Will Portsmouth Abbey require students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated?

Yes, unless they have a School-approved religious or medical exemption.  Portsmouth Abbey will assist those students who are unable to obtain full vaccination before they return to campus.

Beginning in the Fall 2021 term, all community members are required to be fully vaccinated with an FDA or WHO authorized COVID vaccine. This represents the best opportunity to provide a safe and healthy in-person school year and protects our larger campus community.

Please note that the following vaccines are accepted by the RIDOH:

• Moderna (2 doses) FDA emergency use authorized
• Pfizer (2 doses) FDA emergency use authorized
• J&J/Janssen (1 dose) FDA emergency use authorized
• AstraZeneca/Oxford  (2 doses) WHO emergency use authorized
• Sinopharm  (2 doses) WHO emergency use authorized
• Sinovac (2 doses) WHO emergency use authorized

Parents and students should feel free to contact Mrs. Celia Brown, RN, Director of Medical Services, cbrown@portsmouthabbey.org, 401-643-1233 at any time with questions or concerns that are not answered below. Parents of students who are medically vulnerable, have been diagnosed with chronic conditions, or auto-immune disorders should contact Mrs. Brown to discuss the specifics of their child’s individual needs. Every effort will be made to provide appropriate accommodations for the increased health and safety requirements for these students.

Vaccine exemption requests

In the rare case that a student  requires a medical or religious exemption, please contact Celia Brown, RN, Director of Medical Services at cbrown@portsmouthabbey.org to request exemption forms.  Medical exemptions may be granted for anyone who has a history of the following: Severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) after a previous dose or to component of the vaccine, or immediate allergic reaction of any severity after a previous dose or known (diagnosed) allergy to a component of the vaccine.  Religious exemption requests will be considered for those families who attest to serious concerns about the vaccine being contrary to religious beliefs, practices, or observances.

I plan to request a vaccine exemption. If my request is approved and I remain unvaccinated, what does that mean?

Unvaccinated students are likely to be required to participate in asymptomatic COVID testing on a regular basis. The schedule for testing will be dependent on Rhode Island’s community transmission numbers and other data and guidance provided by RIDOH.

Unvaccinated students will likely have additional testing requirements in order to participate in competitive sports. It is possible that unvaccinated students will not be allowed to compete. This decision will be affected by league and opponent school protocols.

What if I can’t get vaccinated before I arrive?

The Infirmary staff will continue to work with international families who are unable to obtain vaccines at home and would like to have their students vaccinated upon arrival in the United States. Please contact Mrs. Celia Brown, RN, Director of Medical Services at cbrown@portsmouthabbey.org  if you need assistance in locating a vaccination site. U.S. resident families are expected to obtain COVID vaccinations over the summer and should NOT plan to have these vaccinations done at school.  The larger the percentage of students arriving on campus fully vaccinated, the safer our community will be.

What are the masking requirements?

No Masking will not be required OUTSIDE for anyone; you are certainly welcome to wear a mask outside and anyone who is unvaccinated is encouraged to do so.

Masking will be required for everyone in ALL INDOOR SPACES, including classrooms, regardless of vaccination status with the sole exception for boarding students in their own dorm rooms. Students in the common spaces within the House will need to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status.

All Visitors MUST wear a mask indoors at all times regardless of vaccination status

Will students and adults continue to be tested?

Testing will be required for all symptomatic individuals; asymptomatic surveillance testing required for a portion of unvaccinated population (25-50% weekly based on current RIDOH recommendations). Anyone who has filed a vaccination exemption will be tested weekly. Unvaccinated students will be tested on-campus by infirmary staff. Unvaccinated faculty and staff will be required to obtain testing off-campus. Diagnostic testing for symptomatic students is a two-part process.  A point-of-care rapid antigen test is conducted in the Infirmary using the BinaxNOW test or BD Veritor system. Results are ready in 15 minutes. Any symptomatic student who tests negative via the antigen test will receive a confirmatory PCR test which will be sent out to East Side Clinical Lab for processing. Students who are symptomatic must isolate pending the PCR test results.

Day students must stay home whenever they experience symptoms of COVID-19 and may not return to school until they have presented documentation of a negative COVID PCR test.  

What is the process for daily COVID-19 symptom screening?

