Health and Safety Protocols

Health and Safety protocols

Introduction

The health and safety of the students, faculty and staff in our schools is paramount. Health and safety considerations always come first in every decision made and every action taken by our school district.

Mitigation is accomplished by:

Health Screening Attestations (see Before Arrival);
Healthy Hygiene Practices
- - Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use district provided sanitizer.
  - Follow respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette.
Physical Distancing;
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Face Masks (see Before Arrival);
Management of Ill Persons;
Cleaning and Disinfection; and
Proper Ventilation.

All students, faculty and staff are reminded that they must report symptoms of, or exposure to, COVID-19 to the school nurse. Please see our Health Services page for contact information.

Healthy Hygiene Practices

Hand Hygiene

Students and staff must practice good hand hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Schools will plan time in the school day schedule to allow for hand hygiene. Frequent hand washing signage has been placed throughout our facilities.

Hand hygiene includes:

Traditional hand washing (with soap and warm water, lathering for a minimum of 20 seconds), which is the preferred method. Disposable paper towels will be provided.
Use of district provided hand sanitizers when soap and water are not available, and hands are not visibly dirty.
District provided hand sanitizer will be available in classrooms, throughout common areas, cafeterias and in proximity to high touch surfaces such as copiers. Touch free hand sanitizer dispensers are installed where possible.

Respiratory Hygiene

The COVID-19 virus spreads from person to person in droplets produced by coughs and sneezes. Therefore, it is important that:

Students and staff cover their mouths or noses with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and dispose of the tissue appropriately.
A supply of tissues be available in each room when feasible. If no tissue is available, using the inside of the elbow (or shirtsleeve) to cover the mouth or nose is preferable to using the hands.
Always perform hand hygiene after sneezing, coughing and handling dirty tissues or other soiled material.
Windows are open to improve ventilation when possible.

Respiratory Hygiene signage has been placed throughout our facilities.

Physical Distancing

Classrooms and other instructional areas will generally allow for physical distancing of three (3) feet.

Signs of COVID illness

Students and staff are required to notify the school nurse when they develop symptoms or if their answers to the attestation change during or outside school hours (see Before Arrival section for more information).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) keep an up-to-date list of symptoms of Coronavirus on its website.

Staff members should report any signs of illness observed in students or adults immediately to the school nurse, to include but are not limited to:

Fever or chills
Unexplained Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chest pressure or pain
Unexplained Fatigue, muscle or body aches, and/or headache
Changes to taste or smell
Signs of a cold
Unexplained Nausea or vomiting
Unexplained Diarrhea
Unexplained feeling of being unwell

Students and staff exhibiting such signs with no other explanation for them should call the health office for direction. If a school nurse is not available, the school must contact the parent/guardian to immediately pick up their child or send the staff member home.

Students returning to school after a COVID-19 related illness will return to the Health Office with a doctors note and/or clearance from the Department of Health and be assessed by the school nurse before returning to class. Families without health insurance will be referred to Social Services for assistance.

Staff members returning to school after a COVID-19 related illness will submit a clearance from the Department of Health to Human Resources prior to returning to work.

High Risk Groups

Students with special needs or students who are medically fragile may not be able to maintain physical distancing, hand or respiratory hygiene, or wear a face mask. It is important for parents/ guardians to work with their child’s healthcare providers so that an informed decision can be made on how best to meet the child’s needs at school while protecting their health and safety.

Transitioning medically fragile students back to school requires:

Planning and coordination of:
- - school health services personnel
  - special education personnel
  - pupil personnel services and
  - administration.

Alternate plans created in consultation with school health personnel on how to meet the needs of the child while keeping physical distancing may include:

Additional PPE for staff caring for such students;
Assigning only one staff member to care for the student; and/or
Provision of related services to an individual instead of group setting.

A parent or guardian with a medically fragile student who needs to requests an alternative accommodation should do so through the District's Section 504 process. For more information on the Section 504 process please contact Ms. Allison Rushforth, Assistant Superintendent for Student Services.

Visitors, guests, Contractors, and Vendors

School visitors, guests, contractors, and vendors with a scheduled appointment will be required to complete a health screening attestation prior to arrival to the school building. All visitors must adhere to all COVID-19 protocols established by the District.

Facilities

Strict protocols for cleaning and disinfecting, including high touch surfaces are followed.

Cleaning and Disinfecting

Cleaning and disinfection will be rigorous and ongoing and will occur at least daily, or more frequently as needed.
Each day, each space including desks, and tables will be cleaned and disinfected using a 24-hour residual cleaner and surface disinfectant.
See COVID-19 Confirmed Cases for cleaning and disinfection following suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case

Ventilation

The District will continue to ensure that there is an acceptable level of ventilation throughout each building. The District will open windows (temperature permitting) to supplement the mechanical ventilation of school facilities.

Water Fountains

The District has ensured the appropriate ratio of one water fountain per 100 people in each school building. Water fountains that supply water to a personal water bottle have been installed where feasible. Water fountains that contain bubblers have been disconnected.

Detailed plans for water fountains and ventilation are available in the District's Facilities Office.

M.A.X. Program

The M.A.X. program will continue to operate following their normal schedule anytime Munsey Park or Shelter Rock schools are open for on-site instruction. Should all students in a school building be learning remotely the M.A.X. program will not run.

M.A.X. will follow all COVID-19 protocols established by the District.

School safety coordinator

The school safety coordinator is responsible for continuous compliance with all aspects of the school's reopening plan.

District Level:

Rosemary Johnson
Dr. Gaurav Passi
Allison Rushforth

School Based Safety Coordinator:

Shelter Rock School:

Richard Roder, Principal
Paulette Williams, Assistant Principal

Munsey Park School:

Chad Altman, Principal
Brian Nolan, Assistant Principal

Secondary School:

Dr. Dean Schlanger, Principal
Peter Vercessi, Associate Principal
Mark Oppenheimer, Assistant Principal

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