Reopening Guidelines and Procedures 2020-21

The expectations and practices described below are intended, to the greatest extent possible, to prevent the introduction and spread of COVID-19 amongst our students, faculty and staff within a reduced density model. These policies are informed by the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, New York State Education Department and the New York City Department of Health. We will introduce these protocols to all faculty, staff, administrators, and students at the beginning of the school year.

Throughout this document reference is made to “fever and/or other COVID-19 symptoms.” A “fever” is a body temperature greater or equal to 100ºF; “other COVID-19 symptoms” include respiratory symptoms (cough, difficulty breathing), vomiting, diarrhea, rash, pink eye, runny nose, body aches, loss of taste and smell, or sore throat.

The following protocols and requirements will be in place until further notice. Adjustments may be made from time to time as conditions evolve and as determined necessary and appropriate.

• Housekeeping staff will continue to disinfect spaces frequently throughout the day, with particular attention to high-touch surfaces, and will be conducting a deep clean of school buildings and rented spaces every evening. Saint Ann’s will follow the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products (e.g., concentration, application method and contact time, etc.). Bathrooms will be cleaned frequently throughout the day on a rotating basis.
• Hand sanitizer and EPA-registered cleaning wipes will be available in all classrooms and common areas for students and teachers to use to disinfect surfaces after every class.
• Students, faculty and staff will be required to wear masks while in school buildings. The school will have masks available on an as-needed basis, but everyone is encouraged to bring their own masks to wear every day.
• The school will teach and reinforce healthy hygiene practices, including frequent handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or the use of hand sanitizer, especially after going to the bathroom, before and after eating, and after nose-blowing, coughing, or sneezing.
• Signage will be in place throughout campus reiterating healthy hygiene practices, mask-wearing, and space use protocols and capacity limits for classrooms, elevators, stairs, restrooms, and so on.
• The school will communicate regularly with parents and guardians via email and/or text messaging, the school website, and the Parent Portal (https://portals.veracross.com/sa/parent). Families should ensure that they know how to access the Parent Portal and review their contact information regularly to ensure that it is up-to-date.

At Saint Ann’s, the social and emotional well-being of our students, faculty and staff is essential and a priority. During any period of hybrid or remote learning, the school psychologists and student support staff at Saint Ann’s will be available as usual to meet with students, parents, faculty and staff either on the phone or via Zoom or Google Meet for consultation regarding mental health concerns of any member of our community. To ensure that all of the adults in the school are able to identify social-emotional concerns when they arise in children, the school psychologists and student support staff will provide guidance and support to faculty and staff through workshops and readings. They will visit Health classes to talk directly to children in grades 6 through 12 about their emotional well-being. For children in preschool through 5th grade, school psychologists and student support staff will meet regularly with teachers and administrators to make sure that all students are supported. As always, any adult in our community can reach out to a school psychologist at any time to discuss their own emotional well being. Support and referrals will be provided as needed.

Parents should monitor their child’s health regularly. If their child has a fever (forehead temperature greater or equal to 100ºF) and/or other COVID-19 symptoms they must not send the child to school. Parents should notify the appropriate division office to report the absence and symptoms so that school nurses can track symptoms of other individuals with whom the student may have come into contact. Parents will need to complete and submit an at-home health screening for each of their children each morning before arriving at school. The screening will check for fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea, and for exposure to or history of COVID-19 infection or travel in past 14 days.

Staff and faculty must not go to school if they have fever and/or other COVID-19 symptoms. Employees who do have a fever and/or other COVID-19 symptoms should contact their department chair, division head (PS, K and LS) or administrative supervisor, as well as the Human Resources Manager immediately. All employees must also complete and submit an at-home health screening each morning before arriving at school. The screening will check for fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea, and for exposure to or history of COVID-19 infection or travel in past 14 days.

Only students, faculty, staff and essential service providers will be allowed to enter buildings. Generally, parents, guardians, caregivers or other adults bringing children to school should plan to wait outside school buildings in line while social distancing from others.

Everyone–students, faculty and staff–will be required to wear a face mask throughout the day. The school will provide masks on an as-needed basis, but everyone is encouraged to bring their own mask.

