Fall 2020 Reopening plan

Guided by the three Professional Learning Community (PLC) big ideas—a focus on learning, a focus on collaboration, and a focus on results—we know that excellent instruction and high student achievement require an interdependent collaboration among teachers, students, families, and administrators to achieve our common goals. Our academic program goals for 2020-21 (for both on campus and virtual learning) are to:

• Build consistent structures and routines that allow students and families to easily navigate the instructional day
• Engage students daily with consistent personalized support from grade-level teachers to ensure their success
• Provide a safe and highly engaging learning environment built on instructional best practices and the developmental stages of children
• Create a robust but manageable schedule so all students can equally participate in all core and specialist content
• Be prepared to move to a fully remote teaching and learning model for all students if at any point in-person schooling is not possible based on guidance from WA state Governor or Department of Health.

As we build out the detailed plan for coming back on campus, we are using health and safety guidelines to determine how best to instruct and engage students. We have measured and created simple architectural drawings to assess how many students and staff we can accommodate safely in every learning space, and we feel confident our plan will allow for all students to be on campus together every day. We will have students and teachers assigned to smaller cohorts (e.g., 12-14 total) designated for certain learning spaces, with movement of students and adults limited within classrooms and between indoors and outdoors.

One of the many ways in which Epiphany School is rich with resources is in our amazing staff. Our teachers are multitalented, highly educated in their field, and put student learning and success first. Due to this deep pool of talent, we have been able to build strong grade-level teams from within our staff (and with some great new hires) to best support the small student cohorts that will spread out safely around campus once we can return to in-person learning. Each cohort of staff is made up of lead teachers and support teachers as well as a Learning Skills specialist aligned with the grade for student support. These cohorts will be working together throughout the month of August to build the team and refine the instructional model to the developmental age of the students in each grade. 

In order to support our newly formed cohorts and ensure high quality instruction, both on campus and at home, teachers are building their professional skills in the following areas this summer:  

• Technology-based student assessment tools
• Collaborative learning platforms
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion practices
• Interactive learning structures to enhance instruction
• Digital citizenship and social-emotional learning 
• Health and safety protocols and practices
• Personalized learning structures for support and extension 

The instructional framework being developed allows for all students, whether on or off campus, to participate in the day's learning with their cohort. Throughout the school day, teachers will Zoom synchronous lessons to the grade-level classrooms and home learners. These synchronous lessons will be on a predictable schedule that remains the same whether on or off campus. The lead and support teachers will facilitate these parts of the school day for all students: 

• Morning meeting
• Synchronous direct instruction for core subjects 
• Synchronous specialist instruction for content areas
• Asynchronous practice with skills and content
• Lunch 
• Breaks (time away from learning at home, recess/quiet time on campus)
• Closing Circle

The details of the daily schedule for each grade level will be determined as the teacher cohorts collaborate over the next few weeks. The on-campus version of the schedule will also include staggered arrival and dismissal times, during which teachers can focus on small groups and individual support for students. 

From Pre-K to 5th grade, Epiphany School will provide a device to each student in preparation for a fully remote school program and in keeping with the grade-level curricular needs and expectations. In addition, by mid-August families will learn if there are at-home supplies needed to support students in a remote learning platform, with plenty of lead time given before they will be used. Epiphany School will support any family in acquiring these supplies as necessary.

Though we know how critical our Extended Day program is for many families and students, given the need to maintain small, contained cohorts for safety reasons, Extended Day will not be open for before or after school care initially. Once we are able to return to on-campus learning, we will reassess opening our Extended Day program.

School day arrival will be staggered over a 45-minute period. Families/students will check in by family group and alphabetically. Families will be notified of their grouping and specific arrival and dismissal time windows. Prior to coming to school each day, families will complete a COVID-19 questionnaire via an online platform and be asked to confirm those results when arriving with their student(s) at their assigned screening location. Staff will then check each student's temperature using touchless thermometers. Students with a temperature of over 100.4 degrees or who are experiencing one or more of the listed symptoms on the checklist will be asked to return home. Students will be dismissed by their same group to their assigned dismissal location.

In order to limit exposure we ask that families designate the same person for drop off and pick up at school.

