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COVID-19 Safety Protocols

COVID 19 Protocol: Whole School, and individual Classroom measures.

**ALL staff and students are mandated to observe these protocols to be in our school building during this COVID 19 transitionary period**

We are required to observe certain safety protocols to return to school during Stage 2. We will work with students to create a culture of awareness of precaution. Having sanitary and healthy practices helps create healthy habits.  

COVID Health & Safety Plan: September 2020

Access to School:

• All workers and students who have symptoms of COVID-19 or have travelled outside Canada in the last 14 days must stay home and self-isolate in accordance with guidance from the BC Centre for Disease Control. Self-isolation is also advised for those who are considered a close contact of a confirmed case.

• Parents and caregivers will be notified before September 8, 2020 in writing that it is their responsibility to assess their children daily before sending them to school. They will be provided a Daily Health Check (BC Centre for Disease Control) to assist in their assessments. This information will also be posted on the Arrowsmith Independent School website: www.arrwosmithindependentschool.ca and will be given at registration/orientation

• Parents and caregivers must assess their children daily for symptoms of common cold, influenza, COVID-19, or other respiratory disease before sending them to school. Teachers and Director will take student’s temperature upon arrival to school, outside the building. They will also conduct a health check based on the BC Centre for Disease Control’s Daily Health Check (Appendix B). This health check will be provided to parents in person before the first day of school during registration and orientation

• If a student develops symptoms while at home, parents or caregivers must keep their child at home until they have been assessed by a health care provider to exclude COVID-19 or other infectious diseases, and their symptoms have resolved. If a child has any symptoms, they must not go to school

• If a student develops symptoms associated with COVID-19 infection while at school or under the care of the school, the following procedures with occur:

1. Student will be asked to remain in the external office (not usually occupied by staff or students) thus providing physical distancing.

2. Parents or caregivers of the student will be contacted immediately to pick up as soon as possible

3. Staff shall attempt to keep a 2-metre distance from the ill student. If not possible, staff should wear a non-medical mask or face covering or use a tissue to cover mouth and nose

4. Student will be provided a non-medical mask, face covering, or use a tissue to cover his/her mouth and nose. Throw away used tissues as soon as possible and perform hand hygiene

5. Avoid touching the student’s body fluids (mucous, saliva). If you do, practice diligent hand hygiene

6. Teacher or Director to contact 811 or the public health unit to notify of a potential case and seek further input.

7. Student to be picked up by parent or caregiver and office area to be disinfected (surfaces, door handles, and frequently touched surfaces)

8. Student should seek assessment by a health-care provider

9. Staff responsible for facility cleaning must clean and disinfect the space where the student was separated and any areas recently used by them (eg. Classroom, bathroom, common areas. 

10. Parents or caregivers must pick up their child as soon as possible if they are notified their child is ill. 

If a Staff Member develops symptoms associated with COVD-19 infection while at work, the following procedures will occur:

1. Staff should go home as soon as possible

If unable to leave immediately:

1. Symptomatic staff should separate themselves into an area away from others

2. Maintain a distance of 2 metres from others

3. Use a tissue or mask to cover their nose and mouth while they wait to be picked up

4. Staff responsible for facility cleaning (Director/Principal) must clean and disinfect the space where the staff member was separated and any areas used by them (eg. Classroom, bathroom, common areas)

-If there is a prolonged or elevated staff and student absenteeism due to influenza-like illness, the Director or Principal of Arrowsmith Independent School will notify the local Vancouver Island Health Authority

• Arrowsmith Independent School will not provide notification to staff or students’ families if a staff member or student becomes ill at home or at school, including if they display symptoms of COVID-19, unless directed to by public health.

• The Director and Principal will ensure that parents and caregivers understand how to complete the daily health check form and confirm that it must be completed daily. Due to the fact that we have enrollment of fewer than 50 students from K-7, this is a feasible undertaking

• Due to our small size, Arrowsmith Indpendent does not have Educational Assistants or support staff from the greater community. We are a small community and will therefore, ensure that outside visitors to the school be kept to a minimum.

• Visitors entering Arrowsmith Independent School will be kept to a minimum and will be prioritized to those supporting activities that are of benefit to student learning and wellbeing.

• All visitors to Arrowsmith Independent School will be required to confirm they have completed the requirements of a daily health check before entering.

• Arrowsmith Independent School will keep a list of the date, names, and contact information for all visitors who enter the school.

Administrative Measures:

• Public will be limited coming into the office. Parents and others will be encouraged to call instead of visiting the school.

