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Parent Resources » COVID Safety Plan

COVID Safety Plan

Hilldale has been hard at work to maintain our rigorous academic standards and our deeply nurturing community during the pandemic. We are committed to supporting our families and our staff. To keep you connected to our decision making, policies, and processes, please utilize these various resources. We are here to help - let us know what we can do for you!
COVID SAFETY PLAN - updated and consolidated information, as of April 18, 2021
As of 9/8/20, Hilldale School has been authorized to open with a waiver from the County of San Mateo and the State of California for students in K-5.
 
As of 10/19/20, Hilldale School has been authorized to open all classes (following the guidelines for safety) from San Mateo County Health Department. This latest reopening is Hilldale's "Phase 1."  
 
As of 11/16/20, Governor Newsom temporarily suspended the regular two-week cycle of data analysis to determine county tier COVID tests, and San Mateo County was placed back into the red tier. However, the school will remain in Phase 1 at this time. 
 
As of 12/7/20, the number of daily new COVID cases is surging. The county has been placed back into the purple tier and holiday travel is afoot. Therefore, Hilldale will return to Phase 0+ for the time being. We plan to return to Phase 1 as soon as possible.
 
As of 1/31/21, research provided by Harvard and adopted by the State of California suggests that schools may safely reopen (with appropriate protocols in place) if the number of daily new cases per 100,000 residents is lower than 25 for one week. Hilldale has made a decision to reopen for Phase 1 once the number of daily new cases per 100,000 residents is lower than 20 for two consecutive weeks. 
 
As of 2/16/21, the number of daily new cases per 100k residents has been significantly lower than 20 for two weeks, and the school will return to Phase one as of 3/1/21. 
 
As of 4/19/21, Hilldale will advance to Phase 2 as the CDC guidance has been updated to advise that students should be separated by 3 feet indoors vs. 6 feet indoors.
THINK SAFETY
Please keep safety in the forefront!
*Wear masks around all people outside of your immediate family.
*Wash hands frequently.
*Do not touch your face. See the CDPH Guidelines on Face Coverings Here.
*Do not get complacent.
*We get through this with vigilance and a mind on the needs of the group.
*Visit through Zoom rather than in person.
 
TRAVEL
UntilIt is requested that you do not travel during COVID outside of California or other than by car with only your immediate family. Here are the recommendations from the CDC regarding travel. 
 
TESTING
  • All students are required to get tested prior to returning to campus (within 5 days) and provide documentation to the school.
  • Surveillance testing will be provided by the school for all students and staff weekly through Simple Health testing services.
    • Easy, painless, free testing on campus!
    • Sign up once and you or your child can get tested every week.
    • The more we test, the easier it is to catch COVID before it spreads!
    • Tuesdays from 11am - 12pm (we bring the children from class to get tested) so no specific time is required.
    • Parents get notified of all test results.
  • Easy, painless, free testing for children in San Mateo County through Curative. Self-administered, oral swab only.
  • Please provide a copy of any test to the school so that we may have it on file.
"Hilldale's Pathway to a Safe Reopening" includes:
  • Flowcharts for quarantining protocol
  • Hilldale's addressing of each of the Four Pillars of a Safe Re-Opening
  • Movement from one phase of reopening to another (and phase descriptions)
 
"Hilldale School Plan to Open for In-Person Instruction - Phase 1" include:
  • Detailed information on meeting the State of California and the County of San Mateo's guidance and requirements for schools
  • Cleaning & Disinfecting
  • Cohorting
  • Entrance/ Egress (including Pick up & Drop off)
  • Face Coverings
  • Health Screenings
  • Hygiene
  • Contact Tracing
  • Physical Distancing
  • Training
  • Testing
  • Triggers to Returning to Remote Learning
  • Communication Protocol
 
"Hilldale School ADDENDUM - Plan to Open for In-Person Instruction - Phase 1" includes information pertaining to the addition of non-essential worker children and students in Grades 6-8:
  • Cohorting - new guidelines
  • Entrance/ Egress (including Pick up & Drop off) - new guidelines
  • Triggers to Returning to Remote Learning - new guidelines
PHASE 2  - What You Need to Know (Parent Highlights)
 
*FAQs, A Video Recording of Parent Meeting (start at 0:30), and Slides are linked below.*
  • Phase 2 means groups of students in each grade on-campus.
  • Most teachers will be onsite (except for Specialty Teachers and a few special cases). If the primary teacher is remote, there will be a on campus Teacher Assistant in the classroom.
  • A Stable Group consists of a consistent group of children and adults who share an indoor or outdoor space and whose number is limited by the number of desks that can be spaced apart by 3 feet. Stable Groups include:
      • Kindergarten,
      • First Grade,
      • Second - Third Grades,
      • Fourth - Fifth Grades, and
      • Middle School.

  • Please read the above documents for detailed information about Phase 2 and Hilldale's participation in San Mateo County's "Four Pillars of Safe Reopening."

