Ensuring a safe learning community

The Independence School is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for its students. We are following and using all state-level guidelines and CDC guidance to inform our practices in order to responsibly keep our students, faculty and staff on campus. We remain flexible and adaptable as recommendations may change throughout the school year.

There are defined ways that we can maintain a healthy community – good hygiene habits, distancing from each other, wearing face coverings, and reducing the amount of cross contact between both students and adults.

Our detailed plans and protocols for 2021-2022
are outlined below.

Plans, Procedures and Protocols
for On-Campus Learning

Expectations for Attendance

Our primary goal is to maintain the health of our community. We understand that sick children need to remain at home. Students will not be penalized for the number of sick days accrued during the school year.

Your child should not come to school if:

Your child’s temperature is 100 degrees F or higher
Your child has any ONE of the following symptoms: fever, a new or uncontrolled cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, diarrhea or vomiting.
Your child has TWO of the following symptoms: headache, sore throat, nausea.
Check here for the latest DPH/DOE guidelines for schools, as of Jan. 3, 2022.

Please contact the school nurse at lgodfrey@indyde.org if your child will be absent.

In case of illness

If a student becomes ill with COVID-like symptoms while at school, parents/guardians are asked to pick them up within 30-45 minutes.
Parents of students who are sent home from school with COVID-like symptoms need to contact their health care provider. Either a written note must be provided by a health care provider or a negative COVID test must be provided before returning to school. Notes or test results should be sent via email to lgodfrey@indyde.org or fax to (302)239-3696.

In the event of a positive case of COVID-19
If a student receives a positive diagnosis for COVID-19, parents must notify the school nurse immediately.
The school nurse will collaborate with the Delaware Division of Public Health to complete contact tracing and identify those contacts that are at high risk for contracting the disease.
The exposure risk will be calculated on a case-by-case basis, and the decision to quarantine and for how long will be at the discretion of DPH.
Classmates will be monitored for symptoms, and the school will coordinate with DPH to notify families of the presence of any positive COVID-19 cases in the classroom and grade level, depending upon the situation, to encourage closer observation for any symptoms at home.
Those who have tested positive for COVID-19 need to be cleared by DPH or a physician before returning to school. Notes may be emailed to lgodfrey@indyde.org of faxed to (302)239-3696.
If an immediate family member tests positive for COVID-19, we ask you to notify the school nurse at lgodfrey@indyde.org. The circumstances will determine if you need to isolate your child(ren) from school.
If a faculty or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, the same procedures and guidelines will be implemented.

Social Distancing & Face Coverings

Classrooms and Hallways

Face Coverings

Masks are optional for students, faculty & staff, and visitors. If choosing to wear a mask, please note the following recommendations.

Cloth masks should be at least 2 ply and without vents.
Disposable masks are acceptable.
Surgical, N-95, and/or KN-95 masks are highly recommended.
Face shields are acceptable. It is recommended that they be worn with a mask.
For safety reasons, masks may not be attached to anything that goes around the student's neck, such as lanyards and/or necklaces.

For your reference, additional information and recommendations about face coverings can be found at these links.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html

https://www.childrens.com/health-wellness/7-tips-to-help-your-child-wear-a-face-mask

Early Childhood Protocols

Arrival, Dismissal & Visitors

Morning Arrival

End of Day Dismissal

Visitors

Outdoor Learning and Play

Designated Outdoor Spaces
Recess Schedules

Designated Outdoor Spaces

Recess Schedules

Health & Safety

Handwashing & Sanitizing

Frequent handwashing and sanitizing will be part of our daily practice.

Clear expectations for handwashing, sanitizer use and overall good hygiene will be modeled and practiced in all of our classrooms.

Touchless hand sanitizer stations will be located at each main entrance to the school building and hand sanitizer will be available in each classroom.

Handwashing/sanitizing and desk cleaning will take place before eating.

Daily Cleaning

Daily cleaning of high touch areas helps to ensure the safety of our spaces including our bathrooms.

EPA approved materials will be used to sanitize and disinfect our spaces. This will be especially important in our classrooms in the Early Childhood area due to the developmental age of these children.

All faculty will have spray disinfectant and/or EPA approved disinfecting wipes for surfaces.

Bathrooms

Water Fountains

Building Ventilation

Using guidance from the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the CDC and our HVAC contractor, we are implementing strategies to increase the fresh air flow, ventilation, and air exchange in our building. These strategies could include operating ventilation systems 24/7, upgrading filters, increasing outside air flow, and adding air purification systems and exhaust fans where appropriate. These strategies exceed ASHRAE standard operating requirements.

Please note that we will encourage the circulation of fresh air by opening windows as much as possible; students and employees should be prepared for variable temperatures by wearing layers of clothing.

COVID Response Plan FAQs

General

Have changes to the dress code been made?
Because we will not be using our gym locker rooms, students in grades 5 - 8 will wear their PE uniforms to school on days when they have PE. More appropriate cold-weather clothing options will be required once shorts season is over. As we will be spending more time outdoors in other classes besides PE, we also ask that children wear clothing appropriate for outside activities while remaining within our dress code requirements.

