Community Resources to Navigate COVID-19

In accordance with the NYC & NYS Departments of Health guidelines, we have instituted the following measures:

Health Screening/Testing: All parents (on behalf of their children) will be asked to download the Commonpoint Queens app (available for FREE purchase in the app store for IOS and Android devices) to their phones in order to self-report and answer a series of symptom checking questions each day your child attends our program. Parents will enter their child’s name and information.  Once the questions are answered on the app, a screen with a green check will alert security and other arrival personnel that the child/person is ready for their temperature check.  All individuals entering our buildings will be screened for temperature.  If the temperature reads above 100.4, the person will not be granted entry.

The remote screening accomplishes two main goals:

• To keep anyone sick or feeling symptomatic at home and away from the school community to help stop the spread of the virus
• To alleviate the time it takes to check in to the school building in the morning, so we can maximize the on-site classroom/learning time.

Symptoms of COVID-19 that will prevent building entry:

• Fever (100.4◦F or higher);
• Sore throat;
• Uncontrolled cough that causes difficulty breathing (for students with chronic allergic/asthmatic cough, a change in their cough from baseline);
• Diarrhea, vomiting, or abdominal pain; or
• New onset of severe headache, especially with a fever

COVID-19 Testing: If your child is tested for COVID-19, they are not permitted to return to school until documentation of a negative result is provided.  

Equipment/Face Coverings: As per the NYC Department of Health, young children/campers (i.e., those that are not yet in kindergarten) do not need to wear face coverings when they are in child care or day camp program facility or area. Older children/campers are encouraged but not required to wear face coverings as feasible. Face coverings should not be used by children under the age of 2, or for anyone who is unable to medically tolerate such covering, including children/campers for whom such covering would impair their health or mental health, or where such covering would present a challenge, distraction, or obstruction to the child care or day camp program.

Although children are not mandated to wear masks in the classroom, we are committed to being your partner in helping them get more comfortable wearing masks.  Parents are are free to send their child with a mask, should they choose.

Some helpful video links on wearing a mask and social distancing for children over 2 years old:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9QTxUklE0w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEe-N0vrVv0

All teachers and staff will be required to wear a face mask at all times. Some employees, depending on their job functions, will be outfitted with more PPE such as face shields and gowns (nurses, facilities staff cleaning the bathrooms, etc.). We have put up polycarbonate barriers to protect the security guards.

Cleaning: The Commonpoint Queens facilities staff have been trained on hospital-grade cleaning and responsible for continuous cleaning of high-touch and high-traffic areas throughout the school day (e.g., bathrooms, door handles, stairwell handrails, elevator buttons, etc). Commonpoint Queens will continue to have a skilled cleaning crew disinfect the building after dismissal in preparation for the next school day.

We have continued to make sure disinfection of our building is a top priority and we have purchased industrial electrostatic sprayers to ensure the disinfection of each room on a daily basis.   These machines have been deemed highly effective and have been cleared for use in high importance areas such as hospitals and universities.

To learn more, please check out these sites: https://www.cloroxpro.com/resource-center/clorox-total-360-for-healthier-schools/ https://www.bakersprayers.com/products/sprayer-cordless-backpack-vp300es

Covid-19 Isolation Room: In the event that a student or faculty/staff member becomes ill or shows symptoms, he or she will be brought to this designated room. This room serves as a holding room until the student is picked up, preferably immediately.

Guidelines for School Closing/Quarantine: In accordance with NYC school reopening policies, Commonpoint Queens will allow school to remain open if the city-wide infection rate stays below 3% for 7 consecutive days.  If one child or staff member in a class becomes infected, that room and all individuals will be asked to quarantine for 14 days.  In the event that two or more individuals from different classrooms in our center contract COVID-19, the school will seek guidance from the NYC Department of Heath for next steps to ensure proper safety and compliance measures are taken.

Please know that we will always err on the side of safety, as that is our primary concern. That said, we don’t want to be quick to close the entire school for an extended period of time if not necessary. Most likely, we will evaluate each case as it comes up, consult with health authorities, quickly make a decision, and be completely open and transparent with our families to the extent possible.

