Our Coronavirus Strategy

Continuing to carry out our educational mission during this crisis will only be possible if everyone involved is confident that all appropriate measures are being taken to protect their health and well-being. Our staff and the parents of our students are well aware of our long-standing commitment to a clean and hygienic learning environment.

As we continue to monitor COVID-10, we will adhere to the following guidelines set forth by DECAL’s child services, the CDC, and the Department of Health: 

• We conduct temperature checks twice a day for anyone who enters the building. Any person with a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher will not be allowed in the building and should remain home for at least 48 hours.
• If your child is not feeling well for any reason, please refrain from sending him/her to school.
• Handmade cotton masks will be available for every staff member and student. Please notify the school as soon as possible when you plan to attend so a handmade cotton mask can be available for your child. Students and teachers may also wear a mask of their choice.
• Parents will be asked to refrain from entering the school in order to minimize the number of people in the building.
• We will have smaller class sizes with approximately 8 students (for ages 4 and under) or 15 students (for ages 5 and up).
• Students will nap in their classrooms instead of in one large nap room.
  • Napping students will be spread apart.
  • Nap linens are washed daily.
• Students will enjoy playground time with their class instead of in larger groups.
• Students will be released from their classrooms during carpool instead of congregating in the cafe.
  • We have a very streamlined, safe, and convenient pick-up process. Parents simply call ahead a few minutes before they arrive and their child will be waiting at the front door prepared to be dismissed with clean hands and all of their work and belongings.

It turns out the design of the school and the practices we have always had in place have made it easier for us to adapt to the social distancing guidelines. However, since the pandemic started, we have taken even greater precautions to further ensure everyone’s safety.

• Our school was built with multiple HVAC systems, rather than one centralized heating and cooling system. This greatly reduces the change of airborne germs traveling between classrooms.
• We have the ability to serve meals in our classrooms rather than in common areas.
• We follow strict hand washing and sanitation policies.
• We have deep cleaned and sanitized all classrooms, carpets, and common areas and continue to clean on an ongoing basis.
• We frequently (several times a day) clean the classrooms and all common areas.

To better educate ourselves, we have spent countless hours speaking with experts in fields ranging from finance to infectious disease to environmental cleaning.

We will continue to communicate regularly with the families of our students about our extensive coronavirus plan. To stay informed about the latest developments, we monitor the announcements and recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, child care licensing authorities, public health departments, and other state and local government bodies.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/CDC Links:

Children do not appear to be at high risk but can carry COVID-19
COVID-19 situation summary
Cleaning & disinfecting procedures
The importance of hand washing