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Since the fall of 2020, Faith Baptist Schools (FBS) has operated as an online school while also providing an in-person day care with educational oversight for K5–8th-grade students. Faith Baptist Schools obtained an Emergency Child Care Waiver for this extended day care program from the Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division. During the 21 weeks of operation as a day care with nearly 360 students on campus each day, the day care had only 3 asymptomatic student cases and 3 mild cases with no community spread.

 

In mid-January of 2021, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) published a reopening in-person instruction framework (a public health directive) to support school communities in California as they decide when and how to implement in-person instruction for the 2020–2021 school year. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has agreed to adjust their guidelines and protocols to align with the CDPH framework beginning February 1. The new guidelines allow schools in regions with an adjusted COVID-19 case count of 25/100,000 for 5 consecutive days to reopen for in-person instruction for K5–6th grades. Schools may not reopen for junior- and senior-high in-person instruction until the region maintains an adjusted COVID-19 case count of 7/100,000 and is moved into the red tier.

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Within Faith Baptist Schools’ COVID-19 Safety Plan (CSP), we are also including written documentation to fulfill the requirements for the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Program (CPP). In addition, our CSP and CPP will be submitted both to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the State Safe Schools for All Team and will be posted on our website prior to reopening the elementary school.

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2021 COVID-19 School Guidance Checklist

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In order to accomplish these goals, the FB Operational Plan will incorporate the following strategies:

• Stable Group Structures

• Entrance, Egress, and Movement Within the School

• Face Coverings and Other Essential Protective Gear

• Health Screenings for Students and Staff

• Healthy Hygiene Practices

• Identification and Tracing of Contacts

• Physical Distancing

• Staff Training and Family Education

• Identification and Reporting of Cases

• Communication Plans

• Consultation

 

Stable Group Structure

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• Class sizes will be limited to 14 students per stable group. Students within these stable groups will remain together throughout the duration of each day, eating lunch together and going to recess together while socially distanced.

• There are no more than 2 adults who interact with each of the stable groups.

• Outdoor play will be scheduled by grade level instead of combining grade levels. Individual classes within a grade level will have a designated play area that changes weekly in order to foster social distancing and stable groups as much as possible.

• Lockers will not be utilized. Instead, students will store their textbooks in their classroom desks.

• Extended day care hours are 7 AM to 8 AM and 4 PM to 6 PM. Because it is important for us to create stable groups of children that continue throughout the entire day, even for extended care, students will be placed in stable groups based on their need for before- and after-school care.

• In order to maintain our stable groups, students will not be able to choose electives, rather the same elective will be offered to the entire stable group.

 

Entrance, Egress, and Movement Within the School

 

• Families with K5 and preschool-aged children should have one parent or caregiver leave their vehicle to walk the child to class each day. Parents of K2–K5 children are to drop children off at the door without entering the classroom. If possible, the same parent should drop off and pick up their child each day.

• After the screening card has been collected and their temperature has been taken, 1st- through 6th-grade children should be dropped off in the safety zone where they will be supervised as they walk directly to their rooms. Limiting the number of people on campus will reduce the potential for infection.

• The drop-off and pick-up times for grade levels have been staggered, giving parents from 7:00 AM until 9:00 AM to drop off their children and from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM to pick them up.

• A touchless QR code scanning system, SchoolTron, has been incorporated to keep students from congregating or mixing during the pick up time. These codes are scanned as the parent drives on the campus. The code sends a message to the child’s room that the parent has arrived. The child is then dismissed from class and is guided to his car in the safety zone by a staff member.

• We will designate one-way directional staircases and hallways in order to eliminate congestion and congregating as much as possible.

• Elevator capacity is limited to the number of people that can be accommodated while maintaining a six-foot distance between riders during peak building entry and exit times. This number can be adjusted to a maximum number of 4 riders at a time for any elevator that does not allow for six-foot physical distance between riders. All riders are required to wear cloth face coverings.

 

Face Coverings and Other Essential Protective Gear

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• All faculty, staff, and children over age 2 are required to wear cloth face coverings at all times while on FBS property except while eating, drinking, sleeping, swimming, or solo physical exertion.

• Anyone entering school property (on buses as well as our buildings and grounds) is required to wear a cloth face covering.

