COVID-19

Health and Safety at the Forefront

RSGC has undertaken a comprehensive facility preparedness master-plan to prepare the College for the return to school in September in order to best enhance the health and safety of students and staff. We have had a busy summer re-visioning the campus to prepare for the boys’ return. Our return to school facility master plan has been guided by Tye Farrow.

Tye is the architect behind our Ketchum Hall and Junior School renovations. More importantly, Tye has vast expertise and knowledge in helping some of the world’s leading hospitals improve their campuses to changing healthcare needs. Under Tye’s direction, GPY+ Engineering, who have an excellent knowledge of our mechanical systems on campus, was engaged to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the facility and provide recommendations on on how to reduce airborne and direct contact disease. We have incorporated these recommendations into our return to school facility master plan.

The enhancements to the campus include imaginative use of bigger spaces to maintain optimum physical distancing, mechanical system upgrades, traffic patterns and circulation considerations, entry and exit protocols, segregation of Junior, Middle, Lower High School and Senior High School into discrete “schools within the school” and strategies for student and adult compliance with health and safety upgrades.

Air Quality and Ventilation

Ventilation and air quality have been a focus of our pathogen-mitigation strategy since we first began this work. We are in the process of installing new bipolar ionization technology across the learning spaces on campus. Bipolar ionization disinfects the air within the buildings by neutralizing particulate matter, bacteria and viruses. Studies have shown it eliminates 93 to 99% of airborne pathogens. This represents a significant investment for the College; however, combined with the upgrade to MERV 13 filters (which capture 98% of particles in the 0.3 to 1.0 micron range) and an increase of fresh air (rather than recycled) to our air flow of our buildings, the circulated air in the buildings will be a key component of our health management plan for students and adults.

Physical Layout

We’ve looked creatively at the physical layout of the campus, repurposing spaces such as Ketchum Hall, the Chapel and the Blackbox theatre to create classrooms, which allow us to maintain the two metres of physical distance between student desks and between students and teachers.

Additionally, we’ve created separate physical areas on campus for Grades 3 and 4; Grades 5 and 6; Grade 7; Grade 8; Grade 9; Grade 10, and Grades 11 and 12. Each of these domains has a separate entrance with handwashing station and separate bathroom facilities. Additional portable washrooms, inclusive of hot water faucets, will be located throughout the campus.

We have created isolation rooms for any individuals showing symptoms of illness in the school and have hired a full-time nurse.

Additional Hygiene Practices

In addition to the added handwash stations and bathrooms on campus, hand sanitizing stations will be added into classrooms and at strategic locations throughout the school.

Plexiglass barriers have also been added to many areas of the campus including reception areas, lab classrooms and office areas. Signage is being increased throughout the campus including spacing reminders and directionality indicators for hallways and staircases.

We will be increasing housekeeping staff to be available during the day for ongoing surface cleaning in each of our buildings. Housekeeping staff will be trained in the best disinfection protocols and safety methods to help prevent the transmission of viruses. Electrostatic sprayers will allow for the rapid sanitization of classrooms during the day. All of our buildings will have a thorough deep cleaning after school hours each day.

Physical Layout of Classrooms