YACS Reopening Protocols, Policies, and Guidelines 

These protocols, policies, and guidelines are not all inclusive and can be changed, modified, or revised at any time by the school’s administration based upon new, revised, or modified information from health organizations and/or public health officials. It is the ultimate responsibility of the parents in choosing on-campus instruction at Young Americans Christian School for their child’s educational experience for the 2020-2021 school year.

Classrooms & Facilities

  • All classrooms will be equipped with hand sanitizer, disinfectant spray, wipes, and paper towels.

  • Common areas will have increased cleaning and disinfecting by staff throughout the day.

  • Evening janitorial staff will be responsible for cleaning and disinfecting the entire facility.

  • Classroom doors will be kept open as much as possible to allow ventilation and airflow.

  • Students may not share or use another student’s locker, backpack, or any other item.

  • Teachers and students will be required to wear face coverings or mask.

  • Staff and administrators will be required to wear face coverings or mask.

  • Middle school students will not change classes first semester.

Guests, Parents, & Visitors

  • All guests, parents, and visitors are required to wear a mask or face covering.

  • Parents are not permitted to enter the building during drop-off or pick-up.

  • Preschool and Kindergarten parents, wearing masks or face coverings, will be permitted to accompany their child to their classroom during the first few days of school only.

Health Screening

  • Parents, as part of their morning routine, will be responsible for taking the temperature of their child before bringing them to school.

  • School personnel will also take the temperature of all students each morning.

  • School faculty and staff will have their temperature checked daily.

  • Temperatures of all persons (visitors, employees, parents, vendors) may be required prior to entering the campus.

  • Any student who has traveled out of the country or to a Covid-19 “hot spot” must self-quarantine, utilizing YACS virtual livestream, for no less than 14 days prior to returning to school.

  • If an immediate household member of a student tests positive for the COVID-19 virus, the school must be contacted and the student must self-quarantine, utilizing YACS virtual livestream, for no less than 14 days prior to returning to school.

  • Any student that exhibits a fever of 99.8+ will be held in the isolated sick room, and parents will be notified and required to pick up their child.

  • If a student presents any possible COVID-19 symptoms, the school office will immediately notify the parents, and the student will be sent home.

  • If a student has a negative COVID-19 test, he can return to school once there is no fever without the use of fever-reducing medicines, he has felt well for 24 hours, and parents must provide a doctor’s note.

  • In order for a student who tested positive for COVID-19 to be allowed to return to school he must present a return to school written document from a M.D. or D.O.

Masks

  • The wearing of masks or face coverings by students and faculty, in the classroom, will be required.

  • Students and faculty are required to wear masks or face coverings during times of transition from one location to another.

Personal Items

  • All personal items brought to the school by a student or employee must be disinfected daily prior to being introduced to the campus.

  • No personal items may be shared (e.g., backpacks, clothing).

  • All personal items (including textbooks) must be labeled with the student’s name (e.g., water bottles, notebooks, backpacks).

Physical Distancing & Minimizing Exposure

Check Out / Office:

  • Parents or guardians entering the building to check out a student must wear a face mask before entering the building/office.

  • Students needing to check out early must be checked out before 2:15 pm.

P.E. & Recess:

  • Contact sports will not be permitted during Physical Education classes or recess times.

  • Recreational and sports equipment will be regularly cleaned and sanitized.

  • Elementary recess will be scheduled for one class at a time on any specific playground area.

Facilities:

  • Reminders will be displayed throughout the school (classrooms, hallways, bathrooms, welcome center, administrative offices) for students and staff:

    • Stay 6 feet apart when possible

    • Proper and frequent handwashing

    • How to stop the spread of germs

  • Fire drills, tornado drills, and lockdown drills will be modified to maintain proper physical distancing to the greatest extent possible.

  • Middle and high school chapel services will be temporally livestreamed into the classrooms. Once chapel services resume, the services will be held in the auditorium with physical distancing in place.

  • Chapel seating will be sanitized between each chapel group.

Water

  • Bottle-filling stations will be utilized; no drinking from water fountains. 

  • Students will bring their own water bottles labeled with their names.

Athletics

  • YACS will comply with all guidelines provided by GISA and GAPPS. 

  • It is strongly recommended that athletes, coaches, staff, and participants wear a face covering when not actively engaged in physical activity or when they may be near other people. 

  • Pre-Work Screening: 

    • All coaches and students must be screened for signs/symptoms of COVID-19 prior to each workout. Screening includes a temperature check. 

    • Responses to screening questions for each person must be recorded and stored so that there is a record of everyone present in case a student develops COVID-19. 

    • Any person with positive symptoms reported will not be allowed to take part in workouts and must immediately contact his/her primary care provider or other appropriate health care professional. 

  • There must be no shared athletic equipment (towels, clothing, shoes, or sports-specific equipment) between students. 

  • Students must wear their own appropriate workout clothing (do not share clothing). 

  • Individual clothing/towels must be taken home daily, washed, and cleaned after every workout/game. 

  • All athletic equipment including balls must be cleaned after each use and prior to the next workout/game. 

  • Individual drills requiring the use of athletic equipment are permissible, but the equipment must be cleaned prior to use by the next individual.

Lunches

  • Classes will split time between eating in the cafeteria and classrooms to accommodate physical distancing. 

Lost and Found

  • Lost and Found items will be kept for one week only. After one week, items will be donated to a local charity. 

Closure 

  • If a confirmed case of Covid-19 appears, the school may close or close certain grade level(s) or areas for 5 days to conduct school-wide deep cleaning, and remote instruction will take place during that time.