COVID-19 Safety Plan

The purpose of this page is to make available to you as much information as we can, with the understanding that there is certainly more to come! If you do not yet see specifics on a certain topic of interest to you, please be patient as we work diligently to update this site while ensuring that we are following governmental mandates and health guidelines.

Protecting Staff and Students

Face Coverings and Other Essential Protective Equipment (PPE)

Face Coverings

Face coverings are not a substitute for physical distancing. They are meant to protect other people in case the wearer is unknowingly infected and not exhibiting symptoms. They also offer some protection for the wearer.
Effective face coverings cover the mouth and nose and fit snugly on the side of the face.
In compliance with California Department of Public Health, faculty, staff and students 2 years and older, as well as approved visitors, must wear face coverings

- when entering and leaving school campus
- while indoors and outdoors on school campus (except when eating or drinking)
- when in contact or likely to come into contact with others
- Anyone who has trouble breathing, is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance should NOT use face coverings.
Acceptable face coverings include surgical/disposable masks, and KN95/N95 masks.
- Cloth masks are no longer recommended, as they are not as effective against the omicron variant.
Not acceptable: Neck gaiters, open chin triangle bandanas, and face coverings containing valves, mesh material, or holes (example: jeweled or gem masks) are not considered appropriate face coverings.
A surgical mask is provided for any employee who cares for sick children and for a child with COVID-19 symptoms until the student leaves school.
Employees can take off their face covering when alone in a private space.
Each student is required to have at school at least two spare masks.
Correct use of a face covering:

- Completely cover the nose and mouth, tuck under the chin.
- Try to fit it snugly against the sides of the face and avoid gaps.
- Monitor ease of breathing.
- Take off face covering carefully prior to snacks, meals, and when back at home.
  - Handle only by the ear loops or ties.
  - Be careful not to touch eyes, nose, and mouth when removing. Wash hands immediately after removing.

Face Shields

A face shield provides additional eye protection but is not a substitute for a face covering.
For those who are unable to wear face coverings for medical reasons, per CalOSHA, face shields should include a drape attached across the bottom and tucked into the shirt.

Gloves

Gloves are provided in each classroom and the offices for use with first aid, and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched areas.

Cohorting

For the 2021-22 school year, each entire grade level is being considered as a “cohort”.
For the time being, students from different grade levels will not mix.
Students will transition between classrooms, with their cohort, to attend most specialists.

Entrance, Egress, and Movement Within the School

All persons dropping off or picking up students will stay with their vehicles. Only students are permitted to leave the vehicle in order to proceed directly to their classroom in the morning.
School staff will be deployed
- to meet incoming vehicles in the carpool lanes
- to assist and direct arriving and departing students
- to assure distancing is maintained and gatherings are averted
We will use our multiple entrances and exits to and from buildings and classroom areas to avoid overcrowding, as follows.

Entrance

Students will be dropped off in the carpool circle outside of the temple building or carpool lane. Drivers must remain in vehicle with mask on. Students, as well, should not exit their vehicle without their mask on.

Egress

Students will maintain physical distancing and remain with their cohort during afternoon dismissal procedures.

Movement Within the School

Student restrooms are scattered about campus at various locations. Students will be instructed as to which facilities they may use, depending on their classroom location.
Hand washing stations, as well as numerous hand sanitizer dispensers, are strategically placed about campus, outside and inside classrooms, to minimize the distance that any student needs to travel, and to minimize crowding for such. Portable handwashing stations have been placed on Faber Field and outside of Katz Pavilion.
School staff and faculty will monitor students as they transition from their classroom to recess and lunch and to specialist classes, to ensure proper distancing.
Weather permitting, students will eat lunch outdoors, in prescribed locations, with their classmates/cohort.
Staff monitor and supervise students during recess and lunch breaks, to ensure proper distancing and to support positive behavior choices.

Healthy Hygiene Practices

3 W’s

WASH HANDS!
WEAR FACE COVERING!
WATCH PHYSICAL DISTANCING!

Hand Washing and Hand Sanitizer

Physical Distancing

Travel Quarantine Policy

Travel Policy

We encourage families to practice safe travel protocols and monitor for symptoms following any and all travel.
As long as students remain asymptomatic, they are not required to quarantine after travel, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated.
All travelers, regardless of their vaccination status, must self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days after their arrival, and should get tested and isolate if they develop symptoms.

