UPDATE: DECEMBER 4, 2020

Dear HAFTR Family,

As many of you may have heard, the CDC is considering updating their recommended quarantine lengths and testing requirements. New York State and Nassau County have not yet decided if they will follow suit. We are required to follow NYS and Nassau County’s regulations. Therefore, at this time, there are no changes to HAFTR policies regarding length of quarantine or testing requirements. As always, we will update you as soon as we know anything further.

We are grateful everyday that we are able to open our doors, and hope to remain able to do so for many months to come! Be that as it may, it bears reminding that we are still entrenched in the COVID-19 pandemic. We all still need to be vigilant in our preventative measures to help ensure that COVID-19 does not jeopardize our ability to keep our doors open.

Following an increase of cases within our local community, we would like to remind you of the following:

Health Screenings:
Daily screenings must be submitted each morning by 7:15 AM and must be completed even if your child will not attend school in-person.

Please help reduce the spread of COVID-19 by checking daily for any symptoms. Students and staff must stay home when they are sick or when exposed to someone who is sick.

If anyone within a household (including a parent, child, housekeeper, etc.) is exhibiting symptoms which require a COVID test, any HAFTR student or staff parent(s) should learn remotely and not attend school until the symptomatic individual gets a COVID test and receives a negative result.

Masks:
All students and staff are required to keep their mask on even while seated at their desks. Students will be able to remove their masks during lunch and mask breaks which are scheduled throughout the day.

Social Distance:
Please remember to keep at least six feet away from other people as much as possible.

Thank you once again for your understanding and compliance. We wish you all continued good health!

November 23, 2020

Since reopening our doors in August, HAFTR has been doing everything we can to protect the health and safety of our entire HAFTR family and ensure we can provide as much in-person learning as possible. The upcoming Thanksgiving and winter breaks could present a potential threat to both of these goals. While we acknowledge that vacation and travel are important for many reasons, they also present opportunities to compromise the precautions necessary to continue our success. The following processes have been put in place at HAFTR assuming there are no material changes to the NYS or CDC guidelines. Should such changes occur, we may amend the details below.

If Your Family Decides to Travel

If at any time during the year your family travels, you must fill out this form with details of where and when you are going. Following travel, every staff member and student must submit the necessary COVID-19 testing results before they may return to school.

Testing and Quarantine Protocols for Travel

NYS has issued a travel advisory for anyone entering NYS from a non-bordering state (this excludes NJ, CT, PA, MA, VT) or traveled internationally from a country designated a CDC level 2, 3, or 4 COVID-19 travel health notice.

Travelers from states that are contiguous with New York are exempt from the travel advisory; however they must fill out NYS’s Traveler Health Form.

NYS Department of Health Travel Advisory has now outlined two choices:

1. Option One requires taking TWO COVID tests. You must submit proof of negative results FROM BOTH TESTS to this form to receive clearance to return to school. NYS Department of Health requires both negative test results for this shortened quarantine period and will follow up on it.

   1. Within three days before leaving your travel location, NYS Department of Health requires you to take a PCR COVID test in the travel location.

   2. Upon returning to NY, you must quarantine for three days.

   3. On the fourth day back in NY, take a PCR COVID test. HAFTR is not accepting rapid tests.

2. Option Two requires NO COVID test.

   1. If you do not take a COVID test before you leave your travel location, NYS Department of Health requires you to quarantine upon return to NY for 14 days. No test is required to return to HAFTR after the 14 day quarantine.

Winter Break:

Our ongoing primary objective remains to operate a safe and healthy environment for our students and staff. Following winter break, out of an abundance of caution for a successful restart to in-person instruction, HAFTR will require all students and staff who did not travel to take a PCR COVID test.

If you DID travel, you must follow the Testing and Quarantine Protocols for Travel outlined above.

For students or staff who have not travelled outside NYS and its border states, we have set up testing at HAFTR High School, located at 635 Central Ave, Cedarhurst on Thursday, January 28, 2021 at no additional cost to you. If for any reason, you cannot get tested on January 28, you must take a PCR COVID test on your own, no earlier than January 28, and submit the negative results with this form to receive clearance to return to school.

Registration for a time slot will be required. Information will be sent when registration opens. After registering, you will be instructed to print and bring two forms with you. Please come ONLY at the time slot you have chosen. Masks and social distancing are required.

