(609) 924-8120 info@lewisschool.org

March 29, 2020

Mar 30, 2020

LEWIS SCHOOL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Spring Semester 2021 Return to Campus

Strategic Re-entry Plan (SRP)

Head of School's Letter, Monday, January 18, 2021

Extended and Post-Extended Spring Break

The goodness, sacrifice, and ingenuity of the American people are breathtaking. We all have reason to be thankful and to gather hope for irradiant days to come. Meanwhile the impact of COVID-19 is increasingly unpredictable and threatening. Information from state and federal authorities continues to raise concern over coherent containment policies and the possible risk of seasonal COVID-19.

The Lewis School remains steadfast and calm. However, it is imperative that we implement a reasonable, measured strategic plan and procedures that can readily be put into action in response to any potential situation that may arise from the unfolding story of COVID-19.

Our Strategic Action Plan is flexible. Lewis School faculty, facilities staff and administrators began preparing for COVID-19 two months ago and we are ready for the challenges and the opportunities ahead of us.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE

           In alliance with many New Jersey private schools, colleges and universities, and out of an abundance of caution and concern for the safety of our students, teachers, school and the Princeton Community, and in the likely event the COVID-19 virus is smarter, more persistent and resilient than we may know, The Lewis School will remain closed through Friday, May 22, 2020, the end of fourth quarter classes or until further notice. In the unlikely event that this may change, you will be notified well in advance.

COVID-19 Strategic Action Plan Overview

  • Phase I – covers students’ multisensory education for a period of three weeks during the current Extended Spring Break, Monday, March 30, 2020 – Friday, April 17, 2020. Parents and students were provided hard-copy education packets for this period on Thursday, February 27, 2020.  (See 1st day back guidelines attached.)
  • Phase II – covers students’ multisensory education via distance and selective remote learning, e-mail, regular mail, telephone and hard copy study packets for the period of five weeks during Post Extended Spring Break, from Monday, April 20, 2020 – Friday, May 22, 2020, the end of fourth quarter. This phase is flexible as needed.
  • Phase III – covers the anticipated return to The Lewis School campus, for a period of four weeks during Expanded, Full-Day Summer Study, currently scheduled to begin on Monday, June 22, 2020 through at least Friday, July 17, 2020.  Phase III also provides a full-day Summer Study schedule and has built-in, flexible start dates if they are needed because of COVID-19 – Mondays on June 22, July 6 or July 13, 2020. All starts cover at least a four-week period of full day schooling.
  • Phase IV – covers Afterschool Extended Day Education: Academic Tutorials, Enrichment, Speech programs and more for the following periods: Phase I – Monday, March 20, 2020 – Friday, April 17, 2020 and Phase II – Monday, April 20, 2020 – Friday, May 22, 2020 and Phase III – Monday, June 22, 2020 – Friday, July 17, 2020. Phase IV also projects plans for the month of August, 2020.

Recognizing that the Internet and telephone networks are already experiencing stress and intermittent interruption in some states, The Lewis School will be interacting with its students and parents using a variety of technologies: e-mail; regular mail; teacher reinforced learning by telephone for students with significant auditory or speech processing issues; targeted remote instruction via Zoom, Google Meets and Skype; and drive-through, pick-up of hard copy education packets when needed or indicated as a best practice.

PHASE I
Extended Spring Break: Protocols and Guidelines for Parents and Students

Monday, March 30 – Friday, April 17, 2020

Our regularly scheduled Spring Break has come to an end bringing unforgettable challenge and change into our lives. No matter how unsettling disruption may be, however, it provides new opportunities for us to learn, create, discover, and better understand who and where we really are in the stunning process called life.

The faculty and I are happy and relieved to be back in touch with our families and students and we are ready to go to work. Students already have the individualized multisensory learning packets they need for the next three weeks of study.

The appropriate completion of work will earn students the academic credit required for this period of Extended Spring Break, Monday, March 30, 2020 – Friday, April 17, 2020.  Grades and course credits for academic year, 2019-2020, and placement for 2020-2021, are discussed in detail in future e-mails.

Course work, instructions and guidance for the projected Post Extended Spring Break education period between Monday, April 20, 2020, and Friday, May 22, 2020, will be forwarded to you and detailed in upcoming e-mails.

Click here for preliminary, daily schedules that parallel each student’s regular class rotations already in place at The Lewis School. The schedules have been standardized to permit maxim opportunity for teachers to work with students’ distance and remote learning. Specific guidance for academic management and support will follow shortly including school-teacher recommended reading and discovery learning sites.  Teachers will also provide individual feedback on a regular basis in this regard.

This proposed schedule reflects students’ typical daily class rotations. The schedule has been standardized for at-home, distance learning. Parents may make multiple copies of the proposed schedule.

Specific Home Study guidelines will be forwarded on-going. They will address issues such organization, appropriate age and academic level expectations regarding the time spent on each assignment, and the sequence of work, for example.

Speech and Language, Music, Art, Mad Science and Enrichment
Parents and students were provided hard-copy packets for Speech and Language, Art and Music on Friday, February 27, 2020. The schedule for these courses will be sent to you on Wednesday, April 1, 2020. We look forward to including Mad Science and more STEM-STREAM programs as we move forward and adapt them for Lewis Multisensory Learning Approaches.

*Breaks
Breaks can be positive downtime for the brain but not time on a screen when you are trying to learn actively and permanently. Be active. Be interested. Be inventive. Get up off the chair. Feed the dog. Walk outside. Breathe in. Relax. Don’t rush but get back to task. Be intentional. Be brief and aware of the time needed for a specific break activity and stick to it.

“Avoidance” and “Screen Time” do not constitute breaks. They are unproductive distractions and anxiety producing environments when attempting to learn actively and permanently.

Make screen time count for something. Use it for research and really positive, new discovery learning. “It’s incredible out there” in ways many of us are oblivious to or have only imagined.

Distance and Remote Learning
A Little Preliminary Guidance and Strategy for Students and Parents

  • Single parents or mom and dad together should set and mutually agree on academic schedules and structure; routines and expectations; and free time, with your children’s input. Feedback and support from grandparents where possible can be a terrific help. Parents together must be the “Alpha” source.
  • All members of the family community should respect and follow through with the mutual agreements.
  • Family contracts can be drawn up if you think they might help. We are not convinced they do. No contract is worth much however, without a complete rack of seriously committed signatures even if you are a Philadelphia lawyer.
  • NO WORK or STUDY, NONE, in your bedrooms; noisy, distractive environments; within ear shot of the TV; or near a bank of devices!
  • Keep work-study places, spaces, packets and assignments organized and uncluttered.
  • Post a schedule, put up notes and Post-Its for yourselves and each other like reminders, thank you or just something that’s positive.
  • Reference your packets for content and instructions before moving on to your next work session/class.

Take time for joy, delight, surprise and pondering.
Find time for laughter, love and kindness.
Imagine fear and anxiety as a smile.
Then, make time to smile often!

All the Best,
Marsha Gaynor Lewis

This document and its contents are the exclusive and sole intellectual property of, and trade secrets of, Marsha Gaynor Lewis, and are developed and authored by Marsha Gaynor Lewis, and may not be duplicated in part or whole or in any way otherwise utilized without the express written permission of Marsha Gaynor Lewis.

© 2021 Marsha Gaynor Lewis. All Rights Reserved.

Coronavirus Updates

As we continue to closely monitor and assess information from federal, state and local agencies, medical experts, research sources, private and public schools, and local colleges and universities, we will provide timely information that relates to parents, students, and faculty at our school.

Important Information

Please open the topics below by clicking on the "+" button.

ACT and SAT Administration

Please review the following updated information and plan accordingly where applicable.

• Students scheduled for the SAT and the SAT Subject Tests have completed them and are in receipt of Official Reports or soon will be. Please notify us at info@lewissschool.org if you do not have official SAT results as of April 15, 2020.

• ACT college entrance exams have been postponed and rescheduled. Lewis School proctors, students and their families who are impacted by the changes have been contacted and apprised of the new schedules.

• Dates for the administration of the ACT have been confirmed and approved by the ACT testing service. The ACT begins on Wednesday, June 17 or Wednesday, June 24, 2020 respectively. Students must arrive at The Lewis School at 8:00 am promptly.

Current College-Bound Student Applications - Status and Inquiries

• Students who need guidance regarding the current status of their college applications, teacher recommendations or letters of a academic accommodation, or who have other specific questions, concerns or remaining issues to be resolved, can contact Roslind Hansen, Andrew Black or Mrs. Lewis for help and clarification at info@lewisschool.org.

Students and parents may also leave voice messages regarding college application status at (609)-924-8120. They will be retrieved daily by Annie Adams, Main Office Coordinator, and forwarded appropriately.

