November 23, 2020

Dear Gilman Community,

As we head into Thanksgiving break, I am writing to provide a few important reminders and updates. Our plan remains to return to campus on Monday, December 7. We continue to monitor the pandemic closely and will keep everyone informed of any changes to our plan.

Thanksgiving Holiday Survey - As mentioned in my November 1 email, we are asking you to take a few minutes to complete this anonymous, short survey about your Thanksgiving break plans. Additionally, we would like for you to let us know if you intend to send your son to campus the weeks of December 7 and December 14. We appreciate your honest responses, which will help with our planning.

Required COVID-19 Testing - Just as we did in September, we see testing as an important layer of risk mitigation coming out of the break. In the interest of community health and safety, then, we will require all faculty, staff, and students to get a COVID-19 test and submit negative results prior to their return from Thanksgiving break.

All tests must be dated no earlier than Monday, November 30.
Only PCR tests will be accepted (no exceptions).
You are encouraged to find a testing site convenient for you and book your appointment early, as appointments are filling fast.
FiveMedicine, the company that provided on-site testing in September, will be administering tests at Gilman on Wednesday, December 2. Different from September, for this round of testing, you will be responsible for a $30 administrative fee and your insurance carrier will be billed. In the unlikely event that your insurance carrier does not cover the test, you will be responsible for an additional $25.00 test fee (total possible out-of-pocket amount would be $55.00). We will email you additional information about this option, including a registration link, in the next few days.
All test results must be uploaded to Magnus. Emailed results will not be accepted.

Reminder: Critical Health and Safety Guidelines - Our ability to return to and remain on campus still depends on everyone’s taking the right measures to guard against transmission. Please follow the School’s, as well as state and local, guidelines for activity. Important notes:

Positive Test Results: Please continue to let School Nurse Edie Meacham know if your son tests positive for the virus.
Ruvna Screenings: We have suspended daily Ruvna screenings through next Tuesday, December 1. Please note that you will begin receiving the morning text messages starting on Wednesday, December 2. Even though your son will not be on campus, we ask that you fill out the screening daily so that we can once again begin to monitor for symptoms and illness in the community in preparation for our return to campus on Monday, December 7.
Avoid hosting or attending gatherings, events, and other high-risk activities where proper social distancing and mask-wearing are not practiced.
Avoid attending rec and club sporting events and any other large affairs where social distancing and mask-wearing are not practiced.
Wear masks in accordance with state and local guidelines.
Practice and reinforce hygiene measures at home, like handwashing and covering coughs and sneezes.
Avoid non-essential travel outside of Maryland. In addition, the Maryland Department of Health strongly recommends that any Marylander who travels to a state with a COVID-19 test positivity rate above 10% or with a case rate over 20 per 100,000 in the past 7 days should get tested and self-quarantine at home until the test result is received.

I strongly encourage everyone to practice the right behaviors.

By all accounts, we are facing a challenging winter, and we will still need to summon the patience and grace that were perhaps in greater reserve in the spring. Balancing our commitment to in-person school with our responsibility to care for the health and safety of our community will continue to guide us forward. Thank you for your continued partnership and support.

Be well,

Henry P. A. Smyth
Headmaster

In Tuo Lumine Lumen