2021-22 Chatham Day School Opening Plan

2021-22 OPENING 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 2021-22 opening plan that considers the comprehensive health and well-being of all community members, the Reopening Task Force was again represented by members of the CDS Administration and Faculty, Board of Trustees, current and former CDS parents, and medical professionals.

And, as it was last year, the work of the planning group has been informed by recommendations and guidelines from the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the NJ Governor’s office, the New Jersey Department of Health, and the New Jersey Department of Education.

The work has again been guided with consideration of what we strive to weave throughout a CDS education: relationships, understanding, communication, joy, kindness, compassion, empathy, and what is best for the whole child and the whole community.

We're excited to begin another school year!

KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY HEALTHY A COMMUNITY BUBBLE Like last year, it is the four principles below that will guide us, 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.

We allow for a learning experience that creates enough space for joy to flow freely throughout our campus.

HEALTH & SAFETY: Daily Protocols

Daily health screenings

Indoor mask-wearing for all students, faculty and staff

Outdoor learning spaces

All students will complete a health screening prior to each school day through MyCDS. There will only be three questions to answer each morning this year.

All CDS students and faculty will be required to wear masks at all times while indoors, except when eating. CDS will again provide individual cases for each student to hold their masks while at school. These will not be taken home.

CDS remains uniquely situated with small class sizes and a large campus footprint. Due to our mask requirement, there will be more freedom to move around the indoors classrooms, though 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.

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 may separate the students into smaller cohorts. When in effect, this means that 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.

SCHOOL

1

5 COHORTS

Preschool Playhouse & Preschool Maximum 12 students per class Maximum of 35 students in the cohort

PreKindergarten & Kindergarten Maximum 12 students per class Maximum of 45 students in the cohort

Grades 1, 2 & 3 Maximum 14 students per class Maximum of 50 students in the cohort

Grades 4 & 5 Maximum 14 students per class Maximum of 40 students in the cohort

Grades 6, 7, & 8 Maximum of 45 students in the cohort

FACILITIES: Cleaning & Disinfecting

Touchless Purell hand sanitizer stations in each classroom and every school entrance

Enhanced cleaning protocols for high-touch surfaces

Touchless soap dispensers, facuets, and paper towel dispensers

Surfaces will again 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 are located at every entrance/exit to the buildings on campus, as well as in every classroom. These will be frequently checked and refilled as necessary.

In order to provide appropriate spacing for hand washing, the middle sinks will continue to 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 are in every bathroom. In the Canada House three 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 highest possible MERV

Open air tents remain on campus for additional outdoor learning

Full wireless access for all outside classroom spaces

All of our classrooms and public areas have free flowing fresh air intake. We use MERV13 filters, and filters are replaced minimum of once per month.

Open air tents will continue to be available for classroom and eating space. These provide shade from the sun as well protection from light rain.

We have full wireless access in outdoor spaces to ensure connectivity for all classes.

STUDENT LIFE: Day-to-Day School Day Schedule The daily schedule for Middle and Upper School students will begin at 8:30 a.m. and will end at 3:15 p.m.

Early Childhood and Lower School 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 families who have children in both divisions, pick-up should be at 3:15 p.m.

The schedule of holiday breaks 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 spaces past the gym doors and assist them. This will expedite the process for all families. 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.

Before Care and After Care Before Care and After Care will be available between 7:15–8:15 a.m. and 3:15-6:00 p.m. Students will be grouped together by divisions. Before Care and After Care will take place in several different rooms and spaces, including outdoors. These times are subject to change based on local case rates.

Parent Visitors In general, no parents will be allowed in the school building. However, parents can visit by appointment through the Division Head and Individual Teacher. Parents will also be able to attend school events/performances when showing proof of vaccination or by providing a negative COVID test taken within 24-48 hours of the school event. A rapid test will be acceptable. All masking and screening protocols will be followed during these visits.

STUDENT LIFE: Food Service

Snack will be provided for all students in all grades

A boxed lunch will be provided to all students in Kindergarten–Grade 8

Early Childhood students may opt-in to the boxed lunch service

Flik Dining will continue to provide a daily snack for all students in all grades. 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, mostly the latter. Hot and cold menu options will be available and allergies will be accommodated. Students will need to select meals two weeks in advance— more information on this will follow.

Early Childhood 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 two weeks 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.

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. Documentation of chronic illnesses (migraines, asthma, etc.) should be on file with the Nurse. These guidelines are subject to change *at any time.*, and individual cases may be handled with additional protocol requirements.

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 and: It has been 24 hours since symptoms have resolved OR You have an alternate diagnosis (strep, flu, gastro) and clearance to return to school by your doctor in writing 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 and 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

WHAT ARE THE CURRENT TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS?

WITHIN OUR LOCAL REGION NONE.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES

NONE. There are no domestic travel restrictions, and no quarantine will be necessary *at this time*. However, as always, we ask that travellers are responsible and communicative.

TRAVEL OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES

We will be following CDC guidelines for all international travel.

For ALL travel, the protocols can and likely will change frequently throughout the year based on cases, trends, and patterns, locally, domestically and internationally.

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 all other close contacts will stay home for 10 days from the last exposure. These rules may end up differing for fully vacinnated community members.

If a co-curriculum teacher tests positive for COVID-19, only those who she/he had close contact with need to quarantine. 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, the school may pivot to remote learning.

Secondary contacts, defined as any person who has come in contact with a Primary contact (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.

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.

Remote learning will also be available for students who need to miss school for COVID-related circumstances, most notably while quarantining or waiting for the results of a test.

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.

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.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR OPENING TASK FORCE: Abby Wellington, MD

Dan Opperthauser, MBA

Member, Board of Trustees Medical & Safety Taskforce Chair

Director of Finance

Heather Babington Director of Technology and Security

David Buffum, MsED Head of School

Yveslaine Gadzi Middle & Upper School Science Teacher

Amy Kelley, JD Chair of the Board of Trustees

Ashish Parikh, MD Member, Board of Trustees

Maria Pormilli, MBA Director of Auxillary Programs

Michelle Taylor BSN, RN School Nurse

Deborah Yu, MD Member, Board of Trustees

For updates and announcements, please visit our COVID-19 information page: chathamdayschool.org/COVID19