Green Zone FAQ

Medical professionals have now determined that individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 have a very high degree of immunity for at least a few weeks after their recovery. Therefore, community members joining the Green Zone who have tested positive for COVID-19 since January 9 may be exempted from hotel/individual quarantine and may join cohort quarantine only, pending the criteria below.

Individuals who meet these conditions should provide: 

• previous positive PCR test  
• positive neutralizing antibody test and negative PCR test, taken between January 28-30
• positive neutralizing antibody test and negative PCR test, taken between February 3-5

All documentation should be sent to the Health Center.

If the results of the second antibody test do not return a positive result, the student will be required to isolate at home or in a hotel for 14 days before joining the Green Zone.

The required seven days of cohort quarantine and testing adds a measure of protection in case the antibodies were not sufficient to prevent re-infection. The cohort quarantine is also an important period for orienting to the residential program and building dorm community. Community members who qualify for this exemption should coordinate with the OSL to arrive to campus on February 6 or 7.

Updated on January 14, 2021 at 14:35 Jordan time.

Students may arrive as early as January 28 and no later than January 30, so that all students can enter cohort quarantine at the same time. Regardless of when international students arrive, they will begin their quarantine period at the hotel.

A negative PCR test within 72 hours before arrival at the hotel is required for all students. Further, we will be asking all students entering the Green Zone to pledge that they will home quarantine between their PCR test and their arrival at the hotel. We further encourage a home quarantine for three days before taking their PCR test.

The aim of the hotel quarantine is to surface positive cases before students arrive on campus, in a setting where they will have no contacts. If we were instead to run a two-week cohort quarantine on campus this spring, it would increase the risk of virus transmission in dormitories, which would lead to extended in-room quarantines for more students in a setting with fewer amenities. In contrast, a carefully-managed hotel quarantine significantly reduces the likelihood of virus transmission throughout the student body, and will contribute significantly to building a safe campus Green Zone.

Updated on January 14, 2021 at 10:45 am Jordan time.

Testing is required before the hotel quarantine and again on day 7 of the hotel quarantine, before moving to campus cohort quarantine. There will then be two further rounds of testing in cohort quarantine to quickly surface any late-incubating cases.

Updated on January 14, 2021 at 10:45 am Jordan time.

Students will be assigned to a five-star hotel in Amman. Meals will be provided and delivered to students' rooms, and a program of online activities will supplement online courses to keep students healthy and engaged.

Students will be assigned to hotels by both gender and campus cohort.

Students are permitted to have roommates during hotel quarantine, provided they are in the same cohort, and with prior permission from both students' parents.

Updated on January 14, 2021 at 10:45 am Jordan time.

King's Academy faculty will be staying in each hotel to help manage any emergency situations.

During the hotel quarantine, we will follow safety protocols that have been revised and improved since the fall semester hotel quarantine. We will use only five-star hotels with trained staff. No one will enter the students’ rooms except the students staying there. Meals will be left in room doorways for students to pick up without any person-to-person contact, and students will be responsible for cleaning their own rooms (supplies will be provided). Security cameras will monitor the hallways, and King’s Academy faculty and staff will provide 24-hour supervision. Furthermore, in addition to having full class days, students can take advantage of online activities and meetings. Daily check-ins (online and/or socially distanced) will also help ensure students’ safety and well-being.

Updated on November 24, 2020 at 11.50 am Jordan time.

The cost of the hotel quarantine stay will be approximately US $85/60 JD per night for a single room. Students may opt to stay in a double room with a roommate from the same cohort. The cost of a double room is approximately US $56.5/40 JD per day, per student. Charges for the hotel quarantine will be deducted from student accounts on Friday, January 15. Students who receive substantial need-based financial aid can request financial support for the cost of hotel quarantine. Students who receive financial aid are not required to have a roommate, but may choose to have one. Please email the Bursar's Office to inquire about financial assistance. The deadline to make roommate arrangements was December 27, 2020.

Updated on January 14, 2021 at 14:35 Jordan time.

Students will be transported by school transportation. They will travel from the hotels to campus with their residential cohort.

