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Shalhevet High School COVID-19 Education and Safety Plan

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Shalhevet High School COVID-19 Education and Safety Plan Dear Shalhevet Family, As we continue to navigate the shifting tide of COVID-19, we at Shalhevet have had the chance to reflect on our core values. These ideals, always present in our work, have become more important than ever as education and the school experience continue to change. These values have guided us in our approach to the 2020/2021 school year, and we are continuing to adapt our procedures to honor them throughout this exceptional time in history. Our highest values are, as always: 1. To maximize in-class learning when possible, and promote Shalhevet’s highest standard of educational quality, spiritual guidance, and co-curricular opportunities regardless of where learning takes place. 2. To take every possible precaution to ensure the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff. Here you will find our plans and our contingencies to ensure that we remain true to these dual ideals. Please note, as the situation continues to evolve, our plans may change as well. Regardless of the circumstances though, our decisions will be guided by what is best for the physical, academic, spiritual, and emotional health of our entire school community. As of today’s writing (8/14), Governor Newsom’s current mandate restricts in-school learning, something to which we hope we can return soon. As such, our students will be starting off the school year with distance learning. Until we can return to campus in our “hybrid” learning model, we have adapted our plans to offer optional in-person activities that fit within County and State guidelines as Camp Firehawks. As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions — we will be happy to share all of Shalhevet’s approaches to providing an exceptional educational and co-curricular experience throughout the pandemic. Please note, this communication will refer to school in two scenarios – (1) both when we are online for learning purposes and when we are back on campus for Camp Firehawks or (2) for the school day in our hybrid model. We remain ready to transition to our hybrid model when we can. If you have any questions or concerns about our program, we welcome you to contact Sarah Emerson, Chief Operating Officer. Sincerely, Rabbi Ari Segal Head of School

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Reopening Committees There are two teams of people overseeing these processes and decisions. The Shalhevet Medical Task Force is composed of medical professionals devoting their time and resources to guiding Shalhevet during these uncertain times. The Shalhevet Health Team is an internal group of Shalhevet staff who are trained in proper usage of PPE, Contact Tracing and Containment and will work with the Medical Task Force and the individuals involved throughout any COVID symptom or positive diagnosis scenario.

Shalhevet Medical Task Force Dr. Zach Rubin

Infectious Disease

Dr. Julie Higashi Infectious Disease

Dr. Noam Drazin Oncology

Dr. Leslie Botnick Radiology Oncology

Dr. David Keene Pediatrics

Shalhevet Staff on Medical Task Force Sarah Emerson Daniel Weslow Rabbi David Block Rabbi Ari Segal

Shalhevet Health Team Sarah Emerson Nachum Joel Lili Einalhori Muriel Ohana Ariel Light Ether R’bibo

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Our COVID-19 Health and Safety Plan There are many elements to consider when safeguarding the physical health of our students, faculty and staff. Below are our fundamental guidelines, but please feel free to reach out for more information on any topic. Daily Health Screening 1. Students, teachers, staff, and any necessary visitors will be required to self-screen for symptoms of COVID-19 daily before coming to campus. Everyone who comes to campus must answer the COVID-19 Shalhevet Symptom Check questionnaire, which we will make easily accessible on cellphones and computers. Your day pass will come with a QR code which must be scanned to gain admission to campus. 2. Two Entrances (the main entrance and one additional entrance) will be used to reduce crowding. Each of these entrances will be equipped with a thermal camera which will take the individual’s temperature and scan their day pass for the day. Signage and floor decals will be visible to ensure that students remain socially distanced while waiting to be screened. Instructions for the Daily Health Screening Prior to entering our campus and school building, each student, faculty and essential visitor will be required to complete a survey confirming they do not have any of the CDC listed COVID-19 symptoms. This survey will be sent daily to students via SMS from (323) 629-8106. The current survey questions are listed below and may change as CDC guidelines update. 1. Do you have any of the symptoms of a cold or flu - including fever, new or worsening cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, fatigue, muscle and body aches? 2. Are you experiencing recent headaches? 3. Are you experiencing recent diarrhea? 4. Do you have a new loss of taste or smell? 5. Do you have any sick people in your household? 6. Are you aware of being exposed through direct contact with or close proximity to a person who has tested positive with COVID-19 in the past 14 days?

