Preparing for the School Year
Ready for Fall 2020-21
Admiral Farragut Academy is committed to providing a safe environment for students and families for the 2020-2021 school year.
This picture was taken pre-pandemic.
Farragut offers open spaces and flexible options
Student health and safety are our top priorities on our spacious, park-like campus.
Through a partnership of board members, school leaders, teachers, and health experts, we are creating a bold plan for the new school year. The group, working as Farragut’s Re-Entry Committee, is prioritizing health, safety, and flexibility for both students and employees.
40-acre campus has space to spread
The plan is making good use of Farragut’s sizable waterfront location. The site is practically designed for social distancing. Consider:
- Most classrooms open directly to the outside (few interior corridors)
- Doors can/will remain open for extra ventilation as weather permits
- Teachers can hold outdoor classes year-round
- Classes are small
- We’ve added new spaces for student meals so they can spread out beyond the Mess Hall
- Solo activities include sailing, kayaking, and paddleboarding
This picture was taken pre-pandemic.
Strong Community Leadership
Under the direction of St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, Farragut’s hometown is being led through the pandemic by a caring City Council and a strong team of advisors, ranging from doctors to business leaders. St. Petersburg (known as the Sunshine City) is among the state’s leaders in reasoned and reasonable guidelines for work and play.
The Re-Entry Plan
Creating a Safe Environment
This picture was taken pre-pandemic.
Safety and wellness is top priority
Our commitment to the well-being of students, faculty, and staff is imperative.
- AFA’s protocols and policies follow the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines and direction from our state and local government
- Disinfectant dispensers and handwashing stations are strategically available throughout campus.
- Full-time health and medical staff is on-site
- Ongoing cleaning/sanitizing of shared spaces
- UV Lights installed in all air conditioning units (UV light destroys harmful microorganisms, including mold, mildew, fungi, bacteria, and viruses)
- The Student Health Center has been remodeled to quarantine boarding students if needed
- All but two campus gates will be closed between drop off/pick up
- Visitors — including parents — will be restricted to those who are essential and will be required to wear a face-covering and complete a health screening form
Hygiene is Paramount
- Daily campus cleaning/disinfection will follow strict protocols, including documentation of completion.
- Bathrooms and high touch areas will be cleaned twice a day by our cleaning staff.
- Each classroom will have adequate supplies to clean desks and chairs between classes.
- Teachers will be instructed on what “high-touch” areas should be cleaned frequently.
- Pump hand sanitizer stations have been placed in all classrooms, entrances, hallways, and Lower School carpool lines.
- Bathrooms will be monitored to ensure supplies are available for proper hand hygiene.
- Farragut-owned vehicles will be sanitized between drivers as well as daily.
- SAGE Dining will follow its comprehensive plan for disinfecting the Mess Hall.
- All SAGE employees will wear face coverings while in shared spaces (both indoors and outdoors) on campus and whenever social distancing is not possible.
- Students, faculty, and staff at the start of school will be educated on proper hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette. These valuable tools will be reinforced throughout the school year.
Health Measures
For Students and Families
Schoolwide Procedures
- All families must complete the Family Symptom Checker before arriving at school each day.
- There will be no Upper or Lower School field trips until it is deemed safe for the students to travel by bus or van.
- Large gatherings such as formation and drill are being reimagined to allow for social distancing. Gathering times will have proper procedures and protocols.
- Our nursing staff will monitor absenteeism to identify illness trends among students.
- As for competitive sports, we’ve suspended the 2020 football season. The status of other sports still is to be determined but if allowed, will follow as many guidelines as possible.
- Students are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottles, which may be filled at filtered-water dispensers throughout campus. Traditional water fountains will not be available.
Lower School Procedures
- Daily screening by families: A list of health screening questions will be provided for Farragut families to answer each school day. Answers of “no” to all questions mean it’s safe to bring their children to campus. The questions are not turned in. Rather, by bringing their children to campus, families are attesting that their children are illness/symptom-free. All faculty and staff opening doors and/or unbuckling/buckling students during the carline will wear a face covering and use hand sanitizer between cars.
- Students will need to have their own individual supplies.
- Grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 will be required to wear cloth face covering when:
- inside the classroom;
- in the Mess Hall/East Lounge/West Lounge or any other eating space while getting their meal prior to eating;
- in all employee offices; and
- outside when social distancing is not possible.
- Grades Pre-K and Kindergarten will wear masks in the same areas as grades 1-7 “as much as development will allow” per the AAP recommendations.
- As much as possible, students will be kept with the same classmates during the day — including recess and lunch.
- There will be no clustering of desks, and students will spread out wherever and whenever possible.
