Health and Safety
The health and safety of our students, our staff and their families is our top priority. We want students and employees to feel comfortable and safe returning to the school campus. Our reopening plan incorporates recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), New York State Reopening Guidance for Religious and Independent Schools, the Religious Services Guidelines on the New York Forward website and the New York State Education Department (NYSED).
The following protocols and procedures will be in place for the 2020-21 school year. Anyone with questions or concerns should contact our COVID-19 Safety Coordinator, Mrs. Grimmer, at principal@stkaterischool.org or 518-382-8225, ext. 223
Health Checks
The school has developed resources to educate parents/guardians and staff members regarding the careful observation of symptoms of COVID-19 and health screening measures that must be conducted each morning before coming to school. The resources include the requirement for any student or staff member with a fever of 100°F or greater and/or symptoms of possible COVID-19 virus infection to not come to school. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) list of Coronavirus symptoms was used to develop these resources.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish School will implement the following practices to conduct mandated health screening.
Students: Currently we are using a manual system to conduct daily health checks (temperature check and questionnaire). We are exploring an electronic system for the school year where families would complete the health check at home prior to school entry.
During the week of August 31, 2020 we will hold parent/family orientations to teach families either the electronic or manual systems for health checks.
All students will have a temperature check prior to school entry and we will have all families complete a daily health questionnaire, whether manual or electronic. Students will not enter the building until both screens are completed. In case of inclement weather, we will keep children socially distanced in the school lobby of the main building until the health questionnaire is complete.
Children who arrive by car: We are planning for staggered arrival (8:00, 8:15, and 8:30) for our drop off students. While we are still using the manual system, the door greeter will complete the health questionnaire with the parent/guardian and manually take the child’s temperature. When we implement the online system, temperatures will be recorded at home AND taken manually at school. The health questionnaire would be submitted electronically. A daily report will be provided to the door greeters and we will complete the health questionnaire in-person for any parent/guardian who did not complete the online health questionnaire.
Electronic Health Screen for Children who arrive by bus: If a child arrives by bus and their parent/guardian has not completed the health questionnaire will wait with the bus greeter until the parent/guardian is contacted and completes the questionnaire. All bus children will have their temperature taken by the bus greeter
Manual Health Screen for Children who arrive by bus: Under the manual system, children will be sent home with a daily health questionnaire (developed Summer 2020) with parent completion. The child will need to show this form to the bus greeter. If the child or parent/guardian forgot, the child will remain with the bus greeter until the parent/guardian is contacted so the questionnaire may be completed. Temperatures will be taken for all children who arrive by bus.
Reports of Daily Health Screen, whether manual or electronic, will be maintained for the duration of the 2020-2021 school year.
Staff: All staff will be required to complete a daily health screening questionnaire. This screening requires employees to take their own temperature each morning. The health questionnarie includes questions designed to assess risk of exposure to COVID-19. Failure to achieve clearance with the health questionnaire on a given day will result in an employee not being able to report to work. Such individuals will be directed to contact their health care provider.
Presentation of Symptoms:
Staff: Staff will be instructed to consult their physician when symptoms of COVID-19 present themselves. If testing is warranted for either staff or student, we will follow NYS DOH protocols for isolation and quarantine until a diagnosis is made. We will engage in distance learning for the student(s) and use our substitute teaching staff for coverage. When testing is conducted, we will send both a written and electronic notification to families within the cohort (and any sibling group) to monitor for symptoms. If the test comes back with a negative result, we will communicate to families with a written and electronic notification. If the test is positive, we will notify the Schenectady County Department of Health. We will coordinate contact tracing with them. A written and electronic notification will be sent to all affected persons (including specials teachers, administration, AIS teachers). In the event that a student or staff member is sick or symptomatic, notification to exposed individuals will occur pursuant to the state’s contact tracing protocols as implemented by the Schenectady County Department of Health. The school will not notify the wider community unless specifically directed to do so by local health officials.
Staff will be able to return to work only with clearance by a medical provider. If staff becomes ill during the day, they must notify either the Principal or Assistant Principal immediately so classroom coverage can be arranged. Staff should take care to maintain social distancing and use of PPE to protect students. The School Nurse will also be notified. If a staff member is too ill to drive themselves home, he/she will wait in the isolation room until a ride can be arranged.
