PARENT HANDBOOK COVID-19 ADDENDUM 

Reopening Policies and Procedures

These policies and procedures will be in place when the school reopened on June 15, 2020 and last revised on 11/19/2020.  They are subject to change as warranted by local and state mandates.  The most recent update will be available on Transparent Classroom.

Screening and Prevention 

Temperature Checks

• Contactless thermometers will be used in all cases.
• Temperature of all children will be taken at drop off and recorded as a normal or abnormal temperature.
  • Temperatures will be taken two times, if the first reading is not normal.

• Temperature checks and/or screening questions mandated daily for each child upon entry, possibly with a requirement for a designated area for the screenings.
• Threshold of 100.4℉.
• Additional vaccine requirements may be recommended including flu and COVID-19, once available.

Hygiene 

Handwashing

• Hand washing for all children upon entry in the morning and at certain intervals throughout the day.
• Children will wash hands after changing to indoor shoes, before removing any item from their bag or cubby.
• Children will wash hands after using the bathroom, before and after snack/lunch and after being outdoors.
• Children will receive a handwashing lesson on the first day of class and there will be ongoing lessons as part of Grace and Courtesy.

 

Masks / Indoor Shoe Policy

• Masks will be mandatory for children ages 5 and up and recommended for ages 3-5; toddlers ages 2 and under will not wear masks.
• Children should have two to three masks at school and they should be washed every night.
• Adults will wear masks.  Teachers are allowed to wear a face shield only when giving language lessons to a child.
• Masks should be as comfortable as possible and fit properly (not too loose, too tight, too large or too small).  Masks made of spandex or with valves or vents, and neck gaiters, bandannas, buffs or scarf type of facial coverings are not allowed.
• Children will take shoes off outside classroom doors and change into indoor footwear.

Food Preparation

• No self-serve snack (except for toddlers).
  • Snack will be a group snack with the teacher or support staff serving the children.
• Children will have limited food prep, such as banana cutting or orange peeling by children, cherry pitting. Baking-bread, muffins, etc. weekly.
• Disposable plates, cups and utensils only (except for toddlers).
• Children can wash dishes then teachers or staff will run the dishes in the dishwasher for sanitizing purposes.

Things Brought From Home:

• All school materials stay at school; no home materials are brought to school with the exception of pencil pouch, which stays at school, lunch box and jacket/coat when necessary.
  • Children’s lunchboxes will remain in their cubby except while eating.  Lunch boxes should be cleaned/sanitized each night at home.
  • Jackets/coats should be kept clean and washed at home as necessary.
• Children cannot bring personal toys to school.
  • Exceptions would be transitional lovies for emotional support or for naptime.

Smaller Group Sizes and State Mandated Ratios per Level

• Ratio stays the same (children:adult), but reduction in group sizes 
  • 15:1 ratio for Elementary.  Reduced group size to 15.
  • 10:1 ratio Primary aged children.  Reduced group size to 15.
  • 7:1 ratio in Toddlers.  Reduced group size to 13 with 11 students.

• Classrooms will be siloed.  Adults in the classroom will be the same adult(s) with the same group of children throughout the day.  Additional Floater to assist with cleaning and supervision outdoors.  Classes will not mix or combine with another classroom inside or outside on the playground.

Cleaning and Disinfecting

• Cleaning of frequently used items (doorknobs, faucets etc.) at required intervals.
• Frequent laundering of children’s cleaning supplies used for cleaning materials or disposable will be used.
• Daily or twice daily full cleaning and sanitizing of bathrooms (both children and staff bathrooms).
• All Montessori materials in the classroom will be cleaned after each use using the 3 step cleaning method.
• Full cleaning will be completed by the end of each day.

• Touchless soap dispensers in bathrooms are installed.
• Hand sanitizer will be available for adult use only, including one at the front doors at each campus.

 

Outdoor Equipment

• Outdoor play equipment will be cleaned as needed.
• Toddlers:  the other playground materials and ride-ons will be divided equally for two groups to use and then cleaned using a 3 step process.
• Some play equipment will be closed to children due to the inability to thoroughly clean them. (ie, Sand boxes)

Classroom

• Work materials will be cleaned after each use.
• Soft toys and pillows/cushions/blankets will be removed from the classrooms.
• Work mats will be assigned to each child and to be used only by that child. After every use, the child will keep it in his cubby and the work mats will be cleaned frequently. They will go through a wash every week.
• Playdough will be assigned to each child and only used by that child.