In the case of a positive test, ATC Healthcare will contact you directly. If you do not hear from ATC Healthcare, assume the results are negative, and they have been submitted to HAFTR on your behalf. You will have clearance at this point to return to school beginning February 1.

Clearance to Return to School

In order to allow for enough time to review all submitted test results, HAFTR may take up to 24 hours from the time you submit your test results for clearance to return to school. After reviewing the submission, HAFTR will send you a confirmation email which will be required to return to school.

We wish everyone happy and healthy vacation breaks!

Thank you for your partnership both in and out of school. Please email wellness@haftr.org or call 516-984-8260 with any questions.

Interim Guidance for Quarantine Restrictions on Travelers Arriving in New York State Following Out of State Travel

August 2020

Incorporating the most current information from the CDC, the New York State Education Department, and the New York State Department of Health, the HAFTR reopening team has compiled the following updates to our protocols.

We have filed our reopening plan with New York State Department of Health and New York State Education Department, and are moving ahead with plans to have all students and faculty back in our buildings for the first day of learning on September 1, 2020.

We do NOT expect to be able to eliminate COVID-19 transmission in schools. It is our sincere hope that we can REDUCE transmission to the greatest extent possible, and keep our school safely open.

We are planning to open school because we feel that it can be done safely with the current low prevalence of COVID-19 in our community and our ability to implement appropriate safety protocols. We will continue to constantly monitor the situation and will make changes as indicated.

We will reiterate that we expect all members of the HAFTR community to take seriously their individual responsibility for helping to keep our buildings a healthy environment for everyone, by respecting the safety of all school staff and students.

In order for everyone to feel safe, there must be an understanding among parents and staff that NO ONE comes to school sick, ever. Students and staff must stay home when they are sick or when exposed to someone who is sick. The act of sending your children to school or coming to work at school indicates that they are healthy.

HEALTH GUIDELINES AND PREVENTION MEASURES

Signage and hardware are being installed in all our buildings to communicate, promote, and enforce these new procedures. Some of these best practices include:

• We expect all members of the HAFTR community to take responsibility for helping to keep our buildings a healthy environment for everyone, by respecting the safety of all school staff and students.

• Our alliance with our HAFTR families will play a critical role in supporting our renewed health and safety measures.

• Families must help reduce the spread of COVID-19 by checking their children daily for any symptoms. If a student is sick or has had close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19, they must stay home from school.

• Parents are requested to report illness or a COVID-19 diagnosis to wellness@haftr.org.

• Staff members or students with fever must remain home for a minimum of 72 hours after returning to normal body temperature.

• HAFTR will be requiring mandatory flu vaccinations for this school year. We expect all our staff and students to be vaccinated no later than November 30.

• Additionally, we ask our HAFTR families to continue to follow CDC, state, and local guidance on health and safety measures outside of school.

PRE-SCHOOL COVID TESTING

Prior to the start of school, every HAFTR student and staff member will be required to submit a medical report showing a negative result from a PCR COVID-19 test. The PCR test may be performed at any NYS approved testing site.

Optimal testing is 3-7 days prior to school beginning, however, due to potential laboratory delays, tests may be taken as early as, but no earlier than August 21. Those with antibodies must also take the PCR test.

HEALTH SCREENINGS

HAFTR students and staff will only be allowed to enter a HAFTR campus if they do not exhibit any signs of illness. Children exhibiting any physical illness may not come to school. Daily health monitoring is a New York State requirement. Staff will be asked to complete a COVID-19 self-screening form daily. It will include questions recommended by NYS and CDC, as well as a temperature check performed at home prior to the start of each school day.

Parents will be required to submit a daily self-screening health form on behalf of students each morning. If anyone indicates on the self-screening form that they exhibit any symptom of COVID-19, they will not be granted entrance to any building in our school, and will be asked to notify wellness@haftr.org.

If a student exhibits symptoms consistent with COVID-19 during the school day, they will be brought to a designated quarantine room until they can be picked up, within two hours of notification.

HAND HYGIENE

• We have added touchless sinks and sanitizing stations throughout our buildings.

• Students and staff will be required to wash or sanitize their hands frequently throughout the day, especially upon arrival, before eating, before putting on or taking off masks, and before dismissal.

• Students will be taught proper hygiene techniques.

• Additional signage has been added to remind students and staff to wash their hands.

FACE COVERINGS

• Face coverings may be cloth or disposable face masks which are at least 3-ply. N95 masks are not necessary and are not recommended for school settings, particularly not for children.

