COVID-19 Health and Safety Measures

Updated August 4, 2021

Below is our most updated information concerning the health and safety measures related to COVID-19. We are monitoring health and safety guidelines each day as they are updated and changed.

Government Mandates

We will prayerfully consider all health and safety mandates from our elected governor. This could cause us to change our current plans before school starts or during the school year.

Health Recommendations

It will not be possible for us to follow all of the many recommendations currently proposed by various health organizations. However, we have been closely monitoring all news and health guidelines and strive to provide a safe environment at Bayshore Christian School.

COVID-19 Exposure

We cannot guarantee that individuals attending school will not be exposed to COVID-19 and other illnesses. It is possible that students, staff, faculty, parents, and visitors will be exposed to COVID-19 and other illnesses while attending school, working at the school, or visiting the school.

Cleaning

Increased cleaning measures have been put in place and are already being followed in all school buildings, classrooms, and public spaces on the BCS campus.

Scheduling

Adjustments might be been made to the daily schedule to reduce large group gatherings.

School Visitors

School visitors are welcome on campus.

Washing Hands

Frequent washing of hands is an important habit for students to develop at home and at school. Teachers will plan breaks for handwashing throughout the school day. We have also purchased many additional gallons of hand sanitizer that will be available throughout the school.

Events

We will holding our typical events and may make adjustments throughout the year as needed.

Chapel

We will continue to have chapel services weekly.

Lunch and Recess

Lunch and recess schedules are planned with health and safety in mind. Hand washing will be encouraged before lunch and recess, lunch tables will be disinfected each day.

Classrooms

Teachers will be mindful of health and safety procedures in the classroom. In addition to the increased cleaning by custodial staff, teachers will use disinfectant supplies to sanitize classrooms at the end of each day.

Hallways

We will not be requiring physical distancing in the hallways.

Masks/Face Coverings

Wearing a mask at school is not required, but is encouraged for individuals desiring to wear a mask. Individuals wearing a mask may choose to wear it in the hallways, specific classes, and all day long.

COVID-19 Symptoms

COVID-19 symptoms can appear similar to non-medical individuals. For this reason, students and staff experiencing COVID-19 symptoms shall not come to school until they are symptom free for 48 hours or have been cleared by a medical professional. Students with a temperature of 100 degrees or greater may not come to school until they are symptom free without the assistance of fever suppressing medicine for 48 hours and cleared by a medical professional.

Temperature and Fevers

Parents should check the temperature of their children. Individuals with a temperature of 100 degrees or greater must not come to school or the school property. Any child suspected of having an elevated temperature will be sent to the office and checked for a fever with a touch free infrared thermometer. If a student has an elevated temperature or other significant symptoms of illness, the student will be sent home and must be picked up from school immediately.

COVID-19 Diagnosis

Students, staff, and parents diagnosed with COVID-19 must not attend school or be on the BCS campus. Individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 must report the diagnosis to the school, self-isolate until they are no longer infected, and may not return to school without medical clearance. Medical clearance may or may not include a negative test for COVID-19. Medical clearance will be left to the discretion of individual medical professionals and will not be determined by the school.

Individuals living with family members who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 must report direct exposure to the school and should consult with medical professionals, such as a family physician, with concerns or questions about the timing of returning to school.

Extended Absences

We plan to be adaptable, patient, empathetic, and persistent in working with students and families who experience COVID-19 related extended absences from school.

Teachers and staff will work with families during times of self-isolation and other COVID-19 related absences to ensure that students continue to progress academically but cannot guarantee the same academic support provided to students attending school in-person.

Virtual School

We are not able to offer a virtual school option for BCS students concurrently with in-person learning. Unfortunately, we do not have the staff or resources to provide both in-person classes and Teacher Directed Home Learning at the same time.

If there is a high percentage of COVID-19 related absences from one grade or section of a grade, we may need to transition to BCS Teacher Directed Home Learning for a particular class/section/grade for a period of time during the school year.

If a large percentage of the school is ill and cannot attend school, we will consider moving the full school to Teacher Directed Home Learning for 14 days while the school is cleaned, and individuals recover.

Rumors and Fear

Anxiety may be running high for some families, but please resist the temptation to be caught up in rumors, gossip, or fear. Simple comments could easily turn into rumors of families not following BCS requirements or you could be tempted to fear that families will send sick children to school. Please talk directly to families or BCS staff with whom you have concerns. Do not allow fear or rumors to cause division in our sweet BCS community!

Unity and Trust

All families must be mindful and careful to follow COVID-19 health and safety requirements for the good of our school and community. Trust each other and know that the administrative team will be very proactive in the enforcement of our health and safety plan.

School Choice

We know you have a choice of how to educate your children and where to send them to school. Thank you for allowing us to partner with you as we raise the next generation and train them in knowledge, faith, wisdom, and virtue.