• People will be asked to remain outside the office and keep a 2 metre distance from Office Staff

• The Office at Arrowsmith Independent has a glass window permanently that will assist in keeping distance form the public

Student Management and Hygiene:

• Students will be required to wash hands with plain soap and water for at least 20 seconds

• If sinks are not available (eg. Students and staff are outdoors), alcohol-based hand rub contain at least 60% alcohol will be used

• Students will be required to wash their hands:

  • • When they arrive at school and before they go home

    • Before eating and drinking

    • After using the toilet

    • After sneezing or coughing into hands or tissue

    • Whenever hands are visibly dirty

    • When moving between different learning environments (eg. Outdoor-indoor transitions, from music room to the classroom)

    • Teachers will assist younger students with hand hygiene as needed

    • If a sink is not available, use alcohol based hand sanitizer

    • Foods will not be shared by students

    • Before consuming fruits and vegetables, they will be washed with cold, running, potable tap water before consuming

    • Students and Staff will be encouraged not to touch their faces

    • There is no need to limit the sharing of books or paper based educational resources to students. Laminated paper-based products should be cleaned and disinfected daily if they are touched by multiple people

Physical Distancing:

• During drop off and pick up, parents and caregivers will remain outside of the school

• Students and staff will avoid greetings like hugs or handshakes. Students will be reminded to keep their hands to themselves when possible

• Outside learning will occur more frequently and when deemed practicable

• For younger students, shared items will be reduced. Individual activities will be incorporated more frequently and activities that encourage more space between students and staff

• Classes at Arrowsmith Independent are comprised of 15 students or fewer and classes will remain in these smaller groups whenever possible

• Arrowsmith Independent School does not employ Educational Assistants or other outside support staff. Students will remain with their class teachers for the majority of their learning.

• Students in classrooms will be spaces with a 2 metre distance

• There will be no allowance for food and drink sharing

• Because our entire cohort is fewer than 60 students, recess and break times will remain the same for all students. Each classroom is equipped with a sink thus students will be able to maintain proper hand hygiene without visiting  shared washrooms frequently. Hand washing will be mandatory before and after outdoor play

• There are no extra curricular activities offered at this time at Arrowsmith Independent School

Cohorts:

• Enrolment at Arrowsmith Independent School from K-7 is maintained at 60 students or fewer. In our elementary school, our entire school is one cohort

• Minimized physical contact will be encouraged but a 2 metre distance does not need to be maintained

• Students in each classroom will have an assigned seating arrangement

• Socializing within the school at recess and break times is permitted as the number of students in the entire school is one cohort

Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):

• Non-medical masks are recommended when a person cannot maintain physical distance for extended periods of time but they are not mandatory during school class time in the elementary setting

• Students at Arrowsmith Independent School are brought to school by their parents or caregivers and not a shared bus, so non-medical masks are not required 

• No student is required to wear a non-medical mask of they do not tolerate it

Students with medical complexity, immune suppression and/or receiving delegated care:

• Managing students with medical complexities, immune suppression, or who are receiving delegated care may require those providing health services (e.g., staff providing delegated care or other health care providers) to be in close physical proximity or in physical contact with a medically complex or immune suppressed student for an extended period of time. In community-based clinical settings where there is low incidence and prevalence of COVID-19, additional PPE over and above that required for routine practices is not required. The same guidance is applicable to those providing health services in schools.

• If a person providing health services determines the need for additional PPE following a point-of-care risk assessment, it should be worn. Those providing health services should wear a mask when working in close proximity with students who are at a higher risk of severe illness due to COVID-19 (e.g., children with immune suppression), particularly those who work at multiple sites.

• Those providing health services in schools may be receiving different guidance related to PPE from their regulatory college or employer. They are encouraged to work with those organizations directly to confirm what PPE is recommended for the services they provide in school settings.

• No health services should be provided to a student in school who is exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19 (beyond those detailed if a student develops symptoms at school in BC CDC guidelines).

• Parents and caregivers of children who are considered at higher risk of severe illness due to COVID-19 are encouraged to consult with their health care provider to determine their child’s level of risk.

Safety for Staff:

Physical distancing

• The Cohort at Arrowsmith Indpendent School is only one comprised of fewer than 60 students K-7. Staff will be encouraged to maintain physical distance and not greet others by hugging or shaking hands.

• School gatherings will occur within one cohort. Gatherings will not exceed the maximum cohort size in the setting, plus the minimum number of additional people required (e.g., school staff, visitors, etc.) to meet the gathering’s purpose and intended outcome. These gatherings will happen minimally and schools should seek virtual alternatives for larger gatherings and assemblies where practicable.

