COVID 19: Health And Safety Practices For 2021 International Summer Camp and Summer Birth to Three

Updated May 27, 2021; goes into effect on June 7, 2021

The Glen International Summer Camp Health and Safety Practices for 2021  are based on those developed by the COVID-19 Committee for the 2020-2021 School Year while taking into account the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) guidelines for school, child care centers, and summer camp (updated spring 2021).  These practices are also in accordance with those developed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for schools and child care centers. 

At The Glen, we are cognizant and mindful that there is no vaccine available for our student body (almost entirely under the age of 12).  Therefore, our mitigation efforts to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19 remain stringent with few changes from the 2020-2021 school year. 

 

New Hours of Operations – temporary 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

— Parents will not be allowed in the building to drop-off and pick-up.  We will greet you outside the building and welcome your child there. 

— Please see Daily Procedures for details regarding arrival and dismissal procedures. 

 

Daily Screenings

—  Parents (and staff) are required to complete a Parent Attestation Form prior to drop-off each day.  You should complete one form per family and use the Parent Attestation Form for your youngest child: 

Birth to Three Summer Attestation Form

International Summer Camp Attestation Form

Please note, if you have not completed the form before entering the carline, parents will be asked to leave with their child until the form is completed and return to the building for drop-off. 

— Temperature checks of faculty and children will occur before entering the building and before parents leave the premises.  If a child has a temperature of 99.5°F or higher, they will be asked to wait for 5 minutes and the temperature will be rechecked.  If the temperature does not drop, the child will be excluded from school until The Glen’s Health Policy is satisfied. 

— Everyone will be required to wash or sanitize their hands before entering the building, before and after choosing a work, eating, or using the handrails. 

 

Masks

Masks are the first line of mitigation strategies for containing and stopping the spread of this virus, and among the most effective.  Glen students/campers are unable to be vaccinated and are required to wear a mask both inside and outside (except during lunch, snack, and nap).  Children under the age of two are not be required to wear masks.  Additionally, our staff will continue to model these behaviors for our children, regardless of their vaccination status.  

Please review the details of what is considered an acceptable mask here. A quick summary: disposable masks are strongly recommended, the mask must fit properly and ultimately, the classroom teacher(s) will issue your child a child-sized disposable mask if they are uncomfortable with the quality or fit of a cloth mask.  The Glen has also provided a list of approved reusable masks on the link above.  

 Please note, face shields are not permitted as the only form of face covering, but are encouraged as an additional layer of protection in appropriate settings.  Face masks with valves are also not permitted.

 

Physical Distancing and Pods

— Each classroom at The Glen meets or exceeds the recommended square footage required for allowing a 6ft-physical distance for each student /teacher assigned to that room.  Classrooms will be set up to mitigate risk and extended exposure (CDC recommends that all children face one direction, etc.) 

— Our faculty will be facilitating movement throughout the classroom with grace and nurturing to help children adapt to the new routines.  Children will have the freedom to move around the room with a purpose: to select works, get supplies, etc.  We understand the need to balance health and safety with the social and emotional needs of the children. 

—  Groups/classrooms of children and their teachers will not interact with other groups throughout the day in the building. Lunch, recess (outdoor or indoor), and specials will be all self-contained to the classroom or other designated area restricted to a single pod at a time. 

— Lunch will occur in the classroom.  Lunches will be stored in the classroom refrigerator unless otherwise noted on the exterior of the lunch box.  We strongly recommend that food is sent in disposable containers (plastic bags, wax paper, etc.) or reusable containers that the child can use independently.  A thermos is permitted for soup or other warm lunch items.  

 

Increased Sanitation and Cleaning

— Children and staff will continue to wash their hands after using the bathroom, before or after using a shared work, before lunch, after lunch, etc.     

— The Glen has developed an increased schedule for cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces and objects, including works, door handles, bathrooms, sink handles, handrails, etc., in accordance with CDC guidelines.

 

Potential COVID Exposure 

If your Glen student has had direct exposure to someone with COVID-19, they are required to quarantine, per the CDC guidelines:

• For 10 days – no test required as long as there is no evidence of symptoms

• For 7 days after receiving a negative test result on Day 5 or later

An immediate family member who tests positive for COVID-19 creates a direct exposure for your Glen student.  You may find this infographic helpful for determining when it is appropriate for your child to return to The Glen after they have been sick or exposed to COVID-19.  