• As of Tuesday, March 31, 2020 students and parents may contact college advisors through their new e-mail addresses at The Lewis School.

• Delayed ACT and standardized, *End-of Year Test results (EOYT) will not negatively impact students' applications to college. Most colleges are implementing modifications or interim waivers to accommodate these pending issues.

• As reported on March 18, 2020, delayed ACT and standardized, *End of Year Testing, (EOYT) results will not negatively impact Lewis School approved college applicants who have been accepted to, or are applying to "for-credit" summer programs and internships at other private schools, colleges and universities.

• Many programs are implementing modifications because of the COVID-19 disruption. *EOYT will be discussed in detail in upcoming e-mails.

Students Applying to College for Academic Year 2020-2021 - Application Process and Preparation

• In-depth preparation for the College Application Process typically begins in earnest, the week after Spring Break in early April each year and continues until applications reflect the best character and ability in each student and all deadlines are met.

• A succession of separate e-mails detailing the step-by-step application process including how to rough-draft preliminary College Resumes and Essays will be forwarded on or before Thursday, April 2, 2020 to begin.

• Advisors Roslind Hansen and David Lewis will be available on a regular schedule to be announced and will arrange individual instruction and feedback sessions with students via e-mail, telephone and remotely where appropriate. Administrative support staff, Mr. Black and Mrs. Lewis will also be available during scheduled hours to be announced.

• Students applying to college for 2020-2021 who have fulfilled the New Jersey State graduation requirements and have completed the required preparatory Lewis education for graduation, will be contacted personally by Roslind Hansen or David Lewis, and as appropriate, by administrative support staff, Mr. Black and Mrs. Lewis.

• Homeroom teachers, Mrs. Dark, Ms. Herman and Mrs. Leiggi will also be available at regular hours for guidance and feedback with college essays where appropriate.

• The application process will remain essentially student-driven as always with reliable and increased, robust support from all of us at Lewis.

• Colleges across the country are working with schools and applicants to help accommodate and resolve any issues arising from the COVID-19 disruption.

• It is important that students and parents are aware that The Lewis School expects to administer End od Year Standardized Testing during full-day, Summer Study sessions which begin on Monday, June 22, 2020. These evaluations and test results will be forwarded to colleges if independent, out-of-school evaluations are unavailable.

All administrative questions that students or their parents may have regarding ACT/SAT reports, transcripts, deadlines or the status of a student's application must be forwarded only to the attention of Mr. Black and Mrs. Lewis at info@lewisschool.org, not to advisors or teachers.

College Advisors and participating teachers have their hands full under normal circumstances when guiding our students through the critical academic aspects of their applications - essays, resumes, other narrative responses or inclusions, and where appropriate, various portfolios. Also important is to make sure that we help our students manage the floating anxiety typically associated with going to college. This is likely to be especially challenging now as the result of distance and remote instruction and feedback.

We are absolutely up to the challenge but will count on our parents' mindful and respectful discretion to help ensure that all of our teachers and advisors can focus all of their attention on the students' preparation and needs!

Communicating During the COVID-19 Disruption after Monday, March 30, 2020

• Lewis School parents and our community stakeholders can expect an increase in e-mail communications ongoing regarding a broad range of information and support.

• Temporary e-mail addresses have been set up for all teachers and instructors at The Lewis School. Parents can e-mail their children's teachers on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm beginning on Monday, March 30, 2020 through Friday, May 22, 2020, if the school is still on hiatus.

• Mr. Black, Associate Registrar and Senior Master Mathematics Instructor will forward the teachers' interim e-mail addresses to parents on Thursday, March 26, 2020.

• Faculty and instructors' e-mails are available only and exclusively for questions regarding guidance, clarification and support related to students' daily home study and work assignments.

• Teachers are ready and eager to help parents and students with schoolwork planning and management. They especially encourage students to e-mail questions of their own.

• On Tuesday, March 31, 2020, all teachers of The Lewis School will begin calling their homeroom students. We are looking forward to reconnecting with students personally to lift their spirits and to see how they are feeling generally and coping with the apprehension of unexpected change and distancing.

• There is no more powerful connection to be made between human beings than through the physical sound, emotional intelligence and reassurance of human speech and voice.

• We will all see each other again at school in the not too distant future. In the mean time, we want our students to know we are thinking about them, we love them and we are here for them. They can count on that.

• Parents of Afternoon Enrichment and Tutorial students and Extended Day students placed by districts may leave messages for Director of Extended Day Education, Cindy Stewart at info@lewisschool,org.

• Messages regarding all Main Office records and administrative requests may be left at info@lewisschool.org. We will respond as promptly as possible.

• Families calling with regard to general enrollment, reenrollment or a student's projected class placement (where determined) for academic year 2020-2021 must contact the school at info@lewisschool.org.

• Messages related district placement, financial matters, tuition payment schedules and accounts, contracts and other financial issues may be left for CFO, Ann Zawartkay at ann.zawartkay@lewisschool.org.

Admissions and New Parent Communication During COVID-19 Disruption

• New families applying to the Lewis School and those who are currently in the admissions process must direct inquiries regarding the status of applications or placement for Summer Study and Fall Semester to our voice mail at 609-924-8120.

• Parents or students wishing to speak to David Stier or Chantra Reinman in Admissions must leave messages on The Lewis School's voice mail at 609-924-8120 beginning Monday, March 30, 2020.

• All 609-924-8120 Voice Mail will be retrieved daily by Annie Adams, Main Office Managing Coordinator, and forwarded to the appropriate administrators.

Postponed, Rescheduled and Cancelled Events through Friday May 22, 2020

• End of Year and Standardized Testing, Thursday, April 2, 2020 - rescheduled for summer administration

• Open House and Coffee, Saturday, April 18, 2020 - cancelled, will be rescheduled

• Topics and Trends in Education and Earth Day, Wednesday, April 18, 2020 - cancelled, Topics and Trends will be rescheduled

• Upper School Theater Ensemble, April 24, 2020 - cancelled, may be rescheduled

• Parent-Teacher Conferences beginning on Monday, April 30, 2020 to be reorganized

• Field Day, Wednesday May 6, 2020 - cancelled, may be scheduled for summer

• Lower School Play, Thursday, May 7, 2020 - cancelled

• Upper School Prom, Friday, May 8, 2020 - cancelled

• Athletic Banquet, Thursday, May 14, 2020 - cancelled, may be rescheduled

• Open House and Coffee, Saturday, May 16, 2020 - cancelled, will be rescheduled

Graduation and Awards Ceremonies

Currently, Upper School Graduation and Awards, and the Middle and Lower School Awards ceremonies remain as scheduled for Thursday, May 21, 2020 and Friday, May 22, 2020, respectively. Both of these very special events in the lives of our students may have to be reorganized if that is necessary or possible. The final decision will be made based on the unfolding impact of New Jersey's COVID-19 disruption.

What to Expect in Future E-mails

Look for COVID-19 Emergency Planning Information regarding the following:

1. Post-Extended Break Educational and Administrative Contingencies
2. Possible Modifications to School Calendar/School Year, SAIL and Summer Study
3. Academic Credit for 2019-2020
4. Graduation and Awards Ceremonies
5. Extending Summer Study to full days
6. Summer Administration of End of Year and Standardized Testing
7. End of Year and Standardized Testing and Exams

First Day Back? How to Begin on Monday Morning?
EXPECT A CALL FROM YOUR CHILD'S HOME ROOM TEACHER BEGINNING AT 7:30 AM, MONDAY MORNING

CONTENT TEACHERS AND INSTRUCTORS WILL BE CALLING AFTER 1:30 PM, MONDAY AFTERNOON
 

  • See the proposed "class schedule" attached. Working on packet assignments begins (should begin) promptly at 8:30 am for all students of the school.
  • "Patience over Time" is a mantra that will help set schedules and put routines in place. Don't expect too much too soon. Always expect the best and appreciate that to start.

53 Bayard Lane
Princeton, NJ 08540

Voice: (609) 924-8120
Fax: (609) 924-5512

© The Lewis School of Princeton

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March 27, 2020

Mar 27, 2020

LEWIS SCHOOL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Spring Semester 2021 Return to Campus

Strategic Re-entry Plan (SRP)

Head of School's Letter, Monday, January 18, 2021

Dear Parents, Students and Members of The Lewis Community,        

I hope the recent e-mails have been helpful and informative. Warmest “hellos” and “air-high-fives” are sent to every one of our students. We believe in you, miss you and are proud of your accomplishments! Deep appreciation is extended to every member of our amazing faculty, staff and administrative team, and especially during this COVID-19 disruption, to Associate Registrar, Andrew Black, Admissions Coordinator, Annie Adams and CFO, Ann Zawartkay.

