Covid-19 Procedures

Melrose strives to keep our school campus clean and safe for everyone. It’s a huge priority for us to keep everyone healthy, and we plan on doing our best to keep Covid away from Melrose. Here is a start to our COVID-19 policies and procedures for our 2023-2024 school year. Please note that these policies will continue to evolve as we all learn more about this virus. After reading our Melrose Covid Protocols, we hope you feel safe having your child at school with us. We know this is scary for everyone and we all process events differently. Thank you for your continued support and patience during this tough time. We look forward to continuing a great school family friendship with everyone, no matter if you stay or feel the need to leave. If you have any questions about our COVID policies please let us know how we can help.

At this time parents and visitors will have access inside our school.

We will continue having 2 ways to drop off your child at school.

Families will be coming inside the building to pick up their child(ren), at 1pm & 4pm each day.

We are always striving to be paperless on many things each school year. This will help eliminate germs being passed back and forth. We have our Procare Connect system for families and teachers to use on a daily basis. This system will eliminate the paperwork from your child’s daily reports, signing child in/out & covid screenings and so much more. Everything will be digital.

Melrose does encourage families to all be vaccinated, this is for adults and children.

Melrose is unable to ask our employees if they are vaccinated or not.

Melrose does get permission from the staff before sharing health information when it comes to positive covid cases.

As much as Melrose strives to use eco-friendly cleaning products like Thieves and Vinegar solutions, we will be using something stronger occasionally.

We will continue to clean classrooms and day-to-day items when the children are present using Thieves and Vinegar. No harsh chemicals will be used when a child is present in the classroom. However, we will be going back to allowing staff to use Lysol type spray, ONLY at the end of the day when children are not present in the classroom. Melrose will also be using an extra sanitation product 1-2 times per month when the children are not present. It will be a disinfecting UV-light that will help kill germs. They will be turned on when children are not present.

We do have a hand sanitizer that is used in the classroom with children & adults. Parents are required to sign a permission form stating it is okay for Melrose to use hand sanitizer on your child. Of course, we continue using soap and water to wash hands, but having the hand sanitizer as an extra precaution is a great way to keep germs at bay.

Melrose uses air filters for our classrooms and common areas. These are a ‘3 in 1 Purifier” that includes: (1) Pre-filter, (2) Activated carbon filter and (3) A True HEPA filter. This will help clean and sanitize the air as well as help eliminate allergens.

We would like to answer specific questions that we have received. We referred to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for some answers.

Melrose families COVID-19 FAQ

How do I report to Melrose that my child has COVID?

Melrose requires families to send ADMIN an email as soon as you’ve received a positive test result for your child to the info@melrosejax.com email. You may also include your child’s teacher in the email, so they can be aware of their own health needs.

Melrose asks that you NOT share your child’s COVID or any health related information on Procare. Many of our teachers have access to all students on Procare and ADMIN does not check Procare as often. Procare is reserved for parent/teacher communication about your child’s day and how they are doing within the classroom. Health information should be shared to ADMIN through email.

What if a student, teacher or family member has a positive COVID case?

Families will all be notified that there was a positive case in our school. The class that had the closest contact with the positive case will receive a separate email. We are giving the parents the option to keep your child at home or send them back to school.

If you were exposed and NOT VACCINATED, then you should quarantine yourself and your child for 5 days. Then, you should get tested 5 days after the exposure.

You should stay at home and self-quarantine for 5 days, starting from the most recent day that you were possibly exposed to COVID-19. Self-quarantine means staying home, monitoring yourself, and maintaining social distancing (at least 6 feet from others at all times). You should remain in a specific room separate from other non-exposed people and pets in your home, and use a separate bathroom, if possible.

Self-quarantine helps slow the spread of COVID-19 and can help keep your friends and neighbors healthy.

If you need to be around other people or animals in or outside of the home, wear a cloth face covering. This will help protect the people around you.

If you need support or assistance with self-quarantine, then your health department or community organizations may be able to provide assistance.

If you and your child are VACCINATED you do not need to quarantine, unless you develop symptoms. Then, you should get tested before returning to school.

Which is day zero for a positive COVID-19 test? From the CDC Website:

DAY 0: Child is sick or has a positive COVID-19 test

DAYS 1–5: Child stays home and isolates away from other people to the extent possible.

DAY 6: Is the child fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication? AND is the child free of symptoms or symptoms improved? AND is the child 2 years of age or older and able to consistently wear a mask in the ECE program?

