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Red Tree 3:1

Health and Safety

At Chiaravalle we hold a collective responsibility to follow CDC guidelines to keep our community safe and in school. We will ask each family to formally acknowledge this prior to the start of school. As part of our health and safety procedures, daily health screening will be required for all students, visitors, and employees. Three entrance doors will be equipped with thermal temperature scanners and additional contact-free thermometers will be used as needed. People with fevers over 100 degrees will not be admitted.

If your household has been exposed to COVID-19 or someone is exhibiting symptoms, please seek medical attention and remain off-campus until you have met CDC criteria. Please alert our school nurse at covid19@chiaravalle.org. The school nurse will continue our protocols of notifying the constituents of communicable diseases in our school. However, the family is responsible for contact tracing and notifying those they have been in close contact with. Families will receive information regarding individual and group quarantine guidelines when these have been made explicit for schools by ISBE.

State-of-the-Art Facility Improvements

As part of summer 2020 renovations, Chiaravalle replaced the HVAC system in the historic Burnham building with an eco-friendly, best-in-class model that replaces fresh air in the building twice an hour. Each classroom space will now be served separately by the system without mixing fresh air supplied and air returning. The construction, which had been scheduled for the summer of 2020 prior to the coronavirus pandemic, allowed the school to include additional state-of-the-art enhancements that use advanced oxidation technologies and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) in conjunction with the high-efficiency HVAC system to reduce airborne disease transmission. We are fortunate that the timing allowed the school to go above and beyond to improve air quality and reduce the risk of airborne exposure.

For Middle School, we’ve purchased additional air purifiers and filters to improve ventilation inside the classrooms. Additionally, we are coordinating increased cleaning protocols and thoughtful indoor and outdoor space usage with the First Congregational staff and Mudlark who share the same large building.

Enhanced Cleaning Protocols and Disinfecting

Daily cleaning protocols are increased including more frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces. School custodial staff will wear masks, undergo training on COVID safety, and are trained to use disinfectants in a safe and effective manner and to clean up potentially infectious materials and body fluid spills.

Hand Washing

Students at every age level are taught proper techniques for handwashing. Hand sanitizing stations are located at the entrance and throughout the building. Hand washing will be required before entering any of our spaces, and hand sanitizer or hand washing must also be used before and after touching shared equipment.

Chiaravalle's thoughtful Montessori classroom designs include multiple sinks in each classroom to facilitate student hand washing and hygiene practices. For our 0-6 students, dedicated bathrooms are also available within each classroom. Middle School has access to multiple restrooms and sinks.

Masks

Our collective, consistent use of masks is one of our best strategies to reduce viral exposure and allow our students and staff to stay healthy and on-campus. Per ISBE guidelines, faculty and all students age 3 or older are required to wear a mask except while eating and napping. Mask guidelines will be updated as needed and as additional guidance is provided by the state. We ask students to bring 2-3 clean masks per day. The school can provide a back-up if your student’s mask is wet or soiled.

We understand mask-wearing sounds daunting to some families. In talking with other schools that have already opened, they report children adapt quickly and it has surprisingly been a non-issue for them. However, along with our comprehensive well-being approach, Chiaravalle’s wellness committee and faculty will be sharing tips for helping your child adjust to masks, modeling mask wearing, developmentally appropriate social stories to help understand COVID, and access to mental health resources.

Social and Physical Distancing

Each grouping of students will have at least one dedicated classroom, one dedicated bathroom, and will be able to access outdoor spaces and the gym regularly.

Visible cues for 6 foot distancing will be marked on the floor in hallways, in the bathroom, and other areas as needed.

At arrival and dismissal, we will stagger times and assign entrance doors by program and family. We will use outdoor spaces, as needed, to maintain physical distance. Early Childhood (3-6), Elementary, and Middle School parents or guardians will not be allowed in the building until further notice.
 

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