COVID-19: Safety Measures - Viewpoint School

VIEWPOINT 2021-22 COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS

The first dose must have been administered before the first day of school with the second dose, if part of the regimen defined by the vaccine manufacturer, scheduled to occur before September 27, 2021.
Proof of complete vaccination must be in the possession of the Health Office (in the case of students) or the Human Resources Office (in the case of employees) no later than September 30, 2021.
Full vaccination may be a prerequisite for participation in some activities.
If the COVID-19 vaccine is completed throughout the year, please upload proof of vaccination to the Health Office (in the case of students) or the Human Resources Office (in the case of employees).
Exemptions to the vaccination requirement for medical reasons and waivers for religious or personal belief reasons may be applied for.

SURVEILLANCE TESTING FOR COVID-19

ALL students and employees, regardless of their vaccination status, need to show proof of a negative result of a PCR test taken within 4 days of when students return to campus for the first day of school.
Unvaccinated students and employees will need to provide evidence of a negative result from PCR tests taken TWICE A WEEK. (Tests will be available on campus through BRIO)
Vaccinated students and employees will need to provide evidence of a negative result from a PCR test taken ONCE A WEEK, at least until case counts among the vaccinated in the community lead the School to conclude this is no longer prudent. (Tests will be available on campus through BRIO)
As a reminder, please do not eat or drink 30 minutes prior to testing.

DAILY HEALTH CHECK

Use of the Magnus App COVID-19 daily attestation will be reactivated – with new questions.
Screening at the entry gates will resume for visitors and guests. You will no longer be asked to show your “GO” sign at the gate but temperature checks will continue on arrival to campus.
It remains very important that you stay aware of your health and the health of those in your household, be watchful for symptoms that suggest infection, and isolate yourself when you are sick or think you might be.

MASKS ARE REQUIRED INDOORS & AT DROP OFF & PICK UP, REGARDLESS OF VACCINATION STATUS

Masks are required for all EMPLOYEES when indoors.
- A KN95 mask is recommended for Teachers, Assistant Teachers, and other student-facing employees.
- Masks should cover both mouth and nose.
- School-provided masks are available at the Nurses’ or Campus Safety Offices.
- Face shields for teachers are optional, and may be added for close-up, extended interactions with a student, but are not a substitute for a mask.
Masks are required for all STUDENTS when indoors and at drop off and pick up.
- This includes indoor classes and activities that involve singing and/or physical exertion.
- Unvaccinated students are encouraged to upgrade to KN95 masks from standard cloth or paper masks.
- Mask wearing is encouraged when participating in outdoor activities that involve extended contact or close interactions with other students.
- For brief teacher-student interactions, a student’s mask can be briefly removed if the visibility of the student’s mouth is necessary for some reason or the student cannot be adequately understood with the mask in place, despite multiple attempts. The physical distancing of at least 3’ should be maintained in such interactions. If such interactions are commonplace, having a plexiglass-divided table set up is recommended.
Rasmussen Pavilion, Paul Family Athletic Center, and Balaban-Webster Team Center are considered indoors. Masks are required.
Restrooms are considered indoors and masks are required.
Mask wearing outdoors is currently optional for all teachers and students, regardless of their vaccination status.

PHYSICAL DISTANCING

Physical distancing is still important.
Desk and table spacing in the classroom should maximize separation (with at least 3 feet preferred but specific separation distances no longer mandated).
Desk-top barriers on classroom desks and tables will not be used other than in special circumstances.
Teachers should minimize close-proximity interactions, but do not need to teach only from the front of the room.
Students should have assigned seating and should not move between desks within the classroom.
Student desks and chairs need not be oriented in the same direction.
Students’ work should be primarily done individually rather than in pairs or groups to avoid extended close-proximity interactions.
Assemblies, meetings, and other large gatherings should allow for adequate physical distancing between attendees. Student gatherings should not exceed the size of one grade at a time.
Clusters and crowds of students should be avoided both indoors and outdoors.
At drop off and pick up, students must continue to stay spread out. The adult dropping off or picking up the child should be asked to attend to any necessary unbuckling or buckling of their children.
Please avoid hugging, handholding, arms locking, huddling, extended shoulder-to-shoulder hallway hangout times, or close proximity conversations.

HAND HYGIENE, SURFACE SANITIZATION, AND ENHANCED VENTILATION

Students should continue to be prompted regularly to wash their hands and avoid touching their faces.
Employees should also wash their hands multiple times daily.
When students transition to a new space (playground, enrichment space), they should wash their hands or use hand sanitizer.
The use of shared items is discouraged:
- Avoid the use of somebody else’s mobile phone or drink from their water bottle.
- Avoid the sharing of textbooks and classroom supplies. Use classroom libraries with caution.
- Shared school laptops and iPads should be wiped down with a cleaning wipe at the end of the day before they are placed in the charging cart. Preferably by the student who used the device.
Students no longer need to wipe down their desks at the end of each class, but wipes will be available in each classroom for incoming students to use if they want to.
Room ventilation and air filtration improvements will remain in place.

