COVID-19 Information

As our school nurses have emphasized, it is important to understand that social distancing must be practiced in tandem with remote learning—this means no playdates, no birthday parties, no study groups, team gatherings, or the like. As Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has stated, the practice of social distancing is crucial to containing the novel coronavirus. If our community engages in remote learning without also adhering to the CDC's call for social distancing, the benefits of moving to a remote learning model will be severely undermined. The health of our community—and indeed, our global community—depends on these seemingly small, individual efforts.

For more details on remote learning at Pingry, visit our dedicated page.

Remote Learning at Pingry

Please consult your personalized, subscribable calendar in the Veracross section of the Pingry Portal, or visit pingry.org/calendar. All event cancellations and postponements are being updated in the individual online calendar events as they become available.

Despite the widespread disruption of COVID-19, many colleges and universities expect to release their admissions decisions as planned. If there are any changes in those plans, Pingry students will likely be notified by that college directly. Our students should check their email and applicant portals and notify their Pingry college counselor of any decisions. 

Although Pingry moves to remote learning after Spring Break, we realize that many college counselees will want to process their decisions and plan their next steps (especially those receiving offers to remain on a waitlist). Pingry’s college counselors want to talk students through this important final step of the process, and will make themselves available remotely for these conversations. 

Regarding the traditional May 1 deposit deadline, families should continue relying on individual college websites for up-to-date information and changes. Pingry's College Counseling Office is in regular contact with independent schools and colleges across the country and will update families as soon as new information is available. 

Recognizing that this situation is unprecedented, and to be respectful of the priority our college counselling staff must show members of the Class of 2020 as they receive admissions decisions and weigh their deposit options, members of Pingry’s Class of 2021 should feel comfortable contacting their counselors but also understand that counselors may not be as immediately available to them as they would otherwise be. 

Parents, guardians, and members of the Class of 2021 received an email from the College Counseling Office the week of March 23 with details regarding how college counseling will proceed remotely. On March 31, Juniors also received instructions on how to complete their student autobiography, an essential document as college counselors compose their personalized student profiles; on April 6, parents and guardians were presented with sample questions to consider as they complete their recommendation letter.  

The college counselors remain in frequent communication with seniors, discussing their choices, celebrating their deposits, and weighing the waitlist. They are also continuing to partner and speak with colleagues on the college side, and these fruitful conversations with college representatives will help to shape our programming and counsel in the months ahead. Head to the College Counseling section of the website for more!

Per our School Nurses’ January 30 letter, the same preventive measures that are advised for the flu are advised for COVID-19: 

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Stay home when you are sick.

• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

And, of course, all families are reminded to follow Pingry’s Sick Policy when making attendance decisions.

In early March, Head of School Matt Levinson and members of the COVID-19 Task Force addressed faculty and staff in person on each campus, fielding individual questions and engaging in dialogue about the evolving situation. At both Short Hills and Basking Ridge, the Tech Department has led faculty in planning for and honing remote learning, including extensive professional development prior to its launch and during an April Faculty/Staff Inservice Day. In addition, to ensure that faculty and staff can care for themselves and their family members, a relaxed attendance policy and additional sick leave is available to them.

Because our dedicated faculty and staff deserve our taking every measure possible to provide for them during this period of great uncertainty, Pingry applied for support under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) from the Small Business Administration, intended to protect employment. Pingry applied for and was offered this loan, and, after careful consideration, decided in early April to accept it. Pingry was grateful to have qualified for this loan, and we appreciate that it will allow us to retain all our faculty and staff in a time of great financial uncertainty. For more information, read this letter from Board Chair Jeff Edwards.

There have been reports from around the world about an increase in xenophobia and anti-Asian discrimination in relation to COVID-19. As an institution which includes diversity and inclusion as one of its four guiding pillars, hate speech and other forms of discrimination will not be tolerated. Please reach out to Head of School Matt Levinson directly if you hear of or feel your child(ren) is a target of any of these behaviors. You may also reach out to Pingry’s Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Team, listed under “The Team” on our D&I page.

