Dear Friends,
As news of the Coronavirus continues to unfold, we’re writing to assure you that the Springfield JCC is closely monitoring the situation and in communication with local, state, and federal health officials, as well as JCC Association, to assess what, if any, impact there may be on our community, and how we can take a proactive approach to deal with this challenge. As always, our top priority is the safety and well-being of our members, staff and visitors.
After meeting with our senior leadership to review existing protocols and the recommendations from the CDC the following steps are being taken to prevent the spread of illness within the J:
We have increased the number of times each day that our housekeeping personnel disinfects the facilities.
Staff are being retrained where necessary on procedures for sanitizing objects and surface areas throughout the building, in particular: chairs and tables in our lobby; toys in our early childhood classrooms and babysitting rooms; equipment in our fitness center; doorknobs, tabletops, phones, transportation vehicles and other commonly used surfaces.
Hand sanitizer stations will be increased throughout the facility. They will now be available at the Early Childhood, Elementary and Main entrances to the J. Additional stations will be located in preschool hallway and outside the gym.
Our staff will be making sure that children in our preschool, out of school programs and all youth activities will engage in frequent and proper hand washing.
Best-practices are being posted in our facility, including reminding people to wash their hands with soap and water frequently, especially before eating and after using the bathroom, and washing for at least 20 seconds; covering their nose and mouth with their arms if sneezing or coughing; and staying home if sick.
While we work together to maintain a healthy environment at the J may we ask for your assistance?
If you are not feeling well and exhibit any symptoms of illness, please refrain from using the Springfield JCC until all symptoms have subsided. If you have a fever, please make sure that you are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication before returning to the J to use the facilities or participate in any programs.
If your children are enrolled in any of our youth programs, please do not send your children to the J if they are sick. If you are called to pick up a sick child from any of our programs, please arrive in as timely a manner as is safely possible.
If you work out in the J’s Fitness Center, please use the sani-wipes provided throughout the Fitness Center to wipe down your equipment both before and after use at all times.
Please wash your hands frequently, consider carrying hand sanitizer to use if soap and water is not readily available, cover your mouth and nose when sneezing (if a tissue is not readily available use the upper part of your arm/sleeve), and properly dispose of tissues and paper towels in appropriate trash receptacles.
For any of you who would like more information about the Coronavirus, frequently asked questions, or how to mitigate the transmission of the disease, we are providing the following link for your review:
information from the CDC on the Coronavirus
. For those of you wondering how to discuss this topic with children who may be anxious about what they are hearing, the following article is a wonderful tool for parents:
Talking Tools for Parents
.
If you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us directly. We will continue to share information from local, state and federal officials as we receive it. We thank you for your support of the Springfield JCC.
Sincerely,
