Brent Schools and COVID-19 FAQ’s
Brent Manila will start classes on August 24, 2020. All instruction will begin online and will likely continue through the first quarter. We are, however, prepared to transition to in-person instruction quickly should circumstances significantly improve.
What if classes resume with in-person learning but my family is unable to return to the Philippines?
As we did last quarter, Brent will continue to provide quality learning opportunities for those students who are unable to return to the Philippines for the start of the school year.
Yes, you will be able to enroll your child(ren) from outside the Philippines. Payment for re-enrollment may be done via bank deposit or bank transfer. Please contact Brent’s Registrar <registrar@brent.edu.ph> or Accounting Office <accounting@brent.edu.ph> for assistance.
Yes. This has always been possible. Brent has an office dedicated to helping families with visa issues. Families with accepted students will be directed to the Visa and Expat Services office by Admissions, when needed. Information needed by applicants can be found on our website here.
As the COVID-19 pandemic is constantly evolving, the specific safety measures implemented will depend on the situation at the time of opening. Brent Schools will continue to abide by recommendations of the Department of Health, the Department of Labor, the Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization.
Currently (July), Plexiglass barriers have been erected in offices with high traffic. Daily Health Assessment forms are required to be filled out by employees. When quarantine rules permit, the requirements for anyone visiting Brent include:
- Face masks: No Mask, No Entry.
- Temperature checks: Those with temperatures = / > 37.5 will be isolated and rechecked after 5 minutes. Individuals with a high temperature will not be permitted on campus.
- Social distancing: When in line, and whenever in the presence of others, maintain a distance of no less than 1 meter.
- Disinfectant: A disinfectant doormat is provided before entering the school premises. Sanitation stations are maintained throughout campus.
- Observe proper respiratory etiquette:
- Coughing and sneezing into a tissue or into a shirt sleeve if a tissue is not available
- Disposing of used tissues properly
- Disinfecting hands immediately by properly washing with soap and water or alcohol-based sanitizer immediately after a cough or sneeze
- Self quarantine: Families and students traveling into the country, or otherwise potentially exposed to COVID-19, are requested to self-quarantine for 14 days prior to coming to school.
The development of the whole child (academic, social, emotional, spiritual, and physical) continues to be a key feature of the Brent education. The continuance of clubs and sports will, however, likely be limited and dependent on the evolving situation going forward. Government mandates, as well as the stance of our various leagues, will affect our decisions. We are in direct contact with the Department of Education and will continue to monitor guidelines and all options.
Our classes, both core and elective, as well as the chaplaincy and counseling program, will look for ways to supplement the non-academic side of our educational program. Ultimately, we hope these challenges will develop the same resiliency and cooperative skills we work to foster in our clubs and sporting activities.
Busing may prove to be one of our more challenging areas. If we are required to operate at 50% capacity as a social distancing requirement, we may have to limit our bus routes. Closer routes may need to be eliminated. This is, however, dependent on government regulations, actual enrollment, bus sign-ups, and whether we are running full in-person classes or operating a hybrid model.
We have been testing out a variety of food service methods with our staff who continue working on campus during the summer months. In addition to masks and frequent disinfecting, there are a variety of options to enhance social distancing such as having students eat in classrooms, encouraging packed lunches, and providing preset meals for pick up.
Fortunately, the Early Learning Center (ELC) is self-contained with its own drop-off area, cafeteria, playground, gym, and library. Additionally, schedules may be adjusted to keep students primarily in contact with their homeroom class during play time.
We are acutely aware of the many personal and financial difficulties our families are facing during these unprecedented times. As an institution, we are making every effort to adapt and maintain the ability to provide a safe, quality education for our students. There will be no tuition increase for the 2020-2021 school year and no increase in busing rates. This will be our third year without a tuition increase. The last increase was 2% in 2017-2018. Our ability to go a third year without an increase highlights the wise long-term financial planning of Brent’s Board. Deferring some expenses, we will be able to weather this storm. We recognize many businesses and individuals are experiencing financial distress, and we hope deferring any rate increases will help our families manage these difficult days. Going forward we will continue to look for ways to support our families where we can.
To conclude on a positive note, all of the 2019-2020 Ganzas have been delivered to school. A family representative can pick them up when quarantine restrictions allow for travel. Please observe all safety requirements outlined above.