Masters Reentry

Safety Protocols

Health and Wellness

List of 12 items.

  • Health Advisory Team

    A health advisory team is helping inform our decisions during the upcoming academic year. This team is meeting regularly with the School’s leadership to provide counsel and the most up-to-date information regarding the pandemic. Members of this team are:

    • Steven Safyer P’04, ’07, M.D., former president and chief executive officer, Montefiore Medicine; board member, The Masters School
    • Beth Nolan ’69, J.D., senior vice president and general counsel, George Washington University; board member, The Masters School
    • Steven Yung P’23, M.D., medical director of pediatric quality and safety services, assistant professor in pediatric critical care medicine, Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital
    • Rini Banerjee Ratan P’22, ’24, M.D., vice chair of education and associate professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology, Columbia University Medical Center; residency program director, chair of the Graduate Medical Education Committee of New York Presbyterian Hospital’s Columbia campus
    • Rajiv R. Ratan P’22, ’24, M.D., Ph.D., Winifred Masterson Burke Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience, associate dean (affiliate), Weill Cornell Medicine; executive director, Burke Neurological Institute
    • Sue Adams, M.S., F.N.P., A.P.R.N.-B.C., director of health services, The Masters School
    • Stefanie Carbone, L.C.S.W., school counselor, The Masters School
  • Entry Testing

    All students, faculty and staff will be required to have a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) COVID-19 test administered within five days of the start of in-person classes. Once in-person instruction resumes, only those with negative RT-PCR COVID-19 test results will be able to participate in on-campus classes and activities. Please know that we will not be accepting antigen test results.
     
    For your convenience, we have partnered with St. John's Riverside Hospital to offer drive-through testing on campus. Sign-up information and scheduling details will be forthcoming. The cost of the test will be covered by your insurance. For any family or person without insurance, we will provide the on-campus test free of charge. If this is your situation, please contact the school nurse, Tara Eng, at nurse@mastersny.org.
     
    You may also get tested at a location of your preference. The turnaround time for results may vary depending on your testing location, so please plan accordingly as soon as our return date is announced.
     
    As the health care provider in charge of the testing process, results from tests administered on campus will be provided to Director of Health Services Sue Adams with an expected turnaround time of 24 to 36 hours. To protect the individual's privacy and in line with HIPAA regulations, the director of health services will communicate results directly to parents or guardians and employees.
     
    For students who are tested outside of campus, parents and guardians must upload the results onto our health platform, Magnus Health, in the myMASTERS portal as soon as the results become available. Parents and guardians will receive an email alerting them to submit their child's results no earlier than five days from the official start of in-person instruction.
     
    Faculty and staff who are tested outside of campus should physically bring their results to Director of Health Services Sue Adams or fax them to 914-479-6589. In order to comply with HIPAA regulations, test results cannot be sent via email.
     
    Any individual who tests positive for COVID-19 with a test administered outside of campus must contact Director of Health Services Sue Adams immediately at sue.adams@mastersny.org. Please be aware that it is mandatory that the director of health services report positive cases to the Westchester County Department of Health. This information will be handled with confidentiality and great care.

    Individuals who test positive will not be allowed on campus until they have completed the required isolation or quarantine recommended by the Westchester County Department of Health. In order to return to campus, the individual will need to be cleared by a doctor and receive approval from the Health Center. Residential faculty will be limited to their homes until cleared. 
  • Ongoing Testing

    The Masters School will be requiring ongoing pooled RT-PCR COVID-19 testing for students, faculty and staff who are participating in on-campus activities. Testing will begin on Tuesday, October 27, and continue weekly, while school is in session, until further notice. 
     
    The School has partnered witJCM Analytics and will offer the testing service free of charge for members of the school community. 

    What is pooled testing?
     
    Pooled testing is a method that combines respiratory samples from a group of individuals and conducts one laboratory test on the pool of samples to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. These screening tests are intended to identify infected individuals without symptoms or prior to the development of them so that measures can be taken to prevent further transmission.
     
    If a pooled test result is negative, then all the samples can be presumed negative with the single test. If a pooled test result is positive, each of the samples in the pool will be tested individually to determine which samples are positive. Information on pooled testing provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) can be found here.
     
    A document with frequently asked questions (FAQ) provided by JCM Analytics can be found here.