Students will continue to be screened during every first period class with a standardized series of COVID-19 symptom and exposure questions as recommended by the RIDOH.

Will contact tracing continue?

Yes, contact tracing will continue as required by the RIDOH and the CDC.  

What other practices will be in place?

We will continue to uphold key practices involved in the shared obligation to maintain our community’s safety to include: promotion of regular hand hygiene, enhanced cleaning procedures, daily symptom screening, testing for symptomatic students, regular asymptomatic testing for students who have exemptions from vaccination, swift contact tracing, and implementation of isolation and quarantine when needed.

If I quarantine on campus due to arriving from an international location, what can I expect?

Quarantine in the dorm for early arrivals to campus will involve strict restriction to your room, wearing of a face mask at all times when outside the room for bathroom trips, and no travel on campus outside the House.  Meals will be delivered from the dining hall and you will be able to go outside each day for exercise and fresh air. You will be assessed daily for symptoms and a temperature check by an Infirmary nurse. A COVID test will be administered on Day 3-4 of quarantine, and students will receive the first dose of Pfizer vaccine on September 3, 2021. 

If I am diagnosed with COVID-19 during the term, or I have had close contact with a COVID-19 positive person can I remain on campus? 

All students are required to have a local emergency host on file in the event of a need for isolation due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, or an exposure requiring quarantine.  Fully vaccinated students are not required to quarantine due to exposure to a COVID positive person, but will be tested 3-5 days after exposure as per current CDC guidance.  Students should be picked up by a family member, guardian, or emergency host within 24 hours in the event of a need to isolate or quarantine.  In the event that it is impossible for a student to be picked up within 24 hours, the Infirmary has a limited number of beds to temporarily house students requiring isolation. Students may be temporarily moved to local hotels (with a School chaperone) while waiting for parents or guardians to arrive. 

If I am diagnosed with COVID-19 when may I return to school? 

Students may return to school when they have been home for at least 10 days since symptoms appeared (or 10 days from the date of the positive test if asymptomatic), been fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of antipyretics such as Tylenol or ibuprofen, AND have improved symptoms (feeling back to normal).  Parents must complete the “After Illness Return Attestation” form which will be provided by the infirmary.

If I was previously diagnosed with COVID, what are my testing and quarantine requirements?

Students who are diagnosed with COVID during the summer or school breaks must present a copy of the positive lab result to the Infirmary.  Students will not be re-tested for COVID for 90 days following a positive test.  Students who have tested positive for COVID within the past 90 days are not required to quarantine for travel purposes or if they are in close contact with a COVID positive person.  After the 90 day period, students will no longer be exempt from quarantine protocols.  Any student diagnosed with COVID during a school break must complete 10 days of isolation, be fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications, and be feeling significantly improved prior to returning to campus. 

Will Distance Learning be offered?

No, distance learning will not be offered.  

When should I return to campus?

International and Domestic students who have been fully vaccinated (14 days since final dose) may return to campus at the regularly scheduled time.

• Preseason begins on Tuesday, September 7
• International Student Leaders who are not in preseason return Thursday, September 9 by noon
• Prefects who are not in preseason return Thursday, September 9 by 5pm
• New international student orientation and move-in begins on Friday, September 10
• New domestic student orientation and move-in begins on Saturday, September 11
• All other returning students return on Sunday, September 12 by 4pm

International students who are unable to be vaccinated at home may quarantine with us on campus beginning Monday, August 30 until the morning of Tuesday, September 7. You must reserve a spot ahead of time by emailing Mrs. Paula Walter at pwalter@portsmouthabbey.org.

Unvaccinated Students with Medical or Religious Exemptions:

Unvaccinated students arriving from a location outside the US or US territories must quarantine (no “test out” option) for 7 days after arrival in Rhode Island with a negative result from a test taken 5 days or more after arrival. International students who are unable to be vaccinated at home and arrive for quarantine at Portsmouth Abbey on August 30^th will be tested by the infirmary staff upon arrival and on day 5 of quarantine.

What are the testing requirements for arrival on campus this fall?

