10^th Street Preschool

Come from kindness, learn through play

 

New Ways Covid Addendum 

What are the New Ways Covid Addendum? What is the Family Guidebook?

The New Ways Addendum describes our policies during the pandemic that pose new regulations, modify normal procedures, replace, or put a temporarily hold on favorite child and parent events as described in the Family Guidebook. The Addendum will be our first go to guide during this pandemic. The Guidebook describes the ABCs of all things 10^th Street other than the pandemic. 

The Policies and schedules set forward in our Family Guidebook and New Ways Addendum are subject to the current mandates and protocols as established by national, state, and local authorities which may periodically or frequency change. We are governed by the CDC, LADPH, DSS. Early day care centers are mandated to follow the strictest policies or create policies that best serve their community, to go above and beyond what is required at the national, state, and local lever.  The School will make best practices decisions to protect the well-being of our children, staff parents and community be aware as mandates change so may our New Ways. To date, this is the plan. We will keep you updated as we go.

 

WHAT YOU NEEDED TO SIGN & RETURN

Please sign the Community Agreement and provide proof of vaccination for all adult members of the household and anyone involved in the caretaking/dropping off and picking up on or before August 15.

Verification of Covid Vaccine All adults/children in household, caretakers, others directly involved in bringing children to school must provide verification of being fully vaccinated. Acceptable vaccine verification documents or images include CDC vaccination card, a clear photo of the CDC vaccination card, or an electronic health pass. Whichever form you use must show your full name, date(s) and type of vaccine received and be clear and legible. Please send proof viz email by 8/15 and bring hard copies to the school on Testing Day Sept 7

Children will not be allowed inside the gate until we have received all documents requested. Please do not bring with you on the first day or you will need to wait until all other children’s have said goodbye and a teacher is available to process them. We want a calm setting with focused teachers to ease any anxiety that may drive up to the gate and hands free to hold theirs.

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW RE: COVID

Parents on campus. * Masking. Testing. Vaccines.

Parents will not be allowed on campus other than a few exceptions (subject to change). Most Protocols established last year will continue including curbside drop off and pick up, masking for Children over two and all adults, testing, staggering schedules…. 

 

*Exceptions to Adults on Campus

New Preschool Students

We hope to invite Parents of New Preschoolers in all programs to come inside and stay at school on the first day of school for new students. Please send only one adult.  Keep your morning open. You will receive your group time on the weekend before school begins. •On-campus attendance as described above will be allowed after vaccine documentation and negative covid results for the entire household/ caretakers have been received at school.  Please wear masks and do not enter until it has been at least 3 weeks after receiving the second dose of the covid vaccine. 

Little School Green

830 – 930, bring snack  

Red Group

– 10:00 – 11 bring snack. 

 

Orange Group

• – 1230 bring lunch

• Little School

Pre-approved Parents or caretakers of Little School children under 2.6 may come inside to stay during the school day provided one adult is able to come consistently. We are asking adults and children to test weekly. You may join the weekly testing on Fridays if you are enrolled on Monday or test on Monday if you are enrolled on Tuesday

 

• Toddler Parent School on Tuesday

We are asking parents and toddlers who attend class on-campus to test 72 hours before each class. You may join the for weekly testing on Mondays and submit the results before class on Tuesdays. We will begin on Zoom and hope to hold our on-campus outdoor program in October. (Toddler information has already been sent to our enrolled families.)

 

• *Conditions of exception

On-campus attendance as described above will be allowed after vaccine documentation and negative covid results for the entire household/ caretakers have been received at school.  Please do not enter until it has been at least 3 weeks after receiving the second dose of the covid vaccine.

 

Masking.

Students aged two and up are required to wear a disposable mask while at school.  That said, we are not allowed, nor would we force a child to wear a mask.  Out of an abundance of caution we will continue the masking outside and inside as we did last year. We want to maintain health practices that have helped, sustain a culture of vigilance, stay with social distancing as much as possible. Since we spent so much time building it, given that vaccinations for children seem a bit far off, health precautions still abound, and a fatalistic outlook of a resurgence this fall keeps showing up in the media.