• Parents are to ensure that children have clean face coverings. Parents of younger children are encouraged to provide a second face-covering for child care each day in case the mask they are wearing gets soiled.

• Children who have been instructed not to wear face coverings by their medical provider are exempt from wearing one. A note from a physician is required and must state the reason for the face-covering exemption and should indicate what type of face covering is able to be worn. (i.e., face shield)

• Proper face coverings will be available at the Welcome Center for anyone who attempts to enter the property without one.

• In addition, FBS will also provide each staff member with a plastic face shield with drape that can be tucked in as well as a sufficient supply of plastic gloves.

 

 

Health Screening for Students and Staff

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Screening procedures have been implemented for all staff and children entering the FB campus. Screening stations will be set up at campus entry points.

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• Prior to the start of school, parents and staff will be given screening cards that they will need to fill out for each of their children before dropping them off at FBS each day.

 

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• Screening stations will be set up at the Welcome Center and in the Safety Zone where screening cards will be collected and where a student’s and staff member’s temperature will be taken with a touchless thermometer, prior to exiting their vehicle and walking to his classroom.

• In addition, parents and/or caregivers will also be asked to screen themselves and their children daily by taking their temperature at home, prior to coming to the property.

• Anyone who has a temperature of 100.4°F/38°C or higher, shows any signs of illness, or who answers “yes” to any of the above screening questions will be excluded from the property.

• As a daily practice, when all staff and children arrive on campus, they will be asked about any symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fatigue, chills, congestion, runny nose, muscle or body aches, headache, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, or new loss of taste or smell) that they, or someone in their homes, might have, if they have had any exposure to another individual with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases in the past 10 days, or if their children have taken any fever reducing medications in the prior 24 hours.

• In addition, as a daily practice, the staff will also take the children’s temperatures each morning by using a no-touch thermometer.

• Any child, parent, caregiver, or staff member showing symptoms of COVID-19 or who answer “yes” to any of the above screening questions will be excluded from the property.

• Both staff and children will be monitored throughout the day for any signs of possible illness.

• If a staff member or a child exhibits signs of illness, he would be isolated from the general room population in the designated isolation room in the school office, and the caregiver of the child would be notified immediately to come pick up the child and take him home or to the appropriate medical facility.

• FBS will refer to a child’s health information on the student portal to identify if a child has a history of allergies which would not be a reason to exclude him from the campus.  

 

Healthy Hygiene Practices

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FBS will ensure that there are adequate supplies to support healthy hygiene on campus (soap, no-touch trash cans, and hand sanitizer). The staff will teach and reinforce proper handwashing practices; avoiding contact with one’s eyes, nose, and mouth; and covering coughs and sneezes appropriately. Parents should reinforce these practices by training their children at home as well.

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• K2–K5 parents will use iPads for signing in and out of day care. The day care workers in each of the rooms will type in the PIN codes for parents so that the iPad does not need to be disinfected between use.

• The staff will give frequent verbal reminders to children about practicing healthy hygiene.

• For younger children, the staff will create and develop a scripted story around social distancing, proper etiquette for sneezes, coughs, etc. The staff will teach children to use tissue to wipe their noses and to cough inside their elbows.

• The staff will practice frequent handwashing and model proper handwashing before and after eating, after coughing or sneezing, after playing outside, and after using the restroom by teaching a child-friendly song or counting to 20. (Handwashing should last 20 seconds.) Handwashing signs have been posted above all sinks to remind children to wash their hands properly.

• The sinks in classrooms will be utilized as much as possible for handwashing to minimize congregating in the bathrooms.

• The staff will explain to children why it’s not healthy to share drinks or food. Additionally, sharing electronic devices, clothing, toys, and books should be avoided as much as practicable.

• Parents should label their children’s personal items and bring them to campus in separate bags to ensure personal items remain separate. 

• Children’s cots in the preschool and K5 will be labeled and used by the same child each day. 

• Children will use Ethyl alcohol-based hand sanitizer when handwashing is not available. (Children under age 9 will be supervised when using hand sanitizer.)

• Hand sanitizer, soap and water, tissues, and trash cans are available to the public at or near the entrance of the facility, at the reception area, and anywhere else inside the campus or immediately outside where people have direct interactions.