Families and employees play an important role in helping us maintain a safe campus. The most important safety measure is for a student or employee to stay home if they are sick. If a student or employee is experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms at home, the student or employee should not come to school. Symptoms include: congestion or runny nose (not related to seasonal allergies), cough, shortness of breath, headache, chills, elevated temperature, muscle pain, sore throat, new loss of smell or taste, unusual fatigue and nausea/vomiting/diarrhea. Families and employees should report the illness to the Designated COVID-19 Coordinator(s) (to be determined and information provided by mid-August).

If a student or employee suffers from seasonal or ongoing allergies that exhibit similar symptoms to COVID-19, families should let the school know this on the student's medical form with a list of typical symptoms experienced and employees should inform Jenn Elkin, Head of School, about this information.

Notifying the School of COVID-19 Events
Families and employees should notify the school immediately for any of the following COVID-19 events in their households:

• A student or employee has been tested for COVID-19
• Anyone in the student or employee's household has been diagnosed with COVID-19
• Anyone in the student or employee's household has been notified by the DOH that they have been a close contact of an individual who has been diagnosed with COVID-19
• Anyone in the student or employee's household who has been in close contact with an individual who has been experiencing symptoms of COVID-19

Families or the employee should notify Epiphany School's designated COVID-19 Coordinator for any of the above events. In most cases, the student or employee will be asked to quarantine at home for 14 days.

Symptoms on Campus
In the event that a student or employee exhibits symptoms associated with COVID-19 during the school day, we will:

• Relocate the student to a designated quarantine area and supervise the student
• Notify parents or guardians immediately to pick up their child
• Notify the DOH of a suspected COVID-19 case
• Disinfect the classroom and other areas where the individual has been
• Disinfect the designated quarantine area
• Contact family of anyone in close contact (see below for definition of close contact)

Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 Diagnosis
Any student or employee who experiences COVID-19 like symptoms is considered as a suspected COVID-19 diagnosis per the DOH. Students or employees with suspected or confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 will not be allowed to return to campus until:

• The student or employee has been symptom free for 72 hours AND it has been 10 days since exhibiting symptoms

OR

• The student or employee has been symptom free for 72 hours AND has a note from a health care provider that they are not diagnosed with COVID-19.

Close Contact
According to the DOH, close contact means someone who has been within 6 feet of a person with a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis for more than 15 minutes from 2 days prior to the date symptoms appeared.

The school will deem all students and employees who have attended class with a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 diagnosed student or employee to be close contacts. Any sibling of a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 diagnosed student is also considered a close contact, as are the students in the sibling's cohort.

Students and employees identified as close contacts will be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days and should be tested for COVID-19. 

Confidentiality
The identity of individuals who have suspected or diagnosed COVID-19 is protected confidential health information and will not be disclosed.  All members of the community are expected to respect privacy and confidentiality and to not speculate on the identity of, or in any way target individuals who are suspected of or diagnosed with COVID-19.

Emergency Contacts
Families should make sure emergency contact information is up-to-date and that you can be reached immediately whenever your child is at school. 

All members of the community are required to wear a cloth face covering while on campus. Cloth face coverings need to be laundered regularly. If a student forgets their face covering, a disposable face covering will be provided for them for that school day. We do not plan to have a "uniform mask," but we ask that family-purchased face coverings be 2 or more-ply/layers and free of writing or graphics. Patterns or print fabrics are fine, assuming they follow the school dress code in general. Families should send two cloth face coverings to school in their student's backpack every day so extras are available if needed. Students will only be able to remove face coverings to eat snack, lunch and in school-designated areas that allow for physical distancing during recess.

The DOH and CDC recommend all people 2 years of age and older wear a cloth face covering in public settings. Face coverings must be worn properly. Face coverings should not be worn by anyone who has trouble breathing or anyone who is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the cloth face covering without assistance. The CDC recognizes that wearing cloth face coverings may not be possible in every situation or for some people. In some situations, wearing a cloth face covering may exacerbate a physical or mental health condition, lead to a medical emergency, or introduce significant safety concerns. Adaptations and alternatives should be considered whenever possible to increase the feasibility of wearing a cloth face covering or to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading if it is not possible to wear one. Contact a Division Head if you need to review an adaptation or alternative for your child.