  Preliminary, daily schedules that parallel each student’s regular rotation of classes that are already in place at The Lewis School will be sent on Saturday, March 28, 2020 and/or Sunday, March 29, 2020. Suggestions for academic management and support will follow shortly. 

Early next week, you will receive The Lewis School COVID-19 Strategic Action Plan – Phases I, II, III, and IV covering the period from Monday, April 20, 2020 through Wednesday, September 2, 2020. The school is finalizing a flexible strategic plan for the near and foreseeable future. Please keep current with the influx of e-mails from The Lewis School and close-read each for detailed updates and guidance to share with family members.

Families should schedule time to review and share information from the school with children and grandparents on a regular basis. We hope you agree. Reading together as a family benefits everybody and will keep important connections between teachers and the school vivid and in place for our students.

We ask everyone to read the school’s e-mails on computers not cell phones. Use larger monitors or screens if you have them. A Smart-TV will work well as a big screen if you have an HDMI cord, not only for e-mails but also for upcoming remote learning. Streaming e-mails through your television is a more complex alternative that some students and parents may want to consider.

For example, if you are using a monitor with a 27″ screen or smaller, it generally helps to enlarge the document – but no more than 155% of its original size – especially for family or group reading. This guideline can be used as a baseline and adapted proportionally to accommodate most readers’ visual acuity and the size of the screen. Accommodations like these can help to enhance long-term reading mastery and skills of visual recognition, visual decoding-encoding and working visual memory. Over-enlarging print is not advised.

Reading aloud is absolutely encouraged for each person in the group – one or two sentences at a time for children who are learning to master the skills, and short paragraphs for more accomplished readers. Fluent readers should do most of the reading. Choose less complex text for children. When someone hesitates or stumbles, repeat the difficult word or phrase aloud and carry on immediately. The content of our e-mails will be as user friendly as possible for students but we count on parental discretion and patient guidance.

 

Notes of Explanation for Parents and Students About Visual Formatting Options for Reading Text on the Computer
(In Anticipation of “Flexible Distance and Remote Learning”)

Enlarging Text Size

For some readers, using print that is larger but not overly large, and making simple changes like justifying the text to eliminate gaps in the narrative can make reading a more effective, positive experience when applied over time. Modifications like these can help to center “reading attention and memory”. They can reinforce visual tracking and encourage effective fluency and pace. Comprehension is also likely to be impacted and the need to reread passages repeatedly, diminished.

Why Use the “Justify” Icon and not “Justify All”?

Both the left and right borders of the text here and in other e-mails from The Lewis School are justified. This is intentional and a technique we encourage our students to use in their hand written drafts and for final assignments they generate on their devices.

            This particular strategy will seem incidental to some users but it tends to limit possible confusion, inattention or processing hesitation in the reader’s right-peripheral visual field, (the right-hand side of the page), where the actual end of a line of words changes throughout a paragraph.

The simple justify strategy helps to create greater predictability and uniformity in brain’s receptive visual environments of reading. Justify also eliminates disruptive gaps in the linear text that are created when using justify all.

At Lewis this kind of reader’s hesitation is referenced as a momentary “brain break or stutter or brain stuttering”©. The brain takes short visual breaks caused by the stop-start distraction that unnatural gaps in the text create. When attempting to read a line of words smoothly, some students can’t override the abnormal gaps between words and are often frustrated because the justify all formatting likely promotes visual processing instability.

Simple, straightforward techniques can set meaningful limits or guidelines for language processing, establishing more reliable visual recognition, sequencing, organization and retention ability, as well as the expectation of strategies that are routine and consistent when the written word is being processed as reading. However, developing these good habits among students often proves to be a lesson learned with difficulty.

Take Time to Read and Share Together.
Make the Difference that Protects and Saves Lives.
Practice “Absolute Social Distancing”! It’s Physical. It’s Difficult.
It’s Ten Feet of Sacrifice.
Be Present. Be Caring. Stay Patient

Best Regards,
Marsha Gaynor Lewis

This document and its contents are the exclusive and sole intellectual property of, and trade secrets of, Marsha Gaynor Lewis, and are developed and authored by Marsha Gaynor Lewis, and may not be duplicated in part or whole or in any way otherwise utilized without the express written permission of Marsha Gaynor Lewis.

© 2021 Marsha Gaynor Lewis. All Rights Reserved.

Coronavirus Updates

As we continue to closely monitor and assess information from federal, state and local agencies, medical experts, research sources, private and public schools, and local colleges and universities, we will provide timely information that relates to parents, students, and faculty at our school.

Important Information

Please open the topics below by clicking on the "+" button.

ACT and SAT Administration

Please review the following updated information and plan accordingly where applicable.

• Students scheduled for the SAT and the SAT Subject Tests have completed them and are in receipt of Official Reports or soon will be. Please notify us at info@lewissschool.org if you do not have official SAT results as of April 15, 2020.

• ACT college entrance exams have been postponed and rescheduled. Lewis School proctors, students and their families who are impacted by the changes have been contacted and apprised of the new schedules.

• Dates for the administration of the ACT have been confirmed and approved by the ACT testing service. The ACT begins on Wednesday, June 17 or Wednesday, June 24, 2020 respectively. Students must arrive at The Lewis School at 8:00 am promptly.

Current College-Bound Student Applications - Status and Inquiries

• Students who need guidance regarding the current status of their college applications, teacher recommendations or letters of a academic accommodation, or who have other specific questions, concerns or remaining issues to be resolved, can contact Roslind Hansen, Andrew Black or Mrs. Lewis for help and clarification at info@lewisschool.org.

Students and parents may also leave voice messages regarding college application status at (609)-924-8120. They will be retrieved daily by Annie Adams, Main Office Coordinator, and forwarded appropriately.

• As of Tuesday, March 31, 2020 students and parents may contact college advisors through their new e-mail addresses at The Lewis School.

• Delayed ACT and standardized, *End-of Year Test results (EOYT) will not negatively impact students' applications to college. Most colleges are implementing modifications or interim waivers to accommodate these pending issues.

• As reported on March 18, 2020, delayed ACT and standardized, *End of Year Testing, (EOYT) results will not negatively impact Lewis School approved college applicants who have been accepted to, or are applying to "for-credit" summer programs and internships at other private schools, colleges and universities.

• Many programs are implementing modifications because of the COVID-19 disruption. *EOYT will be discussed in detail in upcoming e-mails.

Students Applying to College for Academic Year 2020-2021 - Application Process and Preparation

• In-depth preparation for the College Application Process typically begins in earnest, the week after Spring Break in early April each year and continues until applications reflect the best character and ability in each student and all deadlines are met.

• A succession of separate e-mails detailing the step-by-step application process including how to rough-draft preliminary College Resumes and Essays will be forwarded on or before Thursday, April 2, 2020 to begin.

• Advisors Roslind Hansen and David Lewis will be available on a regular schedule to be announced and will arrange individual instruction and feedback sessions with students via e-mail, telephone and remotely where appropriate. Administrative support staff, Mr. Black and Mrs. Lewis will also be available during scheduled hours to be announced.

• Students applying to college for 2020-2021 who have fulfilled the New Jersey State graduation requirements and have completed the required preparatory Lewis education for graduation, will be contacted personally by Roslind Hansen or David Lewis, and as appropriate, by administrative support staff, Mr. Black and Mrs. Lewis.

• Homeroom teachers, Mrs. Dark, Ms. Herman and Mrs. Leiggi will also be available at regular hours for guidance and feedback with college essays where appropriate.

• The application process will remain essentially student-driven as always with reliable and increased, robust support from all of us at Lewis.

• Colleges across the country are working with schools and applicants to help accommodate and resolve any issues arising from the COVID-19 disruption.

• It is important that students and parents are aware that The Lewis School expects to administer End od Year Standardized Testing during full-day, Summer Study sessions which begin on Monday, June 22, 2020. These evaluations and test results will be forwarded to colleges if independent, out-of-school evaluations are unavailable.

All administrative questions that students or their parents may have regarding ACT/SAT reports, transcripts, deadlines or the status of a student's application must be forwarded only to the attention of Mr. Black and Mrs. Lewis at info@lewisschool.org, not to advisors or teachers.

College Advisors and participating teachers have their hands full under normal circumstances when guiding our students through the critical academic aspects of their applications - essays, resumes, other narrative responses or inclusions, and where appropriate, various portfolios. Also important is to make sure that we help our students manage the floating anxiety typically associated with going to college. This is likely to be especially challenging now as the result of distance and remote instruction and feedback.

We are absolutely up to the challenge but will count on our parents' mindful and respectful discretion to help ensure that all of our teachers and advisors can focus all of their attention on the students' preparation and needs!