For all in-person learning days, the following daily routine will be implemented for Early Childhood families:

Morning Health Screening and Entry Protocol

• From Home – Answer App Screening Questions:  Each day your child will be present, all parents will be asked to answer questions on behalf of their child on our Commonpoint Queens app.  Staff will be answering the screening questions as well.  Security and arrival staff will screen all completed approval screens on your mobile device.  If you are not able to complete the survey from your device, one of our team members will assist you.  We encourage everyone to complete this task from home to ensure a smooth and efficient arrival process.
• At our agency, children and adults with a temperature of 100.4F will not be permitted entry into our locations.

Staggered start & end times

• The day will include staggered start and end times by age to minimize the number of people coming in or leaving the building at the same time, and to avoid congregation of people outside our building.  We will work with families with siblings to determine a plan for coordinated drop off and pick up for more than one child.
• Entrance times will be provided to each family, along with class and teacher information before the start of school.

Visitors

• Parents will be asked to make appointments with the Director of Early Childhood if they wish to enter the building.
• For the  immediate future, all meetings between families and agency staff will be virtually.

Drop-Off/Pick-Up

• If a parent/guardian has information to share with their child’s teacher about their child, this must be done through a phone or email exchange.  We can not have parents attempting to have verbal conversations during drop-off and pick-up or else it will create a traffic hazard outside the building and potentially encroach upon subsequent “pod” drop-offs and pick-ups.  Our Early Childhood Director is happy to speak with any parent after arrival is complete.
• Each pod will have an assigned drop-off and pick-up area.  We will provide a detailed explanation and map as the start of school approaches.
• Parents/guardians are asked to bring their children to the correct entrance for drop-off and pick-up.
• In case of circumstances where children are unable to arrive at their designated time because of, for example, a doctor’s appointment, parents should call or email the Early Childhood Director both prior to and upon their arrival.  The Director or another approved staff member will come out to the lobby and escort the child into the building.
• At drop-off, a staff member will check to make sure that a Daily Health Survey was completed for each child.  If a survey has not been completed, your child will not be admitted.
• The parent/guardian dropping off/picking up must always wear a mask.
• A staff member will escort your child to and from your car. One teacher from each pod will escort each child to their car while the other teacher remains with the pod in their assigned area.
• Parents/guardians will not be allowed to escort their child(ren) in or out of the lobby/entrance area.

Arrival & Dismissal

• Where possible, when interacting with children or other staff members, staff will use the 6 foot distancing rule.
• Children must sanitize or wash hands when entering and exiting the classroom.
• Each child will have an assigned cubby and a clearly labeled bin for their materials.
• Children may bring only the following items and all belongings will be taken directly to their cubby and assigned bins.
  • Lunch
  • Snack
  • Water bottle clearly labeled with your child’s name
  • Spare Clothes in a labeled gallon size ziploc bag.  Please include a full change of seasonally appropriate clothes (top, bottom, underwear, socks) and label each item with your child’s name.
  • Coats, hats, and gloves, as appropriate for the weather.
• At dismissal, children will wait in their pods, spaced at least 6 feet apart from other pods. These areas will be delineated to assist children in maintaining physical distance. Weather permitting, this will take place outside.
• Rest blankets will be sent home at the end of each week to be laundered, as usual.

Snack and Lunch Procedures

• Commonpoint Queens provides a light snack each day.  If you’d like to send your child with an additional snack, you are able to do so.  Remember that any items containing peanuts or tree nuts are not permitted in our school. All food items should be Kosher with markings on the packaging.
• All children will eat snacks and lunch in their classrooms.
• Teachers will stagger seating at all times, including lunch and snack.
• Teachers will use an EPA-approved disinfectant and paper towels to thoroughly clean the tables before and after children eat.
• Children will not be allowed to share snacks or lunch.

It is critical that we have the most updated contact information for your family.  We send consistent communication throughout the school year.  If your contact information changes, please let the Early Childhood Director know as soon as possible.

Teacher Emails/Tadpoles
All of our teachers will have agency email addresses to communicate with families throughout the school year.  In these messages, they will provide updates about class projects, learning, homework and parent engagement.  Parents can feel free to email the teacher if they have concerns or wish to discuss their child.

Pre-school & Agency Blasts
Our Early Childhood Directors will send emails periodically to update you on agency programs, resources and other initiatives your family can participate in as part of our community.  Typically you’ll find those are from our Early Childhood Directors and Jared Mintz, our Director of Communications.

