2021-22 School Year Plan

List of 1 frequently asked questions.

List of 14 frequently asked questions.

  • School-Wide Health & Safety Measures

    The School will operate using the following policies and procedures:
    • Parents Perform a Health Screening of Their Child at Home*
    • Promote Good Hygiene: Frequent Hand Washing  & Use of Hand Sanitizer throughout the Day
    • Facial Coverings Required Indoors for All Students in Grades Pre-K to 6**
    • Social Distancing when Practical & General Cohorting in Grades Pre-K to 6
    • Nightly Deep Cleaning and Disinfection by Contracted Cleaning Company
    • Quarantines for COVID-19 Exposures Are Determined by Vaccination Status (see Responding to Symptoms, Illness, and Exposure question below).
    • Parents and Visitors Welcome to Campus, Adhering to All School Protocols
     
         *All children and employees are required to stay home if sick, exhibiting any COVID-19 symptoms, or if unvaccinated and there is a recently received positive COVID-19 diagnosis in the household.
     
         ** Facial coverings are not required for adults or students who are fully vaccinated (subject to change). Facial coverings are not allowed for children under 2 years of age.

  • Facilities Enhancements & Adjustments

    • The School will deep clean and disinfect nightly all classrooms, restrooms, and other campus spaces, including high-touch surfaces.
    • The School will continue its use of the UV light filtration system installed in HVAC throughout campus.
      • Studies from top biosafety testing facilities have shown that the ActivePure Technology® is effective against killing the COVID-19 virus indoors and is used in many facilities throughout the country, including hospitals.
    • The School’s campus is outfitted with no-touch bottle fillers for safe use for students to access drinking water.
    • The School will have an “isolated area” available for symptomatic cases on campus, if needed.
    • The Facilities Department will continue with the increased frequency of changing air filters.
    • Ongoing enhancements and adjustments to the physical plant will be made as needed to promote health and safety.

  • Typical Day: Green Trees

    • Symptom pre-screening at home.
    • Carpool:
      • Curbside drop-off: 7:30-8:00 a.m. 
      • Lobby drop-off: After 8:00 a.m. 
    • Students escorted to classroom by cohort teacher.
    School Day
    • Full Green Trees experience. 
    • Cohorts will be expanded to a larger, developmentally appropriate group, similar to a grade level.
    • Lunch in classroom.
    • "Outside time" with class and age-level cohort.
    Departure
    • Carpool:
      • Curbside pick-up: 3:00-3:30 p.m.
      • Lobby pick-up: After 3:30 p.m.
    • Later Gators available until 5:30 p.m.

  • Typical Day: Lower School

    • Symptom pre-screening at home.
    • Morning care starting at 7:15 a.m.
    • 8:00 a.m. start
    • Facial coverings are required indoors for all students grades Pre-K through 6. When outside, facial coverings may be removed.
    School Day
    • Full Lower School curriculum with students engaging in specialized classes daily. 
    • Grade level cohorts.
    • Lunch:
      • Served in classrooms for Pre-K through grade 3.
      • 4th & 5th grade students will eat in the Dining Hall.
    • Recess with grade level cohort.
    Departure
    • 3:00 p.m. dismissal
    • After 3 available until 5:30 p.m. (pre-registration required)
      • Specialist classes
      • Private music lessons available
      • Directed study
      • Curbside pick-up

  • Typical Day: Middle School

    • Symptom pre-screening at home.
    • Campus opens at 7:15 a.m. 
    • 8:20 a.m. start
    • Facial coverings are required indoors for all students in grade 6. Facial coverings are not required for adults or students in grade 7 or higher who are fully vaccinated.* 
    • Individuals who are not vaccinated should wear a facial covering while indoors on campus. 
    • We support anyone deciding to wear a facial covering.
    School Day
    • Existing curriculum with our full complement of arts and athletic offerings. 
    • Students will generally remain with grade level where practical. 
    • Block schedule of eight 80-minute periods over two days, with rotation. 
    • Lunch returns to the Dining Hall. 
    • Recess with grade level cohort. 
    Departure
    • 2:50 p.m. dismissal
      • 3:00-4:00 p.m. Athletic practices 
      • All students must depart campus before 5:30 p.m. 