Communicating During the COVID-19 Disruption after Monday, March 30, 2020

• Lewis School parents and our community stakeholders can expect an increase in e-mail communications ongoing regarding a broad range of information and support.

• Temporary e-mail addresses have been set up for all teachers and instructors at The Lewis School. Parents can e-mail their children's teachers on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm beginning on Monday, March 30, 2020 through Friday, May 22, 2020, if the school is still on hiatus.

• Mr. Black, Associate Registrar and Senior Master Mathematics Instructor will forward the teachers' interim e-mail addresses to parents on Thursday, March 26, 2020.

• Faculty and instructors' e-mails are available only and exclusively for questions regarding guidance, clarification and support related to students' daily home study and work assignments.

• Teachers are ready and eager to help parents and students with schoolwork planning and management. They especially encourage students to e-mail questions of their own.

• On Tuesday, March 31, 2020, all teachers of The Lewis School will begin calling their homeroom students. We are looking forward to reconnecting with students personally to lift their spirits and to see how they are feeling generally and coping with the apprehension of unexpected change and distancing.

• There is no more powerful connection to be made between human beings than through the physical sound, emotional intelligence and reassurance of human speech and voice.

• We will all see each other again at school in the not too distant future. In the mean time, we want our students to know we are thinking about them, we love them and we are here for them. They can count on that.

• Parents of Afternoon Enrichment and Tutorial students and Extended Day students placed by districts may leave messages for Director of Extended Day Education, Cindy Stewart at info@lewisschool,org.

• Messages regarding all Main Office records and administrative requests may be left at info@lewisschool.org. We will respond as promptly as possible.

• Families calling with regard to general enrollment, reenrollment or a student's projected class placement (where determined) for academic year 2020-2021 must contact the school at info@lewisschool.org.

• Messages related district placement, financial matters, tuition payment schedules and accounts, contracts and other financial issues may be left for CFO, Ann Zawartkay at ann.zawartkay@lewisschool.org.

Admissions and New Parent Communication During COVID-19 Disruption

• New families applying to the Lewis School and those who are currently in the admissions process must direct inquiries regarding the status of applications or placement for Summer Study and Fall Semester to our voice mail at 609-924-8120.

• Parents or students wishing to speak to David Stier or Chantra Reinman in Admissions must leave messages on The Lewis School's voice mail at 609-924-8120 beginning Monday, March 30, 2020.

• All 609-924-8120 Voice Mail will be retrieved daily by Annie Adams, Main Office Managing Coordinator, and forwarded to the appropriate administrators.

Postponed, Rescheduled and Cancelled Events through Friday May 22, 2020

• End of Year and Standardized Testing, Thursday, April 2, 2020 - rescheduled for summer administration

• Open House and Coffee, Saturday, April 18, 2020 - cancelled, will be rescheduled

• Topics and Trends in Education and Earth Day, Wednesday, April 18, 2020 - cancelled, Topics and Trends will be rescheduled

• Upper School Theater Ensemble, April 24, 2020 - cancelled, may be rescheduled

• Parent-Teacher Conferences beginning on Monday, April 30, 2020 to be reorganized

• Field Day, Wednesday May 6, 2020 - cancelled, may be scheduled for summer

• Lower School Play, Thursday, May 7, 2020 - cancelled

• Upper School Prom, Friday, May 8, 2020 - cancelled

• Athletic Banquet, Thursday, May 14, 2020 - cancelled, may be rescheduled

• Open House and Coffee, Saturday, May 16, 2020 - cancelled, will be rescheduled

Graduation and Awards Ceremonies

Currently, Upper School Graduation and Awards, and the Middle and Lower School Awards ceremonies remain as scheduled for Thursday, May 21, 2020 and Friday, May 22, 2020, respectively. Both of these very special events in the lives of our students may have to be reorganized if that is necessary or possible. The final decision will be made based on the unfolding impact of New Jersey's COVID-19 disruption.

What to Expect in Future E-mails

Look for COVID-19 Emergency Planning Information regarding the following:

1. Post-Extended Break Educational and Administrative Contingencies
2. Possible Modifications to School Calendar/School Year, SAIL and Summer Study
3. Academic Credit for 2019-2020
4. Graduation and Awards Ceremonies
5. Extending Summer Study to full days
6. Summer Administration of End of Year and Standardized Testing
7. End of Year and Standardized Testing and Exams

First Day Back? How to Begin on Monday Morning?
EXPECT A CALL FROM YOUR CHILD'S HOME ROOM TEACHER BEGINNING AT 7:30 AM, MONDAY MORNING

CONTENT TEACHERS AND INSTRUCTORS WILL BE CALLING AFTER 1:30 PM, MONDAY AFTERNOON
 

  • See the proposed "class schedule" attached. Working on packet assignments begins (should begin) promptly at 8:30 am for all students of the school.
  • "Patience over Time" is a mantra that will help set schedules and put routines in place. Don't expect too much too soon. Always expect the best and appreciate that to start.

53 Bayard Lane
Princeton, NJ 08540

Voice: (609) 924-8120
Fax: (609) 924-5512

© The Lewis School of Princeton

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March 20-22, 2020

Mar 20, 2020

LEWIS SCHOOL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Spring Semester 2021 Return to Campus

Strategic Re-entry Plan (SRP)

Head of School's Letter, Monday, January 18, 2021

The Lewis School continues to closely monitor and assess information from federal, state and local agencies, medical experts, research sources, private and public schools, and local colleges and universities.

The School is evaluating possible alternative Post Extended Spring Break scenarios and flexible contingencies as the more pervasive and pernicious spread of COVID-19 emerges and determines future actions and interventions that schools may need to consider. More states including New Jersey are requiring the public to self-quarantine and have mandated restrictions that include only limited access to essential services.

Today, Sunday, March 22, 2020, President Donald Trump, government officials and medical experts suggested that the window of concern for public safety might be extended as much as 6 to 12 weeks. The impact of the virus is in flux, opportunistic and unpredictable. Consequently, to the best of our ability, The Lewis School is preparing to respond to any situation that may arise as the result of the COVID-19 disruption.

Comprehensive educational planning and initiatives for student support are underway. This may include utilizing a diversity of integrated Lewis multisensory teaching and learning approaches adapted for limited instruction by way of ZOOM, Google Meets, or Skype, and by e-mail and/or telephone.

Specific use of remote instruction will be strictly limited and will depend on the subject and the level of individual mastery and readiness for remote, auditory, visual and written language processing among our students. Neuroscience research also cautions that many children, especially the very young may struggle to learn well or permanently and to master the foundational strategies necessary for higher learning using IT devices remotely – whether challenged or not by dyslexia, ADHD and related language-based processing issues.

This document and its contents are the exclusive and sole intellectual property of, and trade secrets of, Marsha Gaynor Lewis, and are developed and authored by Marsha Gaynor Lewis, and may not be duplicated in part or whole or in any way otherwise utilized without the express written permission of Marsha Gaynor Lewis.

© 2021 Marsha Gaynor Lewis. All Rights Reserved.

Coronavirus Updates

As we continue to closely monitor and assess information from federal, state and local agencies, medical experts, research sources, private and public schools, and local colleges and universities, we will provide timely information that relates to parents, students, and faculty at our school.

Important Information

Please open the topics below by clicking on the "+" button.

ACT and SAT Administration

Please review the following updated information and plan accordingly where applicable.

• Students scheduled for the SAT and the SAT Subject Tests have completed them and are in receipt of Official Reports or soon will be. Please notify us at info@lewissschool.org if you do not have official SAT results as of April 15, 2020.

• ACT college entrance exams have been postponed and rescheduled. Lewis School proctors, students and their families who are impacted by the changes have been contacted and apprised of the new schedules.

• Dates for the administration of the ACT have been confirmed and approved by the ACT testing service. The ACT begins on Wednesday, June 17 or Wednesday, June 24, 2020 respectively. Students must arrive at The Lewis School at 8:00 am promptly.

Current College-Bound Student Applications - Status and Inquiries

• Students who need guidance regarding the current status of their college applications, teacher recommendations or letters of a academic accommodation, or who have other specific questions, concerns or remaining issues to be resolved, can contact Roslind Hansen, Andrew Black or Mrs. Lewis for help and clarification at info@lewisschool.org.

Students and parents may also leave voice messages regarding college application status at (609)-924-8120. They will be retrieved daily by Annie Adams, Main Office Coordinator, and forwarded appropriately.

• As of Tuesday, March 31, 2020 students and parents may contact college advisors through their new e-mail addresses at The Lewis School.

• Delayed ACT and standardized, *End-of Year Test results (EOYT) will not negatively impact students' applications to college. Most colleges are implementing modifications or interim waivers to accommodate these pending issues.

