Academy of the Sacred Heart 2020 Return to School Plan

Return to School Plan August 2020

AS OF JULY 17, 2020

The Academy of the Sacred Heart, Saint Charles

is committed to the health and well being of our students, faculty and staff. This plan outlines the return to school guidelines and policies for reopening our campus in August 2020. As we work toward envisioning the 2020-2021 school year, we wish to thank all those who have shared their knowledge, skills and time through their participation on the Health, Wellness and Safety Task Group. It is through the recommendations made by this group that we are putting in place the policies and protocols that will support a safe learning environment and our ultimate return to campus.

It remains difficult to predict the exact circumstances that will face the local community in mid-August. As such the Academy is preparing for three learning options.

• The first involves classes being offered on campus.

• The second option (the Flexible Remote Learning Plan) provides families who may have a child or household member who is immunocompromised, experiences a short term illness or quarantine that requires them to stay at home, or those who are not comfortable having their child return to school the option of logging in and experiencing the class as it is being delivered in school via webcam.

• The third is a situation in which we are mandated to close school and resume our full Off Campus Learning Program for all students.

This communication focuses largely on the plans put in place to support our return to campus.

Community Expectations All members of the Academy community have a shared responsibility to prevent the spread of illness. It is essential that all in our Academy community remain committed to the safety policies and procedures noted in this and future communications to keep students, faculty, staff and families safe. These community expectations apply to students and their families as well as all employees of the Academy.

Families play a vital role in maintaining wellness on campus. The number one wellness measure is to keep your child home if he/she or someone in the household is sick. As a community, we must recognize that there are families among us with higher risk members in their households, and we must all do our part to adhere to CDC, State and local health recommendations and regulations to control disease transmission. Moreover, there may be a time when the Academy may ask you to comply with broader safety measures. We are grateful for your cooperation and compliance with the following protocols: · Signed Acknowledgment of Risk Form- Parents will be expected to sign an acknowledgement form that they are aware of the risks associated with the COVID-19 virus. While the Academy will make its best efforts to prevent a COVID-19 infection, the school cannot mitigate all risks for those attending the Academy. · Medical Forms and Emergency Contacts- Parents must complete and submit all required student medical forms prior to the first day of school. Parents must provide at least three emergency contacts who are able to pick up your child from school within one hour of receiving a call from the Academy if your child presents with a temperature or becomes ill during the school day. · Daily Questionnaire of Symptom Check- We will be relying on our partnership with parents and the cooperation of students regarding morning temperature checks and the confirmation of the child being symptom free. · Stay Home if Sick- If your child is sick, parents are expected to keep their child home from school. · Stay Home if Exposed- If anyone in your household is notified by Health Department authorities that they were in contact with an individual infected with COVID-19, you are asked to notify the School Nurse. Based on the circumstance, you may be asked to keep your child home from school for a specific time-period. During this time, your child will be able to keep up with classwork with support from the teacher via the Flexible Remote Learning Plan.

· COVID-19 Testing and Notification- If your child or someone in your household tests positive for COVID-19, you must notify the School Nurse as soon as possible at (636) 9466127, ext. 1104 or via email at jdougherty@ash1818.org. · Social Distancing- Please observe signs in all areas of the school that will be in place for spacing of individuals as well as foot traffic flow. · Face Masks- Face masks will be required of all individuals on campus. Please teach your child how to properly use and remove their mask. If using a fabric mask, please make sure the mask is washed regularly. · Hygiene- Practice and reinforce good hygiene practices at home, in particular, the importance of frequent handwashing. · Personal Items- Please limit the items that your child brings to campus each day. For those bringing a blanket or cuddle item (Little Acorn and Pre-Primary students) to school, please make sure these items are washed regularly. · Visiting- Parents and visitors will have limited access to the school buildings. Access to the school building is limited to the Main School Office should there be a need for a parent to drop off or pick up someone or something. Please observe limitations and restrictions to areas. · Follow Federal, State and Local Orders- All are expected to follow the directives of federal, state and local government health departments, including the CDC, regarding social distancing in public and other measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. · Travel- Please avoid unnecessary travel. Should there be a need for you and your family to travel, we respectfully request that you share your travel destination with us as some hotspots require a self-quarantine upon return.

Health and Safety Enhancements While it is impossible to eliminate all risks, best efforts to keep our students, faculty and staff safe are being made. With safety as our highest priority, the following enhancements are being made: • Staffing- We are hiring an additional housekeeper to clean and sanitize high touch areas throughout the day.

• Furniture- Decluttering of classrooms occurred to increase the available floor space in all rooms. Student desks have been placed in forward facing direction. Students will be spaced at a distance of six feet apart.

• Sanitizing dispensers- Hand sanitizing dispensers have been placed at each entrance of the school, additionally hand sanitizer is available in each classroom and office.