Social Media
Commonpoint Queens is proud to have a significant presence on many social media platforms.  We encourage families to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

One Call Now (Text Messages)
Our agency utilizes an emergency texting system called “One Call Now” for emergency communication.  We use this system to send quick text messages to alert families of school closures, snow days, and other critical messaging that families need to receive quickly.  Make sure we have as many cell phone numbers as necessary for your family.

To accommodate as many students as safely as possible, we are prepared to re-purpose many spaces into classrooms.  Examples of these spaces include:

• Gym
• Multipurpose Rooms
• Outdoor Playgrounds and Spaces
• Dance Studios

Following are some of the changes our students will see to accommodate the social distancing guidelines:

Stairwells will be divided into up and down staircases to monitor traffic flow.

Elevators will be reserved for only students and faculty with cases of documented medical necessity.  Capacity is each elevator will be restricted to only adults and children from the same pod.

Floor markers to reinforce places to stand for social distancing are placed throughout our buildings.

The transition to preschool, while very exciting, will be challenging in various ways. Students will need to adjust to social/physical distancing, to a sense of loss of the familiar way of interacting with peers and faculty and to dealing with feeling more vulnerable in public. We consider your child’s social and emotional welfare especially central to our efforts toward reintegrating them into school and are planning the following.

Assessments of Concerns:  Before the start of school, we will send a structured form for you to complete that will enable our staff to understand the unique concerns and sensitivities of each student and family during this unusually stressful period.

Staff Training: We are planning rigorous training for our teachers, aides, social workers and others to ensure that they are prepared to help our students learn and cope throughout the year. Our Directors will intensively focus on relating to each student in the context of their shared experience of education and wellbeing in this new reality.

Counseling Sessions: Much of our day-to-day and learning will highlight empathy and validation of the feelings, thoughts and challenges that the present moment is generating within our community. Students will be encouraged to be in frequent contact with their teachers to share any concerns that they need help in navigating.  We will also have a team of social workers onsite to provide necessary support for students, siblings and families.

Partners & Resources: Commonpoint Queens has key partnerships in the community to enhance the support and services we can offer.  Parents will be offered access to those resources throughout the school year.

Frequent Communication: We are determined to communicate with you routinely so that we receive regular updates on your child’s coping at home to then inform us of our ability to assist in their academic and personal success at school.

Our entire staff is committed to placing each student’s emotional well-being at the forefront of our efforts. Engaging learning, academic success and growth can only occur when a student feels genuinely supported. While this has always been true, it has attained particular significance under our new circumstances.

Orientations
We plan to offer virtual orientations for families.  Those dates will be held in early September to make sure we can speak to the most updated guidelines from all of our regulatory agencies.  Sessions will be recorded and will have the ability to be emailed to families who need them.

For Pre K 4 All Families (4 year olds): Pre K 4 All is a free program provided to NYC residents, funded by the NYC Department of Education.  While school hours are provided free of charge, Commonpoint Queens typically has extended hours for a fee to accommodate varying work schedules.  Information about the possibility of having extended hours will be available shortly and will be communicated in a future update.

For all Nursery School Families (2 & 3 year olds) :  We know families are anxious to know how the structure for school year learning will impact their tuition costs. Commonpoint Queens has been working diligently to get our building already and open in a safe and secure manner. As you can see from this letter and our previous updates, we have been making major investments in health and safety equipment, personnel and technology to ensure the buildings are up to current standards, and retain the proper faculty and staff to maintain the excellent standard of learning we have come to expect and rely on. That being said, depending on what mode of learning we find ourselves in, we will be actively reviewing our expenses to see what can be adjusted if the current health situation changes.

Please remember that for short-term closures or when switching back and forth from in-school to virtual learning, we still need to maintain the same quality and quantity of teachers to instruct our students.  Fee adjustments will only be made in the event of significant change.  Updated policies regarding payments, refunds and adjustments will be available on revised contracts.

