Updated Guidance as of 2/8/21
FALL 2020 REOPENING PLAN
CHATHAM DAY SCHOOL
The Chatham Day School experience is rooted in community and in knowing and understanding each student. Communities look out for the best interests of all involved; at CDS, that starts with the students and extends to faculty, staff, and families. In order to design a reopening plan that considers the comprehensive health and well-being of all community members, the Reopening Task Force was represented by members of the CDS Administration and Faculty, Board of Trustees, current and former CDS parents, and medical professionals. The work of the planning groups has been informed by recommendations and guidelines from the NJ Governor’s office, the New Jersey Department of Health, the New Jersey Department of Education, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The work has been guided with consideration of what we strive to weave throughout a CDS education: relationships, understanding, joy, kindness, compassion, empathy, and what is best for the whole child.
We're excited to welcome you back to campus soon!
KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY HEALTHY A COMMUNITY BUBBLE It is the four principles below that will establish an essential bubble around our community, and we ask that all families take them very seriously. This plan finds success when we trust one another, carry an assumption of benevolent intent for all community members, and work together to look out for each other. This plan works when:
We communicate in a timely and honest manner. We act responsibly both on campus and off. We come together as a community now more than ever before. We allow for a learning experience that creates enough space for joy to flow freely throughout campus.
HEALTH & SAFETY: Daily Protocols
Daily screenings & temperature checks
Mask-wearing for all students, Faculty and Staff members
Social distancing and outdoor learning spaces
All students will be screened for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 prior to each school day. We are evaluating an app that will allow parents to screen from home. If this does not work for us, we will be screening upon arrival. More information on screening specifics will be forthcoming. All CDS students will be required to wear masks at all times while indoors, except when eating. In addition, masks must be worn by students, parents and other passengers at drop off and pick up. CDS will provide individual cases for each student to hold their masks while at school. These will not be taken home. CDS is uniquely situated with small class sizes and a large campus footprint. While social distancing will be impossible to maintain for students at all times, our classrooms will allow for four to six feet between every student while sitting at desks. Due to our mask requirement, there will be more freedom to move around the classroom. Many academic classes will be held outdoors, as well as all PE classes, weather permitting. When children are outdoors, they will not be required to wear masks as long as social distancing is maintained and students are moving. If older students choose to sit and have conversations at recess, they will be expected to either wear masks or maintain appropriate social distance.
HEALTH & SAFETY: Class Size and Cohorts In order to ensure we can offer our full program with the full array of health considerations in place, we are separating the school into smaller cohorts. Each cohort will have an enrollment capacity for on-campus learning. On-campus interaction between students will only happen within the same cohort. The separation of students into cohorts allows for important academic and social engagement between students in different grade levels, while also adhering to a risk mitigation strategy. If a child or teacher in a cohort is diagnosed with COVID-19, the entire cohort will be required to stay at home and will move immediately to Remote Learning.
Preschool & Prekindergarten
SCHOOL
1
5 COHORTS
Maximum 12 students per class Maximum of 30 students in the cohort
Kindergarten & Grade 1 Maximum 14 students per class Maximum of 40 students in the cohort
Grades 2 & 3 Maximum 14 students per class Maximum of 25 students in the cohort
Grades 4 & 5 Maximum 13 students per class Maximum of 35 students in the cohort
Grades 6, 7, & 8 Maximum 12 students per class Maximum of 40 students in the cohort
FACILITIES: Cleaning & Disinfecting
Touchless Purell hand sanitizer stations added to each classroom
Enhanced cleaning protocols for high-touch surfaces
Additional facilities assistant is in process of being hired
Surfaces will be cleaned and disinfected during the course of each day with non-toxic Seventh Generation Multi-Surface Cleaner (EPA-approved to kill COVID-19)—a particular focus will be placed on bathrooms, handrails, doorknobs, tech devices, and other high-touch areas. Our normal cleaning crew will continue to clean each night, with a focus on these areas, as well. Touchless Purell hand sanitizer dispensers have been added at every entrance/exit to the buildings on campus, as well as in every classroom. These will be frequently checked and refilled as necessary. We are purchasing a Protexus electrostatic sprayer that will aid in disinfecting areas that are hard to reach and hard to clean by hand (boxes of toys, lab equipment, etc). In order to provide appropriate spacing for hand washing, the middle sinks will be closed in all bathrooms that contain three or more sinks. In bathrooms that contain one or two sinks, access will be limited to one person at a time. Touchless faucets, soap dispensers and paper towel dispensers have been installed. In the Canada House two additional portable sinks will be available for our Early Childhood students.
