DJP Back to School 20-21

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.

• If a child becomes symptomatic with itchy eyes, dry cough, and/or has a fever during the school day, the student will be immediately brought to the office and isolated. A parent will be required to pick up the child within a reasonable amount of time.
• We reserve the right to decide if your child is demonstrating symptoms that require us to have the child return home.
• DJP sick policy is updated to reflect a 72 hour wait time after fever or illness is over, (without the use of fever reducing medicines) including the procuring of a Dr.’s note that no COVID-19 testing is necessary or that child is COVID-19 free.
• Hard copy note or tele-doc note is acceptable.
• We reserve the right to ask you to keep your child home if another child or family member in the house is sick.
  
  If a positive COVID case is identified in school, DJP will work with the local Department of Health and adhere to CDC guidelines regarding the need for initiating quarantines or temporarily closing. Affected students or staff will be notified immediately if they have been in contact with a COVID-19 positive person.

SANITIZING & CLEANING

• A daily cleaning schedule for toys and utensils have been posted in each classroom.
• A nightly cleaning and disinfecting will also take place.
• Toys will be rotated throughout the week to accommodate for a reasonable system of the daily sanitizing of toys.
• Individual skill and sensory boxes similar to a personal “pencil case” will be made per child to limit the sharing of personal items such as pencils, markers, scissors etc.
• Each family will be asked to supply disinfectant wipes and spray as part of the yearly supply list.
• If your child remains for nap – the nap mat and all pillows and blankets will remain in school in large Ziplock bags (provided by you) and will be sent home Fridays for wash and return.
• Children cannot bring toys from home.

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;

• Parents will not be allowed in the building.
• All permitted staff will be re-screened daily before entering the building.
• Anyone with a fever over 99.5F will not be allowed into school.
  
  Students:
• Please do your own screening at home before sending your child to school.
• Be sure they do not have fever, runny nose, cough, diarrhea or any of the illnesses listed in our parent handbook or any COVID-19 like symptoms. Do not medicate your child before sending to school.
• Upon arrival we will ask you basic questions about your child’s and family’s health.
• You can help your child come out of the car and wait for the screening.
• You must be wearing a mask. You will need to wait while we screen your child. It will be done quick yet efficiently.
• We will take your child’s temperature and check for any signs of illness.
• Once deemed safe to join we will give you the o.k and your child will be escorted to class by one of our staff members.
• The children will wash their hands and remove their ‘home’ shoes before entering the class. (Please send an empty shoe box and school shoes that will remain in school for the week. this will be added to your supply list.)

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

• When feasible, staff members will wear face masks.
• Children over the age of 3 may wear face coverings within the facility.
• We are not mandating masks for the children.
• If you choose to send your child with a face mask you must provide a clean new one for each day of the week.
• We reserve the right to remove a child’s mask when deemed unsafe or being used inappropriately.
• Teachers will wear a mask at drop off and pick up, during snack, lunch and bathroom/changing time.

SOCIAL DISTANCING

• When feasible, such as during lunch and snack children will be seated further apart.
• Children will be physically comforted by an adult when needed.
• Nap mats will be spread out during nap time and children will sleep alternating head to toe.

MODIFIED SCHOOL HOURS

• We will no longer offer pre-care and after care until further notice.
• School will be from 9:00am-3:00pm.
• We will implement a staggered drop off and pick up schedule to ensure a safe and organized drop off and pick up.
• You must follow the designated times for your child and class.
• All children will be screened before being allowed into class.

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

• Non-Refundable Registration and Tuition paid by July 15th.
• No additional COVID-19 Surcharges or increases in tuition will be applied.
• 10 equally divided payments of your yearly tuition are due by May 1 2021.
• The first payment will be charged on August 1st and each remaining payment on the 1st of the month.
• You must sign the payment contract by July 31^st
• As long as DJP is running per CDC and DCF guidelines, no refunds will be given due to a child’s illness, temporary quarantine mandate, inability or change of mind to attend school.
• We have the right to suspend or close school at any time due to new health updates or guidance from CDC or DCF or other.
   

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.

• If we suspend or close school due to COVID-19 or any related issues of COVID-19, there will be no refunds for the first 15 school days of closure.
• If we must remain closed indefinitely- longer than the 15 school days- payments will be paused until in person instruction can begin again, less 10 percent to help us cover costs.

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.

• Updated supply list
• Updated tuition contract
• Updated lunch form with new fees
• Updated drop off and pick up schedule with staggered times.
• Waiver
• Updated Authorization form

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