Rancho Christian School
2020-2021 School Year
REOPENING PLAN
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Rancho Christian Elementary School
Covid Safety Plan
In conjunction with the CDPH/CalOSHA’S COVID-19 Industry Guidance for Schools and School-Based Programs, the following protocols will need to be in place to protect the health and safety of the staff, students and families of Rancho Christian:
Cleaning and Disinfection
Elementary Staff will be trained on the following cleaning and disinfecting procedures:
Cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting will be conducted throughout the day and at the end of each day. Clean and sanitize frequently touched surfaces in the classrooms (e.g. tables, hard-backed chairs, doorknobs, light switches, remotes, faucet and toilet handles, toilets, sinks, check-in counters). Wash hands after you clean. Reduce the spread of germs in the program space by removing items that are not easily cleaned such as stuffed animals and pillows.
Cleaning removes germs, dirt, food, body fluids, and other material. Cleaning increases the benefit of sanitizing or disinfecting.
Sanitizing reduces germs on surfaces to levels that are safe.
Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces of a clean object.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates sanitizer and disinfectant chemicals. If you sanitize or disinfect without cleaning first, it will reduce how well these chemicals work and may leave more germs on the object.
Current guidance for cleaning and disinfection for COVID-19 from the CDC states that disinfectants should be registered by the EPA for use against the novel coronavirus.
Always follow the disinfectant instructions on the label:
Use disinfectants in a ventilated space. Heavy use of disinfectant products should be done when children are not present and the facility can air out before children return.
Use the proper concentration of disinfectant.
Keep the disinfectant on the surface for the required wet contact time.
Follow the product label warnings and instructions for PPE such as gloves, eye protection, and ventilation.
Keep all chemicals out of reach of children.
We will have a dedicated enrichment staff member that will be responsible for disinfecting other high-contact areas around the school - bathrooms, hallway door handles, drinking fountains etc. Students will be encouraged to bring their own water bottles to campus to limit the need for drinking fountains.
Playground equipment will be sanitized after each recess.
In the classroom, students will have their own supplies/materials to limit contact. When this isn’t possible, items will be cleaned after use.
Stable Groups
A stable group will be defined as a small class of students in the same grade level and assigned to the same teacher. Kindergarten and first grade will have around 20 students. Second grade through sixth grade will have around 24 students. These classroom stable groups will remain stable throughout the year and they will not intermix with one another.
Entrance, Egress & Movement Within the School
The start and end times for our daily schedule will remain the same - Monday: 9:20am - 3:00pm, Tuesday-Friday: 8:30am - 3:00pm. In the mornings, the students will enter campus at four locations based on grade level. K-1 will enter through the outside gate in between preschool and the elementary building. 2nd and anyone entering the front office will enter through the main office doors. 3rd - 4th will enter through the Enrichment gate. 5th - 6th will enter through the blacktop gate. After temperature checks, students will walk directly to their classrooms where they will be greeted by their teacher and given hand sanitizer, or be directed to wash their hands.
In an effort to limit the number of people in our main hallways, afternoon pickup will look slightly different. Each classroom will have an assigned outdoor area where parents will go to pick up their child.
Upper elementary students will remain with their homeroom cohort for the entire school day, which will transition between their social studies and science teachers for those specialized classes. As students transition, there will be directional paths for the students to take to maximize spacing. High contact areas (desks, door handles, tables, etc) will be disinfected between classes. Students will use hand sanitizer as they enter the classroom after a transition.
Face Coverings and Other Essential Protective Gear
Following the state guidelines, face coverings will be worn by students in grades Kindergarten - 6th Grade, unless a student is exempt as explained in the guidelines. We will abide by the guidelines and send students home if they do not wear their face mask. Disposable face coverings will be available for students if they were to forget theirs at home, or if something happens to their face covering while on campus. Students will not need to wear a face covering while eating.
All staff and faculty will wear face coverings. Staff working in food services will wear gloves in addition to face coverings. Staff will be provided with face coverings in the event they need one when on campus.