• New York State Education Department – Recovering, Rebuilding, and Renewing: the Spirit of New York’s Schools Reopening Guidance (full guidance)
• New York State Education Department – Reopening New York: Guidelines for In-Person Instruction at Pre-K to Grade 12 Schools
• New York State Education Department – Recovering, Rebuilding, and Renewing: the Spirit of New York’s Schools Reopening Guidance (July 13 presentation)
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention – Preparing K-12 School Administrators for a Safe Return to School in Fall 2020
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention – Considerations for Schools
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention – Duration of Isolation and Precautions for Adults with COVID-19
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention – Screening K-12 Students for Symptoms of COVID-19: Limitations and Considerations
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention – When You Can be Around Others After You Had or Likely Had COVID-19
• American Academy of Pediatrics – Covid-19 Planning Considerations: Guidance for School Re-entry
• Harvard T.H. Chain School of Public Healthy – Schools For Health: Risk Reduction Strategies for Reopening Schools
• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia PolicyLab – Evidence and Considerations for School Reopenings
• eSchool+ Initiative, Johns Hopkins University – How K-12 Schools Should Prepare for Reopening During the 2020-21 Academic Year: An Equity Checklist
• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine – Reopening K-12 Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Prioritizing Health, Equity, and Communities (2020)
• National Charter School Institute – Preparing School Buildings for Reopening After COVID-19
• NYC Department of Health – FAQ About COVID-19 for Health Care Providers

For families who are traveling out of the country or to high-risk states during the summer, we require that you quarantine starting on August 27 to ensure you complete two weeks of quarantine prior to the start of school. Please click HERE for the NYSDOH travel advisory page.

We trust that you find this information helpful and pledge to continue to keep you informed of any changes, as they arise. In addition to our Covid-related updates, we also will be sending out our regular back-to-school emails. As always, we thank you for your partnership and understanding during these challenging times.

Mitch Karpp     Associate Vice President, Youth Education Services

Erica Cando     Early Childhood Director, Central Queens

Anna Cassar    Early Childhood Director, Sam Field Center

In accordance with the NYC & NYS Departments of Health guidelines, we have instituted the following measures:

Health Screening/Testing: All members (and parents on behalf of their children) will be asked to download the Commonpoint Queens app (available for FREE purchase in the app store for IOS and Android devices) to their phones in order to self-report and answer a series of symptom checking questions each day your child attends our program. Members will enter their information for anyone looking to enter our facility.  We ask for one submission per adult.  Once the questions are answered on the app, a screen with a green check will alert security and other arrival personnel that the child/person is ready for their temperature check.  All individuals entering our buildings will be screened for temperature.  If the temperature reads above 100.4, the person will not be granted entry.

The remote screening accomplishes two main goals:

• To keep anyone sick or feeling symptomatic at home and away from the school community to help stop the spread of the virus
• To alleviate the time it takes to check in to the school building in the morning, so we can maximize the on-site classroom/learning time.

Symptoms of COVID-19 that will prevent building entry:

• Fever (100.4◦F or higher);
• Sore throat;
• Uncontrolled cough that causes difficulty breathing (for students with chronic allergic/asthmatic cough, a change in their cough from baseline);
• Diarrhea, vomiting, or abdominal pain; or
• New onset of severe headache, especially with a fever

COVID-19 Testing 

Pending Result: If you or anyone in your family has been tested for COVID-19, you are not permitted to enter our facilities until documentation of a negative result is provided.

Positive Result: If you or anyone in your family has been tested positive for COVID-19, you must quarantine for 14 days and consult with a physician before visiting any of our locations. 

Equipment/Face Coverings: As per the NYC Department of Health, all persons over the age of 5 are required to wear masks at all times when using our facilities.  The only exception is our indoor pool (open date pending).  Young children under 5 do not need to wear face coverings. Older children are encouraged but not required to wear face coverings as feasible. Face coverings should not be used by children under the age of 2.

All staff will be required to wear a face mask at all times. Some employees, depending on their job functions, will be outfitted with more PPE such as face shields and gowns (nurses, facilities staff cleaning the bathrooms, etc.). We have put up polycarbonate barriers to protect the security guards.

Cleaning: The Commonpoint Queens facilities staff have been trained on hospital-grade cleaning and responsible for continuous cleaning of high-touch and high-traffic areas throughout the school day (e.g., bathrooms, door handles, stairwell handrails, elevator buttons, etc). Commonpoint Queens will continue to have a skilled cleaning crew disinfect the building after dismissal in preparation for the next school day.

We have continued to make sure disinfection of our building is a top priority and we have purchased  industrial electrostatic sprayers to ensure the disinfection of each room on a daily basis.   These machines have been deemed highly effective and have been cleared for use in high importance areas such as hospitals and universities.

