The goal of this plan is to provide quality, on-campus instruction while taking precautions to reduce risk of transmission in our community. This plan closely follows guidance from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the Pandemic Recovery Framework issued through the San Mateo County of Education and San Mateo Coalition for Safe Schools and Communities, CDC K-12 School Guidance, and has a strong emphasis on the following: vaccines, masks, health & hygiene, ventilation, and testing.
SUMMARY
Acknowledgement of Terms Set Forth By Health + Safety Committee
Return to Pre-Covid Schedule
Drop Off and Pick Up
Masking
Health, Hygiene and Ventilation Practices
Staying Home
Cohorting
Testing and Reporting
Vaccination Policy for Eligible Students
Exposure Procedures
Physical Distancing + Gatherings
Parents On Campus
Travel Policy
Remote Learning
Smoke Days
Hot Lunch
Gesher
Peleh Lab, Art and the Library
Kabbalat Shabbat
Transparency + Risk
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
All families are required to sign an acknowledgement that they have read, understand, and are committed to following the protocols set forth in our Covid Safety Plan. This will be available within Facts.
In the 2020-21 school year, Wornick had no cases of transmission on our campus. We strongly believe that the layers of protection implemented and the commitment of our families were instrumental in that outcome. We continue to urge all families to prioritize the health and safety of our community - our fates are intertwined and we continue to prioritize the health of the most vulnerable in our community.
RETURN TO PRE-COVID SCHEDULE
Return to pre-Covid schedule, indoor classrooms, and Gesher before and aftercare.
Middle School: 8:15am-3:30pm (M-Th); 8:15am-3pm (F)
TK-5: 8:30am-3:30pm (M-Th); 8:30am-3pm (F)
Gesher extended care: Early morning opens at 7:30am; After care open until 6pm (4pm the day before holidays).
DROP OFF AND PICK UP
Drop off and pick up will be in the parking lot, not Balclutha. Balclutha as a drop off and pick up zone is currently under review with the city.
Please do not arrive too early for pick-up as we need to avoid backups.
If your student is in Middle School, please plan to drop off between 8 - 8:10am.
TK-5th grade will line up on the field behind large signs with their grade. At 8:20am, their teacher will escort them to their classroom.
The first week may be challenging as we get back into a rhythm. We have an amazing security team and we ask that you have patience the first week. Please wait in your vehicle and our staff will assist your student in exiting the car.
FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL
Parents will be invited to join us on campus on Koret Field from 8 - 9am during the first week of school for select grades each day. Please join us for coffee from the PTO and meet other parents. Please park in the PJCC overflow lot and walk your child to Koret Field through the side-entrance adjacent to the parking lot. If you have more than one child at the school, you may join us both days.
Tuesday: TK-1st parents
Wednesday: 2-3rd parents
Thursday: 4-5th parents
Friday: Middle School parents
MASKING
Per the CDPH and San Mateo County, masks are required indoors for everyone on campus, regardless of vaccination status. Our Health and Safety Committee has determined that in light of the resumption of other standard operations including Gesher, masks will be required outdoors, anywhere on campus, and during field trips and outings. The only exception is while eating outdoor snack or lunch, and distances should be observed. Masks must be 3 layered and well fitted (disposable masks are acceptable).
HEALTH, HYGIENE + VENTILATION
Health and hygiene will continue to be a priority on campus and during field trips. Students will have time to wash their hands throughout the day, and before and after lunch.
Ventilation will be a priority in the classroom. Windows will be open and HEPA filters will be present in every room. We are investing in additional HEPA filters for the school.
Staying Home When Sick
When a student has any Covid symptom, they need to stay home and return to school following a negative test and must be fever free for 24 hours with improving symptoms without the aid of a fever-reducing medication. Symptoms include, but are not limited to fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, aches, loss of smell/taste, sore throat, runny nose, nausea, or diarrhea.
PHYSICAL DISTANCING + COHORTING
Per state and county guidance, recent evidence indicates that in-person instruction can occur safely without minimum physical distancing requirements when other mitigation strategies (e.g., masking) are implemented.
