Health and Safety Plan
Most Holy Trinity Catholic School
Introduction
This is our plan to provide for the health and safety of our students, staff, parents and guests at Most Holy Trinity during the 2020-2021 School Year. We call on everyone to follow it in order to provide a healthy and safe environment in our school.
After extensive discussion we present the following for your consideration.
Students
Student Needs
- Students will need a mask, their own school supplies, and a water bottle
- Students will not be allowed to class without a mask
- Students will not be allowed to borrow school supplies from classmates
- Water fountains will be shut off. Students must bring water from home. We will provide refill stations using 5-gallon jugs.
Student Health Monitoring
- We will specifically monitor students for symptoms of illness twice a day, in the morning when students arrive and after lunch after students have had some time back in their classrooms
- Students who exhibit signs of illness or complain of illness will be tended to immediately.
- All staff will be trained on screening students for illness. Teachers will have thermometers in their rooms to monitor students’ temperatures. They will also have a list of COVID 19 symptoms to refer to when monitoring students.
- Any student showing signs of illness will have their temperature taken in the office, and students with a temperature above 99.5 degrees or showing any respiratory symptoms will be isolated and sent home.
- If anyone in the family is pending testing results for COVID 19, all family members should be in quarantine until results are in
- In the case of any student who was diagnosed with COVID-19, the student may return to school when all three of the following criteria are met:
- No fever without the use of fever-reducing medications for at least 3 days (72 hours); AND
- The student has significant improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); AND
- At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared; OR
- In the case of a student who has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and does not get evaluated by a medical professional or tested for COVID-19, the individual is assumed to have COVID-19, and the student may not return to school until the individual has completed the same three-step criteria listed above; OR
- If the student has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and wants to return to school before completing the above self-isolation period, the individual must obtain a medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on an alternative diagnosis.
Staff
Staff Training and Monitoring
All Staff will be trained specifically on school procedures and practices outlined in this document.
All staff, volunteers and visitors will be monitored daily for the following symptoms:
- Cough Sore throat
- Repeated shaking with chills
- Loss of taste or smell
- Chills
- Diarrhea
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit
- Known close contact with a person who is lab confirmed to have COVID-19
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
We will conduct checks of temperature of staff, teachers and volunteers each day. Staff, teachers or volunteers with a temperature above 99.5°F or with any of the above symptoms will be sent home. Staff, teachers or volunteers with new or worsening signs or symptoms as listed above may not return to work until all three of the following criteria are met:
- No fever without the use of fever-reducing medications for at least 3 days (72 hours); AND
- The individual has significant improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); AND
- At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared; OR
- In the case of an employee or volunteer who has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and does not get evaluated by a medical professional or tested for COVID-19, the individual is assumed to have COVID-19, and the individual may not return to work until the individual has completed the same three-step criteria listed above; OR
- If the staff, teacher or volunteer has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and wants to return to work before completing the above self-isolation period, the individual must obtain a medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on an alternative diagnosis.
- All staff, teachers or volunteers must wear a face covering while at work and interacting with other employees and public in general, unless there is a contraindication.
- Employees should wash hands often for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or use disinfectant hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
- Employees may consider using gloves and should be encouraged to wash hands often for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or use disinfectant hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Visitor Monitoring
Visitors, including parents, may only come on official visits for school business. We will conduct temperature checks of all visitors. Visitors with a temperature above 99.5°F or with any of the above symptoms will be sent home. All visitors will be screened for the following symptoms:
· Cough Sore throat
· Repeated shaking with chills
· Loss of taste or smell
· Chills
· Diarrhea
· Muscle pain
· Headache
· Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit
· Known close contact with a person who is lab confirmed to have COVID-19
· Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Illness and Prevention
Prevention
On the first day of school, we will provide instruction to students on appropriate hygiene practices. This instruction will be reinforced and repeated throughout the pandemic.
All student shot records must be up to date.
- Any student showing signs of illness will have their temperature taken in the office, and students with a temperature above 99.5 degrees or showing any respiratory symptoms will be isolated and sent home.
- In the past children waited in the office for their parents to pick them up. We will not be able to do this anymore. Children will be kept in a designated waiting area.
Infections
- The CDC recommends that if someone who was showing signs of COVID 19 while on campus is diagnosed, that students and staff will be dismissed for 2-5 days to allow for extra cleaning. Anyone who has been in close contact with this person should self-monitor their symptoms
- For clarity, close contact is defined as:
- being directly exposed to infectious secretions (e.g., being coughed on while not wearing a mask or face shield); or being within 6 feet for a cumulative duration of 15 minutes, while not wearing a mask or face shield; if either occurred at any time in the last 14 days at the same time the infected individual was infectious. Individuals are presumed infectious at least two days prior to symptom onset or, in the case of asymptomatic individuals who are lab-confirmed with COVID-19, two days prior to the confirming lab test.If students are ill due to COVID-19 we will communicate this to our parents and staff. However, we will not release names of students to others.
- We will report these students to the local health authorities and El Paso Catholic Schools' Superintendent so they may follow up.
The School Day
Entering the building
- For the safety of your children when parents bring their children to school they should use the drop off area and remain in their cars; we will ask for symptoms and also ask if the student has had any contact with anyone with COVID-19. We will then take their temperatures. Students with a temperature above 99.5 degrees or showing any respiratory symptoms will be sent home.
- There will be 2 entrances for students on the sides of the building, one for lower grades and one for upper grades. When students enter they will then be directed to wash their hands and proceed to class.
