The Marin school 2020-2021 Continuity of instruction and School site-specific protection plan

In preparation for the upcoming school year, The Marin School's Reopening Committee considered numerous paths forward. We also relied on research and experience from educators, health professionals, and other schools to create a plan that will allow us to pivot quickly in the face of evolving circumstances. We have a multi-tiered plan that will allows for flexibility as we plan our return to campus when it is safe to do so. The timeline will depend upon conditions and recommendations from the Department of Public Health. TMS is small and nimble, and will be able to adapt to changing conditions without disruption to the important work of educating and supporting our students.
Guiding Principles:
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Incorporate what we learned from Spring 2020
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Reduce cognitive load on students
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Simplify landscape for teachers
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Reduce variables in the master schedule
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Plan to have students back on campus safely
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Maintain high academic standards and flexibility
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Enhance facility and improve tech capacity
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Keep everything “as TMS as possible"
Update on Return to Campus: Message from Ben Griggs, Head of School - sent Friday, January 8, 2020
Update on Return to Campus: Message from Ben Griggs, Head of School - sent Friday, December 11, 2020
Letter to the Community: Message from Ben Griggs, Head of School - sent Friday, December 4, 2020
Reopening Update: Message from Ben Griggs, Head of School - sent Thursday, September 17, 2020
TMS Fall 2020 Plan: Public Health Update, the Basics & Beyond - sent Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Note to TMS community with reopening plans and survey results - sent Thursday, July 2, 2020
TMS Parent Focus Group for Reopening Plans Fall 2020 - Save the date! - Sent Tuesday, July 7, 2020
Note to TMS community about MHHS / MCOE Guidelines - June 2020 - Sent Monday, Jun 22, 2020
Fall 2020 Return to Campus Family Survey - Sent Tuesday, Jun 16, 2020
community update archive:
Cohorts
Why cohort?
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Local public health guidance strongly recommends small, stable cohorts of students
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International schools report reopening success with cohorts
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Simplifies contract tracing
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Limits reach of positive cases within the community
How will cohorts be designated?
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We have created three separate cohorts of students for the Fall semester. (See chart below)
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This model will need to be adjusted in the spring to adapt to second-semester courses, depending on conditions at that time.
cohort 1:
All 9th graders
cohort 2:
Grouping of 10th/11th graders
cohort 3:
Grouping of 11th/12th graders
the fundamentals:
3x3 Block Schedule
What is the "3x3 Approach"?
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Students take 3 “year-long” classes per semester
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Four 80-minute blocks four days per week
- One 50-minute block one day per week
On-Campus Benefits:
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Operational simplification
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Classrooms and common areas used by fewer people in a school day
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Students and teachers have fewer in-person contacts
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Better for hands-on courses
Remote Benefits:
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Simpler for students & staff
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Block classes → better for remote learning
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Overall reduction in cognitive / executive function load
TMS 3x3 Approach
Click image to expand
5 Response Tiers
Tier 1: Full Time on campus (unlikely)
Tier 1 features:
Tier 2: Physical Distancing & Student Cohorts Required
Tier 2 features:
Tier 3: Physical Distancing & Lower Density Required
Tier 3 features:
Tier 5: Remote Learning Required
Tier 5 features:
Tier 4: 4x10 Cycle Model