The Safely On Campus (SOC) guidelines detailed here are based on current health requirements, state licensing, accreditation standards, best practices for small schools, and government orders and may change as new information becomes available. Please note guidelines vary between programs. If you have children in multiple programs, please read through each relevant set of guidelines.
No matter what the coming year brings, we are in this together. We are committed to working in partnership with you to support the vibrant growth of our students.
Travel for All Families and Staff
CDPH travel guidelines
You can travel for urgent matters or if such travel is essential to your work. Avoid traveling long distances for vacations or pleasure as much as possible. This is to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Before traveling away from our community, consider these questions from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) travel guidance:
- Is coronavirus spreading where you are traveling?
- Are you or those you are traveling with more likely to get very sick from coronavirus?
- Will you be able to keep 6 feet of physical distance from others during or after your trip?
Disinfecting
Play equipment, classroom/office surfaces, and high touch points (doorknobs, light switches, etc.) are disinfected while students are not present before school and two times throughout the day.
Disinfectants are listed on the EPA list N for use against SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19). Our Maintenance Department is currently using several products to meet the disinfecting needs of the campus. All disinfectants DO NOT contain phosphates or harsh chemicals; all disinfectants are eco-friendly, several are biodegradable, and one is botanically derived.
Daily Health Screening
All parents wishing to walk on campus and all students are required to complete a Daily Health Screening prior to arriving on campus.
Face Coverings and Social Distancing
Face coverings are required for parents and 1st-12th grade students while walking to the classroom and during the time that they are on campus. We ask parents to maintain physical distancing with other children, parents, and teachers when possible. Students will be walked out to the parking lot for pick up at the end of their school day.
An acceptable face covering is a clean, properly fitting face mask that covers the nose and mouth. Current studies indicate that buffs, gaiters, and bandanas are not effective face coverings and are potentially worse than wearing no face covering at all. All students, staff, and parents are advised to discontinue the use of buffs, gaiters, and bandanas as well as masks with exhalation valves. We ask that face coverings do not include words or images which could be disruptive, scary, or controversial. Patterns are fine. If you need a mask while on campus, please come to the front office. We will supply you with an unused, disposable mask.
Oak Grove has open-air, outdoor classrooms for each grade, which is where teachers spend the majority of the learning day. Each of Oak Grove’s outdoor classrooms accommodates a full class (ranging from 12-18 students) with physically distanced seating (6’ apart).
Fresh Air
All indoor classrooms and offices have open doors and windows, even when HVAC is running, to ensure fresh air flow. Air filters are cleaned and replaced frequently.
*CDC, the California Department of Public Health, the California Department of Education, the Ventura County Office of Education, OSHA, and Ventura County Public Health, California Association of Independent Schools, National Association of Independent Schools.
Staff and visitor guidelines are available here.
Mitigation for Students and Staff —
Guidelines
All plans are developed using the CDPH COVID-19 and Reopening In-Person Learning Framework for K-12 Schools in California, 2020-2021 School Year and the CDPH, CDSS, and Cal/OSHA guideline COVID-19 UPDATED GUIDANCE: Child Care Programs and Providers and the CDPH, CDSS, and Cal/OSHA guidelines COVID-19 Industry Guidance: Schools and School Based Programs.
Monitoring
Teachers monitor students in their cohort throughout the day for any signs of illness, as outlined by the CDC. Teachers send symptomatic individuals to the Care and Comfort staff. Parents/guardians are contacted immediately for an early pick up. Care and Comfort staff report symptomatic individuals to liaisons immediately.
Mitigation
Oak Grove’s Care and Comfort staff uses N95 or surgical/procedure masks when caring for sick students or staff (community members). If a community member is coughing, a surgical/procedure mask is provided to that community member if needed. Oak Grove immediately notifies parents/guardians and sends students home with a temperature of 99.5 F or higher using an oral or no-touch thermometer, cough, or other COVID-19 symptoms, after isolating from the general cohort population. COVID-19 testing is recommended, and the school and class can stay open. A community member that presents with a temperature of 99.5 F or higher orally or 99.5 F or higher using an oral or no-touch thermometer, cough, or other COVID-19 symptoms are sent home. COVID-19 testing is recommended, and the school and class can stay open. Community members with a documented history of allergies are not excluded from campus.
Measures outlined on CDPH’s COVID-19 and Reopening In-Person Learning Framework for K-12 Schools in California, 2020-2021 School Year (July 17, 2020) will be followed when a student, teacher, or staff member has symptoms, is a contact of someone infected, or is diagnosed with COVID-19.
Reporting, Identification, and Tracing
Oak Grove has two designated VCPH Liaisons. If a community member is confirmed with a COVID-19 case infection, a school Liaison notifies VCPH, isolates the case, and excludes the person from school premises for 14 days from the onset of symptoms or test confirmation date. VCPH and School Liaisons, separately and/or in cooperation with County Health, identify contacts, recommend quarantine, and exclude exposed contacts (i.e the entire cohort) for the entire 14-day period after the last date the case was present at school while infectious. VCPH and the School Liaisons recommend testing of contacts, and prioritize symptomatic contacts (this will not shorten the 14-day quarantine). The campus maintenance team disinfects and cleans the classroom and primary spaces where the case spent significant time (more than 15 minutes). School may remain open. Oak Grove will send a school community notification of a known case.
If a community member has symptoms associated with COVID-19 but receives a negative test result, they may return to the school campus three days after the last symptom resolves.
Testing Students and Staff —
Testing Those with Symptoms
If a community member displays symptoms of COVID-19, they are immediately sent home and directed to an approved Ventura County COVID-19 testing location.
Testing Those with Close Contact with Someone with a Positive Test Result
If a community member or anyone in their household has close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case, that community/household member is sent home to quarantine for 14 days from last exposure. COVID-19 testing is recommended (but will not shorten the 14-day quarantine). Oak Grove’s Liaisons provide information on current testing facilities in Ventura County. It is also recommended that the symptomatic community member contacts their doctor.
Testing Staff
To detect asymptomatic infections and per the COVID-19 and Reopening In-Person Learning Framework for K-12 Schools in California, 2020-2021 School Year (July 17, 2020), staff are tested periodically, as testing capacity permits and as practicable. When feasible, 25% of staff are tested as often as every two weeks, or 50% every month, to ensure adequate testing frequency among all staff.
