Health and Safety Protocol Guidelines - Fontbonne Hall ...
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
2021 - 2022 HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES Health and Safety Protocol Guidelines During the 2021-2022 school year, it is our hope that these guidelines will allow us to ensure the safety of our students, faculty and staff, as we maximize the in-person learning experience. The guidelines are based on the New York State Education Department Health and Safety Guide for the 2021-2022 School Year and on The CDC’s Guidance for COVID Prevention in K-12 Schools. The CDC guidance identifies multiple prevention strategies in a layered approach. These strategies include but are not limited to: • Promoting vaccination • Consistent and correct use of masks • Physical distancing • Screening tests to quickly identify cases • Improved ventilation • Proper hand washing and respiratory etiquette • Staying home when sick and getting tested • Contact tracing in combination with quarantine/isolation • Routine cleaning and disinfection 1 FONTBONNE HALL — 2021 -2022 HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES
1. COVID-19 VACCINATION The CDC states that, “vaccination is the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Promoting vaccination can help schools safely return to in-person learning as well as extracurricular activities and sports.” In alignment with the CDC, Fontbonne will be maintaining documentation of students’ and workers’ COVID-19 vaccination status and will use this information, consistent with applicable laws and regulations, to inform prevention strategies, testing requirements, contact tracing efforts, and quarantine and isolation practices. 2. MASKS Due to the emerging evidence that demonstrates that the Delta variant of COVID-19, currently the predominant strain in the United States, is more infectious and has led to increased transmissibility when compared to other variants, the CDC has recently updated its guidance on mask wearing even in vaccinated individuals. Fontbonne will align with the recommendations of the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics and require universal indoor masking for all students, teachers, staff and visitors, regardless of vaccination status or community transmission. Additionally, passengers and school bus drivers must wear masks on school buses, and all individuals attending indoor school events and athletic events must wear masks. 3. PHYSICAL DISTANCING The CDC recommends that schools maintain 3 feet of physical distance between students in classrooms. A distance of 6 feet is recommended between students and teachers/staff, and between teachers/staff who are not fully vaccinated. The CDC states that permitting large groups of students to eat in the cafeteria should be based on community transmission rates. Schools should maximize physical distance between students as much as possible when students are moving through the food service line and while eating. We will be using outdoor seating to facilitate distancing during lunch for as long as the weather permits. Physical distancing is not required on school buses. 2
4. SPORTS & EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES The CDC states the following: • Due to increased exhalation that occurs during physical activity, some sports can put students and coaches at increased risk. • Close contact sports and indoor sports are particularly risky. • Similar risks might exist for other extracurricular activities such as band, choir, theater, and school clubs that meet indoors. • At a minimum, students and adults should follow the same school-day policies and procedures during athletic and extracurricular activities. • High risk sports and extracurricular activities should be virtual or canceled in areas of high community transmission unless all participants are fully vaccinated. • Schools are strongly encouraged to require COVID-19 screening tests for student athletes, students participating in extracurricular activities or other activities with elevated risk, and adults who are not fully vaccinated. A final decision on this policy will be made after consultation with the BQCHSAA. 5. HANDWASHING/RESPIRATORY ETIQUETTE/STAYING HOME WHEN FEELING SICK The CDC provides the following guidelines with respect to handwashing, respiratory etiquette and steps to take when feeling sick: • Covering coughs and sneezes can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases • Hands should be washed frequently, with soap and water, and for at least 20 seconds • When hand washing is not available, using hand sanitizer, which will be available throughout the campus, should be used • Students and school personnel should stay home if they are showing signs and symptoms of infectious illness, including COVID-19, and get tested • Parents and guardians are encouraged to screen for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 before sending their child to school each day • Everyone in the school community is encouraged to get tested when symptoms are compatible with COVID-19 6. ISOLATION & QUARANTINE The CDC recommends that school leaders should, to the extent allowable by applicable privacy laws, report new diagnoses of COVID-19 to their local health department as soon as they are informed. School leaders also should, to the extent allowable, notify the teachers, staff, and families of students who were close contacts as soon as possible after they are notified that someone in the school has tested positive (within the same day if possible). 3 FONTBONNE HALL — 2021 -2022 HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES
The CDC defines a “close contact” in the following manner: Someone who was within 6 ft of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. • Exception: In the K–12 indoor classroom setting, the close contact definition excludes students who were within 3 to 6 feet of an infected student if both the infected student and the exposed student(s) correctly and consistently wore well-fitting masks the entire time. This exception does not apply to teachers, staff, or other adults in the indoor setting. After close contact with an infected individual, Fully vaccinated individuals do NOT need to quarantine unless they have symptoms. However, they should get tested 3 to 5 days after exposure, even if they do not have symptoms, and wear a mask indoors in public for 14 days following exposure or until their test result is negative. Unvaccinated individuals MUST quarantine for 10 days without testing or for 7 days if a negative COVID test is received on Day 5 or later. 7. FACILITIES We will continue to take the following steps to keep our facilities as safe as possible: • Improve ventilation by keeping windows open, whenever possible, and using the portable air filtration machines located in each classroom • Encouraging our bus company to keep windows on buses open during transport • Thorough cleaning of the campus at least once a day with EPA approved disinfectants • In the event of a positive case, a thorough and deep cleaning within 24 hours of the event 8. REMOTE INSTRUCTION Our goal is to remain open for in-person instruction throughout this school year. However, please be assured that in the event of a national declared public health emergency, a state or city health emergency, or a high number of positive cases within our school community, our faculty will be prepared to immediately pivot to a fully-remote learning model. Please note: These guidelines will be monitored and are subject to change based on rates of transmission, and as city and state guidance continues to evolve. 4 FONTBONNE HALL — 2021 -2022 HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES
You can also read