Hello SVDP Community,

Saint Vincent de Paul School is committed to delivering our vision and mission through an educational experience based on adaptive and flexible programming when necessary. We look forward to beginning the school year with teaching and learning reflective of pre-pandemic practices with COVID-19 mitigation guidelines firmly in place.

Our guiding principles remain:

• Health and safety must always be at the forefront of our decision- making.

• Our planning must reflect the vision and mission of Saint Vincent de Paul School.

• Health and hygiene policies will reflect the most recent city, county, and state guidelines.

• Our decisions and practices must support equity across our community as best as possible.

Our Health and Safety Plan for the new school year has been updated to reflect the changes provided by the CDC, CDPH, and SFDPH.

Thank you for your continued support as we navigate the ever change landscape of schooling during a pandemic.

______________________

This Operations Plan has been updated to reflect the State of California’s COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California, 2022-23 School Year issues on July 1, 2022.

https://sf.gov/schools-childcare-and-youth-programs-during-covid-19-pandemic

Face Coverings

Students in all grade levels K-8 are not required to wear face coverings while indoors and outdoors at school. Face masks are highly recommended by the state, especially in in-door settings.

Classroom Spaces

Classes will be reflective of pre-pandemic practices - whole class instruction, students transition/travel between core classes and co-curricular classes.

Ventilation

Ventilation will be maximized within all occupied indoor spaces through some combination of operable windows, mechanical ventilation systems, and/or portable air cleaners in a manner that complies with state guidance.

Hand Hygiene

All classrooms, staff rooms, and dining areas are stocked with hand hygiene stations consisting of soap and water or hand sanitizer. All individuals will be encouraged to practice regular hand hygiene.

Meals and Snacks

When eating in the cafe, students will be appropriately spaced at assigned seats to monitor potential close contacts. Frequently touched surfaces will be cleaned before and after meals.

Stay Home When Sick

A list of COVID-19 symptoms will be given to staff, volunteers, students, and families. We will require symptomatic staff and students to stay home when sick, get tested, and consult with their health care provider.

Testing

We strongly encourage people with symptoms of COVID-19 to get tested, regardless of their vaccination status, as well as those who are unvaccinated and are close contacts of those with COVID-19.

SFDPH does not recommend routine testing of asymptomatic staff or students if they have no known exposures.

Positive Cases

Individuals with symptoms or those who have tested positive for COVID-19 will be instructed to not return for in-person instruction until they meet all of the conditions outlined in https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/Guidance-on-Isolation-and-Quarantine-for-COVID-19-Contact-Tracing.aspx.

Isolation of Cases

Individuals who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms while onsite will be required to be sent home. Students who become sick and are waiting to be picked up are required to wait in a designated isolation space.

Quarantine

All students and staff are required to adhere to the CPH guidelines for quarantine.

See RESOURCES from SFPDH below for more information.

CDPH Updated Masking Guidance

Dear schools, youth and childcare program partners,

Starting Friday September 23rd, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) guidance regarding masking for the public will change. As you know, most SFDPH guidance for schools, childcare, and programs for children and youth has been retired in favor of alignment with CDPH K-12 Guidance for the 2022-23 School Year. This update shifts masking guidance from a strong recommendation for indoor masking in all public settings to one based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Community Level COVID-19 Tracker.

The CDC Community Tracker helps individuals, organizations, and communities decide which preventative actions to take based on the latest information about county COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Program administrators should consult the tracker during periods of increased COVID-19 transmission for prevention recommendations.

Programs may not prevent anyone from wearing a mask as a condition of participation in an activity or entry into a site unless it poses a safety hazard. Additionally, programs are still required to develop and implement practices to provide masks to students who desire to use them. Employers and employees remain subject to either CalOSHA ETS or Cal/OSHA ATD and should consult these regulations for additional guidance requirements as needed.

Regards,

The COVID-19 Schools/Childcare Team

Website

SFDPH launched a new streamlined website on COVID-19 prevention and mitigation for schools and childcare. The previously used websites have been removed. Please bookmark this website and use this moving forward.

Case Reporting

Since new variants of COVID can spread more easily, SFDPH no longer tracks individual cases of COVID. This is no longer an effective public health strategy. As a result, the following now applies to case reporting:

1. For cases regarding children and youth:

- All sites serving children and youth (i.e., schools, after-school programs, summer camps, and other programs serving youth) are no longer required to report cases to SFDPH.

2. For cases regarding staff:

- Per Cal/OSHA, if 3 or more employees test positive in a 2 week period, please contact the Department of Public Health

3. For all cases:

- Reporting through SPOT is no longer required.

CDPH School Resources

COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California, 2022-23 School Year

K-12 Schools Guidance 2021-2022 Questions & Answers

State of California Safe Schools For All Hub

The school liaison to the LHD is: Marguerite Pini at administration@svdpsf.com