Roaring Back for 2021-2022

This letter was sent to parents in the Maryvale Minute on February 16, 2022.

Dear Families, 

As promised, I am writing to give you an update on our COVID mitigation approach. 

As of Thursday, February 17, Maryvale will be going to a mask-optional learning environment. Masks may be worn in all settings by choice, but there is no longer a requirement to do so indoors. This applies to students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

This decision was made through consultation with our Re-entry Committee, comprised of medical and community leaders, and with the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees. With zero cases in our school today and a lowered community caseload, we are pleased that we can take this positive step forward for our girls.

As you know, our goal throughout the pandemic has been to keep true to our mission to educate your daughters by keeping the school open and our school community safe. At this time, we will continue all other risk mitigation protocols, including social distancing, testing of athletes and theatre participants, and by following current CDC isolation and quarantine guidelines. Our prevention protocols continue to be informed by the state of the pandemic, and we will adjust as the situation evolves.

Thank you for your support and commitment to a healthy, safe, and welcoming community for our Maryvale students, faculty, and staff.

Sincerely,

Tracey H. Ford
President

Dr. Victor Shin
Upper School Head, Assistant Head of School

Jennifer Nicholas
Middle School Head, Academic Dean

This letter was sent to parents in the Maryvale Minute on February 2, 2022.

Welcome to February!

Thank you to our families (and our girls!) as we navigated the start to the second half of the year and the recent turn in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite Omicron – and because of your support! – we have had a successful start to 2022. The girls continue to fill the school, inside and outside, with their energy and joy. Nowhere was this more evident than in the line for yesterday's Miss Twist soft ice cream truck as a part of Catholic Schools Week.

Throughout these past 23 months, we have approached our management of the pandemic (to ensure the safety of our girls and the school community) by applying the following principles:

• Doing everything we can to keep school open, as we know that is the best way to provide learning.
• Following the advice of the CDC and local health authorities with mitigation protocols implemented on campus and, when advised, altering these as recommended.
• Listening to and supporting, as best as possible, our students, faculty and families, who sometimes present differing perspectives.

Please know that we will continue to use these principles to guide our actions, doing our best to balance views, as we make ongoing decisions that prioritize the best interests of the largest number of students. As we move from pandemic management to (hopefully) endemic management – or put simply, living with COVID – we will be flexible and will thoughtfully adjust guidance and measures that are recommended and make sense at the time.

With that in mind, we are delighted to share that this week marks the return of large school gatherings such as Community Homeroom, the return of field trips, and excited planning around spring dances!

Mindful that positivity rates are dropping, in the next few weeks, we will reduce twice-weekly testing for athletes and theater participants to once a week testing. Knowing that even vaccinated individuals can be infected by the latest strain, we will continue indoor mask wearing on campus, which is still required in schools by Baltimore County. As we have previously written, we are also following the latest CDC guidance which shortens the quarantine period for individuals testing positive from 10 days to 5 days, provided the absence of any symptoms.

We will manage this together and we thank you, again, for your support as we keep Maryvale thriving.

Sincerely,

Tracey H. Ford
President

Dr. Victor Shin
Upper School Head, Assistant Head of School

Jennifer Nicholas
Middle School Head, Academic Dean

• Group 1 – Last Names Beginning with A-M – Test Mondays and Thursdays
• Group 2 – Last Names Beginning with N-Z – Test Tuesdays and Fridays

Dear Maryvale Families,

We are so excited for the start of the fall athletics season. To ensure a full season, Maryvale's Reentry Team thoughtfully considered risk mitigation efforts to help to keep our student athletes on the fields and courts. We are writing to update you about important new COVID-19 protocols for our student athletes for the fall sports season.

We will soon begin COVID-19 testing for Middle School student athletes. Student athletes will be tested twice each week on campus. We highly recommend that every athlete takes a surveillance PCR test at no cost to your family. Parents who wish to have their daughters participate in testing must complete the consent form prior to testing. If your daughter is a multi-sport athlete, you only need to complete the form once. If an indoor student athlete elects not to be tested, she must always remain masked.

COVID-19 testing for students participating in volleyball will begin on Tuesday, September 7 during their lunch period. Students who will be participating on the Cross Country, Field Hockey and Soccer teams will begin their testing the week of September 13. A testing schedule will be soon be given to each team with their testing dates and times throughout the season.

Medical staff from CIAN Diagnostics, the testing company, will swab the student athletes unless the student requests to self-swab. When a student tests she must tell the medical staff that she prefers to self-swab.

Test results will be available within 24 hours. If parents do not hear from Ms. Erin Beane, Maryvale's Assistant Athletic Director and Head Athletic Trainer, you can assume that your daughter's COVID-19 test result is negative. Ms. Beane will also share test results with team coaches.

Both indoor and outdoor student athletes are required to wear masks on the sidelines when they are not engaged in active play. Please note, this guideline was developed in an effort to reduce the risk of transmission and follows many collegiate and professional league protocols. Although we know an indoor risk is greater, positive exposures are occurring outdoors. Officials and spectators, including Maryvale parents and visitors, must wear masks indoors.

In addition, student athletes ages 12.5 and older must complete an ImPACT concussion baseline test prior to the start of their competitive season. Students who plan to participate in athletics at Maryvale must have a current ImPACT concussion baseline test on file. Middle School 7th and 8th graders who plan to participate in a fall sport will take their concussion tests at 7:50 a.m. on Tuesday, September 7 during their advisory period. Students should bring a laptop (no tablets) and a portable mouse if you would like (not required) and the concussion testing consent formwith them to give to Ms. Moeser.

All athletes must also complete the emergency information form, athletic responsibility acknowledgement form and travel form and return them to Ms. Moeser.