• As reported on March 18, 2020, delayed ACT and standardized, *End of Year Testing, (EOYT) results will not negatively impact Lewis School approved college applicants who have been accepted to, or are applying to "for-credit" summer programs and internships at other private schools, colleges and universities.

• Many programs are implementing modifications because of the COVID-19 disruption. *EOYT will be discussed in detail in upcoming e-mails.

Students Applying to College for Academic Year 2020-2021 - Application Process and Preparation

• In-depth preparation for the College Application Process typically begins in earnest, the week after Spring Break in early April each year and continues until applications reflect the best character and ability in each student and all deadlines are met.

• A succession of separate e-mails detailing the step-by-step application process including how to rough-draft preliminary College Resumes and Essays will be forwarded on or before Thursday, April 2, 2020 to begin.

• Advisors Roslind Hansen and David Lewis will be available on a regular schedule to be announced and will arrange individual instruction and feedback sessions with students via e-mail, telephone and remotely where appropriate. Administrative support staff, Mr. Black and Mrs. Lewis will also be available during scheduled hours to be announced.

• Students applying to college for 2020-2021 who have fulfilled the New Jersey State graduation requirements and have completed the required preparatory Lewis education for graduation, will be contacted personally by Roslind Hansen or David Lewis, and as appropriate, by administrative support staff, Mr. Black and Mrs. Lewis.

• Homeroom teachers, Mrs. Dark, Ms. Herman and Mrs. Leiggi will also be available at regular hours for guidance and feedback with college essays where appropriate.

• The application process will remain essentially student-driven as always with reliable and increased, robust support from all of us at Lewis.

• Colleges across the country are working with schools and applicants to help accommodate and resolve any issues arising from the COVID-19 disruption.

• It is important that students and parents are aware that The Lewis School expects to administer End od Year Standardized Testing during full-day, Summer Study sessions which begin on Monday, June 22, 2020. These evaluations and test results will be forwarded to colleges if independent, out-of-school evaluations are unavailable.

All administrative questions that students or their parents may have regarding ACT/SAT reports, transcripts, deadlines or the status of a student's application must be forwarded only to the attention of Mr. Black and Mrs. Lewis at info@lewisschool.org, not to advisors or teachers.

College Advisors and participating teachers have their hands full under normal circumstances when guiding our students through the critical academic aspects of their applications - essays, resumes, other narrative responses or inclusions, and where appropriate, various portfolios. Also important is to make sure that we help our students manage the floating anxiety typically associated with going to college. This is likely to be especially challenging now as the result of distance and remote instruction and feedback.

We are absolutely up to the challenge but will count on our parents' mindful and respectful discretion to help ensure that all of our teachers and advisors can focus all of their attention on the students' preparation and needs!

Communicating During the COVID-19 Disruption after Monday, March 30, 2020

• Lewis School parents and our community stakeholders can expect an increase in e-mail communications ongoing regarding a broad range of information and support.

• Temporary e-mail addresses have been set up for all teachers and instructors at The Lewis School. Parents can e-mail their children's teachers on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm beginning on Monday, March 30, 2020 through Friday, May 22, 2020, if the school is still on hiatus.

• Mr. Black, Associate Registrar and Senior Master Mathematics Instructor will forward the teachers' interim e-mail addresses to parents on Thursday, March 26, 2020.

• Faculty and instructors' e-mails are available only and exclusively for questions regarding guidance, clarification and support related to students' daily home study and work assignments.

• Teachers are ready and eager to help parents and students with schoolwork planning and management. They especially encourage students to e-mail questions of their own.

• On Tuesday, March 31, 2020, all teachers of The Lewis School will begin calling their homeroom students. We are looking forward to reconnecting with students personally to lift their spirits and to see how they are feeling generally and coping with the apprehension of unexpected change and distancing.

• There is no more powerful connection to be made between human beings than through the physical sound, emotional intelligence and reassurance of human speech and voice.

• We will all see each other again at school in the not too distant future. In the mean time, we want our students to know we are thinking about them, we love them and we are here for them. They can count on that.

• Parents of Afternoon Enrichment and Tutorial students and Extended Day students placed by districts may leave messages for Director of Extended Day Education, Cindy Stewart at info@lewisschool,org.

• Messages regarding all Main Office records and administrative requests may be left at info@lewisschool.org. We will respond as promptly as possible.

• Families calling with regard to general enrollment, reenrollment or a student's projected class placement (where determined) for academic year 2020-2021 must contact the school at info@lewisschool.org.

• Messages related district placement, financial matters, tuition payment schedules and accounts, contracts and other financial issues may be left for CFO, Ann Zawartkay at ann.zawartkay@lewisschool.org.

Admissions and New Parent Communication During COVID-19 Disruption

• New families applying to the Lewis School and those who are currently in the admissions process must direct inquiries regarding the status of applications or placement for Summer Study and Fall Semester to our voice mail at 609-924-8120.

• Parents or students wishing to speak to David Stier or Chantra Reinman in Admissions must leave messages on The Lewis School's voice mail at 609-924-8120 beginning Monday, March 30, 2020.

• All 609-924-8120 Voice Mail will be retrieved daily by Annie Adams, Main Office Managing Coordinator, and forwarded to the appropriate administrators.

Postponed, Rescheduled and Cancelled Events through Friday May 22, 2020

• End of Year and Standardized Testing, Thursday, April 2, 2020 - rescheduled for summer administration

• Open House and Coffee, Saturday, April 18, 2020 - cancelled, will be rescheduled

• Topics and Trends in Education and Earth Day, Wednesday, April 18, 2020 - cancelled, Topics and Trends will be rescheduled

• Upper School Theater Ensemble, April 24, 2020 - cancelled, may be rescheduled

• Parent-Teacher Conferences beginning on Monday, April 30, 2020 to be reorganized

• Field Day, Wednesday May 6, 2020 - cancelled, may be scheduled for summer

• Lower School Play, Thursday, May 7, 2020 - cancelled

• Upper School Prom, Friday, May 8, 2020 - cancelled

• Athletic Banquet, Thursday, May 14, 2020 - cancelled, may be rescheduled

• Open House and Coffee, Saturday, May 16, 2020 - cancelled, will be rescheduled

Graduation and Awards Ceremonies

Currently, Upper School Graduation and Awards, and the Middle and Lower School Awards ceremonies remain as scheduled for Thursday, May 21, 2020 and Friday, May 22, 2020, respectively. Both of these very special events in the lives of our students may have to be reorganized if that is necessary or possible. The final decision will be made based on the unfolding impact of New Jersey's COVID-19 disruption.

What to Expect in Future E-mails

Look for COVID-19 Emergency Planning Information regarding the following:

1. Post-Extended Break Educational and Administrative Contingencies
2. Possible Modifications to School Calendar/School Year, SAIL and Summer Study
3. Academic Credit for 2019-2020
4. Graduation and Awards Ceremonies
5. Extending Summer Study to full days
6. Summer Administration of End of Year and Standardized Testing
7. End of Year and Standardized Testing and Exams

First Day Back? How to Begin on Monday Morning?
EXPECT A CALL FROM YOUR CHILD'S HOME ROOM TEACHER BEGINNING AT 7:30 AM, MONDAY MORNING

CONTENT TEACHERS AND INSTRUCTORS WILL BE CALLING AFTER 1:30 PM, MONDAY AFTERNOON
 

  • See the proposed "class schedule" attached. Working on packet assignments begins (should begin) promptly at 8:30 am for all students of the school.
  • "Patience over Time" is a mantra that will help set schedules and put routines in place. Don't expect too much too soon. Always expect the best and appreciate that to start.

53 Bayard Lane
Princeton, NJ 08540

Voice: (609) 924-8120
Fax: (609) 924-5512

© The Lewis School of Princeton

DISCOVER

Admissions
Clinic
Academics
Arts
Athletics
Calendar
Alumni
Support
Contact


FOLLOW US

MEMBER

March 18, 2020

Mar 18, 2020

LEWIS SCHOOL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Spring Semester 2021 Return to Campus

Strategic Re-entry Plan (SRP)

Head of School's Letter, Monday, January 18, 2021

Dear Lewis School Community and Students,

As I travelled in the greater Princeton area earlier this week, it was amazing to see entire families out walking together, conversing, interacting, connecting with each other, and for most part, without cell phones or devices anywhere in sight.

As we progress with increasing care, caution and awareness through an unprecedented, historical disruption in our lives, we are reminded that together we remain strong and determined, a nation who will overcome adversity once more as we face what may appear in the coming days to be formidable odds. Together we have the ingenuity, the heart, the hustle and the absolute, perpetual tenacity to prevail through the roughest passages. We have the integrity to do the right thing and the instinct to help each other in times of need. This is who we are at our best and what we have always valued and aspired to, given the freedom we have to strive and become what we can dream.