During their first week on campus, each student and faculty member will interact only with a single group of students from their dormitory (a "cohort"). Community members will still use safety precautions such as wearing masks. This will allow residential learning and social engagement while also protecting the larger school community. Watch this video to learn more about the cohort system.

Specific expectations for hotel quarantine, cohort quarantine, and the Green Zone will be shared with families and students ahead of time. During hotel quarantine, each student will be required to remain in their room to ensure the safety of the community. Students will also be expected to abide by all King's Academy guidelines and rules, just as if they were on campus. Students who put the health of the community at risk may be asked to leave the campus Green Zone.

While deliveries cannot be accepted at the quarantine hotels, the Office of Student Life is arranging a way for parents to make deliveries to the school. More details will be shared in the coming weeks.

Updated on November 24, 2020 at 11.50 Jordan time.

If a local student tests positive during hotel quarantine, they will return home to recover. If an international student tests positive during hotel quarantine, their treatment will depend on the severity of their symptoms. If their symptoms are mild or if they are asymptomatic, they can recover in the hotel, under the supervision and care of King’s Academy faculty and medical staff. Asymptomatic and symptomatic cases will be permitted to join the Green Zone 14 days after testing positive provided there are no symptoms in the last four days.

Updated on December 8, 2020 at 10:55 Jordan time.

While we encourage our community members to take advantage of the vaccine when it becomes available to them, we recognize that vaccines take time to take effect. Students who will have taken their complete vaccine sequence by January 31 should please call the Office of Student Life to discuss their specific situation.

Updated on January 28, 2021 at 14:15 Jordan time.

Medical professionals have now determined that individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 have a very high degree of immunity for at least a few weeks after their recovery. King’s Academy is developing a policy that may allow student who have recovered on or after Jan. 9, and who maintain high antibody levels, to be exempted from the hotel quarantine. However, all students entering the Green Zone will be required to join the on-campus cohort quarantine following the hotel quarantine. More details will be forthcoming.

Updated on January 14, 2021 at 10:45 am Jordan time.

To provide stability for the classroom experience, students on campus will be expected to remain for the duration of the Green Zone. If a crisis occurs, then exceptions can be made. Exceptions may also be made if a student wishes to return home for Ramadan.

Unfortunately, quarantining multiple students later in the term would make it too complicated for students to join after the beginning of the Green Zone.

The Green Zone will continue through the end of April to the beginning of May. This includes part of Ramadan, which begins on or around April 13. We are sensitive to the significance of Ramadan for many families, so students may return home and continue classes online during this time. Otherwise, students are expected to remain on campus in the Green Zone, where we will provide safe, in-person learning for two additional weeks, a structured and supportive setting to prepare for AP exams and the possibility of hosting some celebratory end-of-year events within a safer and freer in-person setting. Students who leave campus early for Ramadan will not be able to return to campus at any point for the duration of the Green Zone.

As every year, during Ramadan we will provide suhoor and iftar (as well as optional breakfast and lunch) for students who are on campus. The King Abdullah II Spiritual Center will be open for prayers, and other community activities will occur, too.

Updated on January 14, 2021 at 14:35 Jordan time.

International families should plan for their children to travel on May 17.

There is no change in fees for students who are moving on or off campus. However, families wishing for their child or children to join the Green Zone must resolve any outstanding tuition balance with the Bursar's Office before entering quarantine. For questions, please contact the Bursar’s Office.

Updated on January 14, 2021 at 14:35 Jordan time.

The student insurance plan provided by the school works only on a reimbursement basis (students should provide receipts) and according to Jordanian tariffs. Costs connected to cases of confirmed COVID-19 are covered by the government when testing and treatment is sought through public (not private) hospitals and channels.

Updated on December 9, 2020 at 12:55 Jordan time.

Charges for the hotel quarantine will be deducted from student accounts on Friday, January 15. Families that qualify for financial assistance should email the Bursar's Office.

Updated on January 14, 2021 at 14:35 Jordan time.

The January term is a two-week online "minimester" before the spring semester. For these two weeks, students will enroll in a variety of short online courses led by King’s Academy faculty and partner organizations that allow them to explore exciting new topics, continue intensive studies, and prepare for the future.