To learn more, please check out these sites: https://www.cloroxpro.com/resource-center/clorox-total-360-for-healthier-schools/ https://www.bakersprayers.com/products/sprayer-cordless-backpack-vp300es

Please know that we will always err on the side of safety, as that is our primary concern. That said, we don’t want to be quick to close the entire school for an extended period of time if not necessary. Most likely, we will evaluate each case as it comes up, consult with health authorities, quickly make a decision, and be completely open and transparent with our members to the extent possible.

Morning Health Screening and Entry Protocol

• From Home – Answer App Screening Questions:  Each day you want to enter our facilities, you will be asked to answer questions on our Commonpoint Queens app.  Staff will be answering the screening questions as well.  Security and arrival staff will screen all completed approval screens on your mobile device.  If you are not able to complete the survey from your device, one of our team members will assist you.  We encourage everyone to complete this task from home to ensure a smooth and efficient arrival process.
• At our agency, children and adults with a temperature of 100.4F will not be permitted entry into our locations.

Separate Entrances & New Routines (Central Queens)

• All members will be asked to enter and exit our facility through the Main Entrance.  Other programs and services will use other means of egress throughout the location to monitor traffic flows.
• All members will be asked to follow the social distancing markers inside and outside the building.

Equipment Reservation System

• Time in the Body Shop will need to be reserved in advance.  Sessions will be limited to 50 minute intervals per person to ensure adequate cleaning and controlled traffic.
• Each member can make (1) reservation per day.  If you would like to request additional sessions, please reach out to the membership team to inquire.  Additional sessions can only be approved on the day they are requested.
• Reservations can be made on our system, Sign Up Genius.  (Please note: If you sign up for a reservation you will be charged for use of our facility/program).

Please click here to reserve your time in the Body Shop.

Please click here to reserve your swim time.

Please click here to reserve your space in our exercise training sessions.

It is critical that we have the most updated contact information for all members.  We send consistent communication throughout the year.  If your contact information changes, please let the Membership staff know as soon as possible.

Membership & Agency Blasts

Our Membership staff will send emails periodically to update you on agency programs, resources and other initiatives members can participate in as part of our community.  Typically you’ll find those are from Rory Hersch, our Director of Membership and Jared Mintz, our Director of Communications.

Social Media

Commonpoint Queens is proud to have a significant presence on many social media platforms.  We encourage members to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

One Call Now (Text Messages)

Our agency utilizes an emergency texting system called “One Call Now” for emergency communication.  We use this system to send quick text messages to alert families of school closures, snow days, and other critical messaging that families need to receive quickly.  Make sure we have as many cell phone numbers as necessary.

To accommodate as many students as safely as possible, we are prepared to re-purpose many spaces into classrooms.  Examples of these spaces include:

• Gym
• Multipurpose Rooms
• Outdoor Playgrounds and Spaces
• Dance Studios

Following are some of the changes our students will see to accommodate the social distancing guidelines:

Stairwells will be divided into up and down staircases to monitor traffic flow.

Elevators will be reserved for only students and faculty with cases of documented medical necessity.  Capacity is each elevator will be restricted to only adults and children from the same pod.

Floor markers to reinforce places to stand for social distancing are placed throughout our buildings.

Virtual & In Person Meet & Greets with Membership Staff

We want each member to have the opportunity to meet with our Membership team.  Please reach out to schedule a session.

Rory Hersch, Director of Membership & Community Outreach
[email protected]
718-268-5011 x121

HELPFUL LINKS & RESOURCES

• Center for Disease Control and Prevention – Duration of Isolation and Precautions for Adults with COVID-19Limitations and Considerations
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention – When You Can be Around Others After You Had or Likely Had COVID-19
• NYC Department of Health – FAQ About COVID-19 for Health Care Providers

We trust that you find this information helpful and pledge to continue to keep you informed of any changes, as they arise. In addition to our Covid-related updates, we also will be sending out our regular email communication. As always, we thank you for your partnership and understanding during these challenging times.

Rory Hersch     Director of Membership & Community Outreach

In accordance with the NYC & NYS Departments of Health guidelines, we have instituted the following measures:

Health Screening/Testing: All parents (on behalf of their children) will be asked to download the Commonpoint Queens app (available for FREE purchase in the app store for IOS and Android/Google devices) to their phones in order to self-report and answer a series of symptom checking questions each day your child attends our program. Parents will enter their child’s name and information.  Once the questions are answered on the app, a screen with a green check will alert security and other arrival personnel that the child/person is ready for their temperature check.  All individuals entering our buildings will be screened for temperature.  If the temperature reads above 100.4, the person will not be granted entry.

