Masks are mandatory for all students and employees during the 2020-2021 school year, and incorporated into the student uniform policy. Anyone (student or employee) not wearing a mask while on campus will be sent home. Under no circumstances should anyone ever share a mask!  All students, faculty and staff will have access to an extra mask if needed.  Students who are not comfortable wearing a mask for the entire time they are on campus, should opt for full-time distance learning.  Non-Spalding branded masks are allowed; however, they must be kept to solid colors or basic patterns (no logos or inappropriate graphics will be permitted). 

Three layer cloth masks will be mandatory for all students and employees on campus (as shown on the CDC website). Bandanas, buffs, etc. are not permitted.  Spalding encourages reserving the use of N95 masks for healthcare professionals only so as to prevent depleting their supply. 

Spalding branded masks will be available for purchase through the Cavalier Shop very soon.   

New building entry and moves management protocols are in place to assist in the event of necessary contact tracing.  There are 6 certified contact tracers on staff who are trained and ready to support this initiative. 

All students, faculty, and staff will be required to complete a daily screening questionnaire before arriving on campus. ANYONE displaying symptoms is asked to stay home. This questionnaire will take place through a program called Magnus, an Electronic Health Record System that provides a secure and simple way for schools to screen, monitor, and track COVID-19 symptoms. 

There must be a change in the culture at Archbishop Spalding High School - if you are feeling the least bit unwell… stay home, monitor your symptoms, and rest.  If you are feeling able, all work will be accessible online for students and staff.

Magnus testing should be completed before a student, faculty or staff member leaves their home each morning.  PLEASE DO NOT COMPLETE THE MAGNUS APP WHILE DRIVING TO SCHOOL!

Magnus will allow for electronic health forms to be completed in the near future. Freshman and transfer students: thank you to those who have already completed their physicals.  If you have not yet done so, please submit a hard copy of physical forms to Maura Martin - martinm@spaldinghs.org - by August 1st.  Click here for more information detailing what forms are needed based on grade level. 

• COVID Symptoms include
• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

If a student, faculty, or staff member feels sick and has COVID-related symptoms, they must STAY HOME and remain at home until their symptoms resolve and they are fever free for 72 hours without medication. They must also obtain a return to school release signed by their physician. 

Most importantly we are concerned about the safety and wellbeing of every member of our community.  Please reach out to your family physician or the Health Department with any questions or concerns. 

Students/employees displaying symptoms of COVID while on campus will be sent to a separate COVID nurse’s suite before being sent home.  We are asking families/staff to make a pick up plan in case there is any illness or need for a child/staff person to go home during the school day.  This plan should be as timely as possible to help get the child/staff person get home as quickly as possible. Risk mitigation protocols for their safe return will be provided to minimize community exposure. 

If a student, faculty or staff member receives a positive COVID test or presumptive COVID diagnosis, they should contact Adrienne Roberson and follow CDC guidelines to help prevent spreading COVID to others.  They must then isolate for 10 days, remain fever free for at least 3 days without medication, and have a return to school release signed by their physician.  There are 6 certified Contact Tracers on Archbishop Spalding staff that will help to identify and notify those who may need to quarantine or undergo testing based on possible exposure to that individual. 

If a family member or someone residing with a student, faculty or staff member receives a positive COVID test or presumptive COVID diagnosis, that student/faculty/staff member must quarantine for 14 days and remain symptom free before returning to school.

For the safety of our community we would strongly recommend students, families, faculty and staff to monitor the Harvard Global Health Metric before traveling and follow quarantine guidelines for that area upon your return to the Archbishop Spalding community. 

Changes to the cafeteria and food service are forthcoming and will include the use of grab and go offerings.

Water fountains have been replaced with water bottle filling stations around campus.

Physical distancing of 6 feet will be enforced on campus.  We are currently performing facility reviews to properly mark every classroom and shared space and proper physical distancing between students and teachers will occur throughout campus.  Signage communicating these requirements will be installed in the near future. 