What will recess activities look like?
Activities that allow our students to be distanced will be encouraged, such as kickball, shadow tag, hula hoops, and jump rope. Masks are optional outside. Games that involve wrestling, full contact, etc. will not be allowed.

Will there be P.E. and Music Classes?
Yes. We will have these classes. Classes will be held either outside or in large spaces that will allow for appropriate distancing.

How will we be notified of any cases of COVID-19 in our child’s class or in the building?
In the event your child may have been exposed, you will be contacted by the school nurse. Rates for COVID cases in school will be reported weekly on the website dashboard located on the COVID Response Page.

If students are absent for a short period of time due to routine illness, will work be provided to them?
Yes. We do not want any students coming to school if feeling at all unwell. Work will be provided either by the teacher or posted in their online platform.

Will there be an option for ongoing testing of students, faculty, and staff?
The school has partnered with a testing company through the state, Quidel, who will be offering weekly rapid antigen testing on our campus.

Will students who have traveled internationally be required to quarantine before returning to school?
Independence will follow the CDC's recommendations on international travel. Please visit this link for more information.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/

Distance Learning

Under what circumstances would we move to full distance learning?
If the governor orders school to close due to increased levels of infection in the surrounding community. Or, when working collaboratively with the Division of Public Health, it may be determined necessary to close the school due to the level of positive COVID-19 student or faculty cases in our community. Our faculty are prepared for this possibility.

How long would school have to be closed to start distance learning?
We expect that we would transition from on-campus to distance learning immediately.

Field Trips

We believe that field trips are an essential part of our program and are including them this year. Only field trips that align with our curriculum will be considered.

Distancing will be utilized on the buses as much as is possible.

Students and chaperones will remain together in their own group throughout the trip and not cross over groups.

Parents may have the option to drop off and pick up their own children. Please contact your division head to coordinate this in advance of the field trip.

Quidel - Weekly Testing on Campus

The Independence School is partnering with Quidel, a leading provider of rapid diagnostic testing solutions, cellular-based virology assays and molecular diagnostic systems. The state of Delaware has chosen Quidel for in-school Covid-19 testing this year and we have decided to offer this free testing to your child(ren) as well. Here is a link to the Quidel website and the news release of their partnership with the state.
https://ir.quidel.com/news/news-release-details/2021/State-of-Delaware-Selects-Quidel-for-COVID-19-Testing-Program-at-Schools/default.aspx

Quidel takes care of everything. You can easily sign up through the registration link in the button below. Testing takes place every Friday that we are in school.

Quidel will be testing in our school and will manage the rapid antigen test. The tests will be read onsite. If your child receives a positive antigen test, Quidel will contact our school nurse who will then contact you. Confirmation of the results will be sent to you directly from Quidel as well.

The program is very flexible as you can sign up at any point, even if you miss the first week or so. We hope that you will find the ease of this system helpful as we work together to keep our community healthy and safe.

Register at: https://my.primary.health/l/de-charter-and-private

RESOURCES FOR PARENTS

ISOLATION & QUARANTINE GUIDANCE FOR SCHOOL SETTINGS (DOE/DPH 03/14/22)

School Protocol for Positive Covid-19 (DOE/DPH 01/03/22)

Updates for Fall 2021 Reopening Schools (DOE/DPH 09/21/21)

HELPING STUDENTS ACCLIMATE TO FACE COVERINGS

We have found a number of useful articles and resources to help parents work with their children in getting them ready to start school with face coverings. Please be sure to reference The Independence School's specific face covering requirements outlined on this page.

covid-masking-tips-enNemours.pdf

https://med.umich.edu/mott/thrive/tips-for-helping-kids-wear-masks

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/Cloth-Face-Coverings-for-Children-During-COVID-19.aspx

Facecoverings Info from CDC

Travel Considerations

The CDC website provides regular updates of state by state statistics as well as information on global pandemic hot spots.

Please visit this link if considering travel, whether domestic or international.

PLEASE NOTE: Independence requires unvaccinated individuals to quarantine for 7 days upon returning from international travel. Those who are vaccinated do not need to quarantine. It is recommended that both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals test on day 3-5 upon return from international travel.

CDC TRavel info

Emotional Support for Returning to School

CDC Recommendations following Vaccination

COVID-19 TESTING ON CAMPUS (QUIDEL)

Quidel takes care of everything. You can easily sign up through the registration link in the button below. Testing takes place each Tuesday that we are in school.

Quidel will be sending nurses to our school who will manage the rapid antigen test. The tests will be read onsite and any positives will be followed up with a PCR test. If your child receives a positive antigen test, Quidel will contact our school nurse who will then contact you. Confirmation of the results will be sent to you directly from Quidel as well.

Register at: https://my.primary.health/l/de-charter-and-private