COVID-19 Protocols

We simply cannot wait to see all of our students and their families again!  Has there ever been a more confusing time than the one in which we are living at this moment?

 

As excited as we are, it is important that we also take the COVID-19 crisis seriously.  The Tennessee Departments of Human Services and Education are recommending that programs follow CDC guidance for child care programs that remain open or plan to reopen. The Departments are also providing additional guidance to child care facilities throughout the state on proactive measures, including screening recommendations for staff and visitors. These proactive measures are intended to help limit the spread of COVID-19 and safeguard children, families, and child care provider staff.  These are brand new practices that are being suggested to all schools within our great state. 

 

We ask that you are patient with us as we ease into these waters.  We suggest you give yourself more time in the mornings during these new protocols and expect delays.  This will take time for all of us to master.  Below are the protocols that Lascassas Baptist Preschool will be putting into practice beginning on Monday, June 1^st and will continue until further notice.  

 

Limiting Persons in the Facility:  Our school will prohibit people entering our school with the exceptions of:

·         Church and school staff

·         Persons with a legal authority to enter; law enforcement, child care licensing staff; Child Protective Services

·         Professionals providing services to children

·         Children enrolled at the facility

·         Parents or guardians (when deemed necessary)

·         Church members (when deemed necessary)

 

Drop-Off and Pick-Up Protocols: We would highly recommend that parents and guardians not enter the school.  We feel this is going to be our best defense against possible contamination in our building.  (If you strongly feel that it is necessary for you to enter the building during drop-off or pick-up, please let us know immediately.  There will be a separate protocol for those wishing to enter the building.

Drop-off and pick-up will now occur outside of our school.  All parent/guardian door codes have been disabled at this time.  The foyer door will be the only door used at this time.  Hand hygiene stations will be set up at the entrance of the facility, with supervised use.  This is our new protocol for drop-off and pick-up at LBP:   

1.    Our supervised drop-off times are 6:30 – 8:30. Please abide by these times. If you need to drop-off after 8:30, you will need to call the office at 616-895-2370 when you arrive. 

 

2.   You MUST enter the parking lot from Jefferson Pike.  DO NOT ENTER OUR PARKING LOT FROM HIGHWAY 96/LASCASSAS PIKE. 

 

3.    Drop-off will take place under the covered portico, next to the foyer of our church.  We hope to form two lines, such as what you would see at Chick-fil-A.  Lines will wrap around to where the playgrounds are located.

 

4.    You will remain in your car until a staff member says you can exit your car. 

 

5.    When authorized, you will check your child’s temperature and show the staff member the reading on your thermometer. It is STRONGLY encouraged for you to bring your own thermometer to speed up this process.  No-touch thermometers would also be fastest.  If your child has a fever of 100.4 F or above or shows other signs of illness, they will not be allowed to enter the school.  No explanations of why there is a possible fever (teething, ear infections, allergies or what not) will be permitted during this time.  If the thermometer reads 100.4 F or above, they will not be allowed to enter the school. 

 

6.    When the staff member has been shown the reading on the thermometer and the staff member has logged their temperature reading, the parent will be authorized to remove the child from their seat, gather their belongings, and take their child to a staff member waiting at the door of the foyer of the church.  The staff member will take the child and their belongings.  Once inside the foyer, the children will sanitize their hands and they will be taken to their classroom.

7.    Please make sure ALL BELONGINGS ARE CLEARLY MARKED with the child’s first and last name, as they will not be stored inside their classrooms during this time.  Best practice would be a luggage tag or other large tag that is easily seen and easy to read.

 

8.    Make sure you have all bags, belongings, and lunch boxes ready to hand off to our staff members when authorized.  You may want to consider having all your child’s belongings in a large bag, like one would use for the beach or something similar. This will make things go much faster. 

 

9.    During this time, our DHS program evaluator has given us permission to sign all children in and out with our own staff member initials, so you will not use the clipboard unless there is an Accident Report for you to sign. 

 

10.  At pick-up time, you will get in the same line formation that you follow in the mornings.  You will remain in your car.  If there isn’t a staff member in the parking lot to see you have arrived, please call the school at 615-895-2370.  Do not exit your car until a staff member has given you approval to do so.  You may NOT pick up your children from the playground.  Our supervised pick-up times are 3:30 – 5:30. If you need to pick-up before 3:30, please call the office when you arrive.

 

Screening: Persons who have a fever of 100.4 F or above or other signs of illness will not be admitted to the facility. Please be on the alert for signs of illness in your children and keep them home when they are sick. We will screen both staff and students daily.

 

Limiting Class Sizes and Mixing: Due to the nature of our classroom availability, we are unable to limit group sizing, with the exception of classrooms whose class size is already 10 students or under.  However, we will be limiting classroom mixing and group programs or activities.  We will clean or disinfect equipment between groups, when possible.

 

Face Masks:  Staff members and older children have the option of wearing face coverings within the school as recommended by the CDC. LBP will NOT provide cloth face coverings for children.  If you want your child to wear a cloth face covering it is your responsibility to provide one.  LBP is not responsible for lost face coverings.  Cloth face coverings will not and should not be put on babies and children under the age 2½ because of the danger of suffocation.

If a child becomes ill: If a child becomes sick while at the facility, we will contact the parent or guardian immediately and separate the child from other children at the facility.  Please make sure that your Emergency Contact Form is up-to-date and accurate.  Children will NOT be released to anyone that isn’t listed on your form. 

Additional Cleaning Procedures: At LBP, we take great care and consideration into our cleaning policies.  We use bleach most often, as well as additional DHS approved cleaners.  During this time, cleaning procedures will be ramped up and performed more often throughout our day, specifically in rooms where many children gather, such as the Fellowship Hall and the bathrooms.  Individual classroom cleaning will also be increased.