YES: Return to Preschool NO: Continue to days 6–10

DAYS 6–10

It is safest to continue isolation until the end of day 10 [ 1 ].

For children who have symptoms, continue isolation until the child is fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and other symptoms have improved.

For children who are severely ill, or whose fever persists past day 10, consult a healthcare professional before returning to the ECE program.

After day 10, your child can return to Preschool as long as they are feeling better.

If more than one person in your household tests positive for COVID-19 does everyone need to quarantine?

The following people do NOT need to quarantine themselves:

The exposed person is up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations… including children.

The exposed person had a confirmed COVID-19 case within the last 90 days.

What if my family and I were exposed to COVID-19?

If you were exposed and NOT VACCINATED, then you should quarantine yourself and your child for 5 days. Then, you should get tested 5 days after the exposure.

Self-quarantine helps slow the spread of COVID-19 and can help keep your friends and neighbors healthy.

If you need to be around other people or animals in or outside of the home, wear a cloth face covering. This will help protect the people around you.

If you need support or assistance with self-quarantine, then your health department or community organizations may be able to provide assistance.

If you and your child are VACCINATED you do not need to quarantine, unless you develop symptoms. Then, you should get tested before returning to school.

Will my child ages 2 & up be required to wear a mask?

Melrose is not making this a mandatory requirement for children. The reasoning for this is that we know as educators of young children how difficult it truly is for children this young to keep a mask on.

If a staff member needs to be tested for COVID will they be able to be at work?

No, they will not be able to return until we know they are negative.

If Melrose needs to shut down for 2 weeks due to COVID, will I need to pay tuition?

No. Although it would be a strain on our staff and business…we understand it would be a strain on everyone involved. So, if tuition was already paid for the month, it would be prorated for the following month. (i.e. If you paid tuition for October, November would only be ½ tuition)

If we choose to withdraw our child due to COVID-19, would we be able to place them on the waiting list to start later in the year? How many children are currently on the waiting list?

If you withdraw your child from Melrose, you would be able to re-enroll at any time, provided there was an opening in their age group. If there were no openings, we would place your child on a waitlist. With the uncertainty of the Covid-19 Pandemic, we have no way to foresee what the waitlist would look like at any given moment.

What if someone in our household is in the medical field and works closely with COVID patients or in a hospital?

We feel if you work closely with COVID patients in a hospital, but wear proper PPE gear, then you are doing your part to keep yourself and family safe.

We ask that any medical staff who work with COVID patients, notify administration, so we are on the same page. We feel this is a different circumstance and your child will be able to attend school.

If anything were to change about your job or you were more exposed to COVID, not allowing you to attend work, then your child should not be at school.

You should notify Melrose administrators as soon as changes occur.

When will Melrose notify school families of a positive case?

Families will be notified after Melrose has appropriately done any needed research and come up with a plan. You will be notified from Admin via an email with correct information. We will email families with information if someone tests positive for Covid-19. Of course, everything is open to change during this learning curve. (i.e. If we find out at 8pm on a Monday night, we will notify all school families effective immediately, which would be Tuesday.)

If my child has a stomach bug, sniffles/runny nose, or even a common cold, how long should they remain away from school?

To err on the side of caution, they must remain at home and be symptom free for 24 hours. Some of these symptoms have now been associated with COVID-19. This is also a DCF policy for children to remain at home while feeling ill. The rules & regulations we've created have been planned and organized by Melrose Administration and Melrose Parent Teacher Group. Melrose Preschool is a Private school. We are licensed by DCF and follow the DCF rules and regulation. DCF does not have ANY regulations regarding COVID and when we need to close for positive cases.

Please note Melrose understands that common symptoms such as (but not limited to) runny noses, coughs and diarrhea are often observed in children outside of Covid-19. However, it is the position of Melrose Avenue Preschool to ensure safety of all children and staff and will require such noted symptoms to be verified by a healthcare provider.

COVID Symptoms

Any ONE of these symptoms will result in needing clearance from a healthcare provider to return to school:

Fever equal to or over 100.4º (without any fever-reducing medications)

New onset dry cough

Loss of smell or taste

Shortness of Breath

Difficulty Breathing

Any COMBINATION of these symptoms will result in needing clearance from a healthcare provider to return to school:

Chills

New or unusual headache

Nausea

Vomiting

Diarrhea (three or more watery stools within the timeframe at school)

Loss of appetite

Muscle aches

Sore throat

Runny nose

Congestion

When your child is signed in each morning, you will be prompted with a daily Covid screening. Melrose staff will continue doing the same screening as well.