If a family has a medical exemption, signed by a doctor, exempting them from using of face coverings, those need to be emailed to the elementary principal and their student will need to wear a face shield while on campus.
Health Screenings for Students and Staff
Staff will be screened at the beginning of each day with touchless temperature checks. At student drop off, students will have touchless temperature checks taken. If either student or staff has a temperature of 100.4o F or higher they will be sent home.
Healthy Hygiene Practice
Hand sanitizer will be available in every classroom. As students enter and leave the classroom, they will use hand sanitizer when hand-washing isn’t available. Teachers will also teach and reinforce avoiding contact with one’s eyes, nose and mouth and covering coughs and sneezes. Students will be reminded to wash their hands throughout the day and will have access to hand sanitizer at multiple points throughout campus.
Physical Distancing
Classrooms will be considered stable groups and students will remain with their class throughout the day; classes, or groups of students outside the homeroom class will not mix. Teachers will be encouraged to conduct class outside in an effort to maximize space as much as possible, weather permitting. If an activity involves singing, the class must be outside and students/staff must continue to use social distancing.
Desks will be spaced throughout the classroom to the best of our ability and students will not be seated facing one another to minimize exposure and maximize space. In Kindergarten, where tables are used instead of desks, the students will have taped off workspaces to allow for distancing. The procedures of staying within their workspace will be explicitly taught and practiced. Additional tables will be added to allow for further spacing.
Lockers have been moved out of the upper elementary classrooms to allow for more space within the classroom.
Specific language and redirection techniques will be utilized by the staff to ensure that space is being maximized throughout the day.
Partitions will be added to the front office to allow for physical distancing and any staff training will be held in a space that allows for physical distancing.
Staff Training and Family Education
Prior to the start of school and periodically throughout the school year, Rancho employees will go through specific training in the following areas: enhanced sanitation procedures, physical distancing guidelines, how COVID-19 is spread, COVID-19 symptoms, procedures to follow when a student or adult becomes sick at school. Families will have access to the above training as well. Students will also be intentionally taught healthy hygiene habits to practice throughout the day school and when at home.
Testing of Students and Staff
All staff and faculty will be required to get periodic COVID-19 testing. As recommended by the CDPH, 50% of the staff will be tested every month to rotate the testing of all staff over time. Staff will use their medical plans to get testing done and they will be reimbursed for any copays that occur from testing.
Once staff receive their results they will submit them to our COO, Cheree Howe. If results are negative, the staff member will be notified to return to work. If the results are positive the employee will be notified immediately that they will be placed on leave until a negative test is received. Human Resources will be notified as well as the county health department.
If a student shows signs of COVID-19 or was in close contact with a confirmed COVIS-19 case, testing will be recommended. We provide FREE monthly testing for our staff, students and families to ensure the safety for all.
Cheree Howe, Rancho Christian COO, will be the contact person for our school who will provide information on tests that our school has performed as either part of surveillance or outbreak testing
Identification and Tracing of Contacts
If a student or staff member has a confirmed case of COVID-19, contacts will be identified. Exposed contacts will be quarantined and excluded for 14 days.
Plan for When a Staff Member or Student Becomes SIck
If a child becomes sick while at school, they will be isolated in the elementary office with a cot away from the other children and staff. This will ensure they are being supervised while still being isolated from the main group.
A staff member will call the parent to pick them up. The child will need to remain home until his/her symptoms are gone for a minimum of 24 hours without the aid of medication.
Sick children and staff will be kept separate from well children and staff until they can be sent home.
Confirmed or Symptoms of COVID-19 in Staff or Student & Communication:
Close off areas used by the person who is sick.
Notify the Riverside County Health Department at (951) 358-5000 and follow their guidance.
If someone living with a student or staff member has a positive case of COVID-19, the student or staff member must stay home for a 14 day period.
If a student or staff member tests positive they will need to notify our COO, Cheree Howe at 951-541-8533.