State and county guidelines are not requiring cohorting. While the majority of students’ daily activities will be with their grade level, students will move through the halls to change classes, some Hebrew classes may include students from two grades to maximize appropriate leveling, and different classes will use classrooms after another class has used it. Outside, students will also mix (with masks on) during the play portion of recess and lunch, and Gesher. Middle school sports will also include students of different grades, wearing masks.
TESTING AND REPORTING
Professional community members are all doing a baseline test before reporting to campus and will test again before school starts.
All students need to do a baseline test within 72-hours prior to coming on campus.
Response testing (after exposure or symptomatic) must be Antigen.
For post travel or surveillance testing, the test needs to be PCR.
Testing is required on a weekly basis for unvaccinated students age 12+. Testing is not covered by the school. Please send your child’s weekly result to info@wornickjds.org.
Surveillance testing will be once a month, divided into four groups.
VACCINATION
All members of our professional community have been fully vaccinated against Covid, and we will require this moving forward. We strongly encourage any eligible community members and students to get vaccinated.
99% of parents in our community are vaccinated against Covid.
89% of students who are eligible, aged 12 and above, are vaccinated against Covid.
We reserve the right to require Covid vaccinations for eligible students and this matter is currently under review with the Health and Safety Team.
Flu vaccination will be required for students. Deadline TBD.
PHYSICAL DISTANCING AND GATHERINGS
“Community” is one of the first words that comes to mind when people think of Wornick, and we know that in-person activities are more impactful for community building than virtual ones. Though we are advised to limit non-essential in-person activities, we plan to have occasional outdoor, physically distanced gatherings on campus.
We plan to allow limited, space outdoor gatherings on campus as county guidance and our Health and Safety Committee deem appropriate.
Parent volunteers will have opportunities to come on campus on a limited basis. All volunteers will be required to produce proof of vaccination.
REMOTE LEARNING POLICY
We believe our program is safe and goes above and beyond all guidelines. We are prioritizing on campus learning for the benefit of our students.
If a student has to quarantine for any reason related to Covid, or they have other minor symptoms, they will be able to Zoom into the classroom. This year, we will not be sending home materials; students will just be listening to the instructor. The parent must notify the main office at info@wornickjds.org and the homeroom teacher. Parents must continue to notify the teacher and office if a student must stay home for the above reasons and qualify to Zoom into the class.
SMOKE DAYS
Should the Air Quality Index (AQI) exceed 100, windows and doors will be closed and additional HEPA filters will be added in every classroom to assist with air filtration. PE, recess, lunch, and afterschool sports will be modified when air quality is between 100-150 AQI. Above 150 AQI, school instruction will be remote. As needed, notification of remote classes due to AQI will be sent via email the evening before at 7pm.
HOT LUNCH AND SNACK
Seating with physical distance will be required and enforced for eating time during lunch and snack breaks. All classes will continue to eat lunch and snack outdoors. Masks will only be removed for eating and then students will put masks back on for play time.
Students may use the field, play structure area, or blacktop for playtime and may interact with other classes.
GESHER
Gesher, our extended care program after school, will be offered. Students will come from their class, check-in outside and have time for play, snack, and homework outside. A tent will be utilized for homework as well as during rainy days. Gesher will be prioritized as an outdoor activity, and inside, high-contact activities will be minimized. Pickup for Gesher will be via sign-up at either 4:45-5 pm or 5:45-6 pm.
PELEH LAB, ART SPACE AND THE LIBRARY
Our school is looking to redefine our space in the future. This year, as we reimagine the building, we have made the decision to make the former Peleh and Library Space into the Peleh and Art Space. New flooring has been installed to allow for more creativity during learning and creating.
Art and Peleh Lab now each have half of the large space that previously housed the Library, and there will be times that Art and Peleh are in the same space with different classes. Library will now be in the Beit Midrash and there will be time for students to be able to select books, as well as time for teachers to select books for their students or to read in class.
TRANSPARENCY + RISK
We assume goodwill from our community and that students and staff stay home when they feel sick.
As we did during the 2020-2021 academic year, we will continue to provide transparency to the school-wide community regarding the school’s safety plans. Our Health and Safety Plan is accessible at wornickjds.org. If addendums are made, the school wide community will be notified.
In-person learning is a measured attempt to provide quality education for our students, while minimizing risks. We cannot guarantee that going to school is free of risk. Like many other activities, the possibility of transmission remains despite our community's best efforts.