Strong Academy
2020- 2021 School Year
Plan of Operation
INTRODUCTION
It is of utmost importance to us that we provide an environment with open communication where our families can feel safe and heard. The leadership board has carefully put together a plan of operation for the 2020-2021 school year. We resumed our daily school schedule back in May after a short break from mid-March to the end of April. As a result, we have been able to put our reopening plan to practice for the past 4 months. It is our pleasure to share that there has not been a single known case of COVID- 19 within our school community. We have successfully served close to 50 students and everyone has remained healthy. While this success is wonderful, we do realize that many parents still have reservations concerning daily operations. The purpose of this form is to share the practices implemented by Strong Academy for the 2020- 2021 school year. Our hope is that this document will help you and your family to make an educated decision about the enrollment of your child at Strong Academy for this upcoming school year.
THE HOT TOPIC QUESTIONS
In Person v.s. Virtual Learning
Strong Academy will only be offering in person learning options. Unfortunately, we are not technologically equipped to run effective virtual programming. Moreover, our target audience of students is not at an age where virtual learning would be very effective. In the event of another wave of broad closings (like we saw in March), Strong Academy will plan to do home delivery of activities and worksheets that can be worked on at home with parental guidance.
Mask Policy
Masks must be worn by parents and Strong Academy staff during drop off time and pick up time. Mask wearing will not be mandatory for students or staff during the school day with the exception of times when 6 feet of physical distancing cannot be maintained. Children under the age of 2 will not ever be required to wear a mask. Parents and guardians have the option of requiring their child to wear a mask while at school and our staff will enforce that rule for children according to their parents wishes. Staff will also be responsible for determining their use of masks throughout the school day.
Masks that are used on the premises of Strong Academy are required to be disposable and changed every day (or after a particularly germy encounter) OR reusable and washed every single day. Masks can carry many germs and should never be reused after being worn out in public areas.
Strong Academy will have disposable masks available for any students and staff that need to replace their mask at any point during the day.
Physical Distancing Policy
A distance of at least 6 feet will be observed at all times between all individuals whenever possible. Teachers and students will be responsible for determining the viability of physical distancing for each activity in their classrooms. If physical distancing cannot be maintained during a specific activity all participants will be required to wear a mask. Staff and students are encouraged to only participate in activities where no touching is required and where proper physical distancing can be maintained.
Cleaning and Disinfecting Policy
Strong Academy facilities are always cleaned by a janitorial team at the conclusion of each day. Additionally, we will be taking a “clean break” at the conclusion of every hour. This clean break will include a hand washing time with soap and water as well as a spray down of all commonly touched surfaces (tables, chairs, toys, handles and door knobs) with disinfecting spray/ wipes. Hand sanitizer will also be available for use at all times.
Items in the classroom have been trimmed down to only include essential items for daily use. Extra toys and learning items will be brought in on a rotational basis so that we can keep track of all items in the room for better cleaning and disinfecting tracking.
COVID Screening Policy
Students will undergo COVID screening every morning before they are checked in to school. The parent/ guardian dropping off the student will be asked the following questions at each drop off:
Has your child or anyone currently living with your child experienced any symptoms of COVID 19 or been medically diagnosed with COVID?
Has your child or anyone living with your child been advised by a medical professional to quarantine through today’s date?
Has your child traveled to any of the COVID “hot spots” as deemed by the NY Governor within the past 14 days?
If the answer to any of these questions is “YES” the student will not be allowed to check in for the day. They will not be allowed to check in to Strong Academy until the answer to every single question is “NO”.
Furthermore, each child will also have their temperature checked with a no-contact thermometer at each drop off. Any child with a temperature higher than 100.00 degrees will not be allowed to check in for the day. Parents are strongly advised NOT to administer fever reducing medicine (ibuprofen/ acetaminophen) so that their child will pass the temperature screening.
Staff will undergo the same daily screening process each morning.