The remote screening accomplishes two main goals:

• To keep anyone sick or feeling symptomatic at home and away from the school community to help stop the spread of the virus
• To alleviate the time it takes to check in to the school building in the morning, so we can maximize the on-site classroom/learning time.

Symptoms of COVID-19 that will prevent building entry:

• Fever (100.4◦F or higher);
• Sore throat;
• Uncontrolled cough that causes difficulty breathing (for students with chronic allergic/asthmatic cough, a change in their cough from baseline);
• Diarrhea, vomiting, or abdominal pain; or
• New onset of severe headache, especially with a fever

COVID-19 Testing: Please see our graphic above – “Can I go to Commonpoint Today?”  There are clear directives about COVID testing and protocols in place in accordance with health regulatory agencies.

Equipment/Face Coverings: As per the NYC Department of Health, young children/campers (i.e., those that are not yet in kindergarten) do not need to wear face coverings when they are in child care or day camp program facility or area. Older children/campers are encouraged but not required to wear face coverings as feasible. Face coverings should not be used by children under the age of 2, or for anyone who is unable to medically tolerate such covering, including children/campers for whom such covering would impair their health or mental health, or where such covering would present a challenge, distraction, or obstruction to the child care or day camp program.

Although children are not mandated to wear masks in the group spaces, we are committed to being your partner in helping them get more comfortable wearing masks.  Parents are free to send their child with a mask, should they choose.

Some helpful video links on wearing a mask and social distancing for children over 2 years old:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9QTxUklE0w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEe-N0vrVv0

All Special Services staff will be required to wear a face mask at all times. Some employees, depending on their job functions, will be outfitted with more PPE such as face shields and gowns (nurses, facilities staff cleaning the bathrooms, etc.). We have put up polycarbonate barriers to protect the security guards.

Cleaning: The Commonpoint Queens facilities staff have been trained on hospital-grade cleaning and responsible for continuous cleaning of high-touch and high-traffic areas throughout the school day (e.g., bathrooms, door handles, stairwell handrails, elevator buttons, etc). Commonpoint Queens will continue to have a skilled cleaning crew disinfect the building after dismissal in preparation for the next day.  We have purchased industrial sanitizing machines to be used daily to ensure all surfaces are disinfected.

Covid-19 Isolation Room: In the event that a child or faculty/staff member becomes ill or shows symptoms, he or she will be brought to this designated room. This room serves as a holding room until the child is picked up, preferably immediately.

Guidelines for Program Closing/Quarantine: In accordance with NYC school reopening policies, Commonpoint Queens will allow school to remain open if the city-wide infection rate stays below 3% for 7 consecutive days.  If one child or staff member becomes infected, that room and all individuals will be asked to quarantine for 14 days.  In the event that two or more individuals from different group spaces in our center contract COVID-19, the agency will seek guidance from the NYC Department of Heath for next steps to ensure proper safety and compliance measures are taken.

Please know that we will always err on the side of safety, as that is our primary concern. That said, we don’t want to be quick to close the entire program for an extended period of time if not necessary. Most likely, we will evaluate each case as it comes up, consult with health authorities, quickly make a decision, and be completely open and transparent with our families to the extent possible.

For all in-person learning days, the following daily routine will be implemented for Special Services families:

Morning Health Screening and Entry Protocol

• From Home – Answer App Screening Questions:  Each day your child will be present, all parents will be asked to answer questions on behalf of their child on our Commonpoint Queens app (Download from Apple or Google Play).  Staff will be answering the screening questions as well.  Security and arrival staff will screen all completed approval screens on your mobile device.  If you are not able to complete the survey from your device, one of our team members will assist you.  We encourage everyone to complete this task from home to ensure a smooth and efficient arrival process.
• At our agency, children and adults with a temperature of 100.4F will not be permitted entry into our locations.
• The children will practice hand washing hygiene upon arrival to program, after use of the bathroom, before eating and before departure.

Visitors

• Parents will be asked to make appointments with the Senior Director of Special Services if they wish to enter the building.
• For the  immediate future, all meetings between families and agency staff will be virtually.

