Safety

Testing protocols will be a function of the availability of tests and legal requirements with respect to mandated testing for families.

• We strongly recommend that all students are tested within 5-10 days before the start of school and all students are required to be monitored for symptoms using the daily symptoms app. All results must be reported to the Health Office at health-ht@avenues.org .

• We will require all Avenues Studio Hamptons employees to be tested within 5-10 days of returning to campus and we will plan on a re-testing protocol with timing TBD based on availability and public health conditions. All results must be reported to the Health Office at health-ht@avenues.org immediately.

• Antibody Tests: In general, a positive antibody test is presumed to mean a person has been infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, at some point in the past. However, currently there is insufficient scientific data to prove whether someone will definitely be immune and protected from reinfection if they test positive for antibodies to the virus. Therefore, we will not use the results of antibody tests to make determinations about individual students’ or colleague schedules and colleagues with a positive antibody test will still be responsible for getting COVID-19 tests.

• In the event of a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis for a student, families will be responsible for procuring proof of two negative tests in order to return to campus (see section in Health Office - Conditions for Return). In the event that there is a need for large-scale student testing on campus based on guidance from the Department of Health, the Director of Operations will be responsible for developing the plan for sourcing and administering testing.

• In order to ensure that Avenues is in compliance with the NYS Department of Health guidelines, annual health exams and immunizations will be required for all students. All health forms are due no later than August 15, 2020 for the 2020–21 school year. Returning families will have until December 31, 2020 to have an updated physical. Students will be excluded from school if they do not have the appropriate immunizations or health examination forms in Magnus.

• Age-appropriate immunizations will be required prior to the first day of school for students to attend or remain in school. The list of required immunizations for the 2020–21 school year can be found here.

• We strongly encourage all students to be tested prior to returning to campus, and all test results should be reported to the Health Office at health-ht@avenues.org.

• We will ask families and colleagues to complete the daily at-home health check using the Avenues mobile app that will be provided to families and colleagues. The app will provide status on each device indicating that access is permitted. The app will provide status on each device indicating that access is permitted. Among other questions, families and colleagues will be asked to disclose if they have:

  1. knowingly been in close or proximate contact in the past 14 days with anyone who has tested positive through a diagnostic test for COVID-19 or who has or had symptoms of COVID-19;

  2. tested positive through a diagnostic test for COVID-19 in the past 14 days;

  3. experienced any symptoms of COVID-19, including a temperature of greater than 100.0°F, in the past 14 days; and/or

  4. has traveled internationally or from a state with widespread community transmission of COVID-19 per the New York State Travel Advisory in the past 14 days.

• If any of the symptoms or conditions are present, the student or colleague should stay at home and they will be denied access to campus.

• In addition, the app will feed a dashboard that provides entry status and reporting by person which will be reviewed by the campus Operations team to ensure we are collecting daily attestations from faculty and staff and periodic attestations from students per NYS DOH guidelines.

Families should make arrangements to drop-off and pick-up their students.

• Students will arrive at their designated entry-point at the appropriate time per instructions that will be shared prior to the start of school. We will share detailed information on drop-off and pick-up times by cohort as well as guidance for families with siblings in different grades.

• Students will present evidence to arrival staff that they are cleared for entry via the mobile app and all students will be required to have their temperature taken before proceeding to their cohort space .

• Cleared students will proceed directly to their cohort’s learning space. We will utilize multiple points-of-entry to improve flow and reduce density. We will closely monitor density at the points of entry and utilize additional drop off stations outside the building if necessary.

• Parents will not be permitted to enter the campus during drop-off.

Avenues will administer a temperature check with a thermal scanner prior to entering the building. Students with elevated temperatures in the initial screening will be re-checked, and if a fever is confirmed, they will be sent home with a parent or guardian. Personnel who are verifying the symptoms check on the app and administering temperature checks will be trained on the procedures in compliance with CDC, DOH and OSHA protocols and equipped with the appropriate PPE (mask, gloves and face shield).

Masks will be required to enter the building for all students and colleagues (see the Campus Health and Safety Procedures - Face Masks section below for more information).

• Students will be dismissed from the classrooms at staggered times that will be communicated to parents.

• As parents or caregivers arrive for pick-up, staff will communicate with teachers via radio handsets and they will release students to be matched with their parent or caregiver.

Physical distancing will be managed by reducing density at our campus, by eliminating mixing of students and large gatherings, and by maintaining 6 feet of distance between students outside of their cohort’s dedicated learning spaces. Where practicable, we will also keep sufficient space between students within their cohort. Our approach to physical distancing within each cohort may change pending clearer guidance from the State. The Studio will make use of the full Hampton Country Day Camp facilities to maximize use of available learning spaces.

