Return to School

School communications to parents are listed here (newest on top.) 

Click here for our 2021 COVID-19 FAQ.

August 23

Dear Families, 

We are looking forward to seeing you tonight for our Back to School Zoom at 7:00 PM. We will review our Return-to-School protocols, Saturday's Fall Family Service Day, and share other information about the upcoming school year! 

Last Tuesday we hosted 14 new students and their families for an orientation session. We were so happy to meet the new students and introduce them to their classrooms. New parents, we hope you are all ready for a great year ahead!

Summer Reading Reminder

Here is the summer reading list. Please encourage your students to get their reading done before the start of school. Parents: we'd love to hear what you've been reading this summer!


Fall Family Service Day - August 28

This Saturday is our Fall Family Service and we are so excited to have you back on campus, even if it's in a limited capacity. Please make sure to sign up, so we can better assign jobs. Here is a link to the August 9 communication detailing Fall Family Service Day. 


Transportation Survey

For those of you who have signed up for school bus transportation, please fill out the transportation survey confirming morning and afternoon bus stops for your student. 

If you have not yet signed up for transportation and would like your student to take the bus, please email Joyce before September 1.

Enrichment/Sports Sign-Up for Block 1

Here is the link to the Sign-Up for Enrichment and Sports for Block 1 which starts the first day of school. Please fill out the google form by September 1st and email Tina with any questions. 

Please Note: Sign-ups for clubs and music lessons will happen after school begins.

Materials Needed for STEAMS Makerspace

We have an amazing year of STEAMS ahead. Here is a list of items needed for all the activities we are planning. If you can donate any items, please plan to drop them off in a box outside the Studio entrance. Or you can send them in with your student when school starts.

August 9

Dear Sant Bani School Families, 

We are looking forward to seeing you on Saturday, August 28 for Fall Family Service Day. Below you will find all the details and a link for a sign-up form for our upcoming service day together. 

Date: Saturday, August 28
There is no rain date. Should we have to cancel we will notify families through a FACTS Alert by 7:00 AM. 
Time: 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM 
Please bring:

  • A mask if you are working inside buildings
  • Gardening gloves or manual tools like clippers for garden work
  • An optional picnic lunch if you would like to stay after the work is completed
  • Your enthusiasm to start the school year

A note on working in classrooms:  
At this time we are allowing only two families in a classroom at a time. We will have three time slots for working in the classrooms: 9:00 AM - 9:50 AM; 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM; 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM. Time slots will be assigned on a first come/first served basis. (So make sure to sign up early!) There is plenty of work to be done around campus and we appreciate your flexibility! The schedule is below.

8:30 AM:  Registration/Check-In
Please check-in at the registration table at the Pavilion in the drop-off area. You will receive a nametag and get your work assignment. Nurse Alex will be here to answer any questions and collect any outstanding medical forms.
Throughout the day popcorn and lemonade will be available. 

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM:  Working in all buildings and grounds
Please make sure to stick to your assigned work duty and scheduled time. Only two (2) families will be allowed in a classroom during each work block. For any work inside buildings, you must wear a mask. 
Work blocks are 50 minutes long and start on the hour.

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM:  Optional Picnic Lunch 
We invite you to pack a lunch and stay on the grounds to enjoy lunch together with staff and other families. 

In order to prepare work spaces, please fill out the Fall Family Service Day Registration Form. On the form, you'll fill out your name, email, student's name(s), and your preference for a work space (outside, inside, etc.) Once we receive all registration forms we will put together a full schedule that will be posted in the FACTS portal. 

It is expected that all families participate in family service days. If you are unable to make Fall Family Service Day, please email Tina Nussbaum Wagler to arrange your fall service on another date. 

In case you missed last week's email about Back-to-School Protocols here is the link. Please reach out if you have any questions.

Our best to you from Sant Bani School!


Stacy Lopes
Director of Advancement & External Relations

CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT THE FALL FAMILY SERVICE DAY SIGN-UP

August 2

Dear Sant Bani School Families, 

We hope you and your loved ones are enjoying a safe, healthy, and relaxing summer.  As the increasing number of “back to school” advertisements remind us, the first day of school is rapidly approaching; with that in mind, we wanted to inform you of our current COVID-19 wellness guidelines for the upcoming school year and share some additional important information to help you plan for the year ahead.  

In determining our COVID protocols, we continue to look to public health experts for guidance and we are cautiously optimistic that we will be able to begin returning to a more “normal” Sant Bani School experience while maintaining appropriate safety protocols, such as hand sanitizing and classroom air purification. 

  • The CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics recently recommended that all students in grades K-12 continue wearing masks while indoors this year, regardless of vaccination status.  We will follow this recommendation and ask all students and staff to wear masks and maintain a three-foot physical distancing measure while indoors.  However, students may be unmasked while outdoors: as scientific data continues to suggest a low risk of outdoor transmission, we feel that we can allow students and staff to be unmasked while outside without compromising the health and safety of other community members. 

  • While we will continue to cohort, we will introduce team cohorts consisting of students in
    multiple grade levels this year, specifically for outdoor learning opportunities.

  • Like last year, we will ask each student to complete a wellness check in the myMedbot app each morning before coming to school, and ask students who are presenting COVID-19 symptoms to remain home. 

  •  If your student or a member of your household tests positive for COVID-19, please notify the school nurse immediately; the school nurse will consult with school administration and follow up with next steps as they are determined.

  •  We will resume Grade 5 to 8 sports and all enrichment activities, including music lessons on campus.  Our hope is to permit spectators at home outdoor sporting events.

  • Clubs will continue following the latest COVID-19 safety guidance and our intention is to start field trips again this fall.

  • Sant Bani School will continue to only allow essential visitors to campus, and ask that drivers stay in cars during drop-off and pick-up. 

  • Students who utilize our bussing service must wear masks while on the bus.  Seating procedures will follow the rules of our bus company and school guidelines.  

We ask that you fill out a brief survey regarding COVID-19 vaccination and back-to-school information. The survey is designed to help our team of health professionals have a better understanding of the COVID-19 vaccination rate and ensure we can meet each student at their level of comfort re-entering school. Your answers will remain confidential and only shared with our health team. 

As always, these guidelines are subject to change throughout the year depending on the recommendations of local and national health officials.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions regarding our current protocols.   

To help plan for the year ahead, please review the attached Preschool - 8 Supplies List, which contains a checklist of supplies Sant Bani School students need for the upcoming school year. 

There are three events on the school calendar in late-August that are important for families. 

Tuesday, August 17: New Family Orientation on campus (9 AM & 4 PM) 

Monday, August 23: Back-to-School Zoom for all Parents (7:00 PM)

Saturday, August 28: Fall Family Service Day on campus (8:30 AM - 12:00 PM)    

Thank you for your ongoing support as we work together to navigate the challenges of the continued presence of COVID-19.  Sant Bani School is an amazing community and I look forward to starting the school year together and in person.

All my best,

Dan Love

Head of School