    * Subject to change

  • Typical Day: Upper School

    Arrival
    • Symptom pre-screening at home.
    • Campus opens at 7:15 a.m.
    • 7:45-8:15 a.m. Extra Help 
    • 8:20 a.m. start 
    • Facial coverings are not required for adults or students 12 years of age and older who are fully vaccinated.* 
    • Individuals who are not vaccinated should wear a facial covering while indoors, on campus.  
    • We support anyone deciding to wear a facial covering.  
    School Day
    • Existing curriculum with our full complement of arts and athletic offerings. 
    • Block schedule of eight 80-minute periods over two days, with rotation. 
    • Lunch returns to the Dining Hall. 
    • Scheduled free blocks, unstructured for Juniors and Seniors. 
    Departure
    • 3:00 p.m. dismissal
    • 3:00-4:00 p.m. Activity Period/Extra Help 
    • Athletic practices/matches
    • All students must depart campus before 5:30 p.m. 

    * Subject to change

  • Arts & Athletics

    Arts
    • Full complement of performing and visual arts courses. 
    • Traditional activities including instrumental and vocal concerts, gallery showings, plays, musicals, and dance performances will be scheduled during the year with health and safety guidelines in place.
    Athletics
    • Newman will offer a meaningful athletic experience for both Middle and Upper School student-athletes. We will follow guidance and recommendations from the NFHS, LHSAA, NOAL, in concert with other independent schools in the city, state, and region.
    • Upper School students will be exempt from PE if they participate in a school-sponsored athletic program.

  • Supporting Students on Campus and Plans for Quarantine

    We believe that there is no substitute for students learning in the classroom with their teachers and peers. For the 2021-22 School Year, Newman will not offer families a remote learning option.

    Students who are absent from school for reasons associated with COVID-19 (isolation due to a positive case or quarantine due to exposure) will be supported in the following manner, by division:

    Green Trees
    • Remote learning opportunities are available for children whose entire cohort are at home due to a COVID-19 exposure on campus. 
    • These opportunities will include synchronous and asynchronous learning and office hours with teachers.
    Lower School
    • Remote learning opportunities are available for children whose entire cohort are at home due to a COVID-19 exposure on campus. 
    • The grade-level team will support students in remote learning, similarly to the remote learning program in the 2020-21 school year. This schedule and specifics will be communicated to families at that time.
    • Classwork and homework assignments will be provided to families through each child's homeroom teacher via Seesaw (Pre-K-3), Google Classroom (grades 4-5), and/or email correspondence for individual students who need to quarantine for exposures that occur off campus.
    Middle and Upper School
    • Students who are absent from school for reasons associated with COVID-19 (isolation due to positive case or quarantine due to exposure), will have access to assignments on iNewman and may contact teachers via email or iNewman messages to ask questions or seek extra help, in the same way they typically have for medical or excused absences.

  • Food Service

    Newman will continue our partnership with SAGE Dining Services to provide a lunch for all students, faculty, and staff for the 2021-22 school year.

    • Lunch will be served to Green Trees, pre-kindergarten, and kindergarten students in their classrooms throughout the school year. Students in these younger grades benefit from eating with their classmates in the classroom environment where teachers may carefully observe, monitor, and encourage healthy eating practices, as well as provide additional time for our youngest students to complete their meals.
    • At this time, first through third grade students will have their lunches delivered to their classrooms in order to allow grade level cohorts to remain in place and students time to enjoy their lunch as a class. The School will continue its formal ordering process to provide these students with a choice for their lunch items to include a hot lunch, sandwich, or salad.
    • Fourth through twelfth grade students will resume eating their lunch in the Dining Hall. 
    • Fourth and fifth grade students will dine in the Dining Hall with a staggered entrance and exit schedule. They will remain with their grade-level cohort in a designated seating arrangement throughout their meal.
    • The School will not serve breakfast until further notice.
    • All students are encouraged to bring a labeled, reusable water bottle from home for hydration. Touchless water filling stations are available for water bottle refills across campus.

  • Newman Plus

    After 3 and Later Gators respectively are our Lower School and Green Trees afterschool programs. Each program will be operating from the regular school day dismissal until 5:30 p.m.

