Illness & Attendance Policies
Illness Policy
California State law requires that MIR shall be responsible for ensuring that children with obvious symptoms of any illness do not attend school. Obvious symptoms include productive cough, runny nose, sneezing, fever, rash, eye inflammation, vomiting, diarrhea, or sore throat.
We cannot admit your child to school if one or more of the following exists:
Illness that prevents the child from participating comfortably in normal school activities including outdoor play.
Illness or injury that results in a greater need for care than teachers can provide without compromising the health, safety, and supervision of the other children in the class.
A temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher.
Symptoms and signs of possible severe illness such as lethargy, abnormal breathing, diarrhea, vomiting, rash with fever, mouth sores with drooling, or behavior changes that indicate severe illness.
A communicable disease without medical documentation to indicate that the child is no longer contagious.
Parents of other children in the class will be notified of all communicable diseases (confidentiality will be maintained). This is an existing policy for MIR and is not specific to COVID-19. Illnesses we communicate about include, but are not limited to, strep illnesses (strep throat, scarlet fever); hand, foot, and mouth disease; lice; and flu.
School Attendance Policy
Montessori in Redlands wants to provide a healthy and safe environment for our community. Therefore, we are requesting notification from families whenever a child will be absent, no matter the reason (illness, injury, vacation, etc.). The school will be collecting and maintaining symptom and diagnostic information for our community, as well as tracking absences.
Whenever your child will be absent from school, for any reason, please complete the MIR Attendance Form. Please use this form to report all student absences.
Absences Due to Illness
Parents should screen themselves and their child daily, prior to coming to MIR. Children must stay home when they are sick. If your child will be absent from school due to illness or has any type of contagious disease, please complete the attendance form and call the school office as well. In addition, parents must notify the school if a child has had any fever-reducing medications in the prior 72 hours. Providing this information is necessary to enable the school to notify the parents of other children in the class (confidentiality will be maintained).
A school administrative team member will follow up with your family to determine when the student may return to school. MIR follows guidance from San Bernardino County and the CDC to calculate a return-to-school date for staff and students.
Student Wellness Checks
Before arriving at school, MIR families should answer Wellness Check questions through their SchoolPass app. If you do not pass a Wellness Check question, keep your child home, report the reason for the absence through SchoolPass, and our COVID-19 Prevention Team will help determine a return-to-school date. During the Wellness Check, MIR staff will:
Verify that the Wellness Check has been completed.
Visually assess the child for symptoms such as flushed cheeks, rapid or difficulty breathing, or fatigue.
Once this process is complete, children may exit the car to go to class.
If Student Symptoms of Illness Begin at School
This policy applies to symptoms for any illness that develops at the school.
The office will contact the family for immediate pick-up and provide a description of symptoms and/or temperature reading.
Students will be kept in a comfortable yet separate location until the family arrives.
Once the child is relocated, classroom staff will clean and disinfect all materials and areas used by the child, especially high-touch points (tables, chairs, door handles, faucets, sinks, counters, etc.).
Once a child has been picked up, the waiting area will be cleaned and disinfected.
Families will be asked to complete the attendance form and an administrative team member will follow up with the family to determine when the child can return to school.
Staff Wellness Checks
The school will reinforce the importance of staff staying vigilant for symptoms and notifying Human Resources if or when they start to feel sick. Staff members who have been out sick with no COVID-19 symptoms will follow MIR's regular sick leave and return-to-school policies. MIR will ensure staff members do not return to campus prematurely.
Testing of Staff
MIR staff surveillance testing for COVID-19 is implemented based on local disease trends. When community transmission of the COVID-19 virus is considered widespread in San Bernardino County, MIR staff will be tested for the virus every other month as local testing capacity allows. The frequency may be increased or decreased depending on the prevalence of local community transmission rates.
Face Masks
Students
Montessori in Redlands follows current guidance from the San Bernardino County and California Department of Public Health for face coverings at school. At this time, all students over the age of two wear face masks while working in their classrooms, working outdoors, and arriving and departing MIR. Students may take off their masks while playing on the playground.
We do understand that it is difficult for mask-wearing to be a completely consistent practice with our youngest students. We are aware that children are not accustomed to face masks, and we anticipate that regular "mask breaks" will be a part of our daily schedule. We will provide education and support to encourage their use. The staff will guide the children in wearing masks with regard to each individual and their development.
Students are encouraged to wear a favorite mask from home. The school will provide masks to students if they don’t have one or need another one. The children will not share their masks, and MIR face masks will be laundered daily at MIR.
Children may be given an opportunity to take a mask break in a designated space, where social distancing will be observed.
Adults
Masks are required for all adults on MIR’s campus. Parents and caregivers are required to wear face masks during drop-off and pick-up times.
For staff who come into routine contact with others, disposable 3-ply surgical masks are recommended, which are more effective than cloth face coverings.
For staff working with children, there may be situations where a face mask cannot be used for pedagogical or developmental reasons, (e.g., communicating or assisting young children or those with special needs). A face shield with a drape attached can be used instead of a face covering while giving a lesson or communication. The staff member will switch back to a mask once the lesson is complete.
MIR staff may take mask breaks when they are outdoors and supervising children from a minimum distance of 6 feet. Masks should be kept ready if a child approaches or needs assistance.
General
The use of face coverings is advised to slow the spread of the virus and to help people who may have the virus, even if they do not know it (asymptomatic), from transmitting it to others. Wearing a cotton face mask or medical mask protects others by reducing the droplets and viral particles that spread between people as we talk and interact -- especially in situations where a physical distance of 6 feet cannot be maintained.
Choose a face mask that:
Has two or more layers of washable, breathable fabric (cotton, synthetic/cotton blend, polyester outer layer).
Completely covers your nose and mouth.
Fits snugly against the sides of your face and chin with no gaps.
Does not have exhalation valves or vents, which allow virus particles to escape.
No neck gaiters: Emerging studies have shown that due to their porous fabric, neck gaiters are not effective in blocking substantial face droplets. Therefore, face masks used at MIR must be made from cotton, cotton/polyester blend, or be a medical mask.
Masks/cotton face coverings will not be required in the following scenarios:
If a student or staff member has a medical need that precludes the use of a face mask. The use of a face shield with a drape attached across the bottom and tucked into the shirt will be required.
Children are younger than 2 years of age.
While children are napping, eating, and drinking.
Talking with children: We understand that seeing and wearing masks is unusual for many young children. Keep answers to questions simple and developmentally appropriate. MIR staff will model being calm, matter-of-fact, and reassuring to the children.
If children ask about people wearing masks or other face coverings, adults can explain:
People wear masks to help keep others healthy and safe from getting sick.
The more people wear masks, the healthier we all are.
Their teachers and friends at school are wearing masks to keep everyone around them safe and well.
When you wear a mask, you are doing a very special job as a germ buster. It’s like wearing a superhero’s cape. You are helping to keep yourself and your friends healthy.