Observations from the ‘COVID Tank’

Take a look at what happens inside the Waiting Room, home base for pandemic related operations at USN. If anyone in your household has symptoms of the virus, remember to keep students home until the test results are back.
By Margee Brennan, MD, Health Team Director

This summer when we started working out the details of what the Health Team would require once we got back to school in person, we realized pretty early on that we would need a fairly large space with room to physically distance students who presented with COVID-19-like symptoms while they waited for their parents to come pick them up. Because of it’s spaciousness and access to the 19th Avenue entrance, the USNA Office became the Waiting Room. It is, in fact, the place where students wait for their ride home, sometimes because they have viral symptoms, sometimes because we’ve learned that they have a close contact at home or school and need to quarantine. Other times they come to be screened on their way into school because the Magnus Mobile app wasn’t working for them that day. The Waiting Room has become the base of USN COVID-19 operations. After some big contact tracing events, we nicknamed it “the situation room.” We have heard parents and students refer to it as “the quarantine room” and “the COVID tank.” We are grateful to USNA Office Manager Deb Alberts for sharing this room with us; and by sharing I mean, giving it to us for the time we need it. Thanks, Deb.

So in the eight weeks or so that we have been working in “the tank,” we have learned quite a bit about the practical aspects of dealing with COVID-19 in a school setting. In September, we were able to come back to school because the local numbers were better and our mitigation steps were in place. We can clearly see that students appreciate being here in person, learning, and connecting with their peers and teachers. We even see some burst into tears when they find out that they need to go home because of a symptom or two or that they need to quarantine because someone in their network has had a positive test. 

With the increasing prevalence of COVID-19 in the metro area and across the United States, we add this request: if anyone in your household has symptoms in the vicinity of COVID-19, please keep your students home until the test results are back. It’s possible, likely even, that an ounce of precaution could help prevent the need for a pound of cure. We are updating our Health Team FAQs to reflect this.

We appreciate your patience, cooperation, and understanding of the measures we are taking to protect the USN community even when those measures are inconvenient.

Know that we are here to help navigate the path ahead.
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School News

List of 3 news stories.

  • Eighth graders practice their Chinese during a field trip to Sichuan Hot Pot & Asian Cuisine.

    Through play, Josephine Huang teaches Chinese and molds lifelong learners

    Middle School and High School Chinese Teacher Josephine Huang has been involved with USN as a volunteer, a parent, and a teacher. Now in her 20th year as a faculty member, Huang's innovative lessons and belief in relationships continue to instill in students a lifelong love of learning.
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  • Stokes earns Excellence in Auxiliary Award

    Director of Auxiliary Services Rebecca Stokes was given the Summer Programs and Auxiliary Revenue Collaborative’s award for her work including students in the selection of a new playground, transitioning the school bookstore, refining registration systems and processes for summer camps & enrichment activities, and expanding the school’s cultural and holiday celebrations to be inclusive of USN’s diverse student body.
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  • Preview USN on November 14

    University School of Nashville welcomes prospective families to tour the Edgehill Campus, speak with students, faculty, and administrators, and learn about our K-12 school's academic, athletic, and arts offerings. Sessions will take place at 9:30 a.m. for Middle & High Schools and 1 p.m. for Lower School. Let us know you are coming at  usn.org/preview.
    Read More
Archive

Athletics News

List of 3 news stories.

  • Mountain Bike Team Takes on Winged Deer Trails, HS Makes Podium Appearance

    Steve Smail
    Winged Deer Park and trails in Johnson City hosted our 4th race on Sunday October 11th, and despite a bit of hurricane outwash winds and showers - and reduced team numbers due to fall break and distance from Nashville - our racers utilized all available skills and speed which helped “wing" Sophomore Claire Dehner to a 4th place podium spot, our first podium appearance and medal for the season.
     
    Read More

  • HS athletics recaps for September 11-17

    Tiger golfers have officially qualified for the region tournament, and our other teams are not far behind. Volleyball sits near the top of the district, finishing up regular season play next week with Senior Night. Girls soccer continues to hold first place in the district after another 9-0 win, and our cross country runners are chasing after some school records. To round it all out, our mountain bike team traveled to Oakfield to continue to improve on their times for the season. There’s plenty more where that came from- so be sure to come out to the River Campus, Sperling Gym, or out on the road to cheer on our Tigers before their seasons end.
    Read More

  • MS athletics recaps for September 11-17

    Middle School volleyball and tennis teams are nearing the final games of their seasons, with the competition heating up while the Tigers play to determine their HVAC rankings. Cross country was finally able to race at the River Campus despite the heat, and our mountain biking team traveled to Oakfield, Tennessee, for a high-temperature race weekend.
    Read More

Contact

Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212

Phone:  615-321-8000
Fax:       615-321-0889 
Email:    info@usn.org

River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218

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USN Mission: 
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.