• Outdoor Space - Weather permitting, we will maximize the use of outdoor space for instruction, lunch, recess, and community-based activities

• Learning Spaces – Students will remain in their cohort groups and will not mix with other student groups.

• Elevators – Elevator use will be limited to those with physical disabilities or for facilities staff to support operations. Passengers will be limited to one per car.

• Lockers – Lockers will not be used; students will bring all their belongings into their assigned learning spaces.

• Staff Areas – Staff offices will be de-densified and faculty will work from the learning spaces of their assigned cohort or in open areas with appropriate space designated for work.

• Barriers – We will evaluate the installation of temporary barriers where physical distancing is more difficult.

• Hand Washing – We will require hand washing throughout the day to ensure that hands are washed or sanitized at least five times per day. For example, sanitizing upon building entry, after exchanging classrooms, hand-washing before and after lunch or snack, and prior to dismissal, etc. In addition, students will be required to wash or sanitize their hands after sneezing, blowing their nose, or removing their mask.

• Respiratory Etiquette – All colleagues and students are encouraged to practice good respiratory etiquette by coughing into a tissue (or elbow / sleeve if a tissue is not available). Hands must be washed after a sneeze. We will educate and reinforce proper respiratory etiquette with visual signage throughout the buildings.

• Hand Sanitizer – Hand sanitizer stations will be positioned around the school in strategic and high-traffic locations (e.g., at entryways, commons, and near stairwells) and individual pump dispensers will be available in all learning spaces.

• Paper Towels – Students will be encouraged to use paper towels in restrooms to operate any sinks, urinals, or toilets. Hands will be washed after using the restroom.

• All students and staff will wear face masks when they are indoors on campus, including when in cohort groups. As health conditions improve, we may relax mask wearing in classrooms, where students are in self-contained groups and not mixing. Masks will not be required when outside if we are able to maintain safe distancing.

• Avenues will provide several reusable/washable cloth masks for each student and staff member. Families and colleagues are responsible for washing these masks daily.

Families and colleagues may provide their own reusable/washable cotton mask, but it must conform to our safety specifications based on CDC guidance:

• fits snugly but comfortably against the side of the face

• completely covers the nose and mouth

• is secured with ties or ear loops

• includes multiple layers of fabric

• allows for breathing without restriction

• can be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape

Students and staff will be responsible for bringing their own lunch in an environmentally sustainable container. We will notify students and parents of foods that will not be allowed due to allergies (i.e.,nut-free).

Students and colleagues will wipe down desks/tables before and after meals and place refuse in containers or return bins.

Students and colleagues will wash their hands before and after meals or snacks.

Daily snacks will be provided by the Studio.

Where a distance of 6 feet cannot be maintained between students during meals, we will have physical barriers to separate students.

Each student will be expected to bring a refillable water bottle each day that is clearly labeled with their name. Bottles will be refilled at filling stations throughout the building and/or in the classroom. All other drinking fountains will not be used. Bottles must be wiped down daily with disinfectant wipes. Bottled water will not be provided as part of our lunch program in order to be environmentally sustainable.

Small groups will practice appropriate wellness and movement activities, provided physical distance is maintained (e.g., yoga, stretching, walking, bar exercises, etc.). Mixing of groups will be prohibited. Vigorous aerobic activities in enclosed spaces that result in heavy respiratory activity will not be allowed (i.e., running on treadmill, rowing, stationary bikes, aerobic dance, etc.).

External visitors will not be allowed in indoor student spaces. Individual admissions meetings and interviews will be held virtually. Pending healthy and safety guidelines, we may provide after-school, by-appointment individual tours with proper precautions.

We will continue to maintain strict access control to campus. During normal school operations, non-essential adults, including parents, will not be permitted to enter the campus except in the event of an emergency. In the interest of virus prevention, we will be extending these requirements to pick up and drop off times. Parent conferences will be scheduled virtually on Zoom.

Standard safety operations and procedures will be conducted to the best of our ability without deviating from current requirements.

• Fire (evacuation) and lockdown drills will continue to take place as Education Law and regulations and the Fire Code Section 404 and must be conducted without exception.

• Stair and corridor doors that have closures with automatic hold open functions and are automatically released by the fire alarm system, remain unchanged.

The Director of Operations and Administration is designated as the Safety Coordinator for the campus and will ensure compliance with the reopening plan, in partnership with the campus leadership team and the HQ global team.

Avenues official information will be sent by email, posted on our Back to Campus website and on OPEN, the school’s online community portal. When necessary, we may also call parents (e.g., to notify of a close contact exposure and need to self-isolate).

• Each evening, we will wipe down all regular use hard surfaces (desk and table tops), used learning materials (e.g., supplies), and high-touch points (lights switches, door handles, hand-rails/bannisters) and restroom fixtures with cleaning agents that are certified as disinfectants for coronavirus. All floors will be mopped with disinfectant cleaners and all carpets will be vacuumed. We will use electrostatic disinfectant sprayers as an additional layer to kill viruses as appropriate.

