What is CBA’s COVID-19 Prevention and Control Plan?

CBA is committed to maintaining a safe environment in which our students can learn.

  • CBA requires all families to sign our COVID-19 Community Agreement. Every morning, the CBA Chatbot asks each family to report the presence or absence of COVID-19 symptoms for their household.
  • CBA has a COVID-19 Communication Plan.  CBA keeps families informed on COVID-19 prevention and response within our community via the Communications page, in videos and e-mails from Nate Johnson to individuals, classes and to the entire school (several of which are cross-posted in the From Our Headmaster section) and here on our COVID-19 FAQs page.
  • CBA maintains confidential documents about cases within our community and contact tracing and shares this information with DHEC.

When should my child not attend school?

It is imperative for your child to stay home if any of the following applies:

  • you suspect your child has COVID-19
  • your child has tested positive for COVID-19
  • your child has COVID-19 symptoms
  • your child or your household members have recently had close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19

It is vital that each family is very transparent about any COVID-19 related situation so we can inform any other community members who may have been exposed.

Does my child need to get tested for COVID-19?

If your child or anyone in your household experiences COVID-19 symptoms, you will need to show a negative COVID-19 test before your child may re-enter school. If your child is asymptomatic, CBA asks that you obtain a molecular test.

 What will happen to instruction if a family has had a close exposure and needs to remain at home?

If your elementary child is home, and well enough to participate in school, you will use our Google classroom platform to continue receiving assignments while he or she is out. Your child’s teacher or the office will notify you if you need to pick up materials and families may let us know if they need them to be delivered to them.  CBA Kindergarten and elementary teachers have worked hard this summer acquiring an exceptional curriculum in Spanish that will also aid in completing home assignments without the need of printing materials.

 

What if a student or staff member is diagnosed with COVID-19?

Guided by DHEC and medical guidelines, we will handle each case individually. We will notify local health officials. We may need to dismiss some students and/or staff  up to 14 days. We will communicate with staff, parents and students while keeping confidentiality. Based on CDC predictions, it is possible there will be additional outbreaks of COVID-19 that could impact on-campus programming during the school year. If so, we have have to quarantines a cohort, a grade, or close the entire school for a short period of time. We will provide engaging virtual instruction should this occur.
 

What if my child or faculty member becomes ill during the school day?

 

If a student or employee begins experiencing COVID-19 symptoms during the day, he or she will be isolated from others immediately. CBA has a designated isolation area for this. Any area the student or employee has visited that day will be cleaned thoroughly. Parents will be called by the office to pick up their child immediately, and the office will advise them on next steps.

 

Who is required to wear face coverings?

 

Teachers will wear face shields at all times. These allow their faces to be seen. CDC, DHEC, American Pediatrics Society recommends that children who do not know how to properly wear masks should NOT wear masks (e.g. touching their face more, increases risk). Preschoolers are not required to wear masks; however, as of 11/30/20, we are recommending that our 3.5-year-old and 4-year-old classes wear masks or shields.

Elementary (K-4th grade) students will be asked to bring a cloth face mask to wear in the hallways and when they are not able to practice social distancing during the day. They won’t need to wear them in the classroom when at their desks. 

We no longer recommend gaiters for any students, since children have a hard time keeping them on their faces.

 

What is CBA doing to prevent the spread of COVID in our campus?

 

Family agreement:

First and foremost, all CBA parents will agree to protect our community. Parents will sign a community agreement agreeing to stay home if they suspect their child has COVID-19, the child has tested positive for COVID-19, the child has COVID-19 symptoms, or their child or any of the household members have recently had close contact with a person with COVID-19. Parents will also daily affirm they have not been exposed nor are symptomatic. The school will also take students’ temperatures before attending class.

Per CBA’s COVID agreement, students and staff will be excluded from school if they have:

  • Any 1 of the following: Fever >100, difficulty breathing, loss of taste or smell, vomiting, or a new undiagnosed cough, undiagnosed nausea/diarrhea   
  • Any 2 of the following: Sore throat, muscle aches, chills,  (*This list could change as we get more information).

If your child has had a fever of 100 degrees or more, your child must be symptom-free (for 24 hours) and you must provide the school with a doctor’s note or negative COVID test before being approved to reenter class.  If your child, or anyone in your household, tests positive for COVID, then CDC guidelines will be followed (14 days of quarantine after the last close exposure).

Per CBA’s sickness policy in the Parent-Student Handbook, students will not be admitted to school if he or she has one or more of these symptoms: diarrhea, rash, fever, sore throat, upset stomach, vomiting, green or yellow mucus, a cold with infection present, discharge from pink, red, or puffy eyes, or earache. If a child has constant green or yellow mucus, then they need to stay home to avoid the transmission of germs to other students.

CBA sanitation measures: 

  • The school has contracted BIOSWEEP to apply their safe Hydrogen Peroxide based solution to apply to high touch areas that will keep germs from growing on these areas for 365 days. 
  • In addition, high touch areas will be cleaned throughout the day and our sanitation officer will disinfect the room while the class is outside. 
  • The school will be cleaned and disinfected at the end of each day by our cleaning crew. 
  • We have purchased an electrostatic sprayer to further enhance our cleaning and sanitizing processes nightly. 
  • The school has invested in UV-C air purifiers and we are also planning to install a Reme Halo system in our HVAC system. 
  • Two outdoor hand washing stations will be installed outside entryway doors. 
  • Depending on the age, teachers will have the option to either have students leave shoes outside the classroom or spray the soles with Isopropyl alcohol. We ask parents to purchase shoes that are easy to put on/take off (for example: Velcro straps) and dress children in socks.

Increase distancing while maintaining socialization:

  • Classes will stay with their group throughout the day (e.g. chapels will be held in individual classrooms, only 1 group will be on the playground at a time and the area will be disinfected between classes). 
  • To increase distancing, we will remove some tables in the preschool classrooms. 
  • Weather permitting, classes will have PE class, eat and have circle time outside in addition to their daily outdoor recess. 
  • Students in grades K-4th will will be placed between 3-6 feet apart so that students are able to take their masks off while seated. While working in groups, they will use their masks. 
  • We love our visitors, including volunteers and guest experts. However, our main job is to keep students safe. We will limit visitor and parent access inside the building. We are asking that you call us or email us as much as possible rather than coming in person to make inquiries. Remember also that you can pay through the website and Venmo. You can also mail checks to 5032 Lackawanna Blvd., North Charleston, SC 29405.