Coronavirus Response

November 13, 2020

Dear Malvern Community, 
I write to you today to provide information concerning the implications of the dramatic increase in positivity and hospitalization of those infected by the Coronavirus in our country and in our area specifically for the Malvern School Community. Mindful of our experience on campus since the beginning of the academic year, and keeping abreast of the latest updates, the Leadership Team, the Caritas Committee, and I are in agreement that Malvern will remain open for in-person instruction on campus at this time. 

The rationale for this decision is that we have had a low number of positive cases within our school community with no transmission of the virus, to date, on campus. I want to thank parents, students, faculty and staff for their vigilance and cooperation in following the protocols we have provided. This compliance is to be gratefully acknowledged because it has made all the difference. However, I want to encourage vigilance with compliance both on and off campus so no one in our community contracts the virus regardless of where or how the infection occurred and to assure that our doors remain open.

These are the days when our pride in Malvern and all that it stands for is internalized within us in such a way that we accept the value of ‘what happens to one happens to all’ as our common bond. Each of us matters at Malvern. Be assured of continued prayers for your safety and wellness.

In Augustine,

Rev. Donald F. Reilly, O.S.A., D. Min.
Head of School
Malvern Preparatory School

October 30, 2020

Dear Malvern Community,

I hope this communication finds you and your family well. The return to full capacity has provided us with the opportunity to closely monitor the viability of our protocols and assess student/faculty/staff responses to a new way of being on campus, all of which are aimed at caring for the safety and wellness of the school community. In addition, we are constantly reviewing research pertaining to COVID-19 and educational settings.  

Our observations on campus, coupled with research, indicates that there is a need to reduce crowding and congestion during the free, unstructured time after lunch. We have determined that this unstructured time after lunch could impact our ability to contact trace, should the need arise.

In order to prevent the possible transmission of the virus, to elevate the ability to contact tracing, and to maintain academic rigor, we are revising the daily academic schedule starting at the beginning of Term 2 on Thursday, November 5. 

Daily Academic schedule beginning Thursday, November 5 

Benefits of this schedule:

• Keeps the 4 block model which students and teachers like because of its consistency, the enhancement of retention of material taught, and the offering of conferences and daily contact time between students and teachers.
• Staggers the pick-up time for the Upper School and Middle School students, limiting the congestion we are currently experiencing after dismissal.
• Provides additional opportunities for clubs/activities to meet or for students to meet with faculty members.
• Allows for more precise contact tracing, should the need arise.

Brotherhood Days will continue through December 16. These days have been successful in allowing students to engage in character development opportunities, have fun and decompress, and to participate in clubs, spiritual exercises, and co-curricular activities. 

Busing will remain available; for specific questions, please contact Mr. Tim Dougherty.

We have vetted this updated schedule with various campus constituencies. I want to thank the representative group of parents, Faculty and Staff, the Board of Trustees, the Caritas Committee, and my colleagues on the Leadership Team for their commitment to excellence in designing the safest, sustainable, and most viable academic and co-curricular experience possible for your son.

If the past seven months have taught us anything, they have taught us about our fragility and the need for resilience. Stress and anxiety are palpable realities with which we now live on a daily basis. The encroaching COVID-19 virus heightens our desire for a return to what we miss most, a balance in our lives that enables us to be more spontaneous, certainly less cautious about where and with whom we spend our time. Providing our young friars, your sons, the safest, most caring, intellectually stimulating, and faith-filled environment for teaching and learning impels us to be for them what we want them to become - people of strong character with a deep belief in their self-worth, a sense of purpose in life, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a faith that sustains them through any adversity, essentially, an Augustinian Education. Our common effort on behalf of those entrusted to our care gives us back a good deal of the balance we miss. 

Be assured of continued prayers for you and your family.

In Augustine,

Rev. Donald F. Reilly, O.S.A., D. Min.
Head of School
Malvern Preparatory School

Dear Malvern Community,

We look forward to returning to 100% capacity tomorrow, October 12. Returning to 100% capacity means that all students will be on campus Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

We believe most students will return to campus. However, if a student requires an accommodation and needs to continue learning remotely during the pandemic, they can do so. Any student requiring this accommodation should be in touch with his counselor.

Wednesdays will continue to be Brotherhood Days. They will continue through December. Below are the schedules for the remaining Brotherhood Days in October:

• October 14 Brotherhood Schedule (includes information for virtual students).
• October 21 Brotherhood Day Schedule
• October 28 Brotherhood Day Schedule

Classrooms have been transformed to meet the protocols required; for instance, desks are 6 feet apart. Most classrooms can accommodate up to 15 students. However, if a particular class is larger than space allows, the overflow would report to their Homebase to join the class virtually. The students will rotate every other class meeting to ensure that students are not always learning from their Homebase. All teaching and learning takes place synchronously. 

Our COVID protocols are outlined in the Guide for Parents and Students and have been in place since the start of our gradual reopening. These protocols will remain as they are unless the governmental mandate, new information from the CDC or the Chester County Health Department dictates otherwise. The protocols and procedures that we will follow if a student or faculty/staff member becomes ill with COVID are outlined in the Guide as well. The Chester County Health Department assumes responsibility for contact tracing.

As we move to 100% capacity, it is more important than ever to practice mask-wearing, proper hygiene, and physical distancing while on campus and off-campus. The health and wellness of our school community is dependent on everyone being “all in.”

I invite you to watch my video which highlights the physical changes we have made to campus as well as the protocols that we continue to adhere to every day to keep our community safe.

In Augustine,

Rev. Donald F. Reilly, O.S.A., D. Min.
Head of School
Malvern Preparatory School

September 25, 2020

Dear Malvern Prep Community,

The increase from 30% of students on campus to 45% on campus this week has gone well.  This is due in large part to the students for their compliance and, more importantly, their spirit of cooperation and appreciation for the changes made to accommodate the protocols, policies, and procedures necessary for a healthy and safe environment.

On Monday, September 28, we will be proceeding with our plan of having 60% of students on campus daily. This increase is possible because positivity rates in the county are still moderate, we have not received any governmental mandates, and our students, faculty, and staff continue to remain compliant with the protocols we have put in place to keep our community safe. Below is the breakdown of the daily student body beginning September 28.

There will be some logistical updates as we increase the number of students on campus each day.

HOMEBASES AND LUNCH

Upon arriving on campus, all students must check-in to their homebase location. Students will also eat lunch in their homebase location. Dining Services will be delivering a Box Lunch for Students who wish to purchase a lunch each day in all of these locations.  Click here to read an important message from Mr. Tom Gray, Director of Dining Services. All Students are encouraged to bring their own lunch if this service is something they are not comfortable with, or if the menu is not to their liking. Click here to view the menu for the week of September 28.

Again, we plan to bring 100% of students back to campus daily on October 12.

As always, be assured of my prayers for you and your family.

In Augustine,

Fr. Donald Reilly, O.S.A.