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To begin your survey, type the word ‘begin’ as a response to the text message (see image on the left, below). Upon completion, if you pass you will be sent a QR code via text, that each student/faculty/visitor will need to scan to enter the building (see image on the right, below). Upon entrance, each student/faculty/visitor’s temperature will be taken using either a handheld thermometer or a thermal camera, depending on time of entrance and entrance used.

If you do not receive the pass after completing the survey, you will be asked not to come to campus and to contact Sarah Emerson (s.emerson@shalhevet.org) to discuss further protocol. If you have a pre-existing condition or have some other reason that you would answer ‘yes’ to one or more of these questions on a reoccurring basis for non COVID-19 reasons, please let us know so we can accommodate your needs.

In-School Protocols 1. Masks: All students, faculty, and staff must wear a face covering while in the building. Students were all provided with one Shalhevet cloth mask, free of charge, and disposable surgical masks will be provided for anyone who forgets to bring a clean cloth mask to school. Students must wear a face mask at all times while in the building, with the exception of lunch and snack times, or when a break is deemed necessary by a staff member (as approved by our Medical Task Force). Teachers will also wear face coverings, with the limited exceptions of class time (during which time they may wear face-shields with drapes) or if they are alone in an office or classroom. Note that face coverings should be cleaned frequently. 4


2. Our classroom architecture will look a little different. Our classroom layout has been updated to allow for social distancing of 6 feet between students, and we have repurposed and enlarged several spaces to allow for distanced classes. All classrooms will have maximum occupancy rates listed outside, and plexiglass guards have been installed on all desks. Our setup plans will also allow for the teacher to stand at least 6 feet from the nearest student. 3. We are working to maximize our use of Shalhevet’s outdoor space. We are raising tents over the patio for shaded areas and we are continuing to re-think and innovate to allow for classes and activities to take place comfortably outdoors. 4. Within the building, changes are being made to the way students, faculty, and staff make their way around Shalhevet. Staff will be deployed throughout the building during passing times to ensure physical distancing, and we have posted directional markings on staircases and hallways to create a flow that promotes physical distancing. We are capping elevator capacity at 4, and students will only be allowed to use the elevator with specific permission. 5. Our school meal process has also been updated. All meals, including breakfast and lunch, will be provided in individually wrapped packaging and distributed outside, according to physical distance guidelines. Students may eat outside in designated areas or be assigned to a classroom. As always, staff will be monitoring mealtimes to ensure physical distancing and that face coverings are worn when students are not eating. 6. Gym and co-curricular activities will take place to the extent that they can be held with effective safety precautions. Athletics are limited to state and CIF approved sports that can be played while complying with social distancing guidelines, such as tennis or golf. However, we are excited to provide socially distanced conditioning and skill-building for our other team sports. Music and singing programs have been moved online for now, and other co-curricular activities will meet digitally or during Camp Firehawks. 7. We are happy to say that our Student Support Services and College and Mental Health Guidance will continue. Office capacity will be strictly limited, and all in-person meetings will be socially distanced and conducted with the appropriate PPE. Counselling will be provided virtually when that is the best option. 8. Visits to Shalhevet are limited to students and staff wherever possible. a. Where a visit by a non-student or staff member is essential, those visitors must complete the Shalhevet Health Questionnaire as well as have their temperature 5


