COVID-19 Precautions

Precautions for The Parish School

Updated: 01.21.20 (Latest updates are in bold, italicized text)

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.

Student and Family Procedures

  • 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 a 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 if the student has taken any fever-reducing medicines within the past 24 hours.
  • Parents/caregivers will be asked a series of screening questions. Entry may be denied if any of the following criteria are met:
    • Sore throat
    • New uncontrolled cough that causes difficulty breathing (for students with chronic allergic/asthmatic cough, a change in their cough from baseline)
    • Diarrhea, vomiting, or abdominal pain
    • New onset of severe headache, especially with a fever
    • Loss of taste or smell
    • If your child has had close contact with someone who is lab-confirmed positive for COVID-19 or suspected to have COVID-19. Close contact is defined as being within 6 feet of someone with the virus for a cumulative total of 15 minutes (or more) over a 24-hour period, masked or unmasked.
  • Decisions regarding failed health screening will be made on a case by case basis following established guidelines. COVID Task Force members will be available for guidance.
  • If your child starts to exhibit any of the above symptoms during the school day, your child will be removed from class and placed in a waiting room away from others. The school nurse will supervise your child until a caregiver arrives for pick-up. Activities will be provided for your child as he/she waits, and Student and Family Services will be available if needed.
  • 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.
  • For families wishing to provide a treat or food item for the class, please first contact the classroom teacher, who will get approval of that item. At this time, only factory sealed individually packaged foods are permitted. In addition, party favors are not permitted.
  • Students may not bring stuffed items/toys from home, including show and share items.
  • ALL elementary students must have at least one layer of protection at all times (face mask, face shield or plexiglass shield). Students ages 10 and older will be required to wear a face mask upon arrival to school. For classroom use, we will provide face shields for ALL elementary students and they will be encouraged to wear them. These face shields will remain on campus. If your child would prefer to wear a cloth facial covering in class, they can continue wearing the one they brought from home. Elementary students under the age of 10 choosing not to wear a face mask or shield will be required to work at their desk behind a three-panel plexiglass shield. All staff will be required to wear a face covering. Face coverings will not be required for students in the early childhood program.
  • 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 improved, AND at least 10 days after symptoms first appeared.
    • Or the student has received a negative Real-time PCR COVID-19 test result.
    • Or the student has a doctor's release form.
    • Or the student has an alternative diagnosis that has been resolved.
    • Return to school decisions will be made by the COVID Task Force Members.
  • 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 10-day quarantine period.
  • Any student who travels internationally will self-quarantine for 14 days once they come home. A COVID test may not be used as a substitute for the mandatory quarantine period.
  • For families heading to the doctor if experiencing COVID-like symptoms, if a doctor can provide an alternative diagnosis and clearance to return to school, we will need their note to reflect the following:
    • The patient has a diagnosis of X, Y or Z;
    • COVID-19 has been ruled out; and
    • The patient is cleared to return to school/work.
  • Please be aware that calls and emails to staff after hours (5:00pm) may not be responded to until the following school day. If you are in need of a response prior to the start of school the next day, please call the office as early as 6:30am at extension 1114, and someone will be available to address your question or concern.

Faculty and Staff Procedures

  • Staff will engage in training during in-service about all COVID-19 precautions to mitigate the risk of spreading the virus.
  • 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.
  • Staff will be asked a series of screening questions. Entry may be denied if any of the following criteria are met:
    • Sore throat
    • New uncontrolled cough that causes difficulty breathing (for students with chronic allergic/asthmatic cough, a change in their cough from baseline)
    • Diarrhea, vomiting, or abdominal pain
    • New onset of severe headache, especially with a fever
    • Loss of taste or smell
    • If you have had close contact with someone who is lab confirmed positive for COVID-19 or suspected to have COVID-19. Close contact is defined as being within 6 feet of someone with the virus for a cumulative total of 15 minutes (or more) over a 24-hour period, masked or unmasked.
    • Decisions regarding failed health screening will be made on a case by case basis following established guidelines. COVID Task Force members will be available for guidance.
  • 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 improved, AND at least 10 days after symptoms first appeared.
    • Or the staff member has received a negative COVID-19 test result. If testing is pursued, only Real-time PCR test results are considered valid.
    • Or the staff member has a doctor's release form.
    • Or the staff member has an alternative diagnosis that has been resolved.
    • Return to work decisions will be made by the COVID Task Force members.
  • 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.
  • Any staff member who travels internationally will self-quarantine for 14 days once they come home. A COVID test may not be used as a substitute for the mandatory quarantine period.
  • For staff members heading to the doctor if experiencing COVID-like symptoms, if a doctor can provide an alternative diagnosis and clearance to return to school, we will need their note to reflect the following:
    • The patient has a diagnosis of X, Y or Z;
    • COVID-19 has been ruled out; and
    • The patient is cleared to return to school/work.

Cleaning and Disinfecting Procedures

  • 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://bioesquesolutions.com/sds/Bioesque_Botanical_Disinfectant_Solution_SDS_18.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.