 
MASKS & CAMPUS USE
  1. Masks must be worn by all students and staff all day.
  2. Parents and Visitors are not allowed on campus.
  3. The Office is closed to all people except staff.
  4. Each stable group has one administrator assigned to it in order to limit transmission.
DROP OFF & PICK UP
Parents need to remember the following for safety.
  1. Drop Off is only between 8:00 - 8:30 AM. No other arrangements can be accommodated. Pull up to the sign.
  2. Parents must complete the "Health Screening" prior to arriving in the drop off line. This survey will be automatically populated in your inbox from Mr. Lee's Jupiter account.
  3. The On-Campus Supervisor will take your child's temperature immediately upon arrival. Only the student should exit the vehicle.
  4. Parents may not exit their cars. All people in the vehicle should be wearing a mask. Do not drive away until your child is pronounced fever free.
  5. Continue driving up the road and turn around at the cul-de-sac at the top of the hill.
  6. Pick up is only available during one of these two windows: 3:40 - 4:15 PM or 5:00 - 5:30 PM. Parents may start queuing up at 3:30 PM, and we will get the children out to you ASAP after school lets out at 3:30 PM, but we will definitively have the kids outside by 3:40 PM for those who are queued up by then. During these windows, a staff member will be available at the main gate. This is where you should pull up your car. Your child will be called and brought to the main gate. Wednesday's first pick up window is from 3:25 - 4:15 PM due to our earlier dismissal. The same system is in place; you may queue up as early as 3:15, and we'll get the kids out to you by no later than 3:25PM.
  7. Parents must have their car mirror sign in the window at the time of drop off.
  8. Parents may not exit their cars for any reason.

REMINDERS & CLARIFICATIONS

  1. To refresh yourself on the phases of reopening, what to expect if someone gets sick, and how the school is maintaining safety and security, please click on the button above entitled, "Hilldale's Pathway to a Safe Reopening."
  2. Uniforms are required for all children on campus as it helps to promote engagement and responsibility.
  3. All students need a pair of headphones. Headphones will be provided for on-campus students. 
  4. Hilldale is providing all students with a device (ipad for K; chromebook for 1st-8th).
  5. Up to date immunizations are required for all children. Flu shots are required for on campus participation.
  6. Cubbies and lockers will not be used during Phases 0-2 to prevent students coming into too close proximity with others.
  7. Hot lunch services will not be available during Phases 0-2.
BUILDINGS
Building A (83 Florence St.) - Lower School building with Kindergarten Stable Group, Grades 2-3 Stable Group.
Building B (79 Florence St.) - Middle/Office building with Grade 1 Stable Group, Grades 4-5 Stable Group
Building C (25 Florence St.) - Upper School building with Grades 6-8 Stable Group
 
NUT-FREE SCHOOL
**Hilldale is a PEANUT-FREE & NUT-FREE School due to Fatal Allergies!**
  1. No peanut or nut products are allowed in student lunches or for any other purposes.
  2. Food sharing is never allowed for safety reasons.
If your child is feeling ill (whether at night, on the weekend, or in the morning):
1- Contact Mr. Lee. 
2- Keep your child out of school.
3- Have your child tested or seen by the doctor immediately.
4- Report the test results to the school.
5- Monitor your child's symptoms.
6- Return your child to school only after a negative test result (or doctor's clearance) AND when your child is symptom free for 3 days.
 
If a child or staff is sent home from school because of symptoms:
1- Keep your child out of school.
2- Have your child tested or seen by the doctor immediately.
3- Report the test results to the school.
4- Monitor your child's symptoms.
5- Return your child to school only after a negative test result (or doctor's clearance) AND when your child is symptom free for 3 days.
TERMS:
Case: A Case refers to a person who tests positive
Close Contact: A Close Contact refers to a person who is within 6 feet of a confirmed case for more than 15 minutes, regardless of face covering use.
Indirect Contact: Indirect Contacts are people who may have been in proximity to a Close Contact
 
IF: A family member of a student or staff member OR someone in close contact with a student or staff member (outside the school community) tests positive for COVID-19
THEN:  1- The person is sent home. 2- The Close Contact quarantines for 14 days from the last exposure to the case. 3- Testing is done; report is sent to Mr. Lee. 4- Indirect Contacts (the stable group) do not need to test or quarantine if Close Contact tests negative.
 
IF: A student or staff member becomes a Close Contact and tests positive they become a Case, and the Indirect Contacts (the stable group) become Close Contacts.
THEN:  1- The stable group is sent home to quarantine for 14 days. 2- Remote instruction is provided to all. 3- Siblings of the stable group are sent home to quarantine for 14 days. 4- Families must report symptoms. 5- Testing may be required. 6- Room will be disinfected thoroughly. 
Symptoms can include:
  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea
 
If your child or anyone in the household has experienced these symptoms, DO NOT COME TO SCHOOL. Seek guidance from a primary care physician immediately.
 
More information is available here: CDC - COVID symptoms