taken and adhere to all safety guidelines on campus such as wearing a face covering and adhering to social distancing guidelines. b. Visitors may arrive by appointment only and are registered in a visitor log that includes a visitor’s name, phone number and email address. Visitors are instructed to come to their appointments alone. If a visitor must be accompanied by another person their information is captured in the visitor log. c. Visitors arriving at the school with non-enrolled children (e.g. younger siblings of students) must ensure that these children stay next to an adult, avoid touching any other person or any item that does not belong to them, and wear a face covering if 2 or older. As you can imagine, our facility and personal cleaning protocols are also undergoing major changes. This is a list of what you can expect: Personal hygiene: 1. Automatic hand-sanitizing stations filled with ethyl alcohol-based hand sanitizer will be installed in each classroom and at regular intervals throughout the school. Soap and water will be provided amply to students and employees in all restrooms and faculty kitchen areas. Employees will be offered frequent opportunities to wash their hands. 2. Disinfecting alcohol wipes will be readily available for students and faculty alike to use on surfaces and supplies. 3. Restrooms are being reconfigured to allow for social distancing. 4. Nano-septic handle and button covers will be installed on many entrance or access points that must be activated by hand. 5. Use of shared objects is eliminated as much as possible. Facility cleaning and disinfection: 1. Common areas and frequently touched objects in those areas will be disinfected three times daily. 2. A regular cleaning and disinfection schedule will be maintained by an increased janitorial staff for ALL high-volume areas, including classrooms, laboratories, offices, restrooms, and the auditorium and gym. 3. Janitorial staff have been trained regarding using proper PPE as well as best practices for disinfection of high touch areas. 4. Our ventilation and HVAC system is being updated with medical grade MERV13 filters and will be sterilized on a recommended and optimized schedule. 6


5. Deep-cleaning procedures will be carried out outside school hours. The building will be given time to air out before students return.

COVID Exposure, Containment and Communication Plan: While we hope that there will be no need to respond to COVID cases at Shalhevet, the nature of the pandemic makes it likely that there will be some cases of the virus within our school community. We therefore present our exposure, containment, and communication plan for various scenarios where members of the Shalhevet community either present with COVID symptoms, are diagnosed with COVID or are exposed to someone with a COVID positive diagnosis. We are preparing our school building, our schedules and our protocols to avoid “Exposure events” - defined as a 15-minute exposure to someone else with less than 6 feet distance between them. In an ideal world, we will be able to isolate whatever case comes up and avoid quarantine for others because there will be no “Exposure events”. Unfortunately, we know that some exposure events will happen, and we must be prepared for them. We will outline below three different scenarios and walk through how we will deal with them so you can have a sense of our planning and thinking regarding the upcoming year. These scenarios are presented in the form of a flow chart at the end of this section Symptom Check “Fail” For all of the scenarios outlined below, the Shalhevet Medical Task Force will work closely with the Shalhevet Health Team to determine if contact tracing needs to commence. Typically, the health department only requires contact tracing upon a COVID positive test, however, Shalhevet, out of an abundance of caution, will take a close look at the person involved to determine if contacts (whether in their classroom or social network) need to take precautions as well. If someone is flagged because of a symptom check “fail” - the Shalhevet Health Team and Medical Tasks Force will do an evaluation to determine who, if anyone, should be removed from the campus setting. This is a more conservative approach -- we want our threshold to be low enough to detect many more kids that have symptoms even if they do not have COVID. This may lead to more families being alerted to hold their kids at home out of an abundance of caution. An example of a letter that you may receive in such a situation is below. Scenario 1: The person “fails” the symptom check questionnaire because of a self-reported exposure to someone who has tested positive to COVID-19.

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The school will be alerted, and a member of the internal Shalhevet Health Team will follow up with the person who was exposed to determine the nature of the exposure and timeline. At that point, the person who was exposed will be advised to quarantine for 14 days from the date of the exposure event. If no symptoms present during the quarantine that person will be allowed back on campus after the exposure. At all times during the quarantine, the person (whether teacher or student) will be able to participate fully in Shalhevet learning and programs online. Scenario 2: The person “fails” the symptom check questionnaire because of reporting a symptom consistent with COVID-19 symptoms as provided by the CDC, the LA County Public Health Department and the Shalhevet Medical Task Force. The school will be alerted, and a member of the internal Shalhevet Health Team will follow up with the person who has reported symptoms. At that point, together, they will make a determination as to whether the symptom warrants a COVID test or isolation by that person. The Shalhevet Health Team may instruct the person to isolate until a medical evaluation has been completed, to be determined by the person’s personal physician and the Shalhevet Medical Task Force. The Medical Task Force will advise based on the symptoms reported as well as on the person’s personal physician recommendation as to the next course of action – namely, whether a negative test will be required to return to campus or a 14-day quarantine. The Medical Task Force expects that alternate explanations for symptoms may allow release from isolation earlier than 14 days. At all times during the person’s time away from campus -quarantine while awaiting test results or the full 14-day isolation, the person (whether teacher or student) will be able to participate fully in Shalhevet learning and programs online. If the person is too sick to participate, the school will work with that person to provide accommodation. Scenario 3: The person is already on campus and “fails” the symptom check questionnaire because of reporting a symptom as outlined above OR because of their temperature check upon arriving on campus. The school will be alerted and do all of the steps outlined in the above scenario with one change. The person will be escorted by a member of the Shalhevet health team to an isolation room (the first-floor conference room) until they are able to be transported away from campus. This room will be continuously disinfected by janitorial staff and all those who come in contact with the person will have appropriate PPE. The room will be ventilated to allow for a complete air exchange after occupied by the symptomatic person. There will be a secondary room prepared in case of a second simultaneous

