2020-21 Fall Calendar 6/17/20

Dear Hackley Students and Families,

I am writing with an update on the fall calendar as it relates to Hackley’s plans to reopen school.

The Mid-Hudson Region, which includes Westchester County, entered Phase II of the New York Forward reopening plan on June 9 and we are targeted to reach Phase III on or about June 23. This is encouraging progress, leaving us optimistic about returning to campus this fall provided there is not a resurgence of illness in our area. Once the Mid-Hudson Region enters Phase IV, schools should be able to reopen. Although we have not yet received guidance from the state on requirements for doing so, Hackley continues to make preparations and develop approaches consistent with maximizing social distance for students and employees.

As I shared in my May 12 message to the community, we held open the possibility of beginning school before September 8. In considering how best to support student re-entry to campus under socially distanced conditions, we have decided to run on-campus orientation for all students--new and returning, grades K-12--Monday, August 31 through Thursday, September 3.

We will bring students back in grade-based groups, meaning that not every student will be on campus each day that week. Division directors are developing these schedules and will share this information on or before July 1. Our intention is to develop meaningful orientation activities that help reacclimate students to campus under very different circumstances, while also building a sense of community. We will not be in session on Friday, September 4 or Monday, September 7 (Labor Day). Academic instruction will begin for all students on Tuesday, September 8. Again, this schedule presumes that schools in the Mid-Hudson Region are permitted to reopen for in-person instruction by this date.

Related to the start of school, the Ivy Preparatory Athletic League recently decided to postpone pre-season training until August 31. Uncertainty remains around fall athletics, especially as it pertains to transporting students between schools for competitions. This League decision means that athletic practices at all League schools will begin no earlier than August 31 and that competitions, if or when held, will be delayed until further into the fall season. The heads of school and athletic directors continue to discuss the shape of the season and the League has committed to providing an update by July 1. Because Hackley is the only Westchester-based school in the Ivy Preparatory League, we are also speaking with schools in this region to better understand how they are approaching the fall season. Athletics remains a critical aspect of our program, and we want to understand how best to provide a meaningful experience for our students.

While there are still details to be determined, I hope knowing this information early in your summer will better allow you to plan for the fall. We remain optimistic about our return to campus and we are eager to see you here on a regular basis. I will be back in contact with further updates on or before July 1. As always, please be in contact with any questions.

Sincerely,
Michael C. Wirtz P ’29 ’31