God has greatly blessed the BCS community with highly involved, committed, and like-minded families. We can and will have a great year if we are all patient with each other, empathetic toward each other, and work together for the Good of our children and the glory of God!

COVID-19 FAQs

Will Grandparents Day be held in-person this year?

We love our BCS Grandparents and cannot wait to gather them all together in the gym for our traditional Grandparents’ & Grandpals’ Day, but we do not feel it is prudent to do so this year. Instead, we plan to create in-class videos that will be posted on the BCS website Grandparents’ page. We will mail an invitation to Grandparents in early October inviting them to visit our school website on November 1^st to view their grandchild’s class videos.

Will singing be part of the chapel service?

Yes. Singing is an important part of worship and an important part of our educational curriculum.

Will there still be the option to buy lunch at BCS?

Yes.

Will desks be six feet apart in every class?

No.

If masks are mandated, will they be required to be worn all day in every location on campus?

There will most likely be exceptions built into any mandate that is passed down by the government and we will communicate more details if this situation should occur.

Will students be required to wear masks during physical activity such as sports, P.E., or recess?

No. Masks will not be required during physical activity. We are also following the AHSAA guidelines for sports practices.

Will my child’s teacher be wearing a mask?

Masks are optional for all BCS personnel, including teachers.

Can masks include colorful patterns, pictures, superheroes, sports logos, princesses, flowers, designs, lightning bolts, racecars, minions, or other designs?

Yes.

Can masks have statements, political slogans, or popular phrases such as: “TRUMP 2020,” “Black Lives Matter,” or “Hug You Later”?

No.

Can masks be decorated with vampire teeth, clown faces, skull and cross bones, or other similar designs?

No. Please refrain from images that could be disturbing to our youngest students.

Can masks be monogramed for initials of names on the outside of the mask?

Yes.

Can buffs/gaiters be worn as masks?

Yes. This style of masks should be worn around the neck (not in hair, around arms, etc.) or put away when not being worn.

Can my child wear a lanyard connected to the mask to ensure that the mask is not lost or forgotten?

Yes.

Will students be required to complete all assignments missed during an extended COVID-19 related absence?

Teachers will prepare work for students and will scale back what needs to be accomplished from home as much as possible.

Do teachers have experience working with students who experience extended absences from school?

Yes. Teachers and administrators are accustomed to working with students who miss extended periods of class for concussions, strep throat, broken legs, and many other family emergencies and will use a similar flexible and individualized approach to helping students learn major concepts needed to keep pace with the class.

Will teachers be available for guidance and conversations if students are absent for an extended period of time?

Yes.

Do you plan to move back to remote learning during this school year?

No. We want to do everything possible to keep the school operating with in-person classes on our campus.

What would cause the school to move to remote learning?

A government mandate or a high percentage of illnesses would cause us to consider moving to remote learning. We want to do everything possible to learn together in-person at the BCS campus.

What if my child’s teacher gets ill and needs to stay home?

We will continue with a long-term substitute or the teacher will teach remotely from home while the students gather at BCS.

If my child contracted COVID and our doctor recommended staying at home for 10 days from the time of symptoms and then my other child contracts COVID the day before my first child is scheduled to return home, can my first child come to school since that child has fulfilled the doctor’s recommendations?

No, the BCS protocol requires that if anyone living under your roof has tested positive for COVID-19, everyone must stay off campus.

Does my child need a note or negative COVID test from our medical professional to return to school after a positive COVID test or a precautionary absence?

No, we ask that you exercise personal responsibility, integrity, and care for the community and trust that you will return to school at the proper time. This protocol is working well for us and has been followed by BCS for over one year as we seek to provide a safe and healthy learning environment.

What is the percentage of students and staff that need to be absent from COVID-19 for BCS to consider moving to at home learning?

If the total positive COVID-19 cases (not precautionary) were to reach 15% of the students and staff population for the school, we would consider shifting to at home learning or a variety of other options to safely continue with the education of the students.

Is there a percentage of absences that will trigger shutting down of a specific grade, class, or section of the school?

No. There are so many different individual circumstances to consider that we believe it is best to educate the individuals that are healthy in person and ask sick students to stay home.

Can you communicate the COVID-19 absences more often?

Yes. Training families to get the information to the front office in a timely manner (not just to other families or teachers) took a couple of weeks, but we are receiving all info quickly now. Thank you so much to all of you. Great work!

How often do you look at COVID data in the school?

Every day in the morning and also in the afternoon. Our Head of School typically spend an average of 90-120 minutes per day looking at COVID data and answering COVID related questions. The BCS staff and volunteers are also spending many more collective hours every day on this important issue. We are more than happy to serve in this way for the good of our children, parents, community, and school.