COVID Safety Plan

Until a vaccine is widely administered, COVID-19 will continue to impact communities, requiring stringent physical distancing measures. Understanding that schools are not inherently designed for physical distancing, Riordan will operate with guidelines that support a safe learning environment.

• According to the SFDPH guidance, these include:
• Students will stay at least 4-6 ft from other people.
• Students and staff will not gather in large groups (Mass and prayer services, announcements, House Activities, and other on-campus moments will be reimagined).
• Furniture and seating spaces will be rearranged to ensure appropriate distance between students.
• Visual aids and signage will be provided in lobbies, hallways, and stairwells to create one-way traffic flows on campus.
• Whenever possible, we will avoid communal supplies.

Additionally:

• Morning check-in stations will be marked 6 ft apart. Riordan personnel will supervise the check-in process to ensure social distancing.
• Capacity will be listed for communal spaces.
   

All efforts will be made to ensure physical distancing between students and adults on campus. This includes:

• Desks/furniture to be taped off to indicate when not available for use.
• Signage indicating the flow of foot traffic.
• Physical distancing markers will be indicated in any areas used for student of faculty/staff check in.
• Signs for capacity limits posted in bathrooms, classrooms, and other areas of the school.
• Plastic partitions placed on staff desks that are in open spaces, such as the Attendance, Admissions, and Main Offices.

Updated 1/25/21

• Distance teacher and other staff desks 6 feet away from student and other staff desks
• Distance student chairs at least 6 feet away from one another, except where 6 feet of distance is not possible after a good-faith effort has been made
• Under no circumstances should distance between student chairs be less than 4 feet
• If 6 feet of distance is not possible, optimize ventilation, use desk partitions, or arrange desks to minimize face-to-face contact

The school will continue in its practice of engaging a professional cleaning crew to clean and disinfect the building prior to the start of school. When classes begin, all high touch areas and bathrooms will be cleaned after school. We will also engage the following practices:

• Students will be required to wipe down their desks after each class with disinfectant wipes, and students and teachers will clean surfaces prior to changing classes. Students will partner with faculty/staff to prioritize regular cleaning practices for equipment, writing utensils, and other classroom materials. 
• In general, the school will discourage the use of shared supplies, including property of the school or personal items students bring from home.
• We recommend avoiding use of items that are not easily cleaned, sanitized, or disinfected.
• In each classroom there will be disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer, in addition to a reserve of these and other hygiene supplies (paper products, soap, gloves, and other cleaning products) maintained by the school.
• Shared computers in the library and lockers will be prohibited from use; students already bring personal technology devices to campus for academic learning. It is recommended that both faculty and staff clean their personal devices frequently.

In addition to the above, the school will follow a suggested schedule of cleaning and maintenance Monday through Friday from 3:00 – 10:00 pm. The following areas will be cleaned and disinfected:

• High touch areas
• Student and teacher desks
• Computer keyboards and mouse 
• Teacher lounge and refrigerators
• Library, cafeteria, gym, and theatre
• All bathrooms

A list of chemicals used to clean can be found below, and we will ensure the safe and correct application of disinfectants.

• Hand Sanitizer - Safety First (Alcohol 70%)
• Disinfectant Wipes - Betco Sanibet Multi-Range
• Cleaning Spray - TB-Cide Quat
• UV Wands for electronic surfaces
   

Anyone on Riordan’s campus must be wearing a properly-fitting mask or face covering that covers both the nose and mouth at all times.

• Face shields will be available for all faculty and staff and can be worn in addition to masks.
• If removing a mask to eat or drink, this must be done while maintaining proper social distance.
• Riordan administration reserves the right to determine if a student’s mask is inappropriate or provides insufficient coverage. Students may be given a new mask from the school to wear.
• Faculty will monitor and enforce mandatory face coverings for all students at all times.

Updated Mask Policy (1/25/21)

• Students in all grade levels K-12 are required to wear face coverings at all times, while at school, unless exempted.
• If using a cloth mask, please remember that they should be washed regularly to maintain effectiveness.
• We will have additional masks for students to use if their mask becomes wet or dirty, but recommend each student bring an extra mask.
• NO GAITERS OR VALVED MASKS ALLOWED: we will supply students with a disposable mask if they arrive with either.
• All staff must use face coverings in accordance with CDPH guidelines.
• CPDH recommends disposable 3-ply surgical masks, which are more effective than cloth face coverings
• In limited situations where a face covering cannot be used for pedagogical or developmental reasons, a face shield with a drape can be used as long as the wearer maintains physical distance from others.

In addition to hand washing stations in all campus bathrooms, there are hand sanitizing stations at four main points in the building, including middle hallways, and the gym. 
Each classroom and office area is equipped with a supply of hand sanitizer. 

Signage posted throughout school will indicate the importance of frequent hand washing or use of hand sanitizer. This includes:

• Upon entering or exiting the building
• After using the bathroom
• After touching one’s nose or mouth
• Prior to removing a face covering/mask
• After eating or drinking
• After engaging in outdoor activities
• After coughing or sneezing

Indoor air quality and circulation will be measured and monitored as required by SFDPH.

