arrival, dismissal, meals, and hall transitions.

We have developed new cleaning and disinfecting protocols which will be in use during and at the end of each day. We will incorporate frequent handwashing for everyone, and will have hand sanitizer available throughout the building. We will also minimize sharing of materials between students and staff in the building.

Students experiencing symptoms after they arrive at school should immediately alert the nurse or school leaders. They will be separated from others and evaluated, and will be sent home immediately if they are showing symptoms of COVID-19. The nurse or school leader will follow up with families on student symptoms and testing after they go home, and students must either have a doctor’s note clearing them of any symptoms, whether they are diagnosed with COVID-19 or not, or quarantine for 14 days before they can return to school.

While we are very much looking forward to being together in-person soon, we will only do so if we are advised that it is safe to return to our school buildings. Our current plan is to begin the school year remotely on Monday, August 31^st and continue remotely through September 11^th. We will update families as soon as state and local decisions are made about reopening in-person on or after September 14.

All Uncommon Schools will begin the year in a remote model with students learning from home each day. Details will be shared with families before the start of school, but you can see an overview of our remote-only and hybrid learning models and sample schedules here.

In order to accommodate physical distancing and reduce the chances of virus transmission, our current plan when we are back together in person is a hybrid model. In a hybrid model students will be divided into two groups where they will attend in person at least 2 days a week in elementary and middle school and at least 1 day a week in high school, on alternating days with remote learning on the other days.

Whether online, hybrid, or in-person, we are committed to student learning. As we continue to receive guidance from our states and local officials, we will finalize and update families with specifics on the exact schedule. For now, you can view an overview of our remote and hybrid learning models and sample schedules here.

Yes, we know that even when schools reopen in person, some families may wish to consider keeping their child at home due to student or family health concerns. Families can request to sign up for a remote-only instruction option, as we are committed to providing all students with access to learning even when they are unable to be physically present in the school building. You can sign up for remote-only instruction by contacting your school.

For families that decide to keep their student in remote-only learning, that decision will be for the first quarter of the school year (8/31-10/30). Families will still have a chance to opt back in to in-person hybrid learning later in the year. Families that enroll their student in the hybrid model when schools open in person can also change to remote-only learning at any time.

For families with multiple students, we will try wherever feasible to coordinate schedules so siblings are in school on the same day.

Regardless of whether we are in person, remote, or in a hybrid model, we remain committed to serving our students with disabilities and our English Language Learners. Students will continue to receive services, supports and modifications in accordance with their IEPs and 504 plans. Some of these supports will be in person and others will be provided via video conferencing based upon individual students’ schedules. Additionally, once school re-opens we will resume initial evaluations and re-evaluations.

As you may have seen in the return to school video, we are excited to share that Uncommon Schools is planning to provide each scholar with his or her own Chromebook. Given the demand for technology during remote learning around the country and our commitment to providing high quality devices, Chromebooks will arrive at some point later in the fall. We will start the year with online platforms and technologies that will work with any device, as we did in the spring. School Leaders will work to fill, as best as possible, any device gaps for students that do not have access to a wifi enabled device (laptops, desktops, tablets, and phones). If you are a returning student, please complete the re-enrollment survey to indicate you do not have access to a wifi enabled device. Further details will be communicated around the timelines, distribution, best practices, and support for both the start of year and later this fall.We are committed to ensuring all students have access to a chromebook and internet service, which we know is crucial for remote learning. We will reach out to families closer to the first day of school to confirm distribution.