- All teachers will take advantage of the open campus and utilize the space for teaching opportunities that allow for social distancing and mask removal.
Upper School Procedures
- Daily screening by families: A list of COVID-19 related health screening questions will be provided for Farragut families to answer each school day. Answers of “no” to all questions mean it’s safe to bring their children to campus. The questions are not turned in. Rather, by bringing their children to campus, families are attesting that their children are illness/symptom-free.
- All Upper School cadets will wear a cloth face covering when:
- inside the classroom;
- in the Mess Hall/East Lounge/West Lounge while getting their meal prior to eating;
- in all employee offices; and
- outside when social distancing is not possible.
- All Upper School cadets will have assigned seats in class to allow for minimal exposure and ease of contact tracing in the event a student or teacher tests positive for COVID-19.
Boarding Life Procedures
- Upon arrival, boarding cadets will be assigned to a dorm room in Farragut Hall with another boarding cadet arriving within the same time frame. Boarding cadets will be limited to interacting with other cadets on his/her wing during the post travel quarantine time.
- Daily screening of boarding cadets: A list of COVID-19 health screening questions will be provided to each boarding student with instructions to report to the Student Health Center for evaluation should he/she answer yes to any of the questions. Cadets will also be asked at the formation prior to breakfast if they are experiencing symptoms related to COVID-19. Any cadet answering yes will be sent to the Student Health Center. In both instances, the nurse on duty will evaluate the cadet and take further action as deemed necessary.
- Family screening of 5-Day Boarders: A list of health screening questions will be provided to families of 5-Day Boarders to answer regarding boarding cadets. Answers of “no” to all questions mean it’s safe to bring their children to campus. The questions are not turned in. Rather, by bringing their children to campus, families are attesting that their children are illness/symptom-free. Any “yes” response should result in the affected Boarder remaining at home. In such a case, the family is required to notify the Director of Student Health and follow the CDC protocol for the return to school.
- Boarding cadets, for the foreseeable future, will be required to remain on campus at all times and may only be signed out to a parent or legal guardian. In signing out your child, we trust parents/guardians will continue all recommended precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while your child is away from Admiral Farragut Academy.
- Farragut-owned vehicles will be sanitized between drivers as well as daily
Faculty and Staff Procedures
- Daily employee self-screening. All faculty and staff will complete an attestation form regarding their current health prior to arrival on campus daily.
- All staff/faculty and students are expected to stay home if they are exhibiting any signs of illness. If symptoms arise during the school day, the individual will be sent home promptly.
- Our nursing staff will monitor absenteeism to identify any illness trends among employees.
- Employees must wear a face covering when around other people and it is not possible to socially distance (staying at least 6 feet from each other) whether inside or outside — but especially in any of the 3 Cs: Closed spaces, Close contact, and Crowds.
- Traditional eating spaces are reserved for students, NOT employees.
- Employees will limit the use of shared tools and equipment. When sharing is required, employees will clean tools and equipment before/after use.
Policies and Procedures for a Positive COVID-19 Case
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COVID-19 Decision/Exposure Tree
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Family symptom checker
Use this Daily
Before school each day, families are required to check their children for COVID-19 or illness symptoms. Please follow the guide below which was created by our Student Health Center.
Starting School
On Campus
We’re planning to start students on campus with the expectation that specific health and safety procedures will be followed.
Need an Additional Option?
If families are looking for an additional option, we would welcome the inquiry, as we have always accommodated distance learning students. Please contact the Admissions Office directly by email admissions@farragut.org or phone 727-384-5504.
Preparing for Interruptions
During the School Year
If our local community has a spike in COVID-19 cases or the state mandates campus closings, we will shift all day students to distance learning while boarding students will carry on with regular classroom instruction by our “on-campus” resident faculty and administration.
This picture was taken pre-pandemic.
For Academics
PreK-4th Grades: Follow the schedule of classroom teacher
5th-12th Grades: Varied schedules
- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: one set of classes
- Tuesday and Thursday: another set of classes
Boarding students would also be able to study with teachers who live on campus, while following social distancing.
For Boarding Students
Farragut will continue to be the home away from home.
- Ongoing support from up to 20 staff members (teachers, administrators, coaches) living on campus
- Normal daily schedule that includes class time, study halls, activities, and, as allowed, sports
- Campus infirmary
- Athletic facilities
- Waterfront access, including sailing vessels
- Restricted to our 40-acre campus, with no off-campus interactions
Contact Us
We look forward to providing a safe and healthy environment in this upcoming school year. For questions or concerns about the 2020-2021 school year, please contact our Admissions team.
Email: admissions@farragut.org
Phone: +1 (727) 384-5504
Fax: (727) 347-5160