Staff will be able to return to work only with written clearance by a medical provider. In addition, St. Kateri Parish School will follow the Interim Guidance for Public and Private Employees Returning to Work Following COVID-19 Infection or Exposure released on May 31, 2020.
Students: If students present symptoms of COVID-19, whether at school or home, the School Nurse will communicate with the family and the family’s physician about the need for COVID-19 testing. If testing is warranted for either staff or student, we will follow NYS DOH protocols for isolation and quarantine until a diagnosis is made. We will engage in distance learning for the students. When testing is conducted, we will send both a written and electronic notification to families within the cohort (and any sibling group) to monitor for symptoms. If the test comes back with a negative result, we will communicate to families with a written and electronic notification. If the e is positive, we will notify the Schenectady County Department of Health. We will coordinate contact tracing with them. A written and electronic notification will be sent to all affected persons (including specials teachers, administration, AIS teachers).
Students will be able to return to school only with written clearance by a medical provider.
Mid-day Temperature Screen:
St. Kateri Parish School will conduct temperature screenings of all students mid-day as a preventative measure. School personnel will visit each classroom to conduct the temperature screening.
The school will emphasize healthy hygiene practices for students and staff by providing initial and refresher education in hand and respiratory hygiene, along with providing adequate supplies and time for frequent hand hygiene. Signs will be posted throughout the school (e.g., entrances, restrooms, cafeteria, classrooms, administrative offices, auditorium, custodial staff areas) and regular messages will be shared with the school community. Signage will be used to remind individuals to:
Students and staff must carry out the following hand hygiene practices.
Hand washing should occur:
The COVID-19 virus spreads from person to person in droplets produced by coughs and sneezes. Therefore, the school will emphasize the importance of respiratory hygiene.
Students and staff must carry out the following respiratory hygiene practices.
For more information about how hygiene information will be communicated to students, families and staff members, visit the Communication/Family and Community Engagement section of our reopening plan.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish School has developed a plan with policies and procedures for maintaining social distancing of all students, faculty, and staff when on school facilities, grounds and transportation.
All staff are required to wear masks throughout the day. Mask breaks are encouraged but must be done with a 6-feet distance from others and not in common areas such as the hallways. The Main Office is restricted to 3 people. Mailbox area is restricted to 2 people. The Library copier area has social distancing floor marks to maintain 6 ft social distancing. Hallways are marked with 6 ft. tape on both sides. Staff and children must walk on the taped line if another group is in the hallway. Recess and Gym times will be staggered to avoid multiple groups in the hallways. Scheduled bathroom breaks will also be added to the schedule to minimize mixing of classes in the hallways.
K-5 classrooms are equipped with individual safety dividers. Nursery & PreK classrooms will follow DOH requirements for socially distancing. Each staircase is designated as one way. Each ECEC class will be assigned its own door (ramp/main door).
If social distancing of 6 feet cannot be maintained, proper face coverings must be worn in common areas such as hallways or school buses. Students who are unable to medically tolerate a face covering will not be required to wear one and appropriate social distancing will be ensured.
Students, staff, and visitors to our school will be expected to wear face coverings indoors and outside, including on the school bus, when six-foot physical distancing is not possible. Students will be allowed to remove face coverings during meals, instruction, and for short breaks so long as they maintain appropriate social distance. Students who are unable to medically tolerate a face covering will not be required to wear one.
Because students and staff will need to be prepared to wear a face covering if another person unexpectedly cannot socially distance, they will be required to wear a face covering in all common areas (e.g., entrances and exits) and when traveling around the school.
Face coverings will be provided to students and staff, if needed, at no cost. Acceptable face coverings for COVID-19 include, but are not limited to, cloth-based coverings and surgical masks that cover both the mouth and nose.
An employee is allowed to wear their own acceptable face covering if they choose. Employees with healthcare provider documentation stating they are not medically able to tolerate face covering will not be required to do so.
Face coverings may be challenging for students (especially younger students) to wear in all-day settings such as school, so there may be periods of time when masks are not worn.
Face coverings should not be placed on:
The school will instruct students, parents/guardians and staff, contractors and vendors on:
Masks will be supplied to any child or staff member who does not have one. In addition, the Nurse’s office and Main office have additional PPE (gloves, face shields, etc.) for staff who request it.