FACILITIES: Upgrades to Campus
All classrooms and public spaces have fresh air intake—all filters are being upgraded.
Open air tents installed on campus for outdoor learning
A quarantine room has been added to the Nurse's Office
We have confirmed that all of our classrooms and public areas will have free flowing fresh air intake. We are in the process of upgrading to MERV13 filters. Filter replacement is being increased to a minimum of once per month, and may be increased further, if needed. Four open air tents are being purchased to create outdoor learning spaces. Wireless access points are being installed near these spaces to ensure connectivity for all outside classes. The office space next to the Nurse’s office has been turned into a quarantine room with two additional cots, which will be separated by freestanding dividers. The room will be used for students who present with COVID-like symptoms until a parent is able to pick them up. A windowed door will connect the current Nurse’s office to this added medical space. We have identified a first aid trained staff member to assist the Nurse with routine visits, if and when she is attending to students in the quarantine room.
STUDENT LIFE: Schedules School Day Schedule The daily schedule will remain unchanged for Middle and Upper School students. They will begin the school day at 8:30 a.m. and will end at 3:15 p.m. The schedule will change very slightly for Early Childhood and Lower School students, who will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 3:00 p.m. This will allow for both decreased congestion and increased distancing at pick-up time. Half-day Preschool and PreK students will still dismiss at 12:30 p.m. For those families who have children in both divisions, the pick-up can be done at the later time. The school schedule of holiday breaks will remain the same as previously posted and can be referenced at chathamdayschool.org/calendar.
Drop-off/Pick-up If your child is unable to get in and out of your vehicle on their own, we ask that you pull forward to the marked space past the gym doors and assist them. This will expedite the process for all families. Faculty members will not be opening car doors or assisting children in and out of vehicles this year. If your student is late to school, please call the Front Desk at (973) 410-0400 and a staff member will come outside to greet your child and escort them into the building. We ask that you please make every effort to arrive to school on time.
Before Care and After Care Before Care and After Care will be available between 7:15–8:15 a.m. and 3:15-6 p.m. Students will be grouped together with their cohorts and physically separated from others. Before Care and After Care will take place in several different rooms and spaces, including outdoors.
Class Schedules Academic schedules will remain largely unchanged. Students will attend co-curricular classes (fine arts, performing arts, physical education, Spanish, etc.), held in the co-curricular classrooms—theater, gym (or outdoors, weather-permitting), art room, etc. Morning Meetings will take place within cohorts and recess will be held once or twice daily depending on grade-level and within cohorts.
STUDENT LIFE: Food Service
Snack will be provided for all students in Preschool–Grade 8
A boxed lunch will be provided to Kindergarten– Grade 8 students
Preschool and PreK students may opt-in to the boxed lunch service
Flik Dining will continue to provide a daily snack for all students in Preschool–Grade 8. Snack will be enjoyed either outdoors or in the classroom. Students in Kindergarten-Grade 8 will be provided a daily boxed lunch to be eaten either in the classroom or outdoors. Hot and cold menu options will be available and allergies will be accommodated. Students will need to select meals a week in advance—more information on this will follow. Preschool & Prekindergarten students can opt into the boxed lunch service for the year or bring a nut-free lunch from home. These students will also select their meals one week in advance. A calendar of daily lunch options is provided online and via the FlikIsDining app, available on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
STUDENT LIFE: Materials and Belongings
Lockers will be grouped by cohort and access will be given to only 1 cohort at a time
Each student will receive their own school and art supplies to eliminate sharing of items
Students in Kindergarten–Grade 8 will have their own tech devices (1:1)
Each student will be provided with a toolkit filled with supplies that are typically shared in our classrooms—items such as pencils, crayons, markers, paintbrushes, math manipulatives, etc. This will ensure high-touch items are not being shared. Students will take their individual toolkit with them to all co-curricular classes. Students in Kindergarten through Grade 8 will each be assigned a technology device for the year. Kindergartners–Grade 2 students will receive an iPad and students in Grade 3–Grade 8 will be provided a Chromebook. These devices will make the transition to Remote Learning a seamless one, as students will take the device home with them each night in the event that they cannot return to school the next day. Lockers will be available to MS and US students and locker assignments will be grouped by cohort. Opportunities to visit lockers will be staggered throughout the day to avoid students from different cohorts from interacting with one another.
