Reopening Ghost

reopening of school

To balance the safety of our community with our desire for in-person instruction, we will begin the school in the Hybrid Ghost program, which allows for 50% capacity of students on campus. Students will attend in-person classes two days per week, and then will learn virtually two days per week. The fifth academic day (flex day) will be utilized for additional in-person classroom academic instruction, co-curricular courses, college guidance meetings, academic support meetings, and unique HGP offerings.

Our new flexible academic schedule enables us to keep the same schedule across any platform we implement all on campus, 50-50 hybrid, or Ghost Online 3.0.

Hybrid Ghost

Students whose last names begin with the letters A through L (Blue Firebirds): Will attend school in person on Monday and Tuesday; Will learn virtually on Thursday and Friday

Students whose last names begin with the letters M to Z (Red Firebirds): Will learn virtually on Monday and Tuesday; Will attend school in person on Thursday and Friday

Additional details on Hybrid Ghost

• Students will attend in-person classes twice a week. In addition, the flex day will be planned and utilized as needed for additional academic time. 
• Flex Day Planning (fifth academic day each week):
  • At least one of the four flex days a month will be in-school classroom instructional time. We will provide and maintain a monthly calendar to keep students and families apprised of the academic schedule.
  • This flex day will be utilized for additional academic instruction, especially when a day off occurs during a week. For example, we are off Labor Day (Monday). The flex day (Wednesday) of that week will be a Monday schedule for the Blue Firebirds cohort.
  • Additionally, the flex day will be used for co-curricular courses, college guidance meetings, academic support meetings, and unique HGP offerings.
• The virtual learning strategies will vary by course. Holy Ghost Prep teachers will offer synchronous and asynchronous teaching to students. Some examples of strategies are: virtual attendance to classroom lessons, video instruction, project-based work, problem-based work, technology-based learning, and other online strategies. Our teachers will outline plans and expectations for Hybrid Ghost in the course syllabus. 

Parents can access a sample Hybrid Ghost schedule by clicking here: A-L and M-Z.

All Students on Campus
This is the ideal educational scenario. Our intention is to transition to full enrollment only if we believe it can be done safely, our procedures are fully functioning, and, most importantly, the COVID-19 trend is positive and the counsel of our experts is supportive. 

Parents can access a sample of all students on campus schedule by clicking here.

Ghost Online 3.0
Ghost Online 3.0 is a remote-only schedule. Students will attend virtual classes four days a week. There are two significant changes from Ghost Online 2.0:

• Students will follow the same academic schedule as the other scenarios. Attendance will be taken each period.
• Teachers will outline plans and expectations for students in each course syllabus. Teachers will provide training to students on the Schoology platform and additional tools that will be used. 

The fifth academic day (flex day) will be utilized for additional academic time, and for co-curricular courses, college guidance meetings, academic support meetings, and unique HGP offerings.

For families who do not wish to participate in any on-campus learning, we will offer a remote online experience for those students. To enroll in this option, you must contact the Dean of Academics, Patrick Hoelzle ’03. The Dean of Academics and Director of IT will lead the planning and preparations for these accommodations. The main method of instruction for these students will be virtual attendance of classroom activities. Students will follow the daily academic schedule and attend classes via video conferencing. Students will receive additional support from school administrators to guide them with this mode of learning.

Schedule for Opening Days

Below is the schedule for the opening days of the 2020-21 school year:

• Aug. 27: Freshmen Unum Orientation Day on Campus
• Aug. 31: Sophomores Orientation Day on Campus
• Sept. 1: Juniors Orientation Day on Campus
• Sept. 2: Seniors Orientation Day on Campus
• Sept. 3: Parent Training and Information Session
• Sept. 3-7: School Closed (Labor Day Weekend) 
• Sept. 8: Hybrid Ghost (last names A-L - Blue Firebirds)
• Sept. 9: Hybrid Ghost (last names A-L - Blue Firebirds)
• Sept. 10: Hybrid Ghost (last names M-Z - Red Firebirds)
• Sept. 11: Hybrid Ghost (last names M-Z - Red Firebirds)

As part of our “Commitment to our Community,” these first full days for our freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors will be used to educate our young men about what will be expected of them in this “new normal.” This concept of looking out for themselves, each other, the faculty and staff, and the entire school community is critically important. This shared commitment of “for you, for others, for HGP” is at the heart of keeping everyone as healthy as possible and minimizing risk. Additionally, we will also have a session with parents for education and training on September 3. You're never too young to go back to school!

