LOMA Covid Protocols

Policies & Procedures in Response to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

The health and well-being of Little Oak Montessori Academy’s (LOMA) students, staff, and families are of utmost importance to us. The Center for Disease Control (CDC), and state and local officials have outlined guidelines specifically for early childcare programs in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. LOMA reserves the right to change any of the following policies and procedures at any time and will communicate any future changes.

SOCIAL DISTANCING POLICIES:

  • Parents will continue to remain in the front lobby during pick up/drop off (unless instructed to pick-up at the Infant gate or on the playground). *If picking up on the playground, parents must walk around the outside of the building. 

  • Tables, work areas, and sleeping cots will be spaced apart. Children will be encouraged to work more independently rather than in groups. Family-style eating is suspended until further notice. 

  • LOMA will continue to serve hot lunches. The food service driver will deliver meals to the front entrance, rather than entering the building and delivering to the kitchen. 

INTENSIFY CLEANING AND DISINFECTING EFFORTS: 

  • Hand sanitizer will be available in the front lobby and in classrooms. Staff carries hand sanitizer with them all day.

  • Staff and children will be required to wash their hands upon arrival and before entering the classrooms. Hand washing is also increased throughout the entire day (i.e., when coming inside from the playground, after coming from the gym/playroom, etc.). In the Primary classrooms, we have provided stairs and a faucet extender to help the children wash their hands. 

  • High contact areas, such as tabletops, doorknobs, and materials, will be sanitized multiple times during the day. 

  • Toys/materials that have been in a child’s mouth or have been soiled by any bodily fluid will be immediately set aside to wash and disinfect, per usual. As always, please do not send in toys from home.

  • Staff will be responsible for serving food items. 

  • A commercial cleaning company will continue to deep clean the school each evening. 

SCREENING PROCEDURES:

  • You are required to check your child’s temperature at home each morning. If your child has a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher OR if you suspect your child is getting ill, please do not bring your child to school. VDOE prohibits the use of fever-reducing medications in order to reduce a fever so that the child may attend school. 

  • If you are at home and your child reaches a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher for any given amount of time, notify LOMA immediately via Procare or email. 

  • VDOE guidelines require parents to inform childcare facilities of any communicable diseases within the student’s immediate family within 24 hours. If your child or anyone in your household had been exposed to COVID-19, please report the exposure to LOMA within 24 hours. 

  • Your child’s temperature will be checked with a touchless forehead thermometer upon arrival.  If this reading is 100.4 degrees or higher, your child will be sent home.

  • Upon arrival, parents must sign in the child via the Procare app on their mobile device. 

  • If your child has a fever at home or at LOMA, you must keep your child at home until your child has been fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication AND either provide a negative COVID-19 test result or have your child’s doctor complete the Return to LOMA form. Please contact LOMA management if you are unable to have your child tested for COVID-19.

DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP PROCEDURES:

  • LOMA hours of operation for all children remains from 8:00am-5:00pm. Aftercare is available from 5:00pm-5:30pm for an additional fee.

  • Face masks are optional for all adults entering the building.

  • Parents are responsible for signing their children in AND out each day using their own smartphones. Each parent has his/her own QR code which will be used to sign the child in and out. 

  • If a staff member is NOT present at the front when you arrive, please follow these procedures: 

  • Please use hand sanitizer to disinfect your hands.

  • Call using the walkie-talkie on the small table. Push down the top left button as you speak and release when finished. You should receive a response within a few minutes. If you do not receive a response, please call again. Once finished, wipe down the walkie-talkie with the provided sanitizing wipes.

  • During afternoon pick-up, your child’s belongings (if applicable) will be located in the front lobby according to classrooms (Primary or CC/Toddlers). Please pick up your child’s belongings and then call using the walkie-talkie. You will be prompted to either wait for your child to be brought to you OR you will be asked to walk around the building to meet your child on the playground.

FACE COVERINGS AND ADDITIONAL MEASURES: 

Children

  • Children under 2 years old should not wear a face mask.

  • Children 2 and older are encouraged to wear face masks indoors; however, mask use is optional.

  • Face coverings will not be worn during nap time, outdoors or during meals. 

  • If you would like your child to wear a face mask, please send 2 additional masks to school for your child to use in case their mask becomes soiled during the day. Face coverings should be washed after every use. Parents are responsible for providing face masks.

Staff

  • All staff members are encouraged to wear face masks indoors; however,
    mask use is optional.

  • LOMA offers free rapid antigen testing to all LOMA employees.

QUARANTINE POLICIES:  

  • Any child who tests positive for COVID-19 is required to quarantine for 10 days. The first day of quarantine begins on the date of the positive test result.

  • Any staff member who tests positive for COVID-19 is required to
    quarantine for 5 days and can return on day 6 if only fever and symptom-free. Mask-wearing is mandatory from days 6-10.

  • Close contacts are defined as individuals who have been within 6 feet of a person with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes (regardless of masking).

  • Individuals who are considered a “close contact” to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19. Close contacts who are fully vaccinated (proof of vaccination required) or have had COVID-19 within the past 3 months do not need to quarantine.

  • Close contacts who are unvaccinated must quarantine for 5 days and have two options: either test negative for those 5 consecutive days on antigen tests or test negative on a PCR test on Day 5.

    • Option 1: Daily Testing to Return: Starting from the last day of exposure, the individual must test negative on antigen tests for 5 consecutive days or negative on a PCR test on Day 5. Daily photos of the rapid antigen tests labeled with the date should be sent to the Head of School (HOS) at (afields@lomamontessori.com).

    • Option 2: Ten-Day Quarantine: If the above policy is not possible, anyone who is considered a “close contact” must wait 10 days in order to return to LOMA.

  • Tuition for missed days for any reason is non-refundable. LOMA offers a once a year 2-week tuition discount for absences that occur over 30 consecutive days.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/novel-coronavirus/isolate-quarantine


WHAT YOU NEED TO DO WHEN YOU ISOLATE OR QUARANTINE

 There are several things that you must do to prevent the disease from spreading to people in your home and community. Your actions can protect others from COVID-19.

Stay home:

  • Do not leave your house.

  • Do not spend time with others, including those you live with even if you feel well.

  • Do not share personal items, and use a separate bedroom and bathroom, if possible.

  • Do not go for walks.

  • Do not go to school or work.

  • Do not run errands.

Monitor symptoms:

  • Take your temperature twice a day; once in the morning and once at night.

  • If you need to seek medical care, call your healthcare provider and inform the office you are isolating for COVID-19 illness before going into the office.

  • Call 911 immediately if you have danger signs, such as trouble breathing, pain or pressure in the chest, confusion or inability to arouse, or bluish lips or face.

  • Share your symptoms with the Health Department if you have been asked to do so by a contact tracer.

Take precautions:

  • When you quarantine: stay away from people you live with, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19, if possible.

  • When you isolate:

    • Stay in a separate room from other household members and use a separate bathroom, if possible.

    • Avoid contact with other members of the household and pets.

    • Don’t share personal household items, like cups, towels, and utensils.

    • Wear a mask when around other people if able.

  • Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the inside of your elbow.

  • Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.

  • Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces every day.

 Get tested, if you are quarantining:

  • Testing for COVID-19 is available in many locations across Fairfax Health District. If you need a test, contact your healthcare provider or find another location offering testing.

  • Call ahead to make an appointment and wear a mask when you leave home.

Resource: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/novel-coronavirus/isolate-quarantine