2020 BACK-‐TO-‐SCHOOL HANDBOOK
A supplement to the Marin Waldorf School Parent Handbook for the 2020-‐2021 school year
INTRODUCTION The Marin Waldorf School curriculum emphasizes project-‐based learning, connection with nature, and meaningful relationships between faculty and students. Our school’s existing curriculum, campus, and values has made it possible to move our programs almost entirely outdoors for fall 2020, with modified programs designed to protect the health and promote the safety of our students during the COVID-‐19 pandemic. Available data demonstrates that the risks of COVID-‐19 to students and staff can be kept low if schools adhere to strict control measures and dynamically respond to potential outbreaks. We are strictly adhering to all health and safety guidelines published in the 30-‐point plan published by Marin’s public health office and the Marin County Office of Education. Parents can review our complete policies and procedures in our Site-‐Specific School Protection Plan, which will be continuously updated to follow county and state guidelines.
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Marin Waldorf School 2020 Back to School Handbook [Updated Oct. 8, 2020]
ABOUT THIS HANDBOOK This handbook is a supplement to our Parent Handbook, with instructions and policies specific to the 2020-‐2021 school year, including operating hours, drop-‐off and pick-‐up procedures, field trips, and our full health and safety policies, as outlined by health coordinator Cammi Bell. Please refer to the Marin Waldorf School Parent Handbook for information about our school’s dress code, discipline policy, communications policy, and organizational structure, among other essential information. Please bookmark this page! The 2020-‐2021 Supplemental Handbook will be updated as practices and protocols change over the course of the year.
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2020 EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM Early Childhood classrooms (Buttercup, Sunflower, Hollyhock, Manzanita, and Morning Glory) will reopen to in-‐person instruction on September 8, 2020. Early childhood classrooms are permitted to operate under our childcare license and are not subject to a waiver. Marin Waldorf School will continue to offer the same rhythmic Early Childhood (EC) program as in prior years, with the following modifications: ● Class sizes have been reduced and a fifth early childhood classroom, Manzanita, was added for 2020-‐2021. All cohorts are capped at 14 students per room. ● Class cohorts are mixed-‐aged to allow siblings of different ages to attend school in the same classroom. ● There will be no mixing of students between EC cohorts. ● Teachers will support children and parents with creative strategies and shared language between home and school regarding new safety practices (e.g. facial coverings, physical distancing). ● EC classrooms will have dedicated outdoor spaces and will spend the majority of the day outdoors. Dedicated indoor spaces are available, as needed, as well as dedicated bathrooms for each class/cohort. ● All children in the EC will be provided with a child-‐size Humanity Shield by Rapid Response PPE. Per County health recommendations, face coverings will be used for the majority of the school day, and will always be required when indoors or physical distancing cannot be maintained. ● Teachers will wear facial coverings throughout the school day. ● When resting/napping, children will be spaced out in 6-‐ft areas. Each child's mat and bedding will be stored separately. ● Children enrolled in the aftercare program will remain in the same class/cohort after school. Aftercare will be available by contract only, with no drop-‐in option. ● Mid-‐morning snacks will be prepared in accordance with best practices. ● We will have fewer toys in the classroom and keep only toys that can be easily cleaned. Toys can be introduced in the classroom in a seasonal way using the rhythms of the day, week, and year to support the children’s interest in the play objects being offered. ● Staggered start times and dismissal times will reduce mixing between cohorts.