• Cloth or other reusable masks should be cleaned daily.

• Students and staff should bring at least two spare masks to school in case their mask gets lost, wet, or otherwise damaged or soiled.

• Sharing masks will not be permitted.

• Masks with exhalation valves will not be allowed.

• There will be no medical exemptions to the mask policy.

• Face shields alone are not protective, and do not replace masks.

• Early Childhood students will not be required to wear masks.

• Kindergarten through 8th grade students will wear masks at all times, in shared spaces as they move through the buildings, but will be permitted to remove them once all students are sitting at their desks in their classroom.

• High School students will wear masks throughout the school day during the transition back to in-person learning. Mask breaks will be provided at meals and other appropriate times in the classroom. This will assure maximum safety as students acclimate to new social distancing and hygiene protocols. Once the establishment of these new routines is effectuated, the in-class mask policy will be reevaluated.

• Faculty and staff will wear face coverings throughout the day.

• Students who are unable or repeatedly unwilling to wear masks throughout the school day will be required to remain at home and learn remotely.

UPDATE: September 18, 2020
Beginning Monday, September 21, 2020, K-12 students will be required to wear masks at all times while at school. Age appropriate mask breaks will still be taken throughout the day.

VACCINATIONS

In order to attend school, all students must be vaccinated, as per the New York State immunization requirements. No student will be allowed to begin school unless all of the student's medical and immunization records are on file with the school nurse. Please reach out to your division for further details and to discuss the documentation that is required to be submitted.

Per New York State legislation as of June 13, 2019, religious exemptions for vaccinations are no longer allowed under New York State law.

HAFTR will be requiring mandatory flu vaccinations for this school year. We expect all our staff and students to be vaccinated no later than November 30.

TRAVEL ADVISORY AND QUARANTINE

Anyone returning from international travel or travel from restricted states must precautionarily quarantine as per guidelines. No student or staff member will be allowed to enter our campuses until their required quarantine period is completed.

The travel advisory requires all New Yorkers to take personal responsibility for complying with the advisory in the best interest of public health and safety.

As long as the COVID-19 situation remains fluid, and the NYS Travel Advisory remains in effect, please make all travel plans mindfully.

Anyone subject to quarantine, due to travel or otherwise, must notify wellness@haftr.org.

UPDATE: Effective Wednesday, November 4
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced new guidelines allowing out-of-state travelers to New York to “test out” of the mandatory 14-day quarantine. Travelers from states that are contiguous with New York will continue to be exempt from the travel advisory.

For any traveler to New York State from out of state, exempting the contiguous states, the new guidelines for travelers to test-out of the mandatory 14-day quarantine are below:

For travelers who were in another state for more than 24 hours:

• Travelers must obtain a test within three days of departure from that state.

• The traveler must, upon arrival in New York, quarantine for three days.

• On day 4 of their quarantine, the traveler must obtain another COVID test. If both tests comes back negative, the traveler may exit quarantine early upon receipt of the second negative diagnostic test. HAFTR required this to be a PCR COVID test.

For travelers who were in another state for less than 24 hours:

• The traveler does not need a test prior to their departure from the other state, and does not need to quarantine upon arrival in New York State.

• However, the traveler must fill out the New York State traveler form upon entry into New York State, and take a COVID diagnostic test 4 days after their arrival in New York. HAFTR required this to be a PCR COVID test.

CLEANING AND SANITIZING PROTOCOLS

HAFTR has prided itself on cleanliness and a highly efficient maintenance staff. During this time our efforts will only increase, to make sure that our buildings are safe for our staff and students day in and day out. We will continue to adhere to existing required facility cleaning practices and procedures, and add any new requirements of the Health Departments as they arise. We have an abundance of cleaning and sanitizing supplies, and are working to develop a schedule for increased routine cleaning and sanitizing.

• We have purchased new equipment for cleaning and sanitizing our classrooms and common spaces, including high grade carpet cleaners, electrostatic disinfecting machines, and power wash sprays.

• HAFTR has purchased top of the line ULV Spray Foggers. Using a powerful, FDA approved COVID-19 virucide sanitizing solution, each building will be sprayed and sanitized every night.

• Buildings will be cleaned and sanitized throughout the day, and deep cleaned nightly.

• Bathrooms and high touch points will be cleaned and sanitized throughout the day.

• The school is replacing all HVAC filters with Merv 13 filters wherever possible to maximize safety.

