2021-2022 School Year

• Perkiomen School will require all employees and students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the start of the 2021-22 academic year, except in cases of health or belief exemption.  Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have taken every possible step to safeguard our community’s health and safety, from wearing masks to healthy distancing to testing.  The addition of the vaccination policy will continue our effort to ensure health and safety for our School community and our visitors and allow us to return to normal school activity to the maximum extent possible.
  
   

• We will continue to implement a layered approach to health and safety measures.  

  • Enhanced air filtration and air exchange continues in campus buildings. 

  • Frequent hand washing and respiratory etiquette is required.  

  • All community members should self-screen daily for COVID-19 symptoms.  

  • Students, faculty, and staff should stay home or in dorm rooms when showing signs of an infectious illness AND contact their healthcare provider or the Health Center. 

  • All campus spaces – indoors and outdoors – will be used to maximize community building and safety.

  • If riding a bus to and from school, students should follow the protocol of their school district regarding masking.  
     

• Effective January 2, 2022, the following updated protocols will be in place on campus:

  • Community-wide testing to return to campus

    • Perkiomen’s Health Center will provide testing on campus or individuals may provide their own test results.

    • Faculty and Staff to be tested on January 4 and 5.

    • Students to be tested upon arrival or on January 5, 6, and 7.

    • If using at-home antigen testing, test results to return to school should be submitted via email to Health Center Director Diana Poole at dpoole@perkiomen.org by Wednesday, January 5.  

    • If not testing at home, Perkiomen’s Health Center will also be open for testing of Day Students on Wednesday, January 5, from 9 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. No appointment is needed.

    • Boarding students will be tested the evening of January 5.  

    • No option to quarantine instead of testing
      
      
      Masks are required indoors 

    • Masks will be worn at all times indoors, including in dormitories and the Athletic Center.

    • Masks may be removed for eating/drinking, swimming, and during athletic competition. 

    • Masks are not required for students or their roommates within individual dorm rooms.  

      
      No large gatherings

      • Spectators (internal or external) will not be permitted at athletic events. 

      • Morning Meetings will be held within Advisory groups. 

We are recommending that all face coverings (whether disposable or reusable) should:

• be made with at least two layers of material,
• fully cover the nose and mouth and secure under the chin, 
• fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face,
• be secured with ties, ear loops or elastic.
• Neck gaiters and open-chin triangle bandanas are not acceptable face coverings.

• Students with a valid student visa intending to continue their academic program at Perkiomen School may enter the United States after August 1, 2021. 
  • On April 26, 2021, the US Secretary of State made a national interest determination regarding categories of travelers to be excepted from Presidential Proclamations. Travelers subject to these proclamations, due to their presence in China, Iran, Brazil, South Africa, the Schengen area, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, who are are students may now qualify for a National Interest Exception (NIE). Students do not need to contact an embassy or consulate to seek an individual NIE to travel.  
  • The school will arrange airport pick up and the student will be charged the cost of the pickup.
  • August 1 to August 10 residency is $100 per night which includes room and board in supervised Kolbe or Riordan Halls.
  • August 11 to August 24 (registration begins August 21) there is no charge to be on campus and quarantine.
  • Upon arrival students will quarantine for seven days with a COVID test on day 4.
  • We will arrange vaccine appointments for unvaccinated students over the age of 16.

• Returning students with valid student visas who want or need to arrive before August 1 and need special arrangements for June or July housing, should contact Carol Dougherty, Associate Head of School at cdougherty@perkiomen.org. 
  • Please note: Students traveling from China, Iran, European Schengen area, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Brazil, South Africa, or India, wanting or needing to arrive before August 1 will still need to quarantine in a third country before entering the United States. 

Our expectation is that all students will be on campus and have completed their quarantine by August 25.

We will continue to update our guidelines for quarantine and testing based on the CDC guidance.

Some students may need to quarantine, depending on recent travel. 

For international travelers who are not fully vaccinated, the current expectation is a 7-day quarantine (with negative COVID-19 test on Day 4 after arrival). 

Students will quarantine in individual dorm rooms.  They will select options for their meals that will be delivered to their doors. Students will have scheduled times for exercise and to spend time outdoors. On Day 4 they will have a COVID-19 test and if the result is negative, quarantine will end after 7 days. While in quarantine, students should be masked when indoors and out of their dorm room. 

International travel information can be found on the CDC website. 

We ready to facilitate vaccination for any student (with parental permission) who arrives unvaccinated and is eligible and wants to be vaccinated. There is no cost for vaccinations in the United States.   
 

Quarantine keeps someone who might have been exposed to a virus away from others.

Isolation separates people who are infected with a virus from people who are not infected.

Boarding students should contact their dorm parent and the health center and remain in their room for follow up.  Day students should not come to school if ill and should contact their primary care physician. 

If isolation is necessary, boarding students may return home or isolate on campus in Duyckinck Hall.

Perkiomen School will communicate a confirmed case to all members of the community, maintaining the privacy of the student or faculty/staff member. 

Letters regarding positive cases will be sent weekly.  Information on cases will be updated on the COVID-19 dashboard daily.  Those considered close contacts will be contacted directly, regardless of the day.  

All students and families should make every effort to arrive on campus for the start of school in August. If travel 
restrictions or visa issues prevent a student from arriving on time for the first day of classes, please contact 
Jonathan Moser, Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs at jmoser@perkiomen.org to arrange for a 
temporary academic solution. Please note, student access to asynchronous assignments and class recordings will be limited and is not intended to replace in-person instruction for an extended period. When the student is able to return, dormitory space will be ready to resume on-campus instruction and residential life.

Yes, if traveling with the student to campus, parents and families may assist their student with moving into the dorm and setting up the dorm rooms. 

Effective August 21, 2021, all community members and visitors are required to wear a face covering indoors.  Only two family members may accompany a student into the dorm during move-in. Other family members are welcome to tour campus, visit the bookstore, or meet faculty and staff in the Registration area.  We look forward to seeing you.  

We will be returning to our dress code of Formal Monday Dress, followed by School Dress for the remainder of the week. 

• On Mondays, students wear formal dress throughout the academic day, including a navy blue blazer, dress shirt + school tie or blouse, dress slacks or skirt, and dress shoes.
• On Tuesdays-Fridays during the academic day, the dress is more relaxed. Students wear a Perkiomen polo shirt with chino-style dress pants/belt or skirt. Bermuda-style shorts can be worn during September and May. A Perkiomen school sweatshirt may be worn over the polo.

As of January 2, 2022, spectators are not permitted at home athletic contests.  

  
Away Events:

• Every institution will likely have slightly different variations on their game day protocols as local health boards dictate COVID-19 responses.
• If you plan to travel to an opponent's institution, visit the host school's website to learn what is expected when on their campus.