The 2020-21 School Year

Yes. On June 14, 2020, Headmaster Zack Lehman P’16 ’18 announced The Hill School’s plans for a safe return to in-person operations on campus in August 2020. The School’s resumption and continuation of in-person operations will hinge on the entire community observing a wide range of public health measures to ensure everyone’s health and safety, including physical distancing, face coverings, frequent hand washing, personal health monitoring, and COVID-19 screening if available.  Read the full campus reopening plan here.

The Hill has convened a Continuity Planning Team made up of key representatives of every aspect of our programs and operations. This group has met frequently since April 1 to consider a wide-range of possible scenarios for next year. The team is committed to devising and implementing return plans that maximize safety while also ensuring that quality teaching, learning, and personal growth can continue to take place at Hill.

The Continuity Planning Team additionally is making the necessary changes to physical spaces on campus to promote a healthy environment. As long as infection rates remain at lower levels and state and local guidelines permit, classes will be conducted in a manner that prioritizes in-person instruction and also allows for full remote participation for those who cannot be present. In an effort to preserve public health and prepare for a safe spring term, on-campus instruction and activities will end November 24, at the start of the traditional Thanksgiving recess.  Remote learning for all students will operate from December 2 through December 18.  Holiday recess will subsequently begin on December 19 and conclude on January 3.  Read the full reopening plan here.

Everyone on campus will be expected to adhere to four important pillars of public health: use of face coverings, frequent hand washing, physical distancing, and personal health monitoring. Details on each pillar are below.

• Face coverings: Everyone must wear a face covering in buildings, where physical distancing cannot be guaranteed, and in public settings. Read more about Hill’s face mask policy and recommended mask vendors here.
   
• Frequent hand washing: In addition to encouraging our community members to wash their hands frequently, hand sanitizer stations will be installed throughout campus, along with reminders to avoid touching one’s face after touching surfaces.
   
• Physical distancing:  Reminders will be affixed on floors and walls of campus buildings to ensure that everyone remains at a safe distance from others when on-campus operations resume. Classrooms and other common spaces will have similar distancing requirements.  We are reimagining Chapel, large gatherings, and seated meals to ensure the safety of the community.
   
• Personal health monitoring: Students and other community members may be monitored or self-report for fever as well as other COVID-19 symptoms daily, and, if warranted, seek medical care through their primary care physician or the Wellness Center. 

In addition, all students will need to complete a pre-arrival quarantine in the United States for 14 days before they return to Hill.  Please read the Pre-arrival Quarantine and Testing document to review the procedures students will need to follow before they return to campus in August.

Yes. Similar to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Hill will employ a phased approach for reopening over the summer months, with each phase allowing for additional individuals on campus in a regulated fashion. As part of this effort, new protocols are being put into place for cleaning and sanitizing buildings and safeguarding community health.

The School is currently in Phase One of its reopening. During Phase One, in addition to the essential medical and safety staff who have been on campus throughout this period, we are slowly bringing back small teams of construction and facilities workers who are making requisite campus updates. In Phase Two, starting in late July, administrative and other year-round employees will begin returning to campus. All administrators and teaching faculty will return to campus in Phase Three from August 6 - 10. 

Students will return to campus in the final phase of reopening campus.  The phased student arrival schedule can be found here.  

The Hill will follow the guidance and restrictions put in place by local, state and federal governments. We also will continue to follow and comply with guidance issued by public health agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hill will implement a framework for campus operations with five Campus Wellness Levels (CWL), corresponding to the relative risk of infection transmission in the surrounding region.  The determined Campus Wellness Level will dictate escalation or de-escalation of protocols, activities, and mitigation efforts in all areas of school life.  All community members should familiarize themselves with the CWL framework and refer to it frequently. 

We will begin the first few weeks of the school year in a special “Opening Conditions” CWL.  Please note the Opening Conditions CWL is highly subject to change in light of volatile public health conditions.  

