These procedures and policies will be adjusted as we continue to receive updated recommendations.

Overview:
The safety of our children, teachers, and families is paramount.  The below-listed policies and procedures are designed to help parents understand our, and their, role in keeping everyone safe at Gan.  We will always be working hard to keep COVID-19 out of our school.  Recognizing there is no way to 100% guarantee this, we also have policies setup to help track and minimize the risk of spread if it were to enter our school.
Our school day will be spent outside, where transmission is least likely to occur, but at the same time the stable cohort method we are using, will allow for children within each group to intermingle. 
All stakeholders, especially parents and staff, must be aware that their actions play a critical role in reducing the risk of infectious disease transmission in our school community.
At the start of the school year, the only adults allowed inside the classrooms will be those employed by the school or working directly with children. We will have a small transition area in our yard where one family at a time can be present for their child when needed.

Recomendations/State preschool requirements for childcare:
1.  Children will be separated into small groups.  All groups must be stable, meaning the same children and staff will be grouped together whenever possible.  
2.  Group sizes are limited to 12 children per group.
3.  Children shall not switch from one group to another.
4.  Children will be enrolled exclusively at Gan, no concurrent enrollments this school year. 
5.  Each group shall be in separate outside areas/indoor areas (when needed).
6.  Groups shall not mix with each other.
7.  Teachers will remain with one group of children.
8.  Staff will maintain social distance with each other and wear face coverings at all time.
9.  Handwashing and sanitizing procedures will happen throughout the day.
10. Only those that are fever free and symptom free will be allowed at Gan; adults and children alike.
       
Famliy insructions and responsibilities:
1.  Take the temperatures of both yourself and your child(ren) immediately before drop off each day. Anyone with a fever of 100.4 or above must be excluded from school. (See section “Symptoms and Exclusions” below.) Temperatures will be taken at Gan as well.
2.  Adults wear masks at drop off and pick up and remain socially distanced from other adults. 
3.  Respond daily to our list of Intake Questions
4.  We will start the year asking that no heat-ups be included in children’s lunches. Pack extra food for snacks and all containers and utensils needed should be sent to school with your child. 
5.  Apply sunscreen to your child within 30 minutes of dropping off at school. Alert teachers if sunscreen will need to be reapplied if your child is staying for the afternoon.
6.  If your child is at all not acting like their normal self, parents should strongly consider keeping them home regardless of a normal temperature reading.
7.  Parents will notify the school if their child develops a fever outside of school.  Parents will not send their child to school if their child has had any fever or fever reducing medicine in the past 72 hours.
8.  Parents must immediately notify the preschool if their child develops any illness symptoms.
9.  Commit to social distancing as a family. 
10. Recommendation: Upon arriving home, children should, change their clothes and wash their hands and when possible, schedule bath time for as soon as possible after returning home from school.
Drop Off and Pick Up
1.  We have a new drop off and pick up plan in place to limit the direct contact between families and adhering to social distancing recommendations. 
a.  Mountaineers will be met at the front parking lot between 8:45-8:55 (children leaving at 1:00 will be walked out to the front lot). If you are late please come to gate and wait for Gittel to admit you.
b.  Precare students will arrive at the main gate and will be welcomed in between 8-8:30
c.  Scouts, Charleen’s group, will bring their child to the side gate near the patio area at 8:55-9:05 (or a drive up option at this time, if your child is ready for that).  
d.  Explorers drop off will be met at the front parking lot between 9:05-9:15 (pick up will be staggered)
e.  Pre care families please confirm your times.
f.  Families with children in more than one classroom will be contacted with a plan.
g.  We will have a walk in option for those children needing extra parental support at drop off.  Please inquire if you would like this option.
h.  On days of heavy rain/unsafe air quality, we will adjust our plans.
2.  An entry welcome station will be set up outside the gate to welcome each child and family, as well as for social distancing and screening. For those dropping off, the check in will happen at your car.
a.  Families will sign off on health screening questions; a contactless thermometer will be available to take their child’s temperature before arriving at school.
b.  Sign in/sign out sheets will be pre-printed with children’s schedules and pick up information. Parents will be asked to bring a pen with them for sign in (when they remember) and we will have one time use pens available too.
c.  Children’s hands will be washed first thing upon entering school.
3.  Families will not enter the yard, except into our “transition area”.  Any in-depth communication between teachers and families will happen through email, phone calls, texts, and written notes. 
4.  Per Community Care Licensing guidelines, we need to be able to get in touch with a family or guardian within 30 minutes in case of emergency pick up. Your phone number must be up to date with the school. If you cannot get to school within 30 minutes you must designate an alternative person who can pick up your child in that time frame. 