student, faculty, and staff health

Holy Ghost Prep’s health and safety plan has been developed by our planning team: 

• Having the ongoing counsel and advice from the Chief of Infectious Disease at Aria-Jefferson, Dr. Ron Goren. Dr. Goren remains our key advisor for reviewing and revising the plan on an ongoing basis.
• Using primary source documents from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Pennsylvania Department of Health, American Association of Pediatricians, among others
• Receiving counsel from CHOP and our own expert medical panel

 We also call on our students, faculty and staff to work together to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 through following four pillars: 

• Social distancing: Maintaining six feet of social distancing in all classrooms, common areas, when transitioning between classes
• Mask up: Wearing a cloth face covering is required. 
  • Face shields are available from the school for students to supplement their masks
  • Face Shields will be provided to teachers as a supplement to masks
  • Masks can be removed outside with social distancing
• Foam in, foam out: Maintaining personal hygiene (i.e. frequently washing hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water as well as using hand sanitizer going in and out of classrooms).
• Conduct a daily personal safety check: Self-monitoring of symptoms with a strict stay-at-home policy for those who are sick. Before school, all Holy Ghost Prep community members must answer the daily personal safety check questions. Answers will be submitted electronically to school. If the Holy Ghost community member responds “yes” to any of these questions, they stay home from school. 
  • As an extra precaution, temperatures will be checked upon entry to school. 

The following absence protocols for faculty and students are in place.

Faculty:

• Extended Absence with Ability to Teach: Virtual instruction provided by the teacher with in-class support for distribution of academic material and classroom management. 
• Extended Absence Cannot Teach: Each teacher will submit a two-week lesson plan which will be utilized if this occurs. The lesson plan will be implemented by a substitute teacher.
• Normal process of in-house coverage will occur for daily absences.

 

Students:

• Extended Absence with Ability to Participate: Students will learn via a remote online experience (as described on the “Reopening of School” tab). If the student will be absent for more than four days, that information must be reported to the main office so that our administration team can contact the family and plan for the extended absence. The Dean of Academics and Director of IT will lead the planning and preparations for those accommodations. Students will receive additional support from school administrators to guide them with this mode of learning.
• Extended Absence Unable to Participate: The health of our students is the top priority. If a student is unable to participate virtually during an absence, that information must be reported to the main office so that our administration team can contact the family and plan for the extended absence. Each plan will be unique based on the length of absence and needs of the student.

testing

In an effort to ensure the entire community’s safety, each faculty and staff member and every student must be tested for the coronavirus before the start of school. This will give us a baseline to start the 2020-21 academic year. The cost of these tests are covered under most, if not all health insurance plans. 

Holy Ghost Prep has partnered with Lehigh Valley Genomics to perform COVID-19 testing on campus on August 13 and 20 from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm as an option for our families, if they so choose.

For all confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, we will be following the guidance provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the process designed by our infectious disease expert. 

cleaning and ventilation

Holy Ghost Prep has conducted a comprehensive review of sanitization measures and operations in every area of the school with a focus on enacting the most current and best health practices in the managing of COVID-19. 

• Daily Cleaning - Every space is cleaned, every day, with EPA-approved cleaners and every classroom is fogged
• Community Care Container - In addition, every room on campus is equipped with a “Community Care Container” that includes wipes, hand sanitizer and other personal items. 
• More frequent cleaning - In high-touch, high-traffic areas, more frequent cleaning will be done multiple times a day by cleaning personnel (and students, faculty/staff as part of “own your space”). 
• Community Commitment - As part of our community commitment of “for you, for others, and for HGP,” we will encourage our students and teachers to “own your space” by wiping down their desks at the end of each class period.
• Ventilation - Almost every instructional space will have air conditioning and will use specialty filters as available. If there are any spaces without AC, they will have window fans and the windows will be opened to allow fresh air to flow into the classroom. 

our campus

We have the luxury of having a 50-acre campus. Our “Reopening Ghost” plan will take full advantage of our campus to keep our students socially distanced. 