The Hill remains committed to carefully monitoring and responding to new information about COVID-19 and its impacts. In developing the various return and continuity scenarios, it is understood that our plans must be flexible and include contingencies for changing conditions over time. We are prepared to deviate from outlined plans in order to take swift actions to keep our community safe.

We are requiring all students to take utmost precautions to ensure their health leading up to arrival on campus this fall.  This includes a self-quarantine for 14 days in the United States during which all students, both domestic and international, should stay at home (or other private accommodations) except for essentials, limit contact with others outside of their households, avoid public transportation, practice physical distancing, and keep a log of temperature and relevant symptoms.  We strongly urge that students undertake this quarantine within driving distance of campus so that once the quarantine is completed, they can proceed to campus without the exposures inherent to air, bus, or train travel; Hill will be providing details soon about a Pottstown-area hotel quarantine option with staff supervision.  We recognize this causes an inconvenience for some of our families.  However, the health of our community during an ongoing pandemic requires extra precautions.  If you absolutely must travel by plane, bus, or train, at the conclusion of your quarantine, or your drive to campus will require overnight accommodations, we ask that you strictly follow these additional precautions as indicated by the CDC.  We may also require students who take public transportation during or at the end of quarantine to undergo a second viral test upon/after campus arrival.  Like many of our plans, we will review and update this policy as the school year approaches.  Thank you for your cooperation and assistance in supporting a healthy campus.

We are allowing on-campus quarantine for international students and domestic boarding students who reside in one of the 19 states that Pennsylvania has identified as having the highest rate of new COVID-19 cases.  On-campus quarantine may begin on August 5.  Below are links quarantine options and registration forms for international students and for domestic students.

International Student Quarantine Options 

Domestic Student Quarantine Options

The Hill is partnering with the Hampton Inn in Limerick, Pennsylvania, approximately 10 minutes from campus to provide a supervised student quarantine location starting on August 5.  Each student will have their own room and private bathroom, as well as three meals per day.  Most rooms will be located on the first or second floor with easy access to the outdoors and private food deliveries.  We have negotiated a rate of $97/day plus tax which includes three meals delivered to the room, high speed wi-fi, in-room microwave/refrigerator, coin-operated laundry, and periodic room cleaning upon request.  If a parent stays with the student, they will be charged $25/day for meals.  A Hill employee will be on site for supervision and support and transportation to Hill will be provided at the end of the quarantine period.  Students will complete their screening and daily symptom log from the hotel.  Financial aid for the hotel quarantine is available but limited to students who receive more than 50% financial aid.  A registration link will be provided soon. 

Students are required to wear cloth masks in almost all settings, in accordance with the CWL and current state law.  Boarding students must arrive with a supply of 10 cloth masks and day students must bring two masks with them to campus each day; recommended mask vendors are provided here.  Please note that masks may not display words, symbols, or logos of any kind – solid colors and patterns only.  Spare surgical masks will be available in various locations across campus for emergency use.  Students who routinely forget their masks or violate the facial coverings policy will be subject to school discipline.  Hill also will provide students with protective eyewear to be carried throughout the day and used in certain settings as indicated by faculty, staff, and signage.       

Even with physical distancing and our universal mask policy, we seek to make reasonable efforts to reduce close contact in all settings through our modified block schedule, de-densified classrooms, assigned seating, added/staggered passing time, one-way corridors and stairwells, and expanded time for meals.  We also will utilize a “shepherding” system in various campus contexts to limit group size and interaction; we are, after all, The Hill School Rams! 

Classrooms are being re-organized and rearranged to support physical distancing.  We are spacing out and removing furniture, assigning seats, adjusting the number of students to the size of the classroom, and utilizing a variety of new indoor and outdoor spaces to allow for lower classroom density and increased ventilation.

In addition to the following critical dates, a visual representation of the calendar is available here.

