COVID-19 Information Page

Updated: March 31, 2020

Columbus Academy, in accordance with the State of Ohio K-12 response toward COVID-19, has established online learning from March 30 until at least May 1 and possibly longer.

Operationally, all offices are working remotely from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on weekdays until at least May 1. If you have questions or need to contact anyone, please reference our Faculty & Staff Directory or email info@columbusacademy.org.

We are monitoring the COVID-19 situation carefully while taking proactive measures to safeguard the health of our community members in accordance with the guidance provided by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO) and National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). You can find links to coronavirus information from these organizations and others by scrolling to the bottom of this page.

Designed to provide convenient access to reliable information resources regarding COVID-19 in general, as well as timely updates specific to our school’s response and planning efforts, this page will be updated regularly as new information becomes available.

Communications from Head of School

• Checking In With Academy Families 3/27/20
  "I hope all of you are staying safe as we adapt to these new normals of physical distancing and sheltering in place, for now. You should be hearing from division heads this afternoon with more details of next week's transition to online learning, but first I'd like for you to watch this brief video recorded from my living room by my son Phil, a current Academy senior."

• Online Learning Will Begin on March 30 3/16/20
  "We will begin to roll out online learning for every grade. Students and parents can expect a continuum, from establishing connections on March 30 to full scheduled learning by Friday, April 3... Regarding spring sports, all of the school's athletic facilities are closed until April 6, when we tentatively will allow practices and seasons to resume."

• Follow-Up to Governor DeWine's Announcement 3/12/20
  "Please act in the best interests of our entire community as we all manage these incredible and inconvenient circumstances. Over this break, we strongly encourage you to check on our fellow families and provide support for each other in what are sure to be anxious times for many."

• Coronavirus Update from Head of School 3/10/20
  "For anyone in our community who is traveling this month, we strongly encourage you to monitor travel alerts from the CDC and to remain attentive to the elevation of the risk assessment for individual countries. In fact, the CDC has recently sent out a warning specifically about cruises. Regardless of where you travel in the coming weeks, please remember to adhere to CDC guidelines for staying healthy and please stay home if you do not feel well. Your participation in the safety of our community is paramount."

• Health Concerns Note from Head of School 2/28/20
  "I want to urge you to help children understand that, at the moment, the ways we have all been taught to prevent the spread of germs (washing hands often, covering coughs and sneezes with an elbow or tissue, not sharing drinks and food, and -- most importantly -- staying home when you are sick) are still crucial in preventing illness, and they continue to be important social cues of sharing in the responsibility of a tight-knit community during a time when people feel panicky about the flu or viruses."