• All Buildings Used: In addition to our traditional classroom buildings, Cornwells and Founders’ Hall, we will also use Spiritan Hall, the Holt Center, and Firebird Fieldhouse, for classrooms. This will enable us to ensure social distancing in every classroom. Select rooms in Cornwells will not be used. We will also have the additional use of an outdoor tent as needed.
• Lunch: In order to keep students distanced, we will have four different locations for food on campus: Firebird Fieldhouse, the library, the dining hall, and outside (weather permitting). All lunches will be grab and go and will be ordered and paid for in advance through an Aramark online app. 
• Break period: Students will also have four different locations for their break periods: Firebird Fieldhouse, the library, the dining hall, and outside (weather permitting).  
• Free periods: Students will be assigned locations and outside spaces to spend their free periods.   

athletics and activities

• As of today, the PIAA is moving ahead with plans for a fall sports season, so we are developing health and safety plans for each Holy Ghost Prep fall sport. The Pennsylvania Department of Health, Holy Ghost Prep Athletic Director, Mr. Craig Conlin, and our Health and Safety planning team chair, Mr. Mike Jacobs ’01, will review all plans, along with Dr. Ron Goren, the Philadelphia area infectious disease expert who is helping the school with our reopening plans. 
• With tryouts for fall sports set to begin on Aug. 17, we will make the health and safety plans for cross country, soccer, golf, ultimate, and rowing available to all parents by next Wednesday, August 5. 
  
  In the case of extracurricular activities, the same approach will be used:
• The appropriate faculty member(s) will develop a health and safety plan for each activity they moderate. These plans will be approved by Mr. Kevin Burke, our principal, and Mr. Mike Jacobs ’01, the Health and Safety team chair, and will be shared with parents.

transportation

• Students who use school district-provided transportation: We have contacted every school district that provides bus transportation for Holy Ghost Prep, and they are providing their back to school plans to us.  Those plans may include mask requirements, seating order, seating spacing, and daily cleaning plans. We will coordinate our transportation needs with them and then will share those plans with parents as soon as possible.
• Students who use HGP-provided transportation: Our transportation provider is following all of the CDC and the state of PA-directed safety protocols, including mask requirements, seating spacing, and daily cleaning and disinfecting plans. Families who have contracted for this service will receive their bus schedule and stops before the start of school.
• Other options: We have partnered with our Mothers' Guild to gauge interest in and provide support for alternative transportation such as carpooling. More details will be forthcoming.

our community commitment

The health and safety of our community is paramount. Holy Ghost Prep has conducted a comprehensive review of sanitization measures and operations in every area of the school with a focus on enacting the most current and best health practices in the prevention, evaluation, and management of COVID-19. 

As part of our commitment to each other and to our HGP community, we also call on our students, faculty and staff to work together to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 through following four pillars: 

• Maintaining six feet of social distancing
• Wearing a cloth face covering 
• Maintaining personal hygiene (i.e. frequently washing hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water)
• Self-monitoring of symptoms with a strict stay-at-home policy for those who are sick

Additional implementation strategies include:

• Provide training to teachers, staff, students, and parents/guardians prior to school opening
• Start each day with a morning message to the entire school reinforcing health messaging 
• Create and display signs around the school as reminders of rules, roles, and responsibilities 
• Send out weekly reports and reminders to parents and students of their respective roles

 

our communications plan

One of the keys to success during these challenging times will be our ability to communicate and to answer your questions. Of course, we will increase the amount of instructional signage to ensure that the entire community follows the health and safety protocols (i.e. social distancing, wearing masks), and we will send regular emails from the school leadership to the entire community.

In addition, we will provide forums to ask questions and provide feedback on the “Reopening Ghost” plan. Those upcoming opportunities include: 

• August 6, 6:30 p.m.: Information session and Q&A about the reopening plan with Holy Ghost Prep President Gregory J. Geruson ’79, Principal Kevin Burke, and other HGP administrators (will be livestreamed on the school’s YouTube channel and Facebook page)
• August 10, 6:30 p.m.: Zoom call for Class of 2021 and 2022 families with Dr. Ron Goren, the Philadelphia area infectious disease expert who is assisting Holy Ghost Prep with our reopening plan. Holy Ghost Prep President Gregory J. Geruson ’79 and Principal Kevin Burke will also be available to answer questions. 
• August 12, 6:30 p.m.: Zoom call for Class of 2023 and 2024 families with Dr. Ron Goren, the Philadelphia area infectious disease expert who is assisting Holy Ghost Prep with our reopening plan. Holy Ghost Prep President Gregory J. Geruson ’79 and Principal Kevin Burke will also be available to answer questions. 
• Aug. 27: Freshmen Unum Orientation Day on Campus
• Aug. 31: Sophomores Orientation Day on Campus
• Sept. 1: Juniors Orientation Day on Campus
• Sept. 2: Seniors Orientation Day on Campus
• Sept. 3: Parent Training and Information Session

Reopening of School FAQs

Will all students be on campus to begin the 2020-21 year?

