Saint Edmond's Academy - Health & Safety Plans for Returning to Campus

HEALTH & SAFETY PLANS FOR RETURNING TO CAMPUS ACADEMIC YEAR 2020/21

INTRODUCTION The health and safety of our SEA community is our primary concern as we return to school. In these coming weeks and months, it will be imperative that we work together, parents, teachers, and administrators, to ensure the safety of our children. We will begin the school year on campus with our specific five-day schedule; be assured should we need to return to a remote environment we can employ the same schedule with little disruption.

We will continue to monitor the Delaware Department of Education, Division of Public Health and the CDC recommendations as circumstances evolve and change. We ask for your patience and trust as we work together to make our boys safe.

FAMILY EXPECTATIONS This unprecedented time requires us as a community to commit to one another. We are excited to welcome the SEA boys back to campus and recognize that your influence and responsibility for a successful re-entry is imperative. We will have many safety protocols in place as we begin and we ask that you model and emphasize the safety measures at home that are imperative for reducing risk. Some specific measures: • Communicating daily to your children the ‘Big Three’

1. wear a cloth mask 2. maintain social distancing 3. practice consistent, frequent handwashing • SEA families are asked to check their child’s temperature every morning

and review the family checklist with their child before leaving for school (see Decision Tree).

• All Early Childhood-8th grade students will be required to wear a cloth mask

as a part of their uniform.

• Parents should report COVID related absences to School Nurse, Kaddy Turner

via email; a doctor’s note will be required upon return to school.

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DAILY PROTOCOL DECISION TREE Is my child’s temperature under 100.4˚F AND Have they answered “No” to all health screening questions?

YES

NO

Am I comfortable sending my child for inperson classes?

Is my child comfortable?

Call your physician; a COVID-19 test may be recommended.

YES

NO

Attend school as usual.

Log into class via Zoom classroom camera.

TEST RECOMMENDED

BY PHYSICIAN

TEST NOT RECOMMENDED

BY PHYSICIAN

Child MUST remain home until test results come back.

Return to school once cleared by your physician (with doctor’s note to present to Mrs. Turner on first day back) and once signs and symptoms have resolved.

NEGATIVE RESULT

POSITIVE RESULT Contact Kaddy Turner, School Nurse via email at kturner@stedmondsacademy.org to report the case.

She will anonymously report the case to the Delaware Division of Public Health as well as the department of health in the state of residence (where applicable).

• SEA will follow contact tracing recommendations from the Delaware Division of Public Health.

• Remain at home for at least 10 days after symptom onset AND resolution of fever for at least 24 hours (perhaps longer than 10 days for immunocompromised individuals or severe cases)* • If a student receives a positive COVID-19 test, all siblings must remain home to quarantine as well, regardless of their own test results.

• Contact your child’s physician to make them aware of the positive test results.

• A note from your physician clearing your child is required on their first day back to school.

If you are asymptomatic and test positive, you must remain home for at least 10 days from the day of the positive test.

If you are an athlete, you must be cleared by a doctor before returning to sports.

Consult the CDC website for the most up-to-date information: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html *There is no need to be retested for COVID-19 before retuning to school, as tests can remain positive for up to three months, however, a doctor’s clearance note will be required on the student’s first day back to school. **The above decision tree may change as we learn more from our public health department and other agencies.

Return to school once symptoms have ceased and temperature has returned to normal. A note from your physician clearing your child to return to school is required in Mrs. Turner’s office on first day back to school.

If there is any doubt about the health of a student, it would be best to remain at home and follow classes virtually, until symptoms manifest or subside.

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MASKS Masks will be required for all students entering the building. Mask wearing is proven to decrease the spread of the COVID virus and should be worn completely covering the nose and mouth. Masks must be a minimum of two layers (double cloth or cloth and filter); gaiters and valve filter masks are not permissible.

We recognize the wearing of a mask throughout the day will be a challenge for students, particularly our younger boys. Mask breaks will occur during the course of the day but only when outside and socially distanced (more than six feet). We will be firm and fair in orienting the students in our mask wearing protocols as we begin the year. Practice at home is essential for us being successful in this key health protocol.

REPORTING ABSENCES For normal absences, parents should follow the handbook: absences should be called in to the Main Office (not the homeroom teacher) and/or emailed to attendance@stedmondsacademy.org.

For COVID related absences and to convey the results of positive COVID tests, parents should notify the School Nurse, Mrs. Kaddy Turner at kturner@stedmondsacademy.org. Upon notification this information will be reported anonymously to the Delaware State Health Department which will trigger a priority response. The Delaware Department of Public Health will identify the COVID positive person and work with the school nurse to identify those requiring quarantining, or testing, through the implementation of contact tracing. We will notify families of the presence of any positive COVID-19 cases in the classroom and/or school, in cooperation with the DPH. This will be done in a way that maintains confidentiality, but raises awareness, and encourages observation for any symptoms at home.

If a student falls ill during the school day, the School Nurse will evaluate his symptoms and be placed in quarantine. We have two dedicated spaces on campus for the student to wait for his parent’s arrival.