Student or Staff with:
1. COVID-19 Symptoms (e.g., fever, cough, loss of taste or smell, difficulty breathing)
Symptom Screening: Per CA School Sector Specific Guidelines
Communication
Send home
Recommend testing (if positive, see #3, if negative, see #4)
School/Classroom remain open
Action
No action needed
2. Close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case
Communication
Send home
Quarantine for 14 days from last exposure
Recommend testing
School/Classroom remain open
Action
Consider school community notification of a known contact
3. Confirmed COVID-19 Case infection
Communication
Notify Riverside County Health Department
Isolate case and exclude from school for 10 days from symptom onset or test date
Identify contacts, quarantine, and exclude exposed contacts for 14 days after the last date the case was present at school while infectious
Recommend testing of contacts, prioritize symptomatic contacts
Disinfection and cleaning of classroom and primary spaces where case spend significant time
School remains open
Action
School community notification of a known case
4. Tests negative after symptoms
Communication
May return to school 24 hours after symptoms resolve
School/classroom remain open
Action
Consider school community notification if prior awareness of testing
Communication Plans
Rancho Christian prides itself in its communication with families. If there is a confirmed case or a known exposure to COVID-19 on campus a school community notification will be sent out.
Rancho Christian will continue to be in contact with the Riverside County Health Office and the CDPH.
Triggers for Switching to Distance Learning
On-site instruction will close if there are multiple cases in multiple classes or when at least five percent of the total number of teachers/student/staff are cases within a 14-day period.
Volunteers
At this time, we will not be allowing volunteers on campus.
Food Services
Food services will continue to be available to students. As was the norm at Rancho, food will be individually served and prepackaged. All staff working in food services will wear face coverings and gloves.
Recess & Lunch
Recess will be scheduled throughout the day by grade level and then further spaced by classroom units. Each classroom unit will play in a designated area for recess and lunch. We are blessed with space on our campus and have multiple seating areas for the students to enjoy their lunch. Specific areas will be assigned to classroom units so they remain together and do not mix. Students will wash their hands or use hand sanitizer before and after lunch and recess. Tables will be cleaned and sanitized between use. Refer to the Recess & Lunch Schedule here.
Enrichment
Our enrichment child care will still be available before and after school. Registration will now be required for before or after school care. Drop-ins will only be allowed if space permits. Students will be placed in smaller groups of no more than 15 and areas will be disinfected between uses. Hand washing and/or the use of hand sanitizer will remain a top priority during before and after school enrichment.
Chapel
Chapel will continue to take place on Wednesdays. Chapels will be live-streamed or prerecorded and played into the classrooms to eliminate the mixing of different classes.
Special Events & Student Life
Our goal is to make your child’s elementary school experience fun, educational and filled with God’s love. The many special events and aspects of student life help make that goal a reality. While there are currently limits to the number of people allowed at gatherings, we are committed to bringing our special events to you through other means that fall within safety guidelines.
Distance Learning Options
We will be offering modified online learning options for elementary students. In all online learning options, elementary parents will need to be available to partner with the classroom teacher to maximize learning and ensure standards mastery. Lessons will be live streamed for those students in the online cohort. A weekly schedule will be provided to families.
SECONDARY SCHOOL
Rancho Christian Secondary School
2020-2021 School Year Reopening Plan
We are pleased to bring students back to RC’s campus. We must open with adherence to state and local health department mandates found here: CDPH/CalOSHA’S COVID-19 Industry Guidance for Schools and School-Based Programs, with its September update here. The following protocols will need to be in place to protect the health and safety of the staff, students, and families of Rancho Christian:
Cleaning and Disinfection
Teachers and Staff will be performing and maintaining the following cleaning and disinfecting procedures:
Cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting will be conducted throughout the day and at the end of each day. Clean and sanitize frequently touched surfaces in the classrooms (e.g. tables, doorknobs, light switches, remotes, faucet, and toilet handles, toilets, sinks, check-in counters). Removing items that are not easily cleaned.