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2020 GRADES PROGRAM Marin Waldorf School will continue to offer a rich, experiential, and project-‐based curriculum of integrated academic, arts, outdoor education, and movement throughout the year, with the following modifications for 2020-‐2021. ● Classrooms for grades 1-‐8 will be located in newly constructed outdoor areas, spread across our 11-‐acre campus. Outdoor classrooms all include stools, desks, shade, and chalkboards for instruction. ● Physical distancing will be practiced in both indoor and outdoor classrooms, between classmates, and between students and their teacher, per county and state guidelines. ● Each grade will be a fixed cohort with no mixing between classes/cohorts on campus. Class sizes will be capped to allow for adequate physical distancing when using indoor classrooms. ● Each grade/cohort will be assigned a designated play area for free time during recess and lunch, with no mixing between cohorts. ● The school day will begin with main lesson with the class teacher, and some core academic subject classes (Spanish and movement) will be taught in blocks of 4-‐6 weeks to reduce subject teacher exposure to multiple cohorts at the same time. ● Equipment and materials will not be shared by students. ● Hand-‐washing breaks will be incorporated into the regular school day, including at arrival on campus, after recess, and before lunch. ● All off-‐campus field trips requiring transportation are currently suspended, with the exception of hikes to surrounding open space, which is accessible on foot. ● Plays, performances, and assemblies are currently suspended. ● Aftercare for grades 1-‐8 will not be offered during the fall 2020. ● Students will eat lunch outdoors and physically distance from classmates. ● Individual classes enter and exit the building through designated entrances on Idylberry, Appleberry, Danberry, and Elderberry to reduce mixing cohorts. ● Per state and county regulations, if our campus programs are ordered to close, we will begin distance learning. (Please see Distance Learning Program, below.)
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CAMPUS PROCEDURES 2020
I. OPERATING HOURS
1. FRONT OFFICE
The school’s front office is open 8am to 3:30pm Monday-‐Friday every day that school is in session. Please note: The front office is closed to parents/visitors during the fall of 2020. Please reach out to front office staff via telephone or email (listed below). Phone: 415-‐479-‐8190 Robin Boynosky, Office Manager: office@marinwaldorf.org Julie Meade, registrar: registrar@marinwaldorf.org Attendance: attendance@marinwaldorf.org
2. INSTRUCTIONAL HOURS A. Early Childhood (Fall Campus Program) Buttercup Classroom 8:30am–12:30pm Aftercare available by contract only 12:30pm-‐3pm daily Sunflower Classroom 8:45am–12:45pm Aftercare available by contract only 12:45pm-‐3pm daily Morning Glory, Manzanita, and Hollyhock Classrooms 8:30am–12:45pm Aftercare available by contract only 12:45pm-‐3pm daily B. Grades 1-‐6 (Fall Campus Program) 8:15am–3:15pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 8:15am–2:10pm Thursday Currently, there is no after-‐school program for grades students. C. Grades 7-‐8 (Fall Distance Learning Program) Grade 7 and 8 distance learning schedules will mirror the school day for our campus-‐based programs. Class teachers will provide details on the daily schedule.
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II. DROP-‐OFF & PICK-‐UP To promote physical distancing between cohorts, we will use all four entrances to our campus this fall. Students will maintain 6-‐foot distance while entering and exiting.
1. Cohort Entrances/Exits
Early Childhood Students in our five early childhood classes will enter and exit, at staggered entry and exit times, as follows, with the drop-‐off window noted in parenthesis. ● Hollyhock: Main entrance Idylberry Road parking lot (8:30am drop-‐off, 12:45pm pick-‐up) ● Morning Glory: Elderberry Road entrance (8:30am drop-‐off, 12:45pm pick-‐up) ● Buttercup: Main entrance Idylberry Road parking lot (8:30am drop-‐off, 12:30 pick-‐up) ● Sunflower: Main entrance Idylberry Road parking lot (8:45am drop-‐off, 12:45pm pickup) ● Manzanita: Service road off main parking lot on Idylberry Road (8:45am drop-‐off, 12:45pm pick-‐up) Aftercare is available for early childhood students until 3pm in all classrooms. Aftercare enrollment is strictly limited to allow for proper physical distancing during rest time. Grades 1-‐8 Drop-‐off time for students in grades 1-‐8 is 8:15am.* Pickup is 3:15. Please be on time. * If you are dropping off later than 8:25am or picking up later than 3:25pm, please follow the late pickup procedures outlined below. Grades students will enter campus as follows. ● First grade: Main entrance through Idylberry Road parking lot ● Second grade: Northeast service road through Idylberry Rd. parking lot ● Third grade: Elderberry Road entrance ● Fourth grade: Danberry Road entrance ● Fifth grade: Appleberry Road entrance. ● Sixth grade: Danberry Road entrance. ● Seventh grade: Elderberry Road entrance. ● 8th grade: Appleberry Road entrance. Please note: All students will receive additional instruction from their class teacher on drop-‐off and pick-‐up procedures. Page 6
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Please locate your child/children’s entrance on the map below.