    For more information on how the pooled RT-PCR COVID-19 testing will work at Masters, please click here.
  • Mask Guidelines

    Mask use is mandatory for all persons on campus.

    All community members must wear a face mask at all times while on campus and in shared spaces, both indoors and outdoors, except while eating/drinking in designated areas. The School requires that everyone carry a second mask in case the first becomes soiled or wet during the school day. 

    Acceptable masks are: two- or three-layer cotton masks, three-layer surgical masks, or N95/KN95 no-valve masks. Non-acceptable masks are: knitted masks, fleece masks, bandanas, gaiters or masks with a valve. The CDC guidelines for wearing and cleaning a cloth face mask can be reviewed here.

    Students should have their names or initials inside their masks for identification. Facial coverings worn on campus should follow the School’s dress guidelines. Masks that display language or images that are derogatory, obscene or that promote activities that are against school rules, are not permitted.
  • Hand-Washing and Sanitizing

    Hand-washing is the preferred method to sanitize hands. We will be providing opportunities for students to wash their hands. We will share training videos with staff and students regarding proper hand-washing. 
     
    In addition, sanitizing wipes will be available in all classrooms, and touchless hand sanitizers will be placed outside all classrooms and throughout campus in compliance with building and fire codes. We will share a training video with students and staff about proper use of hand sanitizer.
     
    Per state regulations, hand sanitizer will not be allowed on Masters buses. We encourage students and staff to sanitize their hands prior to getting on the bus and after they get off the bus.
  • Physical Distancing

    Middle and upper school divisions will be kept separate, to the best of the School’s ability.
     
    Middle school students will be grouped in cohorts in designated campus spaces to avoid exposure to upper school students. Cohorts will stay in the same classroom for all classes except math and modern and classical languages, when students will change rooms and groups. Teachers will travel to the students.
     
    Throughout the school we have removed all Harkness tables and replaced them with movable desk/chair combos or single-person desks to enable six feet of distance between students, wherever possible.
     
    Stairwells and hallways are displaying signage to indicate which direction to enter and exit buildings and how to navigate spaces to maintain appropriate distance during opening, closing and changing of classes.
     
    During the academic day, any visitors will be directed to our Main Reception at Masters Hall for screening protocols. Visitor access to campus will be very limited, except for necessary vendors, contractors and maintenance firms. 
     
    A limited number of individuals will be allowed in restrooms at a time.
  • Symptom Tracking

    The Masters School will be utilizing AUXS Safety App to facilitate daily symptom checking of students, faculty and staff. Instructions to download the app were sent to parents, guardians, faculty and staff on Thursday, September 3.

    Beginning on Monday, September 7, the symptom check process must be completed every weekday until further notice prior to coming to campus.
    Completion of the symptom check will be confirmed before community members enter school buildings at the start of each day. 

    The app is designed so that parents and guardians complete the symptom check for their child(ren). Day students are required to start reporting their daily symptoms beginning on Monday, September 7. We ask that all day students begin daily completion of the symptom check on September 7, even if they are not planning to attend the in-person activities on campus in September. This will allow families to develop a routine and provide the School with consistent data about the health of our community. 
     
    Please note that boarding students will not be required to complete the symptom check until they return to campus. Before the reopening of the boarding program, we will send a separate communication detailing the specific protocols that boarding students will need to follow.

    Parents and guardians are responsible for ensuring that the symptom check is completed every weekday morning. Once in-person instruction resumes, students will be assigned a specific entry point that they will report to each morning and will not be admitted onto campus without verification that the symptom check has been completed. Based on symptoms reported, the app will let users know if the student is cleared to come to school or what specific protocol the student should follow. 
  • Sickness and Testing

    We require students and staff who are ill to stay home. 
     
    Any community member who tests positive for COVID-19, exhibits symptoms associated with the virus, suspects exposure to the virus, or has been alerted to possible exposure should notify the Health Center’s staff immediately. These individuals will not be allowed on campus until they have completed the required isolation or quarantine recommended by the Westchester County Department of Health. In order to return to campus, the individual will need to be cleared by a doctor and receive approval from the Health Center. Residential faculty will be limited to their homes until cleared. 

    A list of testing sites can be found on the Westchester County Department of Health’s website under the testing, results and treatment tab. Community members can also call the New York state COVID-19 hotline at 1-888-364-3065 for assistance locating a testing site.