In the words of storyteller and artist, Brian Andreas, “they came to sit and dangle their feet off the edge of the world and after awhile they forgot everything but the good and true things they would do someday”. Today is that day for us, our nation and all of humanity.

There is a singular message that cannot be ignored or rationalized, “PRACTICE ABSOLUTE SOCIAL DISTANCING” to prevent the potential destructive transmission of COVID-19 to others. “ABSOLUTE SOCIAL DISTANCING” is a pattern of thinking and informed awareness not only a pattern of acquired, socially responsible behavior.

I especially ask all of our Lewis School Students – lower, middle, upper and college-bound to practice “Absolute Social Distancing”. Set the example beginning with your own behavior. Encourage others who are cavalier or dismissive to wake up and show leadership. Informed, intelligent, safe behavior and action will positively help to protect the people you love, or those who are most vulnerable in your sphere of influence – children; sisters and brothers; mothers and fathers; grandparents and the elderly; your best friends, acquaintances and peers; your teachers and you. COVID-19 does not overlook a potential host because the person is young or feels invincible.

The upper school’s UN Roundtable Debate last month reflected brilliant skills of rational thinking, negotiation and innovative problem solving as your moderators, History Department Head, David Lewis and Congressman, Dr. Andrew Post-Zwicker commented.

Many of us are better at taking care others than we are taking care of ourselves. Now is the time to use that instinct. Step up! Reinforce “Absolute Social Distancing” whenever and wherever you can! Start a Civic Movement; give it a name; recruit members of your own age group to join the action and stand up for a cause, given grace and common sense, that will come only once in a lifetime. Now is the time for the Voices of Young Citizens to be heard. Use your devices for something productive that can effect action that matters – saving or protecting a life. Stop using your devices now to create mind-numbing anxiety or an entertainment rush. Write poems, short stories, narratives, journals, songs, lyrics, and jot down philosophical thoughts. Spelling, grammar and syntax won’t be perfect. Just do it. Let’s hear from you now. You can make an amazing difference. Step Up. Stand Up. Sacrifice what is necessary, for what is right!

Lewis staff will set up a monitored, e-mail address exclusively for legitimate student ideas and feedback. If you are interested, contact Mr. Black, Mrs. Ahmed and Mrs. Lewis at info@lewisschool.org. You will hear from us shortly after March 31, 2020.

COVID-19 will pass in the months ahead, leaving a searing footprint and likely its environmental remnants in our collective consciousness, in our working memories and across this small, blue corner of the universe we have inherited as home.

The turning point will come and each of us, from the youngest to the most powerful must contribute to an outcome that benefits us all. COVID-19 is likely to be more patient and persistent than we are for the time being. In due course, however, our lives will be restored for the better as we process the imprint of change and remember that we were stopped for a moment in time to learn a stinging, lasting lesson from Mother Nature.

This document and its contents are the exclusive and sole intellectual property of, and trade secrets of, Marsha Gaynor Lewis, and are developed and authored by Marsha Gaynor Lewis, and may not be duplicated in part or whole or in any way otherwise utilized without the express written permission of Marsha Gaynor Lewis.

© 2021 Marsha Gaynor Lewis. All Rights Reserved.

Coronavirus Updates

As we continue to closely monitor and assess information from federal, state and local agencies, medical experts, research sources, private and public schools, and local colleges and universities, we will provide timely information that relates to parents, students, and faculty at our school.

Important Information

Please open the topics below by clicking on the "+" button.

ACT and SAT Administration

Please review the following updated information and plan accordingly where applicable.

• Students scheduled for the SAT and the SAT Subject Tests have completed them and are in receipt of Official Reports or soon will be. Please notify us at info@lewissschool.org if you do not have official SAT results as of April 15, 2020.

• ACT college entrance exams have been postponed and rescheduled. Lewis School proctors, students and their families who are impacted by the changes have been contacted and apprised of the new schedules.

• Dates for the administration of the ACT have been confirmed and approved by the ACT testing service. The ACT begins on Wednesday, June 17 or Wednesday, June 24, 2020 respectively. Students must arrive at The Lewis School at 8:00 am promptly.

Current College-Bound Student Applications - Status and Inquiries

• Students who need guidance regarding the current status of their college applications, teacher recommendations or letters of a academic accommodation, or who have other specific questions, concerns or remaining issues to be resolved, can contact Roslind Hansen, Andrew Black or Mrs. Lewis for help and clarification at info@lewisschool.org.

Students and parents may also leave voice messages regarding college application status at (609)-924-8120. They will be retrieved daily by Annie Adams, Main Office Coordinator, and forwarded appropriately.

• As of Tuesday, March 31, 2020 students and parents may contact college advisors through their new e-mail addresses at The Lewis School.

• Delayed ACT and standardized, *End-of Year Test results (EOYT) will not negatively impact students' applications to college. Most colleges are implementing modifications or interim waivers to accommodate these pending issues.

• As reported on March 18, 2020, delayed ACT and standardized, *End of Year Testing, (EOYT) results will not negatively impact Lewis School approved college applicants who have been accepted to, or are applying to "for-credit" summer programs and internships at other private schools, colleges and universities.

• Many programs are implementing modifications because of the COVID-19 disruption. *EOYT will be discussed in detail in upcoming e-mails.

Students Applying to College for Academic Year 2020-2021 - Application Process and Preparation

• In-depth preparation for the College Application Process typically begins in earnest, the week after Spring Break in early April each year and continues until applications reflect the best character and ability in each student and all deadlines are met.

• A succession of separate e-mails detailing the step-by-step application process including how to rough-draft preliminary College Resumes and Essays will be forwarded on or before Thursday, April 2, 2020 to begin.

• Advisors Roslind Hansen and David Lewis will be available on a regular schedule to be announced and will arrange individual instruction and feedback sessions with students via e-mail, telephone and remotely where appropriate. Administrative support staff, Mr. Black and Mrs. Lewis will also be available during scheduled hours to be announced.

• Students applying to college for 2020-2021 who have fulfilled the New Jersey State graduation requirements and have completed the required preparatory Lewis education for graduation, will be contacted personally by Roslind Hansen or David Lewis, and as appropriate, by administrative support staff, Mr. Black and Mrs. Lewis.

• Homeroom teachers, Mrs. Dark, Ms. Herman and Mrs. Leiggi will also be available at regular hours for guidance and feedback with college essays where appropriate.

• The application process will remain essentially student-driven as always with reliable and increased, robust support from all of us at Lewis.

• Colleges across the country are working with schools and applicants to help accommodate and resolve any issues arising from the COVID-19 disruption.

• It is important that students and parents are aware that The Lewis School expects to administer End od Year Standardized Testing during full-day, Summer Study sessions which begin on Monday, June 22, 2020. These evaluations and test results will be forwarded to colleges if independent, out-of-school evaluations are unavailable.

All administrative questions that students or their parents may have regarding ACT/SAT reports, transcripts, deadlines or the status of a student's application must be forwarded only to the attention of Mr. Black and Mrs. Lewis at info@lewisschool.org, not to advisors or teachers.

College Advisors and participating teachers have their hands full under normal circumstances when guiding our students through the critical academic aspects of their applications - essays, resumes, other narrative responses or inclusions, and where appropriate, various portfolios. Also important is to make sure that we help our students manage the floating anxiety typically associated with going to college. This is likely to be especially challenging now as the result of distance and remote instruction and feedback.

We are absolutely up to the challenge but will count on our parents' mindful and respectful discretion to help ensure that all of our teachers and advisors can focus all of their attention on the students' preparation and needs!

Communicating During the COVID-19 Disruption after Monday, March 30, 2020

• Lewis School parents and our community stakeholders can expect an increase in e-mail communications ongoing regarding a broad range of information and support.

• Temporary e-mail addresses have been set up for all teachers and instructors at The Lewis School. Parents can e-mail their children's teachers on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm beginning on Monday, March 30, 2020 through Friday, May 22, 2020, if the school is still on hiatus.

• Mr. Black, Associate Registrar and Senior Master Mathematics Instructor will forward the teachers' interim e-mail addresses to parents on Thursday, March 26, 2020.

• Faculty and instructors' e-mails are available only and exclusively for questions regarding guidance, clarification and support related to students' daily home study and work assignments.

• Teachers are ready and eager to help parents and students with schoolwork planning and management. They especially encourage students to e-mail questions of their own.

• On Tuesday, March 31, 2020, all teachers of The Lewis School will begin calling their homeroom students. We are looking forward to reconnecting with students personally to lift their spirits and to see how they are feeling generally and coping with the apprehension of unexpected change and distancing.

• There is no more powerful connection to be made between human beings than through the physical sound, emotional intelligence and reassurance of human speech and voice.

