Covid-19:  What Our Parents Need to Know

COVID-19 Response Outline

 

Reference

Los Angeles County Schools:

Rising to the Challenge of COVID-19

A Planning Framework for the 2020-21 School Year

https://www.lacoe.edu/Portals/0/LA CO Schools 2020-21 Planning Framework.pdf?ver=2020-05-26-161915-740

 

Introduction

The goal of Waterhouse Guild, at all times, is to protect and promote the complete health of students, parents, staff and visitors. This includes physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and emotional health.

Communication

Overall guidelines and responsibilities for students, parents, and staff will be communicated by:

  • Hard copies given to parents and staff.
  • Email to parents and staff.
  • Posting on the school’s website, waterhouseguild.com.
  • Group teleconferencing as needed.
  • On-site posters and notices as appropriate at entrances and sinks.

Facility

  1. Consider using separate entrance and exit paths to avoid congestion at gate.
    Enter from parking area.
    Exit through garden area.
  2. Classrooms will be arranged as needed to maximize social distancing while taking into account educational needs.
  3. Hand sanitizing stations will be provided at each classroom entrance.
  4. Use of shared materials will be eliminated wherever possible.
  5. Common areas will be cleaned throughout the day as needed.
  6. In addition to our current daily cleaning procedures, a detailed cleaning list (TBD) will be followed at the end of each day.
  7. A visitor log will be kept at the door to track room use outside of Waterhouse hours.
  8. Cones will be provided at classroom entrances to define social distancing requirements in cases where a line forms.

 

Staff

  1. Staff members will be given an exposure questionnaire each morning before entering classrooms.
  2. Staff members will have temperature taken each morning before entering classrooms. If temperature exceeds health authority guidelines, they will be sent home and be required to get tested for Covid-19 before returning to class. If tested positive, staff member will be required to follow public health guidelines before returning.
  3. When feasible, masks will be worn.
  4. Staff will be required to use hand sanitizer when entering or leaving classrooms.

Parents

  1. Parents will follow all staff guidelines.
  2. Parents will be restricted from entering classrooms unless necessary.
  3. Parents will be restricted from congregating in classrooms or breezeway.

Students

Daily before entering class:

  1. Students will be given an exposure questionnaire (with a parent or guardian present).
  2. Student’s temperature will be taken with a non-contact thermometer.
  3. Reminders will be given throughout the day regarding distancing and hand washing.
  4. Waterhouse instruction currently takes place in small groups, this practice will continue.
  5. Inter-mixing of groups will be minimized.
  6. Outdoor activities will emphasize social distancing.

 

 

Creative Writing and The Periodic Table

Wings

A few days ago one of my writing apprentices shared an idea, “am going to write a story using all the letters on the periodic table.”

What in the world? After a lesson focusing on the garden—tilling earth, planting seeds, and harvesting fruit—the periodic table of the elements? But in the end, I realized that the idea has everything to do with the garden.

Our science Exploration workshops are focusing in on chemistry. We explored The Periodic Kingdomand “journeyed through the land of chemical elements” with P.W. Atkins. We watched the periodic table. Yes, watched. This was mad science in action. Chemists from the University of Nottingham have created a short video about each of the 118 elements. Stoichiometry, polarity, and biochemistry entered our discussion, and we concocted reactions in our little make-shift lab, extracted DNA from a variety of sources. But our explorations of the table itself was most amazing. And where was this apprentice? The little hovering bird was gathering seeds, of course.

So this morning, the day began with me sipping e a cup of tea observing the writing workshop in progress. To my delight I saw our this particular apprentice hovering over an open book from the chemistry workshop: The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe, busily engaged with his writer’s toolkit—pen, paper, dictionary.

This young man had an idea and was brave enough to engage his important work.

Thanks Leonardo.

—Kim

Guildwork Categories

.