"AIM Way" Reopening

We will continue to be guided by our AIM vision and mission of changing lives through literacy, recognizing that some strategic pivots may be necessary.

• Remote learning: We will offer a 100% remote learning option for students who are unable to be on campus physically, and we will have the ability to switch rapidly between remote and on-campus learning platforms if and when circumstances require restrictions to on-campus learning.
• Education of the whole person: Our remote learning platform will continue to encompass meaningful academic, co-curricular, and community components, which have been differentiators for our remote learning program.
• Flexibility: Innovative program models that enable increased flexibility of student schedules will be advantageous given substantial uncertainty about how the pandemic will unfold.
• Community: Maintaining the strength and unity of our community is integral to the student experience and our culture; we must, therefore, strive to maintain the cohesion of our community even if some students are learning remotely; time for the entire community experience will be important.
• Growing acceptance of remote learning: Response to parent survey and faculty’s skill at navigating remote learning this spring shows growing openness to hybrid learning models and skilled remote learning

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

When finalizing our reopening plans, AIM looked to CDC, State and Montgomery County guidance for health and safety of staff and students, input from parent health experts including infectious disease specialists, nurses and pediatricians, as well as responses to our parent survey which indicated a desire for students to return to in-person learning while also focusing on health and safety.

While we recognize that it is impossible to fully protect against COVID-19 infection on our campus, this plan was developed so that we can maintain AIM’s mission and provide real-time, interactive instruction to students while adhering to best practices for health and safety including 6-feet distancing of students and staff in the classrooms and requiring face coverings throughout the school day for both students and staff.

If the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania allows independent schools in Montgomery County to open their campuses for on-site learning, AIM intends to open for on-campus learning with the amount of time on campus varying by division. 

The constantly changing circumstances due to the Covid-19 pandemic means that AIM may have to adjust its program, without compromising our mission, in order to comply with guidance from public health officials.  AIM will follow CDC, State and Local guidance and gain approval on our decisions by the AIM Board of Trustees.

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

5 Days a Week On Campus for Grades 1 - 5

• Recent research suggests that younger children are academically more reliant on in-person instruction for learning. Older students are more able to self-regulate, an executive functioning skill necessary for online work. The act of following a calendar, logging on to the correct link, and bringing the right materials are all executive functioning tasks that our younger students are less able to manage on their own. 
• Additionally, younger students are less able to think abstractly-- a reason why early math is rife with manipulatives--and so they are more reliant on a physical learning space. 
• In addition to regular instruction, Lower School teachers will work closely with children in the classroom to teach them how to navigate the technology and class formats for Remote Learning so that should we need to pivot to Remote Learning they will be comfortable and ready to do so.
• This learning scenario also allows us to reduce student contact with others by keeping Lower School students working and learning predominantly in our Lower School wing and more isolated from Middle and Upper School cohorts.

Please complete Your Learning Option Form by August 7.

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

Our 6th-12th grade students will learn using a 3-day in-person, 2-day remote learning model.

• Students will be divided into Blue and Gold Groups attending classes on campus 3 days per week (with classmates from the other group joining from home) and attending classes remotely (joining their on-campus classmates) 2 days a week in alternating weeks. On home days students will participate synchronously with their classmates at school so that classes will be comprised of students in Blue and Gold groups.
• Alternating Blue/Gold Wednesdays provide an additional day of in-person instruction every other week. 
• State of the Art Technology allows students, regardless of setting, to have synchronous experience with peers and highly-trained teachers.
• Targeted instruction and ongoing assessment continue as part of the AIM Way model.

• Adding longer transition times between classes and at the start and end of each day to allow for sanitizing, hand washing, packing up materials, trips to the restroom, etc.

• With an inevitable increase in new apps, technology, and online instructional routines, in-person learning provides an opportunity to help students troubleshoot issues with technology and become familiar with digital tools while they are still in school, hopefully making any necessary transition to remote learning all the more seamless.

• The academic benefits come from the robust, responsive, digitally-based instruction--an experience that is equitable for all students regardless of location.  The benefits garnered from in-person experiences are social-emotional ones.

Please complete Your Learning Option Form by August 7.

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

• 100% Remote Learning students will be taught by AIM teachers with live instruction allowing for interaction with teachers and students.

• Students selecting option will stay enrolled in 100% Remote through Winter Break.

• AIM is preparing individual project supply kits where appropriate to allow for even more immersive learning and student engagement whether learning at school or from home. 

• Students quarantining during the 2020-2021 school year will join their regular classes by accessing 100% Remote Learning while unable to be on campus.

Please complete Your Learning Option Form by August 7.

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

• AIM’s decision to choose the Fully Remote option will be based on State and Montgomery County Office of Public Health guidance.

• AIM teachers are planning their work so that it can transition easily should we be required to pivot to fully Remote Learning for all AIM students.