• August 5: Students arriving from international locations and restricted domestic states should arrive in the U.S. and begin a 14-day quarantine within driving distance of campus, preferably within a 2-3 hour drive. Students who have already been in the U.S. for at least two weeks also will begin self-quarantine at home and wellness monitoring 14-days before their assigned return-to-campus date.       
   
• August 17-22: Students Return to Campus (specific details to follow)
   
• August 23: On-campus orientation for all students
   
• August 24 – October 16: Fall Trimester
   
• October 17 - 19:  On-Campus Fall Recess
   
• October 20 – December 18:  Winter Trimester
   
• November 25 - December 1: Thanksgiving Recess
   
• December 2 - December 18: Remote Learning Portion of the Winter Trimester
   
• December 19 - January 3: Winter Recess
   
• January 4 - February 12: H-Term
   
• February 13 - February 28:  Early Spring Recess
   
• March 1 – June 4:  Spring Trimester
   
• April 2-6:  Parents’ Weekend and Easter Recess (tentative)
   
• May 28-29:  Commencement Activities
   
• June 4:  Last Day of Class; Underform Students Depart Campus

We have tried to make transitioning from in-person to remote learning as seamless as possible since we anticipate that a meaningful number of students may be learning remotely at different times of the year due to travel and immigration issues, illness or close contact quarantine, or serious underlying medical conditions.  Given our focus on prioritizing live classes and flexible learning modalities, our schedule is considerate of those international students with the greatest likelihood of participating remotely for extended periods.  As such, two-thirds of our classes occur during typical adolescent waking hours in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. 

The School will operate on a three block rotation August 24-September 15 and October 19-November 10. and on a four block rotation September 16-October 15 and November 11-December 16.  Click here to review the Remote Learning Experience. 

Many public health experts are predicting a seasonal resurgence of COVID-19 in the winter months.  In combination with the substantial challenges of the normal flu season, and with our limited on-campus wellness resources, Hill believes that an off-campus,  experiential learning opportunity would be a healthier for our community than trying to sustain our normal winter term schedule in this unusual year.  We have designed our school year calendar so that our students still enjoy the standard 30-weeks of annual academic instruction plus the Winterim program, and have extended the spring term when we believe the public health situation will be much improved.      

The CDC and Pennsylvania guidelines for all gatherings will be followed.  As of now, and to limit exposure to our students, all large fall campus gatherings have been cancelled.  We will update the campus community if our plans change. 

The Autumn Session will run from Monday, August 24 through Friday, December 18, consisting of two eight-week terms (August 24 - October 16 and October 19 - December 18), a brief on-campus recess between terms (October 16 - 18), and Thanksgiving Recess (November 25 - 30).  All students will participate in the final 14 academic days (December 1 - 18) of the Autumn Session remotely. 

During January and February, The Hill faculty will guide all students to complete authentic learning experiences as part of a new six-week H-Term program that will support internships, community service, academic enrichment, and more.  Of note, although our approach to interscholastic sports is still developing, we anticipate that the majority of varsity athletic teams will remain on campus to train and compete during a to-be-determined portion of the November 24 - February 28 campus closure. Campus will reopen on February 28 for all students and classes will resume on March 1.  Depending on global and local conditions at that time, we may again require a phased arrival schedule leading up to February 28.

As part of its most recent strategic design process, The Hill committed itself to “infuse highly impactful authentic learning experiences into an expansive liberal arts curriculum that together enable our students to orchestrate positive change throughout their lives.”  In keeping with that objective, we will operate H-Term, a six-week remote learning program (January 4 to February 12) that allows students to explore selected topics and themes by form through instruction, group discussion, guest speakers (e.g. alumni, parents, faculty emeriti, etc.), and culminating with independent and group projects.  Alternatively, or in addition to, students may apply to the H-Term Committee for completion of a self-designed, independent experience (e.g., internship, community service, research, or job) that aligns with their form’s theme.  We strongly encourage participation in H-Term; students will receive a written review describing their H-Term participation, project, and performance which can complement their college applications.  Students may petition to opt out of H-Term due to extenuating circumstances.  During H-Term, all students additionally must complete weekly academic maintenance and review assignments for their year-long courses; third and fourth form students who take seven classes during the Autumn Session also must remotely complete their Eudemonia requirement during H-Term.  Hill will provide options for personal fitness, Spiritual Life, counseling, and community activities during H-Term.

