Health & Safety Protocols

A Message From Playful Learning

At Playful Learning we are committed to providing a safe and joyful place for children to discover, grow, and learn together. To ensure that this happens, it’s helpful to have a common set of safety guidelines, which we all  adhere to and keep lines of communication open.

We have a lot of amazing learning experiences planned, and it’s important that we all stay healthy and happy.

As parents, you are our best line of defense. We are a symptom-free studio. Please do not send your child to school with ANY symptoms (fever, sore throat, cough, runny nose, stomachache, etc.). Although, there will be times when this will feel like a great inconvenience, children who come to school with symptoms will be sent home (see more details below). This is the single most important thing we can do to prevent the spread of disease.

Please review our safety protocols below carefully, and let us know if you have any questions or need clarification. We have a lot of amazing learning experiences planned, and it’s important that we all stay healthy and happy.

The Playful Learning Team

HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS

Start at home

  • Playful Learning is a SYMPTOM-FREE school and parents are our first line of defense – please do not send your child to the studio if he/she shows any signs of illness. If a child comes in with any symptoms, they will be sent home.

Drop-off procedures

  • Upon arrival at the studio, children will be informally screened for symptoms.
  • Parents/caregivers will say goodbye to their child at the front door or back gate.
  • Teachers and staff will are trained on how to monitor children’s wellness throughout the day.

Staff

  • Upon arriving each morning, all staff members will be informally screened for symptoms.

Fresh Air & Outdoor Adventures

  • We make sure our students get plenty of fresh air! Our studio garden and outdoor classroom brings the natural environment into our learning experiences through daily nature explorations and investigations. These experiences spark curiosity, nurture a spirit of adventure, and instill a love of the natural world. We spend approximately one hour per day (of a three-hour day) outside all year.

Small groups

  • We our limit enrollment to 6-12 children/class. This small-group experience allows for greater open space in our classrooms, and a more personalized learning experience for the children.

Sanitizing and cleaning

  • We have installed three hand sanitizing stations at our front and back entrances and back gate.
  • Children, staff, and parents will be required to sanitize hands before entering the building and immediately wash their hands before entering the classroom.
  • Children and staff will thoroughly wash hands before snack, after bathroom use, and after outdoor time.
  • Staff will be trained to ensure that proper hand washing and sanitizing procedures are followed effectively by their students.
  • ALL areas in the studio, supplies, and toys will be disinfected daily with a 70% Isopropyl Alcohol solution, approved by the EPA for COVID-19 disinfection use.
  • EACH classroom will have a “sanitation caddy” that includes hand sanitizer, disinfectant spray, wipes, gloves, face masks, tissues, and paper towels.
  • ALL teachers will disinfect any/all shared surfaces and supplies at their location between activity periods.
  • All bathrooms, surfaces, and common areas will be disinfected routinely throughout the day.
  • Staff will always wear proper PPE items when cleaning & sanitizing.
  • We use a Merv 13 filter on our central air and heating system, keep windows open all year, and have Molekule air filtration units in each classroom.

SICK POLICY

General guidelines:

  • If a child develops symptoms during their time at Playful Learning, they will be safely isolated in a comfortable space or in a shaded, outdoor spot—until parents/caregivers arrive.
  • Any child who is sent or stays home with symptoms can return when they have been fever & vomit free for 24 hours, have resolving symptoms, and typical energy levels.
  • If your child suffers from seasonal allergies and related symptoms, please submit a letter from your doctor.

If a student or Playful Learning staff member contracts COVID-19 he/she must:

  • Isolate for 5 days beginning the day after the first day of symptoms or positive test. May return on day six if:
  • Test negative on a rapid test on day 6 before arriving (if a person tests positive on day 6 they must wait until negative results are achieved).
  • Be fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducers.
  • All symptoms improving.
  • All exposed families and staff within the class will be notified immediately, but the privacy of the individual will remain confidential.
  • All members of our community are required to notify Playful Learning if any child, staff member, or family member tests positive for COVID-19.

If a student or staff member at Playful Learning is exposed to COVID-19 they must:

  • Participate in a test-to-stay program for 5 days after exposure in order to continue attending classes. Each test-to-stay strategy will be individually assigned depending on the specific factors in each case.
  • Monitor for symptoms for 10 days.
  • Protocols may vary depending on the specific details of each case at the director’s discretion.
  • Optional: properly wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days.

If a student or Playful Learning staff member is exposed by someone they live with (family member, caregiver) who contracts COVID-19, they must:

  • Participate in a test-to-stay program for 5 days after exposure in order to continue attending classes. Each test-to-stay strategy will be individually assigned depending on the specific factors in each case.
  • Monitor for symptoms for 10 days.
  • Protocols may vary depending on the specific details of each case at the director’s discretion.
  • Optional: properly wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days.