COVID-19 Precaution Handbook

Last updated May 17, 2020

In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we feel it is important to clarify that Dr. Bonnie Henry has confirmed and encouraged childcares to remain open, where possible, to serve families that are needing childcare. 
 
North Fleetwood Montessori will continue to follow all updated protocols and procedures as outlined by the Health Authorities and BC CDC. These were last updated May 14, 2020.
 
Given these important requirements, it is imperative that we are resolute in our health policy, and that all parents understand and agree to the following additional requirements.  

Provision of Care

We are currently providing child care at a reduced capacity in June, July and August.  This looks like the following:

• Max group size of 3 in Multiage programs 3 (1 staff).
• Max group size of 10 in 3-5 programs (2 staff).

We are grouping children in “shared social distancing bubbles”. Essentially, this will meant that children will be attending child care, and be placed in a group, within ONE group only.  This limits the number of people outside of your family that your child is exposed to. As such, registration may need to be changed in order to group children.

We are reminding families that having your child attend child care does mean that your entire family has a larger shared social distance bubble. Please behave responsibly and follow Dr Henry’s recommendations if you are attending child care as well as socially interacting with individuals outside of your household. At this time, your “shared social distance bubble” includes all individuals that any member of your family interacts with, including your child.

Provision of Care during staff illness

As staff are also required to stay home when exhibiting illness symptoms, until they have received a negative Covid-19 test, and we are ensuring small group care bubbles, this presents a significant limitation to our operation in the event of staff illness.  We simply can not have illness spread throughout the staff team. We will be addressing staff illness in the following way:

1. If a Staff with COVID-19, the children in that class will send to other classroom(s) if spaces are available.
2. We will temporarily put in the substitute staff.  It is more likely that this will not be possible, and as such, the group will be unable to operate until the staff test is completed and the staff is able to return to work.

Illness and Attendance

Children may not attend North Fleetwood Montessori programs if they exhibit any symptoms of respiratory illness or fever. Our pandemic health & wellness policy is attached.  There are no exceptions to this illness policy. This policy will be remaining in place indefinitely. As such, parents are encouraged to think through how they will work from home/care for children who are required to stay home until they are symptom free.  
 
Individuals residing in the household with any child attending North Fleetwood Montessori are to be taking all precautions possible to limit their exposure to COVID-19. 
 
Fees are not being refunded due to illness – be it a staff or child illness.  Our withdrawal policies for ‘temporary withdrawal’ and a permanent withdrawal are listed below.

Withdrawal and Temporary withdrawal

Parents may choose to attend, temporarily withdraw or permanently withdrawal. Please see attached for our Covid-19 withdrawal policy, which will remain in effect as long as MCFD operates the Emergency Funding program.

Attending: child attends as per designated hours and days. Monthly fees are paid as per usual.
Temporary withdrawal: if a family chooses to temporarily withdraw, their space will be offered out to another family for the duration of the pandemic. At the end of the pandemic – which will be determined by MCFD – families who have temporarily withdrawn will be responsible for fees and will have their space returned to them. Regular withdrawal notice would be required once attendance has been resumed, if families choose to no longer attend. In the even that a parent decides they will permanently withdraw during the temporary withdrawal period, this will follow the regular policy of withdrawal without notice and the security deposit will be forfeited. In the even the child ages out of the program during the temporary withdrawal period, the security deposit will be refunded on the month that the child would have aged out of the program.
Permanent withdrawal: our regular permanent withdrawal policy applies to children attending child care, with 30 days notice required and provided no later than the 1st of the month. Failure to provide notice results in a forfeit of the security deposit.

Arrival

Parents are not currently allowed to access our facility. Educators must physically distance from parents and can not take a child from the parent. If you anticipate a difficult drop off transition, please discuss this with your educator.

INSIDE DROP OFF:

Please line up in front of the entrance with ramp, ringing the door bell or call our school number (604) 593-5263 and waiting on the appropriate socially distancing line until an educator can help you.

Preschool class: Please call our school number and line up in front door with socially distancing line until an educator can help you.  

1. An educator will use a touchless thermometer for checking your child’s temperature every morning.
2. Place your child’s backpack in their classroom backpack bin.
3. Say goodbye to your child, and have your child go to the educator. Your child will take their shoes off and place them on a bleach water tray to sanitize and then change inside shoes to enter the classroom.
4. Once inside, your child will be brought to wash their hands.

OUTSIDE DROP OFF at playground:

1. Please line up at the circle on the floor, which teachers will have marked as the start of the socially-distancing line up. Please continue to observe social distancing expectations as you wait for an educator to help you.
2. Place your child’s backpack in the backpack tray.
3. Say goodbye to your child, and have your child go to the educator.
4. You may now leave.

INSIDE PICK UP:

LONDON: Please line up in front of the classroom front doors, waiting on the appropriate socially distancing line until an educator can bring your child and their belongings to you.

OUTSIDE PICK UP:
Please line up at the yellow circle, which teachers have marked as the start of the socially-distancing line up. Please continue to observe social distancing expectations as you wait for an educator to bring your child and their belongings to you.