    • Both programs will offer enrichment activities and Specialist classes. In-person private music lessons will be offered to kindergarten through 5th grade students.
    • After 3 in the Lower School will follow a schedule that includes choice-based activities, recess, and snack. When possible, each group will move in their same cohort to an appropriate outdoor or indoor space for recess or active play.
    • Pre-K through 3rd grade students will remain in their grade-level cohorts.
    • 4th and 5th grade students will cohort together for some afterschool activities.
    • Later Gators for infants through age four at Green Trees will include classroom activities, snack, and gross motor activities. Children will remain in their school day cohorts.  We will maximize outdoor time when possible.
    • Registration for enrichment activities, Specialist classes, or private music lessons includes the ability to stay in After 3 or Later Gators from the regular school day dismissal until 5:30 p.m. Childcare is not available beyond 5:30 p.m.
    • Registration is online and limited to a first-come, first-served basis.

  • Responding to Symptoms, Illness, and Exposure

    Click the image below to expand.

    Click the image below to expand.

  • Student Support

    Newman’s robust Student Support system remains available to all students and families to address a variety of social-emotional and physical health needs, and to provide learning support. We know the Student Support team will continue to be vital during the 2021-22 school year. Please refer to the parent resource board in iNewman for a variety of helpful resources.

    Student Support at Newman

    • Classroom (Green Trees), Homerooms (Lower School), Advisory (Middle & Upper School)
    • Philipson Health Center
    • Counseling/ Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Support
    • Learning Support (Academic Resource Lab, Learning Center)
    • Office of Community and Inclusion

  • More Information

    Families can access more detailed information including specific health and safety protocols on our Framework for Mitigation & Health Protocols page. Common questions are answered on the Frequently Asked Questions page.

    We will communicate frequently around updates to protocols and operational adjustments. Please reach out to the school (see "Important Contacts") should you have specific questions or concerns.

  • Important Contacts

    • Head of School – Dale M. Smith (Angelina Catalanotto)  504.896.6318
    • Associate Head of School – Deena Carey (Angelina Catalanotto) 504.896.6318
    • Assistant Head of School for Enrollment Management – Jennifer Rosen (Corne Eksteen) 504.896.6323
    • Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations – Jennifer Wollfarth (Linda Norman) – 504.896.6326
    • Green Trees – Jenny Flinn (Mandy Okoye) 504.896.6440
    • Lower School – Kay Mason (Susan Roskind) 504.896.6351 
    • Middle School – Elizabeth Ecker (Jané Dorsey) 504.896.6409
    • Upper School – Erik Cooper (Amanda Livaudais) 504.896.6330
    • Athletic Office – Patrick Summerour (Erin Brennan) 504.896.6381
    • Technology Helpdesk – Erin O’Brien, Travis Blotsky, Christina O’Dell helpdesk@newmanschool.org
    • Health Center – Erin Friend, Dan Pellerito 504.896.6386
    • Counselors – Courtney Costello (LS), Kelly Anderson (MS), Michelle Goehring (US) Call Division Office
    • Newman Plus – Alex Smith, Tova Steele 504.896.6297
    • Office of Community and Inclusion – Kim Causey 504.896.6364
    • Health and Wellness Program Manager– Marci Reichert MarciReichert@newmanschool.org
Click here to download the Plan in PDF form.
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Our Mission: Newman inspires individual growth and academic excellence within an inclusive community committed to strong relationships and high expectations.

Guiding Principles

Newman’s Core Values of honesty​, kindness​, respect​, responsibility.

Motto: Discimus Agere Agendo – ​"We learn to do by doing." 

Adhere to the Principles for Civil Discourse.

Follow guidance from local, state, and national health officials and adjust plan as needed.
 


A Healthy & Strong Community

These challenging times are an opportunity for the Newman community to come together in mutual care for one another and for the School. We are grateful for the trust you place in Newman, and for your partnership as we work to provide for a safe return to campus.

The success of the 2021-22 school year will depend on every community member's cooperation with health and safety guidelines both on and off campus. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out. (Important contacts are listed on the left-hand side of this page.)
1903 Jefferson Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70115
Phone: 504.899.5641
Fax: 504.896.8597
Open 7:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday
An independent,
co-educational,
non-denominational day
school in New Orleans for
early childhood through 12th grade