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CLEANING PROTOCOLS The classroom protocols will establish a daily cleaning routine. Teachers and students will disinfect their spaces, desks/tables regularly. SEA will have a day porter on campus to continually clean high touch points (door knobs, hallway railings) and bathrooms on an hourly basis. All classrooms will be equipped with hand sanitizer and wipes. In addition, frequent hand washing/sanitizing times will be set throughout the day and classroom routines will include disinfecting between students groupings.

The contracted cleaning company will clean all classrooms, hallways, common areas and bathrooms nightly. Protocol will include disinfecting touch points including tables, desks, door handles, and stairway railings. All cleaning products are EPA-approved as mandated by the Delaware Department of Education.

ARRIVAL TO CAMPUS To adhere to social distancing guidelines, students will be welcomed to the building each morning using several different assigned entry points. During the car line, we ask that all students remain in their cars until the doors open at 7:40 a.m. to avoid large groups of students congregating outside of the building.

DROP-OFF POINTS Lower Form and Grade 4: Students will be dropped off using the entrance (facing Veale Road) closest to the Bill D’Amato Alumni Gymnasium and Lancer Lunchroom.

Grade 5: Students will be dropped off using the entrance (facing Veale Road) outside Fusco Hall.

Grades 6 & 7: Students will be dropped off at the typical drop-off entrance.

Grade 8: Students will be dropped off at the stairwell entrance of the Field House.

Using multiple entrances will cause slower movement through the carline process.

We are asking that cars remain in the right lane around the building until their student(s) is dropped off. At this point, please move carefully to the left lane and proceed to the parking lot exit.

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CLASSROOM PROCEDURE We will use a Cohort Model in order to limit student interactions in the hallways.

Students will stay in their homeroom for all subjects other than Art, Music, PE and mathematics. Teachers for other subjects will rotate into classrooms. Mathematics and Specials rooms will be cleaned between each use. Outdoor classrooms will be used depending on weather conditions. Students will exit to designated outside spaces via the nearest egress.

SCHOOL MODELS If a student chooses to opt for distance learning he may still follow typical class meetings virtually and access resources through the Google Classroom site for each class. Webcams will be used in all core classes to accommodate students needing to learn from home. These will be positioned to allow for students to follow direct instruction for portions of the class period. It is important to consider that this is not an exact replacement for on-site learning. The experience of being present with teachers and peers is difficult to simulate.

In the event that on-campus learning is not possible, St. Edmond’s students will shift to a virtual learning environment. This will closely mirror the meetings students would engage in throughout a normal school day with small modifications to account for the strain of being online throughout an entire day.

LUNCH AND RECESS Lunch will be held in classrooms with no use of the cafeteria or microwaves to take place to account for social distancing. Each grade level will have access to outside spaces to eat whenever possible. Students are encouraged to bring their own lunches whenever possible. Boxed lunches will be available for purchase and orders must be received by the Lancer Lunchroom manager by Wednesday at 4pm of the previous week.

Allergy considerations should be considered within each homeroom. We ask you to be accommodating to keep all the students safe.

Recess will continue to be offered each day with grade levels moving as a singular cohort to outside spaces. On days with inclement weather, students will be given free time within their homerooms.

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DISMISSAL/CAR LINE Lower Form will dismiss at 2:45 to the Lower Form Parking Lot next to the playground.

In order to decrease movement throughout the building, LF students that have brothers in the MF/UF will be released to families in the LF parking lot. Cars can then join the MF/UF carlines to pick up their other children.

Grade 4 will dismiss at 3:00 to the Lower Form Parking Lot. Grades 5-8 will continue to use the normal carline dismissal doors.

EXTENDED DAY SERVICES (MORNING & AFTERNOON CARE) Administration and staff are still working to create structures for morning and after school care to support families while keeping our cohort model.

More information will be provided about this shortly.

ATHLETICS We are waiting on a decision from the Diocese concerning fall sports.

Should CYM cancel fall sports, we will work internally to create intramural options for Cross-Country and Soccer.

VISITORS ON CAMPUS Parents and Visitors will not be allowed on campus until further notice.

Parents picking up their son during the school day should wait in the car and call the Main Office at 302.475.5370. We will walk your son out to your car.

TRANSPORTATION (PA & KID RIDEZ) Families residing in PA who wish to use district transportation to SEA should contact their district’s transportation office. There are currently no plans to discontinue service in any of the districts which bus to SEA. Families interested in a private shuttle option should contact Kid Ridez at 610.800.9731.

Additional questions may be addressed to Mr. Bill D’Amato at 302.475.5370 x229.

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TRUST AND COMMUNICATION The St. Edmond’s faculty and staff are prepared and excited for your son to return to campus. While we cannot control all the factors that may occur in this challenging time, we do know that with patience and planning and consistent communication, we can minimize risk and re-establish the special educational culture of St. Edmond’s Academy.

We look forward to working with you parents to do just that.

Questions?

We understand there are many unknowns in this current time.

Please feel free to reach out to us with questions you may have.

Mr. John Jordan Head of School jjordan@stedmondsacademy.org Mr. Bill D’Amato Assistant Head of School bdamato@stedmondsacademy.org Mrs. Juliana McClellan Director, Lower Form jmcclellan@stedmondsacademy.org Mr. Steve Skolfield Director, Middle & Upper Forms sskolfield@stedmondsacademy.org Mrs. Bridgid Rubio Registrar & Executive Assistant brubio@stedmondsacademy.org

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