Staff Training and Family Education

Education and Training

All faculty, staff, families and students have been and will continue to be provided training and informational material,through a variety of medium, such as “Town Hall ” Zoom meetings, pre-recorded videos, visual presentations, signage posted around campus, the school website and newsletter, on the following topics:

Health office protocols
COVID-19 signs and symptoms, as well as the school illness policy
- Isolation and quarantine protocols
Hand washing hygiene
Face coverings
Physical distancing guidelines
Daily symptom screening practices
Importance of getting flu shots early in the fall

Staff only (during teacher in-service and professional development sessions):
- CPR, First Aid, Bloodborne Pathogens
- Cleaning and disinfecting procedures

Communication Plans

If a student has any symptoms (as delineated in the “Signs & Symptoms of COVID-19” topic on this webpage) or tests positive, their parent must notify a member of our COVID-19 Compliance Team.

Wise School uses a variety of modes to communicate important information to the community, including:

This webpage – “COVID-19 Safety Plan”
- Protecting Staff and Students
- COVID-19 Containment, Response and Control Plan
- School Exposure Management Plan
- Modified Quarantine
Zoom Town Halls with families and faculty
Emails and text messages
Friday newsletter
- “Notes from the Nurse” – recurring features from our School Nurse
  - Flu shots
  - Immunizations
  - Importance of updating emergency contact info
  - Holiday guidelines
- Social-Emotional Learning – recurring features from our School Counselor
YouTube and Facebook videos
Flyers
- Flyers for COVID-19 testing for students and family members are available at the nurse’s office and sent home upon request or if a student exhibits symptoms.
- Quarantine protocols
- Isolation protocols
Wise Parent Association – Parent Education speakers regarding significant topics
Signage on campus (masking, distancing, hand washing, directional)
Physical binders containing all protocol content, available in main office and nurse’s office

In the event of any significant changes in school plan (example: full or partial closure of campus), immediate notice via email/text will be disseminated to the community by the Wise School Administration.

COVID-19 Containment, Response & Control Plan

COVID-19 Compliance Team

Tami Weiser, Head of School
John Heffron, Elementary Principal
Marc Entous, Senior Director of Technology and Facilities
Samantha Toder, School Nurse

Signs and Symptoms of COVID-19

An adult with a suspected case of COVID-19 who has not yet been tested would have at least 2 of the following symptoms: fever > 100.4, chills, shakes, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, congestion or runny nose; OR any one of the following: new uncontrolled cough causing difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, any difficulty breathing, new loss of taste or smell.
A child with a suspected case may have any one of the following symptoms: fever > 100.4, new uncontrolled cough causing difficulty breathing (for children with chronic allergic/asthmatic cough, a change in baseline cough), diarrhea/vomiting.
Any student, faculty, or staff (vaccinated or unvaccinated) who is sick should stay home, especially if new symptoms have recently developed, and call their primary care provider for guidance and testing. (Best to err on the side of caution and assume it might be COVID-19.)
Parents are advised to be alert to their child’s symptoms, be available for immediate pick up from campus, and be mindful of COVID-19 risk, while practicing all safety measures.
Seek emergency medical care immediately and call 9-1-1 if exhibiting any of these signs* (*including, but not limited to):
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- Trouble breathing
- Inability to wake or stay awake
- New confusion
- Bluish lips or face
Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) – This is a condition of COVID-19 seen rarely in students, involving inflammation of multiple organs. It has appeared, at times, 2-4 weeks after a localized outbreak. (If a parent is concerned about MIS-C with their child, they should contact their primary care provider.) Symptoms can include:
- Fever
- Abdominal pain
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Neck pain
- Rash
- Bloodshot eyes
- Feeling extra tired

Daily Symptom Self-Screening

Each morning, parents should ensure that the student is in good health (no fever, no new onset of symptoms associated with Covid-19).
Unvaccinated students, faculty, and staff who have recently had close contact with a person with diagnosed COVID-19 must stay home and follow the stated quarantine protocol.
If someone in their household has tested positive for COVID-19, the unvaccinated student(s) or staff must stay home and quarantine as stated in the quarantine protocol.
Vaccinated students and staff who have had close contact with a person diagnosed with Covid-19 must monitor their health for 10 days for any signs of Covid and get tested as soon as possible. They should also test a second time on or after Day 5 of contact. Either an antigen or a PCR test is acceptable for this situation.

