Educational Excellence Since 1912
Hamden Hall Country Day School
Educating students in PreSchool through Grade 12

Returning to Lower School

School Day
The school day will begin at 8 a.m. Monday through Friday, and classroom teachers will begin accepting students at 7:40 a.m. Dismissal will begin at 2:45 p.m. 
 

Arrival/Dismissal Procedures


Early Childhood Cohort
 
PreSchool/PreKindergarten students will be located in the Blanchard building. Drop off and pick up will be from the classroom doors facing Hall Street. Parents should walk their child to the classroom door where the teacher will verify that the Ruvna daily health screening has been completed. Please adhere to social distance guidelines while waiting. Adults and siblings in grades Kindergarten and up should wear a mask during drop off and pick up. 

Kindergarten - Grade 4 Cohort
Students in Kindergarten and Grades 1, 3, and 4 will be located in the Blanchard Building. Drop off will be from the Hall Street parking lot. Please follow the traffic flow and let 
children off with the adult on duty. Children will walk to the classroom door where a 
teacher will verify that the Ruvna daily health screening has been completed. Parents are welcome to walk their child to the classroom door in the morning. At dismissal, parents should pick up at the classroom door. Please adhere to social distance guidelines while waiting. Adults and children in grades Kindergarten and up should wear a mask during drop off and pick up.

Grade 2 students will be located on the 2nd floor of the Alpert Building. Drop off and pick up will be from the ramp on Hall Street. Children will walk to the ramp door where a teacher will verify that the Ruvna daily health screening has been completed. Parents are welcome to walk their child to the door. At dismissal, parents should pick up at the ramp door. Please adhere to social distance guidelines while waiting. Only one family will be permitted on the ramp at a time. Adults and children in grades Kindergarten and up should wear a mask during drop off and pick up.
 
Grades 5 - 6 Cohort
Students in this cohort will be located on the first floor of Whitson Hall. Drop off and pick up will be from the Hall Street parking lot near the Lower School Art Cottage stairs. Please follow the traffic flow and let children off with the adult on duty. Children will walk to the Whitson doors on the Carleton Street side where a teacher will verify that the Ruvna daily health screening has been completed. At dismissal, parents can wait in the carpool line until the adult on duty releases their child. Alternatively, parents can park and wait on the sidewalk near the handicap parking spaces. Please adhere to social distance guidelines while waiting. Adults and children in grades Kindergarten and up should wear a mask during drop off and pick up.

Lunchtime
Hamden Hall has partnered with Flik Dining Service. Flik will deliver a variety of lunch offerings each day. Students will make their selection each morning and lunch will be delivered directly to Lower School classrooms. For the first few weeks of school, offerings will be limited. As we fine-tune the daily routine, additional choices will be added. Students are welcome to bring their lunch (no nuts, please!);  however, there will not be access to refrigeration or a microwave in 
Kindergarten - Grade 6. 
 
Extended Day
For Fall 2020, we will offer Extended Day within each cohort until 4:30 p.m.

Specialists

 
Early Childhood Cohort
Our Early Childhood teachers will provide specialized instruction in all areas, including:  Art, Music, Thematic Studies, Physical Education and World Language. 

Kindergarten  - Grade 4 Cohort
With the exception of Physical Education, specialist teachers in the areas of Science, Art, Music, and Library will travel to the classrooms. Students will have their own 
“Specialist Toolbox” of materials to be used during these times. Physical Education will take place on the playground or on Augur Field. Comfortable clothing and sneakers should be worn each day. 
 
Grades 5 - 6 Cohort
Students in Grades 5 and 6 will travel to Science, MakerSpace, Latin, and Music classes in Whitson Hall. Shared desks will be sanitized after each use. Theater class will be 
outdoors or in the homeroom classroom. Physical Education will take place on the 
5th-6th grade designated outdoor space or on Augur Field.  Students will not be 
required to change for PE. Comfortable clothing and sneakers should be worn each day. 

Returning to Middle School

Grades 7 and 8 will conduct all classes in our 65,000-square-foot Beckerman Athletic Center, which will provide us with plenty of space to practice social distancing. Additionally, the easy access to the vast athletic fields at our Skiff Street Athletic Complex will enable faculty to hold classes and students to eat lunch and get exercise outdoors. While students are indoors, they will be required to wear a mask at all times. When students are outside and at least six feet apart (while stationary), they will be able to take off their masks. Students may also take off their masks to eat and drink.
 
School Day
The school day will begin at 8 a.m. Monday through Friday, and classroom teachers will begin accepting students at 7:40 a.m. The Middle School academic day concludes at 2:15 p.m. and athletics will end at 3 p.m. Students who are not participating in athletics may be picked up at 2:15 p.m.
 
Drop Off
Students may be dropped off in front of the Beckerman Athletic Center between 7:40 and 8 a.m. Only members of the Middle School cohort will be allowed in the building, which means that no parents or siblings will be able to enter the building.
 
