Big Blue Marble Academy

COVID-19 Policies and Procedures

The following memo outlines all required policies and procedures related to COVID-19 and supersedes all previous
guidelines.

Child Health Screening & Temperature Check Protocol

Screening Requirements Regardless of Location:
● Parents and children waiting outside for their screening should adhere to social distancing requirements
and maintain a minimum of six feet apart. Use tape or cones to designate waiting spots to help ensure
compliance. If needed, provide a tailgate tent or similar tent to provide cover while they wait.
● Health screenings and temperature checks should only be completed by a member of the management
team or other staff member as approved by your regional director.
● The administrator designated to conduct the health screenings and temperature checks must wear a lab
coat, safety goggles, mask, and gloves. The gloves must be changed after any physical contact. You should
generally avoid physical contact while screening a child to keep the process as efficient as possible and
avoid changing gloves between students.
● Utilize a non-contact infrared thermometer to take temperatures.
● After taking a child’s temperature, ask the parent or guardian the following health screening questions:
○ Has your child had a temperature within the last 24 hours?
○ Has your child been in contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19?
○ Has anyone in your household been tested and waiting on results?
○ Have you given any medication to your child within the last 24 hours to lower a temperature?
● Make a visual inspection of the child for signs of infection, which could include flushed cheeks, fatigue,
extreme fussiness, etc.
● Children should be denied building entry for any of the following:
○ A temperature is 100.4 or greater
○ The parent reports the child has had a temperature of 100.4 or greater in the past 24 hours
○ The parent reports the child had direct contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19
○ Signs of infection as described above are present
● Utilize a daily health log to record any child denied admittance and the reasons for their exclusion.
● Parents should sign their child in on a paper attendance sheet. Pens should be provided in “clean” and
“used” holders. Sanitize the “used” pens as needed to ensure parents are not handling the same pen.
● Parents using a digital sign in and out will be required to wear a personal mask (provided by parent) in
order to enter the lobby to complete the swiping process.

Parental Access:
● Parents may enter the building but access is limited to the entryway, lobby and hallways. Parents should
NOT enter into the classrooms for any reason. (This may vary state to state so check with your RD)
● Parents must wear a mask at all times while in the building.
● Parents will also be required to have their temperature checked upon entering the building.
● Access will be limited to one parent per child. Administration may limit the number of families in the
building at one time to maintain social distancing.
● Administration reserves the right to deny access to any parent not willing to adhere to our guidelines.
● For children’s belongings sent with a child, additional requirements must be met before building entry as
follows:

Electronically signed by:

-1-
Elizabeth Schofield (Elizabethm02171998)
09/5/2023 5:20:02 PM
IP Address: 75.176.75.137
 Big Blue Marble Academy
COVID-19 Policies and Procedures
○ Extra clothing or other required items should be placed in a ziplock bag provided by the
parent. These items should be placed in the child’s individual cubby and not allowed to touch other
children’s items.
● The screening person should be as consistent as possible from day to day.

Staff Health Screening & Temperature Check Protocol

● Staff members must complete the same health screening and temperature check protocols as described
above prior to building entry.
● Additional health screening questions for staff including the following:
○ Have you had difficulty breathing?
○ Do you have a dry cough with NO mucus or expectorant present

Prospective Parent Health Screening & Temperature Check Protocol Prior to Building
Entry
● Prospective parents seeking enrollment must complete the same health screening and temperature check
as staff members.
● Parents must use hand sanitizer to sanitize their hands upon entry to the building and wear a face mask.
● Access to the building should be limited to the lobby area and hallways.
● During your interaction and discussion with the parent, please maintain social distancing requirements.
● Tour tablets can be utilized to take and store pictures of your classrooms. Parents can view these photos
on the tablets. The tablets should be properly sanitized after each use.

Exclusion Criteria for Children and Staff

● Individuals that have had direct contact with an individual that has tested positive for COVID-19 are not
allowed to return for a minimum of 10 days from the date of exposure.
● Individuals with symptoms are not allowed to return until they have been fever or symptom free for 48
hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.
● An excluded person can be allowed to return earlier than 48 hours with a doctor's note.

Sick Child Protocol

● Monitor children throughout the day for potential symptoms.
● To the extent a child develops a fever or other symptoms during the day, utilize an empty classroom or
any other enclosed area for the excluded child.
● The staff member remaining with the child until pick-up should wear gloves, mask, and goggles.
● Once the child is picked-up, the area should be cleaned and sanitized. The staff members' smocks should
be placed in a plastic bag in the laundry area.

