COVID-19 Return to School Plan

updated as of 3/7/2022

This plan is in place for COVID-19 return to physical school time period. Content within this plan supersedes current school policy during this time period. School staff, students and parents are expected to follow and comply with the below policies and procedures. As Los Angeles County and Torrance Unified School District loosen COVID-19 restrictions, we will update the safety plan as it applies to our school’s situation.

 

Illness Policy addendum

 

School staff and students must stay home if he/she:

 

●        has COVID-19, regardless of symptoms

●         has a temperature of 100.4 degrees F or higher

●        has a cough

●        mild or moderate difficulty breathing

●        has a sore throat

●        has a runny nose

●        muscle ache or body ache not from exercises

●        vomits, even if just once

●        has diarrhea

●        new lost of taste or smell

●         is lethargic and not his/her usual self

●        is suspicious of being ill, based on the staff’s observations

 

If a student, school staff or family member is exposed to an individual who tested positive or is suspicious of having COVID-19, the school must be notified immediately.

 

All families are expected to follow and comply with the illness policy to keep everyone as healthy as possible. All students and staff should stay home when feeling ill, regardless if it’s COVID related symptoms. All parents or other adults who are experiencing any symptoms of illness, regardless if it’s COVID related symptoms, should not enter the school.

 

If staff or student does not feel well, please stay home. If a student develops illness symptoms while in school, parents will be notified, and the student will be isolated outdoors, with adequate ventilation, away from other students and expected parents to pick-up the student within 1 hour. A school staff will supervise the student at all times, until he/she is picked up. Torrance Chinese School reserves the right to call an ambulance if the student shows signs of needing emergency attention e.g., signs of labored breathing.

If you disagree with the school’s decision to send your child home, you must pick-up your child regardless and may return the next Saturday when school is in session, and student is no longer ill or feeling sick.

 

Face Coverings/Masks

  School Staff: All school staff will be instructed to wear a face mask in school at all times.

  Students: All students will be instructed to wear a face mask in school at all times.

  Parents: Parents who enter the campus must wear a mask at all times. These masks must be provided by parents. If you forget your mask, a disposable one will be provided in the school cafeteria.

 

It is recommended that all staff, students and parents wear a well-fitting, non-cloth mask of 3 layers or more of non-woven material with a nose wire.

 

Cleaning and Disinfecting Effort

 

Food and Drinks

●      Food and drinks are allowed on campus provided that they are strictly consumed outside the classrooms.

 

Classroom

●      Classroom windows and doors should stay opened during Chinese school hours when weather permits to allow for ventilation.

●      Students should have their individual stationery supplies from home containing pencils, erasers, etc. as to limit the need for sharing.

●      Whenever possible, students should sit at least one seat apart from each other, leaving at least one empty seat between students to limit contact.

●      TK/SK to T2/S2’s room parents are responsible for monitoring students’ facial masks are covering their mouth and nose, as well as students are socially distant from each other during class and break time.

 

Hand Hygiene

 

All students and school staff should engage in hand hygiene in school including but not limited to the following times:

●        Arrival to school

●          After coming in contact with bodily fluid (for example when a student sneezes, coughs, cries, etc.)

●        After playing outdoors during break time

●        After handling a trash can

●         Staff: Before and after treating a student for a cut or wound

 

Each Chinese class classroom and cafeteria will have a supply of hand sanitizer.

While hand sanitizer is available, hand washing with soap and water for 20 seconds whenever possible is the better alternative.

 

Physical Distancing Strategies

●      Students should sit at least one seat apart from each other, leaving at least one empty seat between students to limit contact  

●      Students will be discouraged from being physically close to or physical contacting their friends whenever possible.

●      All large group events if allowed per government ordinance, will try be hosted outside or online.

●      The cafeteria will be open from 9:00a.m. – 12:00p.m on Saturdays when school is in session. Person to person meetings may take place as long as the following precautions are taken: all participants must wear a face mask and try to maintain social distancing of 6 feet minimum. Some meetings may take place outdoors instead of the cafeteria.

 

COVID-19 Testing

Students and school staff are not required to get COVID-19 tested prior to returning to school. It is important that we continue to conduct daily wellness checks and follow our COVID-19 Return to School Safely Plan.

 

If a student was a close contact:

They should take a covid test.

If they have a negative result, they can return to the campus.

 

If they test positive:

They are to quarantine for 5 days.  On the 5th day they can test.  If a negative test is returned, they can return to campus.  If a positive test is returned, they are to continue to quarantine for an additional 5 days (for a total of 10 days from the original positive test).  If parents do not want to test after the 5th day, they should continue to quarantine for the additional 5 days.

 

Please see county website for latest home isolation instruction. Updated county instruction will supersede instruction found in this document

http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/ncorona2019/covidisolation/

 

Staff and Family Travel Plans

Domestic Travel

If school staff or student, not fully vaccinated, is returning to the County of Los Angeles from another state, you must get a covid test 3-5 days after returning and quarantine for 5 days. If you opt not to test upon return, quarantine for 10 days.

 

If school staff or student, fully vaccinated, is returning to the County of Los Angeles from another state, you should get tested 3-5 days after you return to California.

 

International Travel

School staff or student should get a covid test 3-5 days after travel regardless of vaccination status. Quarantine if you are not fully vaccinated and have not recovered from Covid-19 in the past 90 days. You should self-quarantine for 5 full days even if your test is negative.

 

Updated county travel advisory will supersede instruction found in this document

http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/traveladvisory.htm

 

Q&A

 

What if there is a positive case of Covid-19 in the school?

●      If a student, school staff or family member tests positive for Covid-19, the school must be notified immediately and the individual must be quarantined at home for 5 days. If your child was in contact with someone who tested positive, you will be notified. All individuals who have been in contact with this individual should conduct a covid test. If the result is negative, they can return to school. If the result is positive, they must quarantine for 5 days. A 2nd covid test must be conducted after 5 days. If the 2nd covid test is negative, the student may return to school. If the 2nd covid test is positive, the individual must quarantine for an additional 5 days.

●      If a student, school staff or family member is exposed to an individual who tested positive or is suspicious of having COVID-19, the school must be notified immediately to take appropriate measures.

●      If a student or school staff tests positive for Covid-19, the school will notify parents and how we will proceed as a school.

●      Please see county website for latest home isolation instruction. Updated county instruction will supersede instruction found in this document

http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/ncorona2019/covidisolation/

 

What if my student or a school staff tested positive and have been home for 5 days?

  If a student or school staff has quarantined at home after testing positive, he/she should conduct a covid test and may return to school if the result is negative. If the test result is positive, he/she must quarantine for an additional 5 days.

  Further, we will follow any additional guidance from the health department on how to return the school staff or student safely.

Please see county website for latest home isolation instruction. Updated county instruction will supersede instruction found in this document

http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/ncorona2019/covidisolation/