As a reminder, unvaccinated student athletes face a different quarantine period following a positive COVID-19 exposure per CDC guidelines. Please refer to the Roaring Back page for details. We appreciate your partnership in helping to keep Maryvale's student-athletes safe this fall sports season! Go Lions!

Sincerely, 

Terri Moeser

Athletic Director

Erin Beane

Assistant Athletic Director

Brian Reese

Assistant Athletic Director

Dear Maryvale Families,

We are so excited for the start of the fall athletics season. To ensure a full season, Maryvale's Reentry Team thoughtfully considered risk mitigation efforts to help to keep our student athletes on the fields and courts. We are writing to update you about important new COVID-19 protocols for our student athletes for the fall sports season.

We will begin COVID-19 testing for Upper School student athletes next week, beginning on Tuesday, August 31. Student athletes will be tested twice each week on campus. We highly recommend that every athlete takes a surveillance PCR test at no cost to your family. A testing schedule will be soon be given to each team with their testing dates and times throughout the season.

Parents who wish to have their daughters participate in testing must complete the consent form prior to testing. If your daughter is a multi-sport athlete, you only need to complete the form once. If an indoor student athlete elects not to be tested, she must always remain masked.

Medical staff from CIAN Diagnostics, the testing company, will swab the student athletes unless the student requests to self-swab. When a student tests she must tell the medical staff that she prefers to self-swab.

Test results will be available within 24 hours. If parents do not hear from Ms. Erin Beane, Maryvale's Assistant Athletic Director and Head Athletic Trainer, you can assume that your daughter's COVID-19 test result is negative. Ms. Beane will also share test results with team coaches.

Both indoor and outdoor student athletes are required to wear masks on the sidelines when they are not engaged in active play. Please note, this guideline was developed in an effort to reduce the risk of transmission and follows many collegiate and professional league protocols. Although we know an indoor risk is greater, positive exposures are occurring outdoors. Officials and spectators, including Maryvale parents and visitors, must wear masks indoors.

As a reminder, unvaccinated student athletes face a different quarantine period following a positive COVID-19 exposure per CDC guidelines. Please refer to the Roaring Back page for details. We appreciate your partnership in helping to keep Maryvale's student-athletes safe this fall sports season! Go Lions!

Sincerely, 

Terri Moeser

Athletic Director

Erin Beane

Assistant Athletic Director

Brian Reese

Assistant Athletic Director

The following letter was sent to parents on October 25, 2021.

Dear Maryvale Families,

We are so excited for the Performing Arts season. To ensure a full season, Maryvale's Reentry Team thoughtfully considered risk mitigation efforts to help to keep our student performers on the stage. We are writing to update you about important new COVID-19 protocols for our student performers.

We will begin COVID-19 testing for both Upper and Middle school student performers next week, beginning on November 1, 2021. Student performers will be tested twice each week on campus. We highly recommend that every performer takes a surveillance PCR test at no cost to your family. A testing schedule will be soon be given with their testing dates and times throughout the season.

Parents who wish to have their daughters participate in testing must complete the consent form prior to testing. 

Medical staff from CIAN Diagnostics, the testing company, will swab the student athletes unless the student requests to self-swab. When a student tests she must tell the medical staff that she prefers to self-swab.

Test results will be available within 24 hours. If parents do not hear from Ms. Erin Beane, Maryvale's Assistant Athletic Director and Head Athletic Trainer, you can assume that your daughter's COVID-19 test result is negative. Ms. Beane will also share test results with the Dean of Students.

Currently performers are required to wear masks on the stage and in the classroom except when playing an instrument. Please note, this guideline was developed in an effort to reduce the risk of transmission and follows many collegiate protocols. All audience members, including Maryvale parents and visitors, must wear masks indoors.

As a reminder, unvaccinated student performers face a different quarantine period following a positive COVID-19 exposure per CDC guidelines. Please refer to the Roaring Back page for details. We appreciate your partnership in helping to keep Maryvale's student- performers safe this season! 

Sincerely,

Performing Arts Department Chair, Teacher

This video was created in August 2020.

Maryvale's Reentry Team is focused on making Maryvale stronger than ever. Members include:

• Heather Andrew, Director of Information Technology, Maryvale 
• Deb Baker, Senior Vice President, Nursing, Johns Hopkins Health System
• Mary Ellen Gallagher Barthelme ’72, Member, Board of Trustees, Maryvale
• Kelly Bonsack, School Nurse, Maryvale 
• Dr. Peter Chung, Pediatrician, Carroll Children’s Center
• Tracey H. Ford, President, Maryvale
• Jennifer Kerr-Logan, Senior Physician Assistant, Johns Hopkins Hospital
• Dr. Patricia Kirby, Member, Board of Trustees, Maryvale
• Mark Lindenmeyer, Vice President, Enrollment Management, Loyola University Maryland (retired)
• Dr. Teri Metcalf McCambridge, Physician, Towson Orthopaedic Associates
• Jen Nicholas, Middle School Head/Academic Dean, Maryvale 
• John Novotny, Former Member, Board of Trustees, Maryvale
• Diane Richard, School Nurse, Maryvale 
• Theresa Rodgers, Assistant Head of School for Business Operations / CFO, Maryvale
• Dave Schroeder, Director of Plant Operations, Maryvale
• Dr. Victor Shin, Upper School Head/Assistant Head of School, Maryvale
• Amy Swam, Director of Human Resources, Maryvale 
• Marty Voelkel-Hanssen ’75, Vice Chair, Board of Trustees, Maryvale 

• Maryland Department of Health 
• Johns Hopkins University and Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center
• World Health Organization
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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