• The use of shared objects such as supplies, electronic devices, toys, books, or learning aids will be limited when appropriate, or thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between use. Items that cannot be sanitized will be removed from the classrooms.

BUILDING PROTOCOLS

COVID-19 COORDIANTOR/SAFETY DIRECTOR

Each division will have a COVID-19 Coordinator to assist the principals in the day to day requirements of our COVID-19 protocols.

Additionally, HAFTR will have a COVID-19 Safety Director whose responsibilities include, but are not limited to, ensuring compliance of the HAFTR Back to School Blueprint as required by NYS DOH and NYS Education Department. The COVID-19 Safety Director will ensure all cleaning and disinfecting, PPE usage, health screenings, contact tracing and protocols surrounding possible and confirmed COVID-19 cases are being met.

BUILDING VISITORS

HAFTR’s open-door policy routinely welcomed all visitors to our programs and classrooms with open arms. In this new reality, we will regrettably be unable to continue our open-door policy. Non-essential visitors, including parents and family visitors, will not be allowed to enter HAFTR campuses until further notice.

Essential visitors include vendors, package delivery, and special education professionals employed by HAFTR or provided by the local school district.

All essential visitors to the school buildings will be required to complete a health screening form upon entering, will not be permitted entry if they are symptomatic, and will complete a contact tracing form upon exiting.

While on premises, they will be required to wear masks, wash or sanitize their hands frequently, and follow social distancing norms. Additionally, essential visitors will be restricted to the area they are essential to, and will not come in contact with any staff or student non-essential to their task.

TRANSPORTATION

District 14 and District 15 will be providing bussing to many of our community students for the 2020-21 school year. Please refer to district policies for further information.

We will have staggered arrival and dismissal times to minimize students entering or exiting buildings at one time.

Students who wish to use our private transportation will have the opportunity to apply for bussing.

Students are required to wear a mask while riding the school bus and while entering, exiting the buildings.

CARPOOLS

• Every student must be registered for either a carpool (even a carpool of one, or a carpool including only siblings) or walking if your child can walk home on their own.

• Carpools will be by division. In order to minimize congestion, no two divisions will dismiss at the same time.

• The number of families and/or students from multiple cohorts in a carpool should be as limited as possible.

• Once a carpool is set, it should not be altered.

• Non-carpool members (except for siblings of students) should not ride in the car with the carpool.

• If a carpool contains more than one family, everyone in the car older than two years old should wear a mask for the duration of the ride.

• Car windows should be kept open and/or the ventilation system should be set to bring in outside air instead of recirculating the air within the car.

• In the event of a COVID positive person in a carpool, wellness@haftr.org must be notified immediately and provided with a list of everyone who was in the car with that person.

COHORTS

In Early Childhood through 8th grade, cohorts will be formed. Each cohort will start school together, and remain the same every day, with minimal exposure to other cohorts.

Grouping students in these cohorts best positions us to have as many students as possible present for in-person learning, while still being able to trace and contain potential outbreaks of COVID-19 if necessary.

Contact between cohorts will be avoided to the greatest extent possible. Each cohort will be provided with adequate supplies for recreational and educational activities in order to avoid inter-cohort contamination.

IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION

As per NYS guidelines, students will be seated for instruction following one or more of these conditions:

A. The student is at least 6 feet from anyone else.
B. The student is protected by a barrier.
C. The student is wearing a face covering.

Classroom windows will be kept open for increased ventilation whenever possible.

DISTANCE LEARNING

New network wiring has been installed in every division to handle the upgraded bandwidth requirements.

New cameras are being installed in all classrooms to allow for the live streaming of every class, every day to accommodate students who are feeling ill, feeling well but forced to quarantine at home, or staying home for any other reason.

The computers at the front of each room allow the teachers to see students working from home. Teachers will have Bluetooth microphones as they walk around the room allowing those at home to hear everything their teacher says.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Attendance will be taken both in-person and virtually. Students participating virtually will be marked present.

HALLWAYS

We will institute a traffic plan to avoid crowding, stagger use of the hallways, and create one-way lanes.

LARGE GATHERINGS

All large indoor gatherings will be postponed until future notice. All back to school nights, conferences, and other programs will be held virtually.

LUNCH AND SNACKS

Early Childhood through 8th grade students will eat snack and lunch in their classroom, at their desk. Students who order school lunch will be brought an individual boxed lunch to their classroom. Students may also bring lunch from home which adheres to school allergy protocols.

