Information about Reopening
This page provides the latest communications and a set of resources for the Salem Academy community as we respond to the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19). Members of the school’s Operations Team, including school leadership, are managing campus plans and resources, and they are actively monitoring the latest developments in concert with state and city officials.
Important Links:
All links are translated in both English and Spanish unless otherwise noted.
- SACS | ED Update 4.27.21 Return to Full In-Person & COVID Testing
- SACS | Interim ED Update: 2.20.21 COVID Testing Information
- SACS | Interim ED Update: 1.25.21 COVID Update Testing Results (Jan. 20-22)
- SACS | Interim ED Update: 1.22.21 COVID Update RE: Athletics
- SACS | Interim ED Update: 1.15.21 COVID Testing & Return to Hybrid
- SACS | Interim ED Update: 1.7.21 COVID Testing & Return to Hybrid
- SACS | Interim ED Update: 1.2.21 Remote Hybrid Plan January 2021
- SACS | Interim ED Update: 12.18.20 Remote Learning Update
- SACS | Interim ED Update: 12.11.20 Remote Learning Update
- SACS | Interim ED Update: 12.7.20 Positive COVID Case On Campus
- SACS | Interim ED Update 12.4.20 Transition to Remote Learning
- SACS | Interim ED Update 12.3.20
- SACS | Reopening FAQ’s 8.21 English Español Portugués
- SACS | Reopening Plan Executive Summary 8.12.20 ENG
- SACS | Comprehensive Reopening Plan Fall 2020 – FINAL 8.12.20 ENG
- DESE | Guidance on Courses Req. Additional Safety Considerations & Remote Learning 7.24.20 ENG
- DESE | Letter Announcing Updates for Courses Req. Additional Safety Considerations and Remote Learning 7.24.20 ENG
- SACS | Initial Fall Reopening Guidance Presentation 7.14.20
- DESE | Reopening FAQ 7.10.20_ENG
- DESE | Special Education Guidance 7.9.20_ENG
- SACS | Update on Reopening Guidance 7.3.20
- SACS | Reopening FAQ 6.26.20
- DESE | Initial Fall Reopening Guidance 6.25.20_ENG
- SACS | Reopening Update 6.12.20 School Calendar 2020-2020 (Tentative)
- SACS | Reopening Update 6.12.20 Reopening Letter & COVID Guidance
- SACS | COVID-19 Update 4.25.20 EBT Benefits Update
- SACS | COVID-19 Update 4.8.20 EBT Cards
- SACS | COVID-19 Update 3.20.20 SST Communications
- SACS | COVID-19 Update 3.15.20 School Closure Announcement
- SACS | COVID-19 Update 3.14.20 Food Service Announcement
- SACS | COVID-19 Update 3.12.20
- SACS | COVID-19 Update 3.2.20
- CDC | Coronavirus FAQ
- CDC | Coronavirus Interim Guidance for K-12 Administrators
- CDC | Coronavirus – Prevention & Treatment
- CDC | Coronavirus – Keeping Hands Clean
- CDC | Coronavirus – Talking with Students
- NSMC | Coronavirus Update
- MA Public Health Fact Sheet
- MA DPH | Coronavirus Site
- Salem | Coronavirus Community Resources
- COMCAST | Free Comcast Internet Essentials for 60 Days
Salem Academy Distance Learning Plan
Since Salem Academy has closed, we are currently using the following Distance Learning Plan.
Salem Academy Cancellations and Postponements
*Please note that all field trips are on a case by case basis as determined by the school’s admin team. We will update as soon as we review each potential event.
Postponements (dates TBD unless posted):
US/LS Hybrid Return Schedule
Facility Cleaning and Support
Upper School Chromebook Sanitation
The Upper School students have been instructed to not share their Chromebooks with anyone else. We have also provided sanitation stations for students to clean their Chromebooks at school. The locations include: Ms. Bowen’s Office, Ms. Lassen’s Office, the Nurse’s office, Ms. Wright’s Office, Ms. Rieckert’s Office, and Ms. Jacob’s Office. Students should only use the provided cleaning supplies to clean their Chromebooks. They should never use Lysol spray or wipes to clean their Chromebook because it may damage the surfaces.
Lower School Chromebook Sanitation
We have provided cleaning stations for every Lower School classroom. Students will assist in cleaning Chromebooks, everyday. They will be cleaned first thing every morning during connections. Students are assigned a specific Chromebook in each room. This will limit the number of students that are using each Chromebook in a given day.