• All faculty and staff must have up-to-date medical records on file before they enter any school building.
• Faculty and staff will have their body temperature taken at the entrance of any school building before entering.
• Screenings will check for fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea, and for exposure to or history of COVID-19 infection or travel in past 14 days.
• Screeners will also make a visual inspection of the employee for signs of illness which could include flushed cheeks, rapid breathing or difficulty breathing (without recent physical activity), or fatigue.
• If fever and/or other COVID-19 symptoms are present, the employee will be directed to the closest nurse who will be stationed outdoors for further examination.
• Upon entering, faculty and staff should apply hand sanitizer from the wall-mounted dispensers at each building entrance before proceeding to classroom or other spaces. They should frequently apply hand sanitizer throughout the day AND wash their hands regularly.
• Faculty and staff are required to wear face masks throughout the day except while eating/drinking or teaching a discipline that requires an exception when teaching outdoors. Descriptions of protocols for those disciplines are outlined below.
• Faculty and staff should maintain a distance of at least 6 feet between themselves and others as much as possible.
• Faculty and staff should minimize contact with handles, doorknobs, handrails and elevator call buttons as much as possible.
• Faculty and staff should open windows in their work areas, including offices and classrooms, as soon as they arrive. Windows should be left open all day, weather permitting. If it is too hot or too cold outside, windows may be left open for a minimum of 30 minutes every hour.

• All students must meet the health requirements outlined on the nursing office webpage before they enter any school building.
• PS, K and LS students will be assigned staggered entry times. Students should be dropped off during the assigned window of time.
• LMS, UMS and HS students should plan to arrive at school at least 20 minutes before their first class when attending school in person.
• Students will be screened and checked in at the front door and will have their body temperature taken before entering any school building.
• Screenings will check for fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea, and for exposure to or history of COVID-19 infection or travel in past 14 days.
• Dedicated volunteers will be trained as “screeners” by the school nurses.
• Additional nurses will be on hand from 8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. to screen arriving students and faculty. Screeners will be provided with PPE (mask, and may also include gloves, and/or a face shield) and will make a visual inspection of each child for signs of illness which could include flushed cheeks, rapid breathing or difficulty breathing (without recent physical activity), fatigue, or extreme fussiness.
• If fever and/or other COVID-19 symptoms are present, the student will be sent to the nurse who will be stationed outside to assess next steps.
• Students should plan to wait outside the building in a single line standing 6 feet apart throughout the screening process until they have been checked in.
• Upon entering, students should apply hand sanitizer from the wall-mounted dispensers at each building entrance before proceeding to classroom or other spaces. They should frequently apply hand sanitizer throughout the day AND wash their hands regularly.

Overview

In an effort to reduce exposure, Preschool, Kindergarten and Lower School students will convene for the entire day in a single classroom when attending school in person. Some of these groupings may be smaller than in a “normal” year depending on individual classroom capacities. With the exception of dance and rec arts, specialty teachers in these divisions will teach classes from separate locations on campus to be broadcast to students in their classrooms in an effort to minimize cross exposure between classrooms. Within their smaller pods, students will wear masks and follow hygiene protocols. While we will plan for reduced close physical contact, in classroom routines students and teachers will not always maintain social distance from one another and their teachers throughout the day. Students will primarily leave their classroom only to go to the bathroom, to the gym or to do outdoor activities.

On the days that students in grades 4 through 12 attend school in person, classes will be held in our buildings and in rented spaces in the neighborhood.

Every day, all students in every division should:

• Wear face masks throughout the day except while eating/drinking or learning in a discipline that requires an exception. Descriptions of protocols for those disciplines are outlined below.
• Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet between themselves and others as much as possible.
• Minimize contact with handles, doorknobs, handrails, and elevator call buttons as much as possible and wash hands or apply hand sanitizer regularly. Classroom doors should remain open until all students have arrived to class at which time the teacher will close the door.

Preschool, Kindergarten, and Lower School

• Upon arrival at school, after screening protocols, students will go directly to their assigned classroom and only leave to go to the restroom, playground or gym.
• Classrooms will be set up to allow for as much social distancing as possible (approx. 6 feet).
• During indoor lunch and rest children will be 6 ft apart. During the remainder of the classroom day they will be masked but often not maintaining social distance.
• Students and faculty will continue to wear face masks for the duration of the class.
• Individual student belongings will be separated and contained is a dedicated container so that teachers can limit the sharing of supplies.
• Students will wash their hands or apply hand sanitizer at least every other hour, as well as before and after specific activities, such as lunch and outdoor play.
• At the conclusion of each activity, teachers will either spray each student’s desk/tables/workstations with approved disinfectant solution (students must not touch the disinfectant bottle without a teacher directive) and wipe them down with paper towels, or will wipe down their desk/workstation with alcohol wipes and dispose of the them in the trash can.
• At each dismissal, students must use hand sanitizer provided by the teacher before proceeding to the gym or other space outside the classroom. Students must not touch hand sanitizer bottles.
• Playground spaces will be utilized one class at a time and will be regularly cleaned.

