FAQs

Any information regarding your vaccination status should only be shared with Mrs. Marcato, School Nurse. Please let Mrs. Marcato know once you have been fully vaccinated (i.e., received both shots, if your vaccine requires two doses) by sending her a picture of your vaccination card, so that she can exclude you from being contact-traced for the appropriate period of time.

Yes, all students who plan to be on campus for academic classes or extra-curricular events must continue to participate in testing regardless of vaccination status.

Yes, fully vaccinated individuals are still expected to follow New Jersey's quarantine guidelines after traveling to a restricted destination. 

No, not while you are at school. Although this is acceptable in a private setting, the rules for mask-wearing while on campus have not changed. You must wear a mask when in the presence of others, except if you are eating or outside and socially distanced.

Although these guidelines apply to all schools, in states like New Jersey where the regional risk is high (orange), the CDC continues to recommend 6 feet of physical distancing. 

No, the definition of a close contact has not changed. The CDC and the NJDOH continue to use proximity of 6 feet or less for more than 15 minutes to determine the need for quarantining persons in contact with a positive COVID-19 case.

Yes, students still need to eat with their advisory, regardless if they are eating inside or outside. 

Visit https://www.mbs.net/reopening/who-to-contact for a full list of contacts.

You should contact Boni Luna, Head of the Middle School, bluna@mbs.net, or Ryan Liese, Head of the Upper School, rliese@mbs.net.

All students, faculty and staff will have their temperature taken by a doorway scanner upon arrival each morning.   We are also requesting all students, faculty and staff to complete a daily wellness check prior to leaving for school each morning.  A checklist of symptoms to be mindful of are available on the COVID-19 information section of our website.
 

All families and students will sign a Community Health Pledge.  All information is being tracked by the nursing office and instructions to families will be done on an individual basis.  

No, we are not requiring students to be tested prior to school opening.

Due to the nature of our electives and course design, students will not be assigned into a pod. But we will utilize the pods during lunch and during athletics to help with contact tracing, since these activities will require students not to have masks on.

All MBS students will arrive at school with a face mask brought from home and labeled with their name. All faculty and staff will be required to wear a face covering in classrooms and common spaces. Students must wear masks at all times, except when eating lunch. Masks should be provided by the student; extra masks will be available in the Nurse’s Office in the event of loss or damage to a student’s mask. Students in flagrant violation of the School mask policy may be sent home.  PPE should be labeled with the owner’s name and worn properly at all times. Students, faculty, and staff will be instructed on proper mask use (including how to wear them and how to wash them each night) during orientation. Masks must fit properly and must not contain an exhaust valve, no gaiters, no bandanas.  All faculty and staff will be responsible for enforcing proper use of PPE among students.
 

Following a return to campus, MBS will implement the following standards of care for suspected cases of COVID-19:

• Isolating the student and monitoring temperature and symptoms
• Ensuring pick-up by a parent or emergency contact within one hour
• Having the Nurse’s Office staff escort the ill student to the car (when possible) to limit the number of visitors in the building
   

If a student, faculty member, or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, that student will be asked to isolate at home and MBS will close for 24 hours to allow for deep cleaning. Relevant local public health departments will be informed of the positive case and MBS will support their contact tracing efforts in a manner that respects privacy. Contact tracing includes an investigation of direct contacts (peers, teachers, siblings, or any individual seen face-to-face for a minimum of 15 minutes).

MBS is prepared to assist with contact-tracing activities. Each member of the student body has been identified by county, and the MBS Nurse’s Office has contacts in place with the relevant local health departments to receive the latest reports and recommendations.

Families will report positive cases to the Nurse, who will keep a confidential record to track students and coordinate return-to-school dates. Any students, faculty, and staff who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate at home for a minimum of 10 days, based on CDC recommendations.

If there is one positive case identified in school we will be closed for at least 24 hours for thorough cleaning. If there are two or more unrelated positive cases, school may be required to close for 14 days. We will consult with the Morris Township Department of Health to help guide our decisions.

