COVID-19 Protocols -2020-2021
Attendance Protocol-
Screen children upon arrival. Establish a routine of daily health checks on arrival, such as temperature screening for both staff and children. Any person with a temperature above 100.4 F will not be allowed to stay at school. A teacher exhibiting these symptoms will also be asked to leave school.
Fever over 100.4°F
Cough
Headache
Difficulty breathing
Sore throat
Loss of taste or smell
Vomiting or diarrhea
Once health screening is complete, teacher signs student in. If a child/staff member has fever only, s/he will be required to stay at home until s/he is fever free without medication for 72 hours and return to school with letter of clearance from their medical doctor.
If a child displays multiple COVID-19 symptoms, s/he will be required to stay at home for a minimum of seven days with at least three days that are fever free. A letter of clearance from family pediatrician stating child was tested and is COVID-free is required for return to school.
If a child has a diagnosis other than COVID-19, a physician must also provide a letter of clearance to return to school.
If a student or staff member is exposed to a person with a known case of COVID-19, s/he will be required to quarantine for 14 days and return to school with a written letter of health clearance from their physician.
Ensure that classes include the same group of children each day and the same teachers remain with the same group. Restrict mixing between each group.
Restrict non-essential visitors, volunteers, and activities (including parental visits except for drop-off and pick-up).
Procedure for closing in the event of a reported case of COVID-19-
If a student or staff member is diagnosed with COVID-19 or has been exposed to an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19, there will be an immediate 24 closing for a full deep cleaning, and then working with state and local health departments, the Pound Ridge Community Church’s Pastor, Steve Kim, and our Preschool Board, we will determine a safe plan for reopening. School may remain closed for 1-2 days for this process. All families will be alerted to the closing and kept informed to reopening plans. Persons treated for COVID-19 will return to school with a written letter of clearance from their physician.
Designated reporter for COVID cases-
Kirstin Zarras, Director, will serve as the designated reporter in the event of an identified case of COVID-19 at the Play School. All reporting will be completely confidential. Notification will go to State and local Health Departments, Pastor Steve Kim of the Pound Ridge Community Church, and Superintendent, Timothy Riss, from the New York Annual Conference, which oversees the Pound Ridge Community Church.
Pick-up and Drop-off-
Drop-off and pick-up times have been staggered. We encourage that the same person drop-off and pick-up your child as much as possible. Please park your cars and stand by them with your child. Wait for a teacher to greet you, complete a brief health screening, and escort your child to his/her class.
Drop-off:
2s- 9:10
3s- 8:40 (Children will be greeted starting immediately at 8:40)
4s –8:55
The staggered drop-off times were purposefully designed to allow adequate time for safe traffic flow, walking time to classroom doors, and orderly entrance to classes for supervised removal of shoes/coats and hand washing. Pick-ups will also be staggered, following the same instructions used for drop-off for outside pick-up.
Pick-up:
2s-12
3s- 11:30
4s- 11:45
For Regular Drop-Off and Pick-Up, there are no "windows". We ask you to arrive at your designated time and wait outside your car.Students cannot be received by Staff until the designated times.
If you are late you must call the Director @764-4360 so plans can be made to greet your child.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Staff, & Students-
Masks: Staff must wear masks with certain exceptions including when teachers are providing instruction and in this case they will wear plastic face shield and social distance. Students, ages 3 and 4, are strongly encouraged to wear masks. Children 2 and under do not need to wear masks. Students will provide their own masks, with a spare kept in a sealed bag in their cubbies as a backup. The school will have a limited inventory of extra masks in case of urgent need. We will review proper use of masks with all children, providing age appropriate guidance, monitoring and oversight.
Other PPE requirements: All persons entering our building will be required to wear a mask, and routine custodial staff will be required to wear masks per our masking protocols inside the building. Additionally, any staff tasked with cleaning or sanitizing materials or surfaces will be required to wear gloves and protective eye wear if warranted.
Signs with COVID-19 requirements for face coverings and social distancing are posted throughout the building. Hand washing signs are in bathrooms.
Daily Schedule-
Children hand washing and/or 60% alcohol hand sanitizing will occur, by class, after arrival, before snack, after playground, and after toileting.
Hand sanitizer will be available in every classroom in pump bottles and at hand sanitizing stations at all entrances.
Students will remain with their class cohort with no overlap with other classes.
Weather permitting, instruction, play, art and snack will be held outdoors with classes distanced from each other. We will use church patio for art, playground space, and church lawns for games, stories and snack. When this is not possible, students will be engaged in activities in our classrooms, and distanced appropriately.
Minimize sharing of high touch materials, including art supplies and toys.
Art supplies and toys will be wiped down with disinfectant wipes or disinfectant sprays and paper towels after each usage by staff.
Avoid immediate contact such as shaking or holding hands, hugging, or kissing.
All field trips canceled until further instruction from NY State and the CDC.
Maintain social distancing in all seating. Use “airplane arms” when moving as a group.
Teachers, with gloves, will distribute snack. Children will eat snack in their classrooms.
Cleanliness of materials and space-
Disinfection: Cleaning and sanitizing protocols are in place throughout the building. We utilize EPA approved cleaners and follow protocols for Schools and Early Childhood settings. Protocols include (i) students and staff are reminded to wash hands frequently with soap and water, with regular hand washing incorporated into the schedule in each classroom throughout the day (ii) 60% alcohol- based hand sanitizers are available at entrances to the building, and in all classrooms (iii) disposable wipes or similar acceptable cleaners are available in all bathrooms, classrooms and other shared spaces for wiping down surfaces, and (iv) public spaces, corridors and additional classrooms not being used and bathrooms are cleaned in accordance with the State’s general guidelines for businesses.
Clean, sanitize, and disinfect railings, and frequently touched surfaces multiple times each day. This also includes bathroom fixtures and door knobs.
Clean playground equipment, climber and swings, between each class usage.
Keep individual class bins with class materials separated on playground. This would include sand toys. Toys would be cleaned with disinfectant wipes or disinfectant sprays and paper towels after each usage on a daily basis.
Keep each child’s belongings separated and in individually labeled storage containers.
Cleaning schedule-
The Play School will be cleaned on a daily basis by a professional cleaning service. This includes wiping down and sanitizing all surfaces; table tops, shelving units, light switches, railings. All bathroom fixtures, toilets and light switches. Full vacuuming of all floors, stairs and hallways, mopping of linoleum floors. Full cleaning of our multi- purpose Common Room, all surfaces, light switches, full mopping and vacuuming of floor. All trash receptacles are no-touch without lids.
Inventory of supplies-
The Preschool Director, Office Administrator, and a member from PRCC will serve as a team to purchase and keep a stock of supplies for the building. Hand sanitizing stations will be positioned at each entrance of the building, as well as pump bottles of 60% alcohol hand sanitizer being available in every classroom. Each classroom and bathroom will be stocked with disinfectant wipes, and/or disinfectant sprays and paper towels.
Deep cleaning of carpets-
Recent date of cleaning-August 13, 2020.
Ventilation of indoor classrooms-
Air conditioning units are installed in each classroom. Windows in all classrooms and hallways can be opened to the outdoors.