    All students, faculty and staff will be required to have a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) COVID-19 test administered within five days of the start of in-person classes. For further information, please see the Entry Testing section. 
  • Return to School After Infection/Exposure

    Anyone placed in quarantine may return to school after 14 days if the individual has not developed any symptoms in that time period.

    Individuals who tested positive and had symptoms may return to school if:

    • It has been at least 10 days since the individual first started experiencing symptoms; and The individual has not had fever in at least three days, without taking fever-reducing medication; and Any shortness of breath, coughing, difficulty breathing, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, or new loss of taste or smell has improved.
    Individuals who tested positive and had no symptoms may return to school if:

    • It has been at least 10 days since the person’s first positive COVID-19 test was collected, and The individual has not had any subsequent illness.
    In order to return to campus, the individual will need to be cleared by a doctor and receive approval from the Health Center.
  • Flu Shots Requirement

    Following the recommendation of our Health Advisory Team, this year, we will be requiring that all members of our community receive a flu shot. This policy will help reduce the risk of coinfection and provide our community with greater peace of mind.
     
    Proof of students' flu vaccination should be submitted by Friday, October 30, through Magnus Health in the myMASTERS portal. Faculty should bring proof of vaccination directly to Director of Health Services Sue Adams or fax it to 914-479-6589 by Friday, October 30.
  • Health Centers

    Upper school students will continue to use the Health Center located on the ground level of MacCormack Dormitory, across from the dining hall. The office is staffed with a nurse practitioner and a registered nurse, and coverage will be provided from 7:45 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Additional staffing will be provided should the need arise.

    The School has designated four isolation rooms for students exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms and is providing separate spaces for students with other health conditions. 

    School counselors will be relocated to the second floor of MacCormack Dormitory. 

    Middle school students will have access to a separate Health Center which will be located in the middle school building on the ground level, near the music room. The Middle School’s Health Center will be staffed with a registered nurse during the school day. 

    The Middle School has designated a space for isolation for students exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms and a separate space for students with other health concerns. 

    The middle school counselor will be located in her office on the second floor of the Middle School.
  • AUXS Safety App

    The Masters School will be utilizing AUXS Safety App to facilitate daily symptom checking of students, faculty and staff. The symptom check process must be completed every weekday until further notice prior to coming to campus. 

    The AUXS Safety App is designed so that parents and guardians complete the symptom check for their child(ren). Parents and guardians are responsible for ensuring that the symptom check is completed every weekday morning. 
     
    After the parent or guardian completes the symptom check for the student, the student and parent or guardian will receive an email confirmation of completion indicating whether or not the student is cleared to attend in-person activities. The student must show this email confirmation upon entering campus. The Health Center staff will receive a report of who has or has not completed their symptom check for the day and whether they are approved to come to school or not. 
     
    The email confirmation can be shown from the student’s cell phone or laptop. If the student does not have a cellphone, please contact school nurse Tara Eng at nurse@mastersny.org so that the Health Center staff is aware. 
     
    Please know that this process does not apply to boarding students until they return to campus.

Facilities and Operations

List of 7 items.

  • Classroom Space

    All Harkness tables have been removed and we have purchased over 700 desks that will be placed in every classroom. Large spaces such as Strayer Gymnasium and Doc Wilson Hall have been temporarily outfitted as additional classroom space. Every teaching space has been measured and marked to maintain standards for physical distancing.
  • Stairwells and Hallways

    Stairwells and hallways have signage to indicate which direction to enter and exit buildings. They are also marked to help guide the appropriate social distance.
  • Air Filters and Ventilation

    We are in the process of installing MERV13 filters in all buildings with central HVAC. Fresh-air dampers will be used to increase fresh-air flow, and we will have open windows, exhaust fans and window air-conditioning units in locations that do not have central AC.
     
    Fresh air via fans in windows and/or open windows will be in every classroom, and all dorm rooms are being outfitted with exhaust window fans.
  • Cleaning Protocols

    Our custodial staff will continue to follow Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for cleaning and sanitizing spaces regularly. All cleaning supplies and protocols will be in accordance with proper COVID-19 sanitation practices.
  • Dining

    Upper School

    To reduce the density of students in the designated lunch spaces, we will have two lunch periods, one from 11:25 a.m. - 12:05 p.m., and the other from 12:45-1:25 p.m. A student who is assigned to the first lunch period will have class from 12:15-1:25 p.m.; a student assigned to the second lunch period will be in class from 11:35 a.m.-12:45 p.m. The 40-minute window between the two lunches will allow for a thorough cleaning of the spaces between each lunch period. Students will get a schedule noting which lunch period they have each day. 
     
