STEPS TO SUCCESS A GUIDE TO REOPENING TCA Volume 1 of 2
Returning Safely to Campus
We are excited to welcome our school family back to campus. We are working every day to ensure the experience is one that prioritizes safety and well-being for everyone while restoring the personal connection between teachers, coaches, leaders, students, and families. As we prepare to begin school on September 8, we have been diligently consulting the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the CDC suggested guidelines as well as seeking input from key stakeholders who are guiding the campus reopening. We are also grateful for all of our school families who responded to our survey as these responses further guided our re0pening plans. This document will provide answers to questions about what classes and other campus interactions might look like for the upcoming year. We will communicate with you about enhanced cleaning, classroom procedures, and health and wellness implementations. We will be active in anticipating and meeting the needs of our students, faculty, staff, and families. This re-entry publication will have two volumes with the 2 nd volume being released closer to the start of school. We are hopeful that this first volume will provide a level of comfort for our families and put to rest initial concerns you might have as you continue to anticipate the start of school. Re-opening campus will not be an “event” but a “process” and will take time and effort by all stakeholders to ensure that we have a good balance between physical safety and providing an environment that fosters and promotes the academic, emotional, and social well-being of our students. I remain confident that even in these uncertain times God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above what we ask (Ephesians 3:20). All for Him,
Tracey Pritchard, Ed.D. Head of School
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Reopening Campus Reopening Task Force We are forever grateful for this group of men and woman who have volunteered their time and efforts to serve on our COVID Task force and for so many families, parents, board members, and health officials, who have taken the time to speak into the process. Health and Safety Chair – Wendy Burghart , School Nurse Ben Carnall Cheri Andrews Jon Thompson Jean Ryle Debbie Wilt Vanessa Flemings Lynn Haseltine Tracey Pritchard (Ex. Officio) Christine Specht (Ex. Officio)
Academic and Technology Chair – Greg Schwartz, Director of Technology Cheri Andrews Dalesha Smallwood Debbie Dutton Ryan Davis Diana Howard Bob Park Lisa Contino Tracey Pritchard (Ex. Officio) Christine Specht (Ex. Officio)
Principals for Reopening Protect the health and safety of students, faculty and staff. Utilize guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Establish effective use of spaces and places to support physical distancing. Provide students with familiarity of new school routines for learning. Set clear expectations School Calendar The Christian Academy is preparing for students to return to campus on September 8, 202o for the first day of school. As we move forward in planning and preparation, we will closely monitor and consider the guidelines and recommendations as they are released by the government, CDC, and the health department. We anticipate ending the school year on June 9 with no anticipated change to school holidays, professional development days, parent conferences, etc. While we are hopeful that there will be little to no interruptions, we are still planning for all scenarios and will adjust the calendar as necessary. We will provide more information regarding our plan for potential interruptions in volume two.
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On Campus Learning Schedule Five-day week schedule with the same start and end times.
Extracurriculars Regular programming with social distancing.
Aftercare Five-day week schedule with the same start and end times.
Technology Platforms Consistency between campus learning and remote learning.
Preparing for Interruptions We are hopeful that we’ll be on campus consistently but will be ready if we need to deliver remote learning intermittently.
The mission of The Christian Academy is to partner with Christian parents to equip students through a classical education with the necessary skills to pursue excellence through Christ in every area of life.
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Health and Wellness We will rely on official guidelines and recommendations while maintaining a balanced and reasonable approach to precautions needed to operate as safely as possible. Safety measures will include procedures for on-campus classroom safety, the common and daily use of the cafeteria, auditorium and gym, athletics, chapel, and all other campus-related activities. While specific decisions and plans will be finalized closer to the start of school, strategies are being developed in the following areas: Sanitizing and Cleaning TCA has already started the process of deep cleaning our building and it will continue throughout the summer. During the school year you can expect to see, at a minimum, the following: increased frequency of cleaning classrooms and high touch surfaces throughout the school day. increased frequency of cleaning the gym and physical education/athletic equipment throughout the school day. hand sanitizer dispensers in every classroom and throughout the building. sanitizing of all playground equipment throughout the day. germicidal UV lights in the ventilation units in all classrooms. daily cleaning of the building, every evening, including the sanitation of high touch surfaces. cleaning and sanitizing classroom supplies that must be shared between students. Personal Hygiene, Prevention, and Training Faculty and staff will participate in specific training, during in-service, to minimize the spread of infectious disease including COVID. You can expect the following: student training on proper handwashing and additional ways to protect themselves and others (e.g. keeping hands away from face, covering coughs and sneezes, etc.). frequent student handwashing throughout the day and time allotted to do so. water fountains will not be accessible but there are several bottle fillers throughout the building. Students will bring their own water bottles. no sharing of student supplies. Students must have their own supplies. directional signage throughout the building to assist with social distancing and a reminder of safety practices. classroom desks will be organized in straight rows with distance between each desk. Desks will not be arranged in groups. 6-12 grade teachers and students will sanitize each desk in between classes. P-5 grade teachers will sanitize tables, desks, and toys, etc. throughout the day.
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Face Coverings All students will be required to bring a clean cloth or disposable face covering to school every day. Faculty and staff will have a face masks and will also have a face shield issued by the school. Faculty/Staff will require students to use face coverings in cases like the following: where close contact between students is required, such as in labs, reading groups, etc. when close contact between faculty and staff is required such as in one-to-one instruction with a shared resource (e.g. textbook, workbook, etc.). in other situations, were social distancing is not possible. Parents may mandate that his/her child(ren) wear a mask even when the school is not requiring them to do so. Although teachers cannot be held responsible to enforce the parent mandate they will be sensitive to your desire and will strongly encourage the student, as much as possible, to wear his/her mask. Screening, Monitoring, and Health Care TCA is privileged to have a full time nurse on campus every day. We have two nurses on staff and a nurse provided by our local school district to ensure we have adequate health coverage on any given day. Attendance requirements will be relaxed for the 2020-2021 school year. If your child is showing signs of illness, please do not send him/her to school until cleared by a medical doctor that he/she is not infectious, or you see no symptoms for 24 hours or more. TCA has a supply of contactless thermometers and the nursing staff or a school representative will take student/staff temperatures (final determination as to frequency will be decided closer to the start of school) as needed and periodic health checks will be done safely and respectfully following CDC guidelines. Please do not send your child to school, and notify us immediately, if your child or anyone in your household was exposed to COVID-19. If a student is sick or becomes sick at school that student will be separated, in the nurse’s office, from healthy students and staff. The school will call the parent/guardian for immediate pick up. Areas where the sick student was will be immediately cleaned and sanitized. If an employee has been exposed to COVID-19 or is sick he/she will not report to school. If we have a confirmed case of COVID-19 in our school or school community, parents will be contacted immediately and the building/classroom(s) will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, according to CDC guidelines.
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More to come‌.. This publication is the first of a two volume series that will outline the safe reopening of our campus. We will release the second volume in August. In volume two you can expect to see details, clarifications, and final plans in the following areas: updated and finalized health and wellness information. specifics on academic program including hybrid and online options for students/families that are at risk or become sick. details on instructional continuity. cafeteria. fall sports. All plans subject to change based on the health and safety circumstances closer to the start of school and on governor mandates.
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