• If staff need to travel between school and field trips, maintain physical distance in vehicles wherever possible. Consider separate vehicles if possible. Larger vehicles may be able to accommodate physical distancing by using a seat configuration that maximizes distance between people.

Hygiene

• Staff will be encouraged to remain on site and not to leave during lunch or at break times.

• Hand washing supplies are available at all times (i.e., soap, clean towels, paper towels and, if needed, 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer). See the List of Hand Sanitizers Authorized by Health Canada for products that have met Health Canada’s requirements and are authorized for sale in Canada.

• Handwashing policies and procedures are posted for all staff and others at the school. 

• Teachers, and administrators will wash their hands frequently to reduce the risk of transmission.

• Staff will be provided with appropriate supplies and facilities with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes. Hand hygiene stations are set up at the school entrance and external classroom doors.

• Staff will be oriented in effective hygiene practices. Refer to WorkSafeBC’s hygiene practices signage.

Use of personal protective equipment (PPE)

• COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for K-12 School Settings is that personal protective equipment, such as masks and gloves are not needed, beyond those used by staff as part of regular precautions for the hazards normally encountered in their regular course of work.

• Where PPE has been identified for tasks prior to COVID-19 pandemic, continue to use this PPE when performing these tasks.

• Wear disposable gloves when cleaning blood or body fluids (e.g., runny nose, vomit, stool, urine). Wash hands before wearing and after removing gloves.

Interacting with cohorts

• Arrowsmith Independent School K-7 has only one cohort. Our school will minimize the number of adults (staff and others) who interact with this cohort, while supporting learning and providing a positive, healthy, and safe environment.

Cleaning and Sanitizing:

Regular cleaning and disinfection are essential to preventing the transmission of COVID-19 from contaminated objects and surfaces. 

• Arrowsmith Independent School will be cleaned and disinfected in accordance with the BC CDC’s Cleaning and Disinfectants for Public Settings. Cleaning practices should be in line with the provincial health officer’s COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for Childcare Settings.

-This includes:

• • General cleaning and disinfecting of the premises at least once every 24 hours

  • Cleaning and disinfecting frequently-touched surfaces at least twice every 24 hours (door knobs, light switches, toilet handles, tables, desks, and chairs used by multiple students, keyboards and toys)

  • Clean and disinfect any surface that is visibly dirty

  • Use common, commercially-available detergents and disinfectant products and closely follow the instruction on the label

  • Limit frequently-touched items that are not easily cleaned

  • Empty garbage containers daily

  • Wear disposable gloves when cleaning blood or bodily fluids (runny nose, vomit, stool, urine). Wash hands before wearing and after removing gloves

• A cleaning and disinfecting schedule will be created to ensure the above is completed daily 

• Shared items where cross-contamination is possible (e.g., shared school supplies, coffee and water stations, and snack bins) will be removed

• End-of-day wipe downs will be completed by teachers an staff for all shared spaces.

• Garbage containers will be emptied daily.

• Custodians will be provided adequate instruction, training, and supplies on the cleaning protocols developed for the workplace.

• All staff will clean and disinfect any surface that is visibly dirty and limit frequently-touched items that are not easily cleaned. Common, commercially-available detergents and disinfectant products will be used and instructions on the label will be closely followed. See Health Canada’s list of hard-surface disinfectants for use against COVID-19 for specific brands and disinfectant products.

Buses and School Transportation:

• Arrowsmith Independent School students do not take a daily bus for drop off and pick up.

• A bus is provided for field trips with a maximum of 16 students allowed on the bus, each student having his/her own seat

• The bus will be: cleaned and disinfected before a field trip and after. Our bus will be cleaned and disinfected according the guidance provided in the BC CDC’s Cleaning and Disinfectants for Public Settings document. Additional guidance is available from Transport Canada.

• Private vehicle use where possible to will be encouraged to decrease transportation density.

• Students will sit in their own seats.

• Bus drivers should clean their hands often, including before and after completing trips. They are encouraged to regularly use alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol during trips, as well as wear a non-medical mask or face covering when they cannot physically distance or stay behind a physical barrier in the course of their duties.

• Students should clean their hands before they leave home to take the bus, when they leave school prior to taking the bus, and when they get home.

• Where possible, students should sit next to the window.

• Our schools will keep up-to-date passenger lists to share with public health should contact tracing need to occur.

Food Services:

• Schools can continue to include food preparation as part of learning and provide food services, including for sale and meal programs.