Hours of Operation
We will be open from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm (4:30-5:00 if needed and prearranged). 

Masks 
Teachers, staff members, and families must wear masks during drop off and pick up. Teachers and staff members must wear masks or face shields at all times, when with children. We are doing our best to secure practical, transparent and cleanable options; as being able to read facial expressions is very important to a young child’s development.

School Snack
Families will pack additional food for snacks, as usual throughout the day, as we are limiting school-wide snacks at this time. We will have precut single serve Challah portions for our Shabbat celebration.

Symptoms and Exclusions
Although these exclusions are strict, they are required, and will likely exclude individual children from attending Gan more often than in the past. Therefore, we are starting our school year three weeks early to make up for the likely interruption in children’s attendance.
1.  We are required to report any symptoms present in people in the school community to Marin County Public Health. See protocols, scenarios and action plan attached.
2.  Any one of the following symptoms require children or teachers to stay home from school and inform us as soon as possible. 
a.  A fever of 100.4 or above
b.  Chills
c.  Shortness of breath
d.  Stomach cramping
e.  Diarrhea
f.  Vomiting 
g.  Loss of taste or smell
h.  A family member living within your home has any one of the above symptoms.
Symptoms to be wary of if combined with the above:
i.  Cough
ii. Muscle or body aches
iii.    Headache
iv. New loss of taste or smell
v.  Sore throat
vi. Congestion or runny nose
3.  If a child or staff member presents with any combination of the symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (fever of 100.4F or above, cough, shortness of breath, stomach cramping, diarrhea, vomiting), the child or staff member must self-isolate at home until all of the following are true:
a.  The child or staff have had no fever for at least 72 hours (that is three full days of no fever without the use of medicine that reduces fevers)
b.  Other symptoms have greatly improved (for example, cough, shortness of breath, etc.)
c.  At least 7 days have passed since symptoms first appeared
4.  Children sent home with COVID-19 related symptoms will need verification from a doctor to return.
5.  Children with seasonal allergies will be required to provide a doctor’s note confirming the child has known seasonal allergies, and the parent will be required to notify the teachers at drop-off each day the allergy symptoms are present.
6.  Parents and teachers must immediately notify the school via email if they or anyone in their household develops signs of a respiratory illness (e.g. cough, sore throat, shortness of breath) and /or fever.
7.  If anyone in the household, or person they have been in close contact with, is positively diagnosed with COVID-19, immediately notify the school via email.

Handwashing, Disinfecting and Room usage
1.  Before entering the facility, staff will use hand sanitizer and check their temperature.
2.  Upon entering the school, every child will wash their hands with soap and water.
3.  Everyone must wash or sanitize hands before and after eating, after using the restroom, and after blowing their nose etc; as per our pre-coronavirus protocol.
4.  Gan is currently using non-toxic disinfectant and sanitizers, HOCI. 
5.  Teachers will continue to regularly disinfect classrooms paying special attention to commonly touched surfaces such as toys, tables, faucet handles, toilets, doorknobs, handrails, etc.
6.  At Gan we already have high standards for cleaning and disinfecting our classrooms. In addition we will now disinfect every classroom on a daily basis.  Bathrooms will be cleaned between each use.  
7.  The majority of our day will be spent in our outside classroom spaces.  When inside, we will keep large windows and/or doors open to create air circulation (we will be inside only during nap, bathroom and in case of an emergency).

Travel Safety
1.  Parents who have had anyone within their “bubble” travel on an airplane should notify the school so we can keep an extra eye out for possible development of symptoms, and should keep their child home as an added precaution to the other families.
2.  Parents returning from travel to areas with community spread of COVID-19 must follow guidance they have received from health officials.  Any parent returning from a CDC Level 3 area must notify the preschool in writing and the child should be kept home for 7-days.  Students and teachers who have traveled to a CDC Level 3 area will be excluded for 14-days.  
A parent who travels to a CDC Level 3 area and does not notify the preschool in writing may forfeit their child’s space at preschool, with no refund issued.