• In the preschool, personal items will be sent home each day.  Bedding will be sent home weekly to be laundered.  

• We will still be able to provide a pre-packaged hot lunch for purchase; however, children will eat lunch inside while still being able to enjoy their afternoon outside play time.

• Children may bring a sack lunch from home, but snacks and other items brought from home should not be shared with other children. Children should bring their own disposable water bottles to avoid using drinking fountains.

• School supplies will be kept at an individual student’s desk, rather than supplies being shared communally.

• We are following a schedule for cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting certain identified items and surfaces before and after each use, daily, and weekly.

• We will frequently disinfect surfaces and objects including tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, mice, toilet handles, faucets, and sinks.

• In the preschool, a container will be designated for toys that need to be disinfected and cleaned before being reintroduced into the classroom environment. 

• FB is using disinfectants against COVID-19 from the EPA-approved list “N.”

• In addition, each weekend, all classroom surfaces will be disinfected with an electrostatic sprayer. 

• Doors and windows will be opened to ventilate classrooms before and after children arrive. Doors and windows will be kept open during the day if feasible and when outdoor conditions make this appropriate.

• The most efficient anti-microbial filters possible are integrated in each classroom’s HVAC unit and are changed regularly. HVAC systems are set to maximize indoor/outdoor air exchange unless outdoor conditions (recent fire, very high outside temperature, high pollen count, etc.) make this inappropriate.

• A cleaning and disinfecting schedule has been established in order to avoid both under- and over-use of cleaning products.

• Buses will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected daily and after transporting any individual who is exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. Drivers will screen all incoming riders and be equipped with disinfectant wipes and disposable gloves to support disinfection of surfaces as needed during a run. Frequently touched surfaces are disinfected after every completed bus route.

• Cleaning and disinfecting (except for frequent touch-point disinfecting) is done when children are not at school with adequate time to let spaces air out before the start of the school day.

 

Identification and Tracing of Contacts

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• If you have any concerns regarding COVID-19 or need to report a diagnosis or report contact with someone who has been diagnosed, please call Stephania Rasmussen or Tina Swift through the FBS office at (818) 340-6131. Tina will then document and track incidents of possible exposure and notify local health officials, staff, and families immediately of any positive cases of COVID-19 while maintaining confidentiality, as required under state and federal laws related to privacy.

• Parents have been notified to make sure their emergency contact information is updated in the Parent Portal so that the FB office staff can get in touch with them quickly if needed. When a child does show signs of illness, they will need to be picked up immediately.

• Children who are running a fever at the point of screening or whose parents answer “yes” to any of the screening questions will not be permitted to exit the vehicle and will be sent home.

• Children who develop symptoms of illness after drop-off at FBS will be separated from others right away, given a surgical mask to wear, and will wait in the isolation room in the back of the attendance office. The parents will be notified for the child to be picked up immediately. The child should remain in isolation until they can go home or be taken to the appropriate medical facility.

• A surgical mask will be placed on a child with fever and/or cough as soon as possible after moving them to the isolation room. (Children should be wearing their own face covering to campus.)

• Guidelines for isolation of a sick child are the same as those for an adult. The child must stay home in isolation and not return to the FBS facility for a minimum of 10 days after onset of symptoms AND until their symptoms have improved AND they are free of fever for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medication.

• Here is guidance on home isolation from the DPH website: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/docs/HomeisolationenCoV.pdf

• If at all possible, staff who are pregnant, over 65, and/or have chronic conditions will not be required to care for a child who shows signs of sickness.

• Custodial staff will be informed so that all desks, lockers, and workspaces of the person are thoroughly disinfected. If possible, custodial staff will wait 24 hours before disinfecting the room.

• If the staff/student was at school when symptoms emerged and/or within two days (48 hours) of becoming symptomatic, FBS will follow the directions for quarantining individuals. According to the LA County Health Department, a person is considered to have been exposed if they are one of the following: 

 

- An individual who was within 6 feet of the infected person for more than 15 minutes, even if a non-medical face covering was worn; 

- An individual who had unprotected contact with the infected person’s body fluids and/or secretions of a person with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 (e.g., being coughed or sneezed on, sharing utensils or saliva, or providing care without using appropriate protective equipment). 