2. Neighborhood
Our school is located in a quiet residential neighborhood. Please respectful of our school’s neighbors by not blocking driveways and driving carefully when dropping off and picking up your students from your designated entrance/exit. Use crosswalks to cross the street. Please wear a mask and maintain social distance at all times when dropping off and picking up your child.
3. Late Arrivals
It is essential for students to enter campus with their cohort at the designated time (please see Ib. Instructional Hours) to maintain effective safety protocols and accurate attendance, which is vital to contact tracing. We are relying on our parents to join our efforts in creating a safer school environment by making a true effort to be on time, every day. Early Childhood If you must drop off your child after the official drop-‐off window, please call the front office right away and let us know when you will arrive. Please enter via the Idylberry Road parking lot and park in one of the “reserved” parking spots. Do not get out of your car. Please do not block the loading zone, as this is used for emergency vehicles. A staff Page 7
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member will indicate or call you when you can pull your car down to the front entrance to drop your child off safely with office staff. Grades 1-‐8 If you must drop off your child after the official drop-‐off window, please call the front office right away and let us know when you will arrive. Please enter via the Idylberry Road parking lot and park in one of the “reserved” parking spots. Call the front office to let us know you are here. Do not get out of your car. Please do not block the loading zone, as this is used for emergency vehicles. A staff member will indicate or call you when you can pull your car down to the entrance to drop your child off safely with office staff. Please note that early childhood drop-‐off will be in process on Idylberry Road from 8:30am to 9am. To avoid mixing cohorts, you must wait to drop off your child until early childhood drop-‐off is complete.
4. Late Pickup at Dismissal Please be on time for afternoon pickup. There is no drop-‐in aftercare for early childhood and no aftercare for the grades this year. If you are unexpectedly running late at dismissal, please call the office right away. Early Childhood If you arrive after the designated pickup time, your child’s teacher will accompany him or her to the front office. There is no drop-‐in aftercare for early childhood, so children must wait for their parents on the benches outside the front office. The front office staff will oversee your child until you arrive. Please call the office to let us know when you expect to arrive and come directly to the main entrance. Grades Students If you arrive for pickup after 3:25pm Monday-‐Wednesday and Friday or after 2:20pm on Thursday, your child’s teacher will accompany him or her to the front office. There is no aftercare for grades students, so children must wait for their parents on the benches outside the front office, at the school’s main entrance. Please call the office to let us know when you expect to arrive and come directly to the main entrance on Idylberry Road. Office staff will oversee your child until you arrive.
5. Midday Pickup If you are planning to pick up your child before the designated dismissal time, please: 1) let your child’s class teacher know, and Page 8
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2) call the front office. You will pick up your child at the designated time at the school’s main entrance in the parking lot on Idylberry Road. When it is time to pick up, you may park in one of the “reserved spots” in the Idylberry Road parking lot and wait in your car until the office staff lets you know that your child is ready to meet you. Please do not block the loading zone, as this is used for emergency vehicles. Please note that early childhood cohorts drop off and pick up from the front entrance during the following time frames: 8:30am-‐9am, 12:30-‐1pm, 2:45pm-‐3pm. In order to avoid mixing cohorts, it may be necessary to wait in your car during these times. If your child becomes sick at school and needs to be picked up before dismissal, our health coordinator will provide detailed instructions for pickup from the nurse’s office, in the portables.
III. ABSENCES
Please report an absence to the office as soon as possible and no later than 8:30am by telephone or email at attendance@marinwaldorf.org. If your child exhibits symptoms of COVID-‐19, please share that information with staff. All health-‐related information will be kept confidential. (Please see the Health and Safety Handbook: Monitoring of COVID-‐19 Symptoms and Notification of Absences.)
