Health & Safety Protocols

We have developed an extensive set of guidelines, protocols, policies, and practices  we all must follow in order to support the health and safety of our students and staffulty, as well as to be in compliance with state and county regulations and mandates.

The Covid-19 pandemic is complex and constantly changing. There is no one individual practice that can ensure the health and safety of our community. However, when we utilize all of the best practices at once, we create many layers of protection to our community. Below is an overview of our health and safety practices.

Please also review the Return to Campus Guidebook and our Covid-19 Testing page for even more detail.

Cohorts

A cohort is a stable group of no more than 16 individuals (including adults/teachers) in a supervised environment. The group stays together for all activities, including meals and recreation. This group avoids contact with anyone not in their group.

A fixed cohort model:

• Decreases opportunities for exposure to or transmission of the virus
• Facilitates more efficient contact tracing in the event of a positive case
• Allows for targeted testing, quarantine, and isolation of a single group instead of an entire population of kids and supervising adults
• Small cohorts enable supervising adults to more easily monitor compliance with mask-wearing, physical distancing, and other health and safety protocols

During the Purple Tier, students will be placed in one fixed cohort per in-person Friday. Students may also participate in one fixed cohort for an extracurricular activity. 

Covid-19 Testing

All community members will be required to provide evidence of a negative Covid-19 taken within 72 hours prior to arrival on campus. We will provide frequent testing via a self-swab saliva test analyzed by our third-party testing provider. Please review our Covid-19 Testing page for more detail.

Health Screening

All students and staffulty must perform a symptom self-check prior to coming to campus. Upon arrival on campus, students and staffulty will follow arrival check-in procedures, which include having their temperatures taken.

Wear a Mask!

The virus that causes Covid-19 spreads in droplets that are exhaled by someone who has the virus. Protective equipment—such as face coverings, gloves, and plastic barriers—helps prevent the spread of Covid-19 by limiting the flow of these droplets. Students and staffulty are required to use face coverings on campus, unless contraindicated, to reduce the chances of exposing each other to this virus.

In general, everyone must wear a mask at all times while on campus. 
Anyone who forgets to bring a mask with them will be given one upon arrival on campus.

• Wear masks with two or more layers to stop the spread of Covid-19
• Wear the mask over your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin; make sure your mask fits snugly against the sides of your face
• Do NOT wear masks intended for healthcare workers, for example, N95 respirators

Exemptions: If mask-wearing endangers a person’s health or safety, an exemption may be requested in advance of arrival on campus. 

In the event of a mask exemption, you will be required to wear a face shield with drape. We will provide one of these per individual. It will be your responsibility to maintain the cleanliness and good condition of this PPE. If you break or lose it, you will be responsible for purchasing additional face shields and ensuring you have one when you come to campus.

You will not be allowed to come on campus and participate in activities if you do not have the face shield/drape with you.

6 Feet of Distance

A distance of six (6) feet must be maintained between individuals at all times. This will be emphasized and supported by the placement of furniture in classrooms, markings on the ground (for waiting in lines), and signage around campus.

• No congregating is allowed, including during arrival and departure in the parking lot and during passing times between classes
• Dismissal from class or on-campus activities will be on a staggered schedule, with students exiting singly and in a socially distant manner
• Directional signs will be posted to establish safe campus navigation
• Entry and exit doors are clearly marked and need to be used accordingly
• Elevators are available for single use only
• Community members are required to comply with all protocols and posted signage, including specified entry and exit doors, campus movement routes, and cohort boundaries.

Wash Your Hands!

Increased hygiene practices are the new norm.

Students and staffulty should wash their hands frequently throughout the day, including before and after eating; after coughing or sneezing; after classes where they handle shared items, such as outside recreation, art, or shop; and before and after using the restroom.

In addition to classroom and restroom sinks, outdoor hand-washing stations are available throughout the campus and students are encouraged to wash their hands whenever they are moving from one class/activity/space to another.

Hand sanitizer is available on stands outside each classroom and near offices in all buildings. All rooms are equipped with bottles of hand sanitizer.

There will be hand washing or hand sanitation stations outside every classroom and building entry point. 

Increased Cleaning Protocols

Cleaning & Disinfection: During the School Day

• All spaces and furniture will begin the day in a clean, disinfected state
• All classrooms are equipped with spray bottles of disinfectant, paper towels, waste containers, and plastic gloves
• Students are encouraged to clean their desks using available materials when they arrive in a new space or return to a previous space after a lunch or other break

Cleaning & Disinfection: Overnight

• All individual classrooms, shared spaces, and outdoor furniture will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected every evening
• We partner with Select Building Services for custodial support. Their cleaning protocols are customized by a healthcare professional and they have established a cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention program to minimize risks associated with infectious agents such as Covid-19
• We will use electrostatic sprayers as a key component in ensuring a clean and safe environment.

Air Filtration

We have upgraded all HVAC filters to MERV 13, which is the same filter used for general surgery and hospital inpatient care areas. The MERV 13 filter is able to filter down to 0.3-1.0 micron particle size, including mold spores, legionella, bacteria, sneeze nuclei, and more.

As air moves through our buildings’ HVAC systems, air filters trap and collect large and small particles such as dust, allergens and microorganisms. This filtration helps provide healthier indoor air quality and is captured in a MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) number. MERV ratings range from 1 to 20. Regular commercial HVAC units are
generally not designed to handle anything higher than MERV 13 filters

Outdoor Classrooms

We are creating more outdoor classroom spaces so that teachers will have the option to move their classes outdoors when it makes sense. Outside spaces are available as extended classrooms through the use of shaded areas already part of the building or through the addition of tents.

Single Use Restrooms

All restrooms will be single use only. Exterior door signage indicates if space is occupied or vacant. Users should check the sign and enter when the sign says “Vacant” moving the sign to “Occupied” to ensure single use. Upon departing, the sign should be returned to the “Vacant” setting.

Water

Water fountains are not available. Touch-free bottle fillers are available and community members need to bring their own water containers.