Lower Middle School, Upper Middle School And High School 

Once the students arrive in their classroom, they must:

• Go directly to their assigned seat and remain seated unless directed by the teacher.
• Classrooms will be set up to allow for social distancing (approx. 6 feet).
• Students and faculty will continue to wear face masks for the duration of the class.
• With the exception of Lunch Protocols described below, students will not eat in classrooms.
• At the conclusion of each class, teachers will either spray each student’s desk/tables/workstations with approved disinfectant solution (students must not touch the disinfectant bottle without a teacher directive) and wipe them down with paper towels, or will wipe down their desk/workstation with alcohol wipes and dispose of the them in the trash can.
• At each dismissal, students must use hand sanitizer provided by the teacher before proceeding to their next class. Students must not touch the hand sanitizer bottle unless directed by a teacher.

Recreational Arts Class, Dance Class and Athletics Routines 

Recreational arts and dance teachers will use their discretion when determining if students should remove their protective masks depending on the level of aerobic or anaerobic activity when outdoors. All students should wear masks when engaging in indoor activities. In addition to the general rules above, the following guidelines will be implemented in all Rec Arts and Dance classes:

• Teachers will plan outdoor classes and activities whenever possible.
• Students will maintain a distance of 12 feet from each other when participating in these activities.
• Personal water bottles are allowed and recommended but must not be shared at any time.
• Teachers will avoid activities requiring physical contact between students.
• When masks need to be removed in class when outdoors, they will be slid under a student’s chin and not taken off completely.
• Rec Arts teachers will spray and wipe down any shared sports equipment and mats used during classes with disinfectant after each class and will disinfect the gym floors in between classes.

With regards to interscholastic sports, fall sports will not take place at this time.

Music Class Routines 

Music ensembles have been scheduled in large spaces, like church sanctuaries, with adequate ventilation that allow for more than 12 feet of social distancing given the nature of the ensemble activities. All singing ensembles will only sing outdoors and all woodwind and brass instrumental classes will only play instruments outdoors. Students will be allowed to remove their protective masks when playing a woodwind or brass instrument outdoors. In addition to the general rules above, the guidelines below will be implemented in all middle school and high school music classes. (Preschool, Kindergarten, and Lower School music classes will be taught remotely.)

• Students will have their own personal scores of music and will not be permitted to share.
• Students will maintain a distance of 12 feet from each other when participating in these activities.
• When masks need to be removed to play an instrument or sing outdoors, the masks will be slid under a student’s chin and not taken off completely.
• Teachers will spray and wipe down music stands and community equipment (percussion instruments, guitars, pianos, etc.) with disinfectant after each class.

Our technology planning aims to minimize the use of shared devices. Disinfecting sprays and wipes will be located in proximity to any and all shared devices (such as department computers, copy machines, Chromebooks, etc.), and these will be wiped down according to posted housekeeping disinfectant protocols after every use.

The school will provide equipment and/or internet access consistent with our non-tuition financial aid procedures to facilitate distance learning for students who are not scheduled to attend in-person classes and for faculty to teach in our hybrid learning model. The school has conducted a device survey to ensure that families will have access to computers and internet access sufficient to support learning from home.

All classes in every division will begin the year with a virtual classroom enabled, via Seesaw for kindergarten and lower school students, and via Google Classroom for preschool and grades 4 through 12. In addition to the training provided to faculty during the spring, summer, and at the start of the school year, the technology team will work with each division to provide orientation and training to students in the tools being used for distance learning as the school year begins. This division-wide training will be supplemented by faculty-led instruction in any tools being used by individual teachers.

Sinks used for food preparation will not be used for any other purposes, and food service staff and teachers will wash their hands regularly, before preparing food and before and after helping children to eat.

Preschool and kindergarten students will continue to bring their own lunches and eat in classrooms; bringing lunch from home will also continue to be an option for lower school students if that is their preference. High school students (and 8th grade students after spring break) can leave campus for lunch.