- If the exposure happened in a school classroom or school cohort, all persons that were in the classroom or cohort during the infectious period are considered exposed at this time.  

 

• When there is a positive case in the school community, (staff or student) FB will notify the cohort and any additional individuals who meet the  guidelines for quarantining.

• Quarantined individuals will receive the following information: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/docs/COVHomeQuarantine.pdf

• All positive cases who were present on the campus 14 days prior to a positive test or the onset of symptoms will be reported to the LADPH. All individuals who meet the criteria for quarantining will be reported as well.

• FB will inform these individuals listed above that DPH will follow up to collect additional information from them.

• Note that while all parents/caregivers and staff may be informed of a confirmed case of COVID-19 in someone connected to the facility, it is not legal to share the name of the infected individual. It may not be hard for children or staff to guess who the person is, but that is different from an intentional release of private medical information about someone.

• The ultimate goal is to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our day care community. In order for a child exhibiting any of the symptoms (and his siblings) to return to school, we will require one of the following: a note from your child’s doctor indicating the symptomatic child’s diagnosis (ear infection, sinus infection, etc.) and the date that he can return to day care and a negative COVID test with the symptomatic child’s name and current date. Without a note from a physician and a negative COVID test, a student exhibiting symptoms will need to isolate at home for 10 days after the onset of symptoms AND an additional 24 hours after a fever without fever reduction medication. Siblings without symptoms would need to quarantine for 10 days from the date of exposure if the symptomatic sibling is not tested or if he tests positive.

 

Physical Distancing

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Social and physical distancing is a practice recommended by public health officials to slow down the spread of a disease. It requires the intentional creation of physical space between individuals who may spread contagious and infectious diseases. It additionally requires reducing class sizes and maintaining six feet of distance between every individual, as much as possible. Faith Baptist will adhere to the following guidelines for social distancing:

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• Classroom furniture will be set up to ensure six feet between children at their desks. Children attending in person may also choose to bring their own personal desk barrier. An appropriate physical barrier will be used where six feet is not possible, but student seating will never be closer than four feet. (With the square footage of our classrooms with cohorts of 14, FB does not foresee a need to place desks closer than six feet.)  

• Cots for preschool nap time will be set up six feet apart and will alternate feet to head.

• We will extend the indoor environment to outdoors and take the children outside as much as possible, weather permitting.

• Families with K5 and preschool-aged children should have one parent or caregiver leave their vehicle to walk the child to class each day. Parents of K2–K5 children should drop children off at the door without entering the classroom. If possible, the same parent should drop off and pick up their child each day.  

• All 1st- through 6th-grade children should be dropped off in the safety zone where they will be supervised as they walk directly to their rooms. Limiting the number of people on campus will reduce the potential for infection.

• We will designate one-way directional staircases and hallways in order to eliminate congestion and congregating as much as possible.

• Elevator capacity is limited to the number of people that can be accommodated while maintaining a six-foot distance between riders during peak building entry and exit times. This number can be adjusted to a maximum number of 4 riders at a time for any elevator that does not allow for six-foot physical distance between riders. All riders are required to wear cloth face coverings.

• In order to eliminate overcrowding in the offices, parents should use email, phone, and videocalls as much as possible to communicate with both the teachers and the office staff.

 

Staff Training and Family Education

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• After opening in May of 2020 as a licensed day care and then later as an extended day care with a waiver, FBS has endeavored to train both the staff and the parents to understand and follow the current protocols for operating safely.

• In addition to being published on our website, a link to the COVID Safety Plan (originally the FBS Operational Plan) has been sent to all parents whose students are enrolled in FB and to all current employees.

• Weekly memos have been emailed to all parents, faculty, and staff updating them on the reopening and safety guidelines.

• After sending all families the link to the COVID Safety Plan, the FB administration conducted a 2.5-hour town-hall style Zoom meeting, giving all parents the opportunity to ask questions to better understand the safety plan.

• A week of inservice prior to opening was spent training the staff in the COVID Safety Plan.

• Weekly training sessions (with the option to join socially distanced or via livestream) have been implemented with the staff to address concerns and to reiterate safety training.

• Links to training videos for proper handwashing, mask wearing, and social distancing were sent to all parents and staff.

