COVID-19 Policies & Procedures
These policies will be followed to the extent possible and will be adjusted as new information and guidelines become available.
Overview
As parents, we all share the same concern for our children’s health and well being. I am grateful that our small community is on the same page as far as quarantining, mask wearing & social distancing.
As a parent and teacher, I am finding comfort in knowing that together we can continue to keep our small community safe in this upcoming year.
Please know that the safety of our students and families is our biggest priority. The policies outlined below are designed to support and protect the children’s physical health and emotional wellbeing. After this massive shift in their world, I appreciate how important it is to provide a sense of familiarity, trust, and safety in our school. I truly believe we are uniquely situated to provide an environment where children can connect, play, create, and feel carefree...while also minimizing (though not eliminating) the risk of illness transmission. Because our environment will allow children to interact normally with one another, everyone involved, especially parents and teachers, must be aware that their actions play a critical role in reducing infectious disease transmission in our school community. We will all need to work together to reduce transmission among our group in order to keep our school operating so that our children may continue to have this special space to be with one another.
Masks/Face coverings
Masks are, understandably, a big question for everyone...and for different reasons. Will my child be safe if masks are not worn? Will my child still feel the world is a safe place if they see loved ones wearing them? This is the new world they will live in for a while and we have an opportunity to take charge of the story.
Parents and teachers will wear masks at drop off and pick up times. You may remove it for hellos and goodbyes, of course, so long as you're able to maintain 6 feet of distance from others.
Once we are in the yard together, children & teachers will not generally wear masks (unless if feels necessary).
If children have questions/concerns about masks, we will support them with a positive narrative that looks something like this: “Masks help slow germs from spreading. Grown ups wear masks sometimes to help keep kids and other grown ups healthy. We wear them to say ‘I care about you.’*** It’s okay to be with your school friends without a mask. We won’t wear masks forever; it’s just for now.”
***This part is important to me. I want them to have an association of love and kindness.
Drop off/Pick up
-Parents will drop off at the side gate of Bloom.
-Please drop children off between 8:30a.m. and 8:45 am., if you are running late, please text Mary.
-If I am not at the gate already, you open the gate and help your child in. If their backpack is too heavy for them to carry you can drop it inside the gate & I will help them carry it in.
-Parents are asked not to enter the backyard or house or move beyond the designated drop off area unless absolutely necessary.
-Parents are asked to maintain at least 6 feet of distance from other parents and children.
-Children will wash hands immediately upon entering.
-Please sign your child in on the clipboard hanging on the fence.
-If your child needs extra time before separating and you decide to take some extra time in the front yard together, you are welcome to text me again when your child is ready to enter Bloom.
-On rainy days we will do drop-off & pick-up at the yurt door. When you come to drop-off or pick-up your child please do your best to space out your entry/exits. If you see someone else bringing a child in or picking a child up please wait in your car until they come back out to their car before coming in yourself.
Health Screening & Illness Policies
-Parents should notify school if anyone in their household develops fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell.
-Parents should notify school if anyone in the household or other close contact is positively diagnosed with COVID-19.
-I will keep the group informed of relevant symptoms within our school group (while maintaining confidentiality, of course).
-If you have family members who are sick at home, have been around anyone who has been ill, have been in environments with potential for high exposure to COVID, please keep your preschool student at home
-The health factors described below are in addition to our usual rules, outlined in our Parent Handbook.
Health Screenings
-In lieu of conducting temperature checks upon arrival at school, parents are required to take their child's temperature before school daily. We may also check temperatures throughout the school day.
*If your child has a fever, cough, GI symptoms, rash, and/or any other COVID symptom we ask that you make contact with your doctor before your child returns to Bloom. Your medical professional will help to determine if your child needs a test or not. We will need your doctor's recommendation in writing.
*If a child could not attend school due to an illness with Covid-related symptoms, a doctor's note or a negative Covid test is required before returning to school
*Always adhere to and practice the CDC guidelines for healthy habits
- A child with any of the following symptoms should stay home (or will be sent home) from school:
Cough
Persistent runny nose (see note about allergies further down)
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Sore throat
Chills
Loss of taste or smell
Diarrhea
GI symptoms
Rash
Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 99.7 degrees Fahrenheit
Repeated shaking with chills
Muscle pain
Headache
Known close contact with a person who is lab- confirmed to have COVID-19
Any person who meets one of the following criteria will not be permitted to enter:
Contact in the last 14 days with someone who has a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19
A person are under investigation for COVID-19
A person who is ill with a respiratory illness
International travel within the last 14 days to countries with ongoing community transmission. For updated information on affected countries visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/map-and-travel-notices.html
Conditions for returning to school:
In the case of an individual who was diagnosed with COVID-19, the individual may return to school when all three of the following criteria are met: at least 3 days (72 hours) have passed since recovery (resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications); and the individual has improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared; or
In the case of an individual who has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and does not get evaluated by a medical professional or tested for COVID-19, the individual is assumed to have COVID-19, and the individual may not return to school until the individual has completed the same three-step criteria listed above; or
If the individual has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and wants to return to school before completing the above self-isolation period, the individual must obtain a medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on an alternative diagnosis.
