COVID 19 Response

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During this difficult time, it is very stressful and challenging for both families and children.  We need to stay strong and stay resilient to move forward. Challenge School is doing our best to follow guidelines from CDC, San Mateo County Health Department, and Community Care Licensing.  

• CDC Covid Information, CDC Fact Sheet (in Chinese), CDC Fact Sheet (in English)
• San Mateo Health County Covid
• Community Care Licensing PIN regarding COVID

For families who are choosing to come onsite with us, here is our COVID Policy:

Holiday Gathering Policy:

• Celebrate without gathering
• If gather in person, keep it small, short, outdoor AND wear mask and social distrancing
• Gather only people within your STABLE BUBBLE 
• A “Social Bubble” means a stable group of not more than 12 individuals, who may attend indoor social or other outdoor events together. A Social Bubble may be comprised of a combination of households, but no household or individual may participate in more than one Social Bubble
• Should you gather outside your bubble, no return to school onsite unless a negative COVID test or quarantine for 14 days
• https://www.smcgov.org/press-release/health-officials-ten-bay-area-counties-issue-recommendations-safer-holidays-and-travel

Healthcheck and Illness Policy:

• All staff and children MUST conduct a daily health check before entering the school
• Any staff and children should stay home if they or any of their direct household member  have Covid symptoms
• They may return to the center if 72 hours symptom-free without using medication AND (a doctor note OR a negative covid test)
• COVID symptoms include: Fever of 100.4 F or more, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, new loss of taste and smell
• Cold symptoms such as runny nose or congestion could return to school after 72 hours without medication and without other COVID symptoms

Stable Group Requirement: 

• Children and staff are to remain in one stable group for a consecutive 3 weeks period.  
• As of July 2020 CDC guidance, stable group size is 16 people (14 children + 2 staff OR 15 children + 1 staff etc)
• Children and Staff shall remain in its stable group as much as possible.  Preschool settings with children under 5 years old may allow staff to cross between 2 bubbles. 

Check in/out Procedure and Daily Health Check Requirement:

• Both Staff and Children need to fill in a daily health check before coming to school
• Preschool Children will be scanned for fever one more time in the afternoon
• No visitors / parents are allowed inside school
• Children are asked to wash hand OR use hand sanitizer before coming inside the school
• School is open 9-5 pm.  Dropoff time is 9-10 am and pickup time is 4-5 pm
• Please adhere to the 6 ft Social Distancing Requirement

Mask Wearing Requirement:

• All staff are required to wear mask all the time
• All children older then 5 years old are required to wear mask all the time
• Children from 2-4 years old are highly encouraged to wear a mask
• Mask can only be taken off during meal time, nap time, and outdoor

Travel Requriement:

• Both staff and children + families are asked to limit any non-essential travel as much as possible
• If your child or any member of your household travels internationally or domestically from areas under travel restrictions amid COVID,  we ask that you quarantine and remain home for 14 days after arrival into the United States
• A negative COVID test may allow the child or staff to return school sooner
• Governor Newsom published a travel advisories on Nov 13, 2020.  Any inter-state or international travel will require a 14-day quarantine after come back

Possible COVID Exposures:

• Staff/Children should follow the quarantine guidance if staff/children or their direct household member has a COVID exposure in last 14 stays should stay home
• We follow the Quarantine Guidance from CDPH before the child or staff can return to the center
• Any confirmed case of COVID will lead to a closure of the classroom and dismissal of that STABLE GROUP for 1 week or more (per the quarantine guidance) in order to do deep cleaning.  Children will be sent home attending our at-home learning during the school closure

Risk of COVID:

Please understand that sending your child to a group setting may have a COVID-19 exposure.  Teachers and the school will follow CDC, San Mateo County Health, and Community Care Licensing guidelines vigorously and work extra hard to clean and disinfect any common areas and shared toys/supplies/furniture.