Students are required to submit evidence of a negative COVID PCR or rapid antigen test completed at home within 72 hours of arrival to campus, regardless of vaccination status.  Results should be uploaded to the student’s Magnus Health student medical record. All symptomatic students exhibiting any signs of COVID-19 to include:  cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, recent loss of taste or smell, fever or chills, muscle or body aches, sore throat, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, runny or stuffy nose, or fatigue should NOT come to campus to move into the dorms.  Any student who arrives on campus for move-in and is symptomatic will be tested by the Infirmary staff and instructed to return home until contacted with test results and further instructions.

What should I pack?

Boarding students should bring a supply of washable cloth masks or medical grade surgical masks. Boarding students should bring or purchase a minimum amount of items and decorations for their dorm rooms in an effort to make cleaning easier. Do not bring or purchase large rugs or wall hangings, desk or gaming chairs, excess pillows, additional storage furniture, etc. We respect boarding students’ desires to make their dorm room their own, but at this particular time, clutter will make necessary cleaning efforts difficult.

Will students be allowed to visit between houses?

All "regular," non-COVID rules regarding visitation between dorms/Houses will be in effect along with the following:

• Students, faculty and staff may visit the common rooms only between dorms/Houses subject to the same masking guidelines set forth above.
• Residents of a dorm/House may host one guest who is also a resident of their House in their room, e.g., a double room can have no more than four people in it at a time.
• Day students are welcome in common rooms and day student rooms of their own Houses only. They may not visit resident's rooms in any House.

Are students allowed off-campus?

• Beginning the weekend of September 11, boarding students may leave campus with their own family for day trips and overnights after their final Abbey obligation on Saturdays. Students taking overnights must return Sunday evening before study hall (Sept. 19) or Sunday evening Mass (Sept. 26). Students taking day trips must still fulfill their Sunday Mass obligation at the School (please consult the Fall Term Calendar as some School Masses are at 9:30am while others are at 7:00pm).
   
• Each boarding student may also take one Abbey student off campus, with permission from their own parents and the parents of the guest student.
   
  • Parents should have indicated driving/riding permissions through School Forms Online. If they have not done so, they can email Mrs. Elizabeth Cotta at ecotta@portsmouthabbey.org to provide that information.
  • Prior to leaving campus for a day trip, boarding students must check out with their houseparent on duty.
  • Prior to leaving campus for an overnight, boarding students must complete overnight requirements as outlined in the student handbook on page 12, and also copied at the end of this email.

• Boarding students may not leave campus Monday through Saturday, with the exception of School-related trips, i.e., athletics matches, community service excursions and academic field trips.
• Boarding students and their guest may ride with family members only. Day students may not provide rides to boarding students.
• It is expected that students taking overnight trips will avoid large indoor or outdoor gatherings such as concerts, parties, etc.

These protocols remain in place through September 26.

What will the Abbey athletic program look like this fall?

All students will participate in an after-school activity and will be eligible to practice.

As anticipated, many of our league and non-league opponents have informed us that they will only compete against fully vaccinated teams, meaning that unvaccinated students may not be able to participate in games against these opponents.

If agreed to by our league and our opponent, unvaccinated students may be allowed to participate in games subject to a negative test the day of competition.

Unvaccinated student athletes will likely be tested at least weekly and before athletic contests as required.

Masks will be required for all indoor sports, both practices and competitions, and masks may be required for certain outdoor competition depending upon league and opponent requirements.

As things continue to change, matters such as campus life, campus visitors, campus visits will continue to be communicated.  We looking forward to a full and safe Abbey experience for our entire Community.  If you have any questions, please contact:

Medical Questions

Director of Medical Services, Celia Brown, RN                              

cbrown@portsmouthabbey.org

Student Life

Assistant Headmaster for Student Life, Paula Walter           

pwalter@portsmouthabbey.org

Operations

Assistant Headmaster for Operations, John Perreira             

jperreira@portsmouthabbey.org

Human Resources/Financial

CFO, Ellen Eggeman                     

eeggeman@portsmouthabbey.org

Academics

Assistant Headmaster for Academics, Nick Micheletti

 nmicheletti@portsmouthabbey.org

General Questions

Director of Parent Relations, Meghan Fonts

 mfonts@portsmouthabbey.org

• RI Department of Health
• Centers for Disease Control
• US State Department Travel Advisories
• World Health Organization