Country Day Connected 2021 - Cincinnati Country Day

CDConnected2021

SCHOOL RE-OPENING PLANS, DISTANCE LEARNING RESOURCES, COVID-19 COMMUNICATIONS & FAQS

Welcome to the Country Day CONNECTED 20-21 resource page.

Country Day intends to welcome our students back to campus on Wednesday, August 19, 2020, the first day of the school’s 95th academic year. School will open with on-campus instruction for students across all divisions, unless reduced capacity or closure is mandated by the State of Ohio or Hamilton County.

Below you will find information to help you prepare for the new school year, including protocols for on-campus instruction, daily schedules for each division, health and safety policies, and school communications.

The evolving Covid-19 pandemic requires us to be nimble and ready to adapt our behaviors to mandated restrictions. As such, the information below will be subject to adjustment should federal, state or local guidelines and regulations require.

To view information from the Connected page for the end of last school year, click here.

Resources

Guiding Principles

Recognizing the need for adaptability, while also delivering a reliable and consistent educational experience, our planning has been founded on the following guiding principles.These principles will be applied in both on-campus or remote learning environments.

(Click here for a pdf copy).

1. Safety first. With the threat of illness from the Covid-19, Country Day will offer an educational
program that prioritizes the health of our students, their families, and our teachers and staff
members. We will follow guidance from federal, state, and local authorities and partner with other
independent schools to plan the learning environment. When on-campus learning is possible,
sustaining a healthy campus will require us all to work together in cooperation and with the
assumption of positive intent.

2. “Whole Child” education. Country Day’s goal is to optimize student learning for each child. In an
environment that may require modified access to campus and/or an extension of remote learning,
we will work to deliver a robust academic program, recognizing that students’ learning needs
change in different environments. We will offer a “whole child” program that includes athletics,
arts, clubs, and enrichment opportunities.

3. Social and emotional well-being. We recognize the challenges we face at this time, and we must
identify ways to support the emotional and social needs of our students, their families, teachers,
and staff members.

4. A commitment to “know and nurture” our students. We will keep the teacher-student relationship
at the foundation of our planning, to ensure we sustain our commitment to know and nurture our
students and guide their learning to reach their potential.

5. Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. The school will maintain its commitment to equity, diversity, and
inclusion, sustaining efforts to ensure all our community members feel included and part of the
larger collective, and that education is provided equitably to all students.

6. Familiar, consistent, reliable, and secure technology architecture. Technology used to support
remote learning will be based on existing and well-established platforms and approaches, consistent
with our students’ longer-term educational needs and grounded in sound pedagogy. We learned
much during our sudden shift to remote learning, and we want to make sure the successes and
failures, of both student and teacher experiences, inform our further decisions.

7. Program design and resource allocation directed to learner need. As an institution with students
aged 18 months to 18 years, Country Day will build programs that align with the relative abilities of
students to learn and engage independently. Educationally, our youngest learners require a level of
in-person support and supervision beyond that of our older students, and our program delivery and
resource allocation will reflect this consideration.

8. Flexible program delivery. As we monitor progress of the Covid-19 situation, we will establish clear
protocols to address when and how we may shift between modes of program delivery, including on
campus instruction, remote learning, or a blend of the two.

9. Strong and frequent communication. Communication is key to establishing open and productive
partnerships with parents and students to support learning and provide appropriate feedback on
progress. We will provide frequent opportunities for communication between parents and teachers,
or students and teachers, as developmentally appropriate.

10. Balanced use of school resources. We will balance investment to ensure the delivery of a robust
educational experience in the current environment with the investment for the longer-term health
and stability of the school.

Daily Schedules

A key underlying assumption in planning Country Day CONNECTED is the likelihood that state and local mandates could result in further disruption to operations. As such, we have adopted daily schedules across all three divisions that will allow for smooth transition between in-person and remote learning, should the need arise.

The on-campus and remote learning schedules for Lower, Middle and Upper Schools can be viewed below.

