Coronavirus (COVID-19) uPDATE

Parents and families,

Today, Governor Gary Herbert held a press conference to address the most recent coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns. Though the risk of COVID-19 spread remains low in our community, we want to stay ahead. The health and safety of our families is of utmost importance to us. As of right now, all of St. John’s CCDC locations will remain open. There are no reported cases of COVID-19 at any of our locations, and we understand that childcare is a necessity for our families. We will continue to provide the excellent childcare and education that we are so proud of.

The COVID-19 situation is unique and frankly, uncharted territory for our community. To be safe, we will be implementing several preventive measures to limit possible spread or exposure to COVID-19. These measures will go into effect on Monday, March 15^th (3/15).

• We will be strict in enforcing our sick policy at this time. Fever assessment upon arrival will be mandatory for teachers, students, and those who will be at the school for an extended period of time, such as parent volunteers. Anyone who has a temperature over 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit will not be able to come into the school or will need to go home for the day. If a child develops a fever while at school, they will be removed from the classroom and will wait in the director’s office until a parent can pick them up. If your child becomes ill at school, we ask you come to pick them up immediately to avoid further illness spread. We strongly encourage parents to check their child’s temperature at home before coming into school and if they are ill in any way, for parents to keep them home. In short, if you have a fever, stay home.

• We also ask for diligence regarding water bottles; water bottles should be brought home, washed and sanitized each night. You are also welcome to provide paper cups in lieu of a water bottle if daily sanitation becomes inconvenient, but we prefer this daily sanitation so that we can continue our environmental efforts. This too will help limit possible spread of illness.

• Instead of signing in through Pro-Care, your child’s teacher will sign them in. This is to reduce possible spread of illness through our fingerprint scanner. Make sure you drop your child off directly to their teacher so they can record the time they arrived. If you fully enter a classroom, wash your hands thoroughly for twenty seconds. Please avoid bringing anyone but your child and yourself into the school; we want to limit unnecessary possible exposure

Our teachers and staff will also be making a few changes to safeguard our families.

• On our end, we will sanitize and clean more than ever and go beyond what state licensing requires. We use bleach-based sprays and cleaners to eliminate illness spread via surfaces. We will continue to use these products.
• We are mandating that all teachers, students and parents wash their hands when they enter the school. This is already a part of our school’s daily protocol, but our teachers and staff will be firm in ensuring this policy will be followed through on.
• We will continue to teach proper hand washing hygiene to our students. Medical professionals recommend thoroughly washing hands for at least twenty seconds. We will implement fun activities and lessons to teach this to our students.

If you are diagnosed with COVID-19, please let your school know immediately. If you believe you have been exposed to COVID-19, consult with a medical professional. As we mentioned before, this situation is very unique; however, we are all working towards the common goal of keeping everyone healthy. If you or your children are concerned about the coronavirus, we urge you to have an open, reassuring talk about it. Make yourself available to your children, and never hesitate to communicate with teachers and administration about your concerns. We are always here as a resource for your family.

We want our schools to remain fully open and functional in order for to do that, we need your help in observing these policies. Though medical professionals repeatedly say that children are at a relatively low risk of becoming ill from COVID-19, we think it’s much better to be overly cautious and do our part in preventing the spread of the virus. A possible school closure would be dependent on being able to keep our school staffed and fully operational.

We will be as transparent as possible through this process and communicate via email, Kaymbu, Facebook, Instagram, and our website. On behalf of St. John’s CCDC, thank you for your help and patience as we work together to stay ahead of COVID-19.