All exterior windows and interior doors, including classrooms, will remain open during each school day. Windows and doors account for approximately 30% of each classroom's wall space.

In certain parts of the building, the school will minimize recirculated air and will change out filters. 

The school will continue to monitor outside Bay Area air quality, and make appropriate plans as needed.

Student Screening
Students will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms in two ways.

• Each morning parents must answer through PowerSchool screening questions about their children’s health (view questions) before the students enter the campus. If a student is feeling ill or does not pass the screening, he or she should stay home, and parents should report the absence to the attendance office by 7:30 am, attendance@riodanhs.org. (Even if a student’s cohort is not on campus on a particular day, parents must still fill out screening questions in PowerSchool.)
• When students arrive at the check-in desk, their temperatures will be checked, and they may be asked additional screening questions. 

Faculty Screening

• All faculty and staff are asked to park in the rear parking lot and check in at the Main Office Entrance by answering the screening questions (view questions) through a digital form. Temperatures will also be taken. 
• If a faculty member is feeling ill or does not pass the screening, he or she should stay home and contact Riordan’s Main Office to make arrangements for his/her classes.

If a student feels ill during the school day:

• Students should immediately notify their teachers or another Riordan adult if they are not feeling well. Students will step outside the classroom. There will be a staff monitor on the floor to guide the students to the Marianist Room.
• The teacher will notify Riordan’s Covid Coordinator, and the student will be guided to a designated supervised room on campus (Marianist Room) until a parent or guardian arrives to pick the student up. The student will be screened for symptoms and further isolation may be necessary.
• The Attendance Office will reach out to parents immediately to pick up their children, and the school asks that every effort is made to do so as quickly as possible.
• A confidential record may be kept in the office of students who present with symptoms while on campus.

If a faculty or staff member feels ill during the school day:

• He or she should notify a hall monitor or call the Main Office to request coverage for his or her class.
• After contacting the Covid Coordinator to assess symptoms, the adult should leave campus as soon as possible. 
• If needed, an isolation area will be provided.
• A confidential record may be kept in the office of staff who present with symptoms while on campus.

Return to campus following Suspect COVID-19 or Confirmed COVID-19

Students
Students are encouraged to get tested as soon as possible if symptomatic. Students cannot return to school until they have met the criteria below: 

If the student gets tested, he or she can return to school after:

1. A negative COVID-19 test and  
2. 24 hours with no fever, without taking medicines to lower a fever, like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), and  
3. Symptoms have improved. The symptoms do not have to be completely better. 

Important: The parent or guardian must show documentation of the student’s negative test, for example, a copy of the test result or a message from the clinic or test site that the test was negative. This may be in electronic form. A separate doctor’s note is not needed. This is usually the fastest way for a child to return.

If the student is not tested, he or she can return to school after:

1. 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared and  
2. Symptoms have improved and  
3. 24 hours with no fever, without taking medicines to lower a fever, like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin). 
    

If the student has had close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, he or she can return to school after:

1. 14 days after the last close contact, even if the child has a negative test during this time, or is still waiting for test result.
2. No symptoms have developed since the last close contact.

Important: A note from the clinic or a doctor’s note is not needed.

Faculty and Staff (F/S) should be encouraged to get tested as soon as possible if symptomatic. F/S cannot return to work until they have met the criteria below: 

If the individual gets tested, he or she can return to school after:

1. A negative COVID-19 test and  
2. 24 hours with no fever, without taking medicines to lower a fever, like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), and  
3. Symptoms have improved. The symptoms do not have to be completely better.

If the individual is not tested, he or she can return to work after:

1. 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared and  
2. Symptoms have improved and  
3. 24 hours with no fever, without taking medicines to lower a fever, like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin). 

If the individual has had close contact with confirmed case of COVID-19, he or she can return to work after:

1. 14 days after the last close contact, even if the faculty/staff member has a negative test during this time, or is still waiting for the test result.
2. No symptoms have developed since the last close contact.

Important: A note from the clinic or a doctor’s note is not needed.

Here is SFDPH's recommendation on travel. As we do our part to maintain the health and safety of our school community, per the SFDPH we recommend avoiding travel out of state/country and to locations with known high infection rates of COVID-19, or you have engaged in the circumstances below, within two weeks of in-person instruction. We will aim to provide families with two weeks-notice prior to a return to campus to allow students and staff to follow this guidance. As a courtesy, we will ask Riordan students and faculty to report recent and future travel plans if needed for contact tracing purposes.

• You interacted for more than 15 minutes within six feet of someone outside your household when you or the other people around you were not wearing a face covering at all times;
• You were indoors, including on a plane, train or bus, and either you or those around you were not wearing face coverings at all times;
• You interacted for more than 15 minutes within six feet of someone—either with or without a face covering—who was experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or who began to experience symptoms of COVID-19 within 48 hours of your interaction with them.
   

