Protocols

Acero is committed to keeping students, families and staff safe by adhering to CDC, IDPH, CDPH, and ISBE health and safety guidelines. Acero schools will implement protocols that align with the latest local, state, and federal guidance on reopening schools. When in school, staff and students can expect to see the following health and safety measures:


School community and personal hygiene practices

    • All staff and students must wear a face-covering throughout the day.

    • Each classroom will have sanitizing and disinfectant supplies available to them.

    • Students/staff should use sanitizer throughout the day.

    • Staff should support scholars in ensuring their learning spaces are wiped down as needed.

    • Routine hand washing or sanitizing upon entry to and exit of the facility, before and after mealtimes, physical activity and washroom breaks.


Facility

    • Signage will be displayed throughout the facility to remind staff and students of health and safety protocols.

    • Markers will be placed in stairwells and hallways to designate traffic lanes. Markers are also placed to designate social distancing where students routinely queue.

    • Routine spot-cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch areas throughout the day.

    • Each class with scholars and school cafeterias will be equipped with HEPA air purifiers. Acero has tested the air quality at schools. All schools meet proper standards to be utilized.

    • Janitorial staff will be expected to complete daily cleaning and disinfecting routines with frequent cleaning of high-touch/traffic areas.

    • If there is a COVID-19 case confirmed at a school, staff will complete a thorough, deep cleaning process.

    • Cafeterias are also outfitted with additional air purification devices.

    • Acero will continue to deploy enhanced cleaning protocols consistent with the latest IDPH (Illinois Dept. of Public Health) and CDPH (Chicago Dept. of Public Health) guidelines.


Acero follows all CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), IDPH, CDPH and ISBE guidance concerning social distancing impacting classroom set up and practices.

This includes:

  • Ensuring three (3) feet of physical distance when possible.

  • During unmasked lunch consumption, scholars will be provided partition shields at each seat. Cafeterias are also outfitted with additional air purification devices.

  • Acero requires assigned seating for elementary school lunch to help facilitate contact tracing, if needed, and to create routine and ease during mealtime.

  • Breakfast consumption will be in the classroom.

School Arrival & Dismissal

We are ensuring that all campuses have safe entry and dismissal procedures in place. These procedures will be communicated out to families by each campus principal and will include the following safety protocols:

  • All staff, students, and family members must wear masks in accordance with our mask policy (this means all need to wear a mask even while outside on campus property).

  • Students, staff, and visitors must use hand sanitizer upon building entry.

  • Staff members will be present to monitor arrival and social distancing.

  • There will be no extended arrival and/or dismissal. If your campus requires an extended arrival and/or dismissal, then that will be communicated directly to you.

  • Bussing (where applicable for diverse learners): Bussing arrival should follow similar arrival guidelines to non-bussing arrival. Consider using a separate door for bussing arrival, if possible.

  • Schools that have access to larger outdoor spaces will utilize them for outdoor, no-touch dismissal if your school dismisses to a parent/guardian/approved pick-up. Schools should maximize social distancing between students as much as possible when outdoors.

  • Families must call ahead to alert the main office of the need to pick up a student early, and text/call when they arrive.

  • Family members will only be permitted to the building for early pick-up if they, are wearing an appropriate mask, and follow all other health protocols as necessary.

hallways

During high-traffic transition times (entire grade transitions either into the building, out of the building, or to another area of the building), transition pathways will be one-directional.

Students should be spaced to the greatest extent possible, and transitions should not last more than 10 minutes.

Hallways/stairwells do not need to be one-directional for one-off trips students or staff make (i.e. if a staff member is visiting a classroom or a student needs to use the bathrooms).

After School

All after school activities, including sports, are subject to the same safety protocols applicable during the school day. No food or drink will be served to non-scholar attendees (ex: parents, caregivers, friends) during any indoor event. Food and drink may be served to scholars participating in indoor activities. All event attendees are subject to a health screening prior to attending any after school event. Masking is required at all times.

We know it's been a long time since you have seen your favorite teacher or best friend but be sure to always safely say hello to one another!

Building Access

To best protect our learning communities, whenever possible, all visitors are required to make an appointment to enter an Acero School building.

All persons entering an Acero school building must be masked, covering both their nose and mouth.

Attendance

  • Tardy System: All students/staff members arriving late must adhere to their school's procedures and protocols

  • Attendance & Covid:

      • Anyone who is experiencing at least one symptom or has tested positive must stay home.

      • Anyone who is not vaccinated and has traveled internationally or has traveled domestically to orange states must quarantine for 5 days.

      • Vaccinated individuals who have had close contact with a positive case or traveled do not need to quarantine unless they are experiencing at least one symptom or has tested positive.

Care Rooms

Acero maintains a Care Room at each school staffed by trained professionals to support scholars or colleagues that may present COVID-19 symptoms.

Each campus is equipped with a designated area in school known as the "Care Room."

This space is for staff or scholars who begin to experience symptoms of COVID-19 and cannot immediately leave the facility. All individuals must wear masks at all times while in the building, including while traveling to the nurse’s office. Gloves and face shields will also be available but are optional for staff.

Scholars will be supervised while in the Care Room. Trained staff will occupy these rooms and evaluate individuals as necessary. All those in the Care Room must wear a face covering at all times.

If a student enters the Care Room with COVID-19 symptoms, the Care Room attendant will call the student's home and recommend that the family calls their doctor. A parent or guardian will be contacted immediately to pick up their scholar. The Care Room attendant will take the student's name and follow up with the student/family the following business day. Only students who are exhibiting COVID-19 related health concerns will be asked to wait in the Care Room. Students with other health concerns should remain in a separate area, under the supervision of an administrator.

In the event there are multiple students sent to the care room, they should be spaced out.

Contact Tracing

Acero Schools continues the timely performance of contact tracing by professional staff trained through the John Hopkins University & Medicine COVID-19 Contact Tracing Course.