Masks will still be required, regardless of vaccination status. Children and adults need to ear mask when approaching the gate and to keep on until everyone is safely in their car. 

Mask Reminder Now that we are once again wearing masks indoors, it might be a good time for a reminder about mask protocol. According to Los Angeles County: “’Face covering’ means a surgical mask, a medical procedure mask, a respirator worn voluntarily, or a tightly woven fabric or non-woven material of at least two layers. A face covering has no visible holes or openings and must cover the nose and mouth. A face covering does not include a scarf, ski mask, balaclava, bandana, turtleneck, collar, or single layer of Fabric Testing.

Why test?

Currently, CDC recommends that screening testing in schools be offered at least weekly for students who are not fully vaccinated in communities with moderate, substantial, or high transmission. 

As the status of transmission and mandates keep changing it feels wise to establish consistent policies and routine testing rather than depend upon what seems to be ever changing. We can only depend on knowing that things keep changing which it counterproductive to peace of mind. Many schools are testing weekly. Our school serves children who are not able to be vaccinated at this time, some not able to properly wear masks all day. While we established exemplary procedures last year, we have learned that Maintaining 3 – 6 distancing for young children is impossible at best. And although the children were flexible, cooperative, and perfect. We must be realistic. Children aren’t chickens in a coop. They want to and need to sing, dance and play. Sometimes they hold hands or hug hullo. It is impossible nor would we want to break their spirit. Instead, we raise the bar for keeping them safe. Rules for adults to keep children safe. 

The new variant is tricky; vaccinated people are contracting the virus and because they are asymptomatic, they are unknowingly passing it and exposing others. Many are home testing which lowers accuracy, medical treatment if necessary, reporting and tracking. All our children and some adults in our community are vulnerable. We need to rely on more testing in addition to practicing safe protocols established last year. As we all know, even weekly testing measures just a moment in time. 

It is incumbent upon us to establish strict standards to match our high standards. 

We require every member of each household including all children and all other adults involved in your child’s care to get weekly tests. Covid-19 PCR nasal for adults and PCR oral for children no more than 72 hours before the first day of the school week or first day of return to school after 4+ days away.  Please be responsible for checking the results and making sure your family is safe. If you receive a negative result do not come to school and let us know asap. If you arrive at drop off, we will know you have checked, and all is well. Our staff is not able to check each family’s results every week including weekends.

 

Who will test?

Everyone will test weekly regardless of their vaccination status. Staff will test bi-weekly. We are asking all children and parents/caretakers allowed on campus and parents/caretakers who routinely drive the child to and from school to test weekly. All other adults (households, grandparents, caretakers) to test monthly. Nasal PCR for adults and Oral PCR swabs for children is acceptable unless otherwise requested. It is your responsibility to check for test results.  If a negative result comes in, please do not come to school, and notify us asap.

 

When do we test?

Tests must be no earlier than 72 hours prior to the day of return to school. Everyone will test after an absence from school for 4+ days, before returning from winter/spring/summer break before camp, and if someone in the house has traveled internationally.

 

Where can we test? TBD

We hope to continue testing onsite. We have convened a parent committee to help us work out the details.

 

The plan for now

Preschoolers will test on Fridays – we may add an additional day

Little Schoolers who start the week on Monday will test on Fridays.

Toddlers and Little Schoolers who come on Tuesdays will test on Mondays

Testing Dates will be posted on Pro-Care calendar.

