Health And Safety News
August 27, 2021

Dear WHWS Community,

We are writing to you with administrative and health and safety updates for the beginning of the school year.

Hopefully our Q & A section below will address most of the questions that may be living in our school community. We hope this information will provide some reassurance that we intend to keep everyone on campus as safe as possible as we engage in the activities that make our Waldorf curriculum so rich. 

Thank you for bearing with us as we try to navigate guidance and protocols that are constantly being updated.

We appreciate your patience!

The Health and Safety Committee
Updated Dept. of Health Mandates
The Washington State Department of Health has issued a document outlining health mandates for schools. You can find the most recent publication here, and we will share updated information as best we can.

We intend to continue following the requirements from the Governor, Washington State Department of Health and OSPI (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, which also oversees approved private schools). 
Q & As
Masks
Q: Will my child need to wear a mask at school?
A: Inside buildings, all who are able must wear appropriate face masks, with exceptions for eating, drinking and hygiene.

Q: Will students be wearing masks for recess? 
A: Just as last school year, grades students will continue to wear masks outside. Students and staff have the option to remove masks outdoors when 6-ft distancing can be maintained.

Exceptions to masking protocols may be made for the Early Childhood programs, and individuals with special needs or medical conditions.

Q: Does my child need to wear a mask all day?
A: Mask breaks will be built into the school day, with 6 ft distancing. 

Q: Do you have any recommended masks for use at school?
A: These masks have been recommended to us by health care professionals in our community: https://theuniversalmask.com or Blue KF94 2D Mask (Small - Kid Size)
Vaccinations
Q: Will all WHWS staff be vaccinated?
A: According to State Law, all staff will be required to show proof of vaccination by October 18. We will be following OSPI and AG guidance in evaluating any exemption requests that we might receive.

Q: Can I find out if my child’s teachers are vaccinated?
A: A school employee’s vaccination status is protected by personnel confidentiality rules. Parents or caregivers won’t necessarily know if their child’s teacher is vaccinated. Our school can require unvaccinated employees to take certain safety measures, such as regularly taking a COVID-19 test, though a decision such as this will be up to our Board of Trustees.

Q: Can I find out if the other students in my child’s class are vaccinated?
A: No, we cannot share personal information about other students. 

Q: Will volunteers be required to show proof of vaccination?
A: Yes, we will require proof of vaccination for all volunteers working with students, or working on school grounds during the school day; no exemptions will be considered.

Q: Will visitors to the campus be required to show proof of vaccination?
A: No, we will only require proof of vaccinations for individuals who will be interacting with students, or on the campus for prolonged periods.

Q: Is the school tracking vaccines now?
A: We are currently tracking COVID-19 vaccination status for all school staff, and will continue to follow requirements from the DOH.
Illness 
Q: What happens if my child begins to show signs of illness at school?
A: Your child will be removed from their classroom and sent to a designated room near the office; guardians will be called and the child must be tested for COVID-19 before returning to school. We always recommend reaching out to your primary health care provider for more guidance. 

Q: What if a family member shows symptoms of illness?
A: If a family member is sick, we are asking that everyone stay home until the person who is showing symptoms is tested, and a negative result is verified.

Q: Do I have to provide proof of test results before returning to school after showing symptoms?
Yes. Please email your test results to Jordan Fleming, our Health and Safety Coordinator.

Q: Will I be notified if there is a COVID-19 case in my child's classroom?
A: Yes, if there is a potential exposure to your child, you will be notified promptly.

Q: What happens if my child’s teacher gets COVID-19?
A: The teacher will stay home until they have completed their isolation and quarantine period. Substitute teachers will all meet our health and safety requirements including providing proof of vaccine. 

Q: Will there be contact tracing?
A: Yes, the Whatcom County Health Department is doing contact tracing and will notify us if we need to provide any information.
Classroom Activities
Q: What will physical distancing look like at school?
A: The new guidelines require students to be 3’ apart if and when possible indoors. Distancing in our classrooms will vary depending on classroom size and number of students present, but we will strive to distance as much as feasible.

Q: Will students be singing at school?
A: Yes. Students must be distanced at least 3’ apart, and wear a provided 3-layer surgical style mask for singing which will be disposed of after singing. Outdoors, with physical distancing of 6’, masks are optional.

Q: Will students be playing flutes and recorders?
A: Yes. When students are indoors, they will have at least 3-foot distancing and a 3-layered material on the end of the instrument (bell cover) to serve as a layer of mitigation along with our ventilation systems. When students are outdoors, the bell cover is optional as long as there is physical distancing of 6-feet.