IIf anyone in a Glen student’s immediate family has had direct exposure to someone with COVID-19, parents are required to notify The Glen immediately.  Your Glen student will not need to quarantine unless the exposed individual has tested positive. 

— Example#1: your Glen student’s older brother is quarantined due to a diagnosed case of COVID-19 at summer camp (not the Glen).  Your Glen student is not required to quarantine unless the brother tests positive or begins to display symptoms of COVID-19. Please indicate this on your Glen student’s attestation form. 

— Example#2: You get a call from the summer camp your Glen student attended last week.  A camper in your child’s group tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend.  Your child must quarantine for 10 days (or 7 days with a negative test result on Day 5 or later) and is unable to return to the Glen until that time period is over. 

Please review this infographic and if you have further questions or concerns about your Glen student’s ability to return to school, please reach out to your child’s teacher.    

Failure to report a case of COVID-19 in your immediate household endangers the health and safety of others – children and teachers.  It will not be tolerated and may be cause for unnecessary closing of classrooms due to possible exposure of students and faculty.

 

Travel Policy

Because Glen students remain unable to be vaccinated, The Glen Montessori School strongly encourages families to avoid all non-essential travel, including out-of-state and international travel.  Any unvaccinated Glen student who travels out of state must quarantine at home for 10 days before returning to the campus.  Please read The Glen’s full Travel Policy here  

Please keep this policy in mind when considering your family’s travel plans.

 

Illness and Pick-up Policy 

— If your child presents with illness symptoms that are consistent with a COVID-19 illness (see The Glen’s Health Policy), they and their teacher/camp counselor, will discreetly be moved to an isolation room while you are contacted.  

— Please answer your phone when we call. We typically email for things that can wait, so if we are calling it is important. If you do not pick up or return our call promptly,  we will move onto the Emergency Contact persons on your list.  We ask that your child is picked up within one hour of the first attempt to contact you. 

.– Please ensure your contact information, and your Emergency Contacts’ information, is complete and up to date with the school.

— You must have LOCAL emergency contacts on file with the school, so they are able to pick up your child if you are unable to do so.

 

In Case of a Confirmed Case of COVID-19 within The Glen School Building

— If a child/faculty member is diagnosed with COVID-19, we will notify all families whose child has had direct contact with the infected individual via email.  

— The classroom/camp group with a confirmed case of COVID-19 will move to remote instruction for a full 10 days, effective the next school day.  If three classrooms/camp groups must move to remote instruction due to a COVID-19 diagnosis, The Glen expects to shift the entire school/camp to remote instruction for a period of time. 

— The school/camp community will be notified within 48 hours through the Message from The Head of School and COVID-19 Update, distributed via email.

— We will provide privacy and compassion to faculty and families who reveal a COVID-19 diagnosis with us. 

 

Campus Closure

The potential of multiple cases of COVID-19 within our unvaccinated student body remains a possibility and could force The Glen to move the entire school/camp to remote instruction at some point during the 2021 summer camp season. 

A classroom/camp group closure is likely to abrupt and without warning due to the nature of a COVID-diagnosis.  

At this point, given the rising vaccination rates and decline in the 7-day rolling average of COVID-19 cases, we expect a closure will only occur with a positive COVID-19 case within our student/camper or faculty. 

We reserve the right to close The Glen campus if:  

       — If three classrooms must move to remote instruction due to COVID-19 diagnosis, we reserve the right to shift the entire Glen community to remote instruction for a period of time. 

       — If we are unable to meet adult-child ratios due to required quarantining.

      — If supply shortages again threaten our ability to acquire needed cleaning or PPE supplies to mitigate the spread of the virus.

      — If the Community spread of COVID-19 in Allegheny County reaches thresholds that indicate it is unsafe to offer in-person instruction, The Glen reserves the right to shift to remote instruction.  The Glen may be forced to close due to a governmental order by Allegheny County Health Department, Pennsylvania Department of Health, or Department of Education, or other entity.