In the case of an individual with known close contact to a person with lab confirmed COVID-19, they may return to school after a 14 day quarantine from the last date of exposure.
-Seasonal Allergies: Parent should provide a doctor’s note confirming child has known seasonal allergies. Parent should notify teacher at drop off each day if symptoms are present. Without this note, child will be sent home if any signs of illness appear.
-Should a child fall ill at school, they will be given a mask and provided a separate area to rest until picked up.
-If a child or staff member at Bloom has been diagnosed with COVID19, the school as a whole may be subject to quarantine of up to 14 days or more.
FREE PUBLIC COVID TESTING AVAILABLE through Austin Public Health:
http://www.austintexas.gov/covid19
This link also includes local COVID statistics, updated daily.
Cleaning & Sanitizing
We have a hand-washing stations set up outside. Children wash their hands with Dr Bronner’s soap.
We use the Force of Nature cleaner/disinfectant to clean and disinfect surfaces, toys, etc.
Schedule & Group Changes
We have 8 children enrolled daily. Our operating hours are 8:30-2:30.
- Our program will predominantly be in our backyard. We will use our yurt as a space to escape the how or cold weather or for nap & quiet times. We will have a HEPA air purifier in the yurt.
- We will use the outdoor potty & hand-washing stations.
- If it is raining . . . We will play in the rain :)
Please send children with a hooded rain jacket, rain pants & rain boots.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
-Parents will check your child's temperature before coming to school each day.
-Parents will apply sunscreen and insect repellent before coming to school if they want their children to use it. (I'll reapply midday or as-needed). We use this natural bug spray and this sunscreen. If you have a sunscreen or bug spray you prefer your child to use while at school please send a labeled bottle that we will keep here. Our yard is very shaded - if you don’t feel the need to put sunscreen on your child, you don’t need to.
We don’t have a bug service this summer, but are using Spartan & it has felt pretty affective.
-Parents will strictly follow "when to stay home" policies
-If you travel and use public transportation, please follow the CDC travel requirements upon return.
-If child is not acting like their normal self, parents will strongly consider keeping them home for monitoring.
-Parents will keep a 6 foot distance at drop off and pick up
-Parents will bring to share one package of natural/unscented wipes, one box of bandaids and one box of tissues.
-Parents will stock child's daily pack with:
water + lunchbox (be sure to add ice packs to keep lunches cool)
2 sets of extra clothes
swimsuit for warm weather days
hooded rain jacket on rainy days & rain boots
wet bag for swim suit/wet clothes
child sized mask
- Parents will notify school immediately if fever or other COVID-19 symptoms or diagnoses develop outside of school hours.
-Parents will review the "Checklist for Childcare Families" provided by State Licensing
If COVID is diagnosed in our school or local transmission increases significantly, the school may close again at my discretion or at the direction of the local health authorities or the governor. I suggest we choose our language carefully with the children about returning to school. "We get to play and see friends at school this week" as opposed to "School is open and everything is normal again".
-Collectively, each of our efforts in and out of school will reduce risk of transmission between the children. Families are strongly encouraged to "stay on the same page" together by following the Austin Public Health Risk-based guidelines for social distancing. https://www.austintexas.gov/page/covid-19-risk-based-guidelines Though indicators for this system are still being evaluated, it is intended to inform us of local risk, particularly with an eye on preventing overtaxing our healthcare system and limiting exposure to our most vulnerable citizens as we begin to resume activity in the community.
At Bloom, we believe in the power of agreements and believe in the power of community; with this uncertain year ahead, our hope is our small community will work together to keep each other and our children safe and healthy. This year more than ever, each family's choices outside of school may potentially affect the larger group.
Our hope is that the basic guidelines of social distancing and mask wearing outside of school hours will help keep us all safe & healthy.
And now, to lighten the mood...
COVID-19 POLICIES & PROCEDURES AGREEMENT FORM