COVID-19 Health & Safety Information

7/29/2020 Update on COVID-19 Protocols for Fall 2020

Dear Parents,

¡Hola! As the school year approaches, we wanted to update you on our latest plans and protocols for the school year. Our goal is to prioritize SAFETY while continuing to provide your children with the excellent early childhood education that you expect from us, coupled with the Spanish language, in a warm and loving environment.

If you haven't been with us since March or this is your first year, you may not be aware, but we have been operating under the highest level of the state guidelines for screening, cleaning, and distancing protocols since April 1. We are constantly monitoring the decisions and regulations of our local and state governing bodies, as this fluid situation evolves. We operate as a licensed childcare provider under the Childcare Regulation division of Texas Health and Human Services, therefore, we follow their guidelines and are not tied directly to any of the ISDs (though we do try to follow their schedule for major breaks for the convenience of our families). Even when the state rolled back some of their childcare guidelines and protocols, we have kept them in place.

Here are the procedures that you will see in place when schools starts:

1. Modified Drop-off and Pick-up Procedures
   • Children will be dropped off and picked up outside the building unless there is a legitimate reason for parents to enter. A staff member will walk children to their classes.
   • Hand hygiene stations will be placed at the entrance of the school for parent and student use. We encourage you to sanitize your child's hands (adult supervision required). Once they enter their classroom, they will wash their hands with soap and water.
   
   
2. Screening Procedures/Wellness Checks Upon Arrival
   • All staff and students will be screened upon arrival and will not be permitted to enter if they have any of the following criteria. Temperatures will be taken by staff. Parents will be asked to respond yes or no to criteria b, c, and d.
     1. A temperature of 100.0° or higher
     2. Signs or symptoms of a respiratory infection
     3. Been in contact with someone with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 or is ill with a respiratory illness.
     4. Traveled internationally within the past 14 days.
   • Staff members taking temperatures will wear masks.
   • If the individual has a temperature of 99.0-99.9°, their temperature will be recorded and they will be watched during the day, including additional temperature checks.
   
   
3. Social Distancing Strategies
   • Class ratios will meet the state and local requirements.
   • Children will not rotate to different classrooms or mix with other groups.
   • We will add extra outdoor activities, as feasible, based on health recommendations.
   • We are increasing the distance between children at Circle Time, table activities, in line, and at other activities to six feet. We realize that these are young children and they may not always comply, but we have also learned that they catch on to new rules quickly and are generally very adaptable!
   • For rest time, nap mats will be placed head to toe and as far apart as possible.
   
   
4. Intensified Cleaning and Disinfecting Procedures
   • We have intensified our cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting procedures using hospital-grade, EPA certified disinfectants throughout the day.
   • Classrooms are professionally deep-cleaned each night with a special focus on high-touch surfaces, door knobs, light switches, sink handles, etc.
   • Bathrooms are cleaned 3x/day.
   • Toys are cleaned and disinfected daily.
   • Children and staff will wash hands consistently throughout the day, including before and after eating, using the restroom, playing outside, handling trash, etc.
   
   
5. Additional Measures
   • All staff members are required to complete the new trainings required by the state of Texas: "Providing High Quality Experiences during COVID-19 for Emergency Childcare Settings" and "Special Considerations for Infection Control during COVID-19."
   • We ask parents to please refrain from sending any toys from home.
   • Parents are also asked to send a change of clothes with the children.
   
   

Keeping our students and staff SAFE while still learning and having fun is our top priority. We are continuing to do what we do best - educating young children while immersing them in the Spanish language, giving them unique cultural learning experiences, providing and "letting kids be kids".

Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions!