WRA plan for coronavirus - Top Boarding School in OH

Starting the New School Year with Optimism and Safety Top of Mind

Look to this page as a resource for COVID-related news and communication. Further down the page, you will find the COVID Dashboard which will share any currently active cases. Please do not hesitate to be in touch with any questions.

On August 30, 2021 Head of School Suzanne Walker Buck shared the following message to the WRA Community, providing important guidance and updates to WRA's COVID-19 policies.

After a safe (and joyful) return to campus for the start of our 2021-22 school year, we continue to hone our focus on the wellbeing of the Reserve community.

Ensuring the physical and emotional health of our students is our number one priority, followed shortly thereafter by providing robust and vibrant in-person learning. To these ends, based on the projected implications of the Delta variant, and rooted in the recommendations of WRA’s COVID Task Force, public health officials and our medical partners, I share the following protocols that will go into effect Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021.

1. Universal mask wearing on WRA’s campus
Masks are to be worn by all individuals when inside or when gathered outside in groups of 30 or more. Please note the following exceptions:

Under the following scenarios vaccinated individuals may remove masks:

When alone
In dormitory rooms
When eating
When outside
In dorm common rooms provided all individuals are three feet apart
When exerting oneself through exercise or performance (provided there is adequate spacing between individuals or the activity transpires outdoors)

Unvaccinated individuals continue to be required to wear masks both indoors and outdoors, however, may remove masks:

When alone
In dormitory rooms
When eating
When participating in athletic activity outdoors

2. Weekly Testing of Unvaccinated Individuals
On a weekly basis all employees and students who have yet to have initiated vaccination will be required to undergo COVID testing.

Beginning Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, all unvaccinated employees are required to show proof of a negative COVID test taken within the previous 48 hours.
Beginning Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, students who have not yet initiated vaccination will be required to engage in COVID testing. Nurse Cindy Rocco will be contacting each of these 37 students and their families to outline the specifics of our testing program.

Any students or employees who fail to consistently comply with school safety protocol will not be permitted to come to campus and will face disciplinary consequences.

Our institutional COVID data tracker can be found at WRA.net/coronavirus. We will continue to monitor and review information as it becomes available. We will adjust our protocols as needed in order to remain current with the ever changing trends. Should you have any questions about our protocol and procedures, please feel free to reach out to our medical experts, Dr. Vish Hegde and Nurse Cindy Rocco. Thank you for your proactive efforts to ensure the safe and joyful learning environment of our Pioneers. I am grateful to partner with you.

With appreciation,

Suzanne Walker Buck
Head of School

Sharing Voice, Expertise & A Little Innovation

Never before has education faced such a formidable, unusual challenge. Like every school in the nation, Western Reserve Academy had to navigate new waters to create an action plan that kept our community safe, engaged, and healthy in mind, body and spirit. Fortunately, WRA is staffed with a full Health Services team, including counselors, an onsite nursing staff and Dr. Vish Hegde, the school's physician. Our medical team provided guidance and care that was critical to WRA's successful charter through COVID-19, and they continue to be an invaluable voice at the table with every decision we make, always prioritizing our community's safety and wellbeing.

Below we share a few ways WRA spent the 2020-21 year giving guidance and sharing experiences with local and industry partners, finding creative ways to connect with the community, and seeking new opportunities to serve the community and region, with PPE supplies and a good meal!

On March 21, 2021 Head of School Suzanne Buck joined Peter Baron and Hans Mundahl, hosts of the Enrollment Management Association podcast The Enrollment Spectrum, for a conversation about strategic leadership and opportunity for innovation in the education sector in the midst of a global pandemic.

Highlights from the 2020-2021 Year

WRA community comes together to produce medical face shields

Utilizing the tools in our Wang Innovation Center, WRA donated more than 250 face shields to the Cleveland Clinic Twinsburg and Summit County Public Health. Read the full article here.

Bringing the comfort of home cooking to our community

In the pioneering spirit of the school, in March of 2020, WRA launched a new initiative, "Reserve Your Meal," that kept Chef Eddie Mundy and his team cooking and, in the process, delivered comfort and joy to Hudson residents during this tenuous time.

Happiness has (four) legs! Evoking joy by spotlighting community pets

How do you connect with a community during a stay-at-home order? We crafted our video "Pet Project" to capture stay-at-home life and learning, in all its ups and oddities, through the eyes of our pets and narrated our faculty and staff. Watch the video here.