Illness During the School Day

- Students will be directed to the Isolation Room (from the Nurse’s Office) if presenting with COVID-19 symptoms and then required to wear face mask provided by the nurse.
  - The nurse, while supervising students with COVID-like symptoms, will wear proper PPE (N95 face mask, gloves, gown and goggles or face shield) and maintain 6-foot distance as feasible.
  - The parents will be notified to pick up the student. If they cannot pick up their child within 45 minutes, their emergency contacts, found in their Magnus records (Vital Health Records and Permission to Pick Up Form) will be called.
  - Students will be walked to their parent/guardian’s car and advised to follow up with their primary care physician. Physical distancing and patient privacy will be observed.
  - Families are encouraged to contact their pediatrician regarding potential testing of their child.
  - If the student is exhibiting Emergency Warning Signs for COVID-19, (see list in prior topic), 9-1-1 will be called.
  - The school nurse will conduct follow-up with students sent home with possible COVID-19 symptoms.
  - Provisions will be made for continued at-home learning and support during COVID-related absences.
  - The Wise COVID-19 Compliance Team will be informed.
- If a teacher or staff is presenting with COVID-19 symptoms, they
  - will immediately inform their supervisor
  - will be directed to go home and seek medical care.
  - If the employee is exhibiting emergency signs for COVID-19, 9-1-1 will be called.
  - An administrator will conduct follow-up with staff sent home with possible COVID-19 symptoms.
- For any person, student, or adult, sent home with COVID symptoms, testing options, factsheets, and other informational materials will be available and provided as needed covering regulations governing self-isolation and quarantine. If any student sent home tests positive for COVID-19, please immediately contact the School Nurse and Front Office. We may ask at that point that you also test siblings that attend Wise School. (Refer to quarantine/isolation guidelines.)
- If a student, faculty or staff tests positive, they must self-isolate.
  - The Head of School must be notified immediately of any positive test.
  - Anyone with a positive test result will be contacted by the Department of Public Health for additional information.
  - Any student or staff who had close contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19, must follow the Covid-19 quarantine protocols and cannot return to campus during the mandated quarantine time period.
  - LACDPH advises all household members of a positive case to test on day 1 of known exposure and then again on or after Day 5.

Surveillance Testing

COVID-19 testing of staff and students is offered on campus weekly.
All school personnel who get tested will be recorded on a list with test date and laboratory used. Positive results will be provided to DPH by the lab.
Positive cases will be sent home to isolate.
Testing and its results will be monitored by the Compliance Team.

Cleaning and Disinfecting Isolation Room and Classroom of Ill Person

All classrooms and common spaces are disinfected daily by maintenance team, using electrostatic foggers and non-toxic disinfectants.
All high-touch surfaces, such as bathrooms, water fountains, sinks, and eating areas, are disinfected three times per day by maintenance team.
When contacting maintenance about cleaning, they will be informed that a person with COVID-like symptoms was in the area and to don appropriate PPE.
All areas used by symptomatic individuals, such as offices, bathrooms, common areas, and shared electronic equipment, or any other items touched by the affected individual, will be properly cleaned and disinfected.

Confidentiality and privacy for any person with positive or possible COVID-19

A student’s name or any other identifiable information will not be shared with any school employees unless they have a legitimate need to know.
A student’s name or any other identifiable information will not be shared with any students, parents, or members of the school community, unless they have a legitimate need to know.

Triggers for Switching Back to Online Learning

These are triggers for a possible school-wide return to distance learning:

As a response to significant absenteeism of staff and students.
Concern about “rolling closures” within the school community, i.e., repeated partial closures of different grade levels and/or classrooms on campus.
If required by the LACDPH, based on significant outbreaks at the school.