EATING OUTDOORS

Daily food service by SAGE has resumed.
Menus and a list of items available for purchase will be posted in advance for viewing online.
The bringing of snacks and lunch from home for personal consumption is welcome, but students are not allowed to bring in snacks or treats to share with others (e.g. for birthdays or special occasions).
Patriot Cards are required for those purchasing food from SAGE. Cash will not be accepted.
Any eating or drinking in the presence of others must take place outside with physical separation from others, or at tables equipped with dividers.
Hand washing or the use of hand sanitizer should occur before and after eating.
Water fountains will remain turned off. Water bottle filling stations will remain. Inexpensive reusable water bottles will be available for purchase in the Patriot Store for students who need them.

QUARANTINING RECOMMENDATIONS

All Viewpoint School quarantine guidelines are consistent with local health authority and CDC recommendations.
- View more information here: http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/coronavirus/traveladvisory.htm
Vaccinated students and employees should stay home and quarantine in these situations:
- You are notified by a Viewpoint contact tracer that you should quarantine.
- You test positive for COVID-19.
- You notice in yourself symptoms of COVID-19, but don’t yet have a test result.
Unvaccinated students and employees should stay home and quarantine in these situations:
- You are notified by a Viewpoint contact tracer that you should quarantine.
- You test positive for COVID-19.
- You notice in yourself symptoms of COVID-19 but don’t yet have a test result.
- You had a “confirmed exposure” (e.g., you had close or extended contact with someone anytime in the 48 hours before they took the COVID-19 test that revealed they have the virus or since the time they took the test).
- You were around someone who tells you they think they might have COVID-19 but do not yet have a positive test result that confirms it (e.g. a “suspected exposure”).
- You took part in an activity that exposed you for an extended period of time to others who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status you do not know (e.g. you left the country, you attended a conference or concert or family reunion or neighborhood picnic or anything similar).
In all cases, the Nurse’s Office or Campus Safety Office should be called as soon as possible to find out how long a quarantine will be necessary.
- The length of the quarantine and what sort of testing will be needed before a student or employee can return to school will depend on the situation.
- You can help with our contact tracing efforts, and demonstrate care for the health of others in the school community, by responding completely and honestly to questions the nurse (or another one of our trained contact tracers) may ask you about who you were within the days before and since you started your quarantine.

COVID-19 EXPOSURE NOTIFICATION

Viewpoint will notify all persons who have a school-associated exposure to a person with COVID-19 while they were infectious at school. You will receive a notification letter and/or a personal phone call from one of our certified contact tracers if you are identified as having had close contact to the potentially infectious person at school. You will receive specific quarantine and potential testing guidance based on your vaccination status. All Viewpoint School guidelines are consistent with local health authority and CDC recommendations.

VISITING REQUIREMENTS

Until further notice, parents and all other visitors to campus will be subject to health screening at the gate, be asked to provide evidence they are fully vaccinated, or show proof of a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before the date of their visit, and must wear a mask at all times when on campus, indoors and outdoors, regardless of vaccination status.
Parents wishing to volunteer to assist with student-facing activities (e.g. serving lunch on campus) will be asked to show proof of vaccination when signing up.
Those on campus to view student assemblies and performances will be asked to leave seats vacant between themselves and anyone not in their household.

Don Anderson
Director of Campus Safety and Security

Mark McKee
Head of School

Tanya Altmann MD, FAAP
School Physician

Bob Bryan
Associate Head of School

Steve Cole
Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations / CFOO

Anneke Emerson
Chief Innovation Officer

Sue Gellerman RN, BSN
Senior Nurse

William Go MD, PhD
Scientific Advisor

Heather Kruse
Chief Human Resources Officer

Christy Salcido
Chief Marketing Officer

Jill Schecter
Vice Chair, Board of Trustees

Jonathon Wolfson
Board of Trustees

David ZeBrack
Chair, Board of Trustees

In This Section

In This Section

VIEWPOINT 2021-22 COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS

SURVEILLANCE TESTING FOR COVID-19

DAILY HEALTH CHECK

MASKS ARE REQUIRED INDOORS & AT DROP OFF & PICK UP, REGARDLESS OF VACCINATION STATUS

PHYSICAL DISTANCING

HAND HYGIENE, SURFACE SANITIZATION, AND ENHANCED VENTILATION

EATING OUTDOORS

QUARANTINING RECOMMENDATIONS

COVID-19 EXPOSURE NOTIFICATION

VISITING REQUIREMENTS

LOCKER USE

Our robust safety guidelines and protocol will remain in place. Last summer, Viewpoint worked tirelessly to make our School environment the safest it can be during these times. Please watch below as we transformed Viewpoint into a COVID-19 safe space for our community.

COVID-19 Task Force, Executive Committee:

COVID-19 Resources at Viewpoint School

Head of School Updates

Helpful Links