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.

• We must be able to pivot throughout the school year, as the reality of COVID-19 is likely to change.

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

The SVDP Taskforce has updated our Health and Safety Plan for the new school year 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.

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This Operations Plan has been updated to reflect the State of California’s COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California, 2021-22 School Year issues on July 12, 2021.

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/K-12-Guidance-2021-22-School-Year.aspx#

Face Coverings

Students in all grade levels K-8 will be required to wear face coverings while indoors and outdoors at school

All staff are required to wear face coverings when sharing indoor spaces with students.

● CPDH recommends disposable 3-ply surgical masks, which are more effective than cloth face coverings

● Bandanas, gaiters, and similar face coverings are no longer acceptable

● Additional masks will be available to students who inadvertently fail to bring a face covering to school

● Under CDPH guidelines, students who refuse to wear a face mask as required will be sent home

Classroom Spaces

Recent evidence indicates that in-person instruction can occur safely without minimum physical distancing requirements when other mitigation strategies (e.g., masking) are implemented. 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 county 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, and eat in silence -- silent snack and silent lunch will be practiced and monitored. 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. Schools are no longer required to confirm that these checks have been completed each day or conduct them onsite.

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.sfdph.org/dph/COVID-19/Schools-Returning.asp.

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 SFDPH guidelines for quarantine, located in Quick Guide for Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 in Schools, Childcare, and Programs for Children and Youth. The guidelines state that if students wore masks at all times that they were exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual within a classroom, students are permitted a 10-day modified quarantine in which they may still attend in-person instruction if they are (1) asymptomatic, (2) do not participate in extracurricular actives during the 10-day period, and (3) get tested twice per week.

See RESOURCE page for more information.

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