IV. FRONT OFFICE & VISITORS 1. Parents and Visitors
Currently, all non-‐essential visitors, including parents/guardians and students from other schools, are not allowed on campus while school is in session. This includes the front office, which is closed to the public. If you need to contact the school’s office, please do so by telephone (415-‐479-‐8190) or email (office@marinwaldorf.org). Items Left at Home This year, the front office cannot collect non-‐essential items (e.g. homework, violins, sun hats) forgotten at home before the school day. Our teachers are aware of this policy and, in many cases, students will be able to borrow necessary supplies for the school day. Lost and Found We will not maintain a Lost and Found box in the office this year. Please clearly label all your child or children’s clothing, lunch box, and other essentials. Page 9
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2. Essential Visitors Maintenance, cleaning, and groundskeepers may be allowed on campus during the school day only in emergencies or to perform routine services in which they will not have contact with students or teachers. When coming to campus, all visitors must adhere to the following protocols: A. Screening Before or upon arrival to campus, all visitors must take the faculty daily health screening verifying they are free of COVID-‐19 symptoms. B. Sign-‐in Log All essential visitors to campus must sign in and sign out in the front office. C. Safety Protocols All essential visitors to the school must practice hand hygiene per campus guidelines, wear a facial covering, and maintain physical distance.
3. Outside Contractors
External contractors serving our facilities and grounds will be allowed on campus during the school day only in emergencies or to perform routine services for which they will not have contact with students or teachers. All contractors must follow the protocols outlined above. We are currently suspending student and faculty assessments by outside school mentors.
4. Admissions
Until further notice, all admissions tours will be held virtually. Prospective families may be allowed to visit campus after school hours, accompanied by admissions staff, to tour campus and attend an interview with the class teacher, practicing social distancing and using a facial covering. Currently, we do not require three-‐day visits as part of the grades admissions process.
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VI. FIELD TRIPS, FESTIVALS, AND COMMUNITY EVENTS 1. Field Trips and Hiking
All off-‐campus trips and overnights that require transportation to and from campus are currently suspended. Regular hikes in the open space near campus, accessible on foot, are permitted, with proper safety measures (physical distancing, facial coverings) in place.
2. Assemblies, Class Plays, and Festivals All assemblies, class plays, community coffees, festivals, and other special events are currently suspended for the 2020-‐2021 school year.
3. Parent Evenings
Regular participation in parent evenings is essential to the healthy functioning of our cohorts. Currently, all parent evenings will be held remotely, on Zoom.
Fire Days/Air Quality Closures
I. How We Monitor Air Quality Index Per guidelines set by the Marin County Office of Education, Marin Waldorf School monitors the air quality index (AQI) in San Rafael through the publicly run website AirNow. AirNow is a partnership of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Park Service, NASA, Centers for Disease Control, and tribal, state, and local air quality agencies. If the air quality index (AQI) is below 150 at 6 am according to the public website AirNow, we will open school. If the air quality is 150 or above at 6 am, we will and send an email as well as a text/phone message to our families through the emergency alert system, no later than 7am, cancelling school for that day. If you do not receive a text and/or email, school is open. Please note that our threshold of 150 is lower than the Marin County Office of Education’s limit of 200, when there may be recommendations for public school closures, made on a case-‐by-‐ case basis. Because we have committed to spending a majority of our school days outdoors during 2020-‐2021, we feel it is in the best interest of our students and teachers to close campus once the air quality is considered unhealthy/red. You can review the Marin County Office of Education’s guidance on air quality here, including the tiered system for measuring the impact of air quality.
II. Limiting Activity or Moving Indoors in the Case of Rising AQI
We constantly monitor the air quality index in San Rafael throughout the school day. We may choose to limit some physical exertion when the air quality is between 100-‐150. In the case that the air quality rises above 150 during the course of the day, students will remain on campus Page 11
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until regular dismissal time, including aftercare for early childhood. If the air quality is 150 or above, we may direct classes to move to their indoor classrooms, each of which has been equipped with a HEPA air filter. While inside, students will use facial coverings and will continue to practice hand-‐washing and physical distancing of at least 6 feet. Please note that our Site Specific School Protection Plan minimizes risk through multiple measures, such as staying home when we are sick, not coming to school if we have had close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-‐19, ensuring teachers and staff are always wearing face coverings, regular handwashing throughout the day, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, and maintaining classroom cohorts.
