We are a small, collaborative co-op community and, as such, it is our shared responsibility to keep each other safe. In light of the evolving challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, please read and adhere to the following updated guidelines for the health and safety of our entire extended community—staff, children and families.

Illness Policy for Children and Families

BFS ILLNESS POLICY AND COVID GUIDELINES
Updated on: 04/14/2021

The NYC Department of Health and the NYC DOE mandate that teachers perform a health check of every child before they enter the classroom, including a temperature check before they enter the building. For more information or guidance from the CDC around COVID-19, please click here.

• If a child has a temperature of/ or above 100F before coming to school, persistent coughing, conjunctivitis, diarrhea or vomiting, the child must remain home until fever and symptom free without the use of fever reducers for 72 hours. This is an extension to the 24-hour removal from school. This ensures that a child is totally healthy before returning to school. We understand some children have illnesses that are unrelated to COVID-19, but it’s impossible to discern whether it is a cold, allergies, or something more serious. Since schools are a point of contact for many people, we have a responsibility to all the members of our community. 

• Do not, under any circumstances, give children fever reducers before bringing them to school other than those prescribed by a doctor for non-infectious conditions. A child with a fever in the last 24 hours and sent to school on fever reducers will be treated as a suspected case of COVID and it will impact the child’s ability to attend school for 14 days for the safety of the school community.

• Please make alternate childcare arrangements for the eventuality of sick days. 

• Parents must disclose all symptoms of illness to the administration as soon as possible via email, phone, or Whats App, so the teachers can be made aware and monitor the remaining children in the classroom. And a family must communicate with the Administration prior to returning.

• The administration must be informed if a child has an infectious disease, including but not limited to:

  • Measles

  • Mumps

  • Rubella

  • Chicken pox

  • Strep throat

  • Scarlet Fever

  • Ringworm

  • Coxsackievirus (including Hand Foot and Mouth Disease)

  • A positive COVID test

• A child must have a doctor’s note to return to school in conjunction with the agreement of the school Administration, after an absence of more than two days from school, which must be obtained prior to bringing a child to school.

• The Administration reserves the right to send children home or deny access to the facility to children who are exhibiting symptoms of illness and/or general lethargy, thus making normal school routines a challenge. There will be no refunds of service if a child is unable to attend school due to illness. 

• If a child is exhibiting signs of illness during the school day, they will be isolated from the rest of the classroom and parents will be requested to pick them up expeditiously.

• Withdrawal from school due to an illness for a prolonged period of time must be discussed with the administration.

Health Screenings

• The NYC DOH mandates health screening for all children before they enter the facility. BFS teachers (or parent volunteers) will perform a temperature check outdoors using a non-contact thermometer and a daily health screening checklist will be filled out by all families on Brightwheel at drop-off each morning.

• Additionally, teachers will perform spot health checks during the day and isolate any child who appears unwell.

• Staff, children, parents/guardians, and any other person seeking entry to the building must maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others while awaiting screening.

• Screeners and screened individuals (except children less than 2 years of age) must wear adequate face coverings while awaiting screening. 

Mask/Face Coverings, Social Distancing and Outside Visitors

• At this time, BFS will be minimizing the presence of outsiders (including family members, caregivers etc.) into the school building unless absolutely necessary. If any non-staff member must enter the school building, they will be required to fill out a health checklist.

• All family members and caregivers dropping off, picking up or otherwise entering BFS must be wearing a mask covering their nose and mouth at all times when near or in the school. Masks are also required for all staff and students. Masks with ventilation valves or fleece gaiters are not permitted.

• Drop-off and pick-up timing outside the school building will be staggered. Please make every effort to adhere to these staggered times, as teachers will be escorting the students into the classroom and may be unable to take your child if you are late. Be prepared to stay with your child until the teacher(s) is ready to escort the group into the classroom and to follow social distancing guidelines when awaiting screening, checking in or waiting outside. 

Travel Quarantine

If you are traveling outside of NY state or coming back into NY State after travel, please follow the most up-to-date travel quarantine requirements posted by NY State here. This may evolve depending on the status of the pandemic to include/exclude other states and also cities within NY state so please check the most updated list ahead of any trip. If you have traveled to a state on the restricted list, please quarantine strictly for 14 days before you send your child back to school in order to keep the community safe. 

BFS Travel COVID Guidelines:

All stakeholders, families and teachers, who are traveling and gathering with people not already within their pods regardless of where, must:

• Quarantine for 14 days

OR

• Quarantine for 4 days and then obtain a COVID test (a PCR not rapid antigen test) for the whole family after the fourth day of leaving any gathering (which may take additional time to come back). A list of NYC Testing sites can be found here.

After following these guidelines your child can return to school

We have changed our Brightwheel Health Questions to reflect that all BFS Staff and Families will be following the NYS Guidelines adding the question: “We have not attended a gathering, either indoor or outdoor, of 10 or more people.”

COVID in the BFS Community

• If a BFS student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19 or has a clinically suspected case of COVID-19, said person must remain home until at least 14 days from the start of symptoms, plus an additional 72 hours after the last day of symptoms.

• BFS will follow all guidelines prescribed by NYC/NY State for reporting of a positive COVID case for contact tracing purposes. A positive confirmed case will trigger an investigation by NYC Test + Trace and DOHMH to determine close contacts within the school. BFS will communicate to all families and students at school once a case is laboratory confirmed. Confidentiality will be maintained, but all close contacts will be informed.

• If COVID-19 has been confirmed by a diagnostic laboratory test (a PCR not rapid antigen test; nose or throat swab, saliva) all “close contacts” of that person must be quarantined and cannot attend school for 14 days after their last contact with the infectious person. A “close contact” is a person who has been within 6 feet of a person with COVID-19 for at least 10 minutes. For a child care program this will likely mean, at a minimum, all children and the teacher in one classroom. 

• A person who has had symptoms of COVID-19 within the last 10 days, must stay home while they wait for their test results. If the individual has been told to quarantine because they have been identified as a close contact or because of recent travel, they must stay home for the full 14 days.

• If a case of COVID is confirmed in a family member of a BFS Student or BFS Staff member with whom they reside, the classroom will close for a minimum of 48 hours. A deep cleaning will be performed after 24 hours of closure, using hospital grade disinfectant. If the infected person came in contact with spaces other than the classroom, such as the Atelier and the Big Room, then the whole school may be closed for cleaning as well. If a case of COVID is determined to have moved beyond the scope of one classroom, then the school will close for a minimum of 48 hours, and possibly up to 2 weeks to facilitate cleaning and self quarantine.

School Closure and Updates

BFS will follow evidence-based guidelines and all recommendations prescribed by NYC/NY state in light of COVID-19. Periodic updates to this addendum may be made and will be communicated to all families.