COVID Testing Policy
Students and staff are in no way mandated or required to be medically tested for COVID. However, there are local medical organizations that are currently offering free COVID testing. If you are interested in learning more please reach out to these organizations:
- Jericho Road Community Health Center
- Walgreens
COVID Vaccination Policy
Under no circumstances will Strong Academy ever mandate that our students or staff be vaccinated against COVID in order to be part of our school community. It is solely the responsibility of each child’s parent/ guardian to decide what is best for their child’s health. It is also each staff member’s personal responsibility to decide what is best for their own personal health. It is not within the scope of Strong Academy’s authority to mandate or require any health related regulations.
Reporting Illness
Strong Academy is committed to informing all parents of any positive COVID case that may be diagnosed by a medical professional. In the event that someone within our school community is medically diagnosed with COVID our current plan is to ask that all exposed individuals seek medical advice on whether or not they should quarantine and for how long or if they should be tested for COVID. Individuals will only be allowed to return to school with a note of clearance from their medical provider. This applies to students and staff.
THE DAY TO DAY AT STRONG ACADEMY
The Classroom
Each classroom will consist of two co-teachers and no more than 12 students. This ratio provides ample space for students and staff to properly physically distance within the classroom. Each classroom has between 4-6 windows that will remain open for ventilation throughout the school year. Our heating system is not forced air- it is a water heater system so there is no recycled air being pushed back into the classroom throughout the day.
Meal Time
There will be no meals provided by Strong Academy for the 2020-2021 school year. Students are expected to eat breakfast at home and arrive at school ready for class. Students are expected to bring a packed lunch and snack from home. Lunch time will take place in the classroom at 11:30am daily. Students will be seated in their own personal 6ft x6ft “bubble”. Students will have 30 minutes to eat lunch. Snack time will be conducted in the same manner at 2:00pm daily. There will be no sharing or swapping of lunch items or snacks.
Recreational and Physical Education
Students will spend at least one hour per day outdoors. This time may happen all in one time slot or it may be broken up throughout the day according to teacher discretion. Our outdoor play space is quite large so there may be times when two classes are outdoors at once, however, this is not likely to be the normal model of operation.
Scooters, bikes, balls and other recreational use items will be disinfected between uses. Items that are not easily disinfected or that are porous will not be used this year (ei: foam football).
Bathroom Use
Toilets and sinks will be wiped down and disinfected every hour. Students will be continuously reminded to practice excellent hand washing techniques after each toilet use and at every hour for our “clean break”.
LOOKING AHEAD
Our team is eager to provide a safe and nurturing environment for all of our students and staff and their families. All of the procedures outlined above are subject to change at any time according to State guidelines or developments of the pandemic. If at any point a student, parent or staff member has any questions or suggestions for Strong Academy’s operational practices, please send your thoughts to: office@strongacademybuffalo.org
Overall, it is important to note that the leadership and staff of Strong Academy are all devoted followers of Jesus. We are confident that God has a good plan for redeeming all of the loss and devastation that this pandemic has caused. We trust in God to bring comfort and healing when we experience difficult things in this life. The pain caused by COVID 19 is not outside the bounds of God’s grace. We also believe that God empowers his children to step in and help our neighbors in times of trouble (and always really)! If your family has experienced any kind of loss through this trying time please reach out and let us know- we want to help!
If your family is experiencing high levels of anxiety or fear or worry due to the threat of this pandemic, please allow us to pray with you. God promises His peace that surpasses understanding.
Finally, we encourage all families within our school community not to live in fear, but to live in the freedom that Jesus offers you. There are not many guarantees in this life. Some would say the only things that are sure are death and taxes! However, the truth is that when you live as a follower of Jesus you get to be sure that His love will never leave you or forsake you. That means that you can rest assured that He is personally caring for you and your family. He is working all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. If you did not know it, God has a purpose for YOU! He wants to walk you through the hardest times of your life so that He can show you a life of freedom. We are here for you and your family. If you have any questions or simply need someone to talk through your thoughts surrounding the pandemic we care and we are available! Do not hesitate to reach out at any time! The most important thing we can do during this time is stay connected to our community. We encourage you not to isolate in fear! We hope that you allow Strong Academy to be a part of your family’s community this upcoming school year and beyond!
All my best,
Rebecca Hannon
Director of Strong Academy
716-474-8455
office@strongacademybuffalo.com