III. Continuity of Learning During Fire Days
In the case that our school must close due to AQI of 150 or higher, Google Classrooms will be used as a short-‐term bridge for students to continue with ongoing coursework. In the case that our school is forced to close for an extended period, our teachers are prepared to offer a full distance-‐learning curriculum, after a two-‐day transition time. (See Distance Learning, below.)
IV. Early Childhood
Early childhood classes will be suspended during emergency fire days. Currently, it is not our policy to make up days lost to emergency closures. We will reexamine that policy if there are a large number of fire days this fall.
DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM
If a class cohort or the school is required to close and begin Distance Learning, there will be a 2-‐ day wait period to provide teachers and families an opportunity to prepare. Platform and Supplies Families will receive necessary supplies, along with the daily and weekly schedules from their teachers. Instruction will be offered through Zoom meetings, audio and video recordings, and written assignments accessed through Google Classroom. It will be expected that students attend all classes and complete assignments. Distance Learning Hours Distance Learning will follow the in-‐school schedule as much as possible; students will meet with their teachers Monday-‐Friday. Classes will be scheduled in the mornings and afternoons will be reserved for completing work and check-‐ins with teachers. Early Childhood We are not offering a distance learning program for preschool and kindergarten students. Page 12
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2020 HEALTH AND SAFETY SUPPLEMENTAL HANDBOOK Dear MWS Community, We are grateful to be preparing to reopen our campus this fall to our students. The COVID-‐19 Return to School Committee has developed this Health and Safety Plan to guide our reopening process so that we can ensure that our students, faculty, and staff can return to school in the safest way possible. As a small school with a strong commitment to outdoor education, we are uniquely situated to meet this challenge and to offer our students an exceptional learning experience that is safe during this unusual time. We expect to comply fully with the guidance from the Marin County Department of Health, the State of California, the Centers for Disease Control, American School Nurse Association and the guidance of the American Academy of Pediatrics. This handbook was based on the most up to date information released from the county (see resources below. These resources will be updated each time new guidance is released and the handbook is updated). Our Committee is intimately familiar with these guidelines, and we are working to implement them in a way that does not interfere with the educational experience of our students. Please be aware as you read through these policies that they were formed with all current clinical evidence and guidance from public health officials available to us. If and when we receive direction from the Health Department that their recommendations have changed, we will act accordingly. We will keep the lines of communication open with you and all the faculty and staff so that everyone will be aware and informed. For any questions or concerns regarding COVID 19 related issues please contact the Health Coordinator at cammibell@marinwaldorf.org We look forward to seeing you all safely on campus and moving through this unusual educational year together. Cammi Bell, RN, MS Health Coordinator Marin Waldorf School
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CONTENTS Introduction General School-‐Wide Health & Safety Plans Alignment with State Guidelines Recognized Medical Authorities Community-‐Wide Practices Community Expectations Monitoring of COVID-‐19 Symptoms and Notification of Absences Disclosure School Day Practices Key Protective Measures Protective Face Masks Keeping Physical Distance Frequent Handwashing and Hand Sanitizing Frequent Surface Cleaning and Sanitizing Being Outside Class Groupings Exceptions for Chronic Conditions Other Measures in the Classroom Additional Considerations Social Emotional Support Festivals Parent Volunteers and Campus Visitors Resources
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Introduction
Health and Wellness Committee Members Cammi Bell, Chair, Health Coordinator and School Nurse Brenda Novick, Early Childhood Director Julie Meade, Registrar/Current Parent Mia Terziev, 7th Grade Teacher Suzanne Hudson, Pedagogical Coordinator Robin Boynosky, Office Manager
General School-‐Wide Health & Safety Plans
Marin Waldorf School will follow the County of Marin requirements for reopening schools, and will meet or exceed these expectations in the way best suited to teaching our students in our buildings. We are committed to teaching a full-‐day, five-‐day a week schedule unless required by state order to move to remote learning. Teachers will implement the use of outdoor education, including outdoor classrooms, as much as possible.