In late July and early August, prior to the phased student arrival period, boarding students and two parents may schedule a two-hour visit to campus to set-up their rooms.  The Office of Community Life will share further scheduling information and procedures for this process by email. Boarding students who are unable visit campus in July will be assigned specific times for students to move into dormitories between August 19 and August 22.   

In late July and early August, prior to the phased student arrival period, boarding students and two parents may schedule a two-hour visit to campus to set-up their rooms.  The Office of Community Life will share further scheduling information and procedures for this process by email.

Parent Visits
Beginning September 26 - 27, unless the CWL is Delta, parents of boarding students may schedule periodic three-hour appointments to visit their children on non-consecutive Saturdays or Sundays.  Parents must wear masks for the duration of their visits to campus, may not enter any indoor facilities, and should maintain physical distance from other members of The Hill community.  We have not yet determined a policy for attending on-campus athletics events and other co-curricular performances.  Parents must schedule campus visits through the Deans’ Office using Hill’s new visitor management system.

Weekend Leaves at Home
Starting the weekend of October 3-4, boarding students may schedule one weekend leave at home or at a hotel with their parents during the Autumn Session.  During this weekend leave, students must commit to: (1) diligently limiting exposure to/from those outside of their immediate household; (2) not taking public transportation (including flights/trains) or attending gatherings/events; and (3) wearing a mask at all times when not inside their home.  Upon returning to Hill, the student may be required to undergo a rapid COVID-19 test and self-quarantine alone in their dorm room or other designated location until receiving test results; they may also be required to undergo a second COVID-19 test four days later.  The cost for these tests (approximately $30/each) will be charged to the student’s account.  Students who become ill or symptomatic while at home will not be allowed to return to campus until cleared by the Wellness Center. 

Due to the early start of the academic year, The Hill will not host preseason athletics or on-campus theatre bootcamp. Fall varsity athletes and students interested in theatre will have several opportunities to participate in online meetings and other training sessions throughout the summer months.   

Our goal is to safely operate the fall athletics season with training and/or modified practices hopefully beginning on or around August 24. Tentative competition schedules can be found on Hill’s website and are very likely to change. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has recently released initial guidance for high school sports and we are developing our plans accordingly. In addition, the School continues to be in close contact with our athletics leagues and peer schools to determine how to plan safe interscholastic competitions.

In the event that teams are unable to compete interscholastically, we will offer training opportunities to our student-athletes; hold intramural competition if it is healthy to do so; allow student-athletes to switch to another co-curricular option; explore shifting the timing of athletics seasons to later in the school year;  and endeavor to ensure the health and wellness of all students as they pursue their areas of interest. 

Unfortunately, due to the potential risk of exposure to the campus community and the lack of clear safety guidelines, we cannot allow boarding and day students to participate in off-campus group activities or club sports during the Autumn Session.  This restriction is incorporated into our community health compact for all students and boarding students must adhere to this expectation even during a weekend leave at home.  We will continue to review this policy throughout the year and as the CWL evolves.  As explained below, boarding and day students who prefer to participate remotely for reasons other than verified travel restrictions or serious underlying health concerns may do so for any portion of the year; however, families who select this option will not receive a financial adjustment.  Furthermore, if at any point during the year a remote student wishes to resume active boarding or day student status, he or she will need to follow quarantine, testing, and other required protocols before returning to campus.

We anticipate that the winter athletics program will operate during a to-be-determined portion of the November 24 - February 28 campus closure. The majority of varsity athletic teams will remain in residence on campus during this period to train and compete.  We do not have any details on the spring athletics season yet and hope that it will operate normally by that point.  Please contact Director of Athletics Seth Eilberg with questions at seilberg@thehill.org.

