Dear Brick Family,
I hope this finds you all healthy and well!
At Brick, we are taking every precaution as we continue to stay educated about COVID-19/Coronavirus. To that end, I have been in touch with the Centers for Disease Control, the Department of Health (both city and state), the Association of Independent Schools (both state and national), Brick’s governing body; the Day School Committee, and the Brick Presbyterian Church leadership. Below is information about our current protocols and policies. As the situation evolves our policies and protocols should and will evolve and we will keep you informed. Our commitment to all of you is to remain measured and educated on best practices.
Hygiene Protocols
Good hygiene is the most effective way to prevent viral transmission of any kind. We have strong protocols already in place, and we expect all families, faculty and staff to follow these protocols consistently. Our faculty will be working to help students and parents to adhere to best practices including:
- Washing hands with soap and water, covering all surfaces of hands including backs, between fingers, and under nails. Lather hands for 20 seconds (about as long as it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice), and rinse. Hand sanitizer is not a good substitute for proper hand washing (but is better than nothing). Wash hands often, but especially upon entering school, after leaving the building, before eating, after sneezing or using tissues and after toileting.
- Sneezing/coughing into the crook of your elbow or into a tissue (discard tissue immediately after a single use)
- Suspending handshakes and using waves or elbow bumps to greet instead.
- Adhering strictly to the use of gloves (by adults) during food prep, toileting and dealing with bodily fluids.
- Suspending parent use of the iPad. Teachers will sign your children out for you.
Per the Department of Health, ALL New Yorkers should continue to practice prevention measures including:
- Covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue or sleeve
- Washing your hands regularly
- Avoiding touching your face
- Avoiding close contact with people who are sick
- Getting your flu shot – it’s never too late.
- Staying home if you’re feeling sick.
- Keeping your child home if she or he is feeling sick.
Travel Protocols
Field Trips:
At this time we are not cancelling local field trips. If we feel the need to revise this decision we will do so.
Travel Abroad for Professional Development:
All planned travel to Italy for professional development for Brick faculty has been cancelled.
Travel:
We ask that families who travel abroad communicate openly with the school. Please notify
Anne Schack
if your travel plans include visits to areas most impacted by the virus, which as of today include China, South Korea, Italy, Japan, and Iran. Note that this list is expected to grow.
Currently, the CDC recommends a self-quarantine of 14 days for anyone returning from high risk countries with large outbreaks of Coronavirus
.
This means that all non-essential travel to these countries should be avoided. These warnings will likely change as we get closer to Spring Break, which begins Saturday, March 14, and we cannot anticipate which countries might be added during break or when families return home.
We ask that all families adhere to the CDC self-quarantine recommendations as they pertain to your travel plans.
That quarantine period should begin the day after leaving one of these countries and families should also follow guidelines received from health officials. Additionally, individuals who display symptoms, such as fever, shortness of breath, or coughing may not return to school until a physician authorizes them.
Important Links
Health Policy
The school policy currently reflects the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control for controlling the spread of the flu and other communicable diseases. Please adhere to the guidelines below in an effort to keep all of our children healthy during this season:
- If a student has a fever of 100 or more during the school day, a parent will be required to pick the student up. If a parent is unable to pick up a child, another adult such as an emergency contact, may be authorized to do so.
- Students must be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school. This is without the aid of fever-reducing medications such as Tylenol, Advil, or other cold medications. Therefore, a student who has a temperature of 100 or more in the evening and wakes up with a normal temperature in the morning must not attend school that day.
- Students coming back to school before the 24-hour period will be sent back home.
- If your child is still feeling lethargic, has a persistent cough or sore throat without a fever it is still best to keep him/her home until they are fully healthy to take on the entire school day.
- We thank you for your attention and cooperation in helping to assure health and vitality in our children and in our community.
Exposure
If you or your child has been exposed to COVID-19 or to someone who has been asked to self-quarantine due to exposure, please contact Amy Warden directly.
Amy Warden's Email
.
Preparing for the Possibility of Closure
As a proactive measure, in the unlikely event that schools need to close to prevent communicable disease transmission, we are spending this week preparing for possible closure.
We will defer to the NYC Department of Health, the NYC Department of Education and the Centers for Disease Control when making a decision to close.
As an early childhood school it is not realistic for us to offer online classes. We, however, will be planning to support you and your children in several ways. More details will emerge soon.
At this time the Department of Health is NOT recommending closure. In response to inquiries, we will respect your decision to begin Spring Break early if you choose to do so. This is not a requirement or a suggestion. Please let your child's teacher know if you are doing so because of concerns about COVID-19.
June Program:
If you register for June program and the program is not held due to closure for COVID-19 you will be issued a refund for the June Program fees.
Supporting Young Children
Given the continued media attention and general conversations regarding COVID-19/Coronavirus, some children may become anxious and have concerns about the virus and its transmission.
NPR has also created a “Just for Kids”
information page
(for older siblings) on Coronavirus.
The NY Times also published an article on how to talk to children about the Coronavirus:
As always, the safety and security of our students is our top priority, and we will continue to update you with any new developments.
Warmly,
Amy