• 2020-2021 learning model for fully remote instruction includes updates based on parent, student and faculty feedback and best practices for remote learning.

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

AIM anticipates and is prepared to address the mental health needs of students when school reopens.  We continue to strive for a partnership with students and families in order to ensure that student mental health needs are met through school and community resources. When students face social-emotional challenges, their learning may become impeded; therefore it is of utmost importance that AIM and families partner to support student wellbeing. Specifically, we recognize the social and emotional impact of the pandemic on students and their families, including but not limited to physical health and safety concerns, financial/employment concerns, social isolation, and growing concerns about systemic societal inequities. AIM will continue to support student mental health with division level school psychologists who are available throughout the school day.

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

We are dedicating the first 10 days of school to building relationships to support strong classroom communities, teaching and practicing school health and safety routines, and building technology skills. More Details to Come.

AIM will pursue virtual group events, gatherings, and meetings whenever possible.  Large gatherings, events, and extracurricular activities will be limited to those that can maintain social distancing. Events that can not maintain these guidelines will be canceled or rescheduled. We currently have no large in-person events planned for Fall 2020. All on-campus events must comply with school health protocols in keeping with CDC, State and Local guidelines.

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

Attendance will be taken in homeroom/advisory and in each class regardless of if a student is attending in-person or on-line.  Once students leave campus during the school day they will not be able to return that same day. Upper School students with preceptor privileges will not be permitted to leave campus during the school day.

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

We will be implementing strategies to reduce the number of individuals in the hallways, stairways, and entry points at one time. We will do this by:

• Having one-way travel patterns in our staircases when possible

  • The main staircase in the lobby will be up only

  • The rear staircase off the lobby will be down only

  • The staircase in the Lower School will be a two-way staircase

  • The staircase near the cafeteria will be down only

    • The exception to this will be the half flight of stairs in between the two Middle School floors which will be two way

  • ACC Staircases will both be two way

• While we must have two-way traffic in all of our hallways, we will have individuals always transition on the right-hand side of the hallway with clear signage in place.

• Separate entry points will be assigned for all members of our community 

  • Faculty and Staff: Rear boardroom doors

  • Lower School Students: First floor Lower School Door across from ACC

  • Middle School: Main entrance

  • Upper School: Side entry outside of Administration Wing and Rear entry to 3rd floor Upper School wing

  • AIM Community Center entry points

    • LS: Side entrance across from main building LS entry point

    • MS: Front entrance of ACC

    • US: Rear side entrance off the rear parking lot

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

Restrooms: We must monitor restroom use for students to limit the number of students in that confined space at one time. Our restrooms are being retrofitted to include touchless faucets at the sinks. At any time there should not be more students in a restroom than there are sinks in that restroom. In almost all cases at AIM, this means 1 student in a restroom at a time. 

Lockers: We will eliminate the use of lockers for the 2020-2021 school year to reduce the need for hallway use across multiple areas of the building. This strategy will need to be done in conjunction with planning to ensure students are not carrying home an unreasonable number of books on a daily basis and may vary depending on instructional decisions that are made.

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

While our goal is to continue to offer our robust extracurricular activities program to all of our students, what we are able to offer could be changed by the mandates of local government and health organizations, the decisions of organizations and schools that we partner with, and the financial limitations caused by the pandemic. Considering all of these variables, we will provide safe opportunities for programs for students considering the following:

• The physical proximity of students, and the length of time that students are close to each other or to staff

• Amount of necessary touching of shared equipment and gear

• Ability to engage in social distancing while not actively engaged in the activity

• Size of team or program

• Engagement of players at higher risk of developing a serious disease

• Implementation of protocols in sports to address hygiene, disinfection of equipment, distancing during practice and competition, and numbers of participant

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

Due to spacing constraints and our desire to limit traffic in the building, our typical dining periods and associated procedures will change dramatically. Our cafeteria will not be open for student meals, however, our AIM Kitchen team has created a full menu of lunches (hot and cold) for the fall. We will adhere to CDC guidelines in the implementation of this new process:

• Students will eat lunches in the classroom and can order the Lunch Program or bring their lunch to school.

• Students and Staff will wash their hands before and after lunch.

• AIM Lunches will be delivered in individually-packaged containers to the classrooms using disposable utensils and containers.

• The lunch offerings will still include vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free options (AIM’s kitchen is already nut-free). Salads will be served as side dishes to some meals, but our salad bar will not be available at the start of the school year.

• If disposable items are not feasible or desirable, ensure that all non-disposable food service items are handled with gloves and washed with dish soap and hot water or in a dishwasher. Individuals should wash their hands after removing their gloves after directly handling used food service items.