High School students wearing face coverings will be permitted to leave the building to purchase lunch in the Central Avenue area, however, eating at the restaurant is not permitted. Students will be requested to eat lunch on school grounds, where tents and lunch locations will be set up. Students may also bring lunch from home in accordance with the school’s allergy protocols.

Water fountains have been replaced with water bottle filling stations.

TEFILAH

• All students will need to have their own siddur. There will be no communal siddurim to share.

• All students whose custom is to wear a talit for tefilah must bring their own every day. There will be no communal taleisim.

• In the Middle School, tefilah will be divided by cohort while maintaining social distancing and wearing masks.

• In the High School, tefilah will be divided into groups by grade while maintaining social distancing and wearing masks.

• For קריאת התורה ,the lainer will take all three aliyot, and will not be required to wear a talit.

• The shofar will not be blown indoors. Exact details will be forthcoming.

GYM

• Gym periods will be staggered to the greatest extent possible and/or social distances will be maintained between cohorts.

• Gym periods will be held outdoors whenever possible.

SPORTS/EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

As of this date, NYS does not allow for contact sports or interscholastic athletics. Additionally, other than a few exceptions, there will not be any extracurricular activities. In the High School, there will be opportunities for some virtual co-curricular activities and academic teams. More information will follow as additional guidance becomes available.

SCHOOL CLOSURE

We will collaborate with the Department of Health to determine the parameters, conditions,

or metrics that serve as warning signs that COVID-19 cases may be increasing. The following

conditions would mandate us to close all divisions for in-person learning:

• A large number of cases in one division, or across all divisions. An exact number has not yet been determined.

• We will have to close if/when we are mandated by the Department of Health due to:

  • Area hospitals seeing a surge in cases.

  • Exponential growth in our community at large.

  • Other reasons as determined by HAFTR or local authorities.

MEDICAL PROTOCOLS

Please note: The guidelines below are in line with the most recent NYS and CDC guidelines; they are subject to change based on local, state, and federal guidance.

ILLNESS AND RETURN TO SCHOOL

In general, no one will be allowed to return to school with ongoing fever or symptoms.

• Every staff or student with a fever of 100.0°F or greater must be evaluated by medical personnel, and may not return to school until they are fever free without the use of fever-reducing medications for 72 hours. A negative PCR COVID test result and medical note stating they can return to school must be brought on their first day back.

UPDATE: NOVEMBER 3, 2020

• Every staff or student with a fever of 100.0°F or greater must be evaluated by medical personnel, and may not return to school until they are fever free without the use of fever-reducing medications for 24 hours. A negative PCR COVID test result and medical note stating they can return to school must be brought on their first day back.

UPDATE: NOVEMBER 19, 2020

• Return to school only requires proof of a negative PCR COVID test. A medical note is no longer required.

COVID-19 SYMPTOMS

The following symptoms MUST be reported to the school nurse, whether they occur at school or at home, and require a negative PCR COVID test result and a medical note in order to return to school.

• Fever or chills

• New cough or change in a chronic cough

  • Children with a chronic cough must submit medical documentation.

• Shortness of breath (not exercise or mask induced, persistent)

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea (2 or more episodes of loose stools in a 24 hour period)

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Severe or persistent abdominal pain

• Persistent chest pain

• Persistent body aches without known trauma/injury

• Headache

  • Children with chronic headaches must submit medical documentation.

• Congestion/Upper Respiratory Infection (runny nose, etc)

  • Chronic rhinitis requires a medical note to return to school.

SYMPTOMS AT SCHOOL

• If a student or staff member presents with the above symptoms during the school day, with or without fever, they will be required to leave the school campus.

• Close household contacts (i.e. siblings, parents, children, or other people living in the same household) of symptomatic students/staff will need to go home as well. They may return to school as per the guidelines below.

• The student’s teacher or designee will inform the school nurse that the sick child is reporting to the quarantine room.

• Each campus will have a quarantine room to be used for students with suspected COVID-19 symptoms until they can be picked up. Students will be sent to the designated quarantine room if they present with symptoms, including, but not limited to, a fever of 100.0°F or greater. Whenever possible, each sick student will be in a room by themselves with a monitor who is wearing a mask. If sick children must share a room, they must be at least 6 feet apart, or protected by a barrier.

• All staff will immediately be sent home if they have symptoms, including, but not limited to, a fever of 100.0°F or greater.