Lower School
Middle and Upper School

Lower School

The lower school program will:

Afford students a full range of academic and co-curricular (specials) programming.
Foster social and emotional learning and attention to student health.
Minimize sharing with labeled containers with learning materials and school supplies.
Allow for the disinfecting of shared learning materials.
Include classrooms designed to allow for social distancing while maintaining an
interactive learning space.
Establish an outdoor schedule to avoid the co-mingling of groups.
Limit unintentional interactions using traffic patterns and visual cues.

Click here for a pdf document containing Lower School On-Campus and Remote Daily Schedules for Early Childhood, Pre-Primary and Primary.

Middle and Upper School

The new US/MS schedule:

Allows for increased flexibility between remote and in-person learning
Supports our commitment to engaging students with their teachers throughout the school day—whether remote or in person
Allows for rotation of the courses
Enables Connected/synchronous time for a full 75 minutes
Allows for SEL/Health/Peer Mentoring
Empowers students with the full slate of academic and co-curricular programming
Allows for fewer transitions/focus in preparation (homework each night for 4 classes instead of 8)
Facilitates easier schedule for cross-over teachers (no missed class time)

Remote Learning Schedule:
Click here for a pdf document with both Middle and Upper School.

Drop-off and pick-up schedule

Staggered drop-off and pick-up times will be implemented for each division. This will facilitate social distancing, accommodate daily health screenings of students, and allow adequate time for cleaning at the end of each day.

Drop-off and pick-up will be at specified locations on campus, subject to division. Precise locations will be determined later in the summer, allowing us to test various options during July when our summer camp students are on campus.

All buildings will be closed at 4 p.m. Only students enrolled in the After-School Program (Early Childhood through 6th grade) or Study Hall (7th through 10th grade) will be permitted to remain on campus. Upper School students participating in interscholastic sports or the Upper School performing arts productions will be allowed to remain on campus under the supervision of their coaches/directors. All other students will be required to leave at 4 p.m.

Students must be registered for LS Early Morning Drop-off, LS and MS Learning Lab, LS and MS After School, and Grade 7 – 10 Study Hall for the full year, allowing the school to schedule appropriate supervision and maintain social distancing protocols. These services will not be available for ad hoc, daily “drop-in”.

Click here for a pdf copy.

Pickup and drop off schedule

Health and Safety protocols

Maintaining the health and safety of all individuals on campus will be our priority in delivering in-person learning to our students. While we cannot guarantee a Covid-19-free environment, we have created new health and safety policies to protect—as far as reasonably possible—our students, their families, and our teachers and staff.

The policies below have been developed from protocols advised by the CDC to best reduce the spread of Covid-19. These policies will be strictly enforced for all individuals on campus.

Daily Screening Policy

To help prevent an outbreak of Covid-19 in our community, it is extremely important that students displaying signs of illness remain at home and not be permitted on campus. Parents are encouraged to take their child(ren)’s temperature prior to departing for school.

All students and visitors will be screened for symptoms of illness prior to entering the school buildings. All Country Day employees will be required to self-screen for symptoms before coming to campus.

Procedure for students and visitors

Screening procedures will take place at carline or at various entry points to the school buildings. Parents of lower school students will be required to wait while a brief screening is conducted. Parents of middle and upper school students will be encouraged to wait, recognizing that—if they choose to leave—they may be required to return to campus if their student is found to be symptomatic.

Visitors and US students who drive to campus will be screened at a checkpoint before they can enter school buildings.

Touch-free, infrared, forehead thermometers will be used to screen students and visitors for elevated temperature.
Visitors and students (or parent, in the case of lower school students) will be required to confirm that no fever-reducing medication has been taken.
Fever will be determined based on our communicable disease policy (a measured temperature of 100°F or greater using the auxiliary method).
If no fever is present, visitors and students will be asked additional screening questions to determine if the visitor/student has been experiencing possible symptoms of Covid-19. These symptoms include, but are not limited to:

-      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

Visitors and students (or parents of LS students) will also be asked if:

- They or their child(ren) have been in close proximity to any individual who has tested positive for Covid-19
- They or their child(ren) have traveled internationally in the past 14 days.

If fever is present, or if the visitor or student indicates any symptoms of illness, the individual will not be allowed to enter the school buildings, will be sent home, and encouraged to call his/her healthcare provider.