The school requires students, faculty, or staff members who develop COVID-19 symptoms during the school day to report to the Nurse’s Office. If there are several students waiting to see the school nurse, students must wait at least 6 feet apart. The school has designated areas to separate individuals with symptoms of COVID- 19 from others until they can go home or to a healthcare facility, depending on severity of illness. One area will be used to treat injuries, provide medications or nursing treatments, and the other area will be used for assessing and caring for ill students and staff. Both areas will be supervised by an adult and have easy access to a bathroom and sink with hand hygiene supplies.
According to the CDC (as of August 7, 2020) people with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
We have created an isolation room (former Faith Formation Office in the Main Building and the Professional Development room in the ECEC) that is separate from the Nurse’s Office which can be used to contain a child with suspected symptoms until a parent/guardian arrives to take the child home. Staff members will be sent home. If a staff member is too ill to drive themselves home, he/she will wait in the isolation room until a ride can be arranged.
PPE requirements for school health office staff caring for sick individuals includes both standard and transmission-based precautions. In areas with moderate to substantial community transmission, eye protection (e.g., goggles or face shield) should be added. When caring for a suspect or confirmed individual with COVID-19, gloves, a gown, eye protection, and a fit-tested N-95 respirator will be used, if available. If an N-95 respirator is not available, a surgical face mask and face shield will be used.
School health office cleaning will occur after each use of cots, bathrooms, and health office equipment (e.g., blood pressure cuffs, otoscopes, stethoscopes). Health office equipment will be cleaned following manufacturer’s directions.
Disposable items will be used as much as possible (e.g., disposable pillow protectors, disposable thermometers, disposable thermometer sheaths or probes, disposable otoscope specula).
Respiratory treatments administered by nurses generally result in aerosolization of respiratory secretions. These aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) potentially put healthcare personnel and others at an increased risk for pathogen exposure and infection. St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish School requires the following PPE to be worn during AGPs: gloves, N-95 or a surgical mask with face shield, eye protection and a gown. PPE will be used when: suctioning, administering nebulizer treatments, or using peak flow meters with students who have respiratory conditions.
Treatments such as nebulized medication treatments and oral or tracheostomy suctioning will be conducted in a room separate from others with nursing personnel wearing appropriate PPE. For nebulizer treatments, if developmentally appropriate, the nurse will leave the room and return when the nebulizer treatment is finished.
Cleaning of the room will occur between use and cleaning of the equipment should be done following manufacturer’s instructions after each use.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish School requires students or staff with a temperature, signs of illness, and/or a positive response to the questionnaire to be sent directly to a dedicated isolation area where students are supervised, prior to being picked up or otherwise sent home. Students will be supervised in the isolation area while awaiting transport home and will be separated by at least 6 feet. Students will be escorted from the isolation area to their parent/guardian. Students or staff will be referred to a healthcare provider and provided resources on COVID-19 testing.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish School has established protocols and procedures, in consultation with the Schenectady County Department of Health about the requirements for determining when individuals, particularly students, who screened positive for COVID-19 symptoms can return to the in-person learning environment at our school. This protocol includes:
St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish School will refer to DOH’s “Interim Guidance for Public and Private Employees Returning to Work Following COVID-19 Infection or Exposure” regarding protocols and policies for faculty and staff seeking to return to work after a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 or after the faculty or staff member had close or proximate contact with a person with COVID-19.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish School requires that individuals who were exposed to the COVID-19 virus complete quarantine and have not developed symptoms before returning to in-person learning. The discharge of an individual from quarantine and return to school will be conducted in coordination with the local health department.
Students: If a child is sent home with COVID-19 symptoms, the School Nurse will follow up with the family. In the case of a positive test, isolation and quarantine at home will be required. The Schenectady County Department of Health will be contacted by the School Nurse or School Principal. Staff or students will not be allowed to return to school until given written permission from their health care provider.
Students with a COVID-19 positive diagnosis will be directed to follow their health care provider’s instructions regarding care, isolation, and quarantine. St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish School will coordinate with the Schenectady County Department of Health to ensure that staff are eligible to return to work.