Campus will be configured with one-way traffic as much as physically possible.  Time between classes will be extended to allow for longer routes based on mandatory one-way traffic in stairwells and hallways.

Bathrooms have been measured for safe physical distancing and appropriate occupancy will be communicated and monitored. 

Students will NOT have access to lockers for the 2020-2021 school year. Students with health or other concerns that may prevent them from carrying supplies in their backpack for the entirety of the school day should notify their school counselor.

Spalding is prepared to conduct a blended learning model consisting of on-campus and distance learning.  Both locations will have synchronous and asynchronous (see below) instruction.  Additional details regarding the schedule and days on campus is forthcoming.  We are also prepared for full distance learning, should the need arise.

• Social-Emotional Support for Students
• Professional Development for teachers
• Technology Proficiency
• Multiple forms of Assessment
• Differentiated instruction

• Spiritual Life and Campus Ministry support
• Mentoring for all students
• Extracurricular programming: clubs and activities

In the event that we must close our campus, students will engage in full distance learning.  We use the the term distance learning in lieu of technology-specific terms such as “e-learning” or “online classes”  because we believe that meaningful distance learning:

• Promotes student engagement through daily learning opportunities for authentic learning experiences across all disciplines
• Maintains connections between students, teachers, and the Spalding community 
• Consists of differentiated instruction for all types of learners
• Incorporates multiple forms of assessment to monitor student progress

Yes. Teachers will be trained on how to best support students who are uncomfortable with or unable to attend class on campus when it reopens. Families who know they would prefer to enroll in distance learning full-time will be given a form to complete indicating their preference on Monday, July 27th.

Students will submit assignments online while on campus or distance learning to minimize contact. This may include Spalding's Learning Management System or the use of Google folders, forms, etc.

Yes.  Students will be expected to be in a dedicated workspace, have their cameras on, and be in uniform during class.

The combination of on-campus learning with distance learning will allow for hands on instruction on the days students are in the building. Project based learning will be implemented to help bridge the gap between on-campus and distance learning.

No.  In order to ensure that all classes are able to cover the entirety of their curriculum, more class time is needed than a half day schedule can provide.

We are currently researching the optimal way to split the student body to give each student an equal opportunity to attend in-person instruction.  Accommodations will be made to ensure siblings are not split.

Teachers will respond to all student and parent emails within 24 hours on weekdays.

Yes.  All teachers will be teaching live lessons online or in person.

Spalding will continue to provide students with the opportunity to meet with teachers one-on-one to have questions answered and receive help with any work.  

We are under the directive of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.  In the event of a state-wide school closure, we are prepared to implement a full distance learning model.  

Due to the cost of COVID related mitigation and continued operating expenses we are unable to reduce tuition for the 2020-2021 school year.  As an independent school of the Archdiocese of Baltimore we are reliant on tuition and philanthropy to pay salaries and benefits, maintain our facilities and cover COVID related costs.  

We realize many of our families are under economic and personal distress due to this pandemic.  If you are impacted and would like to discuss your tuition agreement - please contact CFO, Shannon Gilligan-Barlieb. 

Proper sanitization of classrooms will occur between classes.  This includes the cleaning of desks, chairs and other high touch areas.  Furniture made of fabric material has been removed and replaced with wipeable surfaces.  Sanitization of bathrooms and other shared spaces will also occur regularly.  

Spalding is currently revising all cleaning procedures to ensure daily cleaning of high touch areas and evening cleaning to adhere to CDC cleaning standards.  The COVID cleaning protocols and products will meet CDC and OSHA standards. 

Bipolar Ionization Systems will also be installed throughout the facility.

Hand hygiene will be encouraged and properly enforced throughout the day.  Hand hygiene stations will be in every classroom and other high touch areas, and educational materials will be posted in each restroom. 

Please note that intentionally exposing others to illness (e.g., intentionally sneezing, coughing at another individual) will not be tolerated and will be met with appropriate consequences as discussed in the student handbook.

Class size will be determined by square footage and space for proper social distancing in each classroom.

