The following protocols have been designed to protect and minimize the risk to our families, staff, and community. They have been developed in consideration of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC’s updated guidance for local COVID-19 and variants. Following these protocols is paramount to our campus staying open and safe. While we understand your own personal feeling may or may not align with the Academy’s views, we appreciate your support of ours and cooperation. Please remember the Academy has the right to override any policy below if it is in the best interest of the Academy, families, or teachers.
Mask Policy
All parents/caregivers, and Academy staff members are required to wear a facemask when in the building.
Children (3 years old-5th grade) attending the Academy are required to wear a face mask when in the building. However, if requested by parent/caregiver, the Academy can ensure a younger child continues to wear a mask.
As of September 1st, the Academy will no longer provide extra masks for adults and children. We ask that you provide your own for you and your child/ren. If you have left, yours or your child’s mask at home we ask that you please go and get it before entering the building.
Building Policies
Parents/caregivers are allowed to enter the building for pick-up and drop-off. Only one adult per family may enter and they must be properly wearing a mask. Parents/caregivers must
Keep their visit inside the building to a minimum and conversations with the staff must be brief. If more time is needed to discuss, we will set up an appointment to do so. Additionally, socialization between families is discouraged while in the building. Instead, please utilize the Academy’s outdoor area’s for visiting.
Arrival at the Academy
- Families are now responsible for taking their own temperature at home.
- A Daily Health Screening Questionnaire is posted at the front of the Academy building and in the lobby. This questionnaire includes information about COVID-19 and its signs. It is theresponsibility of the family to ensure that whoever is dropping off their children can answer the questions on behalf of the entire family. This is a personal measure that will be for the parent/caregivers use only.
If all responses to the health assessment are “No”, parents/caregivers may proceed to their child(ren)’s classroom(s).
All parents/caregivers entering the facility MUST wear a face mask properly (over nose and mouth) before entering the building and sanitize their hands once inside the front lobby.
Drop-Off Procedures
Parents/caregivers may drop off their child(ren) at the classroom door but may not enter the classroom. If the door is not open, please knock, and one of the teachers will come to retrieve their child.
Pick-Up Procedures
Parents/caregivers may pick up their child(ren) at the classroom door but may not enter the classroom. If the door is not open, please knock, and one of the teachers will come bring their child and their belongings to the door.
If a child is on the playground at the time of pickup, parents/caregivers must go through the school to the playground, retrieve their child and their belongings, and then exit back through the building/lobby. Parents may not use the playground gate to enter or exit the playground. This gate is for emergency use only.
Daily Cleaning Protocols
A daily cleaning service will disinfect all areas of our school each evening. A final sanitation will be done before the classroom opens the next school day.
Additional cleaning and sanitizing will take place during the school hours, including but not limited to:
- Wiping down classroom, playground, bathroom surfaces in between use
- Sanitizing toys, manipulatives, books, etc.
- Wiping commonly touched surfaces such as door handles, bathroom sinks, etc.
Classrooms
To prevent and try to reduce transmission, the Academy will be providing Hepa ventilation systems to all our classrooms and common area’s as suggested by the CDC . We will also continue to practice physical distancing and prevent classrooms interaction by keeping children in the same group with the same teachers daily.
Exposure Policies
In the event someone tests positive for COVID-19, Childcare Licensing and our Health Department Inspector will be notified, in which they will guide the process to continue safe practices. Each confirmed case will be examined, then a plan of action will be formed by the Health Department to determine the procedure to move forward. We will follow the plan of action that is set, as the Health Department has the final say.
When a plan of action has been made, an email will be sent to the parents of the confirmed classroom explaining how we are going to proceed, return dates, test requirements and any relevant information.
Sick Children
The academy will be very diligent in monitoring our children’s health while at school. This may require that parent pick up their child if we see signs of illness. This might include asking for a doctor’s note or covid PCR test to return to school.
Symptoms we are looking for:
Fever or chillsCough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
Travel Policy
If a child attending the Academy travels (foreign or domestic), please notify the Academy. If an exposure occurs, Childcare Licensing and our Health Department Inspector will be notified in which they will guide the process to continue safe practices.
Vaccines
The Academy is a supporter of vaccinations, and we encourage all to get vaccinated. At this time, we do not require anyone to be vaccinated to enter our school. If any changes are made to this policy you will be notified.
We are Partners
Our goal is to keep this school running with as much normalcy as possible, to avoid an unnecessary school shutdown or classroom closures. However, for this to work we must continue to partner together. Key points to remember are to keep children home when they are sick, wear a mask when on campus, and notify us of any positive cases you encounter. If we do have to close a classroom, we appreciate your understanding and cooperation. Know that we will be doing our part to reopen as soon as possible.
Protection of Medical Information
Due to HIPPA protections, it is important that your child(ren) and our staff’s medical information remains confidential. However, understand that the Academy is obligated to contact the Health Department/CDC for any confirmed cases of COVID-19. Aside from reporting a confirmed case to the CDC, our administration is committed to privacy and will not disclose any additional information regarding staff and children’s medical information, for any reason.
Final Note
Please note that these protocols are effective immediately and effective until notice is provided otherwise. These protocols and rules may change, at any time, upon written notice to staff and patrons. Changes and supplementations to these protocols shall be made in writing, posted online, and sent to parents by email.
The Academy and Board compiled these protocols to ensure the safety and well-being of all who attend the Academy. We appreciate the support we have received from each family. While we understand our protocols are constantly changing, our goal is to help in the fight against COVID-19 and new variants. We thank you for your understanding and compliance.