UPDATED POLICIES AND GUIDELINES
We are excited to be back at Downtown Jewish Preschool ‘in person’ for the coming school year 2020-2021. Our primary focus at DJP is to ensure that our students are provided with the opportunity to develop and grow in a social constructivist school environment; with engagement and individualized attention that are hallmarks of our pedagogy. The safety and health of our students, as well as their social emotional and cognitive growth will continue to be at the core of all that we do.
UPDATED POLICIES AND GUIDELINES
Please bear with us; As the virus evolves, policies and procedures are subject to change and will be updated on this website and via e-mail. We will continue to monitor the latest health guidelines, state mandated policies, CDC and Broward County Health Department recommendations to make adjustments to our programming policies and procedures. Safety will always be our number one priority for our children, staff, and families.
Any of the policies and guidelines may be updated at any time to reflect the current COVID-19 guidance from the DCF, CDC or the State of Florida Health Department. Compliance with the updated guidelines will be required.
BEFORE RETURNING TO SCHOOL
COVID-19 training for staff: All DJP teachers and staff will undergo comprehensive training over the summer to ensure understanding of the symptoms, methods of transmission, strategies for prevention and mitigation of COVID 19.
Sanitizing & Cleaning: We will continue to implement a higher standard of sanitizing & cleaning. The maintenance and cleaning policies have been updated to include vigorous disinfection on a routine basis.
Travel policy: Before and during the school year; all DJP staff and students who have traveled out of the South Florida area may require a 14-day quarantine prior to being permitted on campus.
UPDATED SICK POLICY
Please see our parent handbook for the DJP sick policy.
COVID-19 sick policy overrides any previous sick policies.
DJP is dedicated to the well-being and health of our students and staff. For this reason, the sick policy is less flexible going forward.
SANITIZING & CLEANING
DAILY SCREENINGS
Staff:
All persons except the following will be prohibited from accessing our building: Operation staff, Law enforcement officers, Child Care Licensing staff, and Department of Children and Families protective services staff; professionals providing services to children; children enrolled at the operation;
SELF REPORTING:
A system will be put in place to request all staff to regularly report any symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, body aches, sore throat, congestion, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of sense of smell/taste, or exposure to COVID-19.
Staff with symptoms or exposure will be asked to refrain from returning to school and protocols will be followed.
DJP students and families must report symptoms and exposures.
INDIVIDUAL CLASS PODS/ COHORTS
Our class sizes will be adjusted to accommodate for the recommendation of smaller pods and or cohorts.
Children and child care providers will not change from one group to another.
Each class will remain in their respective classrooms and not change classes during the day.
Outside play will be limited to only one class at a time.
Enrichment classes see below:
ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS
Enrichment classes will take place in the large social room.
Any equipment used for these classes will be washed and or sanitized between classes.
The enrichment staff will be screened before entering the building.
Yoga / Miss Brianna – All supplies including mats and breathing balls remain in DJP and get cleaned between classes. Ms. Brianna will wear a shield and or mask and social distances during yoga.
Soccer/ Coach Luis – All supplies are brought by coach Louis and are cleaned between classes – Coach Louis wears a mask and social distances during soccer as per Super Soccer Stars regulations.
Martial Arts / Ms Twigg – Supplies for Martial arts are supplied by them and washed between classes. The instructors remain social distanced, wearing a shield or mask and do not touch the students as per their regulations.
Music Together / Ms Sue – All supplies including mats and musical instruments remain in DJP and get sanitized between classes. Ms. Sue will wear a shield and a mask when feasible. Ms. Sue will social distance when feasible.
HAND WASHING & OVERALL CLEANLINESS
Additional hand washing times for minimum of 20 seconds, has been updated and added to the class routine and schedule and has been posted in each room.
FACIAL COVERING MASK WEARING
SOCIAL DISTANCING
MODIFIED SCHOOL HOURS
TUITION POLICY
DJP is committed to a full school year of growth and development, fun and excitement. Our intentions are to be physically IN school for the school year 20-21.
We understand that this may not be in our control as the uncertainties of COVID 19 continue to change our lives and schedules.
Considering the money, time, effort, energy, work, contracts with teachers and staff and commitment from our staff and families we have created the following policies for this year:
As of 07/23/2020
We do not plan on closing school unless MANDATED by the DCF or CDC.
Even if the public schools choose not to reopen or to temporarily close, we will be making the decision on how DJP will operate independently of their decisions.
ZOOM OR DISTANCED LEARNING OPTIONS
We recognize the challenge of operating our early childhood program via distance learning. We also understand the benefits of continuing the children’s education even if it’s via zoom, therefore, we would offer select, optional programming, such as daily ZOOM with teachers, project packets, videos for students to watch at their own pace, and daily circle time.
There is the option to charge a reduced fee for those interested in continued distanced learning.
LUNCH POLICY
In compliance with the CDC and DCF guidelines we cannot offer family style lunch which is the way we were serving in the past.
The single serve lunch and snacks are more costly and therefore a minimal additional fee has been added.
SCHOOL CALENDAR 20-21
Click here for the school calendar.
Dates and events are subject to change.
If when the time comes we are unable to meet for social events such as parent teacher conferences, we will set up mandatory ZOOM meetings.
WAIVER
If you are uncomfortable with sending your child to school with these precautions in place, please keep your child at home. These precautions are in place to provide every effort to keep every child and family safe; however, this does not provide any guarantee of any kind. As the parent of the child attending, you assume all risks associated with allowing your child to begin attending. We are doing everything we can in our power to keep every child safe during this time. Working together during this time is important.
Each family must sign and return the waiver before the start of school
For PDF of Waiver click here
NEW OR UPDATED DJP FORMS
The following is a list of new or updated forms.
They will be emailed to you and uploaded to the website.
Any forms that require a signature will need to be signed and returned by the designated date.
THANK YOU
We are blessed to have YOU as part of our school family!
We are grateful to be able to open ‘in person’ with your support, dedication and love. We know these are uncertain times and we appreciate your compliance with our new guidelines.
As a team we can do anything! We will get through this!
WE WILL PERSEVERE!
Sincerely,
Your devoted director.
Devorah Kaplan