NURSE’S OFFICE

• Health/Nurses’ Offices will be disinfected nightly.

• No faculty member is permitted into health offices, unless they are feeling ill or require medical attention.

• The nurse’s office will function for trauma and daily medication administration. A separate room will function as a quarantine isolation room.

• The district will supply the nurse’s office with appropriate personal protective equipment including; N95 masks, face shields, disposable gowns, sanitizers, wipes, and gloves.

  • If the nurse is caring for a child with a cough, s/he will wear full PPE.

  • The nurse and other staff involved in caring for sick children in school should be trained on safe use of PPE.

  • Nurses should be fit tested for an N95 mask by District 15, if possible.

• The nurse(s) will not be required to quarantine after caring for a COVID positive student or staff member if s/he wore appropriate PPE (minimum of N95, face shield, and gloves) during the encounter.

• Nebulized medications will not be administered at school.

  • If your child has asthma, please send a labeled inhaler and spacer.

STUDENT PICK-UP

Parents must have a plan in place to pick up their child within 2 hours of notification of illness. Parents should fill out an emergency contact form with at least one additional authorized individual who can pick up the child within 2 hours if the parent is unable to.

Parents should NOT come into the building. The parent or designee should wait outside and the child will be escorted out by a school staff member.

COVID PROTOCOLS

IDENTIFIABLE NON-COVID ILLNESS

UPDATE: NOVEMBER 3, 2020
If medical personnel determine that a fever was caused by a laboratory confirmed acute illness, such as strep throat or an ear infection, AND COVID-19 is not suspected, the person may return to school when they are fever free for 24 hours. They must bring documentation of evaluation by a healthcare provider (healthcare provider note clearing a person to return to school) on their first day back.

NON-IDENTIFIABLE NON-COVID ILLNESS

If medical personnel cannot determine the cause of the fever, the person must have a PCR COVID test.

At this point, we will only be accepting results from comprehensive PCR COVID tests, not a rapid COVID test. This is the working policy for reopening school, to be continually readdressed.

COVID TEST WITH A NEGATIVE RESULT

If the PCR COVID test is negative, once the person is symptom and fever free without the use of fever-reducing medications for 72 hours, they can return to school. The person should bring a medical note with them on their first day back at school.

In cases where symptoms are from a chronic condition, the person should submit medical documentation to the school nurse, which will need to be approved prior to their return to school.

COVID-19 EXPOSURE

Was I exposed to COVID-19?

• You were within 6 feet of someone who tested positive for COVID-19 for a total of 10 minutes or more.

• You provided care at home to someone who has COVID-19.

• You had direct physical contact with someone who has COVID-19 (hugged or kissed them).

• You shared eating or drinking utensils with someone who has COVID-19.

• Someone who has COVID-19 sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on you.

What To Do If You’ve Had Exposure to COVID-19

• Stay home for 14 days after your last contact with the person who has COVID-19.

• Check your temperature twice a day and watch for fever of 100.0°F or greater, or other symptoms of COVID-19.

• If possible, stay away from others, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19.

• Following contact with a household member (siblings, parent, child, childcare provider, or other people living in the same household), even if you test negative for COVID-19 or feel healthy, follow CDC guidelines for when to quarantine, and stay home for 14 days, since symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure to the virus.

COVID WITHIN A COHORT

This is the working policy for reopening school, to be continually readdressed.

• If the school is notified during the school day about a need to quarantine;

  • Student: the child will need to be picked up by a parent or designee within 2 hours and may NOT ride the bus or carpool if it contains students from other cohorts.

  • Staff: the staff member will be sent home immediately.

• The Department of Health will determine possibly only quarantining cohort-mates whose distance was less than six feet from the “confirmed case" in classrooms where students remain seated at their desks.

• If a teacher maintained 6 foot distance from the students at all times, or wore a mask and was within 6 feet for 10 minutes or less, the teacher will likely NOT need to quarantine if a student in the class tests positive, nor will students be required to quarantine if the teacher tests positive.

• For teachers/classmates of a student or staff with symptoms but COVID test is not yet done or resulted:

  • Close contacts will likely be able to stay in school that day and ride the bus/carpool home as long as they are asymptomatic, but will be strongly encouraged to keep their mask on at all times, even while at desks.

  • Guidance will be given that evening or as soon as possible on whether they need to quarantine and when they may return to school.

