COVID-related Changes at Grace Preschool
As we continue to adjust to a new “normal”, we will be adapting our policies and routines in order to meet safety standards while providing the best environment possible for our dear students. Teachers will work together to help children adjust to new routines. Below are some changes we are making for the 2020-2021 school year, we all acknowledge that we will need to continually evolve as conditions change, we invite you to check back regularly for updates, and contact us with any questions or concerns.
Reducing hours, for extra cleaning and sanitizing: Our August hours will be 8a-4p, September hours may be extended pending State regulations
*At times of arrival and departure, the proper wearing of masks that cover mouth and nose, and physical distancing will be expected for staff and families*
Drop off & Pick up: Children must be dropped at the door and parents may not enter the classroom. Contact between families will be limited at morning drop off with strict staggered admittance. Each student and guardian will need to arrive between 8 and 8:30am and fill out our a.m. checklist*. and your child will be brought to the entryway for pickup. Please shelter in your vehicle or wait on the town sidewalk while others are dropping off/picking up.
*These checklists are state mandated, no exceptions.
Students will be assigned to groups of 10. Each group will be helped with activities, lunch& snacks by the staff assigned to their group .
Food: All children must have 2 snacks and a lunch with a water bottle in the lunch box.If your child has a hot lunch, it must be in a thermos. Because of room numbers, staff cannot leave to heat up lunches. Lunch boxes and water bottles must be cleaned and wiped daily.
Supplies: Each child should bring a mask and wear it according to their comfort level. Each child must have a pair of indoor shoes, either slippers or slip on sneakers. Extra clothes should be put in a gallon size bag and will be stored in individual cubbies. Sleeping bags should be placed in a large plastic bag, preferably one that can be closed. At this time, pillows are limited to travel size and no stuffies are allowed. Sleeping Bags will be sent home weekly for cleaning. Backpacks and toys are not allowed.
Activities: Outside time will be used to teach children the value of spending time discovering individual past times. Each group will enter the play yard through the backdoor and return through the front entrance in order to keep groups distanced.
Children will have a chair and tablespace exclusively for them. Chairs will have photos for easy recognition. Each child will have a container with crayons, glue, scissors, pencils, manipulatives, etc. Children will have opportunities to make and store individual playdough and slime. Items will be labeled and stored in cubbies. Centers will be limited to 1-2 children depending on masks and/or the ability to distance.Shared items will be used individually and then cleaned, sanitized and returned to rotation.
Cleaning: We have always worked together to keep our room cleaned, sanitized and disinfected. The school will be disinfected at the end of each day, all extra protocols have been explained to staff, discussed and will be implemented.
* In case of a state mandated closing for a long period , we will require each family to pay a two week full tuition rate to hold their child's spot*
This is a small portion of our Health care policy, but numbers for fevers and other mild illness have been changed. Please read:
Care of Mildly Ill Children and Management of Infectious Disease :
* A child shall be considered mildly ill if he/she appears uncomfortable or unable to physically participate in the program. A mildly ill child shall be kept quiet in the book corner. A floor mat and blanket shall be provided. Juice and/or crackers shall be made available to the child as needed. A teacher shall comfort and supervise the child until a parent or emergency contact person can be reached to bring the child home. Books
and quiet activities will be made available to the child. All staff members shall be familiar with information in the “Health in Day Care” manual, concerning care of ill children, recognition and documentation of symptoms, spread of disease, administration
of medication, when to get advice, taking temperatures, handling of bodily fluids, and hand washing.
All staff members are certified in first aid and CPR.
Mildly Ill symptoms include:
● Gastro-intestinal Problems: Any child who has vomited/ had more than one
bout of diarrhea shall be sent home. A staff member, wearing latex gloves, shall
change and rinse the child’s clothing. Extra clothes are kept in the child’s
cubby. Soiled clothes are sent home in a sealed plastic bag. If your child
comes home with soiled clothing, please be sure to send in another set of extra
clothing. Staff members shall thoroughly wash their hands after helping the child.
The parent will be verbally notified of the incident. The child must be symptom
free, without medication, for 48 hours before returning to school.
● Respiratory Problems: If a child is having difficulty breathing, he/she shall be
kept quiet until an authorized person can be contacted to take the child home.
First aid shall be administered, if necessary.
● Skin and Direct Contact Diseases: Parents will be notified of any rash, which
may appear on a child. If the rash persists, the preschool will request a
professional diagnosis; if the rash or contact disease is contagious, the child
must be excluded from the preschool for 48 hours after beginning
medication.
● Fever: A child shall be sent home if he/she has a fever of 100.5 or higher. The
child must be fever free, without medication, for 48 hours before returning
to school.
● A child shall be readmitted into school when he/she no longer exhibits symptoms
(including fever), or when the child has been on the appropriate medication for at least 48 hours . Each family will sign and date a form describing
symptoms, reason for dismissal and a plan for child’s return to school.
Parents shall be notified of any contagious disease in the center by a sign posted in the
hall, a written notice,email and a follow up phone call.
In case of Covid 19 You must quarantine for 14 days if any family member
has been showing symptoms or is presumed to be positive, 10 days if
positive . And your child must 72 hours fever free(without medication) and significant improvement in symptoms, before he/she can return
In case of a symptomatic/sick child he/she will be brought to the vestibule, a space away from others with a staff member . Parents will be notified immediately.The child will be comforted until the parent arrives.
I will establish a backup plan , in case of staff illness/exposure.
In the event a staff member, child or family member of staff or student presents or is diagnosed, exposed to covid19, as state mandated , I will immediately notify the Oxford Board Of Health, and if the child resides outside of Oxford I will notify the appropriate agency.