Disinfecting Locations

• Common areas will be disinfected with 3 step cleaning process including diluted bleach solution or equivalent product (clorox wipes, lysol, etc.) after drop off time, after lunch and at the end of the day:
  • Adult bathrooms: faucets, toilet handles, sink surfaces, paper towel dispensers – 
    • Staff room/kitchen
    • Keurigs
    • Cabinet handles
    • Refrigerator handles
    • Faucet
  • Staff time clocks
  • Keypads
  • Copy machine buttons and high touch areas
  • Laminator high touch areas
  • All door handles (inside and out)
  • Computers and monitors
  • Phones-handset and keypads
  • Front desk (horizontal surfaces)

• Classroom common areas (outdoors included) will be disinfected with diluted bleach solution or equivalent product (clorox wipes, lysol, etc.) at opening, after lunch and at the end of the day:
  • Tables and chairs
  • Shelves
  • Commonly used materials and objects
  • Cubbies
  • Door handles
  • Bathroom sink faucets
  • Toilet handles
  • Paper towel dispensers

Drop Off/Pick Up Procedures

• When at all possible, the same adult should pick up and drop off the child each day.
• Distancing at drop-off and pick-up

• A staff will be out front during drop off to take child temperature in the car and will ask family wellcheck questions.
  • No child with a temperature of 100.4℉ or higher will be allowed at school.  
  • See Temperature Policy and Sick Child Policy.

• No parents/guardians allowed in building during normal drop off and pick up times.
  • Toddlers:
    • Drop off Time for Full Care: From 8 am
    • Drop off Times for Half Day and School Day:  8:30 – 9:10am
    • Pick Up Times:  
      • Half Day 11:45am – 12:00pm
      • School Day 2:45 – 3:00pm
      • From Activity Club (until 5:15pm)
  • Primary (ECE/K):
    • Drop off Times:  8:40 – 9:10am
    • Pick Up Times:  
      • Half Day 11:50am – 12:00pm
      • School Day 2:45 – 3:10pm
      • From Activity Club (until 5:30pm)
  • Elementary:
    • Drop off Times:  
    • Morning Activity Club 7:45 – 8:20am
    • All Elementary 8:20 – 8:30am
    • Pick Up Times:  
      • Lower Elementary 3:10 – 3:20pm
      • Upper Elementary 3:15 – 3:25pm
      • From Activity Club (until 5:30pm)
• Parents will use the Q Manager App on their mobile phone to answer the family wellness questions and then sign children in, in the mornings.  Parents will use the Q Manager App on their mobile phone to sign children out at pick up.

Access to the Building

• Access to the interior of the school will be limited to children and staff.
• School tours will be held virtually.
• Community events will be held virtually.
• Vendors and service providers will be limited to access at non operational times.
• Emergency service vendors (i.e. HVAC repair when the unit is not working) will be scheduled at non operational times if possible.  
  • If immediate service is required:
    • Children will be removed from the area accessed by the provider.
    • A staff member will accompany the service provider at all times.
    • Areas and surfaces will be disinfected after completion service.

Distancing

Inside the Classroom

• Tables, chairs, work mats and trays will be assigned to each child.
• Lessons on handwashing and social distancing will occur daily at group circle times.
• Classroom cubbies will be assigned. Alternate cubbies will be used when possible (every other cubby with an empty cubby in between).

Meal / Snack

• Labeled lunch boxes and water bottles will be brought by children from home. They will remain in the child’s cubby.
• Lunch will be eaten at the assigned workspace.
• Parents provide certain materials, like colored pencils, crayons, scissors, glue in a pencil box.  
  • There will be no sharing of these or any work materials.
  • The materials and/or pencil box will be cleaned and sanitized as needed.

Outdoor Time

• Recess time will be staggered.
• Only one class at a time will be allowed on the playground; children from different classrooms will not mix.

Napping

• Cots or mats will be 6 feet apart. 
• Children will be positioned to sleep “nose to toes”.
• Bedding will be returned to heavy plastic (large ziplock) bags after use.
  • For EC/K – Parents will provide a small blanket.
  • For Toddlers – Parents will provide a crib sheet and a small fleece blanket.
• Cots or mats will be disinfected after use using bleach solution or an equivalent.
• School sheets will be washed after each use.
• Children’s bedding will be sent home on Friday for parents to wash and bring them back on Monday.

Lunch and snack procedures

• Food preparation (an important part of the Montessori curriculum of practical life) will be temporarily suspended. 
• All children will eat snacks and lunch in their designated classroom following the below guidelines:

• All children and staff wash their hands before eating snacks or lunch.
• All children and staff wash their hands after eating snacks and lunch.
• Children sit in their designated spot in class for lunch. This spot should be 6 feet in distance from others in the classroom.
• Snacks and lunch is supervised by classroom staff.
• Snack will be a group snack, served by the teacher.
• Staff use the 3 step process to thoroughly clean the tables after students have eaten.

Movement of all people in, out and throughout the building

All movement of students around and within the building is to be supervised by an adult and adhere to social distancing of 6 feet apart. When children are moving around the building, they need to be taught the following expectations. These expectations must then be reinforced consistently by all teachers and staff.

They include:

• Everyone washes hands before moving to another section of the school, including outdoor areas.
• Move on the right when moving up and down the stairs and through the hallways.
• Move up and down the stairs one step at a time.
• Stay three steps apart on the stairs.
• Keep hands and bodies to him/herself.
• Only use the assigned toilet and sink within the classroom.
• Children must wash hands before and after using the toilet.
• Anyone using the elevator must wash or sanitize hands before entering the elevator.
• One person (adults and children) at a time can use the elevator.
• When exiting the elevator, hands must be washed or sanitized.
• Parents and non BMS staff are not allowed inside our buildings, unless emergency repairs are necessary.