 

Testing Forms

You must bring a completed form each time you test for each person getting tested. Tip – fill out forms and make copies. You must have your forms completed before it is your turn, or you will be turned away

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CbBHcjSCHrk3eDWNlN-138gDn_efrjlm?usp=sharing 

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1CbBHcjSCHrk3eDWNlN-138gDn_efrjlm

 

Vaccines Required this Fall

Vaccines and boosters will be required this fall for all adults and children once age approved by the CDC. This requirement is based on the serious threat that the COVID-19 pandemic poses to our children and staff and our legal and moral obligation to protect our community. Local, state, and national health officials have determined that the approved vaccines are safe and effective and protect individuals from a broad range of variants and most severe forms of illness and hospitalization. While other public health measures, such as face coverings and physical distancing, help reduce the level of infection, none are known to be as effective as vaccination. Our goal is to have everyone fully vaccinated and documented by the time we return to school, which means that if you are not yet vaccinated you need to begin the process now. Vaccines are crucial to protecting the health and well-being of everyone and to helping our community combat the recent surge in infections among unvaccinated people.  We understand that some people may not be able to receive the vaccine due to a disability, medical condition or sincerely held religious belief and practice. In those cases, please reach out to us directly. Anyone not fully vaccinated or who choose not to provide proof must continue to get weekly Covid -10 tests, wear masks and will be subject to additional requirements aimed at keeping our community safe.

DATES TO REMEMBER

8/ 10 – Documentation Day.

All documents must be received, on file and approved before your child may come to school as scheduled. Late documents may delay the start date of your child.

• Community Agreement
• Proof of Covid – 19 Vaccine or letters of medical exemption for each member of your household including others who provide care to your child and/or help with drop off and pick up. It is essential to safely account for all members of our community before the schoolyear begins regardless of parents being allowed back on campus. Please help us weave our safe nest as soon as possible.
• Please send I family photo and 1 photo of your child for their cubby.
• For parents of new students – DSS forms will be sent later this month. We must receive one from your child’s doctor before beginning your child can begin. This is standard proactive – pre covid.

9/ 7 – ALL SCHOOL TESTING DAY 

FOR ALL CHILDREN, HOUSEHOLD, CARETAKERS enrolled in 21/22

9:00 Toddler, Little School and First Year Preschoolers

9:30 PK

10 JPK

 

Testing will be on campus in the School Front Yard. We will have 2 nurses.  Your timeslot is by program. Regular School will be closed for the High Holidays. Although you have already digitally sent proof of vaccination, please bring a copy of your vaccine record for each household member/caretaker for your child’s file. Adults who have provided documentation or the appropriate medical exemption letter will receive a sticker to use as a pass when you do come on campus.

9/8 New Students Visit Day

 

Group 1 

Little School and Red Group

845 – 1000, bring snack. 

Group 2

Orange Group

 1030 – 12, bring lunch

9/9 – 9/10 All Students

regular school schedule – full day dismissal at 2/215

9/15 full day schedule begins – dismissal at 4/415

What to bring on the first day of school

Backpack

On the first day of school your child should bring a small backpack with 2-3 disposable masks, extra clothing (2-3 of everything), sunscreen. Backpacks will live at school. 

Daily Snack

Everyday please send snack box with 1 or 2 snacks depending on if your child stays all day. 

Daily Lunch

Please send a lunch box and include a fresh disposable mask to be used after lunch. Please send one water bottle and label with child’s name. We will provide fresh water when needed. Hand sanitizer may be added to the lunchbox. 

First year or other children who are not able to self-soothe may bring a transitional object in their snack box.  Please choose to send this most beloved object only if you child is intensely attached and unable to separate without it. 

Please label everything and put on sunscreen before coming to school.  You can send roll-on sunscreen that your child is able to apply themselves or they can wear UV clothing.  We will help them apply if we have a sunscreen consent form on file. The backpack will stay in their cubby until needed and will only go home …they might bring home soiled clothing, any work, or projects from time to time. Please replenish as needed. 

Class Groupings and Schedule

We are making the groups based on best covid practices and protocols, group dynamics, siblings, and the program of your choice. We are planning groups with staggered schedules to allow time for the mandated screening process and/or to have less people entering and leaving at the same time. 

• Little School – We had hoped to allow parents inside for a two-week separation. However, for now, only pre-approved parents with children younger than 2 may come inside once covid testing results and vaccine documentation is completed, approved and on file. See exceptions.

