On Aug. 24, the 2021-2022 school year began at Greenhill. With Delta variant cases on the rise, the Greenhill mask policy is holding firm and vaccination rates among Upper School students continue to grow.

The dynamic at Greenhill has changed since last year. Students do not have to wear masks while outside, lunch is being eaten in the cafeteria instead of in advisory classrooms, lockers are available for use, the snack bar and the Buzz are open and students can walk in any direction in the halls instead of following specific arrows.

COVID-19 restrictions have lightened, but there are still rules set in place by the contact tracing team. Seating charts are enforced in most classrooms, and parents have to fill out a health check on the School Pass app every morning stating that their child does not have any COVID-19 related symptoms. Moreover, all positive cases for COVID-19 from Greenhill Students, faculty or family members must be reported to the nurses’ office.

“In terms of requiring students to be vaccinated, one of the reasons was that all vaccines at the time were still under emergency use authorization, so we felt it challenging to require it, “ said Head of Upper School Trevor Worcester.

Even though Greenhill is not requiring vaccinations for students and faculty, the vaccination rate is “slightly above 70% for Upper School students, and a little more than 80% for all employees,” according Worcester.