We will have a dedicated staff member that will be responsible for disinfecting other high-contact areas around the school - bathrooms, hallway door handles, drinking fountains etc. Students will be encouraged to bring their own water bottles to campus as we are eliminating mouth contact on drinking fountains.
Lunch equipment will be sanitized after each lunchtime.
In the classroom, students must have their own supplies/materials to limit contact. When this isn’t possible, items will be cleaned after use.
Entrance & Egress
The start and end times for our daily schedule will remain the same - Mondays, 9:00am-3:00pm for high school and 9:10am-2:50pm for middle school. Tuesday-Friday, 8:00am- 3:00pm for high school and 8:10am-2:50pm for middle school.
In the mornings, the students will enter campus at locations based on grade level. 9-12 will use marked grand lobby entrances, the middle school will use the secondary office entrance. Students will have temperature screening. Students with a temperature will be sent home. The school does not log and does not report student temperature information.
Lockers
Students will carry necessary items with them in a personal backpack for the day. Since Monday’s schedule contains every class, teachers will communicate as needed and work to provide any needed materials so students do not need to have every book for every class.
Hallway Passage
We will have directional hallways for students to assist passage and avoid unnecessary face-to-face contact. Students will simply need to follow the “rule of the road” and stay to the right as they move forward in both upper and lower halls and stairs. Halls will have directional markings.
Face Coverings and Other Essential Protective Gear
Following the CDPH guidelines, face coverings will be worn by all students, unless a student is exempt as explained in the guidelines. Those who are exempt should wear a non-restrictive alternative such as a face shield with a drape on the bottom edge so long as their condition permits it.
We must abide by the guidelines and send students home if they do not wear their face masks. Disposable face coverings will be available for students if they forget theirs at home, or if something happens to their face covering while on campus. Students will not need to wear a face-covering while eating or while engaged in outdoor activities.
Masks must completely cover the student’s nose and mouth and must be securely fastened around their head or behind their ears. Masks must be decent and free from images, logos or wording other than Rancho logos, floral or decorative designs or college logos that contain no offensive imagery. Masks are about safety not advertising or political statements. Face shields without cloth enclosures are not acceptable. Bandanas and pieces of material are not considered appropriate masks.
All staff and faculty are required to wear face coverings. Staff working in food services will wear gloves in addition to face coverings. Staff will be provided with face coverings in the event they need one when on campus.
If a family has a medical exemption for the use of face coverings, those need to be supplied to the secondary office.
Some specific classrooms where COVID-19 poses a more significant risk to staff are designated as “mask-only” classrooms. In these rooms, exempt students must use a mask or continue the class online.
Health Screenings for Students and Staff
Staff and students will be screened at the beginning of each day with touchless temperature checks. At student drop off, students will have touchless temperature checks taken. If either student or staff has a temperature they will need to return home.
Healthy Hygiene Practice
Hand sanitizer will be available in every classroom. As students enter and leave the classroom, they will use hand sanitizer when hand-washing isn’t available. Teachers will also teach and reinforce avoiding contact with one’s eyes, nose and mouth and covering coughs and sneezes. Students will be reminded to wash their hands throughout the day and will have access to hand sanitizer at multiple points throughout campus.
Physical Distancing
Teachers will be encouraged to conduct class outside at times in an effort to maximize space as much as possible, weather permitting. Social distancing is still expected when outside.
Desks will be spaced throughout the classroom and students will not be seated facing one another to minimize exposure and maximize space. The procedures of staying within their workspace will be explicitly taught and practiced. Additional tables will be added to allow for further spacing.
Specific language and redirection techniques will be utilized by the staff to ensure that space is being maximized throughout the day. Six feet is the goal distance whenever possible.
Testing of Students and Staff
All staff and faculty will receive COVID-19 testing. As recommended by the CDPH, 50% of the staff will be tested every month. We provide FREE monthly testing for our staff, students and families to ensure the safety for all.
Staff will follow exposure and quarantine procedures as outlined in by the CDPH, with contract tracing accomplished by Rancho’s HR department.