We do not yet know when winter sports will begin.  It is possible that winter sports will begin immediately after Thanksgiving recess (Dec. 2) or perhaps not until after the Holiday Recess (Jan. 4).  For international students who are members of varsity winter teams who cannot travel home or to their guardian/host family before winter sports begin, we will provide on-campus accommodations.

Yes! The fall theatre program will feature a one-of-a-kind musical that will be challenging and artistically rewarding both for our actors and theatre tech students.  The Winterim will offer several unique opportunities for students to dive deeper into theatre and grow individually as artists.  The Ellis Theatre Guild will present Into The Woods as our main stage spring musical.

The only co-curricular programs offered on-campus during Hibernation will be winter varsity sports that can proceed safely and which cannot find interscholastic competition during other times of the year.  As previously described, Hill will operate a low-residence program for students who are members of these teams, but not managers; at this juncture, we do not yet know the dates of this low-residence program or whether it will begin after the Thanksgiving Recess or not until after the Winter Holiday Recess.  We hope to offer some of our activities and arts programs online during Hibernation.

We are strongly encouraging students to go home or stay with a guardian/host family during the campus closure period between November 24 and February 28.  For international students who cannot go home or find a suitable guardian/host family during this period, we will arrange for basic supervised accommodations on campus.  We are developing a daily cost structure for this option to cover rooming, meals, and supervision. 

In an effort to maintain a healthy campus, we are trying to limit campus departures.  Day leaves will not be permitted for boarding students during the Autumn Session unless for an approved, supervised medical appointment or an emergency.  We will re-evaluate this restriction as the year progresses. 

Yes.  Hill is now designated as a private test center for both SAT and ACT tests.  This means that Hill students can take regularly scheduled standardized testing on campus next year. 

The Wellness Center team has worked extensively with the Continuity Planning Team to thoughtfully consider changes necessary to treat students in the setting of the ongoing pandemic. The Wellness Center is adding staff and expanding in size to allow for more exam rooms, more observation rooms, and an updated access protocols to reduce risk of exposure to students and staff. Boarding students who become ill will need to contact the Wellness Center for guidance.  Day students additionally should contact their primary care physician. 

The Wellness Center understands that it may be particularly difficult this year to obtain a physical examination appointment at your child’s doctor’s office before early July.  It is acceptable to obtain a sports physical examination at your local urgent care facility as an alternative to ensure all health forms are returned by July 15.

Because of the highly infectious nature of COVID-19, the usual risk of influenza outbreaks in congregate living settings such as dormitories, and the significant overlap between symptoms of influenza and COVID-19, The Hill School will require an influenza vaccine this school year for all students who do not have a medical contraindication or religious/moral objection substantiated by their primary care providers.  It is imperative that our community take every step available to ensure the health of our community. 

All students living within 500 miles of campus will return home if ill or quarantined. Families who reside more than 500 miles away from campus are required to designate a host/guardian who is at least 21-years-old and lives within driving distance to school, preferably within a 2-3 hour drive. Hosts/guardians are to be present for the duration of the stay and must be available to travel to Pottstown to pick up the student within 12 hours in the event of illness, discipline issue, or other reason deemed necessary by the School.  This could include, but is not limited to, a period of isolation, quarantine, or campus closure.  The Host/Guardian Form must be completed by July 15.

If there is a campus closure due to a COVID-19 outbreak, most students will go home or to their guardian/host family until they can go home.  International students who cannot go home or to their guardian/host family, will be allowed to remain on campus with basic supervised accommodations until they can make other more comfortable arrangements.

The availability of testing for COVID-19 is evolving rapidly. If widespread testing of asymptomatic individuals is recommended and becomes readily available, we will consider testing prior to the start of the school year.  To have that option available, we require all students to complete the COVID-19 Summer Location Survey so the School knows where students will be residing in August in the event that a test kit would need to be sent home.  In addition, the Wellness Center will begin testing boarding students who are ill with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 as soon as testing becomes available.  Day students who become symptomatic while on campus should contact the Wellness Center and will be isolated until they can be picked up by a parent and evaluated by their primary care physicians. 

