2020-2021 COVID-19 CONTINUITY OF LEARNING PLAN Updated on October 2, 2020 (Changes in red)
Created by the BCA 2020-2021 School Re-Opening Task Force Consisting of BCA Administrators, Faculty Representatives, Bethel Ministry Leaders, BCA Parents, Facility Representatives, and Health Professionals
In consultation with the Association of Christian Schools International, several ACSI-MD school administrators, Bethel Ministries, Inc. legal counsel, and the input of many BCA parents
With ongoing review of Center for Disease Control (CDC) information and guidelines and guidance and resources provided by the Maryland State Health Department
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 From the Association of Christian Schools International (ASCI)
As the coronavirus sweeps across the country, unprecedented statewide school closures have transformed education in America. The massive and abrupt shift to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing private Christian schools to reexamine how they will maintain educational standards and community during this crisis. Christian schools have responded with tenacity, flexibility, and a great amount of faith. Teachers and administrators rapidly adapt as they grapple with the challenge of learning new technology, efficient curriculum delivery, and modified instructional methods to ensure that their students continue to receive a quality education and have a sense of community. Unsurprisingly, financial constraints are a serious challenge for Christian education during the pandemic. Many parents cannot make tuition payments due to unexpected layoffs and business closures, putting a strain on the already tight budgets of private Christian schools. Because 85% of ACSI member schools are church-sponsored education ministries, they are often blessed to have church support during tough financial times. Still, the next few weeks will present difficult financial decisions to school communities. Times of crisis often reveal what truly matters to us and what important changes should be made in our lives. Teaching children in the Christian tradition is not a mere profession, but a vocation from God. Those who are called to Christian education will continue with faith, doing all in their power to provide a quality education to children who deserve the loving, nurturing environment Christian education provides.
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THE BCA PLAN Bethel Christian Academy believes that students being at school learning and interacting with a teacher is the best way for them to gain the most from their education. We also recognize that families have different needs and desires regarding sending their students to school at this time.
BCA is putting protocols in place to
facilitate a positive and safe at-school experience to keep school open, while offering other options to provide as much parental choice as possible.
ENROLLMENT OPTIONS Currently 3 options are available: on campus, remote learning, and homeschooling. On campus learning 5 days per week for all grades Remote learning for only grades 5th – 8th. Registration required. Homeschool oversight for Preschool – 4th grade. However, no openings into this program are currently available. Registration and meeting with the administrator required. Basic oversight tuition - $2500/year Switching to another option than the initial choice may be possible within certain parameters but going back and forth between them is not permitted.
CLEANING & SANITATION Presented by Andrew Magill & Dr. Green
BUILDING CUSTODIAL MAINTENANCE Each building has a designated custodian whose primary duties are disinfecting and wiping frequently touched surfaces according to CDC guidelines, making sure bathroom supplies are replenished and that sanitization stations are filled. Teachers are responsible for ensuring that frequently touched surfaces in the Page 2
classrooms are wiped during the day, especially when individuals who are not a part of the class cohort visit the room, at lunch time and at the end of the day.
On the
weekends, a designated cleaner will provide cleaning of each room as an additional safety measure. The following items are available in each bulding: Sanitation Stations There will be sanitation stations throughout each building and in each classroom. Water Fountains Touchless water bottle filling stations are located on each floor of all buildings. Students and staff members are required to provide their own non-breakable water bottle. Signage throughout the buildings to remind students to maintain distance, wash their hands, etc. will be posted and maintained by the custodial staff.
HEALTH AND SAFETY Provided by Amanda Brenneman, R.N.
ADDENDUM TO REGULAR BCA HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC This addendum deals with the health and safety procedures specifically related to the COVID-19 pandemic. BCA will be in contact with the Howard County Health Department and will continue to follow the guidance of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Maryland State Health Department regarding actions BCA will need to take during the COVID-19 pandemic. Any significant changes required due to information from the above sources will be shared in a timely manner with BCA families. To help stop the spread of COVID-19, protocols and policies are put in place such as washing hands properly, wearing a face mask, physical distancing by keeping 6 feet Page 3
apart, and covering coughs and sneezes.
