Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What safety measures have been taken to mitigate risks when we’re on campus?
A: Important enhancements have been added to support a healthy learning environment for the new school year, including: new filters in all air conditioning units, new portable hand washing stations throughout the main campus, blower fans in classrooms to increase and redirect air flow, enhanced disinfection procedures for classrooms, offices, and high touch areas, new electrostatic sprayers for daily cleaning, additional nursing staff coverage, and enhanced outdoor learning spaces. See Return to School Plan
Q: Can you explain the campus cleaning procedures?
A: Daily campus cleaning has been outsourced to a professional cleaning company which has been in business since 1992. Enhanced disinfection procedures include vacuuming with HEPA filtered vacuums, misting all surfaces with electrostatic sprayers with hydrogen peroxide-based solution, wiping all horizontal and vertical surfaces from ceiling to floor and extracting carpets/upholstery. All bathrooms will be cleaned thoroughly twice daily.
Q: What is LJA’s sick policy?
A: Prior to drop-off each morning, all parents must complete a health screening through the SchoolPass app. Completion will be verified at drop-off. Parents who send their children via carpool must complete this screening prior to carpool pick-up. High school students are permitted to complete the health screening on their own. An LJA staff member will greet your child at your designated drop off location. For K-12 parents, please wait inside your vehicle. Children will not be allowed to attend school if they:
- Have a fever of 100.4° F or higher and/or have cold or flu symptoms that include: cough, stomach ache, diarrhea, vomiting, sore throat, headache, muscle aches and/or body pain.
- Have been in contact with someone under investigation for, or with a confirmed case of COVID-19 (please see DOH guidelines for exposure).
Parents are asked to keep sick children home until symptom-free with no medication for 24 hours. Please report any confirmed cases or exposure to COVID-19 to school.nurse@lejardinacademy.org.
Q: What are the mask requirements?
A: Masks have been shown to be an important way to reduce the risk of transmission in conjunction with other mitigation strategies, are recommended by the CDC, and are now part of COVID-19 social norms. Students and staff are expected to bring face masks to school each day. Masks will generally be worn in the classroom and common spaces on campus where physical distancing cannot always be maintained. Students may be asked to wear a mask as appropriate (see table in Phase III - 2020 Safety Protocols Information Sheet). Masks may be worn but are not required in outdoor activities (e.g., hiking, recess, PE and sports). Masks should be laundered daily to prevent bacterial or viral reproduction. For more information, please refer to Phase III - School Re-Opening Criteria, Procedures, Practices & Protocols.
Q: How does the physical distancing rules apply in a classroom?
A: Refer to Phase III - School Re-Opening Criteria, Procedures, Practices & Protocols
Q: What happens if there is COVID case on campus?
A: If a student or staff member is diagnosed with COVID-19 the Confirmed Case Procedure outlined in Re-Opening Criteria, Procedures, Practices and Protocols- In-School Illness will be implemented. A confirmed positive must notify school.nurse@lejardinacademy.org, who will in turn notify the DOH. LJA will commence contact tracing immediately. While the individual begins immediate home isolation, all affected facilities will be shut down for 24 hours and disinfected. A school announcement will be issued notifying families of the case. Students and staff who had close contact (i.e., first-degree contacts) with an infected individual would be notified to quarantine for 14 days. Rapid testing may be popped up on site to accommodate testing for large numbers of students. For more information, refer to Phase III - School Re-Opening Criteria, Procedures, Practices & Protocols.
Q: Anytime my child gets sick will he/she shift into distance learning?
A: If a child is sick, they should stay home to rest until symptom-free for 24 hours. If a child is on quarantine and/or is required to stay home, but is not physically sick, then they can coordinate with their division’s administrative assistant to transition into DL.
Q: If we opt for face-to-face but our family’s situation changes, can we opt into distance learning or do we need to wait until the next quarter?
A: Parents can meet with the principal for special situations. We cannot guarantee the ability to move, however, the school will try its best to accommodate wherever possible. Please note that it is much easier for the school to accommodate a student moving from face-to-face to distance learning than it is to move from distance learning to face-to-face due to physical distancing requirements and the number of students allowed in each class.
Q: How will the school handle contact tracing?
A: Although the DOH is responsible for contact tracing, LJA will implement this internal procedure immediately on notification of a positive test result and will share information with DOH contact tracers once they contact the school (estimated response time >24 hours).
Q: What specific parameters is LJA using to make decisions regarding assessed risk level?
A: The Medical Hui will monitor the COVID-19 situation and the corresponding risk to, and implications for, the LJA community in order to determine the appropriate LJA Risk Response Level. If the State, other agencies (e.g., CDC) or institutions (e.g., ILH/HHSAA) update their guidelines, that may precipitate changes in safety practices associated with a particular LJA Response Level. The Medical Hui will review any changes in guidelines and determine if changes are needed to school-practices within a given Risk Response Level.
Q: When a risk level changes, such as moving from Level 1+ to Level 2, will it happen immediately, or will there be some notice to parents?
A: It will happen immediately. The LJA Medical Hui will make the decision, management will be notified and staffing will be shifted accordingly to accommodate the level change. Should LJA move from Level 2 to Level 3 and distance learning for all students, notification will be made immediately and distance learning for all students will commence the following school day.
LJA Medical Hui consists of Dr. B. Anderson (Pediatrics), Dr. R. Bessinger (Epidemiology), Dr. S. Christensen (Family Practice), Dr. T. Crabtree (Chief Medical Officer, AMI), Dr. S. Hurley (Hospitalist, Straub Medical Center), Dr. J. Kim (Director General, International Vaccine Institute), Dr. S. Miscovich (President, Premier Medical Group)