Alignment with State Guidelines
In the “Comprehensive School Resource Document”, the County has outlined a 30 Points Guidance document that outlines the essential elements required for schools to reopen. Please reference the “30 Points Guidelines here (https://www.marinschools.org/cms/lib/CA01001323/Centricity/Domain/154/Public%20Health %20Guided%20Return%20to%20Site-‐Based%20Classroom%20Instruction%20FINAL%2008-‐12-‐ 20.pdf)
Recognized Medical Authorities
For purposes of deciding on school policy, practice, and protective measures, Marin Waldorf School will rely primarily on information from the Marin County Department of Health, the State of California, the Centers for Disease Control, American School Nurse Association and the guidance of the American Academy of Pediatrics. While we remain informed of emerging evidence from other sources, these are the medical authorities to which we will refer when information about best practices conflicts.
Community-‐Wide Practices
Community Expectations We expect that families will follow the Marin County Health Department guidance for best practices related to preventing the spread of COVID-‐19 and that parents and guardians will have regular conversations with children around these protocols, practice them at home, and emphasize the importance of following teacher directions related to health and hygiene at school. Page 15
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We hope these practices will be an opportunity for students to feel empowered in a positive way to care for their own health and the health of the community. As a school, we see it as a profoundly social act to take precautions to protect the health of the most vulnerable among us. We believe in the concept of Community Mitigation and that we as a community can have an impact on the spread of COVID among us. Lack of compliance with school rules related to health will be dealt with first through conversation and correction in the moment; we fully expect that this will resolve most issues. Continued challenges with following protocols will require a conversation between teachers and parents to support the student in meeting expectations. Serious violations of policy on the part of students or families, or acts that deliberately put the health of others in danger, may result in student suspension or dismissal.
Monitoring of COVID-‐19 Symptoms and Notification of Absences
As part of our mandate for reopening, students are required to be assessed each morning before school by their parents or caregiver for the following signs and symptoms of COVID and to report to the school IMMEDIATELY if any are present. Verbal confirmation on the part of the parent or older student that: ● The student has not had any symptoms of COVID-‐19 within the past 14 days o symptoms include temperature, runny nose, sneezing, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, body aches, cough, fatigue, headache, loss of taste or smell ● The student has not been exposed to any individuals who have tested positive for COVID-‐19 within the past 14 days. ● No one in the household shows symptoms of COVID-‐19 or has tested positive for COVID-‐ 19. IMPORTANT NOTE: If your child is going to be absent for any reason we respectfully request that you notify the school immediately. It is extremely important that we know when there has been a COVID-‐19 exposure within our school and we therefore need to be notified of any absence immediately so we can be completely certain we are following county guidelines for cohort notification and cohort closing purposes. As part of our mandate, faculty and staff is required to answer a health screening each morning before school and submit it to the school.
When to Stay Home
The county is requiring that students who display any single symptom of COVID stay home or be sent home and consult their physician before returning to school. Please be aware that this guidance means that students who otherwise might have been able to attend school are now going to be asked to remain home, out of an abundance of caution, due to the ongoing COVID pandemic. Page 16
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This is an effort to reduce the spread of the virus that continues to infect many in our community and cause serious illness in many older adults who contract it. Please review the full guidelines from Marin Health and Human Services by clicking here. The symptoms we are using are as follows: • Fever (100.4°F/38°C or higher) or chills • Cough • Sore throat • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing • Not being able to taste or smell, or saying that things taste or smell different (within the last 10 days) • Headache • Diarrhea • Nausea or vomiting Students who exhibit the following less common COVID-‐19 symptoms must be evaluated by a healthcare provider to determine if COVID-‐19 testing indicated: • New onset of stuffy or runny nose (different from pre-‐existing allergies) • Body aches (muscle aches or “bones hurting”) • Unusually tired, lethargic or “low-‐energy.” Please note if your child has any of these symptoms before school please keep them home, and consult your personal physician to determine if they need to be tested for COVID or if they do not need to be tested, when they can return to school. If a student comes to the office with one of these symptoms, we will send the student home and have you consult your healthcare provider for guidance as above.