Students who test positive for COVID-19 may only return to campus when the guidelines set out by the CDC and the State of New Jersey have been met. MBS policies will include: 

• Following local health department guidance for exclusion and return to school
• Requiring students wait at least 10 days after first symptoms appeared AND are symptom-free AND have gone 72 hours fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medication  
• Note: Those who test positive but show no symptoms must remain home for 10 days following the test
   

MBS will be creating social distancing on campus by physical distancing, wearing masks and plexiglass dividers between seats. Signage on campus will remind students of social distancing guidelines and hallways, doorways and stairwells have been changed to one direction where feasible.

If you are identified as a close contact by your local department of health, you should quarantine for the full 14 days.  The state of NJ does not allow you to return prior to this even with a negative test.  If you remain asymptomatic (no fever or symptoms) you may return after 14 days.  You are encouraged to get tested if at any point you become symptomatic.  If you test positive, you must remain home for a minimum of 10 days and be fever free and symptom free for 72 hours.

As of now we are not conducting regular testing of students and staff. 

Students who travel to states on the NJ quartaine list will have to self quarantine for 14 days before they can return to school. Please see the Community Health Pledge. 

Our goal is to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission by supplying the cleanest and highest quality air possible throughout campus. 

Key Efforts:

• High efficiency HVAC systems are in place in all buildings 
• Ducts in all buildings will be thoroughly cleaned prior to the start of school
• Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization Air Purification Systems and UV-C systems installed in all buildings will scrub the air and dramatically reduce the viral load in the air
   

MBS will provide deeper, more frequent cleaning and disinfecting throughout campus, with a focus on high-touch surfaces and shared equipment. Students will be asked to assume personal responsibility for their spaces.

Key efforts:

•  Classrooms will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected by our cleaning service at least once a day.
•  Students may be asked to wipe down tables/desks and plexiglass partitions at the start of each class. Wipes will be provided in each classroom.
•  High-touch surfaces (e.g., light switches, railings, door handles, faucets) will be covered with antimicrobial disinfectant tape that protects against germs and bacteria for three months. In addition, these surfaces will be cleaned throughout the day by the cleaning service.
•  In science classes, where students are handling lab equipment and other shared materials, students will wear nitrile gloves.
•  If lunch is eaten in the classrooms, students will wipe down the desks both before and after their lunch.
•  Shared computer equipment (e.g., keyboard, mouse) will be cleaned with wipes by students at the end of each class.
•  Water fountains/stations will continue to be sanitized regularly; we will cover/disable mouth dispensers so that only the bottle-filling option is available.

The broad design will be for students to eat in small groups rather than in a large, open space. To achieve this, students will eat with their advisory in the classroom until restrictions loosen. The advisory will be the only group that students are with while not wearing their masks, which will facilitate contact tracing in the event that a student tests positive for COVID-19. As restrictions loosen, we will look to move breakfast and lunch to a few centralized locations.

• All advisories will be assigned to an appropriate space that will allow for this. Advisories can also use outdoors spaces to have lunch.
• Lunches will be boxed in disposable containers and delivered to students’ Advisory classrooms or a nearby centralized pickup location at the beginning of each lunch shift. Lunches will be clearly labeled with each student’s name.
• Each week, the menu for the following week will be posted. We anticipate that there will be four to five choices each day. Selections will be limited to cold options for the first few weeks of school as we adjust to the new process.
• Students and faculty/staff will make their selections for the following week’s lunches in the lunch ordering app. We will be able to give parents who wish to make these choices for their children access to the app. Each week in Advisory, students will be reminded to go to the app and make their lunch choices for the following week.
• Faculty and staff will pick up their lunches in the dining hall, and they will be able to eat in the dining hall. Tables will be placed at the appropriate distance and there will only be four seats per table.
• Advisors will supervise lunch.
• Students will wipe down their table space both before and after eating lunch.
• Additional waste receptacles will be placed in centralized locations to facilitate lunch clean-up.
• Breakfast will be “grab-and-go” items only. Students will purchase breakfast items in the dining hall and then take them to their advisory rather than eating in the dining hall. Please note that students will not be permitted to eat during class or Study Hall.

 If a student feels like they need to bring their own lunch to school for dietary concerns, we ask that you please contact the division head prior to that.
 

Yes, we will reduce the number of stalls in each bathroom to reduce capacity. Capacity limits will be determined for the restrooms. If all stalls are occupied, students should wait outside the restroom until someone exits. Bathrooms without touchless faucets will be cleaned multiple times throughout the day. Disinfectant tape will be used on bathroom door handles. There will be signs in the restrooms and throughout campus reminding students about proper handwashing and hygiene.
 