The State of California has updated its travel policy with the following provisions:
Non-essential travel (for recreational purposes) should be limited to 120 miles from the person’s home.

• Californians who travel outside the state or the country must quarantine for 10 days upon their return to California.
• Visitors to California from other states and countries must also quarantine for 10 days upon their entry into California.
• With this in mind, please limit recreational travel to no more than 120 miles from your home. If you must travel outside of California or outside of the United States, you will need to quarantine for 10 days upon your return to California.

Students
The current guidelines do not allow a test requirement for students, however, it is strongly recommended that all Riordan students be tested before returning to school. Riordan continues to explore equitable options for families and there are many testing sites throughout the county where families and students can get tested. A link of options can be found here.

Staff
All staff will be tested 7-14 days before on campus learning resumes and then will participate in a mandatory testing process that ensures all staff are tested in a continuous cycle using employee insurance providers.

Routine Asymptomatic Testing for School-Based Adults is Required

All adults based in a School facility, including but not limited to teachers, staff, paraprofessionals, contracted janitorial staff, security, therapists, aides, essential volunteers, interns, and student teachers (“School-Based Adults”) must be tested for COVID-19 as follows: 
    

• Testing must be done via nucleic acid diagnostic test or other test as authorized by the San Francisco Department of Public Health (“DPH”).
• Each School-Based Adult must be tested ideally within seven days, but no more than 14 days, before first returning to work for in-person, on-site instruction (“pre-return test”).
• Each School-Based Adult also must be tested at least every two months after returning to work following the pre-return test as long as they are providing on-site work at any point during that two-month period. 
• For the every-other monthly testing, the School may choose to test 25% of the School-Based Adults in the facility every two weeks, or 50% of the School-Based Adults in the facility every month. Each School must ensure that every School-Based Adult is tested at least every two months after return to on-site work and completion of the pre-return test.
• Each School must maintain a log of testing for all School-Based Adults who work or provide services onsite at the School. The log must be retained for 12 months and be made available to SFDPH upon request. 

According to the County of San Francisco COVID-19 Response, testing needs to be performed by a laboratory certified for high-complexity testing. 

If testing is required due to illness and or suspected COVID-19, the student/staff member will be instructed to remain home until test results are available.

Testing Frequency for Staff Who Cannot Wear Face Coverings
Any employee not wearing a face covering, face shield with a drape or other effective alternative, or respiratory protection, for any reason, shall be at least six feet apart from all other persons unless the unmasked employee is tested at least twice weekly for COVID-19.

Students will need to bring their own cleaning supplies to maintain personal hygiene and workspaces throughout the day. 

• Hand sanitizer (at least 80% ethanol or 75% isopropyl)
• A small package of disinfectant wipes (e.g. Clorox wipes, not baby wipes) 
• Gloves for cleaning (optional)
• Personal pencil sharpener

Families were emailed Cohort information. If you have questions, please email mobrien@riordanhs.org.

Students will be preassigned into two cohorts: Purple and Gold. Each cohort will have about 430 students, chosen so that the number of students in all classrooms allows for social distancing.

Each cohort of students will be on campus at least twice a week on alternating days. In order to decrease the chances of spreading the virus, students in one cohort will have no in-person interaction with the students in the other cohort.

Classes will take place Monday through Thursday. For two of those days, students will have in-person classes. For the other two days, students will watch live streams of their classes from home for synchronous distance learning while the other cohort is on campus.

On Fridays, cohorts will possibly alternate on campus every week for extracurricular enrichment while the rest of the student body engages in asynchronous learning—projects and pre-taped videos assigned by the teachers. 

Families will receive cohort information prior to the start of in-person classes. Once a student is assigned a cohort (Purple or Gold), he or she will not be able to switch.

Rosters of classes for Blocks 1-4 will be posted outside of each classroom.

A list of full Cohorts will be kept digitally by the Covid Coordinator and also posted in the Main Office.

Siblings will be in the same cohorts.

After-school supervision (study area): Some designated students will wait on campus, socially distanced in the gym, before they go to the field for athletic practices or get picked up by parents. This feature will also be restricted to a single cohort at a time. 
 

If there is a spike in COVID-19 cases or the school must close for whatever reason, the plan for going to a full distance-learning model would mirror our proposed bell schedule. Purple and Gold groups would continue with instruction from home. The school will notify families via email if this transition needs to be made.

An online learning option will be available to all students/families who wish to distance learn and not be on campus. Through the distance learning option, students will have the same access to learning tools, supplies, lesson plans, assessment, and teacher support via Riordan's Schoology platform.

With any COVID-19 positive test result, Riordan will contact the SFDPH immediately and within one business day. With their guidance, we will determine the appropriate action. A complete school closure may be appropriate if there are multiple cases, and SFDPH may also determine school closure is warranted for other reasons. 

SFDPH Steps to take for COVID-19 symptoms, close contact or confirmed COVID-19