  • If food is prepared as part of learning and is consumed by the student(s) who prepared it, no additional measures beyond those articulated in this document and normal food safety measures and requirements need to be implemented (e.g., Foodsafe trained staff, a food safety plan, etc.).

  • If food is prepared within or outside a school for consumption by people other than those that prepared it (including for sale), it is expected that the WorkSafeBC Restaurants, cafes, pubs, and nightclubs: Protocols for returning to operation are implemented as appropriate and as relevant to the school setting, in addition to normally implemented food safety measures and requirements (e.g., Foodsafe trained staff, a food safety plan, etc.).

• Schools should not allow homemade food items to be made available to other students at this time (e.g., birthday treats, bake sale items).

• The June 19, 2020 Order of the Provincial health Officer Food Service Establishments and Liquor Services does not apply to schools. Food Safety Legislation and the Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales in B.C. Schools continue to apply as relevant.

• Schools should continue to emphasize that food and beverages should not be shared.

Communication Strategies:

• Staff will be reminded hat all health and safety measures in place prior to the pandemic are still in place.

• Essential health and safety information will be communicated to Staff in writing before they return to the workplace. Staff will be given an appropriate amount of time to review this material, and to respond with questions.

• Upon first return to the workplace, on September 1, 2020, a health and safety meeting will be held to review workplace practices relating to COVID-19 and other health and safety matters. Additional communication may be required as new information is made available that may affect work practices.

• Daily check-in meetings with staff will occur to provide them with new information and review any concerns.

• Parents and caregivers will be given frequent literature and written and verbal reminders to ensure an understanding of our policy that students must stay home if they are sick.

• The number of non-essential people coming into the school such as parents and caregivers and contractors will be minimized greatly.

• Parents and caregivers will be frequently informed about what we are doing in your educational setting regarding taking extra precautions.

• Workers will be informed as of how to raise safety concerns. This can be done through our  health and safety officer or Board of Directors

• New information relating to COVID-19 in our school will be posted in the staff room.

Documentation and Training:

• Staff and teachers will be trained in:

  • The risk of exposure to COVID-19 and the signs and symptoms of the disease.

  • Safe work procedures or instruction to be followed, including hand washing and cough/sneeze etiquette.

  • How to report an exposure to or symptoms of COVID-19.

  • Changes you’ve made to work policies, practices, and procedures due to the COVID-19 pandemic and keep records of that training.

  • Document COVID-19 related meetings and post minutes in the Staff Meeting Minutes Binder

• Keep records of instruction and training provided to workers regarding COVID-19, as well as reports of exposure and first aid records.

Safety Responsibilities by Role:

Employer (Arrowsmith Independent School Society)

• Select, implement, and document risk assessments and appropriate site-specific control measures.

• Ensure that all resources (information, authorization administrative changes, technology, training, human resources) and materials (personal protective equipment, equipment, cleaning and disinfecting products and systems) required to implement and maintain plan are reasonably made available as practical when required.

• Ensure that supervisors and workers are informed about the content of safety policies.

• Conduct a periodic review the effectiveness of the plan. This includes a review of the available control technologies to ensure that these are selected and used when practical.

• Maintain records of training and inspections.

• Re-examine all tasks in the workplace, especially those that require the direct care of students, and ensure that safe work procedures are updated with COVID-19 practices.

• Where possible, have workers perform only essential tasks to maintain the student’s education and well-being. Tasks that are non-essential should be put on hold until directed otherwise by the provincial health officer.

• Maintaining an inventory of PPE for custodians, cleaning and disinfectant products, and well-maintained equipment used for cleaning and disinfecting.

• Providing adequate instruction to custodians on the hazards associated with cleaning work areas and on the safe work procedures specified in this exposure control plan.

• Directing the work in a manner that ensures the risk to custodians is minimized and adequately controlled.

• Revising the work schedule to ensure priority intensive cleaning of impacted work area surfaces and touch points.

Supervisors (principals and vice principals)

• Ensure that workers are knowledgeable regarding the controls required to minimize their risk of exposure to COVID-19.

• Direct work in a manner that eliminates or minimizes the risk to workers.

• Post or relay educational and informational material in an accessible area for workers to review.

Workers (teachers, education assistants, support staff and outside contractors)

• Know the controls required to minimize their risk of exposure to COVID-19.

• Participate in COVID-19 related training and instruction.

• Follow established work procedures and instructions as directed by the employer or supervisor.

• Report any unsafe conditions or acts to the supervisor.

• Know how and when to report exposure incidents.