Students who test positive for COVID-19 will be isolated on-campus until they can depart campus to go home or to their guardian/host family, which is required within 12-hours.  If a student tests positive for COVID-19 and has severe symptoms, they will be transported to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment.  The School has arranged for a very limited number of on-campus isolation spaces in the event that a student cannot go home or to their guardian/host family due to extenuating circumstances.   

The Hill provides on-campus counseling for students.  We have a talented team of counselors who are acutely aware of student concerns as well as COVID-19 related anxiety.  We have expanded our staff and counseling space to provide additional services to students during this school year.  Students may schedule an appointment with a counselor during a free period or other free time in the daily schedule.  We are also able to support some remote counseling sessions depending on your location and corresponding laws and medical policies.   A counselor is always on call to handle on-campus emergent mental health concerns.  

We do not anticipate a reduction in the 2020-21 published tuition rates due to COVID-19.  While we acknowledge that the requisite changes and program modifications will impact the student experience, the School’s expenses also have increased considerably.  In the event that a student is prevented from attending school in-person for an extended period of time due to travel or health restrictions, we may provide a modest refund based on actual savings experienced by the School. 

As announced on Thursday, August 6, day students will participate in classes and activities remotely for the first 5 - 7 class days. Once day students return to campus for in-person learning during the week of August 31, we anticipate that day students will continue attending classes on campus when Hill is in session. If, however, the campus wellness level changes due to COVID-19, we may require day students to participate in classes remotely for a period of time.

Day students may carpool if needed. We will provide assistance arranging carpools; a list of day students and the school districts in which they reside was included in the July 14 newsletter. Please note that all individuals in the vehicle should wear masks while carpooling together.  Please contact Day Student Dean Donna Eilberg with questions at deilberg@thehill.org.

All day students will be required to take their temperature and complete a short series of screening questions using Wave each morning starting on August 14 when the self-quarantine period begins. Once day students begin returning to campus for in-person learning during the week of August 31, they should complete the Wave screening before leaving home. If students have a fever or are symptomatic, parents should follow the School’s health procedures: stay home, call the Wellness Center to report the absence, and call your primary care physician for guidance and clearance to return to campus. Day students will complete a second screening at the tented area in the CFTA parking lot when they arrive on campus in the morning.

At this time, dormitory access is restricted to residents only. We will re-evaluate this restriction as the year progresses.

Day students are valued members of The Hill School community and, in normal circumstances, are welcome to attend School activities outside of the academic day hours.  During the upcoming year, however, we need to make some changes that we feel will minimize the size and frequency of mass gatherings and best enable physical distancing with student safety being our paramount goal.  While we will not hold seated meals during the fall term, day students must attend lunch on campus; each student will be assigned to one of two designated lunch blocks, with their adviser groups.  At this time, though, we cannot accommodate day students during breakfast or dinner until further notice.  During the academic day, day students will be assigned to specified locations and seating during free periods; for physical distancing purposes, day students will not be assigned as an affiliate to a dormitory this year, and day students may not enter dormitories until further notice.  We request that day students depart campus immediately following the conclusion of their co-curricular activity, but if that is not possible, students should report to Ryan Library, where they will have an assigned seat.  Evening extra help may be arranged with faculty and peer tutors through online appointments.  We appreciate your flexibility and understanding and will review these policies throughout the year, as campus wellness levels change. 

During the academic day, day students will be assigned to specified locations and seating during free periods.

We are evaluating all large gatherings and weekend activities for the fall.  Details will follow in the coming weeks.

Students will not be permitted to have routine social overnights.  If you volunteer as a host family, you may be called upon to house your host boarding student during a period of quarantine, isolation, or campus closure.