• We will all see each other again at school in the not too distant future. In the mean time, we want our students to know we are thinking about them, we love them and we are here for them. They can count on that.

• Parents of Afternoon Enrichment and Tutorial students and Extended Day students placed by districts may leave messages for Director of Extended Day Education, Cindy Stewart at info@lewisschool,org.

• Messages regarding all Main Office records and administrative requests may be left at info@lewisschool.org. We will respond as promptly as possible.

• Families calling with regard to general enrollment, reenrollment or a student's projected class placement (where determined) for academic year 2020-2021 must contact the school at info@lewisschool.org.

• Messages related district placement, financial matters, tuition payment schedules and accounts, contracts and other financial issues may be left for CFO, Ann Zawartkay at ann.zawartkay@lewisschool.org.

Admissions and New Parent Communication During COVID-19 Disruption

• New families applying to the Lewis School and those who are currently in the admissions process must direct inquiries regarding the status of applications or placement for Summer Study and Fall Semester to our voice mail at 609-924-8120.

• Parents or students wishing to speak to David Stier or Chantra Reinman in Admissions must leave messages on The Lewis School's voice mail at 609-924-8120 beginning Monday, March 30, 2020.

• All 609-924-8120 Voice Mail will be retrieved daily by Annie Adams, Main Office Managing Coordinator, and forwarded to the appropriate administrators.

Postponed, Rescheduled and Cancelled Events through Friday May 22, 2020

• End of Year and Standardized Testing, Thursday, April 2, 2020 - rescheduled for summer administration

• Open House and Coffee, Saturday, April 18, 2020 - cancelled, will be rescheduled

• Topics and Trends in Education and Earth Day, Wednesday, April 18, 2020 - cancelled, Topics and Trends will be rescheduled

• Upper School Theater Ensemble, April 24, 2020 - cancelled, may be rescheduled

• Parent-Teacher Conferences beginning on Monday, April 30, 2020 to be reorganized

• Field Day, Wednesday May 6, 2020 - cancelled, may be scheduled for summer

• Lower School Play, Thursday, May 7, 2020 - cancelled

• Upper School Prom, Friday, May 8, 2020 - cancelled

• Athletic Banquet, Thursday, May 14, 2020 - cancelled, may be rescheduled

• Open House and Coffee, Saturday, May 16, 2020 - cancelled, will be rescheduled

Graduation and Awards Ceremonies

Currently, Upper School Graduation and Awards, and the Middle and Lower School Awards ceremonies remain as scheduled for Thursday, May 21, 2020 and Friday, May 22, 2020, respectively. Both of these very special events in the lives of our students may have to be reorganized if that is necessary or possible. The final decision will be made based on the unfolding impact of New Jersey's COVID-19 disruption.

What to Expect in Future E-mails

Look for COVID-19 Emergency Planning Information regarding the following:

1. Post-Extended Break Educational and Administrative Contingencies
2. Possible Modifications to School Calendar/School Year, SAIL and Summer Study
3. Academic Credit for 2019-2020
4. Graduation and Awards Ceremonies
5. Extending Summer Study to full days
6. Summer Administration of End of Year and Standardized Testing
7. End of Year and Standardized Testing and Exams

First Day Back? How to Begin on Monday Morning?
EXPECT A CALL FROM YOUR CHILD'S HOME ROOM TEACHER BEGINNING AT 7:30 AM, MONDAY MORNING

CONTENT TEACHERS AND INSTRUCTORS WILL BE CALLING AFTER 1:30 PM, MONDAY AFTERNOON
 

  • See the proposed "class schedule" attached. Working on packet assignments begins (should begin) promptly at 8:30 am for all students of the school.
  • "Patience over Time" is a mantra that will help set schedules and put routines in place. Don't expect too much too soon. Always expect the best and appreciate that to start.

53 Bayard Lane
Princeton, NJ 08540

Voice: (609) 924-8120
Fax: (609) 924-5512

© The Lewis School of Princeton

DISCOVER

Admissions
Clinic
Academics
Arts
Athletics
Calendar
Alumni
Support
Contact


FOLLOW US

MEMBER

March 12, 2020

Mar 12, 2020

LEWIS SCHOOL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Spring Semester 2021 Return to Campus

Strategic Re-entry Plan (SRP)

Head of School's Letter, Monday, January 18, 2021

Dear Members of Our Lewis School Community,

On Wednesday, February 12, 2020, The Lewis School initiated preliminary contingencies in preparation for the anticipated spread of COVID-19 locally. On February 27, 2020 parents received the Preliminary Coronavirus-19 Notification and Protocols 2020-2021 e-mail and Travel Plans Form. Together with other local private schools, Lewis has continued with proactive measures to protect the health and wellbeing of our students, families, teachers, and staff to the best of our ability. The CDC, NIH, and WHO recognize COVID-19 as a worldwide public health pandemic and the COVID-19 virus has arrived in Princeton with significant impact.

This morning, The Lewis School learned that a number of Princeton private and public schools are closing immediately or cancelling classes and access to their campuses. This actionable alert comes as the result of several teachers, students, parents, and staff of local schools, colleges and universities having been exposed to persons who have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus or have become infected themselves. We are prepared for this disruption because of our incredible teaching and support staff.

Lewis remains calm but not complacent. Therefore, with an abundance of caution and in collaboration with other Princeton private schools, The Lewis School is cancelling all classes and access to the campus as of 5:00 pm today, Thursday, March 12, 2020.

Your children will collect their belongings today, Thursday, March 12, 2020, and will bring comprehensive Home Study packets with them that teachers compiled in the event Lewis needs to extend Spring Break. The academic work and assignments are ONLY to be completed AFTER our scheduled Spring Break is over on March 30, 2020.

It is likely that Spring Break will need to be extended for at least two weeks from Monday, March 30, 2020 through Easter Monday, April 13, 2020. However, we hope to resume classes on Tuesday, April 14, 2020.

With an abundance of caution, or if required/recommended by government or other authorities, The Lewis School may find it necessary to further extend Spring Break through Friday, April 24, 2020. In this scenario, classes would resume on Monday, April 27, 2020. Although such an extension of Spring Break is not anticipated, there remains much that is unknown about the epidemiology and potential impact of the COVID-19 virus or its potential effect on our Princeton community.

For the next several weeks and possibly longer, all of our Lewis School families, including extended day and tutorial students, should look for e-mail blasts regarding the following where relevant:

• Spring Break, Post Spring Break Contingencies
• Home-study Protocols for All Students and All Courses of Instruction
• Grading, Credit, Final Semester Grades and Attendance Protocols for Academic Year 2019-2020
• School Calendar, Schedules, and Events Postponements/Modifications
• College-bound Graduates and Graduation; College Applications, ACT and SAT Exams
• Lists of Recommended Reading, Television, Films and Internet Sites for Students
• Travel Protocols and Restrictions
• Illness Protocols and Contingencies
• The Status of COVID-19 in Greater Princeton Area – Princeton, Lawrenceville, Trenton, Hopewell, Pennington, Cranbury, Hightstown, Hamilton

During uncertain times like these, faith, hope, and charity are the great gifts of human expression and action. Kindness, patience, and mutual caring and understanding are the special strengths that parents and grandparents know to provide for children and each other.

Together, we will all strive to minimize and diffuse any sense of anxiety or apprehension among the students that may result from unanticipated, but necessary changes to their routines or schedules. Our teachers and I plan to be in touch with each student by telephone at a time to be determined. We will let you know well ahead of time when this initiative is scheduled.

It is said that disruption can serve to provide new beginnings and often produces great ideas, creativity, and innovation; we all hope for that outcome now and in the days ahead. In the mean time, may all good blessings be yours. Be creative. Be well. Be safe!

With warm regards,
Marsha Gaynor Lewis

 

This document and its contents are the exclusive and sole intellectual property of, and trade secrets of, Marsha Gaynor Lewis, and are developed and authored by Marsha Gaynor Lewis, and may not be duplicated in part or whole or in any way otherwise utilized without the express written permission of Marsha Gaynor Lewis.

© 2021 Marsha Gaynor Lewis. All Rights Reserved.

Coronavirus Updates

As we continue to closely monitor and assess information from federal, state and local agencies, medical experts, research sources, private and public schools, and local colleges and universities, we will provide timely information that relates to parents, students, and faculty at our school.

Important Information

Please open the topics below by clicking on the "+" button.

ACT and SAT Administration

Please review the following updated information and plan accordingly where applicable.

• Students scheduled for the SAT and the SAT Subject Tests have completed them and are in receipt of Official Reports or soon will be. Please notify us at info@lewissschool.org if you do not have official SAT results as of April 15, 2020.

• ACT college entrance exams have been postponed and rescheduled. Lewis School proctors, students and their families who are impacted by the changes have been contacted and apprised of the new schedules.