Arrival & Dismissal Procedures: SAM FIELD CENTER (Little Neck)

• Participants will remain in their room that is used for After School activities until they are dismissed to avoid cross contamination between groups.
• When parents arrive, they should pull up on the SIDE ENTRANCE (Left) of the building (see below)

• Parents have two options for pickup – between 5:45 – 6:oo PM

1. Call or Text Natalie (917) 508-2489 and inform her that they are outside and ready to pick up the child.  A staff member will walk the child outside.

Snack and Lunch Procedures

• Commonpoint Queens provides a light snack each day.  If you’d like to send your child with an additional snack, you are able to do so.  Remember that any items containing peanuts or tree nuts  are not permitted in our school. All food items should be Kosher with markings on the packaging.
• All children will eat snacks and lunch in their group spaces.
• Staff will use an EPA-approved disinfectant and paper towels to thoroughly clean the tables before and after children eat.
• Children will not be allowed to share snacks or lunch.

It is critical that we have the most updated contact information for your family.  We send consistent communication throughout the school year.  If your contact information changes, please let the Special Services Senior Director know as soon as possible.

Special Services & Agency Blasts
Our team will send emails periodically to update you on agency programs, resources and other initiatives your family can participate in as part of our community.  Typically you’ll find those are from our Lisa Armband, Special Services Director and Jared Mintz, our Director of Communications.

Social Media
Commonpoint Queens is proud to have a significant presence on many social media platforms.  We encourage families to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

One Call Now (Text Messages)
Our agency utilizes an emergency texting system called “One Call Now” for emergency communication.  We use this system to send quick text messages to alert families of school closures, snow days, and other critical messaging that families need to receive quickly.  Make sure we have as many cell phone numbers as necessary for your family.

To accommodate as many students as safely as possible, we are prepared to re-purpose many spaces into classrooms.  Examples of these spaces include:

• Gym
• Multipurpose Rooms
• Outdoor Playgrounds and Spaces
• Dance Studios

Following are some of the changes our students will see to accommodate the social distancing guidelines:

Stairwells will be divided into up and down staircases to monitor traffic flow.

Elevators will be reserved for only students and faculty with cases of documented medical necessity.  Capacity is each elevator will be restricted to only adults and children from the same pod.

Floor markers to reinforce places to stand for social distancing are placed throughout our buildings.

Orientations
We plan to offer virtual orientations for families.  Those dates will be held in early September to make sure we can speak to the most updated guidelines from all of our regulatory agencies.  Sessions will be recorded and will have the ability to be emailed to families who need them.

• New York State Education Department – Recovering, Rebuilding, and Renewing: the Spirit of New York’s Schools Reopening Guidance (full guidance)
• New York State Education Department – Reopening New York: Guidelines for In-Person Instruction at Pre-K to Grade 12 Schools
• New York State Education Department – Recovering, Rebuilding, and Renewing: the Spirit of New York’s Schools Reopening Guidance (July 13 presentation)
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention – Preparing K-12 School Administrators for a Safe Return to School in Fall 2020
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention – Considerations for Schools
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention – Duration of Isolation and Precautions for Adults with COVID-19
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention – Screening K-12 Students for Symptoms of COVID-19: Limitations and Considerations
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention – When You Can be Around Others After You Had or Likely Had COVID-19
• American Academy of Pediatrics – Covid-19 Planning Considerations: Guidance for School Re-entry
• Harvard T.H. Chain School of Public Healthy – Schools For Health: Risk Reduction Strategies for Reopening Schools
• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia PolicyLab – Evidence and Considerations for School Reopenings
• eSchool+ Initiative, Johns Hopkins University – How K-12 Schools Should Prepare for Reopening During the 2020-21 Academic Year: An Equity Checklist
• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine – Reopening K-12 Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Prioritizing Health, Equity, and Communities (2020)
• National Charter School Institute – Preparing School Buildings for Reopening After COVID-19
• NYC Department of Health – FAQ About COVID-19 for Health Care Providers

For families who are traveling out of the country or to high-risk states during the summer, we require that you quarantine starting on August 27 to ensure you complete two weeks of quarantine prior to the start of school. Please click HERE for the NYSDOH travel advisory page.

We trust that you find this information helpful and pledge to continue to keep you informed of any changes, as they arise. In addition to our Covid-related updates, we also will be sending out our regular back-to-school emails. As always, we thank you for your partnership and understanding during these challenging times.

Lisa Armband     Senior Director, Special Services