Greetings from St. John’s! I hope you are enjoying a restful summer. I apologize in advance for the length of this email, but I've included important information regarding the much anticipated reopening of St. John's this fall. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.
As we work to help protect students, teachers, administrators, and staff and slow the spread of COVID-19, the School will continue to determine, in collaboration with state and local health officials and the CDC, how to best prepare to open our campuses to students while taking into consideration what is feasible, practical, and meets the unique needs and circumstances of our school. It is impossible to eliminate all risks; our goal is to take reasonable steps to mitigate risks presented by the pandemic, and to do so in light of the available scientific data. Taking steps to minimize the risk of COVID-19 infections (or any other spread of disease) at St. John’s is a shared responsibility. Every member of our community must do their part.
The primary objective of our planning is for fully face-to-face teaching and learning to take place on our campuses. We look forward to welcoming every student back to school. To achieve this, academic scheduling may be different, and we may prioritize certain classes/subjects for face-to-face delivery. Some families may elect to keep their children at home, regardless of the steps St. John’s takes. In such a scenario, we will do all we can to also support those students through a form of virtual learning. Physical distancing may require a blended mode of instruction (partially in-person and partially online) for some classes/subjects.
Planning will remain adaptable and responsive to the guidelines, recommendations and requirements issued by the authorities. Much may change before late-July. Regardless, we can all take steps to prevent the virus from entering our campuses, and we will respond quickly to any suspected case. These steps include: COVID-19 screening at home and at school, enhanced cleaning and sanitization, rigorous personal hygiene, and rapid isolation and separation from the school community of suspected cases. As such, we want to share important initial information. Your help and support with the following is expected, appreciated, and will help keep everyone in the school community safe.
Staying Home when Appropriate - COVID-19 Screening
Parents are asked and expected to screen and monitor their child’s health, as well as their own, on a daily basis. The same is true of all St. John’s employees. When we return, parents should expect that St. John’s staff will monitor the temperature of students and employees as they arrive on campus and when they leave. Campus-specific information as to how this is to be done will be provided before the start of school. Any St. John’s student, parent, or employee must not come to school—and will not be allowed to remain on campus—if they show any of the following symptoms or meet the criteria:
A fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher as measured by the school, or possible fever symptoms like alternating chills and sweating
A cough
Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, or severe wheezing
Chills or repeated shaking with chills
Muscle aches
Sore throat
Loss of smell or taste, or a change in taste
Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
Headache
Has traveled in the past 14 days to regions affected by COVID-19
Has been within 6 feet of a person with a lab-confirmed case of COVID-19 for at least 5 minutes
All St. John's families and employees will be required to complete a COVID-19 screening survey for themselves and their children before school reopens, and give consent (via a form) to St. John’s to take their child’s temperature. Consistent with applicable law and privacy policies, families are expected to self-report to the school if they or their student have symptoms of COVID-19, a positive test for COVID-19, or were exposed to someone with COVID-19 within the last 14 days.
If any child or adult displays any of the above symptoms during the school day, he or she will be immediately isolated in preparation for being sent home, and the School will follow current CDC guidelines regarding any possible further action, including short-term closing. Students and employees should not return until they have met CDC’s criteria to discontinue home isolation and been approved to return by St. John’s.
Protections for Children at Higher Risk for Severe Illness from COVID-19
St. John’s will offer a form of virtual learning opportunities for students at higher risk of serious illness who elect to stay away. The School will protect the privacy of students athigher risk for severe illness regarding underlying medical conditions. Families requesting such an accommodation should contact the respective division director.
Hand Hygiene and Respiratory Etiquette
These will be more important than ever as students and faculty return to campus. There is much parents can do now to help teach and reinforcehandwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. With the exception of one classroom in lower division, all classrooms on the primary and lower campuses have handwashing stations in them, and soap will be readily available. The middle division art room and restrooms also have handwashing stations. Children will also be reminded and encouraged by teachers and administrators to frequently wash their hands.
If soap and water are not readily available, hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol can be used for older children who can safely use hand sanitizer. St. John’s has increased the number of location of hand sanitizer dispensers throughout our campuses. These are placed in the following locations:
Primary Division: the main entrance to the building, in all classrooms, on the playground, in the multi-purpose room, and in the teacher workroom
Lower Division: both entrances to the building, in all classrooms, on the play deck, the parish hall, and in the innovation lab/library
Middle Division: the main and side entrances to the building, in all classrooms, in the gym, in the Peterson Room, in the lunchroom, and in the Innovation Lab. Older children are also encouraged to bring their own hand sanitizer.
Parents can help teach and reinforce their children to cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue. Used tissues should be thrown in the trash and hands washed immediately with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Face Coverings
At this time, St. John’s has not made a policy decision regarding the mandatory or universal use of face coverings. We will continue to monitor the situation and CDC guidelines and make a final decision closer to the start of school. At the very least, any student or teacher who prefers to wear a face covering is welcome to do so.
Hydration
We want our students to remain hydrated throughout the school day. Drinking fountains will likely not be available, so students will be encouraged to bring their own water bottle to school. In lower and middle divisions, these can be refilled at bottle filling stations (one was recently installed in the Parish Hall). In primary division, these will be refilled via classroom water coolers.
Acknowledgement of Risk
St. John’s will take all reasonable steps to mitigate the risk of contracting COVID-19. The reality is that there is risk of contracting the virus at school, regardless of all we do to prevent it. The School cannot categorically guarantee this will not happen. By coming onto campus, parents understand that this is possible and will be required to sign an ‘Acknowledgement of Risk’ document before their child(ren) returns to school. This document will be made available nearer the start of the school year.
We fully recognize that many questions remain. Parents will continue to receive communications from St. John’s as the situation progresses. We look forward to seeing your children in late-July and early August. Go Eagles!