Disclosure The school requires as part of its health and safety policies this year that families promptly report all COVID-‐19 related symptoms and COVID-‐19 test results (positive or negative) to the school. This includes not only enrolled students but also siblings, parents, and anyone who resides in the home with the student or with whom the student has had prolonged contact. There are comprehensive guidelines for when a student or staff member comes into close contact with someone who is COVID-‐19 positive (defined as being within 6 feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes). In those cases, students and families will be referred to their health care providers for further follow-‐up and guidance, and we will report the exposure to the Health Department for further risk assessment.
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Please know that the confidentiality will be strictly adhered to unless there is a specific public health benefit in disclosing the identity of the positive person and we have been instructed to do so by the Health Department. You can find those guidelines in our Site-‐Specific School Protection Plan.
School Day Practices
Key Protective Measures There are several protective measures that we can take to mitigate the risk of exposure to COVID-‐19 in public settings. These are: ● Wearing protective face masks ● Keeping physical distance ● Frequent handwashing and hand sanitizing ● Frequent surface cleaning and sanitizing ● Being outside or in an amply ventilated space
Protective Face Masks
All faculty, staff, caregivers, family members, students, and siblings over the age of 2 must wear approved facial coverings when they are on campus unless they are eating, taking a supervised and planned break from their facial covering, or performing supervised and planned vigorous exercise. All students are required to bring a mask or facial covering with them each day, wash it at the end of every day if they are going to reuse it, and have a plastic bag to place the facial covering in when it is not in use. Please send your child with an extra mask each day in case their facial covering gets soiled. While facial coverings take some getting used to, we have found that children adapt to their facial covering rather easily. We will ensure that the students get regular breaks from wearing facial coverings and capitalize on outside instruction as much as possible for safe “breaks” while also ensuring the general safety and well being of our students and faculty. Please note that children in the EC are being provided with Humanity Shields to wear. All other students are free to wear a face covering of their choosing as long as it follows the following guidelines: ● Does not have a ventilation valve. ● Covers the nose, mouth and chin fully. ● Fits well enough that the child does not have to readjust it throughout the day
Keeping Physical Distance
In their learning spaces, students will be seated ideally at least 6 feet apart, but no less than 4 feet apart. Movement in hallways will be respectful of cohorts coming in contact with each Page 18
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other and the need to keep distanced and keep moving. Bathrooms will be assigned so that there will be no congregating or contact in the bathroom at any time. One student will only be allowed in a bathroom at a time. Touching others is generally discouraged at school for the duration of the pandemic. In the morning, teachers will no longer shake hands, but develop other ways to welcome students into the classroom and their day. All on-‐campus gatherings, including assemblies, parent meetings, class plays, musical performances, festivals, and events are canceled for the 2020-‐2021 school year. Community events, parent meetings, and admissions events will be offered virtually, via Zoom.
Frequent Hand-‐Washing and Hand-‐Sanitizing
Frequent handwashing plays a very important role in the maintenance of a safe community, even before we were confronted with this current virus. We are putting in place set guidelines for handwashing which will allow for students to develop routines within their day. The schedule is for students to wash hands upon arrival to campus, before eating, after recess, after using the bathroom, and after coughing, sneezing or touching their faces. Hand sanitizer may be used at other times if there is no running water or plumbing available.
Frequent Surface Cleaning and Sanitizing
Cleaning high touch areas and other surfaces is another important mitigation tool we will be utilizing. Marin Waldorf School will be adhering to the Marin County Health Department guidelines regarding the frequency of cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting surfaces. Please see those guidelines here.
Being Outside
We will continue to be guided by our commitment to a nature-‐based approach and land stewardship. We have an open campus that will allow us to expand beyond the classroom to provide our students meaningful engagement and connection to nature. Outdoor classroom spaces allow our entire school to learn outdoors in flexible configurations that meet the students’ needs. In some cases, holding class in a highly ventilated indoor area with all windows and exterior doors open may meet this measure. These cases will be used judiciously and at the discretion of the teacher.