CONTACT TRACING AND NOTIFICATION

Contact tracing and notification protocols will be followed should a positive result occur. Parents, staff, vendors, and visitors must allow contact tracing and sharing of COVID related information only amongst necessary parties, as solely determined by HAFTR.

Assigned seating will be required in all divisions where possible. A desk map of each classroom for each period of every day will be maintained to support rapid contact tracing. This map will be updated whenever assigned seats are changed, and reviewed at least monthly.

COVID-19 QUARANTINE AND RETURN TO SCHOOL

Because the CDC guidelines and quarantine recommendations continue to shift, if someone tests positive for COVID-19, the Nassau County Board of Health will be contacted to obtain instructions as to who needs to quarantine and for how long. Following a positive COVID-19 result, any staff member or student will only be permitted to return to school once all NYS and Nassau County requirements are adhered to.

After a positive COVID-19 test result, patient can return to school:

• Symptomatic: 10 days after symptom onset AND fever free for 72 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications AND with improvement of other symptoms. The person should bring a medical note with them on their first day back at school.

  • For most patients with COVID-19, isolation and precautions can generally be discontinued 10 days after symptom onset, and resolution of fever for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing medications, and with improvement of other symptoms.

  • A limited number of patients with severe illness may produce replication-competent viruses beyond 10 days, that may warrant extending the duration of isolation and precautions for up to 20 days after symptom onset; consider consultation with infection control experts.

• Asymptomatic: 10 days after symptom onset AND fever free for 72 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications AND with improvement of other symptoms. The person should bring a medical note with them on their first day back at school.

  • For patients who never develop symptoms, isolation and other precautions can be discontinued 10 days after the date of their first positive RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 RNA.

All of our educational models align with our school’s mission, do not compromise the quality of our program, and ensure safety and educational appropriateness, while adhering to Department of Health guidelines.

Whether students are learning in-person or virtually from home, they will be given the opportunity to engage in HAFTR’s rigorous dual curricular educational program in a meaningful way. Our team is committed to maintain HAFTR’s high standards for academic learning and extracurricular programming and to continue to facilitate the innovative learning opportunities our school is known for. While the situation at large remains fluid, all divisions are planning scenarios that include hybrid and fully virtual educational models in the event that there is a spike in COVID-19 cases, and we are required to once again close our physical buildings entirely.

We recognize that although our goal is to have as many students as possible in our buildings, some students may not be able to attend in-person due to health restrictions. In addition, there may be times when students, or even entire classes, may not be able to attend in-person classes due to illness, COVID-19, or an exposure to COVID-19 quarantine. We are developing an assortment of virtual learning options using varied technology, to ensure we are able to act responsively to the fluid and diverse needs of our students.

HAFTR EARLY CHILDHOOD - 8TH GRADE

HAFTR’s Early Childhood, Lower School, and Middle School divisions take great pride in their premier educational programs that both challenge and support all learners in an environment that is warm and conducive to student development.

Continuing our reputation for excellence, our team is working on educational models for the coming year that will allow us to achieve our goals no matter the structural iteration of our school. We are planning to have all Nursery through 8th grade students in our buildings every day.

MODEL A (Least Restrictive)

• Students will attend regular classes with in-person classroom instruction.

• Cohorts of students will be formed.

• Each cohort is a group of students that stays as static as possible by having the same group of children stay with the same staff. Each cohort will start school together, and remain the same every day, with minimal exposure to other cohorts. Grouping students in these cohorts best positions us to have as many students as possible present for in-person learning, while still being able to trace and contain potential outbreaks of COVID-19 within our community.

• Cohort numbers and class configurations will be finalized closer to the start of school. In this scenario, contact between cohorts will be avoided to the greatest extent possible. Each cohort will be provided with adequate supplies for recreational and educational activities in order to avoid inter-cohort contamination.

• Student movement around the building will be minimized. For departmentalized grades, teachers will travel to classrooms.

MODEL B

• HAFTR EC - 8th grade will operate in a hybrid model of synchronous learning for students both in-person and virtually.

• Our full educational program will be sustained for every student. New technology is being installed throughout our buildings allowing teachers to simultaneously instruct classes to students in-person and virtually.

• Students will be divided into two groups to attend classes in-person and virtually on a rotational basis.

• A number of rotation models are being evaluated to assess optimal configuration for our students’ educational growth, safety, and social emotional well-being. Developmental appropriateness for different grade levels and divisions are being considered as well.

