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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:
Based on the lessons learned during the 2020-2021 school year and the increased transmission from the Delta strain, policies and procedures have been updated to reflect current guidance and law. Outbreaks in the school community will trigger tighter restrictions than those outlined below. Some language and graphics have been taken from the Pandemic Recovery Framework provided by the San Mateo County Office of Education (rev. 9/21/21).
 
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.
  4. All parents and visitors who wish to come on campus for any reason must provide proof of vaccination, wear a button which states as such, and wear a mask whenever on campus.
    1. Only vaccinated parents (wearing buttons and masks) may come onto campus to drop off or pick up their child(ren). If a parent is unvaccinated, they must participate in touchless drop off/ pick up times.
    2. Parents may drop off (without getting out of their cars) between 8:00 AM and 8:25 AM regardless of their own vaccination status.
    3. Parents may pick up (without getting out of their cars) between 3:35 PM and 3:45 PM regardless of their own vaccination status.
    4. Parents may pick up (without getting out of their cars) between 5:45 PM and 6:00 PM regardless of their own vaccination status.
    5. Parents should wear masks during drop off/ pick up as a safety measure for staff.
5. Vaccinations are free to all. Consult your doctor or visit https://myturn.ca.gov/ to schedule.
 
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. Curative testing also provides free testing to children 5 and up.
MASKS
As of August 2nd, the San Mateo County Health Officer issued an order requiring masks to be worn regardless of vaccination status in all indoor public settings, venues, gatherings, and workplaces, including schools. Mask wearing allows all students to be on campus regardless of distance and space allowances.
 

As of October 7th, the San Mateo County Health Officer laid out a plan for lifting the indoor mask requirements in most places. Although this does not apply to schools, it does allow there to be an additional lessening of outdoor masking requirements at school when met. The conditions included remaining in the low or moderate range of the number of daily new cases, availability of hospital beds and resources, and reaching an 80% vaccination rate for all 5 year old and up residents. Current state mandate is overriding this until at least January 15th. 

  1. All students are required to wear a mask when at school. Masks will be given to the children if theirs is not satisfactory at any point during the day.
  2. All employees are required to wear a mask when at school.
  3. No person will be allowed to come onto campus without a properly worn and well-fitting mask. Valve masks are not allowed; bandanas and gaiters are not allowed.
  4. Masks will be modeled by the staff with positivity. Children will be taught the reasoning and science behind mask wearing.
  5. Students and staff are encouraged to have at least 5 masks. All people are asked to clean masks daily.
  6. Masks may be removed during eating time when the children are outside and seated at their appropriate table spot. To ensure that students do not need to quarantine at home for two weeks if exposed, unvaccinated students may only have a 14-min maskless lunch.
  7. All children in Kindergarten through Fifth Grade must wear masks all day - indoors and outdoors.
  8. All children in Sixth through Eighth Grade must wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status. When they are outdoors, they are allowed to take short mask breaks only if further than 6 feet from all other children.
GATHERINGS
  1. Outdoor Gatherings of vaccinated people in masks are allowed, but will be limited.
  2. Many events will be held online in an effort to include more people in the safest manner possible.
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
  1. Please wait to travel as a family until you and all your family members are vaccinated.
  2. Please wear a mask at all times when traveling.
  3. Refer to CA Department of Public Health Travel Guidelines for more guidance.
  4. 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.
  5. Refer to CDC Guidelines for Domestic Travel for specifics on vaccinated and unvaccinated travel.
  6. 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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