Over the past several months, we have been closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation in our community as well as updates from the CDC, our local Health Department, AAP, and our own MSSA task force to best prepare our policies and procedures for the coming school year.
As a priority in keeping our students safe and on campus, we will start the school year by requiring masks indoors. Situations surrounding COVID-19 are constantly changing and require us to be flexible and adapt policies to current needs. We will send out updates as there are changes to COVID-19 in the community. If your child is exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, please check with your health care professional and get tested. Â MSSA will require a negative COVID-19 test or clearance from a healthcare professional for any children who experience symptoms consistent with COVID-19. We encourage students 12 years and older to get the vaccine as well as younger students once a vaccine is approved for their age group.
MSSA will continue handwashing requirements in the classroom, encouraging social distancing when possible and maintaining a higher level of cleaning throughout the school. We will also continue with our current COVID-19 quarantine protocols for those exposed or who are sick. Click here to see our current protocols.
Below is a list of daily procedures that will be returning to a pre-COVID standard.
Arrival:
We will no longer require temperature checks and wellness questionnaires each morning. Arrival will be from 7:50-8:15. You will drop your child off in the carline as usual. After 8:15, you will need to park and walk your child into school to sign them in.
Early Arrival:
You will park and walk your child into the gym through the right gym doors. Childcare will greet you in the lobby and check the student in.
Late Arrival:
If you arrive after 8:15 am, you will park and walk your child into school to check them in.
Pick up from Childcare:
Upon entry to campus, security will scan your vehicle at the security check-in. Please pull around to the front of the building and a childcare assistant will escort your child(ren) to your vehicle.
Early Departure:
You will park and walk into the building to sign your child out early.
Snack:
Primary and LE families will sign up to bring snack for their class weekly. Children will no longer bring their own individually packaged snacks. Celebration of life snacks and activities will resume this year.
Lunch:
We will continue to work with Café Vida for our hot lunch program. Lunches will be provided on reusable plates that will be cleaned and sanitized between use. If lunch is forgotten, we will provide a snack pack for students. Lunch deliveries will not be permitted.
Cohorts:
We will move away from the cohort model and return to fluid movement throughout the day. In addition, classes will return to shared recess and specials times.
Afterschool Activities:
We will resume after-school activities and competitive sports programs.
Events/ Parent Volunteers:
We will continue to allow volunteers on campus to help our teachers during the day. Parent volunteers and visitors will be required to wear masks when on campus, including MYMSSA Day/Registration day.
Last school year, the partnership with parents and MSSA proved to create a safe, healthy environment for our students and staff. As a result, we were able to keep the number of COVID cases on-campus low and had no community spread. With your support, we are confident that we can do the same this school year. We are excited for this coming school year and look forward to having everyone back on campus. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us by phone or email.