• If public health mandates make Model A infeasible, we will prioritize our N - 5th grade students attending school 5 days per week following Model A, and Middle School students will pivot to Model B.

MODEL C (Most Restrictive)

• HAFTR EC - 8th grade will transition to a fully virtual educational model with students continuing learning from home.

• While we are extremely proud of the exemplary virtual learning program we delivered this Spring, the experience has given us the opportunity to learn many lessons that have increased our institutional capacity.

• As we prepare for the possibility that public health data mandates we close our physical buildings completely, our school is prepared to deliver a virtual learning experience that builds on the success we have had, introducing new programs with significantly more live classes to better mimic a typical school day.

HAFTR HIGH SCHOOL

As we plan for the upcoming school year, HAFTR High School is committed to sustaining our warm and inclusive culture that promotes students’ academic growth and achievement and facilitates their mastery of Regents, AP and Limudei Kodesh curricula. We are resolved to maintain differentiated levels of instruction in core curriculum subjects, a wide range of elective courses, and individualized student schedules, enabling students to reach their maximum individual potential. In addition to our robust academic and college- and Israel-preparatory program, we will provide opportunities for students to engage in meaningful co-curricular activities and programs with the goal of maintaining positivity, achdut and religious growth.

To effectuate these goals during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are considering four educational models, based on New York State Department of Education and Department of Health guidelines. For in-person models, HAFTR High School classrooms will be grouped into four quadrants, one for each grade, to reduce movement through the building. Students who are unable to attend school in-person will be able to participate in instructional activities virtually via enhanced technology in the classroom.

MODEL A (Least Restrictive)

• Students will attend regular classes, following their individual schedule with in-person classroom instruction.

• Cohorts of students will be formed where feasible. Grouping students in cohorts best positions us to be able to trace and contain potential outbreaks of COVID-19 within our community.

• Seating arrangements will comply with recommended guidelines, and students will wear a mask at all times.

• Students in each grade will learn in designated classrooms in one quadrant of the building; student movement between classrooms will be minimized. Teachers will travel to classrooms.

MODEL B

• Students in each grade will be divided into two groups, both of which will be in the high school building on a full-time basis.

• While Group A meets in one classroom with their teacher, Group B will be supervised in another location in the building with virtual access to their teacher’s instruction. New technology is being installed throughout our buildings allowing teachers to simultaneously instruct classes to students in-person and virtually.

• Both groups will have full opportunities for participation in all instructional and assessment activities. The teacher will alternate in-person instruction between the two groups.

MODEL C

• HAFTR High School will operate in a hybrid model of synchronous learning for students in-person and virtually.

• Our full educational program will be sustained for every student. New technology is being installed throughout our buildings allowing teachers to simultaneously instruct classes to students in-person and virtually.

• Students will be divided into two groups to attend classes in-person and virtually on a rotational basis.

• A number of rotation models are being evaluated to assess the optimal configuration for our students’ educational growth, safety and social emotional well-being.

MODEL D (Most Restrictive)

• HAFTR High School will transition to a fully virtual learning model in which students will continue learning from home.

• We are very proud of our successful transition to a virtual instructional platform this Spring, and we have taken the opportunity to learn from this experience and assess the effectiveness of a variety of instructional formats and activities that were utilized.

• We are designing a robust master online learning schedule and preparing measures to enhance students’ and teachers’ virtual educational experience.

In addition to taking steps to safeguard our students’ and staff’s physical health, we are also considering the impact of social isolation on both our educators and students.

Social emotional learning will be critical in re-engaging our students, repairing relationships, and rebuilding a strong foundation for academic success.

We once again want to express our deepest gratitude to our educators and staff who skillfully navigated this pandemic. They have continually shifted and reinvented educational best practices while still providing a premier educational experience for our HAFTR students.

Although COVID-19 has had significant impacts on education, HAFTR is committed to safely reopening our school. We know there is no substitute for the attention and engagement of in-person learning. We have made every effort to ensure we will adhere to conceivable best practices based on current information. Ultimately, our 2020-21 school year will be dictated by guidelines issued by local, state, and federal agencies.

Through our planning and preparedness, we hope to continue to be flexible as we navigate the uncharted road ahead, reimagining how to continue providing our students with HAFTR’s high standards of academic learning and extracurricular programming.

It will take all of us working together to make this successful.

We will keep our communications with you transparent and frequent, continuing to include you in our planning process, and updating you as we receive additional guidance.