In the lower, middle and high schools, individual school lunches will be served and eaten in classrooms, not in the lunchroom. Food service will track student food allergies so that the prepared lunches that are delivered to classrooms reflect specific needs of students. At the assigned daily lunch time, the classroom teacher will dispense hand sanitizer to each student before they leave their desk. Then, students must:

• Wear a face mask and maintain a distance of at least 6 feet until they receive their lunch.
• Sit at desks facing one direction; students are not allowed to sit opposite each other.
• Dispose of all lunchtime garbage in designated trash bins. After dismissing the students from lunch, teachers will spray each student’s tabletop with disinfectant solution and wipe down their tabletop with paper towels/wipes provided before disposing of the paper towel in the trash can.
• Students must use the hand sanitizer provided by the teacher or, if possible, go to the bathroom and wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before proceeding to their next class.
• After lunch students will wash their hands or use sanitizer after eating and walk directly to their next class, maintaining a distance at least 6 feet between each other as much as possible.

Our nursing offices will remain open at all times during the school day and will treat common ailments in accordance with normal school procedure. If a student, staff or faculty member has a routine medical issue other than fever and/or other COVID-19 symptoms–such as a scrape, cut, sprained ankle, migraine, etc.–the school will modify our normal procedures so that the Nurse is informed in advance before any student arrives in order to advise on the safest course of action.

After each individual visits a nurse’s office, the Nurse will disinfect all surfaces touched by the individual, properly dispose of disinfectant wipes and protective gear using appropriate trash bins, wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water, and, if appropriate, put on a new set of protective personal equipment, including mask, goggles, gloves and gown.

If there is a suspected case of COVID-19, the school’s nursing staff will work with local health officials in order to determine next steps. There is one isolation room available in each of the Bosworth, Farber, Kindergarten and Preschool buildings where any individual exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms can be assessed. In coordination with the school, New York City contact tracers will notify those who have been in contact with anyone who tests positive. All medical information related to COVID-19 exposure in community members will be kept confidential to the extent that it is possible as required by law.

The school nurses will complete a daily report of all office visits and submit the report to the Associate Head of School.

If a student exhibits fever and/or other COVID-19 symptoms while at school:

• The teacher will inform the nurses’ office and keep all students in their seats, asking the student with fever or other symptoms to proceed directly to the nurses’ office.
• Nurses will don PPE (gown, N95, face shield, gloves) and assess the child in the isolation room to determine if they suspect COVID-19. Every fever will be treated as possible COVID-19.
• The child will remain isolated until picked up by their parent or guardian.

Meanwhile…

All individuals in the same classroom or in close proximity to the sick individual must stay in place in that classroom until the Nurse is able to make a full risk assessment and determine that the student is not suspected to have COVID-19.

• If the individual who exhibits fever and/or other COVID-19 symptoms while at school is the classroom teacher or other staff member:
• That person must contact the division office and ask for classroom coverage if necessary. If they are in a classroom, the teacher will move close to the window and establish maximum distance from students.
• The Nurse will wear a clean set of protective personal equipment, including mask, goggles, gloves and gown for each individual she assesses and treats.
• The Nurse will complete an assessment on the individual to determine if the individual is exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19.

Meanwhile…

All individuals in the same classroom or in close proximity to the sick employee must stay in place until the Nurse is able to make a full risk assessment and determine that the employee is not suspected to have COVID-19.

The Nurse may only receive one individual at a time in a given isolation room; all employees must know the location of all isolation rooms. If more than one individual needs to be seen by the nurse for a fever and/or other COVID-19 symptoms, the individuals will be kept separate from each other and the rest of the individuals in the building.

If the Nurse does suspect that an individual may have COVID-19, they will:

• Review the individual’s medical alerts in Veracross;
• Call the 777 to notify the Head of School or Associate Head of School’s office;
• Notify the NYC Department of Health to follow outlined protocols;
• Attempt to trace all possible contacts within the school and inform those individuals to remain in place.

Meanwhile…

If the individual is a student, the appropriate division office will notify the student’s parents (or designated emergency contact person) immediately.
Parents may be instructed to pick up their child from school and to consult with their physician on next steps.

Those in the classroom or otherwise in close contact throughout the day for more than 15 minutes with the suspected COVID-19 positive person will be quarantined pending the test results of the person with a suspected case.

If the nurse does not suspect that an individual has COVID-19 they will:

• Review the student’s medical alerts in Veracross.
• Notify the division office.
• Determine whether the individual needs to be sent home or back to class.
• Allow classmates and those that were in close contact with the sick individual to be released from the classroom or area that they are being held and permitted to move about the school.

Students who are sent home and then test positive may not return to Saint Ann’s until the criteria below, as outlined by the CDC, have been met.