Have you noticed a fever or COVID symptoms? Have you been exposed to Covid?

If anyone in your family has 1 or more of these symptoms above, please read over the Covid protocol chart for the next steps. Melrose Staff will continue to screen children throughout the school for any symptoms.

Positive Covid Cases at Melrose

Melrose will not be closing our doors for ONE positive Covid case.

If there are 2 or more positive PCR cases within 10 DAYS of each other then a classroom (including nap & clubhouse), will need to be closed and quarantine. Those children and the siblings will need to quarantine.

Melrose Preschool is unable to refund or prorate tuition during the times children need to quarantine.

Melrose will notify school families about a positive PCR test as soon as we have all our facts together.

It is at the parents discretion if they would like to keep a child(ren) home that was not in the

Please refer to the COVID chart for more information.

Building Access

Parents and visitors will have limited access inside our school campus. Those that are given limited access to the building may enter and wait in the foyer upon approval of a Melrose staff member.

We will continue having ways to drop off and pick up your child from school. You will be able to sign up for carpool or a park and walk up. By having carpool and a walk-up, this allows for better segregation of the children in large groups. It also helps that we have the 1pm & 4pm pickup options.

Parents/Guardians may use carpool lanes or park and utilize the walk up area located in the back by the breezeway.

Masks

ALL teachers/staff on campus must wear a mask or clear face shield while around children and/or inside the building.

ALL parents/guardians while around the children and/or inside the building are required to wear a mask.

Masks are not mandated for children at this time; however, they are highly encouraged.

We leave mask wearing for children up to the parents discretion on sending them in with one or not. Some parents have been flexible about the mask wearing, while others would like them to wear a mask all the time. It is important parents are communicating with your child's teacher on how your family feels about mask wearing.

Breakaway lanyards for families wishing for the staff to help assist children keeping their masks on throughout the day. The lanyards are a great way for the entire staff (not just your teacher) to help identify those that would like their child to keep masks on and keep the mask from being misplaced. You may ask for a lanyard in carpool or the walk-up area during pick-up or drop-off.

Cleaning & Sanitation

As much as Melrose strives to use eco-friendly cleaning products like Thieves and Vinegar solutions, we DO USE stronger products as well. We will continue to clean classrooms and day-to-day items when the children are present using Thieves and Vinegar.

No harsh chemicals will be used when a child is present in the classroom. However, we will allow staff to use a spray disinfectant (such as Lysol or seventh generation). These are used in the morning before school, while children are outside or at the end of the day when children are not present.

Melrose has '3 in 1 Purifiers' in every classroom. (1) Prefilter, (2) Activated carbon filter and (3) A True HEPA filter. This will help clean and sanitize the air as well as help eliminate allergens.

Melrose also uses UV Germicidal Lamps in the classroom when children/adults are not present. These lights will help with the sanitation when we have a variety of symptoms going around the school.

Ratios, Class PODS & Carpool Info

DCF and State regulations have allowed us to resume our normal ratios, as well as have an assistant between 2 classes. However, we will continue to keep classes separated when possible. This will be for any type of small event and/or out in the garden or running place.

The PODS allow for less cross exposure. This does not include walking in hallways or the passing of one another in common areas which is brief exposure.

Classes are separated into PODS to allow the teachers, assistants and children to safely overlap throughout the day. This is helpful when it comes to clubhouse and nap rooms.

Please note that teachers DO mix between PODS, due to the fact that we do not have enough staff to stay with each POD all day long.

PODS are organized a few ways... age groups, teachers & students. Please ask your child's teachers for more information about the POD they are in.

If your child is enrolled in enrichment classes, they will not be grouped within a POD. If you would like your child to stay within their POD, then enrichment classes might not be the right option for your family.

The hardest times of day for crossover are during drop-off & pick-up. With a limited number of staff during these times of day, we do the best we can to keep children a part from one another. Children are spread out in the family room, hallways and lobby during these times.

We strive to make our drop-off and pick-up run quickly and smoothly each day. Always keeping in mind the 15 min guideline from the CDC, our drop off and pick up never last longer than 15min.

There are only 3-4 turtles during carpool which allows for more teachers to stay in the building with groups of children.

After reading our Melrose Covid Protocols, we hope you feel safe having your child at school with us. We know this is scary for everyone and we all process events differently. Thank you for your continued support and patience during this tough time. We look forward to continuing a great school family friendship with everyone, no matter if you stay or feel the need to leave. If you have any questions about our COVID policies please let us know how we can help.