Messages to Parents

5/20/20

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Dear Parents,

We cannot wait to see you and your children again on June 1st. Four quick points as to what to expect on day one and the foreseeable future:

1.) Please remember that we have temporarily reduced our hours of operation to 7:30am – 5:30pm. We will reassess this towards the end of June.

2.) DROP OFF PROCEDURES: All drop off will now be outside the building of your child. You will notice that every alternate parking space has been ‘coned’ off and there are red social distancing markers in front of each building. This has been done to maintain Federal & State social distancing guidelines.

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Designated staff will meet you outside the building & check temperatures for your child. This will be done with ‘touch less’ thermometers. Please note that if the temperature reads 100.4 F or more, you will be asked to take your child home. This is as per Federal & State guidelines and for everyone’s safety. If the temperature is normal your child(ren) will be escorted by staff to his/her class.

 

3. PICK UP PROCEDURES: Please call 336-474-2211 or message once you are within 5 minutes of reaching the Center. Once you have parked, please stay outside the building on the social distancing red sticker. Designated staff will escort your child to you outside the front door of the building (We ask that you take your child out of your car & not staff).

4. We have posted new State issued Covid 19 fliers on each of our front doors. These have a lot of useful information. Please read at your convenience.

 

We have introduced a lot of other procedures, as well, to keep everyone safe. In case you have any questions, please feel free to call me. Be well. Stay safe. See you soon.

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Regards,

Rena

5/7/20

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Dear Parents,

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As already advised, we are looking forward to reopening Monday, June 1, 2020. This is subject to any state or federal mandates or God forbid a significant deterioration in the number of new Covid 19 cases. Initially we will operate reduced hours from 7:30 am – 5:30 pm. We will reassess returning to our normal hours at the end of June 2020.

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We recognize that our decision to close on March 16th was a difficult and burdensome one for us, and all of you. We also know that it may have greatly inconvenienced some of you, but we hope you realize that it was done with a view to protecting your children; all of you & our staff. It seems unfathomable and beyond sad that the total number of reported deaths from Covid 19, on the day we closed, was only 65 nationally, whereas it is well over 70,000 today!

 

Our new ‘normal’ when we reopen must necessitate some safeguards to protect all of us. We are presently in the process of formulating detailed policies, in that regard, but wanted to give you a ‘heads up’ as to some of the new procedures/practices you are likely to see:

  1. The center will undergo a thorough cleaning/sanitizing before we open.

  2. Drop off/pick up will be from your cars – a staff member will meet you in the parking lot & escort your child(ren) to his/her/their room. Designated staff will do temperature checks on everyone entering the buildings. We have ordered ‘touch less’ forehead thermometers for each of our buildings. Should the temperature be 100.4 F or more, the person will be refused entry and asked to go home. This includes staff; children; family members of children; vendors or anyone else asking for access to our facilities.

  3. We have ordered face shields (to protect against saliva/droplets) for each of our staff. This is for their protection and the protection of people they come into contact with, when social distancing is not possible.

  4. We have also ordered face masks for staff as added protection.

  5. Some of the new cleaning/disinfecting protocols had already been introduced prior to our shut down; those will continue. These include hand washing protocols for children & staff, along with frequently disinfecting surfaces and other areas frequently touched etc.

  6. Hand sanitizers had been placed at the entrance of each building, before we closed. Those will continue as well and all children will be required to use it on their hands, with the help of designated staff, when they enter the building.

  7. If your child is in the PreK or NCPREK class and you are wondering about their graduation. We are planning to hold a ceremony in a manner that does not compromise the State and Federal requirements prohibiting Groups greater than 10 from congregating. We are presently in the process of figuring out the logistics and your child’s teacher will contact you once we have finalized what is required.

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We have also temporarily introduced some additional policies/safeguards (these are based on Federal & State guidelines):

To limit transmission:

Please stay home & keep your child home if any member of your household has (or has been in close contact with anyone who has):

  1. A suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 or

  2. Has one of these symptoms:

  • Cough

  • Shortness of Breath

  • Fever or

at least two of these symptoms:

  • Chills

  • New loss of taste or smell

  • Vomiting /Diarrhea

If you have these symptoms, please contact a health professional. or

 

  1. Traveled: internationally or domestically, from an area which is experiencing widespread community transmission of COVID-19 (such as New York, New Jersey etc.); or

from any area which is the subject of similar travel restrictions under applicable state and local guidance.   

 

  1. Under new State regulations, it is preferred that children above the age of 2 wear a cloth mask when 6 feet distancing is not possible. We recognize that it is not practical to expect children to wear masks all the time, but we recommend that you send them with one, and we will do our best to see that they wear it when close contact is unavoidable.

      

14 days after the last potential exposure, your household may return provided these three things have happened:

(a)        At least 14 days have passed since any household member first experienced symptoms; and

(b)        Symptoms have improved for any household member that experienced symptoms (for example, cough or shortness of breath has improved); and

(c)        The household has been fever-free for at least 72 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicines.   

Please note, depending on the circumstances we may require you to obtain medical clearance before return to the center will be allowed.

 

FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS: If contact occurs while wearing recommended personal protective equipment or PPE (e.g., gowns, gloves, NIOSH-certified disposable N95 respirator, eye protection), that contact will NOT be considered close contact for purposes of this policy. 

 

These are dark times but the world has passed through many dark phases before. Know that we have come out of it stronger and better 100% of the time. This time will be no different. In the interim, let us all work together to keep each other safe.

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Be well. Stay safe. Thank you for bearing with us. We cannot wait to see you & your children soon.

 

Regards,

Rena