Contact 203-752-2610
Hamden Hall Country Day School
Educating Students in PreSchool Through Grade 12

COVID-19 Policies and Protocols 2023-2024


While COVID-19 is still a concern and something we take very seriously, we have resumed standard procedures in terms of daily campus life for our school community. That said, we continue to remain vigilant and flexible in order to respond accordingly as we move through the school year.

Our COVID-19 Task Force and Board of Trustees Health Committee have established the following protocols and procedures that best mitigate exposure and provide a safe environment for our community members.

COVID-19 Task Force

Hamden Hall Board of Trustees
Robert J. Izzo, Head of School
Benny Arpine, Director of Human Resources and Risk Management
Helen Barnstable, Co-Director of the Upper School
Chris Buckley, Front-End Developer
Lorri Carroll, Director of Lower School
Brian Christman, Director of Middle School
David Doyle, COVID Coordinator/ Director of Athletics
Catelin Fee 2004, Early Childhood Director
John Greenawalt, Upper School Dean of Students
James F. Hunter 1980, Director of Facilities
Janet B. Izzo, Director of Admissions
Keith Kaliszewski 1998, Director of Enrollment Management
Ryan Madden, Director of Technology
Dawn A. Miceli, Director of Advancement
Kimberly Gold Porto 1987, Co-Director of the Upper School
Bruce Rich, Director of Summer Programs
Theresa Valin, School Nurse
Dr. David Riccio 1970, Board of Trustee Health Committee
Dr. Bayo Afolalu, Board of Trustee Health Committee
Dr. Annmarie Golioto, Board of Trustee Health Committee
Mr. Clement Lewin, Ph.D., Board of Trustee Health Committee
Dr. Meena S. Moran, Board of Trustee Health Committee

Health and Safety

List of 9 items.

  • Daily Health Screening

    Prior to coming to school each morning, the employee or the parent of a student must assess for any of the symptoms listed under the school’s general illness policy. A student or employee should stay home if they have or have not been given medication to reduce a fever or to suppress a cough in the last 24 hours. Please call school nurse Theresa Valin at 203.752.2605 for additional guidance.

  • Illness at School

    In the case of students or employees presenting to the Nurse’s Office with any of the following symptoms: fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fatigue, body aches, sore throat, headache, diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, congestion, runny nose, or loss of taste or smell, the student's parent/guardian will be contacted and asked to promptly pick them up and, in the case of an employee, he or she will be sent home. The student will be separated from the rest of the student body in the School’s isolation room until parent/guardian pick-up. Belongings for students will be brought to the isolation room and the parent/guardian will pick up the student at the exterior door of the Nurse’s Office.
    The Nurse’s Office may advise the parent/guardian or employee to obtain a Covid-19 test for the ill individual and may also advise follow-up with a medical provider for evaluation.
    The parent/guardian or employee must inform the Nurse’s Office of any positive Covid-19 diagnosis. The Nurse’s Office will report diagnosed cases of Covid-19 to the Quinnipiack Valley Health Department, as well as to the Covid-19 Coordinator, Division Head, and the Head of School.
    The Nurse’s Office will guide the parent/guardian or employee as to a return-to-school date.

  • Isolation guidelines for individuals who test positive for Covid-19:

    Students and staff who test positive for Covid-19 must be isolated from school for 5 days from the onset of symptoms or 5 days after testing if asymptomatic. Day 0 is the day symptoms began or the day of the positive viral test (for people with no Covid-19 symptoms). Students and staff may return on Day 6 if there are no symptoms, or later when the individual is fever-free for at least 24 hours and other symptoms are significantly improved. They will be required to wear a mask for days 6-10.

  • Mask Policy

    Hamden Hall will remain a mask-friendly campus, as it has always been. Everyone is welcome to wear a mask in all settings on campus at all times, and an individual’s choice to wear a mask should be respected. The CT DPH retains the authority to impose a universal mask mandate if there is a local or statewide need due to an outbreak. Hamden Hall also maintains the authority to institute mask wearing due to local conditions.

  • Quarantine/Isolation

    Any individual, regardless of vaccination status, with any of the following symptoms must immediately isolate and report their symptoms to the Nurse’s Office: fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fatigue, body aches, sore throat, headache, diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, congestion, runny nose, or loss of taste or smell. The individual must be cleared by the Nurse’s Office to return to school.

  • Three Day Consecutive Absence Due to Illness Policy:

    If a student is absent for three consecutive days due to illness, the student’s parent/guardian will notify the Health Office and consult their primary care physician. The student may return to campus once their primary care physician provides a clearance note to return to school and a copy is submitted to the nurse’s office.

  • Travel Policy

    Hamden Hall follows CDC and CT Dept. of Public Health Travel guidelines. Prior to travel, families are advised to check state and federal websites for updates.

