Health & Safety

 

We are committed to:

 

A Jesuit high school represents a partnership between students, colleagues, and parents during the educational journey. This partnership is key during COVID-19 times. Parents/guardians agree to monitor symptoms before each school day and will also agree not to send students to school for in-person instruction if their morning temperature reading exceeds 100.4 degrees fahrenheit. Parents agree that dispensing aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen to lower a morning temperature below 100.4 runs contrary to the spirit of keeping the community safe, and they should keep their son home. Students who reach this temperature or present with other COVID-19 related symptoms will not return to school without written medical clearance from their doctor. This clearance would include a negative COVID-19 screening subsequent to symptoms. Similarly, the discovery of COVID-19 exposure would enact the same restrictions and require medical clearance. Colleagues will agree to follow the same process defined above for either symptoms or exposure.

We will use the Wrestling Gym as an isolation room to separate anyone who exhibits COVID-19-like symptoms. Colleagues who notice a symptomatic student must immediately contact the main office, which in turn will contact Nurse Michelle Holmes, Dean of Students Al Greene, and a member of the academic administration to alert them to the situation. An adult from the main office wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) will report to the classroom immediately to escort the ill student to the Isolation Room. The teacher will remain with his/her class and await further instruction from the administration.

Upon isolating a student or colleague, we will immediately contact parents/guardians to come to school and remain outside while an adult with PPE escorts the students to their parent or guardian. Al Greene and Michelle Holmes will coordinate student departure in compliance with social distancing and other safety measures. The student would then follow the guidance detailed above.

If adults were to become symptomatic, they would immediately leave the building or report to the Isolation Room where they would make plans to return home. Adults would then follow the guidance detailed in above.

Whether an adult or student shows symptoms, our facilities staff will close off areas used by a sick person until they can be properly cleaned and disinfected. Nurse Holmes, Dean Greene, or a member of the academic administration will notify the Philadelphia Health Department and/or other appropriate local health officials, staff, and families of exposure or a confirmed case while maintaining confidentiality.

 

Our facilities staff will continue with enhanced cleaning procedures enacted during the spring of 2020, namely cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces and objects within the school and on school buses at least daily, including door handles and sink handles. Drinking fountains have already been replaced with bottle refilling stations. We are working to ensure ventilation systems operate properly and increase circulation of outdoor air by opening windows and doors when possible. We have filed a non-public school health and safety grant which should enable us to purchase additional air cleaning devices.

By reducing our schedule to four class periods per day, we are reducing the number of times students and adults need to move around campus. We will create one-way traffic patterns in hallways and stairwells or designate the direction of traffic flow in wider passages (e.g. bridge, link). Direction of foot traffic will be clearly marked by signs on walls and arrows on floors in the now-familiar manner employed in grocery and retail stores.

Given that students and adults use various methods to come to the Prep, arrival times are naturally staggered. For those students who do arrive early, each grade will have a designated rally point.

   - Seniors: Dining Hall (upper and lower levels)

   - Juniors: MPR

   - Freshmen/Sophomores: Fieldhouse

When it is time to report to class, dismissal from rally points will be staggered.

 

In order to promote social distancing, we will also stagger dismissal at the end of the academic day by campus location using the PA system.

SAGE, our dining service, will eliminate buffet and self-service dining options. Instead, they will offer “grab-and-go” meals with disposable cutlery and condiments. Students also have the option of bringing lunch from home. Food and utensils may not be shared under any circumstances. Students will eat in socially-distanced common areas. Students will be directed to wash hands and/or use hand sanitizer immediately before and after meals. Dining areas will be immediately cleaned and disinfected by our facilities staff following lunch periods. Similarly, colleagues will eat lunch under social distancing guidelines and not share food or utensils. All transactions will be cashless. More information about seeing up dining accounts will be shared at a later date.

In the dining hall, large tables that are not conducive to social distancing will be replaced by desks. These will be arranged in such a way as to allow the recommended six feet of distance from neighboring students.

Students in highest risk categories, or with household members in highest risk categories, may elect to stay home while COVID-19 remains present in our area. Parents should send an email to Principal@sjprep.org to begin the process of making arrangements for staying home under these circumstances.

Colleagues in higher risk categories looking to work remotely should consult with Joe Dougherty, Senior Director of Human Resources (jdougherty@sjprep.org), to determine whether a reasonable accommodation can be made. If necessary, colleagues may work remotely with students by using teleconferencing software either at school or at their homes.

In the public areas of the school (main office counter, security desk, dean’s office counter, bookstore, etc.), the Prep will install plastic shields similar to those used in business establishments. Plastic shields may also be installed in certain classrooms if needed and in offices where physical distancing is not feasible.

Please note: each family will be asked to sign an Acknowledgment of Risk of COVID-19 form. This form will become available to you with your student's roster.