March 2, 2020
Dear Members of the Lamplighter Community:
Last week several members of the Leadership Team and Board of Trustees attended the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) annual conference. On Thursday evening, Donna Orem, President of NAIS, provided an update about the potential impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) on schools. As of this writing, there is not a COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
Undoubtedly members of our community have heard information about COVID-19 from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as a description of a pandemic. Briefly, a pandemic occurs when a disease is spreading from a variety of sources across a large region, and the number of cases across the United States is still small. However, given how quickly the global situation is evolving, we are monitoring new developments and will continue to reevaluate our steps and actions daily.
The Lamplighter School has an active approved business continuity plan in the event that school is closed due to unforeseen circumstances. The plan was developed over the past several years and is reviewed annually. Our faculty has submitted a limited number of lessons that can be uploaded and delivered to families online in the unlikely event of a school closure. While our students in Early Childhood and Lower School receive maximum benefit from lessons taught by our faculty, there will be opportunities to practice skills that have been introduced should the occasion arise.
COVID-19 can potentially live on hard surfaces for several weeks. Our cleaning crew uses an electrostatic machine to clean the building weekly. This method is recognized by OSHA as very effective in limiting the spread of infections. We continue to be vigilant in maintaining the highest levels of cleanliness at all times.
The preventative measures listed below are the most effective way to help reduce the spread of seasonal flu and COVID-19:
- If your student is sick please keep him or her home.
- Teachers instruct students to wash hands with soap and water singing the Happy Birthday song twice. Drying hands thoroughly after washing is encouraged. We also have alcohol-based hand sanitizer in dispensers in classrooms.
- We instruct students to cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue (and discard immediately) or into his or her sleeve.
If your family is traveling internationally over spring break, the CDC urges all to check plans with a travel agent to ensure re-entry into the United States. We are vigilant about the safety of our students, faculty, and staff. Additionally, we remain hopeful that COVID-19 does not become a health crisis and that scientists will continue to work towards containment. If there are any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to me at
[email protected]
.
Sincerely,