Q: Will students eat inside or outside?
A: Classes will either be assigned a covered eating space outdoors, or spaced at least 6’ apart indoors. 

Q: Will teachers be shaking the student’s hands?
A: Shaking children’s hands at the start and end of the day is permitted as long as hands are washed or hand sanitizer is used afterwards. 

Q: What kind of contact activities will my child be engaged in during the school day?
A: Students will be engaged in hand clapping, passing bean bags and rod exercises, followed by hand washing or sanitizing.

Q: Will we be having assemblies?
A: We will have limited assemblies until the community spread of COVID-19 is significantly reduced.

On the first day we will have a modified version of our traditional welcoming assembly for the first graders on the wood chips. The eighth graders will greet the first graders with a traditional posy of wildflowers. We will not be able to open the campus to the whole community. Our audience will be limited to 1st and 8th Grade parents.

We hope to bring assemblies back as soon as we can do so safely.
Field Trips
Q: Will field trips be happening this year?
A: Yes, though all trips will have to be considered by the Health and Safety Committee. We will continue to create new protocols where necessary, based on types of trips. 

Q: Do all field trip parent chaperones have to show proof of vaccination?
A: Yes, we will require proof of vaccination for all chaperones involved in student activities that take place off of school grounds; no exemptions will be considered.

Q: What happens if my child gets sick on a field trip?
A: Your child will need to be picked up as soon as possible. This applies to all trips, including out of town or overnight field trips.

Q: Will students be able to sleep in tents together on field trips?
A: No. Students will be required to sleep in single tents.
Parents, Guests and Volunteers
Q: Will parents be allowed on campus?
A: Yes! Welcoming our parent community back on campus is important to us. Each class will have a designated meeting place for drop off and dismissal and you will be able to come on campus to drop your child off in the morning and pick them up from school in the afternoon. Masks will be required for all parents and visitors on school grounds.

Please be aware that to limit crowding in small hallways, we are requesting that parents not enter the grade school building at drop off or pick up. Parents are also welcome to join their students on the wood chips for Friday Bake Sales from 1:15 - 2pm.

Q: Can parents volunteer in the classroom this year?
A: Yes, we welcome parent volunteers for reading groups, special activities and presentations as long as approved by the Pedagogical Committee and all health mandates are followed, including proof of vaccination and an agreement to wear a mask while on school grounds.

Q: Can I come inside the classroom when I drop off my child?
A: Not yet. Parents are welcome to walk their child to the outside gathering place for their class. There may be an exception for some EC classes before the school day begins, your teacher will inform you of the protocol for each class. Please call the school office if you need to come into the school buildings for any reason; approved volunteers will need to sign in before going to classrooms.

Q: Will there be in person parent meetings?
A: Yes. We plan on scheduling parent evenings in Alia Hall. Everyone in attendance will need to be masked, and we will have HEPA filters running, along with the filtered ventilation system running.

Q: Will parents be required to show proof of vaccination to attend parent meetings?
A: No, though everyone will be required to follow our safety protocols, regardless of vaccination status.
General School
Q: What if I am late to school?
A: Please bring your child to the window outside the office, and we will check them in and give them a late pass to give to the teacher. 

Q: What if my child is absent from school?
A: Please call the school office if your child is absent from school for any reason. All families must fill out our Post Absence Screening Form before returning to school.

Q: Will someone check temperatures upon arrival?
A: No, this year all families, staff and anyone entering our school buildings are asked to sign an attestation which is their written agreement to not come to WHWS with any illness, and to do a health screening prior to arrival. You can find a copy of the attestation in your Parent Portal.

Q: Will there be a community Michaelmas?
A: We will be having a Michaelmas celebration for the students. Most likely this will not be a community event; more information will be provided once school has started.

Q: How is WHWS making decisions around safety protocols?
A: We are looking to the WA DOH for the most updated safety information and requirements pertaining to the school. You can view this document here. 

Q: Who do I go to with my Health and Safety related questions?
Facilities
Q: How are our ventilation systems at WHWS?
A. All of our heating systems are regularly serviced and adjusted to meet the ASHRAE recommended air quality standards for COVID-19. The furnace intakes are wide open, allowing as much exterior air as possible to be used. This minimizes the amount of recirculated air. All furnaces have MERV13 filters, with the fans running constantly starting an hour before classes are in session and an hour after classes are in session.

We also have HEPA filters with UV lights in all the classrooms properly chosen to support the size of the classroom. This is a secondary safety measure WHWS has decided to implement.