    We will have two lunch distribution locations, the dining hall and the Davis Cafe in the Fonseca Center. There will be options for students, provided in single-serve containers, and each student will receive an insulated lunch box on their first day to help reduce waste. The Health Center and our food service provider, Brock, have worked together to identify students with allergies, and those students will receive the appropriate food accommodation.
     
    After receiving their lunches, students will eat in designated spaces, including the Fonseca Center’s gymnasium, the dining hall, and areas marked off in the quad above and below the dining hall. Those locations will be staffed accordingly to provide supervision. Proceeding with this plan allows us to reduce density during the lunch block and should provide a better lunch experience overall.
     
    Please note that lunch will be the only meal served during the day. Breakfast will not be served, so please make sure that your child comes to school having had a nutritious breakfast. If the elimination of breakfast presents a problem for your family, please contact Dean of Students Jeff Carnevale.

    Middle School

    We will have two lunch distribution locations, the Middle School and Strayer Hall. There will be limited and pre-wrapped options, and each student will receive an insulated lunch box on their first day to help reduce waste. Those lunch boxes will stay at school. Food choices will include sandwiches and salads. Milk and water will also be provided. The Health Center and our food service provider, Brock, have worked together to identify students with allergies, and those students will receive the appropriate food accommodation.
     
    After receiving their lunches, students will eat lunch outside, if the weather permits. Students may bring a towel to sit on or the chair they were given at our first on-campus event in September. Those locations will be staffed accordingly to provide supervision. When weather does not permit us to eat outside (inclement or overly cold), students will eat in the room designated for their section. The room will be supervised by a teacher or administrator.
     
    In order to reduce the risk of virus transmission, talking will be limited to essential interactions while students are eating in indoor spaces. Once masks are back on, students may resume their conversation. We recognize that this measure is less than ideal, and we look forward to the time when we can again engage in social conversations during lunchtime. In order to keep our students entertained, music, stories and videos will be played.
     
    Please note that lunch will be the only meal served during the day. Breakfast and snacks will not be served, so please make sure that your child comes to school having had a nutritious breakfast. You may send them with a nut-free snack if you choose; sharing of food is not permitted. If the elimination of breakfast presents a problem for your family, please contact me.
     
    Parents and guardians may send their child to school with lunch if the food being served does not meet their child’s needs. 
  • Transportation

    School districts are aware of Masters’ planned in-person return date of Monday, October 5, and will be reaching out to families who rely on district busing to share the district’s bus schedule. There will be no late buses after the 3:45 p.m. release time.
     
    Parents and guardians whose children take a district bus are encouraged to be in contact with their district to confirm their child’s transportation needs and the district busing safety protocols. New York state law requires that all school districts continue their busing program for independent schools, even if the school district is learning remotely.
     
    Families participating in the School’s private busing program received their contracts on Thursday, September 17. The School will be running all planned routes, including the Metro-North train shuttle, and will follow strict safety protocols.
     
    Families who wish to receive a discounted monthly train ticket for the Metro-North train and have not previously taken part in this program should contact Transportation Coordinator Ed Gormley at ed.gormley@mastersny.org.
  • Visitor Policies

    Entry to The Masters School’s buildings will be restricted to students, faculty, staff and visitors with essential duties. 

    All visitors to school buildings must report to the reception area of either the Upper School or the Middle School. Visitors will be required to complete a mandatory health screening assessment, a temperature check at the entry point, and comply with all the protocols that are in place for members of the Masters community. Anyone with a fever over 100⁰F or any reported symptoms or “yes” responses to the questionnaire will not be allowed to enter the building. 

    All admission interviews and events will be conducted remotely until further notice.

Divisional Health Safety Protocols

Upper School

Middle School

Travel Advisory

New York has issued an advisory requiring individuals traveling from several high-transmission states to quarantine for 14 days before entering the state. Please consult the COVID-19 Travel Advisory site for information and required forms before making your plans to return to campus.