• No touch thermometers have been purchased for use in daily temperature checks.

• An isolation area has been established (apart from the regular Nurse’s Office) should a student become ill with COVID-19 symptoms during the school day. The student will remain in that room until they are picked up from school by their parent or a designated adult.

• We have purchased disinfecting foggers to be used in the classrooms (similar to what is being used on airplanes).

• Air Comfort (our HVAC company) has been brought in to review the air conditioning systems to ensure they are properly filtering and exchanging air. As needed ionization units and HEPA filters are being installed.

Frequently Asked Questions What will my child’s arrival at school look like?

• Parents will arrive with their child/children at either the 4th Street or the Shrine entrances to the school.

• You will be greeted at your car by a faculty or staff member who will inquire of the completion of your morning health screening.

• A temperature check will be done for each student while still in the vehicle.

• If the temperature falls below 99.5 F the student will put on their mask and then exit the car and proceed into the school to their classroom.

• If the student has a temperature, he/she will not be admitted to school. Parents are expected to follow up with their health care provider.

How will my child be admitted to the school building if our family uses the Early Arrival option?

• Students attending Early Arrival must be accompanied by an adult to the White Center cafeteria entrance between 6:30-7:40 am.

• Masks are required.

• Mrs. VanVoorn will be at the door to complete the health screening and to take each student’s temperature before he/she is allowed into the building.

• Please note, this applies to all students Little Acorns-Eighth Class.

What does dismissal look like?

• Dismissal will occur at your designated site (4th Street entrance or Shrine).

• Masks will be worn and social distancing will be practiced.

• Students must be picked up from the dismissal line, there is no ‘park and walk’ option.

• For families using the Late Dismissal option, a parent will need to come to the door of the White Center to pick up their child and sign them out. Masks must be worn by the parents.

What will the classrooms look like?

• Students will be seated at a distance of six feet apart.

• All desks will be forward facing.

• Students in Little Acorns through Fourth Class will have ‘chair packs’ that contain their own supplies.

• Soft surfaced items (i.e. furry chairs, fluffy carpets, pillows, stuffed animals) will not be in the classroom reading corners.

Will Middle School students be switching classrooms?

• In the Middle School, each class will be assigned a classroom.

• Core teachers will rotate to the classrooms while students remain in place.

• We recognize that no one can stay in the same spot all day, so Middle School students will move to the Science Lab, gymnasium and Encore classrooms.

Will Middle School students be using lockers this year?

• Middle School students will be assigned a locker.

• Lockers will be assigned by rotating grade level and gender to spread students apart. (ie. Fifth girl, Fifth boy, Sixth girl, Sixth boy, Fifth girl, Fifth boy, Sixth girl, Sixth boy…)

• Students will have designated times to go to their lockers, social distancing practices will be followed.

• Lockers are intended for the temporary storage of textbooks, notebooks, folders, paper, and other such items necessary in the normal day-to-day responsibilities of a student. There will be no decorating of lockers.

• Students may use locker shelves.

Will students and staff be expected to wear masks?

• Following the CDC guidelines, all persons will be expected to wear masks when it is not possible to practice social distancing.

• All persons will wear masks as they enter the school and when they are traveling outside of their classroom or work space.

• Students will be allowed to remove their masks at the teachers' discretion or when seated at their desk.

• The importance of observing proper social distance will be reinforced with students.

What additional supplies will I need for the start of the school year?

• Masks- All students will be required to wear a mask in the public areas of the school (while passing between classrooms).

• Water bottle- Water bottle filling units will be provided in lieu of water fountains.

• Thermometer- If your family does not have a thermometer for at-home use, you will want to purchase one.

What will happen with the service opportunities for students?

Service and the care for others will remain central to the life of students at the Academy of the Sacred Heart. Middle School students will not be traveling off campus to perform service as most of the service sites are not accepting volunteers at this time. We are working with our community partners to develop new ways to support these important relationships.

How will lunch work?

School lunch will continue to be provided by Food Service Consultants. Students will have the opportunity to select a boxed lunch (additional information regarding a la carte menu options will be provided at a later date). While we would like to allow for the freedom that lunch in the cafeteria provides, at this time the decision has been made to have lunch in the classrooms.

Will students have the use of water fountains?

The Academy is investing in new water fountains that allow only for the filling of a water bottle.

Please send your child/children to school with a water bottle labeled with his/her name.

How will recess work?

Weather permitting, students will go outside to enjoy recess. Recess will occur by homeroom group and each homeroom will have their own play equipment. Students will have access to the playground and the playground games in front of Regis Hall.

What steps are being taken to prevent the surface or contact transmission of the virus?

• One direction foot traffic flow has been designated in hallways and stairwells.

