Reopening Safety Plan Fall 2020
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Reopening Safety Plan Fall 2020 Submitted to the New York State Department of Health July 31, 2020 The Caedmon School 416 East 80th St. New York, New York 10075 Matthew Stuart Head of School [email protected] Simon Prosser Director of Finance Designated Human Resources Representative [email protected] INTRODUCTION The Caedmon School is a Montessori Preschool and Montessori-inspired Elementary School located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. As of July 31, 2020, we have 174 children enrolled for the 2020-2021 school year, and employ 58 faculty and staff members. Our school is divided into two divisions. Our Early Childhood program (ages 2-6) includes our Young Beginners, Beginners, Early Program, and Kindergarten classes, and our Elementary program includes students in grades 1-5. Preparation of the Plan The Caedmon School’s Reopening Plan is a collaborative report from administrators, staff, members of the Board of Trustees, parents and medical professionals, and was developed under the guidance of the New York State and New York City Departments of Health, the New York State Department of Education, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), and the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS). REOPENING Protocols and procedures for restarting school operations including students, faculty, and staff returning to in-person instruction Capacity The Caedmon School facility consists of 33,000 square feet of indoor space. The building has been evaluated to determine the amount of classroom and office capacity and the number of persons that can be accommodated based on 6 feet of distancing. At the time of this report, a return to in-person instruction on a distancing basis for 174 enrolled students and 58 employed faculty and staff members can be accomplished. Appropriate distancing will be enforced, as appropriate to age groups, and sufficient PPE will be required and available. A phase-in schedule for students to return to school is currently being developed and will be implemented based on factors such as the age of students and the ability to maintain appropriate distancing. Social or Physical Distancing We have developed protocols and procedures for students, faculty, and staff to ensure appropriate distancing throughout our school facilities. To the extent possible, all individuals of appropriate age will observe appropriate distancing of 6 feet of space in all directions between individuals. Signs will be installed throughout the school reminding individuals of distancing requirements, and hallways will be marked appropriately to indicate one-way directionality. The Caedmon School has two stairwells, one which has been marked the UP stairwell, and the other as the DOWN stairwell. We also have two separate entrances, a main entrance and a back courtyard entrance, and are working on a schedule to both designate entrances by grade/division, and to stagger arrival and dismissal times for students, faculty and staff. Classrooms have been reconfigured to allow for at least 6 feet between desks for individual Cohorts of elementary students, and early childhood students will be divided into distinct Pods, and given appropriate distance for work space within their Pods. There will be restricted access to communal spaces within the schoolhouse. 2 PPE and Face Coverings Students Students in preschool through Fifth grade will be required to wear a face mask throughout the day that appropriately covers the nose and the mouth. It is strongly encouraged that students in our Young Beginners class (2 years old) wear them as well. Students will be allowed to remove their face masks for short breaks during the day, such as snack time and lunch time. We are also exploring individual screens for desks to enable other short mask breaks throughout the day. Any student who does not arrive at school with an appropriate face covering will be provided with a disposable paper face covering to wear for the day. Faculty, Staff and Other Individuals Caedmon Faculty, Staff, and other individuals are required to wear an appropriate face covering at all times while in the school building. The school will be providing washable Caedmon face masks, and disposable paper face masks will also be available on request. Face coverings may be removed: • During meal times • When an individual is the sole occupant of an office or space that is not accessible by other individuals. Operational Activity As stated, The Caedmon School will be reconfigured to promote the health and safety of all individuals by reducing the number of students and individuals in classrooms and other areas of the school. Classroom schedules have also been adjusted to allow for fewer transitions. Cohorts and Pods Students will be assigned to Cohorts or Pods, depending on age/grade level, in order to reduce class size and limit interaction with other students. Elementary Cohorts and Early Childhood Pods will be groups of students who will not intermingle or interact with students from other Cohorts/Pods. Cohort and Pod assignments will not change during this time, although if additional children enroll, they will be added to a Cohort or Pod. Preschool Pods will include 7 to 13 young students and 1 or 2 teachers. (The two-year-olds will have 7 children and 2 teachers). Elementary Cohorts will include 7 to 15 students. Nine Cohorts of no more than 11 students will have 1 teacher; two Cohorts with 12 or more children will have 2 teachers. Specialist teachers (music, art, science, language, movement, etc.) and administrators will be scheduled to provide breaks and planning times for the Pod and Cohort homeroom teachers. To minimize intermingling, each Specialist/administrator will be assigned to no more than two Pods or Cohorts. To further minimize exposure to various groups, Specialist teachers will teach virtually, with lessons streaming into the classrooms and displayed on smart boards or individual devices. These classes will originate from various offices in the school, the Art Studio and the Dining Hall. Pods and Cohorts will be located in the classrooms assigned to their grade levels. Because of the size of some Cohorts, the grade will be divided into two groups. Additional spaces in the school are being utilized 3 for the overflow (Toddlers in the Music Room, Third grade in the Science Lab, Fourth grade in the Library, and Fifth grade in the Gym). Visitors Visitor access to the building will be extremely limited, and visits from essential vendors will be minimized to the greatest extent possible. All outside individuals who need to enter the building will be subject to the same health screening as required of students and staff, and will have their temperature taken prior to entrance. Face masks and distancing will be required for the duration of the visit. Field Trips Field trips have been suspended. Community Events In-person community events have been suspended. Faculty Meetings and Faculty Town Halls All faculty gatherings will take place over ZOOM. Restart Operations The Caedmon School remained closed during quarantine, and a COVID-19-level cleaning has been performed throughout the building. We employ a dedicated cleaning staff, who fully disinfect the building every night, and all building systems are constantly being monitored with any and all appropriate maintenance being performed prior to re-opening. The majority of classrooms and offices at The Caedmon School use single-room air conditioners and have access to fresh air/open windows. The main Lobby has a central air conditioning unit, and has been upgraded to use MERV-13 filters. Hygiene, Cleaning & Disinfection The Caedmon School will adhere to and promote hygiene, cleaning, and disinfection protocols as set forth by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Our school nurses will provide instruction on when and how to wash hands, as well as proper respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette. Students and faculty and staff will wash their hands at the start and end of the school day, prior to entering their classroom each time, before and after eating, after toileting, and frequently throughout the school day. Signage will be posted throughout the school to enforce proper hand washing protocols. Disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer stations will be available in every room/office, and hand sanitizing dispensers have been placed throughout the school. Routine Cleaning Routine cleaning is the general practice for The Caedmon School in order to maintain a safe and healthy environment. In addition to the nightly disinfection of the entire school, high touch surfaces and restrooms will be disinfected by our maintenance staff regularly throughout the day, and teachers will regularly wipe down high touch areas of the classroom with disinfectant wipes. Any space that will need to be used by multiple children will be fully disinfected between use, including our outdoor courtyard, which 4 will be disinfected after each change of Pod or Cohort using Clorox 360 electrostatic sprayer or equivalent. Extracurriculars At this time, The Caedmon After School and Music School Program will be virtual only. Before and After Care We are in the process of exploring how we can best offer an Extended Day program for families needing after school care, in accordance with DOH guidelines and safety measures. Vulnerable Populations Policy Regarding Vulnerable Students, Faculty & Staff The Caedmon School complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act (ADAAA) and accordingly will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability so that they can perform the essential functions of their job. We are also exploring ways to work with members of the faculty and staff with respect to their individual circumstances if they are concerned about returning to an in-person educational environment. Students who are defined as vulnerable individuals or who have immediate family members who fall into this category will be accommodated, as possible, for remote learning, in consultation with Caedmon’s Academic Leadership Team and Learning Specialists.