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Parent Resources » COVID Safety Plan

COVID Safety Plan

2021-2022 Covid Specific Policies and Practices

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!
 
What do I do if a close contact tests positive?
 
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GENERAL INFORMATION:
The CDC, State of California, and the San Mateo County Offices of Education’s current guidance and law are reflected in these policies. Some language and graphics have been taken from the Pandemic Recovery Framework provided by the San Mateo County Office of Education (rev. 1/21/22).
 
VACCINATION:
  1. All staff must be vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination in order to come on campus for the 2021-2022 school year.
  2. All students aged 12 and up must be vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination in order to come on campus for the 2021-2022 school year.
  3. All students ages 5-11 will be allowed to continue for the remainder of the school year; however, students are required to be vaccinated in order to register for next school year.
 
Parents
  1. All parents and visitors who wish to come indoors on campus must provide proof of vaccination and booster, take an antigen test, and wear a mask whenever applicable on campus.
  2. Unvaccinated or unboosted parents are asked to participate in pick up/ drop off lines or to pick up their child quickly from campus, remaining outdoors.
  3. Parents may drop off (without getting out of their cars) between 8:00 AM and 8:25 AM regardless of their own vaccination status.
  4. Parents may pick up (without getting out of their cars) between 3:30 PM and 3:45 PM regardless of their own vaccination status.
  5. Parents may pick up (without getting out of their cars) between 5:45 PM and 6:00 PM regardless of their own vaccination status.
  6. Parents should wear masks during drop off/ pick up as a safety measure for staff.
  7. Car tags are required for drop off and pick up in order to allow these systems to operate
Visitors & Volunteers
According to the Cal-OSHA, volunteers who are on campus supporting school functions are considered workers and therefore their vaccination status must be verified. Although testing is required by the state for unvaccinated people, Hilldale requires antigen testing upon arrival for all visitors. Visitors & Volunteers are those people who are participating in helping with school events or activities.
  1. As per CDPH guidance, nonessential visitors, volunteers, and activities with outside vendors will be limited.
  2. All visitors and volunteers must be up to date with their vaccinations and test negative on a school administered antigen test.
  3. Visitors and volunteers must sign in every time they come onto campus in the main office to assist with contact tracing.
  4. Morning drop off volunteers must be up to date with vaccines, but are exempt from testing upon arrival due to:
  1. the brief contact with individual students, and
  2. that they remain entirely outdoors, and
  3. the time constraints of this position.
  4. Drop off volunteers may request a test at any time, and must sign in daily for contact tracing.
 
SCREENING TESTING
  1. All unvaccinated students must be tested at least monthly during a time when there is no school outbreak. Families must participate in on-campus testing.
  2. Hilldale will provide weekly, onsite, free testing through Primary.Health and the CA Department of Public Health School Testing program. Staff members go through training and certification to provide and report testing. Participating families must register each child once through Primary.Health (https://my.primary.health/l/hilldaleschool).  
  3. For more information on signing up, please see this informational sheet.
  4. All students and staff (regardless of vaccination status) must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to the start of school on August 18, 2021 and again after winter and spring break.
  5. Previous history of COVID-19 from which an unvaccinated person has recovered does not waive the requirement for testing.
  6. Those students participating in indoor extracurricular activities are required to test weekly, regardless of community transmission level. When community transmission levels are substantial to high, testing twice weekly may be required.
MASKS

As of March 14, the CDPH and the San Mateo County Offices of Education no longer mandate masks to be worn inside in K-12 schools. Masks are now strongly recommended by the government. Hilldale’s policies are as follows:


  1. All K-5 students are required to wear a mask when indoors at school. Masks will be given to the children if theirs is not satisfactory at any point during the day.
  2. Masks that provide greater protection to the wearer and the community are required: N95, KF94, KN95, FFP2, or surgical masks. CDPH Guidance on masks.
  3. All employees are required to wear a mask when indoors with children in K-5th grades.  
  4. No person will be allowed to come onto campus without a properly worn, well-fitting mask with good filtration.  
  5. Masks may be removed during eating time when the children are outside and seated at their appropriate table spot.  
  6. Mask breaks are provided as needed, where the child stands outside the building door and breathes for a few minutes without a mask. This will always be done in the sight line of the teacher and outside of the building.
  7. Masks are not required outdoors for anyone. However, the CDC recommends that masks are worn outdoors during periods of high transmission.
 
GATHERINGS
  1. Outdoor gatherings without masks are allowed if visitors have been tested prior to removing their masks. 
  2. Some events will be held online in an effort to include more people; others will be held in person outdoors.
VENTILATION
  1. All buildings have iWave ventilation systems in place which are always on and which have a Merv rating of 13.
  2. Because of the system’s design, the ventilation works even better when doors and windows are closed.
  3. During times when outdoor air quality is poor, students and staff will continue to have safe, healthy air indoors.
  4. As an additional measure, each room is equipped with an air purifier with UV wave technology.
HAND HYGIENE
  1. Students must wash their hands immediately upon arrival and prior to entering the building at one of three, outdoor hand-washing stations.
  2. Students must bring a water bottle to school and may refill it at one of the two outdoor bottle-filling dispensers. The water fountain itself has been taped off and cannot be used.
  3. Each classroom has been outfitted with a touchless hand sanitizer dispenser.
  4. Teaching assistants or teachers will supervise the use of hand sanitizer or hand washing before and after eating and entering/ exiting the classroom. Routines will be established and maintained.
  5. Teaching assistants or teachers in the Kindergarten - Second Grade will also instruct children on how to wash their hands, how to ensure they are properly scrubbing, and for how long (20 seconds).
  6. Signs are posted to demonstrate and encourage healthy practices.
  7. Desks, chairs, door handles, and bathroom surfaces will be disinfected by staff daily and by the janitorial staff every night. Students will not participate in disinfecting practices that involve chemicals.
TRAVEL

This guidance comes from the CDC.

  1. Please wait to travel as a family until you and all of your family members are vaccinated. You are encouraged to get a booster if eligible before traveling.
  2. Please wear a mask at all times when traveling. 
  3. Children are not required to quarantine after returning from travel; however, additional testing will need to be completed by the school. Please inform the office if your child has been traveling.
  4. Unvaccinated and not up to date on vaccination students should stay home and quarantine for 5 days post travel, monitoring closely for symptoms. Isolate and get tested if symptoms develop.
  5. If you are not fully vaccinated or up to date on vaccinations/ boosters, get tested with a PCR test 3-5 days after returning from travel. The day you return is Day 0.
  6. Refer to CDC Guidelines for Domestic Travel for specifics on vaccinated and unvaccinated travel.
  7. Refer to CDC Guidelines for International Travel for specifics on vaccinated and unvaccinated travel.
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Observing Symptoms and Reporting Cases
 
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
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 antigen test result (an additional doctor's clearance is helpful for recurring conditions) AND when your child is fever-free for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medication) AND when symptoms have improved.
7- Report to the office to have your child get tested immediately upon return.
 
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 when your child is fever-free for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medication) AND when symptoms have improved. 
6- Report to the office to have your child get tested immediately upon return.
7- A negative PCR lab-based test is recommended.
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