INFORMATION & procedures during covid
Vaccine | Drop- Off | Masks | Experience | Outdoor Play | Sick Child Procedures | Pick-Up
There have been significant recent updates to the requirements set forth by DC Health and OSSE regarding COVD-19 procedures and protocols for private, licensed early childhood facilities in the District of Columbia.
While many of the former DC Health and OSSE Covid-19 mandates are now recommendations instead of requirements, we ask that families continue to remain cautious and maintain an awareness of best practices set forth by the CDC.
Please read carefully through the important updates to HPS Covid-19 operations below.
Of note:
HPS will no longer close a classroom due to a positive case of Covid-19. As a family, you, of course, can make the individual choice to quarantine per the recommendations of the CDC if your child is sick with Covid-19 or exposed to someone with Covid-19.
All positive cases of Covid-19 must be reported to the HPS office. The HPS office will send out an email alerting families to any positive cases reported to the school.
Individuals who have tested positive for Covid-19 will no longer need to complete a specific quarantine period to return to school. However, per our standard sick policy, individuals who test positive for Covid will need to meet return to school criteria. Students will also need a doctor's clearance to return to school after testing positive for Covid-19.
Any individual cleared by their doctor to return to school after a positive Covid-19 test must wear a mask through Day 10.
Vaccines
All HPS staff have received the COVID-19 vaccine.
All students who are eligible to be vaccinated against Covid-19 will be required to receive the vaccine per the terms of the HPS COVID-19 Vaccine Policy.
Enforcement of The Hill Preschool Covid- 19 Student Vaccine Policy will begin in the 2022 - 2023 School Year. However, we encourage all students to become vaccinated against Covid-19 as soon as possible.
Drop-Off
Teachers will greet each family in front of the school for a daily sign-in.
WHERE: The North Carolina Avenue entrance of the building. Paved surfaces only.
WHEN: Between 8:00 am and 9:00 am
Timely arrivals assure a successful flow of the school day!
Masks
Masking requirements will be updated as guidance from the Department of Health is updated.
At this time, masks are not required to be worn by staff and students. Masking is completely optional, and your family may opt-in to daily mask wearing for their child for indoor school time and/or outdoor play time. If you would like to opt-in to daily mask wearing for your child, please email Executive Director, Danielle Lacroix, at danielle.lacroix@thehillpreschool.org.
*For families who opt-in to masking for their child, please note:
Masks are never worn during nap and meal times.
It is recommended that children with breathing issues do not wear masks. If your child has a breathing issue, please consult your healthcare provider.
Your child is required to keep a supply of cloth masks at school. We recommend having 5 extra masks on hand in their cubbies at all times (in addition to the one worn to school each day). We are tasked with making sure that the mask your child is wearing remains clean and dry, so we will definitely need back-ups available!
Classroom Experience
We are proud of the classroom renovations and updates that have been made during the pandemic! In summer of 2020, we added two additional classrooms, two bathrooms, and have created two separate (and wonderfully cozy!) classrooms in our Caterpillar space. Each Caterpillar classroom is now complete with its own changing area, teacher prep station, and storage for the many two-year-old supplies!
Our Caterpillar, Bumblebee and Butterfly students will spend their days with their cohort of 8 students and two teachers while our Grasshopper students will spend their days with their cohort of 11 students and two teachers. Toys, materials, and surfaces in all classrooms will be carefully cleaned each day (and at many points throughout the day).
For children who nap at school, cots will be sanitized before and after use each day. They will be spread apart, and children will be placed "head to toe" (so no one is face to face). Nap mats and nap time lovies will be individually stored in sealed plastic bags.
Hand sanitizing stations are positioned outside of each of our classrooms and each classroom has access to a bathroom for frequent hand washing. Automatic soap dispensers and paper towel machines have been added to our bathrooms.
Outdoor Play
We continue to make it a priority to go on outdoor adventures twice a day (an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon).
Our classes take community walks and play in local park spaces. The children use neighborhood playgrounds and play equipment during their outings. When not in an equipment driven park, we have wagons that we pack with toys to bring to Folger and Providence (X) parks regularly (think soccer nets, balls, jumping stones, hoola hoops). The children always have a great time, and these materials can be easily sanitized back at school!
Sick Child Procedures
HPS Standard Sick Child Policies (found below) will be strictly enforced.
Any adjustments to the Standard Sick Child Policies are at the sole discretion of The Hill Preschool.
In accordance with our DC Licensing Regulations, a child exhibiting one or more of the following symptoms will be sent home and must be kept home for a full 24-hours after the symptoms subside (and absent of medication).
Please note, some signs of illness will require clearance from a doctor to return to school. The school will notify the family if a doctor's clearance is required for return.
Diarrhea, i.e., two or more runny or watery stools during the school day or any diarrhea that cannot be contained in a diaper or underwear;
Vomiting (more than one time in 24-hours);
Unidentified body rash;
Sore throat (especially sore throat with fever or swollen glands); for strep throat, a child must be on medicine for a full 24 hours before returning to school;
Eye drainage with thick mucus or pus draining from the eye;
Pink eye, i.e., colored drainage, eye pain and/or redness of the eye;
Significant congestion and/or runny nose;
Significant cough;
Fever of 100.4 or any temperature accompanied by rash, vomiting, diarrhea, earache, lethargy, irritability or confusion;
Abnormal discoloration of skin;
Continuous irritable crying that requires more attention than the Facility can provide without compromising the health and safety of other children; or
Any other symptom indicative of a communicable disease. *If a child is behaving in an unusual manner or seems ill, we will check his/her body temperature. Fevers over 100.4° require exclusion from school. If a child has a temperature below the 100.4° threshold but above 99.0° we usually alert parents so that, should the child’s temperature continue to rise or other symptoms start to accompany the temperature, they will have time to prepare for an early pick up.
Should a child require immediate exclusion from the classroom due to illness, parents will be contacted and the child must be picked up within the hour and follow the return to school criteria.
Additionally:
All positive cases of Covid-19 must be reported to the HPS office. The HPS office will send out an email alerting families to any positive cases reported to the school.
Individuals who have tested positive for Covid-19 will no longer need to complete a specific quarantine period to return to school. However, per our standard sick policy, individuals who test positive for Covid will need to meet return to school criteria. Students will also need a doctor's clearance to return to school after testing positive for Covid-19.
Any individual cleared by their doctor to return to school after a positive Covid-19 test must wear a mask through Day 10 as calculated from their onset of symptoms.
WHERE: Outside of the school at the North Carolina Avenue entrance to the building.
WHERE:
1:00 pm pick-up will take place at exactly 1:00 pm outside of the school.
3:00 pm pick-up will take place at exactly 3:00 pm outside of the school.
5:00 pm pick-up will take place at exactly 5:00 pm outside of the school.
If you are requesting early dismissal for your child, the dismissal should be planned at one out the designated pick-up times listed above.
Timely pick-ups are critical to ensuring staff are able to take lunch breaks, care for their remaining students, and get home to their own families each evening!