Good Shepherd Christian Daycare and Preschool
In accordance with the Department of Health’s update on Covid-19 standards for Child Care Centers issued on January 6, 2022, Good Shepherd Preschool has updated the health protocol for our center.
Daily screening: all staff and children will continue to be screened upon arrival. Those exhibiting symptoms will be sent home.
Please stay home if you or any one in your family has:
• Fever (100.4 F or higher) or chills • Cough • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing • Fatigue • Muscle or body aches • Headache • New loss of taste or smell • Sore throat • Congestion or runny nose • Nausea or vomiting • Diarrhea • Have been in contact with a person who has been confirmed positive or suspected to be positive • Awaiting the results of COVID-19 test
Children with the following symptoms should be promptly isolated from others and excluded from childcare:
• At least two of the following symptoms: fever 100.4, chills, rigors (shivers), myalgia (muscle aches), headache, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, congestion or runny nose; OR • At least one of the following symptoms: cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, new olfactory disorder, new taste disorder
Children who meet the above criteria will be:
• Promptly isolated and excluded from the facility for at least 5 days from the symptom onset, are fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medication and symptoms have improved and then may return to school after 5 days with a mask for the remaining 5 days.
• Sick child will be separated from the rest of the group immediately. We will move the child to our library to await pick up. Staff member that becomes sick will be sent home immediately.
• If one person in your household is Covid positive, we ask that children are tested and can remain in school with a mask on as long as they remain testing negative.
• Classroom where a sick person has been, will be thoroughly disinfected! All children who can remain in school will be brought to Luther Hall while the classroom is being cleaned and disinfected.
As per our current protocol: If your child is considered a close contact in an exposed classroom. They can test 5-7 days after exposure and return to school on the 8th day if they test negative.
At Drop off: Parents may enter the building, sign their child into their class, and leave after they drop their child. At Pick up: Parents may enter the building, sign their child out of their class, and leave the building.
Cleaning will continue to be of upmost importance. We continue to sanitize and clean all classrooms, toys, and surfaces that the children use each day. All staff will be wearing a mask for the entirety of the work day. Children are encouraged to wear a mask over the age of 2 years old. We will be, as part of our instruction, adding information for the children about wearing masks. If a child does not want to wear a mask we will encourage him/her and try our best to have them be comfortable in wearing it. We will not however force a child to keep it on. DCF has agreed that we should not be constantly touching a child’s face adjusting the mask. Masks will not be worn during naptime/rest time or in the playground while the children are very active.
If you should have further questions or concerns about these requirements or changes, please feel free to be in touch with me. We will continue with our fun theme weeks, science experiments, fun projects and encouraging a love for reading.
We, at GSCDC, do look forward to serving you and your children!