Students who are continuing to study amidst the COVID-19 emergency, and are remaining in Active status in SEVIS, will be permitted to return even if the time outside the US exceeds five months.

If arriving from outside of the United States, students should plan to enter the United States no later than August 5.  Each student will need to spend 14 days in quarantine PRIOR to arriving to The Hill School for orientation. During quarantine, students should monitor their symptoms and take their temperature twice per day, avoid contact with others, not use public transportation, and maintain proper physical distancing from others (six feet/two meters).  For families that cannot arrange their own quarantine location, Hill will support a supervised quarantine option at a hotel near Pottstown at each family’s expense and will provide that information soon. 

Students can find the most up to date information on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website (www.ice.gov/coronavirus).  SEVP continues to receive COVID-19-related stakeholder questions about SEVP-certified schools and nonimmigrant students. Download this PDF to read answers to Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19. This list is regularly updated – please note the timestamp of the most recent document update.

In July, all students will receive an assigned date and time when they can arrive on campus and move into their dorm rooms.  To ensure you have time to quarantine, move into your dorm room, participate in campus orientation, and be ready for classes, you should arrive in the United States by August 5.

In the event that an international student is delayed in arriving at The Hill due to travel complications or visa restrictions, students may begin their studies remotely without any risk to their enrollment at Hill or visa status.  Delayed international students must still complete their quarantine and continue remote learning until permitted to arrive on campus.   

International students are required to designate a host/guardian who is at least 21-years-old and lives within driving distance of the School, preferably within a 2-3 hour drive (200km – 300km). Hosts/guardians are to be present for the duration of your stay and must be available to drive to Pottstown to pick you up within 12 hours in the event of campus closure, illness, discipline issue, or other reason deemed necessary by the School.  This could also include, but is not limited to, a period of isolation or quarantine.  The Host/Guardian Form must be completed by July 15.

If you are unable to stay with your host/guardian and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania closes all schools in our area, international students will be allowed to remain on campus at no charge and will continue to take their classes in-person under Hill supervision.  Depending on the length of the closure, students may prefer to return to their home country and study remotely, which Hill will actively support to the best of its abilities. 

International students are required to designate a host/guardian who is at least 21-years-old and lives within driving distance of the School, preferably within a 2-3 hour drive (200km – 300km). Hosts/guardians are to be present for the duration of your stay and must be available to drive to Pottstown to pick you up within 12 hours in the event of campus closure, illness, discipline issue, or other reason deemed necessary by the School.  This could also include, but is not limited to, a period of isolation or quarantine.  The Host/Guardian Form must be completed by July 15.

If you are unable to stay with your host/guardian and you require COVID-19 isolation or quarantine, we have arranged for appropriate space on campus (approximately 20 - 25 beds).  If a student has severe symptoms, he or she will be evaluated at a local hospital and treated as directed.  Treatment for COVID-19 illness is covered under the terms of your international student health insurance policy. 

If you cannot identify a host or guardian within driving distance of Hill, please contact International Family Liaison Helen Qiu at hqiu@thehill.org.

We are still finalizing our plans for the campus closure period between November 24 and February 28.  As of now, we are expecting most of our varsity winter athletics teams to remain on campus for an extended portion of that time.  If you are a member of one of those teams, you will reside on campus during the training/competition periods and we will provide options for you to remain on campus during any short vacation periods such as Thanksgiving, Holiday Recess, or Early Spring Recess if needed.  If you are not a member of one of those teams, we ask you to return home or to your guardian/host family’s home between November 24 and February 28.  If you have highly extenuating circumstances that may prevent your return to campus by February 28, and thus require campus housing during this time, please contact Dean of Community Life, John Giannikas at jgiannikas@thehill.org.

Due to the overall uncertainty, we encourage you to purchase a one-way, open-ended, and/or flexible airline ticket.  This is especially true for students who believe they will be members of a varsity winter athletics team.  If you must purchase a round-trip ticket, or require a tentative date, please book your return ticket for the afternoon/evening of November 24 or morning of November 25.