COVID-19 | FAQs

Parents will be asked to screen their child based on a series of health related questions prior to leaving the house, and keep their child/ren home if they show any signs of illness. In addition, we will have a screening process at drop off for each child prior to entering the school each morning. 

We are offering BinaxNow rapid tests for symptomatic children and staff. In addition, we are conducting routine COVID safety tests weekly for students and staff who consent to participate.

All staff and children over two years old will wear a face covering while indoors. All children over two will need to have a supply of face coverings at school. Children will be expected to wear their face covering while indoors and at any other time when distancing is less feasible. Masks are not required while eating and napping. We will be working with individuals and their families if there are health reasons why a mask is not feasible. There will be many opportunities for mask breaks throughout the day. 

Children will not be required to wear a face covering outdoors unless working in close proximity to a peer or guide or anytime that distancing is less feasible. 

Classrooms will be adapted to promote distancing and new routines will be established for children in their classrooms. We are fortunate to have large classrooms that can be rearranged to accommodate this need. Our goal is to maintain social connection between children while also minimizing the possibility of transmission. 

For children who need to quarantine for several days or weeks, Guides will prepare work to be completed at home.

Yes! We are expanding the use of patio spaces attached to each classroom, by adding shade structures and planning for outdoor lessons and materials. We are also excited to make use of the ample wooded area surrounding campus to establish outdoor classrooms. 

We have installed touchless faucets in all of the classrooms and bathrooms where we don’t already have them. We have increased the frequency of hand washing to include, but not be limited to, arrival to a classroom, before and after eating, before leaving an environment, after playing outdoors, before and after doing a lesson, and before putting on and taking off a face covering. 

Whereas recent studies now show that surfaces present a small risk of transmission of COVID-19, we are still designing protocols for greater disinfecting within each classroom and for highly touched surfaces throughout the school.

Children exhibiting symptoms will be removed from the group to the isolation space until a parent or caregiver can pick them up. We will offer to administer a rapid COVID test. Individuals can return to school after a negative COVID test or at the end of quarantine, when they are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducer, and respiratory symptoms have improved. 

Should any cases arise in our school, we will work with public health officials and follow protocols for responding to COVID-19 scenarios.

We are fortunate to have many existing features, as well as some recent updates, in our facilities to exceed the recommendations for safe reopening, including:

• Fresh air ventilation system in every classroom.
• Floor to ceiling windows in every classroom.
• Independent air conditioning units provide non-recirculated air in each classroom.
• Individual bathrooms in every classroom.
• Sinks in every classroom.
• All faucets are touchless.
• Outdoor classroom space directly connected to each classroom, as well as designated space in the woods for every group to use for daily outdoor classes.

Access to the interior of the building will be limited to staff and students. We will be utilizing our pick-up and drop-off lane procedure for all students. Details of this process will be provided in our Parent Handbook.