Hello, We re-opened our private center here in Michigan for summer camp for preschoolers and their older school-aged siblings at the beginning of July. We limited enrollment in order to utilize the space we have for creating smaller pods of kids with consistent staff and limiting shared spaces and are doing again for the fall school year. Our screenings clear for symptoms like shortness of breath, fever, cough, diarrhea, headaches, sore throat, change in taste or smell, and/or fatigue and/or having come in close contact with someone who has Covid-19. We scan for fevers 100.4 or above and recheck temps midday. Our Covid-19 Response and Preparedness Plan clearly states that if a child has a fever they must be excluded until they have been fever free for 72 hours. If they have a persistent cough, they cannot return until a clearance from their physician. If they experience multiple symptoms above or are positive for COVID-19 they must be excluded until 10 days have passed, symptoms have subsided and/or have received a negative covid-19 test. It will be tricky for sure this winter as common colds pop up but parents understand and sign our Preparedness Plan knowing full well their child may have to be excluded due to common symptoms as we go forward in keeping schools safe for everyone. They also feel good that this is being done across the board as they entrust their children into our care. So far so good :) There is a nice template for creating your Response and Preparedness Plan by the Early Childhood Investment Corporation using LARA guidelines (which are based off the CDC). It really helped me lay out the plan using the latest guidelines for safe opening. Hope this helps!
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Lisa Moen
Director
Grosse Pointe Nursery School
Grosse Pointe Woods MI
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-10-2020 08:08 AM
From: Sharon Culbertson
Subject: health screenings
Dear Friends in the ECE field, We are a private preschool which follows our school district schedule. Which means we have had our doors physically closed since March but provided online services for our students March - June. We are getting ready to re-open our doors in a couple of weeks. We have been working on implementing all the COVID guidelines and requirements listed by the OEC. However, we are somewhat paralyzed about health screening questions and how to ask. I attended most of the OEC webinars offered and I spoke with our licensing agent but it still seems vague to me, as there seems to be much allowance for centers to make their own standards. So I am hoping those of you who have already done this might be able to share what is working. Parents will be dropping children off at the doors. Would anyone who has been open or will be opening soon be willing to share how they address screening at the door? What questions do you ask? Do you take temperatures? What are your guidelines for excluding a child? I am just thinking about all the little colds children get and the runny noses and coughs, do you exclude children with any symptoms or do you discern on the spot? How many days do they have to be clear of symptoms? Any help, suggestions at all would be very much appreciated.
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Sharon Culbertson
Head Teacher/Director
Trinity Community Preschool
Woodbridge CT
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