- In the event that parents need to come to school, only one (1) parent will be allowed to accompany their child into the building
- All students, staff and anyone who enters the building will be required to wear a mask. This will be enforced.
- Anyone who is ill must stay home. Everybody this includes all staff and children.
- Parents with ill children must call the office to report it. If they have COVID-19 symptoms we must be informed.
- Traffic Flow signs will be used where needed
- School entrances will be two side doors for students, front door for staff and visitors
- School exit will be the back door
During the Day
- We will have scheduled rest room breaks and hand washing breaks during the day. The amount of these breaks will be based on CDC recommendations.
- We will teach handwashing to all students. We may need to use a hand washing song with our younger children to help them understand the time.
- The number of students in the restroom will equal the number of sinks in the restrooms. Students who need the restroom at other times will be considered case by case
- Students will always remain with their classmates. Students will not be allowed to visit other classrooms.
- Students will not share spaces, supplies, or work in groups.
- Desks will be spaced to comply with social distancing requirements
- Rooms will be equipped with hand sanitizer and thermometers.
- Students will have their own area to work in.
- Student belongings, including supplies, backpacks and jackets, will be kept separate.
- Middle School Students will not be changing classes; teachers will rotate to them instead to minimize movement in the hallway.
Lunch
- Our students will pick up lunch in the cafeteria and eat in their classrooms.
- In the past parents could have lunch with their children; we will not allow this until a later date. We look forward to the day when this restriction can be eased
Physical Education and Activity
- We will plan PE activities and student breaks that will allow students time to move while practicing social distancing. PE may be in shorter shifts and /or smaller groups.
- Students will not change clothes for physical education classes until we have clearance to do so.
The Library
Personal Belongings
- All students must have a mask
- Children and staff to wash hands before and after visiting library
- Table with hand sanitizer to be at front door
- No personal bags or coats to be brought into library (only pencils and paper per teacher request).
Checking out books and returning books
- Book drop box will be at front door when students come in.
- Books returned will be held for 72 hours before being put back on shelf.
- Storage space will be provided for books waiting to be re-shelfed
- Floor will be marked for social distancing to check out books
- Library card will be handled only by librarian
Class Visits
- No more than a single group to be allowed in the library at once
- Children to have teacher with them to make sure of social distancing
- A/R testing will be done on a day when librarian will go to class and select students who are taking an A/R test
- Keyboards and monitors to be cleaned every day and between classes
- When library is closed, will have to continue cleaning of all surfaces by custodian
Ending the School Day
We will have a pickup area at the end of the day. As you drive up we will call for your children.
Student pickup times will be staggered.
- 2:45 PK, Kindergarten and 1st grade
- 3:00 second, third, fourth and fifth Grades
- 3:15 sixth, seventh and eighth Grades
Students with siblings will be picked up at the time the oldest sibling is ready to be picked up
Everyone should remain in their cars; your children will be brought to youAfter Care
Aftercare will be provided.
- Aftercare will be in Father Tom Hall
- Social distancing will be taught and reinforced
- Each student will have a designated area.
- They will have their own supplies.
- Children will have time for homework
- We will provide play activity
- Playground- will be sanitized and monitored for social distancing.
- Snacks will be served; sharing of snacks will not be allowed
- We will provide videos later in the day.
- Parents will pick up children at the door.
- Our children will wait with their teachers until 3:30 in order to lessen the load in aftercare.
Other
Mass
- Father Andy will provide mass whether we are virtual or live. If we are on a hybrid schedule he will have a mass for each group.
- We will limit attendance at mass. In the past we liked and encouraged parents to attend mass; we will not be able to allow this until a later date. We look forward to the day when this restriction can be eased.
The Hybrid Schedule
In the event that we move to Hybrid instruction, family members will be kept on the same schedule
After surveying parents, we will alternate days in a hybrid schedule, two days on and two days off. The students will be divided into two groups- Group A and Group B
- Monday and Tuesday- Group A- face to face instruction; Group B Virtual Instruction
- Wednesday the building will be empty for cleaning.
- Thursday and Friday- Group A- Virtual instruction; Group B Face to Face Instruction
Several measurement tools were recommended to us for measuring rooms to determine student capacity. We used several measurement tools to determine how many students can fit in a room that practices social distancing. We now know we can have up to 12 students in the room at one time. We will need to limit how many students we can have in each class to no more than 20.
Athletics
We will follow CDC recommendations for athletics or other extracurriculars. We will be researching state athletic guidelines for high schools for guidance. We do want to provide these activities, but only if we can do it safely.
Birthdays
”Many of us think that the saints are far from us. But they are far from those who distance themselves from them. They are very close to those who keep the commands of Christ and have the grace of the Holy Spirit."
Thank you to our committee members:
Ms. Diane Garcia
Mrs. Christy Gutierrez
Mrs. Christine Komassa
Mr. Mike Lorilla
Ms. Marie Ripley
Mrs. Alyssa Saenz
Ms. Marcela St. Cyr
Questions, comments and suggestions can be addressed to Mr. Jim Horan, school principal
phone:915-751-2566 or email mailto:jhoran@mhtcrusaders.org
Most Holy Trinity Catholic School
Email: jhoran@mhtcrusaders.org
Website: www.mhtcrusaders.org
Location: 10000 Pheasant Road, El Paso, TX, USA
Phone: 915-751-2566
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mostholytrinity
Twitter: @MostTrinity