The health and wellbeing of its community is foundational to the mission at Killington Mountain School. Over the past few months, a task force and outside advisors have created Covid-19 safety policies and procedures that will enable KMS to adapt to the uncertainty of this virus, while getting back to its mission.
“Phase 2 of our reopening plan has been incredibly uplifting. Our athletes have demonstrated great resilience, perseverance and character, navigating their small group training opportunities with ease,” said Head of School Clair Kershko.
In June, the downhill mountain biking team began training. In August, the KMS freestyle program returned to the Olympic Jumping Complex in Lake Placid, New York, to get some time on the water ramps.
KMS’s full term academic programs resumed on Aug. 17 for remote learning, and Aug. 24 for in-person classes. This early start of in-person classes will allow the teaching faculty to ready full term students for potential extended fall snow training periods. Use of building space will be heavily scheduled and capacity will be reduced to ensure that occupants can practice social distancing.
The fall daily schedule has been revised to allow for smaller group sizes and principles of cohorting.
Residential life is at the core of the KMS experience and their team is planning to provide an engaging environment, while following Covid-19 safety policies and procedures. Move-in dates at KMS will be highly coordinated to ensure a safe transition back into the dorm.
KMS has already implemented a robust weekly and daily screening process in alignment with Vermont state guidelines. They will simplify this procedure for the start of the year with the introduction of Boardingware, a digital boarding school management system.
“We plan to embrace our sense of place even more in this upcoming year, utilizing the outdoor playground that surrounds us for activities. Our vast access to nature is certainly a KMS advantage and will keep our students supplied with endless opportunity upon reopening and into the fall,” Kershko said.