Head of School Matt Levinson has convened an internal task force, led by Associate Director of Operations, Safety, and Strategic Initiatives David Fahey ’99. The task force is monitoring and evaluating the latest information surrounding the novel 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to help inform Pingry's decision-making and communications related to the virus. 

We have been closely following developments related to COVID-19 through Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. State Department, International SOS (iSOS), and the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH).

We are also consulting with the Global Education Benchmark Group (GEBG), INDEX schools, the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), and the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools (NJAIS) to follow best practices and align ourselves, where appropriate, with our peer schools. 

In addition to the School’s COVID-19 Task Force’s monitoring of federal authorities’ advisories, our School Nurses are in close contact with our local Health Departments to remain apprised of the latest recommendations.

David Fahey ’99 - Lead
Associate Director of Operations, Safety, and Strategic Initiatives

Apu ’93
Systems Engineer

John Crowley-Delman ’97
Director of Experiential Education, History Teacher

Julia Dunbar
Director of Global Education and Engagement, Form V Dean, History Teacher

Alexa Lopez
Spanish Teacher, US Affinity Groups Coordinator & PoCC Co-Coordinator, Student Government Co-Advisor

Susan Marshall Marotto
Health Department Chair

Dale Seabury P ’31
Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing

The CDC reports that there is no evidence that children are more susceptible, in fact, most reported cases in China (where the highest number of report cases exists) have occurred in adults. Read this CDC article on COVID-19 on children for more information.

Lower School students viewed this video and were led in an age-appropriate, classroom-based discussion. Middle and Upper School students were addressed in division-specific assemblies by Head of School Matt Levinson and Health Department Chair Susan Marshall Marotto.

Until the School receives direct guidance from government agencies, we will not cancel school-run functions (e.g. World Language Week Celebration, athletics contests, etc.).

The CDC advises that respiratory droplets transmitted primarily through coughing and sneezing are the main method of COVID-19 transmission. However, in lieu of handshakes, administrators will respect the wishes of individual students who prefer to substitute fist bumps or waves.  

Although there were no advisories at the time from the CDC, U.S. State Department, or International SOS to defer travel to France, out of an abundance of caution, we notified families involved in the Spring Break France Exchange of our decision to cancel that trip on Friday, February 28. We determined that there was significant risk of some or all members of the group being detained by travel restrictions or quarantined while abroad.

Should we decide to alter plans for domestic athletics travel scheduled for Spring Break, we will communicate directly with families involved. Such a decision would be based on the most up-to-date information and recommendations from the CDC in addition to state and federal agencies.  

Regarding school-sponsored travel after Spring Break, we are continuing to monitor the situation and will provide updates as soon as they become available.

Such a decision would be based on the recommendations of government authorities after careful consideration by our COVID-19 Task Force. If this decision is made, families will be notified immediately using the School’s emergency alert system. 

Pingry will excuse absences for healthy children related to COVID-19, based on individual families’ decisions. However, we are not equipped to deliver remote learning on an individual basis, or to ensure that a student who is not in the classroom keeps on pace with the rest of the class. If your child will be absent from school, we remind you to notify the applicable division (Upper School: usattendance@pingry.org, Middle School: msattendance@pingry.org, Lower School: lsattendance@pingry.org). 

We have the tools for school-wide remote learning at our disposal, should the School need to close for an extended period of time. Director of Technology and Curricular Initiatives Brian Burkhart, in collaboration with the Technology Department, the Administrative Team, and the Academic Committee, has put in place strategies for leveraging the capabilities of Schoology, Google Apps, Seesaw, and other tools to deliver distance learning. Faculty and staff are currently developing division, department, and course-specific online curriculum to support program continuity. In the event of a prolonged school closure, parents and students will be notified of next steps and expectations.

In the unlikely event that we face an extended school closure immediately following Spring Break, we want all students to be prepared to continue their learning from home. All three divisions are prepared to deliver remote learning to students in this situation, but the materials required to do so differ by division:

• Lower School: Teachers will direct their students to bring home any necessary materials (not assignments!) for their particular class. As always, we recommend that Lower School students engage only in reading personal or borrowed books and math fact practice during the break. 