  • Vaccination Policy

     Staying up to date on routine vaccinations is essential to prevent illness from many different infections. COVID-19 vaccination helps protect eligible people from getting severely ill with COVID-19. For COVID-19, staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations is the leading public health strategy to prevent severe disease. Not only does it provide individual-level protection, but high vaccination coverage reduces the burden of COVID-19 on people, schools, healthcare systems, and communities.
    The nurse's office will keep a record of students’ Covid-19 vaccination information on file. Parents can upload a copy of their child’s vaccination card to our Magnus Health Portal or email a copy to nurse@hamdenhall.org.


  • Visitor Policy

    During the school day, parents and visitors are allowed on campus. All other individuals who are not students or employees, as well as groups who rent space from Hamden Hall, will be required to adhere to the visitor policy for the safety of the entire community. Upon arrival on the Main Campus, visitors will be required to check-in at the appropriate office. Anyone experiencing Covid-19 symptoms should not come to campus.

Facilities

List of 3 items.

  • Campus Building Systems and HVAC

    All building HVAC systems were serviced this summer. HVAC systems contain MERV-13 filters in the air handlers on all campuses.

  • Health Facilities / Nurse Staffing

    The Health Facility is located in Whitson Hall. Theresa Valin, RN and Claudia Murtagh, RN are our school nurses and may be reached at:
    nurse@hamdenhall.org
    Phone: 203.752-2605
    Fax: 203.752.2608

  • Personal Hygiene and Facility Cleaning

    In general, we will continue with all of the hygiene and cleaning mitigation strategies in place last year. The school’s cleaning service will again clean classrooms and common spaces to the level they were cleaned last year. Faculty and staff should notify the Facilities Department if they feel that an area is not being cleaned adequately.

The School Day

List of 9 items.

  • After-School Programs

    In-person Extended Day and other after-school programs will continue. All Covid-19 protocols apply.

  • Athletic Center and Spectators (subject to change based on CT DPH guidelines and recommendations)

    Spectators will be allowed to attend athletic events.  Masks are optional while spectating indoor or outdoor sports. 

  • Athletics

    Hamden Hall will return to the pre-Covid-19 Middle and Upper School athletic participation requirement.

  • Food Service

    Subject to state and health department guidelines for food service in schools, Hamden Hall serves lunch each day and offers both cold and hot lunch options. Grades 1-12 are served from the hot food line and can choose from several prepared salad options. FLIK employees will continue to follow Covid-19 safety protocols. FLIK will continue delivering lunch to the PreSchool/PreKindergarten and Kindergarten classrooms. Middle and Upper School students will have the option to eat lunch in the dining room or outdoors under the tent. 
    Students who are still required to wear a mask due to a Covid-19 quarantine may be asked to sit outside or at a table with reduced occupancy when feasible.

  • Learning Spaces

    All PreSchool/PreKindergarten - Grade 12 learning spaces will continue to operate to full capacity on the main campus and on Davis Street. The Skiff Street Athletic Complex will be used primarily for Middle and Upper School athletics.

  • Performing Arts

    Choral, theater, and instrumental performances and productions are integral to daily student life on campus. We encourage participation in all of the performing arts while being mindful of the health and safety of our student body. 

  • Pick-up/Drop-off

    Additional details about daily pick-up and drop-off of students will be shared by the division heads.

  • Remote Learning

    While our plan is 100 percent in-person learning, we will have our remote learning capability ready in case the school may need to move to distance learning. Remote learning and teaching are not available for those who need to isolate or quarantine due to illness or exposure to Covid-19.  

  • School Trips

    We expect to continue planning and scheduling day field trips and some overnight trips throughout the school year. However, the planning of these trips is contingent on current conditions. All trips will include specific Covid-19 safety procedures and protocols. In addition, participating students must follow Hamden Hall safety policies, as well as the policies of partner organizations.

Communication

List of 2 items.

  • COVID-19 Dashboard

    Hamden Hall monitors positive Covid-19 cases for our school community among all students, faculty, and staff. In addition, we continue to monitor any potential transmission of the virus both on and off campus. Families should contact COVID coordinator David Doyle or school nurse Theresa Valin if a student tests positive or if you have questions about protocol with regard to Covid-19. You may also contact your student's division head or Mr. Izzo with any questions.
    Division Heads will communicate with families and students to provide divisional information and resources.
    While our preference is to hold most meetings and events in person, depending on current conditions, the School will consider the use of Zoom for some meetings.
    The School will continually assess our operations and protocols and will modify or change procedures as needed.

  • Overview

    Hamden Hall is committed to regular and transparent communication. If you have any questions about the upcoming year, please do not hesitate to contact the appropriate administrator. 

Hamden Hall Country Day School

1108 Whitney Avenue
Hamden, Connecticut 06517
Phone: 203-752-2600
Fax: 203-752-2651
admissions@hamdenhall.org

About Us

Hamden Hall Country Day School, located less than two miles from Yale University, is one of the best private schools in Connecticut to enroll elementary, middle, and high school students. Our nurturing and inclusive community provides a dynamic learning environment that promotes academic excellence by understanding each child and fostering their individual growth.

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