Classroom and Playground Guidance

Electronically signed by:

-2-
Elizabeth Schofield (Elizabethm02171998)
09/5/2023 5:20:02 PM
IP Address: 75.176.75.137
 Big Blue Marble Academy
COVID-19 Policies and Procedures
Nap Time

● A small, non-quilted blanket that fits completely in a child’s cubby is allowed, but pillows, comfort toys,
and any other items are no longer permitted.
● Cots MUST be labeled and cleaned in-between different children’s use.
● Nap pads, sleeping bags, or full size bedding are not allowed.
● Cots should be spread as far apart as possible. For classrooms with limited space, place barriers between
cots and / or place children head-to-toe.

Toys and Classroom Routines

● Children should not be combined with any other children outside of their assigned group at any point of
the day. Children should be assigned to a specific classroom and remain with their classroom and not
shifted on a daily or weekly basis. During the week, limit classroom movement as much as possible.
● For infant, toddler, and two year-old classrooms, divide the remaining sanitizable toys into bins. Maintain
additional “dirty” bins to collect toys that have been mouthed. Maintain awareness of children’s behavior
and remove mouthed toys when a child is finished with the item. All “dirty” toys must be cleaned and
sanitized before returning to the play area.
● For preschool and school-age classrooms, routinely clean and sanitize toys throughout the day.
● Encourage children to spread out in the classroom during play. All learning centers should be open during
free play periods.
● During group time, seat children apart from each other. Use tape or seating mats to help.
● Limit the number of children at tables during play time to 1-2 children, with at least one chair in between
them.
● When lining up children for handwashing or to go outside use small marks on the floors to keep children
from standing too close together. Utilize painters tape to place marks on the floor. Other types of tape
and adhesive should not be used.
● Clean and sanitize all toys at the end of the day.

Meal and Snacks

● Limit as much as possible the number of staff involved in food prep and serving. A mask covering nose
and mouth and gloves should be worn during food prep including Meals-to-Go.
● Food for meals should be delivered to the door. Food service staff should not enter the classroom.
Teachers should collect the food at the door.
● Place a chair in between each child during lunch time.
● All paper and food items should be placed/served by a teacher during meal times. Please do not ask
children to pass out plates, napkins, cups, etc. Teachers should serve all food and pour all milk. Family-
style dining is not appropriate during this time

Playgrounds

● Playground times should be staggered and there should be no more than one group on any playground
at the same time. Individual classroom groups should not mix on the playground at any time.
● Get outside as often as possible and spread out!

Staff Guidance

Electronically signed by:

-3-
Elizabeth Schofield (Elizabethm02171998)
09/5/2023 5:20:02 PM
IP Address: 75.176.75.137
 Big Blue Marble Academy
COVID-19 Policies and Procedures
● Staff should wear face masks that cover the nose and mouth at all times upon entering
the facility. BBMA has provided each staff member with a minimum of two cloth face masks. Staff
members are responsible for laundering their own face masks between each use.
● Staff must scrub-in up to the elbow upon arrival and must scrub out following their shift and before exiting
the building.
● Only staff and assigned children should be allowed in classrooms.
● Split schedules for staff so each teacher is working a 6 hours shift or less to eliminate breaks and keep the
exposure to children and staff minimized each day.
● Teachers should refrain from socializing and congregating in the lobby or other common areas.
● Disinfect the staff bathroom before and after each use.
● Teachers should not talk across a fence during outside playtime. A distance of 6 feet should be maintained
if staff are on different playgrounds at the same time.
● Staff should wear a clean smock and it must be changed after any child’s bodily fluid is present on the
smock. This includes drool, spit up, nasal discharge or other body fluid.
● Once a smock is dirty it must be removed and placed in a plastic bag out of the reach of children. This bag
will be collected and immediately sent to be laundered.
● Tables must be sanitized prior to ANY use.
● Staff should assist children in washing their hands and stand near the sink to observe proper handwashing
by children.
● Teachers should be responsible for the care of classroom pets during this time.
● Staff should report any changes in their health to their director immediately.

Bus Requirements

● Bus drivers should wear masks at all times.

● Temperature checks and health screens should be conducted before children board the bus. If checks
were already completed at parent drop-off in the morning, it is not necessary to recheck for morning bus
runs.
● Protocols should be developed and implemented for children that fail the temperature check and health
screen prior to boarding our bus from the local public / private school. These measures can vary
depending on your local circumstances, but should include contacting the parent as soon as possible and
isolating the child from the other students as much as possible.
● Children should wear masks before boarding the bus. The masks can be removed once the children exit
the bus depending on your local mask ordinances.
● Depending on the weather conditions, attempt to ventilate the bus as much as possible by opening the
bus windows.
● Children should be assigned seats with siblings sitting together.
● Buses should be sanitized between each bus run similar to surfaces in the classrooms.

Employee signature Date

Electronically signed by:

-4-
Elizabeth Schofield (Elizabethm02171998)
09/5/2023 5:20:02 PM
IP Address: 75.176.75.137