Dear Middle School Parents,
As you may have seen, Contra Costa County has permitted K-12 schools to reopen as long as they are following state and county guidelines. They base their decision on county infection and positivity
metrics. CCC has continued to see improved numbers week after week. Currently, there is an average of four new cases of COVID-19 per 100k people per day. The metrics from the cities we draw from are even lower.
Given the county’s guidance, we are thrilled to announce our plan for re-opening the Middle School! It has taken a tremendous amount of consideration, thoughtfulness, and organization, and we thank you for your patience and understanding while we navigated this decision.
We will start in-person classes for 6th grade on Wednesday, October 28th. In-person classes for 7th and 8th graders will begin on Wednesday, November 4th. As teachers prepare for the transition, there will be no live online classes for 6th, 7th, or 8th grade on Monday, October 26th or Tuesday, October 27th.
Measures taken to reduce exposure to COVID-19:
I am sure that you have seen many of the measures we have taken, but I would like to reiterate some of the major ones.
We have upgraded our ventilation system and installed Merv. 13 Filters (same as used in hospitals), and purchased Hepa air purifiers with UV lights for each classroom.
All rooms will have students appropriately distanced from each other.
We have created 3000 sq ft of outdoor learning spaces for teachers to use.
Portable sinks and touchless faucets have been installed throughout the campus.
Our cleaning crew has been trained in COVID-19 cleaning procedures, and we clean and disinfect the campus each night with an antibacterial fogger.
Safe Return
As we have learned this past month, there are many moving parts when we consider bringing students back to campus full time. Please take a few minutes to read through this bullet list so re-entry can be as smooth as possible.
COVID-19 Testing:For 7th and 8th graders, please schedule testing so that results will be in by the end of the day Tuesday, November 3rd. For the test to be valid, please do not schedule it before Tuesday, October 27th.
First Days:The first day back (October 28th for 6th grade and November 4th for 7th and 8th grades) will be a regular, full day of school (8:30-2:20).
Students will be allowed to check-in at the screening stations (located in the fire line) starting at 8:15 am. Please fill in the Renweb Prescreening Survey before 8:00 am each morning (there is a Renweb phone app that works quite well). The check-in goes very smoothly when everyone fills in the prescreening form.
Physically distance when you are in line and wait until your child is admitted.
The school parking lot will be closed with parking available at the Holy Trinity Church next to the school.
Masks:
All students are required to wear masks. All of our students who are on campus already have done wonderfully wearing their masks.
Please make sure your child has a properly fitting mask that is at least double-layered and does not have a valve.
Students also need to bring two backup masks in a labeled ziplock bag to store at school.
Symptoms:
By now you are all familiar with the symptoms of COVID-19. We have learned from working with our early childhood students how draconian we have to be with even the smallest symptom. During the recent bout of poor air, a few runny noses were showing up to school. Was it the smoke? Probably. Did we send the student home to get a doctor’s appointment? Yes. While we were 95 percent sure it was the smoke, we still needed to send students to get a medical clearance. Not all were tested, but all had to obtain a note from a doctor stating they were not contagious. We appreciate your understanding in advance.
Other Things:
There will be no extended day for the foreseeable future. With the cohorting and safety protocols, it makes that program too difficult to do at this time.
We will consider restarting hot lunch once we feel that we can successfully manage another moving piece.
Visitors and parents are not allowed on campus without permission from the Head of School.
Uniforms are required, but every Wednesday is a free dress day.
Bus Transportation is still on hold as we had very few signups. We are hoping for a few more riders so we can begin bus service soon.
Thanks again for all your support; we look forward to seeing your children on campus very soon.
Warm regards,
David
* Students choosing to stay home will have assignments to do, and teachers will be available to help out online between 2:15 and 3:15 pm for the first two weeks. After that, we will begin to livecast or record lessons as is practicable. Our top priority is to ensure that the students on campus are safe and that our systems are working correctly.