Salem Academy Community Emergency Response Fund
The Salem Academy Community Emergency Response Fund was established in 2020 to support Salem Academy’s response to devastating events such as the fast-moving spread of COVID-19, also known as, corona virus. Salem Academy’s leadership team has been active since the beginning of the crisis planning for each new day is it comes. As we learn more about COVID-19, resources are becoming necessary to provide to some of our families in need.
You donation will support students and families with any funds raised beyond our needs given to community non-profits during this critical time alongside supports for our distance learning initiatives that ensure all students have access to educational materials during the time they are away from school. Thank you in advance for your continued generosity towards our school and community.
Community Bulletin
The following are resources that we’ve collected from individuals who have shared. We hope they are helpful!
Food Services (Adults)
- Salem Pantry grocery distribution schedule (Horario del Salem Pantry (distribución de comidas))
- State-wide food service locations for students (Locales del estado de servicios de comoda para estudiantes)
- Early grocery store hours for seniors (Horario temprano de la tienda de comestibles para personas mayores)
- Supplemental Nutritional Assistance (SNAP) (Programa de Assistencia de Nutricion (SNAP))
- Salem Pantry mobile food pantries (Areas de comidas mobiles en Salem)
- Salvation Army of the North Shore food pantry (Centro de Comidas del North Shore- Manejado por Salvation Army)
- Lifebridge community meals (Alimentos en el centro comunitario Lifebridge)
- Citizens Inn/Haven from Hunger (Refugio Ciudadano/Refugio del Hambre)
- Information from Salem Food for All for restaurants interested in donating food to those in need (Informacion de Salem Comida Para Todos para restaurantes interesados en donar comida para los que estan en necesidad
- Project Bread Food Source Hotline: 1-800-645-8333 (Linea de recursos de Comida de Project Bread: 1-800-645-8333)
- Root meal deliveries to Salem Housing Authority properties (Envíos de comida para sitios de Salem Housing Authority de la organización Root)
- There’s also Harvest Pop-ups, which sound like more natural foods, at 2 locations — type in “Salem Harvest Pop-up ” for instructions, dates
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- Recognizing that some people still need to work and have no other option, the state has authorized some child care providers to provide emergency, back up, drop-in child care.
- A list of providers is posted on EEC’s website ,and more will be added. So far, there are are a few hundred such providers, most operating 7:30am or 8:30 am- 5:00 pm. EEC hopes to make the list more searchable, but for now, it’s posted as a PDF.
https://eeclead.force.com/
- Here’s who will have priority access, from EEC’s website:
- Priority will be given to people including but not limited to health care workers, essential state and human service workers, COVID-19 health workers, grocery store employees, emergency response personnel, law enforcement, transportation and infrastructure workers, sanitation workers, DCF-involved families, and families living in shelters.
- Based on a webinar with the Commissioner on Friday, it seems programs will use their discretion in deciding who gets care.
- To access care, a family must call each provider to see if they have space on a day by day basis.
- These programs will be completely free to families.
- This is a fundamentally different program from regular early education. While there are health and safety requirements, they are not as stringent as regular early education. EEC has prioritized approving providers that already held EEC licenses, had a site visit in the past 6 months, and where all staff had completed background records checks.
- Families are encouraged to find other non-group care to avoid the spread of COVID-19.
- Families will be provided a spot, to the extent available, day by day.
- No transportation will be provided. Families need to find a way to get their children to the program and home each day.
- Child care will be provided in center based settings, with no more than 2 classrooms open, with a max of 20 children in each classroom. Ages will be mixed. Normal rules about ratios do not apply.
- Child care will also be provided in family child care, i.e. providers in their homes. I believe that is limited to 10 children per provider.
- The amount the state is paying providers will not cover the basic operating costs of running these programs. Programs are stepping up majorly to help our communities. DPH will prioritize COVID-19 testing for child care providers who may be exposed to coronavirus.
- Although child care providers are closed, many private providers continue to charge families their regular tuition. Here’s what Maura Healey’s office has put out about that. https://www.mass.gov/
guides/resources-during-covid- 19#-child-care-and-resources- for-families-&-young-children- - Programs that receive child care subsidies will continue to be paid their full subsidized rate, with the state picking up the portion that would normally be paid through parent fees. To be clear, families with subsidized child care do not need to pay their regular parent fee to maintain their subsidy. This is something GBLS advocated for with EEC’s Commissioner, and we very much appreciate her work getting approval for stopping parent fees.
- When this is all over, families will get their subsidies back. We’ve already begun advocating with EEC around a host of issues for families getting or trying to keep their subsidies.
- However, it remains to be seen whether child care providers- that tend to exist on a perilous financial margin in the best of times- will survive or whether they will fail and close. There are local and national advocacy efforts afoot to get increased public support for child care programs.