COVID Policies

After a careful review of our enrollment numbers, we are confident that we can accommodate 50% of our enrollment on the Upper School campus. All members of the school community will be socially distant and required to wear a mask. Upper School students will be divided into two cohorts, one on campus for five days and the other learning from home. The second cohort will then be in-seat for five days while the first cohort remains at home. All students at home will attend classes synchronously with their classmates on campus. The following operational policies have been put in place to ensure the health and safety of all members of our community:

PRE-ARRIVAL

Prior to their arrival, parents will complete a questionnaire asserting their son is physically well and exhibiting no signs of illness, especially those symptoms associated with COVID-19. Each parent will be asked to validate that his/her son’s temperature is below 100 degrees. Trained staff, with proper PPE, will be present at the student entrance with infrared thermometers available to scan students as they enter the building. Students who exhibit any symptom will be sent to the nurse’s office and if necessary, placed in a quarantined area and their parents contacted to come and take their son home. Similarly, any student who shows any symptom of COVID-19 will be quarantined, his parents summoned, and he will be taken home.

PLEASE NOTE * -In an effort to keep all members of our school community safe and healthy, parents bear the responsibility of verifying that their son is COVID-19 symptom free every day. If you know that your son suffers from seasonal allergies, please provide the school with written documentation from your doctor or other medical professional detailing the symptoms of the allergy. You must contact the health office with current information prior to the start of the academic year.

ARRIVAL ON CAMPUS

Students may arrive on campus at 7:30 AM. All students must enter at the Front Portico entrance and will see a staff member to ensure they have completed the health questionnaire. If a student has not completed the daily health questionnaire, he will need to complete the form with a member of the Iona Prep staff prior to scanning in for the day. Students will be able to register each day for their scan with their student ID and/or a daily QR code on their smart device. After students have finished their daily temperature scan, they will report to a designated area which includes our cafeteria, student lobby and gymnasium(s). Staff members will stagger sending students to their lockers and all students need to practice physical distance before the start of homeroom at 8:30 AM.

Students who arrive after 8:30 AM must report to the Main Office entrance. Students who are late must follow the same protocols in terms of a completed health questionnaire and temperature scan. They must also see Mrs. Schutte, who will be located in the Main Office, for a late pass. All students who arrive after 8:30 AM must have a written note or a phone call into Mrs. Schutte.

The following questions will be included in the daily health questionnaire form to be completed by all students:

Basic Questions Yes No

Have you been tested for COVID-19 since your last day of school/work?

Have you tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days?

Have you knowingly been in close or proximate contact in the past 14 days with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or who has or had symptoms of COVID-19?

Have you traveled outside of NYS in the past 14 days? (if yes, students will contact the Dean of Students of the Upper School)

PLEASE NOTE *: According to NYS Executive Order205 (06/24/20), you may be required to quarantine for 14 days upon return to NYS. (Restrictions are subject to change). International travel requires a 14-day quarantine period.

In addition to the “Basic Questions” seen above, students may have to answer a brief symptom checker assessment form that will display the following:

Instructions: Since your last day of school, or last visit here (within the past 14 days), have you had any of these symptoms that are not attributed to another condition?

Symptoms

Fever (temp ≥ 100 F) or Chills

Cough

Shortness of Breath or difficulty breathing

Fatigue

Muscle of Body Aches

Headache

New loss of taste or smell

Sore throat

Congestion or runny nose

Nausea or vomiting

Diarrhea

Yes No

Social Distancing –will be maintained wherever and whenever possible, including classrooms, cafeteria, gymnasiums, hallways, etc.

PPE and Face Coverings-All members of the staff will wear appropriate face coverings at all applicable times. Students will be required to wear appropriate masks/face coverings at all times. All face masks must be appropriate within the context of the mission of Iona Prep. During lunch and other activities, face coverings may be removed at the discretion of the teacher or other adult supervisor. Parents are required to provide the appropriate face coverings for their son –it is part of the uniform. Iona Prep will have face coverings available at the Gael House bookstore and in the Main Office

Signage -Both the Upper and Lower Schools will have signage indicating one-way foot traffic, do not enter, maintain social distance, wash hands regularly, and symptoms of COVID-19, among others throughout the buildings.

Cleaning -Every room in each building will be strategically cleaned every night to ensure the cleanest possible facility. Bathrooms will be cleaned throughout the day, wiping down sinks, counters and stalls.

Food service-Students (and parents) will be urged to bring their own lunches. Iona Prep will have cafeteria service, but lunches must be preordered –information to follow. Upper School students will be directed to either gymnasium or the cafeteria. Students mustbring their own refillable water bottle and all supplies (trays, utensils, plates) used during lunch periods will be disposable. Tables, chairs and desks will be cleaned and sanitized after each use on a daily basis.

DISMISSAL

At the end of the academic day, students will have a staggered dismissal to ensure physical distancing at locker areas and in the student lobby. Students who take Iona Prep transportation will exit the building near the Tully Gymnasium. Students who are being picked up by other means of transportation will exit the building via the Front Portico or the Main Office. All students must be off campus by 3:15 PM unless otherwise approved by a school administrator.