For
administrators or school owners or teachers to whom this could be
useful I'd like to share our school's protocols and classroom
modifications. They are largely based on the guidelines set by
Aruba's Health Department, and I understand that in every place the
situation may vary. When sharing this with parents at our school I
tried my best to help everyone understand that this is a work in
progress, that adjustments may be called for at any time depending on
our greater environment as it evolves. I found it so useful to read
what other schools in other places were doing, and especially to see
photos of the changes in the classroom, since at the beginning I was
resistant to making any change at all to our beloved Montessori
classroom. We must adapt, just like the children, to our time and
place and what is called for. This is the reality of our times. I
think so far we have been fortunate to be able to maintain our group
all together and have school five times a week. A week into these
changes, I can say that the children, when introduced to the changes
step by step as we do in Montessori, accept and roll with them
without issue.
Our
classroom is a one room Primary schoolhouse with two outdoor
environments. We have 24 children enrolled, and 3 staff members.
Typically, one of the staff members works in the kitchen and garden,
but given the changes, she is now with us in the classroom especially
in case one of us other two cannot be at school.
Protocols
for Opening During Covid Pandemic
These
guidelines are subject to change at any time depending on how the
children respond to them, how the pandemic evolves, and as more
information about children's role in spreading the virus becomes
available. We will honor our calendar schedule and hope to be open
through June 24th.
Modified
Daily Schedule
Our
school day will be from 8:00
to 12:00pm.
Daily
Schedule:
Arrival
8:00-9:00 (to allow for staggered arrivals)
Work
Period 8:30- 11:30
Outdoor
Play 11:30-12:00
Departure
12:00
(We
shortened our day in order to limit hours of contact with children
and also because we eliminated our lunch program at school for the
moment. Not wanting to have to handle all the equipment that bringing
lunch to school would entail for the children, we shortened our day
to 12:00. )
(We've
made a visual chart to introduce the children to our new daily
routine.)
Arrival
Adults
will maintain social distance and wait in their car so that only one
child and adult are at the gate at a time.
Children
are greeted as they wish with a foot kiss, air high five, air huggie,
wave or just a big smile.
Children
will be visibly screened for symptoms (cough, extreme lethargy,
fever).
Children
will be given hand sanitizer when entering the school for during the
play period.
An
arrival time from 8-9 allows children to arrive in staggered times.
(We've
asked parents to let us know ahead of time if their child or anyone
else at home is ill, if they have received any visitors from abroad,
or been in contact with any infected person. For the time being we
are not taking children's temperature upon arrival. This may be
mandated eventually.)
Departure
At
12:00 we ask that parents line up in their cars at the departure
gate, and drive up to the school gate one by one. We will bring your
child up to the gate as you drive up. You will have to make the FIRST
LEFT TURN when driving into Balashi Web so that you can enter the
“carpool line” in the appropriate direction.
(The
first days, the pickup carpool style felt somewhat awkward especially
for parents who were used to receiving their children out of school
at the gate together with other parents. Now the line is flowing
smoothly, I think more parents are appreciating the efficiency of the
pickup time- many of them have to return to work right away.)
Sickness
Children
will not be allowed to come to school if they have even mild cold
like symptoms including: cough, fever, runny noses,
drowsiness, diarrhea, sore throat, chills.
Children
will only be allowed to return if they have been symptom free for 48
hours without the help of fever reducing medications.
The
reasoning behind this is to not only protect that child and the other
children's immune systems but also the teachers at school. Teachers
may not come to school with any of the above symptoms and this may
imperil our daily functioning.
Children
with sick immediate family members with Covid-like symptoms may be
asked to stay home for a period of time.
When
airports re-open, children who have traveled or whose immediate
family members have traveled may be asked to stay home for a period
of time.
Outdoor
Time
We
have an extended outdoor playtime in the morning and have added an
extra "necklace" for children to play in our back garden.
These necklaces are like a classroom work that a child can take and
use for as long as they want. We may add more "necklaces"
so more children can be outdoors at once. For the time being, 2 may
be having picnic snack outdoors and 2 may be playing outside during
the work period.
Indoor
and Outdoor shoes
Children
will switch into indoor shoes before coming into the classroom.
Work
Period
Social
distancing will be indirectly supported but not demanded among the
children. It will be maintained as much as possible between children
and adults, and enforced consistently among adults.
During
work period staff will observe, be on hand to help, and
to ensure hygienic
practices among
the children.
The
classroom is modified to indirectly support social distance among the
children. Tables are placed with larger distance between them.
Only
one child will be allowed at each snack table at a time.
Small
group lessons given by the adults will have a limited amount of
children at a time and larger space between the adult and children.
Children will be spaced out with place markers.
When
children need adults assistance, marks will be placed on the floor so
they can stand at a distance and wait.
Large
group lessons (meetings) will be given in our lunch room with
distancing among the children and adults.
We
will maximize ventilation with windows open when conditions are
favorable. Airco filters will be cleaned every week.
Hand
washing provisions
Hand
washing will be required on entering the classroom, before snack,
before lunch and after using the bathroom. It will also be asked of
children who have placed their hands in their mouths or noses, or who
have coughed or sneezed into their hands.
The
hand washing procedure will involve washing hand with soap and water
for 20 seconds, drying hands with a paper towel and following up with
hand sanitizer.
All
materials that are mouthed will be sanitized immediately.
Food
and Beverage Related
Lunch:
For
now, the lunch program is suspended. This will ensure we have Kylie
available in the classroom, outdoors, for help sanitizing at the end
of the day, as well as in case any of the other adults get sick.
Food
Preparation:
Food
preparation in the classroom is suspended for now.
Water
Station:
Children have their
own water bottle that stays at school. It will be placed at the water
station for whenever a child needs a drink of water and
brought to the table for snack time.
Water
bottles will be run through the dishwasher at the end of the day and
refilled with cold water the next morning.
Snack:
Snack
will be provided by the school daily throughout the work period. The
children will use their own water bottles at the snack table.
Children will wash their hands before snack and clean their table
after snack with alcohol wipes.
(These
are our handy reminders for washing hands and getting your water
bottle before eating snack. Children place them on the table as a
place marker before serving themselves snack to mark their spot.)
One
child at a time will be allowed at each snack table. We have
provisioned for 2 snack tables in the classroom plus the 2 tables
outside.
Staff
and Sanitation
At
the end of the day, staff will sanitize the classroom thoroughly with
Mikro Guard. Including all high touch surfaces, materials used by the
children, tables, chairs, and materials used by staff
communally. Floors will be mopped daily. Sanitation of the
classroom will be done with windows open.
Staff
must wash hands upon entering the school, after physically touching
any child, before and after meals, and after handling
any equipment children have used.
Staff
will refrain from touching their own face as much as possible and
wear a mask if they deem it necessary.
Gloves
and mask will be worn when helping children in the bathroom, in very
close quarters, or when handling any children's bodily fluids.
Airco
filters will be cleaned every 7 days.
Staff
Sickness
Staff that has cough, runny noses, sore throat or any other Covid-like symptoms must stay home and possibly get tested before returning to school. Parents will be notified immediately if there are any changes in staff due to illness.
If
any staff member is exposed to someone who has tested positive for
the virus, they will have
to self quarantine for 14 days.
Parents
and Visitors
Parents
and other adults will not be allowed into the building for now to
minimize the amount of people coming into the school and being in
contact with school surfaces. All external vistors/maintenance
personnel will be asked to come when the children are not present.