COVID-19 Precautions for The Parish School

Updated: 07.30.20

The following guidelines refer to the resumption of face-to-face instruction for the 2020-21 school year during the COVID-19 crisis. As guidelines for the country, state and county continue to develop, these policies will change to reflect current standards. We will monitor the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Open Texas and Health and Human Services of Texas (Child Care Licensing) for updates. The Parish School provides this information so families will be aware of precautions we are taking and the risk of their child returning to school. Students who are immunocompromised, medically fragile, or who are otherwise at-risk for health complications are encouraged to consider remote learning as an option.

Students

  • Please read over the 2020-21 Carpool Procedures and Friday Afternoon Map
  • A health screening will take place for each student before entering the building.
  • Students will have their temperature taken via no-touch forehead scanner. Any student with a fever over 100.0 will not be allowed to attend school face-to-face that day. There will be a remote learning option available.
    • Parents/caregivers will be asked to report any COVID-19 symptoms the student has had in the past fourteen (14) days.
    • Parents/caregivers will be asked if the student has been exposed to anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 or who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the past fourteen (14) days.
    • Parents/caregivers will be asked to report if the student has taken any fever reducing medicines within the past 24 hours.

If a student has a fever or the answer is “yes” to any of the screening questions, the student will not be allowed to attend school until they are either 72 hours symptom-free, cleared by a doctor, or received negative COVID-19 test results. There will be a remote learning option available for the student during this time.

  • If someone in your home is getting tested for COVID-19 due to concerns of exposure or infection or has been diagnosed with COVID-19, please do not bring your child to school even if they are asymptomatic. Please contact The Parish School Administration for a return to school timeline. 
  • Parents, caregivers and siblings are not permitted to enter classroom cottages, but may enter the administrative building to use restrooms. However, lingering in the building is not permitted and wearing a mask is required.
  • If you must pick your child up from school early, your child will not be able to wait for you in the main office for you to arrive. We will get your child from their classroom once you have arrived. Please plan to arrive early to ensure your child has ample time to pack up and be dismissed so that your scheduled appointments are not delayed. Additionally, no students will be dismissed from the front office within 30 minutes of their class dismissal time.
  • Water fountains and ice machines will be closed. We encourage you to send your child with two bottles of water each day. We will have bottled water available for students who do not bring their own.
  • Simply Fresh meal deliveries will be available. Access Simply Fresh's COVID-19 precautions here.
  • Students will eat lunch and snacks in the classrooms or outside.
  • Please send individually packaged snacks for your child. Community snacks will not be provided.
  • Facial coverings are required for staff and students ages 10 and older only, and are strongly encouraged for students under 10 enrolled in the elementary program. Face coverings will not be required for students in the early childhood program. For those required to wear a facial covering, they must arrive to school wearing a mask. If they prefer to wear a face shield during the school day, we will have one for their personal use only when they arrive in their classroom.
  • Students who have been diagnosed or have displayed symptoms of COVID-19 may return to school when:
    • The student has been fever free without the use of fever-reducing medications for 24 hours, after respiratory and COVID-19 symptoms have resolved, AND at least 10 days after respiratory symptoms first appeared.
    • Or the student has received a negative COVID-19 test result
    • Or the student has a doctor's release form.
  • Student absences due to COVID-19 infection, exposure or suspected exposure will be excused.
  • Students will be required to use hand sanitizer upon arrival at school and wash their hands upon entry into the classroom.
  • Elementary students' desks will be spaced for social distancing. 
  • Instruction will be self-contained throughout the school day with no intermingling between classes. It is unlikely that social distancing will be able to be maintained throughout the school day, in order to maintain the integrity of many of our instructional practices.
  • Some staff may float between classes as needed, but will thoroughly sanitize between classes and wear face masks.
  • Recess and Arts and Sciences classes will be self-contained. Students will not use common spaces (i.e., drama room, music room, art room). 
  • If we are made aware that a faculty/staff member or student tests positive for COVID-19, the Health Department and/or Child Care Licensing will be notified, and a notification of potential exposure will be sent to families. Confidentiality will be maintained.
  • If a faculty member or student tests positive for COVID-19, the impacted classroom will pivot to remote learning during the required 14-day quarantine period.

Staff

  • Staff will engage in training during in-service about all COVID-19 precautions to mitigate the risk of spreading the virus.
  • Staff who have had known exposure to COVID-19 will not report to work for 14 days after the last date of exposure.
  • Staff who have had exposure to someone who is being tested or is exhibiting symptoms for COVID-19 due to concerns of exposure or infection will not report to work, unless results are negative and/or meet the return to work requirements.
  • Staff will undergo temperature checks and screening questions upon arrival to work. Any staff member having a fever over 100.0 or answering “yes” to a screening question, whether symptomatic or not, will be sent home.
  • Weekly confidential logs of staff screenings will be kept by administration.
  • If a staff member is suspected of having COVID-19 or has been diagnosed with COVID-19, they may return to work following CDC guidelines:
    • The staff member has been fever free without the use of fever-reducing medications for 24 hours, after respiratory and COVID-19 symptoms have resolved, AND at least 10 days after respiratory symptoms first appeared.
    • Or the staff member has received a negative COVID-19 test result
    • Or the staff member has a doctor's release form.
  • If a staff member becomes ill with COVID-19, the Health Department will be notified and a notification of potential exposure will be sent to families. Confidentiality will be maintained.
  • Staff and visitors will be required to wear masks when on campus. Staff may choose to wear a face shield in lieu of a mask when teaching.
  • Staff may not congregate in common areas without wearing face masks and practicing social distancing.
  • Early childhood staff will be required to bring a change of clothes in the event they are exposed to a child’s bodily fluids during the school day.

Cleaning and Disinfecting

  • Regular daily cleaning will continue five (5) days a week (general cleaning, bathrooms, vacuuming, wipe-downs with disinfectant products, trash pick-up). Special attention will be given to:
    • Light switches
    • Doorknobs and handles
    • Tabletops
    • Faucets, sinks, toilet handles.
  • High touch playground equipment (such as bicycle handles, etc.) will be wiped down and disinfected between classes.
  • All buildings will be thoroughly disinfected on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays using electrostatic sprayers.(https://dcs.az.gov/sites/default/files/documents/files/NovelCoronaviruscovid19-DisinfectingProducts.pdf)
  • In the event of exposure, the areas affected will be deep cleaned followed by disinfecting with the Bioesque Solutions.
  • Cleaning/disinfecting procedures have been developed based on CDC guidelines.
  • Tissues, alcohol-based hand sanitizer, soap and gloves will be made readily available to staff.