Provided that there are no governmental restrictions in place, The Montgomery Academy will hold the first day of school on campus Tuesday, August 18, 2020.  

We anticipate following the published school calendar.  While our priority is to be on campus as much as possible, we are also preparing for potential interruptions and may need to adjust accordingly.  As always, we will communicate proactively and provide you with more information if and when needed.

In order to open school safely, we will provide all students with a “Safe at School” Training on the first day of school.  During this time, we will train students in procedures and expectations that are designed to promote health and safety on campus.  This training will include:

• Arrival and dismissal procedures
• Traffic flow through the building
• Materials use
• Lunch and snack routines
• Recess and outdoor break times
• Healthy hygiene practices

To support physical distancing, The Montgomery Academy is making adaptations to campus which include (and are not limited to) establishing directional traffic patterns into, out of and throughout all campus buildings; spacing of desks in classrooms, and restricting gathering sizes and occupancy in meeting space and places.

• Athletics - Athletics is following the guidelines set forth by the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA). There are currently no summer competitions.  We are planning on a full fall athletic schedule and are awaiting confirmation of that from the AHSAA.  Please continue to follow school communications for updates and additional information.
• Arts - The Fine Arts Department will resume programming upon the start of school.
• MA+/MS+ - Our after-school program for Lower School and Middle School students will resume in the new school year.  Parents should continue to monitor school communications for updates and information about these programs.
• Volunteers & Guests - In order to minimize risk and maintain a healthy environment for our students and teachers, guests may be restricted and volunteer opportunities may be limited. Any volunteers and guests allowed on our campus will be required to go through a health-screening process.
• Lunches & Snacks - As we start our school year, students will be eating in their classrooms or another designated space, as we will not be using our dining halls. Our food service provider, Southern Food Service, is prepared to provide our students with nutritious lunches. 

Serving and engaging our community in ways that are flexible and accommodating while still delivering on our mission is important to us.  While we understand the on-campus experience is the most suitable approach for the majority of students, we also recognize that some families may not be able to have their children return to campus for reasons related to the virus.  We are investing in technology and professional development in order to continue delivering a quality educational experience regardless of the location in which teaching and learning takes place.  In order to support all of our students, we will use technology designed to capture classroom instruction to be viewed remotely.  Our goal is to extend the reach of the classroom beyond the physical space on campus, providing access to students who are home. 

• Health and Wellness Commitment - All families must commit to supporting the health of our community.  Each family will be required to complete the Health and Wellness Pledge, which will be made available through the Magnus Health Portal in July along with the other medical documents required for the start of school.
• Daily Health Screenings - As another layer of safety, we are asking families to respond to a series of screening questions before coming to school for the day.  All students, faculty, and staff will be screened with a temperature check upon arriving at school each day. 
• Social Distancing - We will be fully utilizing our campus to accommodate social distancing in classrooms.  
• Face Coverings - We view the use of face coverings as an important way that we, as a community, can slow/stop the spread of the virus and protect each other.  Students, faculty, and staff will be required to bring a face covering to school every day.  Students may wear solid-colored face coverings or face coverings from an official MA source (uniform companies, spiritwear store, athletic department).  Use of the covering will be determined based on physical distancing.

Creating and maintaining a healthy campus environment is essential and is going to require everyone’s support and participation. Families can help reinforce safety protocols by:

Hygiene and Preventive Health Practices

• Encourage frequent handwashing and use of hand sanitizer.
• Practice coughing and sneezing into elbows.
• Daily temperature checks at home before arriving at school.
• Continue regular doctor visits and well-child appointments.
• Encourage plenty of physical activity and time outside.

Emotional wellness

• Ask how your child is feeling and give them space to share and ask questions.
• Provide stability by maintaining home routine.
• Reassure them that the adults in their lives are there to support their emotional and physical well-being.
• Reach out to our counseling staff for additional support.

Even putting forth our best efforts, there may be circumstances beyond our control.  We anticipate, based on CDC predictions, possible outbreaks of COVID-19 which could possibly impact on-campus programming in the future.  In the event we are notified by government officials or the health department of the need to close the campus, school will continue remotely.  If there is a confirmed COVID-19 case on the campus of The Montgomery Academy, we will rely on the CDC and ADPH recommendations to determine an appropriate course of action.

During any period of temporary remote learning, we remain committed to delivering on our mission, providing students with a high quality, student-centered learning experience, and communicating clearly and consistently. 

Over the course of the school year to come, the school administration, in concert with the finance committee of the Board of Trustees, will be consistently evaluating the situation relating to our tuition and fees given the possibility for pandemic-related disruptions.

Please note - no field trips typically billed through the school will appear on the August bill this year.  We will only bill for trips if they actually end up happening during the school year.  (This does not apply to any third party trips that may require deposits in case there is a possibility that they could happen in the school year to come).