Class Groupings
Each classroom/grade level will be a stable cohort of students throughout the 2020-‐2021 school year. Cohorts will never mix on campus. Currently, grades 1-‐6 cohorts will be under 20 students, with a maximum 24 students in a class/cohort grades 1-‐8. We have opened an Page 19
Marin Waldorf School 2020 Back to School Handbook [Updated Oct. 8, 2020]
additional early childhood classroom to reduce cohort size to 15 and under, and all five EC classes are now mixed-‐age (combining preschool-‐ and kindergarten-‐age students) to allow siblings to attend in the same room/cohort. We will not be using larger cohorts or mixing cohorts at any time.
Students who show symptoms while at school Teachers will monitor students throughout the day for any signs of possible illness. If a student displays signs of illness, the school nurse will be notified and the student will be taken to the Wellness Center for evaluation and the caregiver will be immediately notified to pick up the child. If the child is suspected of having COVID-‐19 symptoms, the student will be put in the isolation area of the wellness center under the supervision of the school nurse until the parent/caregiver can get pick him or her up. Caregivers are asked to plan their daily activities in a way that will allow them to prioritize the pickup of a sick child. The expectation is that children will be picked up within 30 minutes of a phone call.
Exceptions for Chronic Conditions
Healthy students and staff with chronic conditions such as well-‐controlled asthma or allergy symptoms (no fever) that cause coughing and clear runny nose may remain in school if they communicate that to the school nurse at the beginning of the school year.
Other Measures in the Classroom
All classes will be encouraged to conduct as many activities outside as possible, even in weather that may be less than optimal due to temperature or mild precipitation. It is essential that every student come to school dressed appropriately for a full day outdoors. Parents will be asked to pick up or bring appropriate clothing for students unprepared for outdoor learning. In accordance with Health Department guidance, teachers will limit use of shared items and require hand washing before and after touching the same object (including equipment for games in gym). Students may not share personal items such as pencils or instruments. Teachers will avoid planned activities requiring close physical contact between multiple students.When the teacher elects for group activities with the potential to generate increased respiratory droplets and aerosols, they will be conducted outside utilizing the key protective measures of COVID transmission.
Additional Considerations
Social Emotional Support Waldorf education has deep healing potential, and we are more committed to this work now than ever. Our goal is to ensure that the school environment is as safe as possible for students and faculty/staff. Students will be monitored for social and emotional concerns by their Page 20
Marin Waldorf School 2020 Back to School Handbook [Updated Oct. 8, 2020]
parents and teachers and all issues in this regard will be directed to the student’s teacher and to the school director or school nurse as needed. Families and staff are encouraged to also practice self-‐awareness of stress and emotional needs, and to check in with one another to promote a feeling of awareness around the potential pitfalls of stress.
Changes to Plan
All of these policies and practices are subject to revision as circumstances and national and state guidance change. Additionally, we recognize that some issues are not addressed here. The school will continue to modify and refine this plan and will inform families of substantive changes to our Health and Safety Plan through the weekly school newsletter. Resources “Comprehensive School Resource Document” Released August 14, 2020 https://www.marinschools.org/cms/lib/CA01001323/Centricity/Domain/154/FINAL.A%20Marin %20County%20Public%20Health.Comprehensive%20School%20Resource%20Document.pdf AAP Statement Piece: COVID 19 Planning Considerations: Guidance for School Re-‐Entry https://services.aap.org/en/pages/2019-‐novel-‐coronavirus-‐covid-‐19-‐infections/clinical-‐ guidance/covid-‐19-‐planning-‐considerations-‐return-‐to-‐in-‐person-‐education-‐in-‐schools/ AAP Critical Updates on COVID: Clinical Guidance: Cloth Face Coverings https://services.aap.org/en/pages/2019-‐novel-‐coronavirus-‐covid-‐19-‐infections/clinical-‐ guidance/cloth-‐face-‐coverings/
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Marin Waldorf School 2020 Back to School Handbook [Updated Oct. 8, 2020]