School Exposure Management Plan

Isolation Room

An isolation room is used to separate any student, faculty or staff who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19.
Any student, faculty or staff exhibiting symptoms are required to immediately wear a medical face covering and wait in the isolation room. The nurse will don gloves, eye protection, and a gown when working with this person.
Physical distancing will be maintained when more than one person needs to be in isolation.
Students will be observed and monitored in the isolation room until picked up by a caregiver.
- Parents/guardians must pick up their child from school within 45 minutes of being notified

Identification and Tracing of Contacts

Laboratory confirmed positive cases and persons suspected to have COVID-19 must be reported to the School Nurse or Head of School, who will then contact the LACDPH as required by guidelines.
The Compliance Team will initiate contact tracing for at-school contact exposure.
- Contact tracing involves listing the people on campus who have had close contact with the infectious positive case.
- The infectious period begins 2 days before symptoms are present or 2 days before the positive test was conducted.
- Contact exposure may occur if a person was within 6 feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes (within a 24-hour period), even if wearing a non-medical face covering, or if a person had unprotected contact with an infected person’s body fluids and/or secretions.
The positive case will be given Home Isolation instructions and advised that they will be contacted by the School Nurse.

The cases and contacts will be entered on the “COVID-19 Case and Contact Line List for the Education Sector”. The list will be submitted online to the Department of Public Health.
Three laboratory-confirmed cases within the same classroom, within a 14 day period, may constitute an outbreak and be investigated by the LACDPH. (These do not include persons who share a household or are close contacts of each other outside of the campus.)
For information on if/when contacts can be on campus, refer to “Returning to School After Quarantine” section below.

Testing of Students & Staff

Students and staff who have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 will need to obtain a PCR test off-campus.
- They will remain at home until they receive their test results, or receive an alternate diagnosis from their primary care physician (which needs to be provided to the school before return).
- The results from that test and/or physician will be reported back to the School Nurse (stoder@wise-school.org).

The school will continue its regular weekly testing cadence of students on campus.

Returning to school after non-COVID illness

A parent/guardian must contact the school nurse ([email protected]) the day before to alert us that their child will be returning.
When a child returns to school, he/she needs to be physically and mentally fit enough to participate in all aspects of a regular school day .
Exception to the rule: if there is a restriction from some activity (recess or PE), there must be a doctor’s note explaining why the child cannot participate and the length of time the restriction will be in place.
A student who has started antibiotics needs to be on that medication for 24 hours (and symptom-free) before being considered non-contagious and hence able to return to school. Please make sure to provide a clearance letter/note from the pediatrician.
If a child is exhibiting Covid-like symptoms:
- Students with physician’s documentation of a negative COVID-19 test may return to school when they are symptom- and fever-free (without any fever-reducing medication) for 48 hours, unless they were in direct contact with a positive test person, in which case they must follow the quarantine protocol.
- Students may return to school in 24 hours, if they have written confirmation by a physician of an alternative diagnosis (emailed to school nurse – [email protected]).

Returning to school after isolation

The purpose of isolation is to keep infectious persons away from others.
If students, faculty or staff test positive for COVID-19, they may return to school, if they have met the criteria to discontinue home isolation, and are:
- fever-free (without fever-reducing medication) for 24 hours; AND
- symptoms are improving; AND
- it has been 10 days since their positive COVID-19 result (can return on Day 11).
Optional Isolation Period Update – Coming out of isolation sooner:
- Assuming symptoms are improving, and there has been no fever for at least 24 hours (with no fever-reducing medication), a positive case can end their isolation sooner as follows:
  - By testing on Day 5 or later with an antigen test
  - If that antigen test comes out negative, provide it to our school nurse for potential return to campus on or after Day 6 of isolation.

If a student exhibits a recurrence of any symptoms within 90 days from their original COVID-19 diagnosis, the student should notify the school nurse (stoder@wise-school.org) and consult with their physician.
Prior to returning to campus, parent communication must take place with the School Nurse ([email protected]).

An individual who is seriously ill with COVID-19 may need to isolate for a longer period of time. Consult with your physician to determine when your isolation period can end.

Returning to school after quarantine

Staff & Students

The purpose of quarantine is to keep a person who has had close contact with a COVID-19 positive case away from others during the 10-day incubation period while continuing to monitor your health for 14 days from date of exposure.

PCR COVID testing post-exposure is not required but is recommended on Day 1 and then again on Day 5. If you test for COVID and receive a positive result, then quarantine will change to isolation as of the date of the test.
If a member of your household has tested positive for COVID
- The School Nurse must be consulted in order to determine your timeline. ([email protected])
- If you have close contact with them again while they are still in isolation, your 10-day quarantine period will have to restart from the last day that you had close contact.
- If you cannot avoid close contact, your last day of quarantine is 10 days from the date that the person with COVID-19 was told their isolation ends.
- For further information, see Home Isolation Instructions

Optional Quarantine Period Update – Coming out of quarantine sooner:

Close Contacts – Quarantine

All 5-day quarantine countdowns start from the date of LAST exposure to an infectious person. Fully Vaccinated means that an individual is either fully vaccinated and boosted or fully vaccinated but not yet eligible for a booster. See table below.