Social distancing

Social Distancing

The CDC recommends social distancing as an effective means of reducing exposure and slowing the transmission of contagious diseases. Practicing social distancing helps protect everyone.

All individuals on campus will be required to observe the following social distancing protocols wherever possible:

Maintain at least a 6-foot distance between yourself and others.
Avoid shaking hands and close physical contact with others.
Do not share water bottles, food, towels, utensils, etc.

The school has conducted a thorough review of its spaces, including all classrooms and communal spaces, to confirm social distancing can be maintained in accommodating students. We are fortunate to be a small school, with large spaces. In the majority of cases, six-foot separations are possible. There are a small number of learning spaces where distancing may be limited to between four and six feet. Additional protocols will be implemented in these spaces, and students will be required to adhere to the direction of their teachers.

As guidance on social distancing continues to evolve, we will monitor and amend these protocols as appropriate. All members of the CCDS community are asked to help with these social distancing efforts.

Face Covering Policy

Face Covering Policy

Cincinnati Country Day School employees, students, and visitors are required to wear clean, cloth face coverings, worn over the mouth and nose. Use of facial coverings are mandatory in congregate spaces such as hallways, bathrooms, drop-off and pick-up points as well as when traveling to and from school using public transportation.

Families are asked to provide their child’s facial covering since they can best identify a facial covering that is well suited for their child’s use, protection, and comfort.

Exceptions

Face coverings must be worn in the classrooms, but in certain circumstances and only at the teacher’s direction, they may be removed.
Early childhood program faculty and staff located in the Early Childhood Center are not required to wear facial coverings.
Face coverings are not required during outdoor activities, but social distancing must be maintained.
Face coverings should never be worn by or placed on children who are younger than two years of age.
Individuals are not required to wear face coverings if it is not advised due to health reasons. Social distancing must be maintained.
A face covering is not required if an employee is working alone in a segregated workspace, such as an individual office or cubicle, or in areas where they are reliably separated by more than six feet from others.

It is important to note that face coverings are not a substitute for other preventative efforts, such as hand-washing and physical distancing.

Campus Visitor policy

Under normal circumstances, Country Day welcomes parents and visitors to campus since we value the many ways our community supports our students’ growth and development. However, as an additional step to help contain the spread of disease, we are strictly limiting visitors in the current environment. Among other restrictions, parents will not be allowed to accompany their students into the buildings.

Visitor Policy
All visitors to campus must adhere to the following guidelines as recommended and required by Country Day and the State of Ohio.

Questions: (513) 979-0210 or paffk@countryday.net.

	Mandatory	Recommended
General Visitors	• Completion of CCDS health check form before arrival: Admission Visitors All Other Visitors • Stay at home if symptomatic of any illness • Face coverings supplied by visitor; ages 2 and above • Limited to four family members only • Adhere to a 6-foot rule for social distancing between visitors and CCDS students and staff at all times • Check-in with building receptionist • Receive visitor’s badge and additional instructions • Check-out with building receptionist	• No visitors under the age of 2 or over 65 • No visitors who have travelled abroad in the past 14 days
Time on Campus	• Mask should be worn whenever possible • Refrain from bringing food or drink into campus buildings; including personal water bottles • No eating or drinking outside of the Dining Terrace • Do not use inside or outside areas (play grounds, fields, courts etc.) for individual or group use without prior approval	• Refrain from opening doors other than restrooms • Refrain from handling or distributing materials • Refrain from using light switches, projectors, phones, copiers, and other school equipment • Limited personal items (bags) to one per person unless approved otherwise • Restrict number of adults or students within classroom or meeting spaces; no groups larger than 10
Suspected Cases of Illness	• Immediately notify the school nurse to isolate and seek medical care for any illness • Shutdown areas for immediate sanitation • Contact Jobs and Family Service and the Hamilton Country Board of Health with suspected cases of Covid-19	• School will work with local agencies to facilitate effective contact tracing • If testing is available, school will test all suspected exposures

Due to the nature of visits to campus, visitors may be asked to follow additional guidelines if meeting with students in a small group of less than 10 people, or in a specific area of a facility that is not a common space.

communicable disease policy

Students, faculty, and staff will adhere to the school’s Communicable Disease Policy and remain off campus if they display symptoms of Covid-19 or any other communicable disease.