• Dates for the administration of the ACT have been confirmed and approved by the ACT testing service. The ACT begins on Wednesday, June 17 or Wednesday, June 24, 2020 respectively. Students must arrive at The Lewis School at 8:00 am promptly.

Current College-Bound Student Applications - Status and Inquiries

• Students who need guidance regarding the current status of their college applications, teacher recommendations or letters of a academic accommodation, or who have other specific questions, concerns or remaining issues to be resolved, can contact Roslind Hansen, Andrew Black or Mrs. Lewis for help and clarification at info@lewisschool.org.

Students and parents may also leave voice messages regarding college application status at (609)-924-8120. They will be retrieved daily by Annie Adams, Main Office Coordinator, and forwarded appropriately.

• As of Tuesday, March 31, 2020 students and parents may contact college advisors through their new e-mail addresses at The Lewis School.

• Delayed ACT and standardized, *End-of Year Test results (EOYT) will not negatively impact students' applications to college. Most colleges are implementing modifications or interim waivers to accommodate these pending issues.

• As reported on March 18, 2020, delayed ACT and standardized, *End of Year Testing, (EOYT) results will not negatively impact Lewis School approved college applicants who have been accepted to, or are applying to "for-credit" summer programs and internships at other private schools, colleges and universities.

• Many programs are implementing modifications because of the COVID-19 disruption. *EOYT will be discussed in detail in upcoming e-mails.

Students Applying to College for Academic Year 2020-2021 - Application Process and Preparation

• In-depth preparation for the College Application Process typically begins in earnest, the week after Spring Break in early April each year and continues until applications reflect the best character and ability in each student and all deadlines are met.

• A succession of separate e-mails detailing the step-by-step application process including how to rough-draft preliminary College Resumes and Essays will be forwarded on or before Thursday, April 2, 2020 to begin.

• Advisors Roslind Hansen and David Lewis will be available on a regular schedule to be announced and will arrange individual instruction and feedback sessions with students via e-mail, telephone and remotely where appropriate. Administrative support staff, Mr. Black and Mrs. Lewis will also be available during scheduled hours to be announced.

• Students applying to college for 2020-2021 who have fulfilled the New Jersey State graduation requirements and have completed the required preparatory Lewis education for graduation, will be contacted personally by Roslind Hansen or David Lewis, and as appropriate, by administrative support staff, Mr. Black and Mrs. Lewis.

• Homeroom teachers, Mrs. Dark, Ms. Herman and Mrs. Leiggi will also be available at regular hours for guidance and feedback with college essays where appropriate.

• The application process will remain essentially student-driven as always with reliable and increased, robust support from all of us at Lewis.

• Colleges across the country are working with schools and applicants to help accommodate and resolve any issues arising from the COVID-19 disruption.

• It is important that students and parents are aware that The Lewis School expects to administer End od Year Standardized Testing during full-day, Summer Study sessions which begin on Monday, June 22, 2020. These evaluations and test results will be forwarded to colleges if independent, out-of-school evaluations are unavailable.

All administrative questions that students or their parents may have regarding ACT/SAT reports, transcripts, deadlines or the status of a student's application must be forwarded only to the attention of Mr. Black and Mrs. Lewis at info@lewisschool.org, not to advisors or teachers.

College Advisors and participating teachers have their hands full under normal circumstances when guiding our students through the critical academic aspects of their applications - essays, resumes, other narrative responses or inclusions, and where appropriate, various portfolios. Also important is to make sure that we help our students manage the floating anxiety typically associated with going to college. This is likely to be especially challenging now as the result of distance and remote instruction and feedback.

We are absolutely up to the challenge but will count on our parents' mindful and respectful discretion to help ensure that all of our teachers and advisors can focus all of their attention on the students' preparation and needs!

Communicating During the COVID-19 Disruption after Monday, March 30, 2020

• Lewis School parents and our community stakeholders can expect an increase in e-mail communications ongoing regarding a broad range of information and support.

• Temporary e-mail addresses have been set up for all teachers and instructors at The Lewis School. Parents can e-mail their children's teachers on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm beginning on Monday, March 30, 2020 through Friday, May 22, 2020, if the school is still on hiatus.

• Mr. Black, Associate Registrar and Senior Master Mathematics Instructor will forward the teachers' interim e-mail addresses to parents on Thursday, March 26, 2020.

• Faculty and instructors' e-mails are available only and exclusively for questions regarding guidance, clarification and support related to students' daily home study and work assignments.

• Teachers are ready and eager to help parents and students with schoolwork planning and management. They especially encourage students to e-mail questions of their own.

• On Tuesday, March 31, 2020, all teachers of The Lewis School will begin calling their homeroom students. We are looking forward to reconnecting with students personally to lift their spirits and to see how they are feeling generally and coping with the apprehension of unexpected change and distancing.

• There is no more powerful connection to be made between human beings than through the physical sound, emotional intelligence and reassurance of human speech and voice.

• We will all see each other again at school in the not too distant future. In the mean time, we want our students to know we are thinking about them, we love them and we are here for them. They can count on that.

• Parents of Afternoon Enrichment and Tutorial students and Extended Day students placed by districts may leave messages for Director of Extended Day Education, Cindy Stewart at info@lewisschool,org.

• Messages regarding all Main Office records and administrative requests may be left at info@lewisschool.org. We will respond as promptly as possible.

• Families calling with regard to general enrollment, reenrollment or a student's projected class placement (where determined) for academic year 2020-2021 must contact the school at info@lewisschool.org.

• Messages related district placement, financial matters, tuition payment schedules and accounts, contracts and other financial issues may be left for CFO, Ann Zawartkay at ann.zawartkay@lewisschool.org.

Admissions and New Parent Communication During COVID-19 Disruption

• New families applying to the Lewis School and those who are currently in the admissions process must direct inquiries regarding the status of applications or placement for Summer Study and Fall Semester to our voice mail at 609-924-8120.

• Parents or students wishing to speak to David Stier or Chantra Reinman in Admissions must leave messages on The Lewis School's voice mail at 609-924-8120 beginning Monday, March 30, 2020.

• All 609-924-8120 Voice Mail will be retrieved daily by Annie Adams, Main Office Managing Coordinator, and forwarded to the appropriate administrators.

Postponed, Rescheduled and Cancelled Events through Friday May 22, 2020

• End of Year and Standardized Testing, Thursday, April 2, 2020 - rescheduled for summer administration

• Open House and Coffee, Saturday, April 18, 2020 - cancelled, will be rescheduled

• Topics and Trends in Education and Earth Day, Wednesday, April 18, 2020 - cancelled, Topics and Trends will be rescheduled

• Upper School Theater Ensemble, April 24, 2020 - cancelled, may be rescheduled

• Parent-Teacher Conferences beginning on Monday, April 30, 2020 to be reorganized

• Field Day, Wednesday May 6, 2020 - cancelled, may be scheduled for summer

• Lower School Play, Thursday, May 7, 2020 - cancelled

• Upper School Prom, Friday, May 8, 2020 - cancelled

• Athletic Banquet, Thursday, May 14, 2020 - cancelled, may be rescheduled

• Open House and Coffee, Saturday, May 16, 2020 - cancelled, will be rescheduled

Graduation and Awards Ceremonies

Currently, Upper School Graduation and Awards, and the Middle and Lower School Awards ceremonies remain as scheduled for Thursday, May 21, 2020 and Friday, May 22, 2020, respectively. Both of these very special events in the lives of our students may have to be reorganized if that is necessary or possible. The final decision will be made based on the unfolding impact of New Jersey's COVID-19 disruption.

What to Expect in Future E-mails

Look for COVID-19 Emergency Planning Information regarding the following:

1. Post-Extended Break Educational and Administrative Contingencies
2. Possible Modifications to School Calendar/School Year, SAIL and Summer Study
3. Academic Credit for 2019-2020
4. Graduation and Awards Ceremonies
5. Extending Summer Study to full days
6. Summer Administration of End of Year and Standardized Testing
7. End of Year and Standardized Testing and Exams

First Day Back? How to Begin on Monday Morning?
EXPECT A CALL FROM YOUR CHILD'S HOME ROOM TEACHER BEGINNING AT 7:30 AM, MONDAY MORNING

CONTENT TEACHERS AND INSTRUCTORS WILL BE CALLING AFTER 1:30 PM, MONDAY AFTERNOON
 

  • See the proposed "class schedule" attached. Working on packet assignments begins (should begin) promptly at 8:30 am for all students of the school.
  • "Patience over Time" is a mantra that will help set schedules and put routines in place. Don't expect too much too soon. Always expect the best and appreciate that to start.

53 Bayard Lane
Princeton, NJ 08540

Voice: (609) 924-8120
Fax: (609) 924-5512

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