Responding to Coronavirus

Foote School campus is temporarily closed until at least April 20 due to coronavirus. We are actively monitoring the situation and will base any decision to re-open on guidance from the governor and public health officials.

Head of School Carol Maoz and members of the administrative team have been meeting daily over spring vacation to share information, coordinate distance learning plans and respond to other issues related to school operations.

Foote will transition to distance learning beginning on Monday, March 30 when we return from our two-week spring vacation. Click the following links for information about the plans for Grades K–5 and Grades 6–9.

Our maintenance staff and contracted cleaning company conducted a deep-cleaning and disinfecting of the entire campus during spring vacation. A member of our staff is coming to campus each day to pick up mail and receive enrollment contracts coming in.

Distance learning will begin on Monday, March 30. On that day, you will receive a welcome email from your child’s teacher(s). Assignments will begin on Tuesday, March 31. Week 1 will consist primarily of posted assignments which students can complete on their own schedule. As things progress, teachers will schedule live connection opportunities.  Click the following links for more detailed information about distance learning plans in Grades K–5 and Grades 6–9.

We recognize that distance learning is not a substitute for the in-person learning that takes place in our classrooms, especially the social-emotional benefits of collaboration, and we will do our best to make these daily lessons meaningful, engaging and consistent with Foote's academic standards and approach to experiential learning. 

Our distance learning plan relies on students having access to some technology in order to communicate with teachers and receive and turn in assignments. For Grades K-3, families will access faculty blogs for instruction and resources. For Grades 4-9, students will use Google Classroom to continue both independent and classroom studies. In order for these systems to work properly your family will need:

• Standard household internet access
• A dedicated device (ideally one per student) such as a Chromebook, tablet, desktop or laptop
• A device with a webcam, speaker and microphone
• Access to a printer in the home

If you do not have access to the technology hardware needed for distance learning, please contact Director of Technology Pam Fortin at pfortin@footeschool.org.

Yes. Students taking private music lessons through the After School Program will have the option of continuing them online-only. Your child's instrumental teacher will reach out to you for scheduling; billing and payment will remain through The Foote School.

In an effort to continue to keep our community healthy and safe, we are asking all of our families to please share with us if anyone in their family has been diagnosed with COVID-19, or has come into close contact with someone who has been diagnosed so we can communicate potential exposure to our faculty, staff, students and families in a responsible manner. Please know that we will not share any personally identifiable information unless you allow, but we do believe it is critical to our collective wellness to ensure our community has accurate information regarding potential contacts.

The Student Health Office has put together a page with general health guidance and information about what to do if someone becomes sick, Click here to access it.

Yes. The Business Office is operating remotely but still picking up mail several times a week and processing enrollment contracts, payments, etc.

Yes. All public events, parent meetings and gatherings are suspended until school is re-opened.

All off-campus field trips have been suspended through April 10 (the period that school is currently planned to be closed).

Foote's admissions process for the 2020-2021 school year has not been affected by the outbreak. Acceptance letters for the first round of admissions were mailed out in March and signed contracts are due by the April 10 deadline. Second round admissions will be considered on a rolling basis as space and financial aid funding allow.

If you are interested in being considered for admission, please begin by filling out our inquiry form. If you have questions, please contact Director of Admissions Rachelle Byron at rbyron@footeschool.org.

For families who have been offered admission to Grades K–5 for next year, there will be an online event to share information and answer questions on Thursday, April 2 at 8:30 a.m. Watch your email for further information.

As of now, yes. Foote has not made a decision to cancel the Alumni Day reunion scheduled for May 9. If that decision changes, we will communicate directly with members of our alumni community, including those classes celebrating 5- and 10-year reunions. If you are an alum and have specific questions, please contact Jody Abzug, Director of Development and Alumni Programs, at jabzug@footeschool.org.