Coronavirus Update
New Hope Christian School
Plan for On-Campus Learning
2021/2022
Dear New Hope Families,
We pray that you are safe, healthy and enjoying the extended time you have been given with your children. We miss you all, and are looking forward to serving your family in the fall. Our school re-opening plan is detailed for you below and we pray that the mitigation strategies in place will give you confidence in our desire to provide a safe, learning environment for your children in the coming year.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has stated: “Schools are fundamental to child and adolescent development and well-being...the AAP strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school.”
New Hope Christian School is committed to the return of on campus, in-person learning. The importance of in-person learning is well documented, and there is already evidence of the negative impacts on children due to school closures in the spring of 2020. Lengthy time away from school and interruption of supportive services often results in social isolation, making it difficult for schools to identify and address important learning deficits.
Over the past several months, we have prayed for wisdom and consulted with the Florida Department of Education, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Florida Department of Health and the Center for Disease Control (CDC), while planning and preparing for the best possible mitigation strategies to keep your students healthy and safe while on campus. We have attended countless meetings and webinars with the organizations listed above, and other private schools in our area, in an effort to collectively review information that would assist us in formulating a safe re-opening plan that not only meets, but exceeds the recommendations to keep students safe, healthy and in school. As we plan for the return to school, it is critically important to develop strategies that can be revised and adapted depending on the level of viral transmission in the education environment and throughout the community. With this in mind, our mitigation plan, detailed below, is practical, feasible, and appropriate for each student’s developmental stage.
Keeping Students Safe on Campus
We are excited to work together with you to continue your child’s excellent education, grounded in a relationship with Jesus Christ and one another. As part of this partnership, we encourage personal responsibility of your own health and the health of your student. The following protocols and procedures are being put into place for the safe return of students to campus this fall.
-At main entrances, there will be cautionary signage for hygiene expectations
-Faculty will monitor arrival and dismissal times to curtail congregating and ensure students go straight from vehicles to classrooms, and vice versa
-Social distancing protocols have been put into place as space permits
-Common areas will be reconfigured to minimize crowding
-Classroom seating will be arranged so that students’ desks all face in the same direction
-There will be no, non-essential visitors or volunteers permitted on campus during the school day
-Schedules have been established for routine environmental cleaning and disinfection of high- touch surfaces and shared equipment throughout the school day using EPA-approved disinfectant for SARS-CoV-19
-Every classroom will have touchless hand sanitizer dispensers
-Every classroom will have touchless bottle refilling stations
-Every bathroom will have touchless sink faucets, soap dispensers and hand dryers
-We will encourage and require students to wash hands often
-Two outdoor hand-washing stations have been installed on the playgrounds
-If anyone on campus is exposed or potentially exposed to COVID-19, we will follow the Broward County Health Department protocols
-If a student begins showing symptoms of illness while on campus during the school day, they will immediately be moved to a separate/isolated area and parents will be telephoned for immediate pick-up
-If a staff member begins showing symptoms of illness while on campus during the school day, they will be asked to leave campus immediately
-NHCS firmly believes that parents are the best decision makers for their students, therefore face coverings will be optional this fall. Parents who desire for their child to wear a face covering while on campus will need to discuss their decision with their child and will be solely responsible for the enforcement of compliance. NHCS teaching faculty and staff will not be responsible for enforcing face coverings on campus.
-With vaccines now available to children over 12 years of age, parents are in the position to decide if that is something they want for their children. There are no vaccine requirements in place at New Hope Christian School.
Signs to Look For & What to Do If Your Child Is Sick
As we continue to partner with you, we ask that you monitor your child’s health at home. We understand this will be a unique start to the school year, and as such, we will evaluate the attendance policy on a case-by-case basis.
If the answer "yes" applies to your student for any of these questions below, please contact the school office and have him/her remain home.
-Are you or anyone in your household currently awaiting the results of COVID-19 testing?
-Have you or anyone in your household been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19?
-Are you experiencing a cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat?
-Have you had a recent loss of taste or smell?
-Have you had vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours?
-Have you had a fever of 99.9 degrees Fahrenheit or above within the last 48
hours?
Additionally, if someone in your family tests positive for COVID-19 or if you come in direct contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, we ask that you inform your child’s principal so we can keep our community safe. The guidelines for returning to school after you have come in direct contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or you have been sent home showing symptoms of illness are as follows:
- *14 days at home
- *Minimum of 3 consecutive days symptom free
- *No temperature over 99.9 (must be achieved without medication)
- *A “negative” Covid-19 test.
Please understand that this is an ever-changing time and decisions moving forward will be based on a number of factors, including executive orders issued by our governing organizations. Currently, the executive order issued July 6, 2020 by the Florida Department of Education requires schools to open campuses for face-to-face learning. We thank you for your commitment to Christian education and no matter what the future brings, we intend to provide your children with a Christ centered, quality education.
Orientation and First Day of School
Orientation: Friday, August 20, 2021 @ 3:00 for Preschool & VPK Families
Orientation: Friday, August 20, 2021 @ 6:00 for Kindergarten - 8th Grade Families
For those unable to attend orientation: *Digital: Orientation videos will be sent via email and can be watch at your convenience.
First Day of School: Monday, August 23, 2021