Criteria to Discontinue Home Isolation After Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19
Persons with COVID-19 who have symptoms and were directed to care for themselves at home may discontinue isolation under the following conditions:

• At least 10 days* have passed since symptom onset and
• At least 24 hours have passed since resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and
• Other symptoms have improved.
  *A limited number of persons with severe illness may produce replication-competent virus beyond 10 days, that may warrant extending duration of isolation for up to 20 days after symptom onset. Consider consultation with infection control experts. See Discontinuation of Transmission-Based Precautions and Disposition of Patients with COVID-19 in Healthcare Settings (Interim Guidance).
  OR
• Proof of a negative COVID-19 test and clearance from their healthcare provider.

• Housekeeping staff will close off areas used by the individuals with COVID-19 and wait as long as practical before beginning cleaning and disinfection to minimize potential for exposure to respiratory droplets. Staff will open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the area. If possible, staff will wait up to 24 hours before beginning cleaning and disinfection.
• Cleaning staff will clean and disinfect all areas (e.g., offices, bathrooms, and common areas) used by the ill person, focusing especially on frequently touched surfaces.
• If surfaces are dirty, they will be cleaned using a detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.
• For disinfection, the school will use chlorhexidine and will follow the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning (e.g., concentration, application method and contact time, etc.).

Short-Term Closure

If confirmed cases are identified, the school might need to implement short-term closure procedures regardless of community spread if an infected person has been in a school building. In the event of a short-term closure, classes in the division will transition to distance learning. If this happens, CDC recommends the following procedures regardless of the level of community spread:

The school administration will notify local health officials and coordinate with them to determine a course of action for the school.

The CDC recommends that the school dismiss students and most staff for 2-5 days. This initial short-term dismissal allows time for the local health officials to gain a better understanding of the COVID-19 situation impacting the school. This allows the local health officials to help the school determine appropriate next steps, including whether an extended dismissal duration is needed to stop or slow further spread of COVID-19. The school will make decisions about extending school dismissal or temporarily dismissing divisions to stop or slow the further spread of COVID-19 in the community based on the recommendations of local health officials.

• Local health officials’ recommendations for the scope and duration of school dismissals will be made on a case-by-case basis using the most up-to-date information about COVID-19 and the specific cases in the community.
• During school dismissals, all extracurricular group activities, school-based afterschool programs, and large events will be canceled.
• Staff, students, and their families will be discouraged from gathering or socializing anywhere. This includes group child care arrangements, as well as gathering at places like a friend’s house, or a favorite restaurant.

Long-Term Closure
If schools in New York City are closed by local or state officials for an extended period of time due to increased infection rates, all classes will transition to distance learning. The school has provided extensive professional development opportunities to prepare faculty to make this transition and students will use online platforms in each division while they are learning in-person in order to create a more seamless transition for students.

Technology Protocols for School Closure
At any point that a decision is made to shift to full distance learning, the school will inform all families of the date and reason for the change and each division will follow up with grade-specific expectations and any schedule modifications. Schedule modifications will be made to allow for a balance of synchronous and asynchronous learning to accommodate developmentally appropriate screen time recommendations.
If school shifts to an online-only format for an extended period, the existing virtual classrooms and device loans will support a smooth transition to distance learning. Teachers will use the virtual classrooms to share assignments, resources, and lessons and to communicate with students and families. The school will provide teachers with Zoom and Google Meet to conduct synchronous learning according to the schedule published by each division. These live sessions will be supplemented with asynchronous learning facilitated by the virtual classroom software.

Facilities Access During School Closure
During school dismissals, after cleaning and disinfection), the school may stay open for staff members (unless ill) while students stay home. Keeping facilities open:

• allows teachers to develop and deliver lessons and materials remotely, thus maintaining continuity of teaching and learning and
• allows other staff members to continue to provide services and help with additional response efforts.

Decisions on which, if any, staff should be allowed in the school will be made in collaboration with local health officials.

The school will coordinate with local health officials and communicate to parents, faculty, staff (and students as age-appropriate) possible COVID-19 exposure and any related dismissal decisions.

The Director of Communications will coordinate with the Head and Associate Head of School and the Head Nurse to notify the school community via email and/or text message consistent with the school’s existing crisis communications procedures and with protocols as required by the NYC DOH. When communicating about possible COVID-19 exposure the school will maintain confidentiality of the student or staff member as required by law. All messaging will reiterate the school’s antidiscriminatory policies and include language to counter potential stigma and discrimination.

New York State Education Department Guidelines

Center for Disease Control: Considerations for Schools

Reopening America’s Schools: A Public Health Approach

Resolve to Save Lives: Issue Brief