Outdoor Play

Expectations for outdoor play include:

• Children are expected to follow the school rules and cooperate when instructed and directed by teachers and staff.
• Children are expected to adhere to all new procedures so the school can follow the guidelines for health and safety.
• Children must play only with their designated group of classmates.
• Children will not have access to the sandbox or sandbox toys.
• Children will be able to play on the playground equipment but some areas may be closed to children.

Sick Policy

• Our sick child policy will be amended as followed:
  • If your child will not be at school for any reason, please email your child’s teacher or call the front desk at your child’s campus.  Please provide details related to your child’s illness (ie, my child is staying home with a fever of 102.1℉ and has strep throat or my child has a runny nose and will be seeing his doctor before returning to school).  You may be asked a series of questions for documentation and tracking purposes.
  • Children will be sent home when their temperature is 100.4℉ or higher.
    • Child temperature will be taken inside their car during drop off prior to the child unbuckling.
  • Children with a temperature will be isolated from the group until the parent can pick them up.
    • Main Campus and Rossano Campus:  children will wait in the lobby until their parents arrive.
    • Park Campus:  Children will wait in Maple Classroom until their parents arrive to pick them up.
  • Parents will be called for pickup within 30 minutes.
  • If a parent is not available within 30 minutes or there is no response from the phone call(s), the emergency contacts on the child’s release will be called for pickup.
  • If sent home, children must be symptom free for 48 hours before returning to school.  The minimum time at home will be two days from temperature (i.e. send home on Monday, return on Thursday at the earliest).
  • The school reserves the right to send a child home as sick even in the absence of fever and regardless of a note from a physician.
  • Parents are prohibited from using a fever reducer for an enrolled child within 12 hours.
• Covid symptoms can be found at:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/pediatric-hcp.html
• Children who are sent home with a fever may be required to complete a negative COVID-19 test prior to return.

Illness Policy for Covid – updated 9-4-2020 per WA State Health Department*

 

If your child is ill, but has had no known exposure to someone with confirmed positive Covid-19:

• If your child has a PCR Covid-19 test that is negative, they should still stay home until 24 hours after the fever resolves and symptoms improve.  Fever reducing medication must not have been used in the last 24 hours.

 

• If your child does not get a PCR Covid-19 test, they should stay home for 10 days after symptom onset and at least 24 hours after the fever resolves and symptoms have improved.  Fever reducing medication must not have been used in the last 24 hours.

 

If your child tests positive for Covid-19, close contacts need to be quarantined for 14 days.

 

After testing positive for Covid-19, your child can return when:

• At least 24 hours have passed since recovery.  Recovery = no fever without the use of medications and improvement in respiratory signs like cough and shortness of breath.

AND

• At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first showed up.

 

If your child has been in close contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19 but they are not ill:

 

• You should watch your child for Covid-19 symptoms for 14 days after the last day they were in close contact with the Covid-19 positive person.

• Your child should not school or go in public places for 14 days.

 

• You should consider having your child tested for Covid-19 between days 3-8 even if no symptoms are present, but a negative test does not negate the 14 day quarantine period.

 

https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19/schools-childcare/toolkit.aspx

*https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/1600/coronavirus/DOH-OSPI-DYCF-SchoolsChildCareGuidance.pdf

King County Department of Health Covid-19 Symptom Screening Flowchart (updated 11-19-2020):

https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19/schools-childcare/~/media/depts/health/communicable-diseases/documents/C19/schools-toolkit/nov-19/K-covid-19-screening-flow-chart.ashx

Returning to the Classroom After Travel or Gathering

• Please see our Travel and Gathering Policy and FAQ’s.

COVID-19 Testing for Suspected Infection

• If a family member of a staff or student at BMS tests positive, we ask that the staff person or student stay home for 14 days and present a negative Covid-19 test result taken after that time to return to school.  The most accurate time for a Covid-19 test result is 3-8 days after exposure to a Covid-19 positive person.
• 1-5 day closure for a confirmed case of staff or student who has been on campus (current CDC guidelines) but we will follow the WA State Health Department’s Instructions.
• Confer with local health department officials to determine a plan.

CDC Decision-Making Tool for Parents

The CDC has released a decision-making tool for parents to help them determine whether to send their children back to school in person. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/decision-tool.html

Transparency & Communication

• Log records of daily disinfecting will be available for parents to view upon request.
• QManager temperature log of staff and students available to the health department if doing contact tracing.

Thank you for reading the Parent Handbook Covid-19 Addendum.  All parents must sign that they have read and agree to the policies and procedures outlined in this document.  

To sign your agreement, for Early Childhood/Kindergarten (ages 2.9~6 years old) go to: 

https://bellmontessori.hubbli.com/2020-21-early-childhoodkindergarten-parent-handbook-and-covid-19-addendum-agreement-to-policies/

For Toddlers (ages 18 months~3 years old), go to: https://bellmontessori.hubbli.com/2020-21-toddler-parent-handbook-and-covid-19-addendum-agreement-to-policies/