Lunchtime
Hamden Hall has partnered with Flik Dining Service. Flik will deliver a variety of lunch offerings each day. Food will be pre-packaged in single serving portions and will be served at a number of “Grab & Go” stations within the Beckerman Athletic Center.
 
Clubs/Extracurricular Activities 
Participation is a core value and instrumental in the overarching premise of what we call the Hamden Hall Experience. Engagement in clubs and extracurricular activities is also essential to community-building. As such, we are committed to providing as many rewarding experiences and opportunities as possible in each of our instructional models.

Music
Hamden Hall has a robust music program that is nationally recognized. We are committed to maintaining both our choral and instrumental programs. We are closely following state guidelines for physical distancing for all of our music classes and are providing optimal spacing as is appropriate in our classrooms. Furthermore, if we are prevented from gathering in person to enjoy the various instrumental and choral concerts that we host during the school year, we are committed to virtually presenting the shows to our Hamden Hall community.

Athletics 
Athletics are an integral part of the educational experience at Hamden Hall with myriad health and social benefits for our students’ overall well-being. As such, we will host fall athletic programming on campus for our Middle Schoolers, which will include but is not limited to: sport-specific practices for fall sports, intramural competition if possible, and some out-of-season athletic options if our situation allows. Middle School students will not be allowed to play on an Upper School team. Athletics for Middle School students will be optional during the fall season. We are allowing students to opt in or out depending on their level of comfort. We are hopeful that a large percentage of our student body who participate will continue to do so as we work to implement an athletic program that prioritizes the health and safety of our students and community. Students who are not participating in athletics may be picked up at 2:15 p.m.

Returning to Upper School

First Two Weeks (Week of Sept. 1 and Week of Sept. 8)
To better acclimate our Upper School students so that everyone is comfortable with our “new normal,” we will commence the first two weeks of school at half density. The first week, September 1-4, will serve as an orientation week. Grades 9 and 12 will be on 
campus September 1-2 while Grades 10 and 11 will be present on September 3-4. We will divide Upper School students into two cohort groups during the second week of school in order that classes operate at half capacity. Students will gain familiarity with their classrooms, transitioning from class to class, eating lunch, and entering and exiting campus. Additionally, this time period allows students to practice zooming into classes from home.

School Day 
The school day will begin at 8:20 a.m. Monday through Friday, and classroom teachers will begin accepting students at 8:05 a.m. The Upper School academic day concludes at 3:15 p.m., which is inclusive of clubs, extracurricular activities, and extra help. Upper School athletics will start at 3:30 p.m.

Drop Off
Upper School students may be dropped off between 8:05 and 8:20 a.m. in the front parking lot of our Whitney Avenue campus. Students will enter through either Taylor 
Gymnasium, Lender Refectory, or our Davis Street campus where a teacher will verify that their Ruvna daily health screening has been completed.

Lunchtime
Hamden Hall has partnered with Flik Dining Service. Flik will deliver a variety of lunch 
offerings each day. Food will be pre-packaged in single serving portions and will be served at a number of “Grab & Go” stations within both Lender Refectory and Taylor Gymnasium. Tables will also be placed in the courtyard for additional outdoor eating spaces. The Upper School lunch period will be split into three waves.

Clubs/Extracurricular
Participation is a core value and instrumental in the overarching premise of what we call the Hamden Hall Experience. Engagement in clubs and extracurricular activities is also essential to community-building. As such, we are committed to providing as many rewarding experiences and opportunities as possible in each of our instructional models.

Music
Hamden Hall has a robust music program that is nationally recognized. We are committed to maintaining both our choral and instrumental programs. We are closely following state guidelines for physical distancing for all of our music classes and are providing optimal spacing as is appropriate in our classrooms. Furthermore, if we are prevented from gathering in person to enjoy the various instrumental and choral concerts that we host during the school year, we are committed to virtually presenting the shows to our Hamden Hall community.

Athletics
Hamden Hall participates in the Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA), which will not be hosting regular conference competitions or league championships for all fall sports this season. Nonetheless, as athletics are an integral part of the educational experience at Hamden Hall with myriad health and social benefits for our students’ overall well-being, we will host fall athletic programming on campus. Programming will include but is not limited to: sport-specific practices (for fall sports and some limited out-of-season sport training opportunities), intramural competition if possible, and interscholastic opportunities (playdays, scrimmages, jamborees, informal races, etc., with nearby schools as scheduling avails). All Upper School athletics will be optional during the fall season. We are allowing students to opt in or out depending on their level of comfort. We are hopeful that a large percentage of our student body who participate will continue to do so as we work to 
implement an athletic program that prioritizes the health and safety of our students and community.

Hamden Hall Country Day School

About Us

Hamden Hall Country Day School is a nurturing and inclusive community with a dynamic learning environment that promotes academic excellence by understanding each child and fostering their individual growth.