We will begin the school year at 50% capacity for students in our Hybrid Ghost schedule. We believe that our flexible academic schedule will allow education to continue regardless of attendance restrictions.

 

Why not return to school full-time right away this fall? 

The health and safety of students, faculty, and staff is our highest priority. We also know that education of our students is best when it happens in person. The 50-50 hybrid model will allow us to effectively implement and refine our safety procedures and therefore is the most sensible, safe approach to start the school year. Our intention, however, is to transition to full enrollment. That will occur if it can be done safely, our procedures are fully functioning, and, most importantly, the COVID-19 trend is positive and the counsel of our experts is supportive. 

 

In order to keep Holy Ghost Prep students socially distanced, will class outside be an option or using the Firebird Fieldhouse or Holt Center as classroom spaces? 

We have the luxury of having a 50-acre campus. Our “Reopening Ghost” plan will take full advantage of our campus to keep our students socially distanced. In addition to our traditional classroom buildings, Cornwells and Founders’ Hall, we will also use Spiritan Hall, the Holt Center, and Firebird Fieldhouse, for classrooms. This will enable us to ensure social distancing in every classroom. Select rooms in Cornwells will not be used. And yes, we will also have the additional use of an outdoor tent as needed.

 

Academics FAQs

Why is Holy Ghost going by the alphabet for their 50-50 approach?

Students spend the majority of their time in the classroom. Hence, starting at half capacity helps to minimize risk while students are in the classrooms. If we split the student body by grade level, we would not be able to safely evaluate if our protocols are effective in classrooms before going to full capacity.

 

The flex day seems complicated. Can you explain it? 

In the hybrid and on-campus scenarios, the flex day will primarily be used for more class time. In our academic planning, the flex day provides opportunities to meet the needs of our students and faculty. The purpose of the flex day shifts as we move between scenarios—on-campus, hybrid, and online. Hence, we understand it is complicated. In recognition of that, we will keep a two-month plan for our flex days to keep students and families aware of the flex day schedule. The flex day will be used for additional academic time, unique HGP offerings (like Cor sessions and guest speakers), and planning time for teachers. 

 

Will extracurricular activities be held on flex days?

Yes. Certain flex days will have time for extracurricular activities. A two-month flex day schedule will be available prior to the start of school.

 

How will the at-home school days work. I want to ensure that my son is engaged when he's not in school.

Yes. Structure is important, especially in our plan to return to all students on campus. It is important that students working from home in the hybrid model log in and work in accordance with their schedule. In Hybrid Ghost, our teachers will be working with students on campus as the other half of the students work from home. This summer, our teachers have worked on plans to lay out student expectations in the syllabus. Additionally, we are working on strategies like scheduled assignment posting which align with class periods and scheduled assessments which will only be available during specific periods for students to take at home. During our orientations of students and faculty, we will share with you how we plan to connect and guide students to have a structured day while working from home.

 

The days when students are online, will they follow the schedule with live sessions? Will they be recorded?

In Ghost Online 3.0, yes. In Hybrid Ghost—At times, yes. At times, no. They should be following their schedule to complete work during the assigned periods. Depending on the classroom exercise, students may be required to virtually attend a live session. Our Advanced Placement (AP) courses will require virtual attendance to most classroom sessions.

 

What tech tools are we using to support remote work (at home)? 

Our main two tools are PowerSchool and Schoology, Schoology is our learning management system, but many teachers will also use EdPuzzle, video conferencing tools, and others such as Quizlet and Kahoot. 

 

Will the workload be adjusted for students who are out sick for prolonged periods?

Yes. For a student who is out sick for a prolonged period, an individual academic plan will be created with input from the student’s teachers, Dean of Academics, and Counseling department.

 

Will textbooks and handouts all be available online in the event a student is out for an extended period?