To minimize exposure, students will have designated time in their schedule to eat lunch in their classroom.  Time will be provided for hand hygiene. We will ask students to remain seated and to place their mask back on as soon as they are finished eating.  Proper cleaning will occur after lunch. 

We are not planning for outdoor dining facilities at this time. 

Staggered arrival and departure details will be forthcoming with designated locations, times and protocols.  No student, faculty or staff will be allowed to enter the building without going through the temperature screening which will begin at 7:00 am.  All students, faculty and staff must leave campus by 4:00 pm to enable proper and thorough cleaning of the building. 

Updates regarding transportation options will be forthcoming.

Spalding will implement a mentor program called "Cav Time".  The goal of these 12:1 mentoring groups is to provide a small group setting to enhance the student experience and connectedness to the Spalding community.  These groups will provide weekly check-in and shared curriculum to support possible student concerns and needs.   Our goal is that these groups will increase student and staff protective factors to better handle the transitions and changes in the school setting through this unusual  year. The group will be for students to check in by their grade level on a weekly basis with a Spalding faculty/staff person and establish peer relationships. We anticipate this group to:

• Actively engage and participate in group discussions
• Cultivate and promote a healthy and safe school climate
• Develop, pursue, and achieve academic and personal goals
• Access mentors to obtain answers to academic and extra-curricular needs
• Help group solve current issues or concerns
• Act as coach and advocate
• Facilitate discussion of various topics
• Help student’s problem solve current concerns or issue

In addition we will build time into the weekly schedule for virtual club and activities to meet virtually.  On Friday nights the Make Every Day Count club will continue hosting their Netflix movie watch-a-long.

We will remain committed to our Catholic Identity through opportunity for prayer at the beginning of each day, and each class. Our Campus Ministry Department will continue to provide prayer services, retreats and/or liturgies in accordance with social distancing and keeping our students safe.  We will continue to support our students in creative ways to serve others. 

A hallmark component of the Spalding education is the opportunity for students to explore their interests and passions and “find their place here”.  We are working to allow for clubs and extracurriculars to have allocated time in the weekly schedule for online meetings and are planning a virtual Club Fair in the beginning of the school year.  When it is safe for these groups to meet in person we will make accommodations for them to do so. 

On July 17, the IAAM and MIAA shared the below update. Archbishop Spalding will continue to update you as quickly as possible as things progress and/or change.

In an ongoing effort to mitigate health risks while supporting student-athletes, the IAAM and MIAA will be delaying the start of the Fall Preseason until on or after Tuesday, September 1, 2020.  At this time, we anticipate that league play will commence on or after September 21, 2020. Revised schedules will be issued to keep within the projected timeline for fall athletics. The IAAM and MIAA will continue to reevaluate the viability of interscholastic competition for the fall season. The Board of Governors of both leagues will meet again in mid-August.  Blackout periods and out of season practice policies will be waived until further notice.  The IAAM and MIAA share a common commitment to athletics as an extension of the educational process. Participation in healthy athletic practices provides our student-athletes opportunities to compete, build character, acquire, and improve skills, demonstrate leadership, and have fun. Both leagues hope to honor this commitment and, at the same time, keep athletes and their coaches as healthy as possible.

We are planning orientations for our freshman and transfer students.  We aim to acclimate all new students to our community and the culture of Archbishop Spalding High School. In addition, we will have COVID-19 related educational trainings for all students and staff.

All school wide events will be made virtual until physical distancing mandates loosen.  We understand the importance of events like homecoming, spirit week and more and will do our best to ensure that all still take place, virtually, to boost student morale. 

We know that the Performing and Visual arts are an integral part of the Spalding experience.  These faculty are working diligently to prepare and accomodate for both distance and on campus learning as best they can.

The Music Department will continue to offer performance classes and extra-curricular ensembles during the fall semester. Physical distancing protocols, as directed by local and state health departments, will be followed for student performers and good instrument hygiene will be practiced and enforced. 

Senior fleeces can be ordered online through the Cavalier Shop.  Additional details on Senior specific items are forthcoming 

Yes, The Senior garden will remain open, adhering to physical distancing guidelines.