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case in the Student Store. This room will be subject to the same disinfection, PPE and ventilation requirements as the conference room. Scenario 4: A person begins to feel a symptom or has a temperature during the day while they are already on campus. In this case, the person is encouraged and urged to immediately notify their teacher/supervisor and report immediately to the isolation room upon which the Shalhevet Health Team will arrange for their transportation away from campus. The steps outlined above regarding symptoms and temperature will be followed as well.

COVID Positive Diagnosis in School Community A. If there is a confirmed positive diagnosis in the school community of someone who has been on campus, and contact tracing has not already commenced, the Shalhevet Health Team will commence contact tracing interviews with the affected individual and their reported contacts. The Shalhevet Health Team as well as various teachers and administration at Shalhevet have taken the contact tracing course as provided by the CDC. All information gleaned from the interviews will be compiled and stored if needed to report to the LA Department of Public Health. B. Because our classrooms are set up with social distancing protocol and all will be required to wear face coverings, "exposure events" are unlikely to take place in classrooms. As such, we will likely not need to quarantine all the classmates of a student who tests positive. However, a further confirmation will be sought to ensure that those protocols were all in place. C. All students that had class with the affected individual will be notified, with the person’s name kept confidential, of the incident. However, the Shalhevet Medical Task Force will advise who, if anyone, would need to quarantine due to an exposure event. An example of the letter that will be sent out is below - note the details in the letter may change due to different presented circumstances.

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COVID-19 Symptom Notification Letter Dear, We would like to inform you that we have recently received information about a student/staff who has reported symptoms of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) to the degree that we want to make you aware out of an abundance of caution. The Shalhevet Health Team and Medical Task Force are working together to determine if other students/staff need to quarantine pending test results and you will receive personal follow up if it impacts you or your family. Cleaning and disinfecting of the exposed location have been completed. As the Coronavirus situation in our country and our community is developing quickly, we urge you to take necessary precautions to limit coronavirus spread in our community. How You Can Help Be proactive about reducing the number of interactions that students and staff have with one another by practicing social distancing (staying at least 6 feet apart) to limit the spread of the coronavirus. In addition to physical distancing, another important tool to prevent the spread of coronavirus is to practice good hygiene. Important public health prevention messages include: ●

●

●

● ● ●

Stay home when you are sick. Anyone with symptoms consistent with COVID 19 should remain at home in isolation for a minimum of 10 days plus at least 24 hours after the resolution of fever (without fever-reducing medication) and improvement in other symptoms. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Sing the Happy Birthday song to help know when it has been 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers that contain at least 60% alcohol. Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, and then dispose of the tissue and clean your hands immediately. If you do not have a tissue, use their sleeve or face covering, not your hands, to cover their coughs and sneezes. Limit close contact with people who are sick, and avoid sharing food, drinks, or utensils. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipes. All students and staff should wear a mask or face covering while on campus

Public Health Actions All confirmed COVID-19 cases should be isolated and close contacts quarantined for 14 days from last exposure in order to prevent illness in new persons. “Close contact” means being a household member, intimate contact, or caregiver of a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case; 11


within 6 feet of the confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case for more than 15 minutes, even if wearing a non-medical face covering; or having unprotected contact with the infected person’s body fluids and/or secretions, for example, being coughed or sneezed on. The Shalhevet Health Team will follow up with individuals within the Shalhevet community who might be considered close contacts of a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case. Please note that all information, including the name(s) of ill persons, shared regarding any Public Health investigation is confidential in order to protect patient privacy. For additional questions about Coronavirus in Los Angeles County, please visit the LA County Department of Public Health coronavirus webpage at http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/ If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me directly at s.emerson@shalhevet.org.