Cleaning and Sanitization

Following the current health authority guidelines for sanitization and care:

1. Our inside classroom, including all accessible materials, is disinfected twice per day when used full day, or in-between groups, when the classroom is shared throughout the day. Disinfection must be completed using a health authority approved sanitizer, which is a bleach, alcohol or quat-based solution. We respect that some families prefer us not to use these, and feel they are “unnatural” cleaning products. Unfortunately, these are the only options we have for disinfection.
2. The washroom is disinfected after each class.
3. Child bags brought into the classroom will be sprayed with the disinfectant solution prior to being brought into the classroom. Please plan your child’s bag, accordingly; we are not responsible for wear/tear/colour degradation due to disinfectant use.
4. Child shoes will be sprayed with disinfectant when arriving at the inside classroom.  We ask that you send shoes that will be easily disinfected and align with summer outdoor needs – we highly recommend natives or similar rubber/plastic based summer cover toed shoes that will work outdoors and can easily be cleaned.
5. When eating outdoors, we place a table cloth on the table, and disinfect the table cloth. Hands are washed with soap and water, prior to eating.
6. Nap cots for onsite naps will be disinfected daily.

Lunch

Please send all lunch / snack items in containers.  We ask that morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack are in their own bags, so that children are not unpacking multiple items.  At the end of each meal/snack, we will dispose of all uneaten food. As this will mean that you will not have insulated lunches, please plan your lunches accordingly.  NO Unhealthy foods such as candies, chocolates etc…

If your child is not potty trained, please continue to ensure diapers and wipes are provided to the school.

HALF DAY CHILDREN:

In backpack: snack, water bottle, 1 change of clothing in a Ziploc bag. Should be wearing sunhat and water-shoes (such as natives) or similar. Please send muddy buddies and will remian at school. Your child must be able to carry their backpack.

FULL DAY CHILDREN:

In backpack: 2 snacks and lunch, water bottle, 1 change of clothing in a Ziploc bag. Should be wearing sunhat and water-shoes (such as natives) or similar. Please send muddy buddies and will remain at school.   For napping, do not send stuffies and/ or pillows, ONLY blankets which MUST put in a plastic bag.  Your child must be able to carry their backpack. The parents are responsible to wash their child(ren) nap bedding at least once a week or more frequently.

Sunscreen

In order to reduce possible spread of illness, we have decided that North Fleetwood Montessori will be providing a spray sunscreen for all children. If your child has allergies to a particular sunscreen, please contact info@northfleetwoodmontessori.com immediately.   Please note that an allergy is not the same as a personal preference, and medical confirmation (doctor note) will be required.

Face Mask policy

Children and staff are recommended to wear face masks or face shield to protect oneself but not mandatory.

Illness policy

Recognizing that child care programs may be the only option for essential service workers to secure child care in order to work, our program has elected to remain open (with reduced services) to families at this time. Please remember that the Covid19 public health emergency is rapidly changing, and our ability to remain open may change without notice; or we may be ordered closed in the upcoming weeks by BC’s provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, and/or our licensing officer.

Accordingly, please note the following Covid19 Health and Wellness policy, which apples to all staff and children within this facility.

Parents are expected to complete a health review of their child at home.  This should include taking their child’s temperature, although if you forget / run out of time, we will do it every morning.

Parents will additionally be asked health check questions by the staff each morning, confirming that their child is symptom free and that their child has not been given acetaminophen or ibuprofen in the last 12 hours. In the event that a parent is found to be not answering this statement truthfully or withholding important medical information, child care will no longer be provided to that family.  

Sympton	May return when
Temperature of 100 F / 37.8 C or higher (orally) or 99 F / 37.2 C or higher (under the arm) or 100.4 F / 38 C or higher (forehead)	May return to child care after a medical note or negative COVID19 test confirms the child does not have COVID19 and the child is symptom free for 48 hours.
Runny nose	May return to child care after a medical note or negative COVID19 test confirms the child does not have COVID19 and the child is symptom free.
Cough	May return to child care after a medical note or negative COVID19 test confirms the child does not have COVID19 and the child is symptom free.
Sore throat	May return to child care after a medical note or negative COVID19 test confirms the child does not have COVID19 and the child is symptom free.
Difficulty breathing or wheezing	May return to child care after a medical note or negative COVID19 test confirms the child does not have COVID19 and the child is symptom free.
Unexplained fatigue, aches or cold/flu-like symptoms	May return to child care after a medical note or negative COVID19 test confirms the child does not have COVID19 and the child is symptom free.
Sinus congestion	May return to child care after a medical note or negative COVID19 test confirms the child does not have COVID19 and the child is symptom free.
Eye infections, discharge, red/pink eyes	May return to child care after a medical note or negative COVID19 test confirms the child does not have COVID19 and the child is symptom free.
Children who have, or children with others living in the same home who have just returned from international travel	May return after self-isolating for 14 days and being symptom free.
Children who have, or children with others living in the same home who have been identified as at-risk of potential Covid19 exposure	May return after self-isolating for 14 days and being symptom free. *Note, this does not apply to health care providers. In the event that the person in the home is a health care provider, this only applies in the event that the person who is a health care provider has been directed to self isolate due to possible exposure or symptoms.

(Reference: Health Authority memo;  COVID19 in childcare)

Additionally, our regular health and wellness policy stands:

Children may not attend child care programs while they have any of the following symptoms:

• unusual, unexplained loss of appetite, fatigue, irritability, or headache
• eye infections
• unexplained rashes or any rash that is not confirmed by doctor to be non-contagious
• known or suspected communicable diseases (measles, chicken pox, pink eye, hand foot and mouth, etc)
•  ear infection
• nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea in the last 48 hours

For the well-being of children, staff and families, open transparency and candor is required around all the above requirements. Although this may lead to some challenging conversations, staff and families need to acknowledge and respect their necessity and their intention of care during the pandemic. We sincerely appreciate your compliance and understanding!