• Middle and Upper Schools: Students should bring home all books and their laptop and power cord prior to Spring Break, just as they do with their athletic wear and equipment.

Throughout our monitoring of COVID-19, the School has sought to make decisions based on the most up-to-date information and the recommendations of state and federal agencies. At the start of Spring Break, there were no domestic travel advisories from the CDC, or national, state, or local health departments, nor were there recommendations to cancel large community events or mass gatherings. In the absence of such travel advisories, and given the benefits afforded by such travel opportunities, the School felt comfortable proceeding with the first departing trip, baseball to South Carolina, as planned.

We acknowledge the rapid change to the landscape between baseball's departure and the scheduled departure of our trips to Florida. Acting out of an abundance of caution, we cancelled the Softball and Boys’ Lacrosse trips. Our decision was based primarily on logistical concerns, including the risk of travel interruptions, which, for a school trip, could be complex. We are in constant contact with the baseball team in South Carolina and have no plans to cut their trip short, particularly in light of the team being hosted by the Charleston RiverDogs through one of our Pingry parents, and their resulting access to local resources that we may rely upon if necessary.

There is no other school-sponsored student travel planned for the break, and we continue to gather and analyze information that will inform decisions related to post-Spring Break trips.

We recognize that some Pingry families have plans to travel overseas during Spring Break. Per our February 27 letter, we strongly urge you to take extra precautions and refer to the CDC's and U.S. State Department’s recommendations regarding travel health notices. In addition, consider registering for the U.S. State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), a free service that enables the destination country’s embassy to notify travelers of safety conditions at their destination and quickly contact them in an emergency. If anyone in your household travels to a place for which the CDC has issued a Level 2 or 3 (avoid non-essential travel) advisory, Pingry expects that the student follow any current CDC self-care guidelines applicable to the household traveler, including but not limited to self-isolation. 

The School has employed additional nightly cleaning staff on both campuses to sanitize all surfaces with a bleach solution. We are also employing the additional measure of electrostatic cleaning before and after Spring Break, and are using an electrostatic cleaning gun on commonly touched surfaces on a daily basis, including the busses that serve our two campuses. In addition, at both campuses, hand sanitizer is available to students, faculty, and staff with signs urging their use. At the Basking Ridge Campus, the Athletics Department has temporarily ceased the use of team water bottles and is encouraging our athletes to bring their own. Team water jugs are used with disposable cups, and are returned to the athletic training room daily for cleaning. 

SAGE Dining Services has an exclusive contract to provide food service, including staffing, to The Pingry School. SAGE has been monitoring COVID-19 and assured us that our community’s safety is their top priority. As they plan for our eventual return to in-person learning, they have outlined the following actions that have been taken, beginning prior to Spring Break:

Personnel

• Providing benefits to SAGE employees during extended closure, which have been expanded during this unprecedented time. Compiling an emergency contact list of Team Members.

• Preparing to bring in additional support if Team Members become sick or if additional support is needed at Pingry.

Personal Health and Hygiene

• Reminding Team Members to report any illness and stay home if feeling ill.

• Retraining Team Members about proper procedures for hand washing and glove use.

• Continuing to follow SAGE’s food safety program, including wiping down and cleaning all surfaces in the dining hall and kitchen throughout the day using the appropriate sanitizer solution.

• Setting up or increasing hand-sanitizing stations for use at the entry to the dining hall.

Modified Service

• Eliminating all self-service stations where possible to reduce contact between community members in the dining hall. This may result in offering more prepackaged or pre-plated meals and/or having gloved Team Members serve meals.

• Offering bakery sheets or wipes for students to use to dispense beverages and condiments.

• Replacing salt and pepper shakers with packets.

Contingency Plans

• Creating a contingency menu in case of short staffing and having to adjust service methods.

• Ordering backup inventory and disposable serviceware to be prepared.

• Contacting local health departments to inquire about any guidance specific to Pingry's area.

Travel

• Evaluating travel guidance (per CDC and Public Health Agency of Canada guidelines) and ensuring our team follows appropriate safety precautions while away and upon return.