MASKING BCA will follow the guidance received from the CDC and the state health department stating that face coverings should be worn by all staff, students, and parents especially when physical distancing is not possible. Anyone entering the building must wear a mask, and parents are asked to have on a face covering when the BCA staff is assisting students getting in or out of the car. The purpose of masks in the school setting is to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 by having a simple barrier between people who do not live in the same household. Face coverings may include cloth masks, cloth masks with a clear insert, or disposable medical/surgical masks. They should cover the mouth and nose. They may have designs on them but should not be distracting or disruptive in the classroom. Face coverings that have a vent should not be worn as they do not prevent an infected person from spreading the virus to others. (https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/08/us/dukeuniversity-face-mask-test-trnd/index.html) Students and staff members should have at least one extra face covering in case the one they are wearing becomes soiled or wet. If needed, BCA will have a supply of masks available to replace masks that have been compromised. If a student’s covering or mask is soiled, it will be sent home in a Ziploc bag to be disposed of or washed by the parents. Student face coverings must have the student’s name labeled to ensure no cross-contamination. No person should put on a used covering from another person. It is recommended that students have a lanyard or some other means of keeping their masks on their person when not being used. They may be placed in Ziploc or brown paper bags with the student’s name on the outside. There will be designated times when a student or staff person may take off their coverings, such as naptime, outdoor teaching, lunch, and recess, all while physical distancing. Younger students may have more difficulty wearing a covering for an extended amount Page 4
of time. Education and gentle reminders will help assure the adherence of wearing a face covering in the building. Students who need help putting on a face covering may be assisted by an adult who is wearing gloves and washing hands before and after the application. Parents should train their student on how to properly put on and take off their mask.
TEMPERATURE SCREENING BCA asks that before students, parents, staff, and visitors come to any campus, that they prescreen themselves for symptoms of COVID-19, including taking their temperature. No person should come to any campus for school or work if they are sick. Parents and visitors may not come into the building unless prior arrangements have been made with an administrator. Temperature screenings will be held at the student’s car at different entrances at each campus before the student may disembark and enter the building. The Cox Building: At the front entrance – students in Grades 1 - 4 At the back of the building – students in Preschool – Kindergarten The Oakes Building: All students enter at the front entrance The screenings will be done by trained staff members. Non-contact thermometers will be used during the screenings to ensure no illness transmission. If an abnormal temperature was taken, the person will be directed to a location where they may wait 10 minutes outside the building to get rechecked. If a second abnormal temperature is taken, that person will have to abide by BCA’s COVID protocol of sick students and staff stated below. A second temperature screening will occur for students and staff during the middle of the day. No one with a temperature of 100.4 or higher will be allowed in the building or will Page 5
be isolated and sent home whether exhibiting symptoms or not. If a student has a fever with no other symptoms, he/she will be sent home until 24 hours being fever free unmedicated.
SICK STUDENTS AND STAFF An isolation room is designated at each campus for sick students or staff. This room will not be used for providing first aid, administering medications, or treating other well issues. Any sick person with ONE NEW symptom not meeting the following definition of COVID-19-like illness will be treated in the health room at each campus in line with the regular health and safety procedures set forth by BCA. BCA will follow the guidelines set forth by the CDC and the MD State Health Department for sending staff or students with COVID-19-like symptoms home. The CDC’s list of symptoms that may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus include but are not limited to cough, shortness of breath, fever or chills, fatigue, loss of sense of taste or smell, headache, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, and/or gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Therefore, a student or staff member will be considered to have COVID-19-like symptoms if they have a new onset cough or shortness of breath, OR at least 2 of the following symptoms: fever of 100.4 F or higher, chills, shivering, muscle pain, sore throat, headache, loss of taste or smell, or GI symptoms. The student will be isolated and monitored in the designated isolation area at the campus. The RN or MT will don the appropriate PPE and attend to the sick student. The parent will be called to pick the sick student up within 30 minutes. A staff member who becomes sick during the school day with COVID-19-like symptoms will be asked to leave the building. If they must wait to be picked up, they must remain in the isolation room until that time. Any student or staff member with a persistent cough or shortness of breath or who has a fever AND is exhibiting other COVID-like symptoms, should be tested for COVID-19 Page 6
and will not be allowed to be in school. If a COVID test is taken, the individual must stay home while the results are pending. If the test is positive, documentation should be provided to BCA so that records may be kept for the health department. If the person provides negative results from a COVID-19 test or they were seen by a doctor and given a specific alternative diagnosis or confirmation that their symptoms are related to a non-contagious condition, they may return to school once symptoms improve in accordance with regular BCA policy. Otherwise, they will be considered as potentially COVID-19 positive and must meet the same requirements as a confirmed case to return. If a confirmed case of COVID-19 occurs in a student or staff member, the building may be closed for a designated number of days for cleaning and sanitizing. That individual may not return for at least 10 days since symptoms first appeared AND until fever free without medication for 24 hours AND other symptoms have improved. Any close contacts, which could include a class cohort, will need to quarantine for 14 days. If an outbreak of COVID-19 cases occurs, a shutdown of a longer duration may be necessary in accordance with health department regulations. Children have been known to develop Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MISC-C). This syndrome presents as Kawasaki disease-like symptoms (such as prolonged fever and multi-organ involvement) in infected children with known exposure to COVID-19 or those that have tested positive for COVID-19. Those that are identified with MISC-C must be reported to the health department. Student exposure to COVID-19 outside of school could potentially bring the virus into the classroom. Therefore, if a student or staff member has been in close contact with someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19, they should self-quarantine for 14 days from date of exposure as directed by the health department. When notifying the school of a close contact exposure outside of BCA, the date of the exposure is to be provided.