	Close Contact @ School		Close Contact NOT @ School
	Fully Vaccinated	Not Fully Vaccinated	Fully Vaccinated	Not Fully Vaccinated
Students & Staff	Can remain on campus. Monitor for symptoms.	***Modified Quarantine. May attend school (but no after-school activities). Recommended to test ASAP. To end home-quarantine sooner, test Day 5. If negative, home-quarantine ends Day 6.	Notify school. Can remain on campus. Monitor symptoms.	Quarantine at Home. PCR or Antigen Test on Day 5 in order to return Day 6, provided test results are negative and symptom-free.
*Must adhere strictly to consistent and correct mask wearing at all times when returning from isolation/quarantine after 5 days.

***The situation for close contacts at school is different than close contacts off campus thanks to the various enhanced mitigation strategies that we employ, including those that allow us to use the Modified Quarantine protocols.

It is important that you:
- Monitor your health for symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days from your last contact with the infected person.

False Positive Policy

If Wise school is not having an active outbreak and there are concerns that an individual’s positive COVID-19 test result may be a false positive, the following steps can be taken:

The individual must be asymptomatic and was not a close contact to another confirmed positive with COVID-19.
The individual must visit their medical provider for further evaluation and confirmatory testing.  Medical providers may reference the following guidance materials in making the decision to adjudicate a positive COVID-19 test result as false:
- Screening in Education Settings
- Provider FAQs
- If the medical provider believes the positive screening result is a false positive, the provider should retest with a molecular test within ~48 hours of the initial screen test, and provide a letter to the individual and to Wise School stating this.
Wise School will not allow a COVID-19 positive student to return to school without receipt of this medical provider letter, including the negative molecular test from the doctor.

Please note that if the false positive screening test was done through Lab-based PCR (such as on campus), or done through a provider, it may have been automatically reported to Public Health as a positive, and an Isolation Order may automatically be issued. To have the positive officially changed to a false positive in their records, please send a copy of the positive screening result, negative confirmatory test, and medical provider adjudication letter to [email protected].

Once a student returns to campus in a scenario as described above, that grade level will no longer be required to remain on modified quarantine.

Modified Quarantine

The L.A. County Dept. of Public Health, citing their studies that have found that there has been relatively low transmission at schools, issued an update to their Covid guidance in late September 2021 by creating a “modified quarantine” option for schools. In order to reduce the amount of time that our students may potentially have to quarantine when there is a positive Covid case at their grade level, and thereby keeping students in school where we all agree they need to be, we have decided to take advantage of this option.

Here is how we are now handling a confirmed COVID-19 case at the grade level:

The student who tests positive must isolate at home. This new policy does not change that protocol.
Students must now be masked both indoors and outdoors (which includes PE and recess times). Unfortunately, if we do not follow this enhanced masking rule, we cannot take advantage of the “modified quarantine” option.
The modified quarantine only applies to close contacts whose exposure to the positive case took place at school. Any close contacts that happen outside of school, for example at a party over the weekend, must follow regular quarantine policy.
While the students at that grade level still need to follow all quarantine rules outside of school hours, they will continue in-person instruction at school. Hence the term “modified” in regards to the quarantine. These students must stay home and quarantine except for classroom and educational instruction activities.
- - Exception: Students who are fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine at home.

The students must remain asymptomatic for the duration of the “modified quarantine”. If any Covid symptoms appear during the quarantine period, the student must stay home, and their return to school will be determined through communication with Nurse Sam.
Students must keep their distance from each other while unmasked during eating and drinking times. We are fortunate at Wise School that we have our students eating outdoors, which is a strong mitigation factor.
Students must test twice per week during their “modified quarantine”. Assuming both tests are negative and the students remain asymptomatic, their “modified quarantine” (at home) ends after day 7.
Grade levels following the “modified quarantine” cannot participate in after-school sports or extracurricular activities, during the period of their quarantine.
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Exposure Management Plan.