COVID-19 Response
JIMS Policies & Procedures
in response to COVID-19
Our top priority is to keep our entire Jordan Montessori family healthy and safe. We ask you for your continued patience and cooperation as we implement and fine-tune our policies & procedures to best serve our children and community.
Hours of Operation
Hours of operation will temporarily continue to be from 8:45am – 4:15pm until further notice. These hours allow for the same teacher to be present the entire day in each classroom and will eliminate the need to move students between different sets of teachers, which would be required if opening and closing hours were extended.
Daily Arrival Procedure & Health Screening
Only children and teachers are permitted to enter the building. Permission to enter will NOT be granted if
- their temperature is 100.4°F or higher (screened using a contactless infrared thermometer),
- they show signs or symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as a cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, or low-grade fever,
- they show signs or symptoms of chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, loss of taste or smell, diarrhea
- they have had contact with someone with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 in the past 14 days, are under investigation for COVID-19, or are ill with a respiratory illness, or
- they have traveled outside of Texas in the previous 14 days.
Each day upon arrival, parents must sign a form to verify the statements above.
Upon arrival, please wait in your car so that only one parent and child are present at the doorway at one time. Please maintain social distance among adults.
Stay Home When Sick Policy
Everyone -- children and teachers alike – must stay home at the first sign of illness. Contact your health provider if you experience any signs or symptoms of a respiratory illness listed above, develop a fever above 100.4°F, or experience discomfort or distress in terms of breathing.
If a child is sick at school, they will be isolated and must be picked up immediately.
Children need to be fever-free and symptom-free for 72 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine
before returning to school.
The classroom is set up to respect the physical distance of at least one meter. To do this, JIMS has made the following changes:
- Arrange the furniture in such a way as to respect physical distance;
- Respect a distance of at least one meter between tables;
- Avoid face-to-face tables;
- Eliminate nonessential furniture and equipment;
- Limit unnecessary classroom movement;
- Arrange the nap room to respect physical distance of 1 meter between nap mats;
- Setup individual lunch tables for each student;
- Include a privacy divider for each table;
- Use special signs to spread out children during story and circle time;
- Keep the each class window open for the fresh air.
In addition, classroom groups will take turns to use the playground in order to have space and distance with each other. Teachers will remind students to maintain physical distance during playground time.
Classroom Ratios & Group Sizes
Classroom ratios and group sizes have been modified to numbers lower than existing minimum standards. For each Casa classroom, the student-teacher ratio will be 9:1; for toddlers, 6:1.
Enhanced School Cleaning
In addition to a deep cleaning performed by a professional cleaning company at the end of each school day, JIMS will also be conducting the following enhanced cleaning measures throughout each day.
Cleaning and disinfection
If materials have not been used in the last 5 days, they will be cleaned as usual and ventilated. If the materials have been used in the last 5 days, additional cleaning and disinfection will take place.
Additional material cleaning includes:
- Step 1, Cleaning
- Clean with a usual detergent, then rinse;
- Start with the cleanest areas and end with the dirtiest areas.
- Step 2, Disinfection
- Use a virucidal disinfectant or disinfectant wipes;
- Disinfect the materials through every surface.
Cleaning Frequency
Utilized spaces will be cleaned at least once daily with these guidelines:
- Clean and disinfect the affected surfaces and objects several times a day; (including toilets, sinks, faucets, flushers, switches, door handles, door knobs, and window handles, countertop, tables, chairs, cubbies);
- Educational materials and objects handled by students or staff will be disinfected after use using disinfection wipes;
- Equip bins with household garbage bags, empty and wash them every day;
- Regularly ventilate the materials;
- Change and wash the bibs or towels as soon as they are soiled;
- Clean lunchroom tables and chairs before the students arrive and in between each use;
- Disinfect any materials which will be transferred to another student;
- Playground structures will be disinfected at the end of each day.
Healthy Hand Hygiene
JIMS staff have been trained in proper hand washing procedures, and periodic quality assurance checks will be conducted to ensure proper hand washing. We have also added hand sanitizer stations in all classrooms and common areas.
Teachers and staff will supervise children when they use hand sanitizer and assist the children with hand washing. All children, teachers, and staff will engage in proper hand washing and/or sanitizing multiple times throughout the day especially at the following times:
- Arrival to facility
- Before and after eating
- Before and after administering medication or medical ointment
- Before and after diapering
- After using the toilet or helping a child use the bathroom
- After coming in contact with bodily fluid
- After being outdoors
- After handling garbage or waste
General
- Teachers will wear face shields, mask, and gloves;
- Children will wear hats with face shields;
- All personal items need to be taken home daily;
- Outdoor play and time for fresh air will be extended;
- Children will be discouraged from touching their eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- all personal belongings brought to school are sanitized before entering the classroom;
Thank you for supporting these guidelines and keeping our community safe and healthy! If you have any questions or need clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us.