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COVID-19 TESTING If an asymptomatic student or staff member gets tested for COVID-19 with positive results, they should provide documentation of the result to BCA so that records may be kept for the health department. No personal information will be given out. The individual will need to stay home for 10 days from a positive test. Positive test results reported to BCA will result in all close contacts being required to quarantine for 14 days from the date of last exposure to the COVID-positive person. Close contacts are any person that has been closer than 6 feet for more than 15 minutes of time with the infected person. Areas where the person was located will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.
DAILY ROUTINES Provided by the BCA Administration
ARRIVALS Once a student is temperature screened, he or she should proceed directly to his or her homeroom class. From there students will be provided an opportunity to access their lockers in a controlled fashion. Staff members will be in the hallways to encourage this procedure. Parents may not come into the building with the student.
LOCKER ACCESS Students will only visit their lockers as necessary during the school day and these times will be staggered to avoid groups of students congregating. Students should keep their own personal supplies in their locker, designated individual bin, or desk. Supplies should not be shared with classmates.
RESTROOM VISITS Restroom visits will be scheduled to avoid large groups of students waiting in the hallways. A limited number of students will be allowed in the restroom at one time, and Page 8
students will be monitored to encourage proper handwashing.
SNACKS & LUNCH Students in Preschool – Kindergarten will bring their own snacks, use their own sanitizer and napkins/utensils.
BCA will begin serving hot lunch on October 5.
Students at the Cox Building will continue to eat in their classrooms and hot lunch will be delivered to them. Students at the Oakes Building will have lunch in the lunchroom.
RECESS When weather permits, students will have outdoor recess in designated areas. Each class will have equipment assigned to them and the teacher will ensure that it is wiped down after recess each day. Face masks will not be required at outdoor recess and students will be monitored to encourage distancing.
Indoor recess will consist of
access to games or toys that can be cleaned after use.
DISMISSAL Students will be dismissed from the classrooms to the same doors at which they arrived.
EXTENDED CARE BCA has been providing morning and after-school care since the middle of September. Parents are asked to register their student(s) each week using the link provided in the weekly ‘What’s Brewing?” email. Currently, all student snacks are to be provided from home including drinks and utensils.
IN THE CLASSROOM Presented by the BCA Administration
PHYSICAL SETUP Each classroom has been configured with individual desks spaced apart rather than with tables or cooperative grouping. It is not possible to guarantee that students will be 6 ft. apart at all times within classrooms however. Page 9
CLASS COHORTS As recommended by the CDC, BCA is maintaining class cohorts to keep students in limited contact with other groups. This means the class will be “self-contained� as much as possible. Class sizes will not exceed 16 students, and at present are significantly smaller.
ACADEMICS BCA is committed to maintaining the integrity of its academic program. Students will receive instruction, complete assignments, and earn grades reflecting their mastery of knowledge and skills. Teachers will utilize a variety of online resources along with inclass materials, and students in 5th-8th grade will be provided with BCA Google accounts for use with Google Classroom. If school must close for any reason, instruction will immediately revert to distance learning so that no instruction time is lost. According to state law, students enrolled in on-campus classes will be marked absent if they are not in school. BCA policies for make-up work will apply. There will be no field trips during the first quarter of school.