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COVID-19 General Notification Letter Dear, We would like to inform you that we have recently received information about a confirmed case of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in at least one student/staff at Shalhevet High School. Cleaning and disinfecting of the exposed location have been completed. As the Coronavirus situation in our country and our community is developing quickly, we urge you to take necessary precautions to limit coronavirus spread in our community. How You Can Help Be proactive about reducing the number of interactions that students and staff have with one another by practicing social distancing (staying at least 6 feet apart) to limit the spread of the coronavirus. In addition to physical distancing, another important tool to prevent the spread of coronavirus is to practice good hygiene. Important public health prevention messages include: ●

●

●

● ● ●

Stay home when you are sick. Anyone with symptoms consistent with COVID 19 should remain at home in isolation for a minimum of 10 days plus at least 3 days after the resolution of fever (without fever-reducing medication) and improvement in other symptoms. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Sing the Happy Birthday song to help know when it has been 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers that contain at least 60% alcohol. Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, and then dispose of the tissue and clean your hands immediately. If you do not have a tissue, use their sleeve, not your hands, to cover their coughs and sneezes. Limit close contact with people who are sick, and avoid sharing food, drinks, or utensils. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipes. All students and staff should wear a mask or face covering while on campus

Public Health Actions All confirmed cases should be isolated and close contacts quarantined for 14 days from last exposure in order to prevent illness in new persons. “Close contact” means being a household member, intimate contact, or caregiver of a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case; within 6 feet of the confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case for more than 15 minutes, even if wearing a nonmedical face covering; or having unprotected contact with the infected person’s body fluids and/or secretions, for example, being coughed or sneezed on. The Shalhevet Health Team will follow 13


up with individuals within the Shalhevet community who might be considered close contacts of a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case. Please note that all information, including the name(s) of ill persons, shared regarding any Public Health investigation is confidential in order to protect patient privacy. For additional questions about Coronavirus in Los Angeles County, please visit the LA County Department of Public Health coronavirus webpage at http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/ If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me directly at s.emerson@shalhevet.org.

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COVID-19 Exposure Notification Letter Dear, We would like to inform you that we have recently received information about a confirmed case of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in at least one student/staff at Shalhevet High School You may have had an exposure to this case if you were in [an area] on [date] and (1) were within 6 feet of the infected person for more than 15 minutes, even if wearing a non-medical face covering, or (2) had unprotected contact with the infected person’s body fluids and/or secretions, for example, being coughed or sneezed on, sharing utensils or saliva, or providing care without using appropriate protective equipment. If you meet these criteria and/or have been notified personally by the Shalhevet Health Team, please begin to self-quarantine for 14 days from date of last exposure to the infected person to prevent illness in new persons. See Home Quarantine Guidance (www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/ncorona 2019/covidquarantine/). All persons with an exposure should get tested, whether you have symptoms or not. Testing resources may include: Personal Healthcare Providers or Community Testing Sites: covid19.lacounty.gov/testing. Individuals who need Assistance finding a medical provider, can call the Los Angeles County Information line 2-1-1, which is available 24/7. If you develop symptoms of respiratory illness (fever and cough or shortness of breath), you should begin self-isolation. See Home Isolation Instructions (www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/ncorona 2019/covidisolation/). If your symptoms become severe, seek medical advice for further guidance. Ensuring that you and our educational environment at Shalhevet is safe is of greatest importance to us. For additional questions about Coronavirus in Los Angeles County, please visit the LA County Department of Public Health coronavirus webpage at http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/ If you have any questions or concerns please contact me directly at s.emerson@shalhevet.org.

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