Staff:. If an employee tests positive for COVID-19, the staff member will be required to contact the Schenectady County Department of Health AND their own County Department of Health if the staff member resides in a county other than Schenectady. Regardless of whether the employee is symptomatic or asymptomatic, the employee may return to work upon completing at least 10 days of isolation from the onset of symptoms or 10 days of isolation after the first positive test if they remain asymptomatic. If an employee has had close or proximate contact with a person with COVID-19 for a prolonged period of time AND is experiencing COVID-19 related symptoms, the employee may return to work upon completing at least 10 days of isolation from the onset of symptoms. If an employee has had close or proximate contact with a person with COVID-19 for a prolonged period of time AND is not experiencing COVID-19 related symptoms, the employee may return to work upon completing 14 days of self-quarantine.
Individuals with a COVID-19 positive diagnosis will be directed to follow their health care provider’s instructions regarding care, isolation, and quarantine. St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish School will coordinate with the Schenectady County Department of Health to ensure that staff are eligible to return to work.
The school will notify the state and Schenectady County Department of Health immediately upon being informed of any positive COVID-19 diagnostic test result by an individual within school facilities or on school grounds, including students, faculty, staff, and visitors.
To assist the local health department with tracing the transmission of COVID-19, St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish School will assist with contact tracing with the Schenectady County Department of Health using tools provided through the New York State Contact Tracing Program.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish School will:
If COVID-19 cases are discovered in the school, in consultation with the Schenectady County Department of Health, the Niskayuna School Health Department, and the RCDA Catholic Schools Office, St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish School will initiate a quarantine of affected classrooms or a full school closure.
Confidentiality must be maintained as required by federal and state laws and regulations. School staff should not try to determine who is to be excluded from school based on contact without guidance and direction from the Schenectady County Department of Health.
For more information about how COVID-19 containment efforts will be communicated to students, families and staff members, visit the Communication/Family and Community Engagement section 0f our reopening plan.
A closure refers to contingency plans, protocols, and procedures for decreasing the scale or scope of in- person education and/or closing the school. The school will collaborate with the local health department to determine the parameters, conditions or metrics (e.g., increased absenteeism or increased illness in school community) that will serve as early warning signs that positive COVID-19 cases may be increasing beyond an acceptable level.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish School will use the following metrics to determine a school closure:
For more information about how school closure information will be communicated to students, families and staff members, visit the Communication/Family and Community Engagement section of our reopening plan.
The school will ensure adherence to hygiene and cleaning and disinfection requirements as advised by the CDC and DOH, including “Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfection of Public and Private Facilities for COVID-19,” and the “STOP THE SPREAD” poster, as applicable. Cleaning and disinfection logs will be maintained that include the date, time, and scope of cleaning and disinfection.
Examples of facility types where cleaning and disinfection frequency will be distinguished include
Students, faculty, and staff will be trained on proper hand and respiratory hygiene, and such information will be provided to parents and/or legal guardians on ways to reinforce this at home.
The school will provide and maintain hand hygiene stations around the school, as follows:
Regular cleaning and disinfection of the facilities will occur, including more frequent cleaning and disinfection for high-risk and frequently touched surfaces. This will include desks and cafeteria tables, which should be cleaned and disinfected between each individual’s use. Cleaning and disinfection will be rigorous and ongoing and will occur at least daily, or more frequently as needed.
The school will ensure regular cleaning and disinfection of restrooms. Restrooms should be cleaned and disinfected more often depending on frequency of use.
For more information about how cleaning and disinfection information will be communicated to students, families and staff members, visit the Communication/Family and Community Engagement section 0f our reopening plan.
We recognize that some students and staff members are at an increased risk for severe COVID-19 illness, live with a person who is at an increased risk, or simply do not feel comfortable returning to an in-person educational environment. It is our goal to provide reasonable accommodations that ensure these individuals are able to safely participate in educational activities. St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish School will work individually with families who need accommodations.
These accommodations include options for hybrid/remote learning. Determinations will be made on a case-by-case basis regarding vulnerable populations among the faculty and how their situations will be handled, as per Diocesan personnel guidelines. Additional PPE may be provided in the form of face shields, eye goggles and gowns. Modifications to PPE will be provided where necessary.
No outside visitors will be allowed in the school buildlings, except for the safety and well-being of students. Parents/guardians will report to the Main Office and not go beyond unless it is for the safety or well-being of their child. Essential visitors to facilities will be required to wear face coverings, complete the health questionnaire, and will be restricted in their access to our school building.
Visitors must follow all safety protocols listed above.