SPECIALS & ELECTIVES CLASSES Specials and elective classes are important aspects of the BCA educational program and will be conducted and graded according to school policy. Some classes will be conducted in the classrooms, and the students will leave the room to attend others such as PE and computer. At the middle school, elective classes will be limited and conducted in grade level groupings. Families whose students are currently learning from home are responsible to provide their own PE, Art, and Music instruction. Computer instruction is being provided for 5th-8th grade remote students, but no computer class is currently being provided for students in grades K-4th. The library is currently not open for book checkouts.
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SPIRITUAL FORMATION Presented by Pastor David Egan & Pastor Mandy Monson
COX BUILDING CHAPEL PreK –4th Grade Chapel experiences are being conducted remotely. The Chapel sessions include worship, Bible lessons, and prayer. .
OAKES BUILDING CHAPEL 5th - Middle School Chapel experiences are also being conducted remotely. Student of the Month awards will be acknowledged in each of the Chapel sessions on the first Wednesday of the month.
SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES Bethel Ministries has a subscription to RightNow Media (a streaming Christian video library) that is free for all BCA faculty, staff, and families. RightNow Media has everything from Bible-based cartoons for children, Bible Studies for teens, and parenting, marriage, and mental health resources for adults. A link to this resource was included in the “What’s Brewing?” email.
HEALTH & SAFETY WAIVER Bethel Christian Academy (BCA) is hereby providing notice that it currently intends to open its educational program with on-campus instruction for the 2020-2021 school year. All BCA parents are to sign the Health & Safety Waiver prior to their student(s) beginning school. I understand that BCA cannot protect my student and/or me from risks which may be Page 11
encountered because of my child attending BCA. I realize there are natural, mechanical, and environmental conditions and hazards which independently or in combination with any activities engaged in while participating in a school program may result in the exposure to certain risks. These include exposure to COVID-19 or other biological agents, viruses or bacteriological agents, and the risk of being quarantined, contracting illness that may result in the need for medical care, hospitalization, or death. I hereby state that I, on behalf of my student and myself, am an adult, over the age of 18, and legally competent to sign this form. I understand these inherent risks and dangers involved with participation in the school providing its educational program and acknowledge the existence of risks which are not obvious or predictable, and hereby intend this release to extend to injury or loss which results from both obvious or predictable risks, as well as risks that are unpredictable and not obvious and to extend to myself and my student, as applicable. In consideration of myself and my student participating in BCA’s educational program, I and any legal representatives, heirs and assigns, hereby release, waive, and discharge BCA, its officers, directors, employees, agents, and representatives from any and all liability for any and all loss or damage, and any claim or damages resulting therefrom, on account of any injury, illness or exposure to and/or contracting the COVID-19 or other biological agents, viruses or bacteriological agents by me or my student’s attendance at and participation in BCA’s educational program, including any medical expenses, injury, and/or death. I agree to indemnify BCA, its officers, directors, employees, agents, and representatives from any loss, liability, damage, or cost that may be incurred due to my student’s participation in the aforementioned program, whether caused by negligence of BCA, or otherwise. I fully understand, on my own behalf and on behalf of my student the risks associated with the participation and assume any risk associated therewith. This notice, release and indemnity agreement contains the entire agreement between Page 12
and among the parties hereto, and the terms of this release are contractual and not a mere recital. The parties to this agreement hereby agree that the interpretation and enforceability of this release shall be governed by the laws of the State of Maryland. I expressly agree that this release, waiver, and indemnity agreement is intended to be as broad and inclusive as permitted by applicable laws, and that if any portion thereof is held invalid, it is agreed that the balance shall, notwithstanding, continue in full legal force and effect. I understand that by signing this agreement I am giving up on behalf of my student and myself certain legal rights and remedies including the right for my student and/or myself to recover damages in the event of death, personal and/or bodily injury of any kind, property loss or damage, expenses of any nature whatsoever including attorney's fees, and other losses that my student or that I may sustain in association with my student’s participation in BCA’s educational program.
I/WE HAVE CAREFULLY READ THE FOREGOING RELEASE AND KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THE CONTENTS THEREOF. I/WE SIGN THIS RELEASE VOLUNTARILY AS MY/OUR OWN FREE ACT WITH FULL KNOWLEDGE OF ITS SIGNIFICANCE, INTENDING TO BE LEGALLY BOUND THEREBY.
Parent(s)/Guardian(s) Name(s) ___________________________________________ Please Print Name(s) of Students ____________________________________________________
Signature(s)_______________________________________Date_________________
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