COMMUNICABLE DISEASE POLICY

The administration and teachers are routinely trained in recognizing communicable diseases. The Ohio Department of Health “Communicable Disease Chart” is posted in the Nurse’s Office, Lower School and at the Early Childhood House. Notes will be sent home to all families when any child or teacher has become ill with a contagious disease while in attendance. A child with signs of a communicable disease will be discharged to their parents within one hour. If both parents are unavailable, the persons designated on the emergency form will be called. Until the parents arrive, the child will be kept in isolation from the rest of the group, but within sight of the teacher, administrator or nurse. A form will be sent home with the child detailing his/her symptoms and information regarding his/her return to school.

A child with the following symptoms will be dismissed from school. The child will be readmitted when the symptoms have ceased for at least 24 hours without use of medications.

An oral temperature of 100 degrees or above (99 degrees using the auxiliary method) when in combination with other signs of illness
Diarrhea – (defined as: more watery, less formed, more frequent stools than typical for the child) more than one within a 24 hour period
Vomiting
Lice or other parasitic infestation – the school nurse must clear the child before the child returns to the school
Rashes of undetermined origin
Lethargy affecting the child’s ability to learn
Difficulty breathing, wheezing or rapid breathing, not associated with a pre- diagnosed medical condition
Unexplained blood in stools, unusually dark urine and/or grey or white stool
Discharge, itchiness or redness in the eyes
Severe coughing, causing the child to become red or blue in the face or to make a whooping sound
Sore throat or difficulty in swallowing
Symptoms that are thought to be infectious as listed on the Ohio Department of Health “Communicable Disease Chart”

Travel Quarantines

International

Students who travel internationally are required to stay home and will not be permitted on campus for 14 days from the time they return to the U.S. Similarly, parents/visitors who travel internationally will not be permitted on campus for 14 days following their return to the U.S.

During this 14-day period, the CDC recommends social distancing and monitoring your health:

Take your temperature two times a day and monitor for fever.
Watch for cough or trouble breathing.
Stay home and avoid contact with others. Do not go to school or work.
Do not take public transportation, taxis, or ride-shares.
Keep your distance from others (about 6 feet).

Domestic

Please endeavor to remain informed of state and county guidance on travel to/from states outside of Ohio. In undertaking our re-opening on August 19, CCDS will observe prevailing state and local mandates regarding quarantines for individuals returning home from out-of-state.

Hygiene and cleaning protocols

Handwashing
Cleaning and Disinfecting the Buildings/Classrooms

Handwashing

Since handwashing is one of the best ways to protect our community against the spread of disease, students will be provided ample opportunities to wash their hands throughout the school day, including before and after meals. Hand sanitizer will be available in all classrooms and in common spaces throughout campus.

Teachers will reinforce the importance of frequent handwashing and instruct students on the proper way to wash (using soap and warm water for 20 seconds) and use hand sanitizer (apply and rub hands together for 20 seconds to spread gel over all surfaces of the hands). Teachers will also remind students to:

avoid touching eyes, nose, mouth, especially with unwashed hands
cough/sneeze into a tissue or sleeve

By making handwashing part of our everyday routines we can set a good example for our students and help keep our community healthy.

Cleaning and Disinfecting the Buildings/Classrooms

Handwashing

avoid touching eyes, nose, mouth, especially with unwashed hands
cough/sneeze into a tissue or sleeve

By making handwashing part of our everyday routines we can set a good example for our students and help keep our community healthy.

Cleaning and Disinfecting the Buildings/Classrooms

The school’s facility team has taken several measures to enhance its daily cleaning protocols. Abbreviated campus hours will allow additional time for more through and frequent cleanings with an increased focus on high touch surfaces and objects (e.g., desks, chairs, door handles faucets, light switches, etc.). The school uses EPA approved disinfecting products that are effective against viruses.

Cleaning supplies (i.e., surface cleaner spray, paper towels, and hand sanitizer that is 60% alcohol based) are available throughout common areas of the buildings.