Updated guidance as of 2/8/21
WHAT HAPPENS IF MY CHILD GETS SICK? The following guidelines have been set by the CDC and the CDS Reopening Task Force and detail when a student, faculty, or staff member may return to school after an illness diagnosed as COVID-19 or other. This policy succeeds all former policies regarding a return to school after illness and was updated on 2/8/21. Documentation of chronic illnesses (migraines, asthma, etc.) should be on file with the Nurse. SYMPTOMS If you have any symptoms on the list, do not come to school. You may return if you have NOT had a known exposure to COVID-19: It has been 72 hours since symptoms have resolved OR You have an alternate diagnosis and clearance to return to school by your doctor in writing (strep, flu, gastro) AND symptoms have improved EXPOSURE If you are exposed to COVID-19 do not come to school. You may return if: It has been 10 days from the date of a one-time exposure and you’ve remained asymptomatic (no exceptions even with a negative PCR test) If symptoms develop during those 10 days, refer to the previous section Prolonged or high-risk exposure necessitates a 14-day quarantine Exposure within the student's household necessitates a 20–24 day quarantine ((10 days from contact's initial symptoms plus 10-14 days of quarantine) If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 within the last 3 months you do not need to stay home TESTING AND DIAGNOSED CASES If you have a positive COVID-19 test and are symptomatic do not come to school. You may return if: It has been 10 days from start of symptoms AND you are 24 hours fever free AND your symptoms have improved If you have a positive COVID-19 test but are asymptomatic do not come to school. You may return if: It has been 10 days from the date of your positive test and you’ve remained asymptomatic If you have a pending COVID-19 test for any reason do not come to school. You may return if your PCR test is negative and symptoms have resolved
CDC DEFINED SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19 Cough Fever of 100.4 or chills Fatigue Muscle or body aches Headache Sore throat Nausea Vomiting Diarrhea Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing New loss of taste or smell
Updated guidance as of 2/8/21
WHAT ARE THE CURRENT TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS?
WITHIN OUR LOCAL REGION
Travel is permitted in the “Quintuple State� area. Our local region includes NJ, NY, DE, PA, and CT. No quarantine is required after traveling to any state on this list, however, we ask that you take adequate safety precautions while traveling (i.e. masking, washing hands, etc.)
WITHIN THE UNITED STATES
Travel beyond the Quintuple State region requires a 10-day quarantine or a negative PCR test and a 7-day quarantine before returning to school.
TRAVEL OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES
Students must have a negative PCR test before returning to school. (Travelers are required to get tested within three days before their flight departs.) Upon return, we require a 10-day quarantine or a negative PCR test and a 7-day quarantine before returning to school. Foreign nationals who have been in any of the following in the last 14 days, may not enter the US: China, Iran, European Schengen Area, UK, Republic of Ireland, Brazil, and South Africa. International travelers should also refer to guidance published by the CDC and check the CDC's COVID-19 travel recommendations by destination. Many countries are categorized as a Level-4 high COVID-19 risk, and the CDC recommends avoiding all travel to these countries. Visit the CDC for information on testing and international travel.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE IS A POSITIVE CASE OF COVID-19 AT CDS? If a student or classroom teacher tests positive for COVID-19 within 48 hours of being at school, the teacher and his/her entire cohort will stay home for 14 days from the last exposure.
If a co-curriculum teacher tests positive for COVID-19, only those who she/he had close contact with need to quarantine for 14 days from last exposure. Close contact is defined as less than 6 feet apart in the same space for more than 15 minutes.
If multiple cohorts have more than 1 positive case then the school will be closed for a minimum of 14 days.
Secondary contacts, defined as any person who has come in contact with another person who has been exposed directly to a positive COVID-19 case, do not need to be quarantined but should be monitored for symptoms.
The school will contact the NJ Department of Health with information about any confirmed positive cases within the school and follow their protocols related to contact tracing.