Updated on January 14, 2021 at 14:35 Jordan time.

The January term serves three purposes:

First, after most students will have spent over two months away from family in the fall semester and in advance of students spending three months away from family for the spring semester, we believe it is important for families to have more time together over the holidays.

Second, the winter months are expected to be the heaviest months for both COVID-19 and influenza. Many of the best boarding schools in the world have extended their winter break to avoid complications associated with these projections. We believe this is safe and wise.

Third, a January term adopts an increasingly common practice at universities and boarding schools: providing a short, mid-year term that offers passion-driven electives that diversify student academic interests and opportunities, while also preparing students for grade level needs (university application preparation, academic skill reinforcement). Our January term also enables advanced and AP level courses to continue during this time.

Adopting the asynchronous January term both drives curricular innovation in support of student excellence, and it enables a necessary respite for students and employees in the midst of a global crisis.

Curricular innovation: Elective-driven January terms are increasingly being adopted around the world. They allow students to discover new areas of academic interest and to find and follow new passions. They also allow schools to provide focused sessions on topics relevant to our students' academic journeys, such as orientations to the college application process.

Family: Many students and employees have not been with their families for a very long time. Because of the pandemic, some of our students and faculty — especially international ones — have not seen close family members for over a year. Similarly, many of our staff were away from family not only for the fall semester, but also for periods of the summer and for a bubble we created for international students last spring. The  January term allows families to reconnect in this moment of global concern.

January term course offerings will be designed by King's Academy faculty and partner organizations. Most courses will be interdisciplinary offerings designed to enrich and deepen students' regular course of study.

Some advanced and AP courses will also continue instruction during this time.

Other courses will allow students to practice skills and tasks specific to their grade level, such as college application preparation for juniors.

Most courses will be asynchronous, allowing students to spend time with their families while completing their schoolwork at their own pace.

Before winter break, students will choose a set of courses, just as they do in the fall and spring. Students enrolled in accelerated or advanced courses that are meeting in the January term will be automatically enrolled in those courses. Students will select their other courses. Courses will be graded pass/fail, and reports will be shared with families.

Like this fall, most students will meet almost all of their classes in person, with the exception of the January term (see details in above section). Some teachers who were off campus this fall will have on-campus teaching assistants who will convene their classes in person. The Department of Academic Affairs will work with students who have fewer in-person classes to adjust their schedules where possible to enable more in-person classes.

Updated on December 9, 2020 at 14:55 Jordan time.

Students will have different options for participating in classes that are online. Some classes with teachers who are teaching online will have in-person teaching assistants who will convene the class in person, with the teacher joining remotely. This will reduce the number of online classes for many students. In classes that are fully online, students may join class from their dorm room, a classroom, the library, or from somewhere else around campus.

Online classes will begin on Sunday, January 17 with the two-week January term. Students participating in the Green Zone will begin in-person classes on Sunday, February 14. Students not participating in the Green Zone will continue their studies remotely.

Updated on December 10, 2020 at 10:55 Jordan time.

The nature of online participation will depend on the number of online students in a given class. Some classes may move fully online, and others may remain in-person, with some students participating remotely. 

Yes, office hours will be available for both online and in-person students.

Teachers and advisors will send their students/advisees an email with their Zoom address. Simply click on the link to join the call. You do not need to download the Zoom app; you can join the call via your web browser.

For more information on how to join a Zoom meeting, click here.

Note: Save the IT phone number in your phone for support during the school day or technical emergencies after hours: +962 77 57 57 499.

Updated on December 9, 2020 at 12:55 Jordan time.

The Helpdesk is available 8:00–16:00, Sunday through Thursday. Queries can be made:

• Through Zoom
• By email
• By phone: +962 77 57 57 499

Updated on December 9, 2020 at 12:55 Jordan time.

Because the Easter and Eid holidays occur so close to one another this year, there will be sixteen calendar days in April and May with only six days of school. This is also the period during which students will be taking their AP exams. Rather than keeping students on campus, the Green Zone will end and local students will return home to join their families for the holidays and to continue their studies from home on a more flexible schedule. (International students will be able to remain on campus in a mini-bubble.) The College Board has not announced whether this year's AP exams will be online or on paper, but the school will be open for students to take their exams on campus if exams are offered in the traditional paper format.