Find Lunch Menus Through December Here

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

Expectations on School District Buses

While we expect that each school district will have their own guidelines for students and drivers, we will mandate the following expectations at a minimum:

• Promote social distancing on bus stops

• Students and drivers must wear a face covering while on the bus

• Buses must be disinfected after each run and thoroughly cleaned daily

Arrival and Dismissal

Once student transportation has been decided for the fall, we will determine the best practices for arrival and dismissal with an emphasis on the health and safety of our students during their travel to and from school, as well as when they transition in and out our school building each day. All students will be required to sanitize their hands upon arrival.

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

Strategies and plans are dynamic and will continue to be updated in accordance with Federal, State, and Local guidelines. Monitoring to be sure Health and Safety strategies are adhered to will take place regularly. In order to fully track and manage our policies, AIM is seeking to hire a COVID-19 Coordinator who would work in conjunction with the COVID-19 Task Force to ensure that all Health & Safety protocols are being followed on an ongoing basis. Disinfection and cleaning strategies as well as symptom reporting of staff and students will be tracked via mobile app-based programs.

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

In order to adhere to CDC, state, and county guidance for social distancing, AIM worked closely with Blackney Hayes to examine all classroom spaces and determine room capacity limits for classroom and common spaces assuming six-foot distancing between students and staff.

Limited Classroom Occupancy: While AIM has small class sizes, our classroom spaces on campus are also fairly small which substantially limits room occupancy especially in our Middle and Upper School learning spaces. In addition to reconfiguring classroom spaces to adhere to agreed on protocols, opportunities to use larger spaces for regular instruction are being planned.

Outdoor Learning: While the nature of Philadelphia weather makes scheduling regular classes outdoors impossible, teachers will be encouraged to promote learning outdoors when feasible and common outdoor spaces such as our back patio will be marked with 6-foot distancing should they be used for learning.

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

Protocols for distancing students in the classroom setting and other social distancing practices that allow for six feet of separation among students and staff throughout the day are expected to the maximum extent feasible.

While staggered schedules to limit the number of individuals in classrooms and other spaces is optimal, if this is not feasible, minimally the following is expected:

• Turn desks to face in the same direction or have students sit on only one side of tables to limit face-to-face seating.

• Monitor adherence to the six-foot social distancing guideline.

Additionally, we will take the following precautionary measures whenever possible to maintain the desired social distancing expectations:

• Limit activities in classrooms that do not support social distancing.

• Ensure social distancing in offices and staff lounges, and during staff meetings.

• Limit large gatherings, events, and extracurricular activities to those that can maintain social distancing.

• Regular monitoring to ensure staff or students do not commune or gather in a way that is not in compliance with the social distancing protocol. Close common areas if necessary.

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

While most students, employees, and visitors may have their own mask or face covering, we will be sure to have enough masks available as needed. In all areas inside of our buildings, we expect face coverings to be worn including when in classrooms, meetings, and walking through common spaces. It is important to note that current school guidelines do not require face coverings when students are in classrooms seated at safe (at least 6 ft) distances. However, in consultation with our Parent Health Expert panel and in our research, we have determined that adhering to face-covering guidance is an important tool in trying to prevent infection. The following guidelines are also expected:

• All faculty and staff must wear face coverings when leading and/or attending class, meeting with students or other staff members, and operating school vehicles 

• Students must wear face coverings in all areas while inside school buildings including classrooms, hallways, restrooms, and common areas.

  • Students may remove their face covering if six feet of social distancing is achieved and maintained when eating lunch (outdoors or indoors) and for designated outdoor mask breaks.

We continue to follow CDC, state and local health guidance on suitable face coverings and will continue to update you if there are changes. Neck and Face Gaiters are not a suitable face covering for school.

If a student has a documented medical issue that makes them unable to comply with facial covering requirements, reasonable accommodations will be made to attempt to keep the student on campus for learning. If a student is not able or chooses not to wear a face covering, they may be compelled to learn remotely.

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

Per guidelines from the Montgomery County Office of Public Health, all community members must partake in a self-assessment daily prior to entering the building including taking temperature. It is important that this assessment is done before children arrive on campus. AIM has partnered with Volo ASAP to use an app-based reporting tool that also allows us to track access while on campus. If the individual is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and/or has been in direct contact with others that have tested positive for COVID-19, they will not be allowed entry into the building and will be in the Self-Quarantining and Return to School Protocol. When fully operational all community members will be trained on how to use this important tool.

AIM staff will use information from the Volo ASAP app to track students and staff members with incomplete information each day so they can receive a temperature check and answer the symptom questionnaire upon arrival at AIM and before entering the school building.

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

When handwashing, individuals should use soap and water to wash all surfaces of their hands for at least 20 seconds, wait for visible lather, rinse thoroughly, and dry with a disposable towel.