Some textbooks have an online version. Some do not. For those texts that do not have an online version, we will either provide an “at-home” textbook or other alternative. Regarding handouts, any class materials will be available for access on Schoology.

 

How will the gaps in learning from last year be addressed?

These gaps are currently being evaluated. The preliminary data is good. The timing of COVID-19’s impact on the 2019-20 academic year, which led to Ghost Online, was not as detrimental to learning as it could have been because a majority of the content and skills had been covered in most classes. Our Ghost Summer program address some gaps for the students who participated. The summer work provided to students is another evaluation point. Ultimately, when we resume in the fall, our teachers will diagnostically assess our students as we begin the courses to determine the current condition of their learning.

 

How will attendance be tracked for students during the year?

Attendance will be tracked internally because it is important for us to account for the whereabouts and well-being of our students. The administration is evaluating how attendance totals will or will not be recorded on official records. Especially during this pandemic, it is important for students to remain at home if they are not feeling well. We do not want attendance recordings to impact that decision in any way.

 

Testing FAQs

How far in advance of the first day of school will the students need to be tested?

The tests should be done as close to the start of school as possible. For your convenience, we have partnered with Lehigh Valley Genomics for on-campus, COVID-19 tests on Aug. 13 and 20 between the hours of 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. You can sign up for the test by clicking here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050a49ada92fa4fe3-student. 

 

Is a doctor’s note needed for the pre-start of school COVID test at Ghost?

Parents must print and complete this form and get it signed by their doctor and then bring it with them to get tested for COVID on campus on either Aug. 13 or Aug. 20. If you can get a doctor’s signature on that form, then your insurance will likely cover the cost. Without a physician’ s signature, the cost of the test is $90.

 

What if I can’t make it to campus for the Lehigh Valley Genomics tests?

That’s OK, there are other testing options for parents too—ranging from your family physician, getting tested at an area lab or your local CVS, or ordering and taking an online test (i.e. the Pixel/Lab Corps test). Please submit your test results to mainoffice@holyghostprep.org prior to the start of school.

 

Will students be required to be retested for COVID?

Students may need to be retested if they come in contact with a confirmed COVID case or if they are experiencing COVID symptoms or if their physician recommends it.

 

Health and Safety FAQs

What will the classroom look like to ensure social distance? Will plastic dividers be utilized or will the classroom be big enough to safely space the students?

In addition to the classrooms in Founders Hall and Cornwells Hall, classes have also been moved to larger spaces (Holt Center, Frederico Theater, Di Paolo Gymnasium, Firebird Fieldhouse) to easily accommodate desks six-feet apart. And class sizes are cut in half. Plexiglas dividers have also been installed in some locations where extra protection seemed necessary.

 

What steps should be followed if a student has a positive COVID-19 test result?

The following steps should be followed:

1) Notify the school

2) Follow up with your doctor

3) Quarantine

4) Continue your HGP education online is feeling well enough to do so

5) Student can return to school once he has gone three days without a fever, 24 hours with symptoms, and 10 days since the first symptom appeared

 

Will my son be required to wear a mask?

Yes, masks are required. Masks must be worn by all students while traversing the campus and moving within and between buildings (i.e. from class to class, entering the building). Masks must be worn in classes and common areas, but there will be opportunities for students to take mask breaks while outside and socially distanced.  

 

Will the locker room be used during the school day?

The locker room in Cornwells Hall will be used for students to store their books throughout the day. Students will only enter the room on one side, get what they need from their locker, and exit the locker room through the opposite end. The locker assignments will be spaced out as much as possible and will alternate for Red and Blue Firebirds to minimize congestion. 

 

For health and safety reasons, will my son have the option of continuing online learning only, even when students are on-campus, in classrooms?

Yes. All classes will have an online learning component to allow students the opportunity to participate even while off campus.

 

What’s going to happen at break and lunch - in the locker room and the dining hall?

During certain times of the day, there will be opportunities for students to take breaks and eat lunch. Locations will be assigned (dining hall, library, gym) to each student to ensure students are remaining socially distant and enough space is available.  The locker room will be monitored to ensure students are moving efficiently through the room and only stopping to access their lockers.

 

What other safety precautions will my son be required to take before coming to school?

We will ask that each student complete a daily wellness health form online before coming to campus to confirm that he is not sick. We will provide the specifics of this process shortly.