Safety Procedures and Guidelines Con’t.

May 19, 2020 | Back to School, Covid-19

If someone becomes sick (any illness) while at school:

First, we request that children and staff stay home if they are sick, regardless of the nature of the illness. Although we will take measures to prevent sick individuals from entering the building, we recognize that a student or staff member could begin to feel ill later in the day. In that case, we will follow these procedures:

  • We will communicate to staff the importance of being vigilant for symptoms of their students and communicate their concern to the nurse and administration immediately.
  • We also request for staff members to immediately report when they start to feel sick themselves, whether at home or if it manifest while at the school. (We know that some students and staff suffer from allergies and other issues that cause sneezing or coughing, therefore we will collaborate closely with the school nurse to make decisions on sending someone home).
  • We will keep sick children and staff separate from well children and staff and determine if sending them home is warranted. Again, a cough or sneeze may not mean COVID-19. Those symptoms, along with additional combinations, such as a fever will expedite our decision to send students or staff home.

If a student or staff member show symptoms of COVID-19 while at school, (Per CDC Guidelines):

  • The student will be placed in the isolation room across from the nurse’s stations. If it is occupied, the student will be placed in the corner of the classroom for temporary isolation until picked up by a parent/guardian.
  • If a sick child has been isolated, we will clean and disinfect surfaces in the isolation room or area after the sick child has gone home.
  • If a staff member becomes sick, we will follow the same guidelines, however, we will have them leave or be picked up (depending on their condition at that time).

Note: At this point we do not know if the individual has tested positive for COVID-19.

If there is a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis for the student or staff member who was sent home, or who self-reported prior to coming to school, (per CDC) we will:

  • Coordinate with local health officials. These officials will help determine a course of action for the school.
  • Dismiss students and most staff for 2-5 days. This will allow time for the local health officials to gain a better understanding of the COVID-19 situation impacting our school and determine appropriate next steps, including whether an extended dismissal duration is needed to stop or slow further spread of COVID-19.
    • During school dismissals, we will cancel extracurricular group activities including Dragon University.
    • Communicate with parents and staff and coordinate with local health officials to communicate dismissal decisions and the possible COVID-19 exposure. The name(s) of the individual who has a positive diagnoses will be kept confidential to prevent violating privacy laws.
    • We will seek guidance from local health officials to determine when students and staff should return to school and what additional steps are needed for the school community.
    • Close off areas used by the person who is sick.
    • We will wait up to 24 hours or as long as possible before cleaning or disinfecting thearea to allow respiratory droplets to settle before cleaning and disinfecting.
    • We will clean and disinfect all areas used by the person who is sick, such as classrooms,restrooms, and common areas.
    • If more than 7 days have passed since the person who is sick visited or used the facility,additional cleaning and disinfection is not necessary per the CDC.
    • Health officials will also determine if or when it is safe for the diagnosed individual toreturn to school.
    • The student or staff member who received a positive diagnosis has the option to takeadvantage of the virtual program if their health permits, while the are at home.

We will follow the procedures and guidelines as closely as possible and will adjust as we learn what works well and where improvements and adjustments need to be made. I have attempted to answer as many common questions as possible based on your feedback. We appreciate your passion and dedication to helping us establish and maintain a safe and healthy learning environment.

Sincerely,

Desmond Bobbett Principal
The SAE School