 

• Toddler Parent School: We are excited about our terrific new group. The beginning of summer looks different now, and although we hoped to resume on campus it is with an abundance of caution that we have made a different plan. The teachers and Cindy will begin in September on zoom Tuesdays 3-345 with teacher led activities and talking time with Cindy. Hopefully we will quickly move on-campus for our outdoor program only as children under 2 are not able to wear masks. Cindy’s special time to talk with parents has always been during the children inside playtime so we will swap inside play/talking time with weekly evening zooms with Cindy. The outdoor program will be Tuesdays 3-4 for children and teachers to play, sing, dance, create art, have snack and stories + weekly evening talking time with Cindy. After zooming with toddlers all last year, we realize while it isn’t ideal, Zooming is better than no zooming.  It does provide routine, consistency, visibility, fun and friendship which are key and crucial. It is a time of beginning. Many of our zooming toddlers last year are matriculating into 10^th Street Little School this year. As we wait to gather in person, your children will begin to grow a sense of connection as they learn our favorite school songs and stories and you will begin building friendships with other 10^th Street toddler parents. Zooming or in person, this is the penultimate time in your families’ lives for us to begin partnering in your parenting, to talk about all things toddler and for you to lean on Cindy and the school as another member of your team.

 

 

• Little School and Preschool Group Schedules (tentative)

You will receive group lists on the weekend before school begins.

 

Little School / Green Group – Drop off/Pick up at Front Gate (we may drop off in the Kindness Alley on testing days)

drop off 8:45

pick up 11:45/12:45

Little schoolers may enroll in Lunch Club and stay 12:45. Lunch Club is $20 per day.

 

 

Red Group –drop off/pick up use the Kindness Alley

drop off 9:00

pick up 2:00 /4:00 full day

 

 

Orange Group – drop off/pick up use the Kindness Alley

drop off 9:15

pick up 2:15/4:15 full day

 

 

• Art Supplies

Art supplies will be provided for each group in addition to the supply list that you will oversee supplying for your child’s toolbox. We will send the supply list out later.

 

 

• Snack and Lunch

Little School – 1 snack (and 1 lunch if enrolled in our Lunch Club)

Preschool till 1pm or 2 pm – I snack and 1 lunch

Preschool till 4pm – 2 snack and 1 lunch

 

Please send water bottle and we will supply extra water as needed. The snack can be disposable or trash-less, it’s up to you.  The Department of Public Health does not feel the risk is different or significant either way. Your child will be encouraged by staff to open, close, and throw away items themselves.  We will guide and help them with our words and limit our touching of any products.  Children and staff will wash hands before and after snack.

 

Arriving and Leaving/ Drop-off and Pick-up.

• Parents will sign in and out using ProCare app. Anyone designated to drop off/pick up your child will need to have the app to sign child in/out. Use this link
• https://help.procareconnect.com/en/articles/1600848-add-authorized-pickups-and-carpools

 

The Kindness Alley

Please use the Alley behind the school and enter from Broadway unless otherwise requested. The door will promptly be locked after drop off and pick up times. Late drop off and pick up is tricky during the pandemic when we are screening, following covid protocols and parents are not allowed on campus. Please be on time. Late fees, which were waived last year, are being re-instated @1.00 per minute. Park and come to the front gate on 10^th Street for late pickup. We will help children out of their cars. Please install car seat on the right side of the car, closest to the kindness alley fence. Please unbuckle child from car seat and have school supplies ready to hand to child. Parents are to stay in the car with masks. If the Green Group uses the front gate on 10^th Street, or if you are authorized to use the front gate on 10^th Street, please park and walk to front gate wearing masks. A teacher will be there to greet your chld.

Prior to Arrival:

Home health screening:

• Parents are asked to screen their children and themselves before leaving home. Anyone with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, or new loss of taste of smell), must stay home for a minimum of 10 days AND until their symptoms have improved AND they are free of fever for at least 72 hours without fever-reducing medication.
• Fever, cough, and shortness of breath are the most common signs of COVID-19. Parents are encouraged to contact the school if the child does not have any of these symptoms but does show at least one of the following symptoms: Chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, or new loss of taste of smell.
• No one should be near or at school if they evidence any COVID-19 symptoms and must be symptom free for seventy-two (72) hours before returning without fever-reducing medications.
• If anyone in the household is feeling symptoms of any kind, please keep your child home until Covid is ruled out.