• Signs have been posted at the entrance of the campus and throughout the property to remind staff and students of the importance of social distancing, handwashing, and mask wearing.

 

Testing of Staff

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• Any staff member who develops symptoms will be asked to test immediately and will be instructed to follow the isolation instructions while awaiting their test results. http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/docs/homeisolationencov.pdf

• FBS provides health insurance for its employees, giving them access to immediate testing and follow up from their health care provider.

• FBS is researching possibilities to test asymptomatic staff periodically for COVID-19 based on local disease trends and as testing capacity allows.

 

Testing of Students

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• Parents of any student who develops symptoms will be asked to test their child immediately and will be instructed to follow the isolation instructions while awaiting their test results. http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/docs/homeisolationencov.pdf

• Children who develop symptoms of illness after drop-off at FBS will be separated from others right away, given a surgical mask to wear, and will wait in the isolation room in the back of the attendance office. The parents will be notified for the child to be picked up immediately. The child should remain in isolation until they can go home or be taken to the appropriate medical facility for testing.

• FBS does not have plans to test asymptomatic students at this time.

• If the student was at school when symptoms emerged and/or within two days (48 hours) of becoming symptomatic, FB will follow the directions for quarantining individuals. According to the LA County Health Department, a person is considered to have been exposed if they are one of the following: 

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- An individual who was within 6 feet of the infected person for more than 15 minutes, even if a non-medical face covering was worn; 

- An individual who had unprotected contact with the infected person’s body fluids and/or secretions of a person with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 (e.g., being coughed or sneezed on, sharing utensils or saliva, or providing care without using appropriate protective equipment). 

- If the exposure happened in a school classroom or school cohort, all persons that were in the classroom or cohort during the infectious period are considered exposed at this time.  

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• Quarantined individuals will receive the following information: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/docs/COVHomeQuarantine.pdf

 

Identification and Reporting of Contacts

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• FBS maintains a contact database of all students and employees.

• FBS will report COVID-19 cases and close contacts in the education setting to the state and to the LA County Public Health Department’s web-based survey system REDcap by providing the following information:

 

- The full name, address, telephone number, and date of birth of the individual who tested positive;

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- The date the individual tested positive, the school(s) at which the individual was present on-site within the 10 days preceding the positive test, and the date the individual was last on-site at any relevant school(s); and

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- The full name, address, and telephone number of the person making the report.

 

• If FB is made aware of a second confirmed case within 14 days from different households with an epidemiological link, FB will reinforce the message to children and employees on precautions taken to prevent the spread and implement site-specific interventions, as needed, to reduce transmission.

• FBS will contact the Department of Public Health to report a cluster of cases (3 or more laboratory-confirmed cases from different households within 14 days that are epidemiologically linked).

 

Communication Plan

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• Once a positive case has been identified in the educational setting, FBS’s designated COVID-19 liaison will then track incidents of possible exposure and notify the appropriate staff and families immediately, while maintaining confidentiality, as required under state and federal laws related to privacy (FERPA and HIPAA).

• If there is a confirmed positive case in an educational cohort, the FBS designated COVID-19 liaison will make a phone call to each family in the cohort explaining the quarantining protocol, the necessity of testing, and the return-to-campus date. A separate email will also be sent to these families containing a link to the LA County of Public Health Department's quarantine instructions.

• FBS will communicate with its parents, authorized guardians, staff, and stakeholders through our parent portal, email, and/or SMS messaging. In addition, occasional Zoom meetings will be set up to better discuss safety guidelines and protocols.

 

Consultation

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• FBS is not affiliated with a labor organization.

• Before opening 21 weeks ago with an Emergency Child Care Waiver, FBS published its COVID-19 Operational Plan to all parents and staff. After being given the opportunity to review this operational plan, the administration of FBS held a 2.5-hour town-hall style Zoom meeting with parents answering their questions. Parents then had the opportunity to sign their child up for the on-campus day care with educational oversight or to continue their child’s online education from home.

• Under the new guidelines, students who have been on campus for the past 21 weeks for day care will now switch to in-person learning.

• All staff was also given the opportunity to choose to oversee in-person day care or to teach online. Teachers who chose to teach online were afforded the opportunity to do so.

 

 

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