• During school hours, we will monitor restrooms, common areas and disinfect high-touch areas with increased frequency, in addition to responding to any emergency spills or bodily fluids.

• Facility staff members have been trained in the proper use of disinfecting agents, cleaning techniques and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

• We will maintain appropriate inventories of cleaning supplies and PPE (e.g., cleaning solvents, ready-to-use wipes, spray applications, hand sanitizer, etc.). We will continue to monitor supply chains and have additional products on-order for redundancy and backup.

• We will maintain daily logs (including location, date, time, and scope of cleaning and disinfection) as well as identify cleaning and disinfection frequency for each facility and area type and assign responsibility to staff.

• We will increase the frequency of cleaning the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) ductwork and will inspect and replace all filters on an accelerated cadence. In addition, we will deploy additional air purification capabilities within our space. We are also implementing overall indoor air quality testing and measurement protocols to test for particulate matter (PM2.5), moisture, formaldehyde concentration (HCHO), and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).

• Weather permitting, we plan to leave windows open to increase fresh air inflow and circulation.

• In the event of a verified infection on campus, we will isolate the relevant student cohorts and, upon review of the localization, extend closure to other parts of the campus if necessary to implement cleaning protocols and contact tracing in collaboration with local health authorities.

• In response to a confirmed case, we will execute our regular cleaning protocols throughout the building, which are already designed to kill Coronaviruses. However, we will identify those specific areas (i.e., “hot spots”) where the infected person has been present (e.g., classrooms, stairwells, elevators, commons, etc.) and thoroughly clean the area and apply a fine antibacterial mist with electrostatic sprayers to ensure 100% coverage of surface areas.

• Studio faculty are provided with basic wellness kits with supplies needed to provide basic needs in the classroom (e.g., a bandaid). Essential health needs that are not COVID-19 related (ex: injury, medication, etc.) will occur in a designated area separate from where suspected COVID-19 cases will be addressed.

All Studio faculty will wear personal protective equipment including appropriate grade masks, gloves, and face shields while providing care to students. When a student presents with COVID-19 related symptoms, the student will be provided with a surgical mask and immediately placed in an isolation area. The student will be assessed and if the faculty suspects a potential COVID-19 case, the family will be notified immediately. The student must be picked up within 30 minutes and the family should contact a medical provider for additional care. If any student presents with emergency COVID-19 symptoms which include trouble breathing, chest pain, etc., the faculty will contact emergency medical services (911) and then inform the family.

There will be a designated isolation room for students who present symptoms of COVID-19. The room will be immediately cleaned and disinfected after each usage and cannot be used again for two hours.

Upon confirmation of a positive case of COVID-19 in our facility, we will trace all contacts on campus who were deemed to be in close contact with the infected individual. Close contacts are defined as follows:

• Studio faculty in an enclosed space (i.e., the same learning space or working group in the case of facilities or staff) with the infected individual for more than 30 minutes.

• Individuals who were within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes or in face-to-face for more than 15 minutes.

The Director of Operations and Administration will notify the local Department of Health, which has oversight responsibilities for schools when we have a confirmed case of COVID-19. We also will notify the “close contact” individuals that they may be at risk and request that they self-quarantine for 14 days and/or get tested no sooner than four days following exposure. Family members of “close contacts” will be encouraged to monitor for symptoms and consider getting tested. We will not disclose the identity of the infected person.

Any student who experiences COVID-like symptoms must have the following to return to school:

• A negative PCR test

• Clearance note from their doctor to return

• Symptom-free for 24 hours without the use of medication

Individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 will be able to return to campus when the following conditions are met:

• 14 days have passed since symptom onset

• Temperature is <100 degrees

• Symptom-free for 24 hours without the use of medication

• A negative PCR test

• Documentation from a healthcare provider

Individuals who have been in close contact with an infected individual may return after they have completed the 14-day quarantine period and are not exhibiting any typical symptoms. Avenues will coordinate with the local Department of Health on individuals’ return to campus.

Colleagues will be trained on health and hygiene measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as well as proper techniques for managing PPE. We will also provide procedures for how to respond to a sick student on campus. We will also provide procedures for how to respond to a sick student in class, including observing signs of illness and procedures for how to send the student to the Health Office safely. Staff members who are performing in-person daily screening (temperature checks) will wear masks and gloves and will be trained in the appropriate procedures to prevent exposure to potentially infectious individuals entering the campus.

Students will be trained on hand washing techniques, proper respiratory etiquette, how to put on and remove face masks and how to maintain proper physical distance from others. We will reinforce these techniques and practices with visual signage.