Expectations for Children upon Arrival:

• Arrive at the assigned staggered start time. NOTE: If you miss your designated time slot, you will need to wait until the other groups have been screened.
• Be aware staff may take each child’s temperature using a no-touch thermometer.
• Staff will conduct visual wellness checks of all children upon arrival and ask health questions when concerned.
• Children and Parents need to arrive with washed and/or sanitized hands. Parent to wear mask and gloves before approaching drop off gate.
• Children will wash hands once inside.
• Children should only bring the minimal number of items that are necessary.

Drop off and Pick up protocol:

• No adults will be allowed on campus during school hours besides staff.  We will have a carpool line in the Kindness Alley behind school. Please enter viz Broadway. When you are at the front of the line, please get out and walk your child to the gate.  All adults are required to wear a mask when approaching the gate. At pick up and drop off staff will be directing families, taking children’s temperatures, doing a sight health check, signing your child in, and doing a once-a-week verbal health screening (see below) as recommended by all government agencies.   Enter without parents at their assigned entrance.

 

Health Screening at the gate:

Each Monday a staff member will conduct a verbal health screening with you at drop off, as recommended by The Dept. of Public Health and Licensing. We may ask you to use the ProCare app for self-screening.  You may be asked the following questions and if you answer yes to any question/s your child may not enter.  On the other days, please do not come to school if any of the following are answered with a Yes.

1) Have you or anyone in your household been diagnosed with COVID in the last 72 hours?

2) Have you or anyone in your household been in close contact with someone who got COVID in the last 72 hours?

3) Have you or anyone in household had any COVID symptoms in the last 72 hours?

4) Have you or anyone in your household traveled outside the United States in the last two weeks?

 

Calendar:  We have proactively revised our school calendar and added a few more days into the calendar. If there is a new pandemic or another wave and we are forced to close during the year we can extend the school year by a week or so. Hopefully this won’t happen, and we will end the school year as shown on the calendar.

Cleaning and sanitizing:

 

• We will introduce fresh outdoor air as much as possible, for example by opening windows. We have installed new filters in the AC. We have Levoit Air Purifiers, with Hepa Filters in every room.
• The teachers and the cleaning personnel will use CDC approved products. Resting yoga mats will be cleaned after each use.
• Staff and children must follow the following handwashing guidelines:
• Hands must be washed for 20 seconds with soap, rubbing thoroughly after application, and use paper towel to dry hands thoroughly.
• Staff and children must wash hands:
• Before and after preparing food
• Before eating food
• Before and after treating a cut or wound
• Before and after classroom activities that may involve sharing supplies and materials
• After using the toilet
• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
• After blowing staff or a child’s nose, coughing, or sneezing
• After touching garbage
• After playing outside
• We will teach children what we can do to stay healthy, including handwashing, covering coughs and sneeze into an elbow, staying home when sick, etc.

 

Current Criteria for Including and Excluding Children, Staff and Adults
(Updates will be provided upon receipt of directives from governing authorities.)

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/map-and-travel-notices.html

• We will follow CDC, LADPH and DSS protocols for travel, quarantine and screening for all children and adults before entering campus and returning from vacation.

Children or staff with fever, cough, or other COVID-19 symptoms, or if someone in their household is with fever or showing other COVID-19 symptoms, will be excluded from school for a minimum of 10 days after onset of symptoms AND until their symptoms have improved AND they are free of fever for at least 72 hours without fever-reducing medication.

Staff, children, parents/caregivers/visitors should stay home if they are ill, even with mild symptoms.

• When applicable, the child’s health history will be reviewed by staff and parents to identify if the child has a history of allergies, which would not be a reason to exclude the child.