Our aim is to use classroom spaces in a way that conforms with the applicable guidelines.

• Desks and tables in the classroom will face in the same direction.
• Wherever possible, seating will be spaced to allow for the recommended social distancing and/or use Plexiglass barriers.
• Spaces such as Kirby Chapel, the Boardroom, the Dining Hall, and gyms will be repurposed to serve as additional or alternative classroom spaces, as needed.
• Classes without sufficient space for the number of students will be relocated to an alternate space.
• Plexiglass barriers and signage will be installed around campus.
• Wherever possible, stairwells will be one-way. We will have adequate signage to reinforce this.
• Wherever possible, exterior doors will be designated for entrance or exit only.
   

• Juniors will park in the Senior Lot for the months of September and October so that the shuttle run will not be necessary.
• When used, Morristown-Beard athletic buses will be run at a reduced capacity to allow for appropriate physical distance between riders.
• When used, Morristown-Beard athletic buses will be cleaned twice each day (morning and afternoon).
• Buses contracted through Bel Air will be sufficiently large to allow for social distancing. Students will be expected to wear masks while riding the bus.
   

No, There will be no visitors allowed on campus for the month of September while we adjust to the new operations.

Bus service will run after school with a 3:15 departure and the late bus will run as well with a 6:00 departure time. 

Every classroom will have a supply of wipes. At the beginning of each class, wipes should be given to students so that they can wipe down their desk and plexi partition.

Yes, we have two large tents, 10 small tents, and 340 chairs for outdoor use. 

We will have staff members and the security staff in key locations each morning to manage the student traffic flow. Lunch will be delivered to the students advisory in order to reduce density issues in the dining hall. 

We have doubled the passing time between classes and created one way hallways and stairwells. Staff will be on hand at key locations to help manage the students’ movement in these spaces. 

To start the year, seniors and juniors will park in the senior lot. Currently, there are enough spaces to accommodate both groups. 

You should contact Boni Luna, Head of the Middle School, bluna@mbs.net, or Ryan Liese, Head of the Upper School, rliese@mbs.net.

We are asking families to complete the Voluntary Distance Learning form which indicates how they will attend classes for the first semester.  If the circumstances for a family changes, we ask that they please contact the division heads’ office to discuss how best to transition.

Teachers have adapted their plans by either front loading classroom instruction (mainly health topics), or (while the weather cooperates) holding classes outdoors and pursuing activities that allow for social distancing.

Students are required to wear masks during classes while indoors.

Yes, we have created spaces for outdoor classroom meetings. There will be several tents around campus, as well as outdoor seating areas. We have purchased WiFi hotspots to support student learning in these outdoor classrooms.

Yes, students that are healthy but learning remotely can attend after school extra-curricular events.

Yes, we are in the process of reimagining the first three days of school to allow for training in health and safety measures and community building. You will receive a letter from your division head with the details on Friday, Aug. 28th.

Details about the updated community service requirements will come out in late September.

Yes, MBS will be offering music, performing arts, and visual arts classes and programs. Program modifications are being developed to address the health and safety of our community and the details of these changes will be released from the specific departments.

We recognize that co-curricular activities (e.g., clubs, advisory, all-school meetings) and enrichment opportunities are a vital part of the MBS experience. It is our intention to offer our co-curricular activities and enrichment opportunities as planned, with modifications that address the health and safety of our community.

Casual attire is permitted, but to keep within the spirit of the dress code, the following guidelines should be followed:

Clothing and face coverings may not display any writing or images, with the exception of Morristown-Beard/Crimson attire. Garments that are solid in color and/or include small logos are also acceptable.  Shorts, skirts, dresses, and necklines must be modest and appropriate for school. Clothing must fit properly (not too loose or too tight). Hats may not be worn indoors (with the exception of head coverings worn in religious observance).

Students who have been approved for testing accommodations through the Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL) will continue to receive these accommodations whether they are participating from home or in-person. Exceptions may include accommodations that do not apply to the remote testing environment, such as alternative test locations for exams and quizzes. If you have questions about how accommodations are implemented remotely, Upper School families and students are encouraged to connect with CTL.