The Lux School Statement Regarding COVID – 19 (And Variants)
COVID-19 Precautions
The LUX School is taking recommended COVID-19 precautions to curb the spread.
- Hand Washing is integrated into daily routine, with fun challenges such as washing a stamp off to progress to next activity (to promote clean hands, not just wet hands).
- Masks will be utilized for students two years old and older and when social distancing is not possible. Fun games will be integrated into curriculum to normalize mask-wearing.
- Temperature Checks and Daily Screenings are completed for everyone entering the campus. Any failed screenings will be followed up with relocation to individual learning space with a caregiver until parents arrive.
- Podding is the concept of keeping the same kids together in all activities, thus lowering a child’s interaction with large groups while still maintain the social/emotional components of school. Each class, or pod, will play together, lunch together, and learn together, without intermixing with other pods. Separating kids into groups and isolating each group from the others minimizes the exposure of the child throughout the day.
- Social Distancing children as much as possible. Children are taught “airplane arms” to properly distance from each other when standing in line and moving from one activity to the next.
- Extra Cleaning: Extra cleaning measures are in place throughout the school including onsite linen sanitizing (no more washing and bringing back bedding), individual school supplies and more.
- Staying Home If Sick: If your child seems lethargic or is showing any signs of sickness, please keep them home until they feel better.
Update 8/3/2021
We appreciate your patience as we continue to navigate, assess, and build our school community. Providing a high-quality education and continuous care remain our highest priority, after the health and safety of all members of The Lux School Family.
Our COVID-19 policies were initially based solely on research and guidance from the CDC, The American Academy of Pediatrics, local and state governments, and the Department of Health and Human Services. As practitioners, we have found many things that work. Masks have helped us reduce cases in our school. Staff and students over the age of 2 years old will continue wearing masks this fall. Clear communication is paramount to minimizing transmission. Daily screening coupled with open discussions about symptoms, exposure and risk-related behaviors are helpful to making the best decisions for students. Practice makes perfect. Continuing to teach our students healthy behaviors such as handwashing, masking, and distancing in and out of school will help us maintain our healthy status as we await lower case statistics, vaccine availability and other indicators that measures can be reduced.
Once indicators show cases declining and statistics are maintained for a significant period, we have plans to gradually increase outdoor family activities, structured family entry to common areas and reduce mask wearing.
Please remember, all children are required to remain home once determined ill for at least 24 hours or have written physician’s approval to re-enter the childcare setting. To minimize the spread of illness, it is our policy that students remain home for 10 days following the last potential exposure, if any member of the household has (or may have) a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19. Be advised that travel to Level 3 areas (CDC Travel Advisory) by any member of the family will result in a mandatory ban from the school property for 14 days after return. This guidance applies to the entire Lux school family. Parent support through morning health checks before school, prompt response to calls about an ill child, and adherence to our sick and precautionary policies are greatly appreciated.
Failure to abide by any LUX School policies, particularly those related to COVID-19 reporting and exclusion, can result in removal from the program for the protection of the community.
As always, we respectfully request that all campus visitors continue to wear facial coverings or when participating in any activities with students (such as birthday parties on the patio).
More Information:
• https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/what-top-pediatricians-want-you-know-about-delta-variant-children-n1274536
• https://www.chla.org/blog/covid-19/the-delta-variant-and-children-what-parents-need-know
• https://www.kut.org/2021-07-19/texas-doctor-we-are-now-seeing-rapid-spread-of-the-delta-variant-in-children
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance for childcare providers (CDC Childcare and K-12 Guidance)
• Travel Advisory (https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices).
The Lux School Precautions Regarding COVID–19 (And Variants)
•
Constant adherence to CDC guidelines, local and state ordinances
•
Following guidance of NAEYC and state licensing regarding centers that remain open as well as any with potential exposure
•
Daily health checks and screening
•
Mask wearing of caregivers and staff when mandated and/or reasonable
•
Increased handwashing (at arrival, during lessons, before and after restroom breaks)
•
Additional cleaning as a daily precaution (regardless of surge in illness)
•
Limiting non-essential visitors
•
Limit cross-school transfer of educators and students (stay in assigned rooms)
•
Classroom carpet shampooing
•
Prioritized care availability for essential employees
•
Reduction of soft materials usage (toys and materials that can retain germs) in rooms
•
GREENGUARD® Certified furniture in classrooms
•
Additional deep cleaning days
*Adapted from CDC Interim Guidance for Administrators of US K-12 Schools
and Child Care Programs to Plan, Prepare, and Respond to Coronavirus
Disease 2019 (COVID-19)