Academic Program

The student body will be divided into Crimson and Gray Groups based on geographical location. Students in the Crimson Group will attend class in person on Monday and Tuesday while students in the Gray Group attend class remotely but in real time. Students in the Gray Group will attend class in person on Thursday and Friday while students in the Crimson Group attend class remotely but in real time. On Wednesdays, all students will attend class remotely in real time.

It is important to note that parents do have the option of keeping their son at home if they are not comfortable sending him to school. Since all lessons will be broadcast live, students can actively participate even from home. Details follow later in this document.

In the event that the Prep must shift from hybrid to fully remote instruction, this same schedule will be used.

B. Classes on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

Each class period meets for 70 minutes. There is a 10-minute break between the first and second classes to allow in-person students the time to switch classes without overly congesting the halls and stairways and to allow remote students a quick break from screen time. Lunch and community period will be separated by grade to allow for ease of purchasing food and social distancing while eating. Students in grades 9 and 10 will eat first while students in grades 11 and 12 engage in their community period activities (whether in-person or remote), and students in grades 11 and 12 will eat later while students in grades 9 and 10 engage in their community period activities.

C. Classes on Wednesday

All students will be remote on Wednesday to facilitate a deeper cleaning of the building as we transition from the Crimson Group to the Gray Group. Wednesday classes are 35 minutes each. In addition to a 30-minute lunch break, there are two built-in breaks to allow students to get away from their screens, get snacks, use the restroom, etc. There will also be a 45-minute Advisory Period to allow for school-wide or grade-specific programming, followed by the weekly Examen. Please note that classes begin a bit earlier (8:10) than usual since students will not have to commute to the Prep.

D. Academic Time

This schedule allows for significantly more contact hours than the Prep/Hawk remote learning schedule that was used in the spring 2020 while also allowing for community period four times per week and advisory once per week. In a typical year with our 6-period rotating schedule, our students have approximately 260 contact minutes per class in an 8-day cycle. With this hybrid schedule, our students will have approximately 195 contact minutes per class in a 5-day cycle.

E. Hybrid Instruction

In order to facilitate remote instruction for those students who are not on campus on a particular day, each classroom will be fitted with recently purchased webcams and microphones, both of which are far superior to what is built in to teachers’ tablets. The webcam, which can be used by the teacher during instruction, is capable of moving and zooming in on images (such as the board). It also presents a higher definition, wider angle view of the classroom. The microphone will pick up a teacher’s voice more clearly so that he/she does not have to stand directly in front of the computer when teaching. It will also help to pick up students’ voices as they contribute to class discussion and answer teachers’ questions.

The school has also purchased professional access to Zoom, which has various functions (such as breakout rooms) that may be more conducive to remote learning than Google Meet. Students who are in class will follow the teacher live while students who are at home will follow the class on Zoom. Group work will still be encouraged, particularly among remote and in-person students using breakout rooms.

For this situation to be effective, it is essential that all students regularly charge their Chromebook batteries and bring their chargers with them. In-person students should also bring earbuds to be used during group work.

F. Guidelines for Remote Learning

1. Attendance will be taken in all classes. Students are expected to be present throughout each class meeting. Cameras should be activated (not muted or blocked) for the entirety of the class period unless teachers specifically request otherwise.
2. Policies regarding student absence, lateness, or early departure for remote classes are the same as listed in the Student Handbook for in-person classes.
3. Dress code for remote learning is casual but appropriate (i.e., no offensive/objectionable content on visible clothing). Please also ensure that no offensive/objectionable content in your surroundings (such as on bedroom walls) is visible through your webcam. A shirt with sleeves is required.
4. Students are expected to be in an appropriate environment that is conducive to learning and concentrating on schoolwork. Students should be sitting upright at a desk or table in a well-lit space. During class, students should not be eating, bouncing a ball, or engaging in other behaviors which could distract others. Students should take advantage of the various breaks in order to get snacks, have lunch, use the restroom, etc.
5. Cell phone use, unless being used as a backup in the event of a Chromebook malfunction, is strictly prohibited during class and could result in disciplinary action.
6. All regular handbook policies apply. In particular, please remember that any instances of academic dishonesty count against the Prep's three-strike policy and will be accompanied by sanctions as listed in the handbook.

