Dear GMS Families,
As you know, the safety, security, and well-being of our students and staff are always our top priority. As I shared last week, we have established a task force of administrators who continue to closely monitor news, updates, and guidelines about COVID-19. The task force works daily to review updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), local health officials, the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Department of State, as well as our various response scenarios.
While we have all read that there are additional confirmed cases in North Carolina and the governor has declared a state of emergency as a response and financial tool, there are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Guilford County. As the situation evolves, we are introducing additional protocols to help keep our School healthy. Keep reading to learn about:
- Additional Protocols to limit the spread of infectious diseases.
- Impact to School Programs and Events in the coming weeks and months.
- Updated Travel Considerations for members of our community.
- Ways We Can Partner to support the health and safety throughout our community.
We know and respect that our families' individual responses to the coronavirus may vary. At any time during this pandemic situation, in regards to your child's attendance at school or school functions, we welcome families to respond however you are comfortable. As a school, we will continue to be guided by expert advice from the CDC and our local health care professionals.
As you review this information, know that we are here to support your family and our community. Don't hesitate to contact us with questions or concerns.
Thank you for your partnership and commitment to keeping our community healthy.
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Dr. Kevin Navarro
Head of School
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Additional Protocols for Infectious Diseases
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- Facilities Cleaning: In addition to our regular, nightly procedures with our janitorial partner, we are partnering with them to increase the amount of their focused disinfectant cleaning throughout campus. We are also working with faculty and students to ensure routine cleaning of surfaces before and after meals and at the end of each day.
- Personal Hygiene: Consistent reinforcement of regular hand washing with soap and water (or hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol only if soap and water are not available) and good cough etiquette. For older students and adults, the CDC recommends to "cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash."
- Staying Home when Sick: Please review our School's Health Policy beginning on page 57 of our Family Handbook. All students and employees must stay home when sick. We also need you to notify us anytime your children are sick. Symptoms that preclude your child or an employee from attending school, and which would prompt us to send them home, include, but are not limited to:
- A fever of 100 or more.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Diarrhea or abdominal cramps.
- Wheezing, croupy cough, or cough producing green mucous.
- Any contagious illness, such as influenza, strep throat, and conjunctivitis.
- Limiting Access to Campus: We have posted a "Safe Schools Notice" at the entrance to all our buildings asking guests who are experiencing symptoms of respiratory illness – FEVER, COUGH, or SHORTNESS OF BREATH – to visit our campus at another time. We need our families, extended families, nannies, visitors, vendors, learning services partners, etc. to follow the same procedures and care as our students do, with regards to not entering our campus when sick.
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Impact to School Programs and Events
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We are closely monitoring guidance from the CDC and local health officials with regards to potential impact on our programs and events. We are actively looking at what impact might be on our spring field trips and we have not made any final decisions. We are also preparing for the potential of having to temporarily suspend in-person classes on campus.
Based on guidance from the CDC and local health officials, there are some cancelations effective immediately.
- The Independent School League has canceled all athletic events, including remaining basketball games and next week's conference tournament. As such, Friday's basketball practice is canceled.
- The Lower Elementary Spring Musical on March 17 is canceled. We are exploring alternate options for sharing your children's work with you (i.e., rescheduling for a new date or recording and sharing a daytime performance).
- Grandparents and Special Friends Day on April 24 is canceled. Unfortunately, we are unable to reschedule this cherished event.
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Updated Travel Considerations
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Action Required: Please notify us of household travel in the last 14 days and of future travel to any domestic or international area that may be significantly affected by COVID-19. This list of course includes and country where either the CDC or U.S. Department of State have issued an Alert Level 2, or Warning Level 3 or 4. It also includes any endemic areas in the United States (
a state with more than 50 confirmed cases of COVID-19). Please notify us if you or your child has been in contact with a traveler who has recently returned from these areas. Send all notification to Nancy Hofer, associate head of school, at
nancy.hofer@gms.org.
Families returning from travel to areas with
community spread of COVID-19 or to
a state with more than 50 confirmed cases of COVID-19, should follow guidance they have received from health or government officials. Greensboro Montessori School may require a family member, student, or employee to remain away from campus for up to 14 days. As with any infectious disease, a physician’s release may be required before returning to school.
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Precautions we take at school are only as strong as what we do at home, and we ask all families to follow our rules from the Health Policy beginning on page 57 in our
Family Handbook. Furthermore, let's follow these best practices:
- The most important action we must all take is to stay home when sick. Please do not send your child to school if they aren't feeling well, as respiratory diseases easily spread from person to person through the air by coughing or sneezing, close personal contact such as touching or shaking hands, or touching an object or surface with the virus on it.
- Symptoms that preclude your child attending school and which would prompt us to send them home, include, but are not limited to:
- A fever of 100 or more.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Diarrhea or abdominal cramps.
- Wheezing, croupy cough, or cough producing green mucous.
- Any contagious illness, such as influenza, strep throat, and conjunctivitis.
- If a student is sent home with a fever, they may not return to our School until they are fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of any fever-reducing medicine.
- Reinforce regular hand washing with soap and water (or hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available) and good cough etiquette at home.
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Avoid Misinformation and Bias
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The CDC tells us "COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) virus, and we are learning more about it every day. There is currently no vaccine to protect against COVID-19. At this point, the best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus that causes it. Stopping transmission (spread) of the virus through everyday practices is the best way to keep people healthy." Should you and your family want more information on COVID-19, please consult these reputable state, national, and international health organizations.
Our School is following the current guidance provided by these health care experts.
Help us separate fact from rumor by also relying on these sources for information, and remember our community's commitment to diversity and inclusion. Let people know that being from a certain country or descent does not increase the chance of getting or spreading COVID-19, and that no one should be unfairly targeted based on their race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, or for any other reason.
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Greensboro Montessori School
2856 Horse Pen Creek Road, Greensboro, NC 27410
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