Upper School Principal Newsletter

Virtual Mondays: The online classroom is an extension of our on-campus classrooms. We want all students to feel comfortable stepping into the classroom each day, even the Zoom classroom. Students’ Zoom squares should minimize distraction and be free of personal expressions and opinion. Also, please remind your child that we expect students to be on camera, sitting up straight, and fully engaged when in online classrooms.
Mask-wearing and Physical Distancing: Overall, students are doing an incredible job keeping their masks on. Because it’s unnatural for us to socialize 6 feet or further from each other, we are giving constant gentle reminders when students are outside to spread out or put a mask on. This protocol applies to all times when students are on-campus, even the student parking lots before and after school. Please remind your child of our responsibility to do our part to maintain the health of our community.
Dress Code: Thank you for being sure your child’s uniforms still fit after our long break from on-campus learning. We have made a few dress code observations and are giving students reminders. You can partner with us in the following ways:
- Ensure uniform bottoms are appropriate in length, using two inches above the knee as the guideline.
- Ensure your child’s haircut and hairstyle are within guidelines. Gentlemen should not have hair that hangs below their eyebrows, below the tops of their ears, and/or below the top of their collar. Gentlemen and ladies should avoid vibrant, unnatural hair dye (blue, purple, green, vibrant red, pink, etc.).
- Ensure your child’s polo shirt is long enough to remain tucked in throughout the day.

Upper School Student-Parent Handbook
Please be sure to review the student-parent handbook with your child and submit the electronic signature by Friday, August 28. To access and digitally sign the handbook, log in to the Parent Portal on the Whitefield website. From the menu items on the left, choose “Handbooks,” and click the PDF icon to download the handbook. Please note that the handbook begins with a one-page summary of changes and additions for the 2020-21 school year.

Uniforms This Week

Tuesday, August 25: Daily Whitefield Uniform
Wednesday, August 26: Chapel Uniform (yearbook picture day)
Thursday, August 27: Daily Whitefield Uniform
Friday, August 28: Friday Wear (Whitefield t-shirt and uniform bottom)

Drop/Add
Drop/Add ends at 3:00 p.m. on September 11. For information regarding dropping/adding a class, consult page 45 of the student-parent handbook. Please note that drop/add requests are contingent upon current class size restrictions as we work to practice physical distancing in classrooms. Your child should email Registrar Linda Thomas to inquire about dropping/adding a class.

Late-Start Friday Early Drop-Off and Supervision
With the addition of late-start Friday in the Middle and Upper Schools, we understand that some families will need to drop off their children earlier than 8:30 a.m. The Upper School building will not open before 8:30 a.m. unless students have a scheduled meeting with a member of the Upper School faculty. Students arriving before 8:30 a.m. (but no earlier than 7:30 a.m.) should report to the Athletic Center. They will receive a temperature check prior to entering and must wear their mask. At 8:30 a.m., students may proceed to the Upper School building, bringing with them their slip that indicates they have had their temperature check. Early drop-off and supervision are not available on late-start Wednesdays since it is a late-start day for the entire school. The Upper School building will not be open until 8:30 a.m. on Wednesdays.

Carpool
Each morning as you arrive for carpool, students in the car will have their temperature taken and receive a token (the color will change each day). Because the process can take a little bit of time, it is helpful if students can be ready to go – masks on, bookbags and gear ready, and ideally seated based on where they are being dropped off. Should a passenger’s temperature be elevated, the whole car will be asked to have a second temperature check in the middle parking lot between the stadium and the mods. Thank you for assisting us in a smooth morning routine that enables students to arrive on time to class.

J-Term 2021
We are moving forward with plans for J-Term 2021. J-Term 2021 will be the first week of second semester, January 4-8. This week of experiential learning allows students to engage in the mission in authentic, impactful ways through service, missions, internships, on- and off-campus learning intensives, and exploration of the Atlanta area. It also allows faculty the opportunity to share their passions and gifts with students. This week has quickly become a highlight of students’ Whitefield experience! We are excited to offer the following courses for J-Term 2021: Course Offerings and Descriptions.

Due to the uncertainty of coronavirus, we are making adjustments to J-Term 2021. We will not be offering any trips that require air travel. All overnight offerings will have a local back-up offering that does not include overnight stays. By October 1, we will determine if J-Term can move forward with out-of-state, in-state, or local travel or if we have to stay on-campus. In the event that we have to adjust plans for certain trips, the cost will be adjusted and you will be refunded the difference. Like the past two years, the course offerings are at a variety of price points and there are a number of quality opportunities at little to no cost. We are working to maintain flexibility in our planning while keeping our focus on the goals and mission of the week.

Registration for all grades will take place on Monday, August 31, which is a virtual learning day. Prior to this day, please discuss which course your child should register for, as the link to register will be posted to the Schoology Class of pages at the following times:

Seniors - 9:30 a.m. (end of 6th period)
Juniors - 11:00 a.m. (end of 5th period)
Sophomores - 12:30 p.m. (end of lunch)
Freshmen - 1:20 p.m. (end of 3rd period)

No payments will be made on the registration form. Instead, any course that requires a fee will be billed to your family’s MyBackPack account through the business office. Any fees over $200 will have a monthly payment plan (via MyBackPack) that will be completed by the end of November. The only exception is the Subtropical Ecology in the FL Keys trip. A link will be sent to the email address you provide on this form to sign up with Joshua Expeditions for that trip. For questions about J-Term 2021, please contact J-Term coordinator Mr. Dan Young.