G. Guidelines Regarding Homework Assignments

1. Homework, including both studying/reading and written assignments, will be posted on OnCampus (our new learning management system that has replaced PowerSchool) following each class.
2. Guidelines for the amount of homework assigned are as follows. Please note that it is impossible to calculate exactly how long it will take each student to complete an assignment. These are meant to serve as guidelines. If a student has concerns about the amount of assigned homework, he should politely and privately discuss his concerns with the instructor.
   
   a)      For Honors/AP classes
                       i.  If the class meets the following day: 30-45 minutes
                     ii.If the class does not meet the following day: 60-70 minutes
   b)      For regular classes
                       i.  If the class meets the following day: 20-30 minutes
                     ii. If the class does not meet the following day: 40-50 minutes
   c)      Examples
                       i.For regular classes that meet Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, teachers may assign 40-50 minutes of work following the Monday and Thursday classes, but only 20-30 minutes of work following the Wednesday class.
                      ii. For Honors/AP classes that meet Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, teachers may assign 60-70 minutes of work following the Wednesday and Friday classes, but only 30-45 minutes of work following the Tuesday class.
3. Homework or take-home assessments may only be due at class meetings. They may not be due between/before class meetings. For example, homework assigned on Monday’s class is due during Wednesday’s class (or Thursday’s class if it is a lengthier assignment). It will not be due via electronic submission on Tuesday.
4. Assessments may be given virtually or in person at the discretion of the teacher. All major assessments will be announced in advance on OnCampus. If a take-home assessment is given, the amount of time required to complete it must not exceed the guidelines for homework assignments listed above. Homework assignments may also need to be modified.
5. Many of our students may not be familiar with a block schedule (which is what we have on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays). They may be tempted to put off all homework assigned on Monday for Tuesday night. Parents and teachers should reinforce that this is not the correct way of managing time and work. After a block class, a student should complete a portion of the assignment that day and another portion the following day so that he does not forget the recently taught information in the interim. Dividing the work into two days may also help alleviate anxiety so that a student does not think that he has to complete 60 minutes of work for the same class in one sitting.

H. Guidelines Regarding Free Periods and Breaks

There are eight academic periods at the Prep. On Mondays and Thursdays, periods 1 through 4 will occur. On Tuesdays and Fridays, periods 5 through 8 will occur. On Wednesdays, all periods will occur. All students at the Prep are in class for at least 6 periods per day (freshmen and sophomores have 7 periods). This means that every student will have at least one free period, and many juniors and seniors have two. These are suggestions for benefitting from those free periods.

1. Study and/or work on homework assignments.
2. Make an appointment with your guidance/college counselor to check in. Seniors in particular should take advantage of this time as they prepare their college applications and narrow down their list of schools.
3. If you are struggling in a class or need further clarification after a lesson, make an appointment to speak with your teacher if his/her planning period aligns with your free period. (If the periods do not match up, you can make an appointment during community period or before/after school.)
4. If you find that you are getting distracted and that you are not using your free period effectively, take a short break (i.e., 10-15 minutes). During that break, get up and walk around. Leave the room in which you were working. If possible, go outside and get some fresh air. Get some water or a snack if necessary. Do not look at your Chromebook screen (or any other screen). Do not play a video game. Save video games, texting, social media, etc. for non-academic time. After your break, return to your homework.

I. Shorter Weeks

The Prep will continue to observe holidays such as Labor Day, Thanksgiving, etc. At times, a week may also be shortened to allow for professional development among the faculty and staff. In the event of a 4-day week, the Wednesday schedule will be skipped, thus allowing both groups to continue having in-person instruction twice per week. In the event of a school week shorter than four days (such as the week of Thanksgiving), the Prep will communicate the schedule well in advance.

In the event of inclement, winter weather, classes will continue as scheduled. However, all classes will be conducted remotely. This information will be communicated in the usual manner (i.e., on the website, via the news stations, etc.).