You can find DOH information about face coverings here.

The CDC does not recommend face shields as a substitute for cloth face coverings. Contact a Division Head if you need to review an adaptation or alternative for a student or employee.

For additional information on how to properly wear face coverings, please refer to the CDC guidelines here.

According to the CDC, handwashing is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your family from getting sick. All students and employees will follow a regular schedule of hand washing or use of hand sanitizer throughout the day. All students and employees will wash hands upon arrival on campus, before and after eating, after using the restroom, after blowing their nose, coughing or sneezing, after recess or other time spent outside, and before leaving campus. Washing hands with soap and water is the preferred method for hand hygiene. Hand sanitizer (alcohol-based with at least 60% alcohol) will be available in all classrooms and at entry points on campus. 

Teaching and modeling proper hand hygiene will remain a priority at all age levels. Additional signage around campus and near sinks will remind students of proper handwashing techniques.

For additional information on how and when to wash hands or how to use hand sanitizer, please refer to the CDC guidelines here.

The CDC recommends that social distancing should be practiced in combination with other everyday preventative measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including wearing cloth face coverings, avoiding touching your face with unwashed hands, and frequently washing your hands. All students and employees on campus must adhere to the six-foot physical distance guidelines whenever feasible throughout the school day. These guidelines will be made explicit through physical symbols (marks on the ground and signs), verbal reinforcement, and behavior modelling.

Classroom spaces will be rearranged with furniture and seating spaces to ensure six feet between all students. Hallways and other areas will be marked with directional arrows and other visual indicators. Traffic patterns in hallways will be one direction and doors will be labeled with entry/exit only signs to help reduce congestion. When possible, classes may be held outside in the Cage underneath a tented area, with students still maintaining six feet between each other.

Large gatherings, like assemblies and community events, will not be held in person.

Students will have recess only with their cohort. All students will be expected to wear masks at recess unless in a school-designated area that allows 6 ft. of physical distance. Pre-K cohorts will have recess in the Pre-K playground. Cohorts in grades K-5 will have recess in an assigned area on campus, including: Chips, Commons, and Boulders. Students from one cohort will not be permitted to play in another cohort's area. The Cage and the sand area in Boulders will not be available to students during recess.  Each cohort will have their own set of recess supplies (balls, jump ropes, etc.). Chips and Boulders will be sanitized by electrostatic sprayers after each recess.

Lunch service by Lunch Ladies will not initially be available when we return to campus, nor will milk be provided to students. We will wait to begin lunch service and milk delivery until after we have become practiced in and accustomed to our other health and safety routines and protocols.

Students will be required to bring a lunch and beverage from home. Students will not have access to a refrigerator or a microwave, so plan accordingly to use a thermos for hot food and ice packs for cold food. Students should be able to open and close all lunch and snack containers independently, and will be asked to pack up and bring home anything left over from their lunch or snack in their lunchbox.

Students will be able to refill water bottles in their classrooms. Water fountains will not be available for use by students or staff.

Personal items that students can bring to school will be limited. Students will need a backpack to carry lunch, snack, a water bottle, and other school materials, but toys, games, and playing cards will not be allowed. Cubbies will only be used to hang coats and store footwear for wet/cold weather. Backpacks will be kept in the classroom.

All classrooms, hallways, bathrooms and offices have been deep cleaned, and will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected on a daily basis. There will be additional cleaning staff available during the school day to help with frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces, restrooms, and classrooms. Faculty will be trained in proper cleaning and sanitizing and will clean tables and chair backs before and after students eat lunch and snack in their classrooms.

Faculty and students are expected to keep classrooms tidy in order to facilitate cleaning in the evenings by our custodial team.

While classes are in session, high-contact areas such as main doors, stairwell railings, doorknobs and restrooms will be sanitized. During recess, classrooms will be disinfected with our electrostatic sprayers.

Prior to reopening campus we will complete a full assessment of our HVAC systems and implement any needed changes to improve air quality in classrooms and offices. We are working with engineers on a school reopening action plan that will provide detailed ventilation procedures for all classrooms and offices.