 

Procedure for Ill Children/Staff Members Covid or otherwise

Staff and children must stay home when they are sick with symptoms of respiratory illness such as fever and cough. Staff may not return to school for a minimum of 10 days after onset of symptoms AND until their symptoms have improved AND they are free of fever for at least 72 hours without fever-reducing medication. for any diagnosed illness or contagious disease, we ask

We require a doctor’s note and/or negative covid test after any illness to return to school.

 

• If staffing permits, staff will be sent home to self-quarantine if they have had “close contact” with an infected person, whether that person’s infection has been confirmed by testing or not. The quarantine must be for 14 days following contact with the infected person. If no symptoms arise during the 14 days, the quarantined person may return to work.
• “Close contact” means:
• Contact within 6 feet of a symptomatic person (whether COVID-19 has been confirmed by test) for greater than 15 minutes.
• The infected person may have symptoms when the contact occurs. But it is also considered close contact if the contact took place up to two day (48 hours) before the infected person showed any symptoms. For example, a teacher who had a long conversation with a colleague on a Friday and then found out that the colleague showed symptoms on Sunday, is considered to have had close contact.
• Anyone who had unprotected contact with the infected persons body fluids and/or secretions. For example, if the infected person was an infant or child who was infected during a diaper change or had a runny nose or other secretions.
• Parents must pick up an ill child within 30 minutes of being notified. Children/staff may be referred for COVID-19 testing if they have fever, cough, or dyspnea.

 

Essential Protective Equipment:  please note, these may change

• Masks: Staff will wear a mask or face covering while working with the children.
• Gloves: Staff must wear use gloves for tasks such as serving food, handling trash, or using cleaning and disinfectant products.
• Handwashing Stations: We are providing to staff and children adequate supplies for good hygiene, including easy access to clean and functional handwashing stations, soap, paper towels, and alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Each person entering our preschool, or any room must wash their hands-on entry.
• Disinfectant Cleaning Products: We are using EPA-approved products for use against COVID-19. Staff has been trained and received required protective equipment per manufactures recommendations. All cleaning products are kept out of children’s reach.

Electives – times and classes subject to change

Enrollment forms will be sent in Sept and classes will begin in October. Enrollment is optional and by semester. This year we will continue to offer electives per group to avoid children mingling on campus and to lower participation/mingling off-campus. Handwriting without Tears (HWT) is offered to JPK and PK students and has proven to be extremely important as prep for PK. Learning how to identity the shape and sounds of letters, how to correctly use a paper and pencil boosts self-esteem, fosters the notion of considering oneself a reader and a learner. The Soccer fee will be prorated at a lower fee for full day students. 

 

Little School Lunch Club

M – F 11:45 – 12:45

Red Group choices

Tues 815 – 9am

Handwriting Without Tears

Thurs 2 – 245 pm

Soccer

 

Orange Group choices

Thurs 815 – 9a.

Handwriting Without Tears

Fri 2- 245

Soccer

Events and Communication:  You should have been added to Shutterfly (school calendar) and ProCare (sign in/out), based on the emails you provided on your original application. If you have not received an invitation or an email, please check your junk mail. If you need your email changed, please contact Lacie. Sync Shutterfly with your phone to have the calendar at your fingertips. Procare is a contactless program for signing/in and out each day. Parents or legal guardians must sign the child in. Our staff is not legally authorized to do this for you.

 

We will use zoom or similar technology platforms for parent conferences, committee meetings and events until parents can safely return to campus. We will continue to establish alternative ways to be together and celebrate important events.

Food/Supplies 

• Children will bring lunch, snacks and (disposable) water bottles.
• During meals children will be spread out to ensure as much adequate spacing as possible.
• Children or staff are not allowed to share or touch each other’s food.
• We will immediately clean and tables after meals.
• Children will bring art supplies that will live in their toolbox at school and will be disinfected regularly.
• Items brought from home or outside school need to be limited.