OFF-CAMPUS LEARNING The definition of Off-Campus learning is "school for students whose families opt out of the on-campus learning experience." As CDS remains committed to supporting, challenging, and differentiating the educational experience for all students, the Off-Campus Learning model will provide a comprehensive education for all students. For all who opt for Off-Campus Learning (OCL), the day will include periods of synchronous and asynchronous learning. CDS will use Zoom for all synchronous classes which will include instruction from the main classroom and/or discipline teacher. The synchronous class schedule will ideally enable students to ask questions and interact with the class from home, and students will be provided with all classroom materials and textbooks. Additionally, OCL students in Preschool through Grade 8 will have a dedicated Learning Liaison to correspond with—this coordinator will have scheduled 1:1 meetings with each student over Zoom, as well as provide troubleshooting help, when needed.
TEMPORARY OFF-CAMPUS LEARNING In order to help keep our community safe and healthy, it is essential for families to keep their children home when they are not feeling well or may have been exposed to illness. To this end, we will be offering temporary OCL to students. This is not a requirement for sick students, but one we need families to choose instead of sending a potentially sick or exposed child to school. Temporary OCL will allow students to tune in live to their classes, access lesson plans and assignments on their CDS iPad or Chromebook, and correspond with their teachers.
REMOTE LEARNING The definition of remote learning is similar to what the CDS community undertook in the spring of 2020. CDS will move into a remote learning model if mandated by the Governor or if conditions otherwise dictate that we must do so. We will continue to use Zoom for our remote platform, and we have added several additional layers of technology to prepare for this possibility. In the unfortunate event that we are forced to go fully remote, we will be sending out specific details about structure and schedules. In the meantime, please know that we will be ready to make this transition quickly and seamlessly.
We can't wait to see you! Please remember these principles to help keep our community safe. We communicate in a timely and honest manner: We are in this together and share a common goal of keeping our school community safe. More than ever, it is imperative that we communicate openly and honestly. We pledge as a school to deliver timely, factual information and we ask that all of our families do the same. For instance, if your child travels to a state that is on the New Jersey quarantine list (currently 36 states and territories including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico), we expect you to follow the NJ mandate and keep them at home for fourteen days.
We act responsibly both on campus and off: This is critically important for the health and safety of community members. The more responsible we are collectively, the more likely that our school can remain open for on-campus learning. While there will certainly be a great deal that is out of our control throughout the school year, we can create safe conditions by following all health recommendations while on and off-campus. This includes maskwearing, social distancing, staying home when you or your child is sick or may be getting sick, and by getting a flu shot as soon as it becomes available.
We come together as a community now more than ever before: This has always been a hallmark of our school and will involve communication, support, and trust for each other and in the school. It will involve understanding that our actions will have a direct impact on individuals and the community. We recognize how important it is for our students to be in school, and that will require all of us to look out for each other in a way that is new, but inherent in the nature of our community.
We allow for a learning experience that creates enough space for joy to flow freely throughout campus. As previously stated, our plan is guided by safety and by our mission—by what is best for our students. Everything we have planned to do, and will do, throughout the year will be guided by the safety of our entire community and the mission of our school, in that order.
Created August 4, 2020
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR REOPENING TASK FORCE: Abby Wellington, MD
Yveslaine Gadzi
Maria Pormilli
Member, Board of Trustees Medical & Safety Taskforce Chair
Middle & Upper School Science Teacher
Assistant to Head of School & Director of Finance
Heather Babington
Amy Kelley, JD Chair of the Board of Trustees
Director of Technology
Jeanne Barrett
Teri Kennedy, MD Member, Board of Trustees
Director of Finance
Marybeth Bogdanski, RN, MS
Kellen Kent
School Nurse
Division Head, EC and LS Parent Engagement Committee Chair
David Buffum, MsED
Jason Mott, EdD
Head of School
Division Head, MS and US Scheduling & Logistics Committee Chair
Megan Collyer Director of Communications
Ashish Parikh, MD Member, Board of Trustees
Sue Lark, MAT Assistant to the Division Heads
Deborah Yu, MD Member, Board of Trustees
For updates and announcements, please visit our COVID-19 home on the web at: chathamdayschool.org/COVID19