Brooklyn Conservatory of Music COVID-19 Policy for 2022-2023 (as of Sept 11, 2022)

BKCM will accept all valid forms of vaccine confirmation including physical vaccine cards, copies/screen shots of vaccine cards (with ID if requested by our Safety Monitors), Excelsior pass, etc.

All medical records will remain strictly confidential.

Masking

Masks optional for all who are vaccinated: In conjunction with the start of the academic year, BKCM will become a masks-optional space for all who are vaccinated. This is our biggest policy shift this fall. As you know, BKCM has maintained a mask requirement for our building through the summer, and while we do encourage everyone to continue to wear masks indoors, individuals may choose to not wear a mask as of the fall term if they are vaccinated. 

There may be exceptions: In specific circumstances, students, clients, and faculty may be required to wear masks in certain group classes, music therapy groups, and studios to accommodate the health and safety of immune compromised faculty or fellow students. These specific mask requirements are situational. If that is the case for you or your child, we will communicate with you prior to the start of the school year. Out of respect for the health and safety of our community, we expect all members of our community to adhere to mask requirements if they are specifically relevant to your lessons and classes. 

Masks will continue to be required for all who are unvaccinated, including children ages 3 and 4, as well as parents or caretakers of children who have not been vaccinated in early childhood classes including Play & Sing and Suzuki Early Childhood. To be clear, if a BKCM student under 5 has been fully vaccinated they would be eligible to go masks optional.

Faculty: The new mask optional policy is a Conservatory-wide policy, and faculty are not permitted to request that students mask without explicit approval of your Program Directors and/or BKCM administration. Please reach out to your Program Directors if you have specific medical need for your studio to be a masked space. If you do not feel comfortable reaching out to Program Directors, you’re welcome to reach out to Michaela Mechlovitz, Director of Administration (michaela.mechlovitz@bkcm.org) or Alex Selawsky, HR Associate (alex.selawsky@bkcm.org).

Masking Policy For Concert Hall

For the time being, BKCM will continue to require that masks be worn by audience members in our Concert Hall due to the high volume of people who attend events. This policy is in line with a number of our peer schools (e.g. 92nd St Y, Lucy Moses, etc) who are masks optional in studios, but require masks in their performance spaces. Performers may perform without masks. We will reconsider this policy at the end of October. Also, the Concert Hall is subject to the same vaccination rules as the rest of the building – every event attendee 5 yrs old and up must be fully vaccinated.

Health Screenings

BKCM will no longer require daily health attestations, screenings, and temperature taking.

Building Waiting Spaces, i.e. Lobby and Landings

BKCM will continue to ask that our indoor waiting spaces including the lobby and landings remain clear. There will be no congregating in waiting areas except for special circumstances , e.g aides / family members for Music Therapy clients with specified needs, parents who attend studios classes, etc. Parents and caretakers may now enter the building to drop off and pick up students. Everyone who enters the building will be required to present proof of vaccination. Our garden, which we activated in Oct 2020 to help facilitate the reopening of the school – has tents, lighting, heat, WiFi, tables and chairs. Many of our families take advantage of the garden as a gathering space while family members or those they are caring for are in the building. We will reexamine this policy at the end of October, and as the weather changes.

If You’re Sick, Stay Home.

Please do not come to the Conservatory if you’re sick, even if you’ve tested negative for Covid-19! Program Directors will be reaching out with specifics regarding remote lesson accommodations and make ups due to student sickness.

Our team will continue to monitor the landscape surrounding Covid-19. Should the need arise, BKCM reserves the right to change these policies at any time throughout the school year taking into consideration changes in CDC recommendations, local policy, case numbers, etc. Any changes to policy will be communicated via email from our administrative team, and updated on our website.