• AIM will teach and reinforce washing hands and covering coughs and sneezes among students and staff. See CDC Handwashing Resources

• Hand sanitizer will be available in common areas, hallways and classrooms, See CDC Hand Sanitizer Use

• AIM will work with local health departments and health care systems to disseminate hygiene and disinfection strategies for infection prevention at home.

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

The Montgomery County Office of Public Health has issued a detailed COVID-19 School Exclusion Guide detailing when individuals are required to self-isolate or self-quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure or infection and when they are allowed to return to school.

• Individuals are not allowed to return to campus if they have a fever of over 100.4, have multiple COVID-19 symptoms, or if they have been in close contact with someone that has COVID-19.
• Individuals with symptoms should be tested and if negative must go 72-hours fever and symptom free before returning to school. If individuals do not get tested they should complete a 14-day self-quarantine before returning to school. 
• Individuals who have been in close contact or live in the same household as someone with COVID-19 must complete a 14-day self-quarantine and if they test positive or become symptomatic must self-isolate. For people living in the same house as an infected individual, this 14-day quarantine begins AFTER the infected individual completes isolation.
• Cleaning and Disinfecting: If individual reports they have COVID-19 and have been in the school, we will need to: close off areas visited by the person who has a probable or confirmed case of COVID-19; open outside doors and windows and use ventilation fans to increase air circulation in the area and wait a minimum of 24 hours, or as long as practical, before beginning cleaning and disinfection.
• Cleaning staff will clean and disinfect all areas such as offices, bathrooms, common areas, and shared electronic equipment like tablets, touch screens, keyboards, and remote controls, used by the individual, focusing especially on frequently touched areas.
• All individuals who consistently were within 6 feet of the person will be notified that someone (names should not be given) tested positive and they need to self-quarantine for 14 days.

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

Non-essential visitors should continue to use video conferencing or other means to communicate with employees whenever possible.  If visitors are on-site, they should complete a wellness assessment protocol at the front desk. If the individual is symptomatic of COVID-19  and/or has been in direct contact with others that have tested positive for COVID-19, they will not be allowed entry into the building. While most visitors might have their own mask or face covering, we will be sure to have enough masks available. We require masks to be worn at all times within the building.

• Parents and Guardians may drop off items in a designated area near the front desk.

• Parents and Guardians that are picking up a student should park in front of the main building and sign the student out at the front desk. They should then return to their vehicle and wait for a staff member to walk the child out to the vehicle.

• Facilities Contractors and Vendors must enter through the front entrance of the Main Building. (The Facilities team will notify our cleaning staff of the areas within the building for cleaning and disinfection purposes.)

• Deliveries will be placed in a designated area near the front desk

• Teacher Training Programs and events for the AIM Institute for Learning & Research will be held online for the foreseeable future.

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

Disinfectant Supplies:

• We will ensure an adequate supply of soap, disinfection spray, hand sanitizer, paper towels, and tissue

• Materials and supplies will be CDC Approved

• We will keep a minimum quantity of 60-day supply of disinfectant supplies

• We have purchased two misting disinfectant sprayers (that can be seen in this link) to enhance our disinfecting capability campus-wide.

PPE

• We will ensure our employees with an adequate supply of face masks, face shields, gloves, gowns, and thermometers on-site and on-order with proper lead time.

• We will keep a minimum quantity of 30-day supply of PPE

• Employees performing medical, screening, and cleaning tasks are required to wear gloves and a mask.

General Disinfection Measures

• The cleaning steps outlined below are in compliance with the CDC and EPA Guideline for Cleaning and Disinfecting

• These steps will be taken routinely, based on frequency mentioned to disinfect surfaces, chairs, tables, etc and protect students and employees

• Along with these school-wide disinfection activities, proper personal sanitary practices, including frequent washing of hands and appropriate social distancing, are also necessary

Employees should sanitize all areas of the school with special attention to:

• Restrooms

• Common Surface Areas

• Lockers 

• Door Handles

• Railings

• Glass Walls and Partitions

• Light Switches

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details

This summer AIM has made substantial investments to enhance our facilities and prepare for our increased health, safety and clearing protocols.

• Facilities

  • Touchless Water Faucets in Student Bathrooms

  • HVAC Air Purification System Installation

  • Clear Barriers for teachers in every classroom

  • PPE supply for Health and Safety

  • Cleaning and disinfecting supply stockpile

  • Disinfectant misting machines

• Technology

  • Volo ASAP symptom assessment and campus tracking

  • VirusSAFEPro Checklist app to track cleaning and disinfecting protocols on campus

  • OWL labs for optimum remote learning

  • Zoom Video Conferencing Software

  • Additional Educational Software

• Additional Support Staff

  • COVID-19 Coordinator - Coordinator to work in conjunction with school nurse and facilities director to coordinate and manage Health & Safety protocols.

See complete AIM’s Return to Campus Plan for more details