 

Groups and Teachers

• We will group children to avoid and stagger schedules to allow time for the mandated screening process and less people arriving/leaving at the same time
• During nap times, yoga mats will be arranged with distance in between and heads in opposite directions.
• All outdoor play equipment will be cleaned and disinfected We will implement activities that model and reinforce good hygiene and physical distancing.
• Individual activities of children and group activities that don’t involve physical contact will be encouraged and implemented. We will try to only sing outside.
• NOTE: We are fortunate to have many bathrooms and more than one entrance/exit to our school.

 

Parents
Once vaccine verification/medical exemptions are established for 100% of our community and the situation seems stable we hope to invite fully vaccinated parents, legal guardians, and parents with fully documented medical exemptions to visit during special pre-announced times. All parents will wear masks indoors and outdoors unless otherwise announced. We are not able at this time to re-establish our Open-Door Policy and will continue to monitor the situation and follow guidelines.

Staff

• We will only have staff necessary to maintain ratio compliance inside of classrooms.
• No volunteers or ECE students will be on site, service workers must wear masks and delivery-workers will be met at the front or back gate to drop off deliveries. Anyone entering campus will have their temperature taken.
• Staff will enter/exit through various entrances when possible (our campus has plenty of space, and plenty of entrances & exits) and will sanitize hands when entering, temperatures will be taken and recorded, wash hands with soap and water throughout the day, apply new face coverings as needed, and maintain with their group of children.

 

Weather Action Plans 

• The Staff/Admin will determine when and if it is too cold/hot or raining too hard to comfortably play outside. We will determine the ability to open doors and windows to ensure ventilation. Even with our upgraded HVAC and air purifiers in each play space 3 hours will be our maximum amount of time to offer inside care. Since children cannot wear face coverings during snack, lunch, and rest, having all these activities + staying inside for longer could pose a risk and would not be in accordance with the recommendations from the LA Department of Public Health.

 

• Weather Dismissal Schedule    Little School/Green 11:30 Red 12:00     Orange 12:15
  When outdoor environments cannot be used due to heavy rain or uncomfortably hot/cold weather, the children will be dismissed no later than 3 hours after the start of their day.  If the weather starts well and takes a turn, we will contact the Head Group Parent who will activate the Parent ‘Phone’ Tree. Please be prepared on these days for the possibility of an earlier dismissal.

 

• Action Plan for Rain
  Please buy a rain suit for your child so they can play outside. During fair weather the rain boots can stay at school for water play. When it is rainy weather, the boots will be worn to and from school. On rainy days please have your child arrive dressed in rain gear and send dry clothes in a labeled large Ziplock. Please label back of rain suit, lower than hood, with child’s first name. Last name initial only if there is another child in our school with the same name.  Please label name inside each boot on the inside rim where the outside ankle slips in. Please write R and L on the toe of each boot and the inside rim where the inside ankle slips in. If you have already labeled the rain gear that is fine. Please practice handling all rain gear with your child(ren)

Light Rain	No change in activity or routine Child arrives in rain clothes & boots with extra change of clothes in backpack.
Moderate Rain	No change in activity: Outdoor AND indoor environments will be used. Child arrives in rain clothes & boots with extra change of clothes in backpack.
Heavy Rain	If you arrive at school and it’s a heavy rain day you will know for certain its early weather dismissal.

• Action Plan for Cold/Hot

Hot weather: sunscreen before arriving, large, brimmed hat, appropriate clothing. Cold weather: layers, hoods are more practical than hats. no scarves, gloves, or boots. We have gloves that we will wash each day. If you have extras gloves to donate, please send them our way.

 

Useful links

• Student Symptom Decision Tree

http://wupaarc.wustl.edu/COVID-19-and-Children/Algorithms-for-Clinicians-and-Schools/-School-based-Algorithm?fbclid=IwAR2Q2C4hK-HWeU7hummWhAYcitARb-PeY0f8L56H3PFCCZ2ocbBpBv8xxdI 

• Screening and Exposure Decision Pathways for Symptomatic Persons and Contacts of Potentially Infected Persons at Educational Institution

http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/docs/education/ScreeningEducationSettings.pdf