OnSite Lessons, Classes, and Ensembles

Rules for OnSite Lessons

In-person Lessons are OPTIONAL. Teachers and Students who are at high risk from COVID-19 according to the Centers for Disease Control (or who are in routine close-contact with high-risk individuals) are encouraged to stay home and continue to participate in online lessons.

Adherence to these standards is required. For the safety of all students and faculty, we insist on strict adherence to the guidelines below. Failure to adhere will result in removal from the premises with NO REFUND of lesson fees. If you have a disability or a non-COVID ailment that prevents you from complying with any of the above guidelines, we will gladly deliver your lessons online via the internet.

Student and Parent Responsibilities

Stay home if you are not well. You should stay home if you are not feeling well, especially if they are displaying symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or any other disease, such as the flu, or if you have an elevated temperature. All teachers and students should perform an at-home self-screening before coming to the school. This includes checking yourself (or your child) for all known COVID-19 symptoms (such as fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, fatigue, headache, muscle/body aches, runny nose/congestion, new loss of taste or smell, or nausea, vomiting or diarrhea) and taking your (or your child’s) temperature prior to leaving to come to the school. If you are not well enough to come in for lessons, please call or text 413-341-1689 and we will arrange for your lesson to be OnLine.

Stay home if you or anyone you’ve been in close contact with has tested positive for COVID-19. “Close contact” means living in the same household as a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, caring for a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, being within 6 feet of a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 for 15 minutes or more, or coming in direct contact with secretions (e.g., sharing utensils, being coughed on) from a person who has tested positive for COVID-19. Please notify the The Prindle School as soon as possible at info@theprindleschool.com if you yourself have tested positive or you have been in close contact with anyone who has tested positive. Please do not come to in-person lessons if you or any member of your household has been told to stay home from school or work by a healthcare professional. If you are not well enough to come in for lessons, please call or text 413-341-1689 and we will arrange for your lesson to be OnLine.

Maintain good hand hygiene. Anyone entering the building should wash their hands for at least 20 seconds immediately upon arrival. Hand sanitizer is also available in all lesson rooms and should be used on a regular basis.

You have the option to wear a mask while inside The Prindle School and the buildings in which the school operates. Masking is currently OPTIONAL for all students and teachers.

Our Efforts to Maintain Safety for All

Airflow and filtration has been improved in all spaces.

• In our Hadley location, we have replaced the filtration system in our full-unit HVAC system. This includes replacing system filters with much more advanced versions and installing an iWave R ionizer. In combination, these improvements allow the system to constantly replace the air in the unit and filter out virus particles.

• In our Easthampton location, had improved airflow in all exterior rooms (i.e. rooms with windows) by installing window fans to optimize air replacement. In all interior rooms (i.e. rooms without windows), we have installed HEPA filters.

• In our Florence location, we have installed HEPA filters.

All spaces are regularly cleaned. Ownership will arrange for the cleaning of each location of The Prindle School once per week. This is in addition to the regular sanitization of all high-touch surfaces.

In the event of a positive COVID-19 test by any faculty member or student, we will complete the following protocols:

• We will notify any individuals who have had a close contact with the person who has tested positive.

• If a faculty member tests positive, their lessons will be immediately changed to OnLine (if they are well enough to teach), or cancelled and rescheduled if they are not well enough to teach.

• Faculty and students who test positive should not return to in-person lessons for at least 10 days. Or, they may return to in-person lessons after 5 days if they are asymptomatic and have tested negative on a rapid antigen test twice. Both tests must have been administered after day 5 and must have been separated by 36 hours. During days 6-10, masking is required.

Information Gathering

During the registration process, all students will complete a COVID information survey and waiver. This survey and waiver only takes about two minutes to complete. The registration process is done here on our website after you have contacted us to secure a lesson time with one of our teachers. If you’re interested in getting the registration process started, please go to THIS PAGE. Please note that the short form at that page initiates the registration process, but the process is not complete until you’ve been in touch with us to schedule your lessons and then completed our more complete final registration form.