If a student shows signs of COVID-19 or was in close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case, testing will be recommended.
Rancho will follow COVID-19 CDPH outbreak protocols and recommendations for school closure.
Identification and Tracing of Contacts
If a student or staff member has a confirmed case of COVID-19, contacts will be identified. Exposed contacts will be quarantined and excluded for 14 days.
Cheree Howe, Rancho Christian COO, will be the contact person for our school who will provide information on tests that our school has performed as either part of surveillance or outbreak testing.
Plan for When a Staff Member or Student Becomes Sick (Non-COVID)
If a child becomes sick while at school, they will wait in a designated office. This will ensure they are being supervised while avoiding exposure to other students.
A staff member will notify the parent to pick up their student, or confirm his or her release to drive home. The child will need to remain home until his/her symptoms are gone for a minimum of 24 hours without the aid of medication.
Confirmed or Symptoms of COVID-19 in Staff or Student & Communication:
Notify the Riverside County Health Department at (951) 358-5000 and follow their guidance.
If someone living with a student or staff member has a positive case of COVID-19, the student or staff member must stay home for a 14 day period.
If a student or staff member tests positive they will need to notify our COO, Cheree Howe at 951-541-8533.
Student or Staff with:
1. COVID-19 Symptoms (e.g., fever, cough, loss of taste or smell, difficulty breathing) Symptom Screening: Per CA School Sector Specific Guidelines
Action:
Send home
Recommend testing (if positive, see #3, if negative, see #4)
School/Classroom remain open
Communication: None
2. Close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case
Action:
Send home
Quarantine for 14 days from last exposure
Recommend testing
School/Classroom remain open
Communication: Consider school community notification of a known contact
3. Confirmed COVID-19 Case infection
Action:
Notify Riverside County Health Department
Isolate case and exclude from school for 10 days from symptom onset or test date
Identify contacts, quarantine, and exclude exposed contacts for 14 days after the last date the case was present at school while infectious
Recommend testing of contacts, prioritize symptomatic contacts
Disinfection and cleaning of classroom and primary spaces where case spend significant time
School remains open
Communication: School community notification of a known case
4. Tests negative after symptoms
Action:
May return to school 24 hours after symptoms resolve
School/classroom remain open
Communication: Consider school community notification if prior awareness of testing
Communication Plans
Rancho Christian prides itself in its communication with families. If there is a confirmed case or a known exposure to COVID-19 on campus a school community notification will be sent out.
Rancho Christian will continue to be in contact with the Riverside County Health Office and the CDPH.
Triggers for Switching to Distance Learning
On-site instruction will switch to distance learning if there are multiple cases in multiple classes or when at least five percent of the total number of teachers/student/staff are cases within a 14-day period.
Volunteers
At this time, we will not be allowing volunteers on campus.
Food Services
Food services will continue to be available to students. As was the norm at Rancho, food will be individually served and prepackaged. All staff working in food services will wear face coverings and gloves.
Lunch
We are blessed with space on our campus and have multiple seating areas for the students to enjoy their lunch. Specific areas will be assigned to middle school and high school. Students will wash their hands or use hand sanitizer before and after lunch and recess. Tables will be cleaned and sanitized between use.
Chapel
Chapel will continue to take place on Wednesdays. Chapels will be live-streamed or prerecorded and played into the classrooms to eliminate the mixing of different classes. Some chapels may be outside gatherings.
Special Events & Student Life
Our goal is to make your student’s school experience fun, educational, and filled with God’s love. The many special events and aspects of student life help make that goal a reality. While there are currently limits to the number of people allowed at gatherings, we are committed to bringing our special events to you through other means that fall within safety guidelines.
Distance Learning Options
We will be offering modified online learning options for students. In all online learning options, parents will need to partner with the classroom teacher to maximize learning and ensure standards mastery. Lessons will be live-streamed as much as possible for online students. We will continue to follow the weekly schedule provided to families. The reality of both online and live students is a new world for all of us so we appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to develop this.