During the spring semester, we will continue to provide co-curricular activities, as we have in the fall. Students who are not on campus will be invited to engage in co-curricular activities remotely, but they will not be required.

Updated on December 8, 2020 at 10:55 Jordan time.

We will review our delivery structure during the fall semester and likely implement a similar structure that would allow for deliveries in the spring semester.

Yes, with the successful completion of the residential cohorts, indoor facilities, including the gym and pool, will open with guidelines for physical distancing and sanitizing. In addition, all outdoor facilities will be available for sport and play, and balls and equipment will be available at the playing fields and certain quads.

Updated on December 8, 2020 at 10:55 Jordan time.

Yes, students are allowed to have a mini-fridge, at a maximum height of 60 cm.

All common rooms have full-sized fridges, microwaves and a stove top.

A laundry service is available on campus. Furthermore, every dormitory has laundry facilities where students can do their own laundry.

Yes, after cohort quarantine ends, students will be allowed to walk freely to shared spaces on campus. As we continue to take a cautious approach to health and safety, some spaces like dorms may remain restricted to specific cohorts, wearing masks may be required in some spaces, and large gatherings like sit-down meals or school meetings will not be held indoors. This approach will be constantly re-evaluated to reflect the best medical and epidemiological advice.

Updated on December 8, 2020 at 10:55 Jordan time.

As we did during the fall term, we will make accommodations in order to allow more use of indoor spaces while observing recommendations against dense and large gatherings. School meetings and other community gatherings will continue to be held online. Groups of more than 20 will not be allowed to gather indoors without permission from the Head of School. If large groups gather outdoors, masking and social distancing will be recommended but not required.

The dining hall will take precautions against crowding by limiting seats at each table, spacing tables adequately, using auxiliary dining spaces and requiring masking at all times except when eating.

Updated on December 8, 2020 at 10:55 Jordan time.

We plan to host in-person Commencement activities on May 16. What these activities look like will depend on the epidemiological condition of the country at the time.

On-campus student activities such as the prom will be planned to be in-person this spring during the Green Zone, though to preserve the integrity and safety of the Green Zone, we will not be able to host guests from outside the Green Zone. We are studying options for other senior trips at the conclusion of the Green Zone.

Cohorts are residential groups that stay together during the first week on campus without interacting with other cohorts. While everyone on campus will have had a week-long hotel quarantine and a negative PCR test result, some cases of COVID-19 can incubate for up to two weeks without registering positive. Remaining in cohorts offers a degree of assurance that should a community member be infected with a long-incubating case, the virus will not spread farther before it is detected. While in the cohorts, students will remain masked and distanced.

Updated on January 17, 2021 at 11:55 Jordan time.

Following Ministry of Health guidelines, the epidemiology of the case will determine what protocols or interventions may be put into place. With the Ministry of Health, we will trace, track and test. King’s has a team on campus whose members have been trained and certified through a Johns Hopkins University contact tracing course, and they will assess the extent of any exposure on campus. If a confirmed case is asymptomatic or has mild symptoms and has the ability to return home, they will be allowed to recover at home.

As with the fall semester, we will follow the best masking and distancing advice from epidemiological experts. We expect that students will be able to gradually unmask as the safety of campus is established.

Our on-campus doctor is available for all regular medical appointments, and we are studying whether it may be possible for external doctors, dentists or orthodontists to visit as well. If this is not possible, then a visit to an off-campus doctor, dentist or orthodontist will require a 14-day quarantine upon return.

All of our counselors will be available to our students either in person or remotely. One will be on campus, while the other two will be available remotely.

While current projections do not suggest a vaccine will be widely available in Jordan before the end of our spring semester, we are following developments closely. In the event a vaccine does become available, we will consult with epidemiological experts to determine when it may be safe to re-open the campus.

Updated on December 8, 2020 at 08:40 Jordan time.

Middle School classes will continue online as long as governmental regulations require it. Should conditions allow, we will provide opportunities for in-person learning for our Middle Schoolers.