Appendix H - Shared Space Protocol

BGCDSB & School-based Child Care Programs

These guidelines have been developed by the Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board and Bruce and Grey counties for the purpose of ensuring the safe return to school-based child care programs in September, 2020. All guidelines follow those of the Ministry of Education’s guidance documents: i) Operational Guidance During Covid 19 Outbreak: Childcare Re-Opening, ii) Approach to Reopening Schools for the 2020-21 School Year and advice from Grey-Bruce Public Health.


ADAPTIVE MODEL CONSIDERATIONS

BGCDSB students will be cohorted into groups of maximum 15 students and will attend school on a two-week cycle whereby Cohort A would attend every Monday, Tuesday and alternate Wednesdays; and Cohort B would attend every Thursday, Friday and alternate Wednesdays

Students who attend Before/After School programs will be cohorted into groups of maximum 15 including staff members within Cohort A and Cohort B. A deep clean of the child care spaces must occur between Cohort A’s departure and Cohort B’s arrival to minimize contact. Staff members can remain the same for both cohorts.

More than one child care program can be offered per building as long as they are able to maintain separation between the programs and cohorts, and follow all health and safety requirements that apply to those programs.

USE OF MASKS AND PPE

BGCDSB and BG Child Care Operators will follow local public health guidelines regarding the use of masks for students and staff. Masks must be considered in the following situations:

  • when dealing with a student injury and cleaning and disinfecting blood or bodily fluid spills eg. vomit, bloody nose

  • when caring for a sick child or a child showing symptoms of illness.

  • When supporting a child with toileting or feeding

  • In screening areas and accompanying children from the screening area to the program

Both BGCDSB and the BG Child Care Operators should have a supply of masks available for use.


CLEANING PROTOCOLS

Frequent Touch points should be cleaned and disinfected at least twice a day as they are most likely to become contaminated (for example, doorknobs, light switches, toilet and faucet handles, electronic devices, and tabletops).


Cleaning and Disinfecting Hard Plastic Toys

  • Remove toys from the play area after use and place them in a collection box for cleaning and disinfection

  • Clean and disinfect the collection box at the same time that toys are being cleaned and disinfected

  • Clean toys in hot soapy water prior to using a disinfectant

  • Use a brush to clean crevices or hard to reach areas

  • Rinse toys well under running water as soap may neutralize the disinfectant

  • Soak toys in an appropriate disinfectant for required amount of time (contact time)

  • Rinse toys with clean water to remove any disinfectant solution, if indicated on the label

  • Clean and disinfect dishwasher-safe, hard plastic toys in a commercial dishwasher with a sanitizer or a hot rinse cycle

  • Completely air dry toys before they are returned to use

  • Ministry requires us to maintain a record of when toys were cleaned and disinfected (See Link for Digital Toy Cleaning Tracking Form)

Cleaning Other Items

  • Clean and disinfect other items (e.g., scissors, puzzles, storage bins, etc.) when they are visibly dirty. Sharing of these materials and items is discouraged. Each student should have a personal kit of materials to limit contact from others.

  • Items such as books and some craft equipment may be difficult to clean, so consider discarding them once they are soiled or place them in a bag for 7 days

  • Avoid sensory play such as activities using play dough, sand or water

  • Clean and disinfect computer keyboards, mice and other electronics between uses

Screening & Reporting

Pre-Screening Protocol

Included in the staff and parent/guardian communication a Covid 19 self assessment checklist will be distributed to all families prior to the start of the school year, as well as reminders will be sent home on a regular basis. Staff, students, parents/guardians and essential visitors will be expected to conduct the screening process prior to riding a school bus and/or entry to a school/child care program each day. Staff and students will be expected to stay home if symptoms are identified and the school/child care operator will be notified through the illness reporting protocol.

  • For students identified with possible COVID 19 symptoms during the day, including during the before/after school program please see Appendix C.

  • For staff identified with possible COVID 19 symptoms, including child care program staff, please see Appendix D.


Upon entry and/or arrival at the school, child care staff will be required to complete an electronic self-assessment form ( Please see and be encouraged to use the sanitizing stations provided.


  • For child care staff, a kiosk will be available at the front entrance with a Link to the Staff Digital Self-Assessment Form)

  • Parents will not have to complete a self-assessment but must wear a mask and sanitize hands when dropping and picking up their child.


Students who fall ill During the School Day (Please see Appendix C.)

Child care staff/teachers will report any student illness to the supervisor/school administrator asap and brought to a predetermined isolation room/area. Parent/Guardian will be contacted to pick up their child. Parent/Guardian will wait outside of the school at the front doors and a staff member will walk the ill student to the parent. Parents will provide updated reports of the child’s illness, especially if the symptoms are similar to COVID19. Schools will contact the Grey-Bruce Public Health office if a student is diagnosed with COVID19 and follow the advice of notifying others using the same space. If a child or staff member from a child care program is suspected or diagnosed with COVID 19, the licensee must report it to the ministry.


PROCEDURES

Start of school day procedures

Students will be expected to exit the child care program through the program’s designated outside doors and then enter the school with the rest of their classmates through their classroom/cohort doors. Every student will sanitize their hands upon entering the school.

End of school day procedures

Students will exit the school through their assigned outside doors and enter the child care program through its designated door. Students will not travel through the school to enter the child care program. This group of students should be the last group to leave the classroom.

Fountains/Water Refilling Stations

Fountains will be closed throughout the day. Students will bring their own personal filled reusable water bottle labelled with their name on it. At water refilling stations, older students (gr. 4 - 8) will use provided wipes from their classrooms to wipe touchpoints. For younger students (K-3), times to refill water bottles as a class with teacher guidance to wipe touchpoints should be scheduled during the day.