• Hand sanitizer will be available in every classroom, office as well as at each entrance.

• Social distancing of students within their classroom areas will be provided with students seated six feet apart.

• Seating in classrooms will be forward facing.

• All persons will be required to wear a mask when moving about the buildings.

How will cleaning protocols will be identified and prioritized?

• Cleaning priorities will be based on the usage of the space and the transition of students into and out of those areas.

• Zone 1 areas are those spaces which require ongoing cleaning throughout the day.

These areas would include for example, the Nurse’s Office, restrooms, hallways and stairwells (including railings, door hardware and countertops).

• Zone 2 areas of the school include those spaces that have high student use but are transitional- for example, this would include the classrooms where students spend the bulk of their time (with cleaning occurring during the day when students are attending Encore classes). Encore classrooms and the gymnasium would fall into this category and will be cleaned in between classes.

• Zone 3 areas are those used by the staff that require once-a-day cleaning.

What happens if someone tests positive for COVID-19?

If a student or member of their household develops signs or symptoms of COVID-19 (including fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body ache, head ache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting and diarrhea) and/or tests positive for COVID-19 the student and any siblings attending the Academy will be moved from the on-campus learning option to the Flexible Remote Learning Plan for at least fourteen days. The student/students may return to on-campus learning and activities once they have met one of the two following options (per the recommendation of the local Health Department): • Home for fourteen days from the beginning of symptoms or from date the positive test was administered. Must remain asymptomatic, including the presence of no fever (without the use of fever reducing medication) for 72 hours.

• Documented physician clearance to return to school.

• The same protocols apply to all Academy employees.

If a student, sibling or member of his/her household tests positive for COVID-19, all families in that student’s homeroom group will be notified. If notification happens during the school day, parents will be called immediately, and students will remain in their homeroom until picked up by a parent. If the notification occurs outside of the regular school hours, the families will be notified via phone call and email to not come to school until a follow-up plan for testing either through primary care providers, urgent care, or the Health Department is in place. The Academy will follow the guidance of the local Health Department officials to determine the next steps on a case-by-case basis.

Learning Options Option 1- On Campus Learning • Classes will be held from 8:00am until 3:30pm on campus.

• Early Arrival and Late Dismissal will be offered.

• Late Start Thursdays will be scheduled in support of Teacher Professional Development.

• Athletics will be offered following the recommendations and guidelines of CYC. Option 2- Flexible Remote Learning Plan • The goal of this plan is to support the continuation of instruction in the Core classes during the time period that a student is unable to engage in on-campus learning.

• Lessons will be shared synchronously with students learning from home via a webcam and with the support of an omnidirectional mic to allow the student to experience what is happening in the classroom.

• The Flexible Remote Learning Plan is not the same as the Off Campus Learning Program.

• The plan is designed to support those students who are immunocompromised or have a member of their immediate household who is at high risk. It will also be available for those who may find themselves in need of remaining home due to illness or household quarantine.

Lastly, for those parents who are not comfortable sending their children back to school this option is available.

• Apart from those experiencing a temporary need for the Flexible Remote Learning Plan, as in the case of illness or quarantine, families selecting this option will need to formally request this learning model for their child/children by communicating with the school principal(s).

To facilitate the teacher’s lesson planning, families selecting Option 2 will be asked to commit to this option by trimester.

• We are currently developing the plans for the delivery of this option.

Option 3- Off Campus Learning Program • Under this option the school has been mandated to close by the State or the local Health Department.

• All learning will take place online.

• Uniform platforms will support learning: • In Little Acorns through Second Class Seesaw will be employed • In Third Class through Eighth Class Microsoft Teams (including OneNote) will be used.

• Online tutorials are being developed for parents in support of their needs.

• Zoom and/or Microsoft Teams will be used for videoconferencing.

Members of the Health, Wellness and Safety Task Force Don Albert, Director of Strategic Enrollment Management Susan Dempf, Ph.D., Head of School Janis Dougherty, School Nurse Kelly Hunsel, EMT, St. Charles Fire Department Kevin Kinney, Teacher at John Burroughs Shawn Leight, Transportation Engineer Mike Maclin, Ed.D., Director of Equity for Special School District in St. Louis Jesse Miller, M.D., Family Practice Physician- SSM Health Steve Pearce, HVAC Design Consultant Marcia Renken, Primary and Lower School Principal Eric Russell, Verizon project management/implementation Bob Schuckmann, Business Manager/Director of Facilities Julie Werton, Middle School Principal

This communication focuses largely on the plans put in place to support our return to campus. It is subject to significant changes as the COVID-19 situation evolves.

This document represents our best available options as of July 17, 2020. We will continue to monitor the situation as well as the CDC and local Health Department recommendations.