What is the school's policy about students participating in activities outside of school?

Updated on Jan. 6, 2021
St. Stephen's has received a number of questions from students and parents regarding the school's expectations for your off-campus activities. We have created a new policy to guide your decision-making as you consider participating in these kinds of activities. Please review the new policy and let us know if you have any questions.

St. Stephen’s Policy for Participating in Activities Outside of School

Intent of Policy

The intent of this policy is to keep all members of our St. Stephen’s community healthy and safe. The policy applies to students and their families as well as employees and their families. It requires each of us to summon some of the best of our human qualities, including a sense of humility, a compassion for others and a willingness to make personal sacrifices for a greater good.

Recognition of Our Need for Interaction

We recognize that students and their families participate in all kinds of activities away from school. These include club sports practices and games, musical group rehearsals and performances, and youth group get-togethers. We also know that Spartans attend worship services, participate in community service activities, dine at restaurants and even occasionally get haircuts. This policy offers guidance for participating safely in these kinds of activities while mitigating risk to our broader school community.

Caution and Shared Commitment

We encourage families to think about the following expectations before participating in activities like these. We believe that by applying a double dose of caution and the guidelines below, Spartans can make decisions for most of the activities they are considering. We’re happy to talk through any questions you might have.

Following is a good “rule of thumb” question to ask yourself: “If my grandparents live with me and my family in our house, and I plan to return to the house to live with them after the activity I’m considering, would I choose to participate in the activity?” This question shouldn’t necessarily rule out most activities. But it should heighten your vigilance as you prepare for and participate in the kinds of activities mentioned above.

Check for the Right Ingredients

Does the activity you’re considering have the following three key ingredients?

Documented health and safety protocols* that are clearly communicated to participants.
Health and safety protocols that are enacted and enforced.
Participants who adhere to the protocols.

*Health and safety protocols should include at a minimum: (a) some kind of pre-activity health screening or a pledge to not participate in the activity if you are exhibiting symptoms, (b) a mask-wearing requirement appropriate for the activity, and (c) a physical-distancing requirement to ensure that participants maintain at least 6 feet of separation (no contact within 6 feet for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period).

Make Your Decision, Remain Vigilant

If the activity you’re considering has these three ingredients, you should be okay to participate as long as you remain vigilant before, during and after the activity. Remember that any type of group activity, no matter how safe it appears, could potentially spread the virus.

If the activity you are considering is missing one or more of these ingredients, you should reconsider your participation or plan to disclose it to the school with the understanding that you may need to quarantine for 14 days before returning to on-campus activities.

Avoid High-Risk Activities

Following are risky activities with high potential to spread the virus. They would necessitate a 14-day quarantine before returning to campus:

Using public transportation (e.g., plane, train, bus, taxi, rideshare).
Large-group gatherings lacking formal protocols (e.g., house parties, funerals, weddings, musical concerts)
Being in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or who exhibits symptoms consistent with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. On Wednesday, Oct. 21, the CDC issued a new definition of close contact as part of its overall COVID-19 guidelines. Close contact is now defined as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated. This kind of close physical contact can create direct exposure to infectious secretions.

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