This week we had our first student case of COVID-19 in J&C class. We are so appreciative of the family involved as well as the class community for their flexibility, understanding and supportive implementation of our protocols. We wanted to take this opportunity to share some information on our class bubbles and share some questions that we received this week from our families. Parent feedback provides an opportunity to pause, reflect, consult and take action, and we are grateful to the parent community for sharing your thinking with us.
Class Bubbles
We have made the decision to keep students in a class bubble so that they can have as close to a “normal” school experience as possible. We feel that one of the most valuable aspects of school is socialization and social learning, and operating in strict class bubbles allows for this to take place within the class community.
This most recent case in J&C is telling us that the class bubble system is working because other classes have not been affected. We are also happy to see that the COVID-19 safety measures we have in place are proving to work because we have seen very low numbers of infection in our school community (only one student has tested positive so far), and at present, we haven’t seen this case spread within the J&C community.
ATK Kits
This week we were notified that the Test Sea Labs Saliva (GICA) ATK kits purchased through our school were showing negative results for two families when compared to a positive result from the Abbott Nasal (Panbio) test kit. We are concerned to hear about this case, and have contacted the company to let them know about this situation.
After doing some research and speaking to several different families in our community, we have learned that ATK test results across all brands can present differing data. We know that the Test Sea Labs Nasal (GICA) kits have proven to work, as we have had a teacher and a nanny test positive on them in the past. We have decided to stop ordering saliva kits and encourage all families to use the more reliable nasal kits instead.
While we understand that ATK tests are not 100% effective, we do feel confident that increasing our routine testing to 3 times per week has provided even more protection for our school community according to the “Swiss Cheese Model”. Our MYIS School Safety Matrix has guided us to proceed with caution when a family reports a positive ATK result. We are grateful to the community for your flexibility and support in following the Safety Matrix protocols.
We will offer parents a choice of ordering the Test Sea Labs (nasal) or the Abbott (nasal) test through our school, or sourcing their own kits through other avenues. You can use this form or email Ms. Da directly (dan@magicyears.ac.th) if you prefer to order your test kits from school
Dismissal Time
We have received some parent feedback that informal teacher-parent updates during dismissal time are causing increased parent congestion, increasing the risk of exposure in the dismissal area. Parents have suggested that teachers provide check-ins via Seesaw, and we agree that this is the safest option for our community. Please support us to reduce exposure by limiting the amount of time you are in the dismissal area once you have picked up your child.
COVID-19 Early Years Q&A
How do you ensure that students with symptoms don’t come to school?
Our policy is that students who present any symptoms at all (runny nose, cough, etc.) will be sent home. Students with symptoms need to stay home until all symptoms subside, and continue to do routine ATK testing (3 times per week).
How do you make sure the youngest students wear masks?
We encourage all of our youngest students to wear their masks when they are indoors (preferably N95/N94 or surgical), however in order to maintain a class environment of trust and security we cannot forcibly put the masks on the children’s faces. In alignment with current research, we also believe strongly in providing safe mask breaks for students when they are outdoors.
Can you separate Early Years students during lunch and snack?
The routine of snack and lunch is an essential part of the EY program. Our young learners need support from the teacher and use this opportunity to build language and a sense of community. Since we operate as a class bubble, we feel that the current snack and lunch seating is in the best interest of the student’s well-being and development.
Food Safety Team
The Food Safety Team had our second meeting this afternoon, where we reflected on the parent feedback and discussed how we can improve our food services in a sustainable and resourceful way. We reached the conclusion that offering many choices of foods is not possible with our small kitchen team of 2 cooks, however we are looking at creative ways of providing an option for students who don’t eat the daily lunch meal (such as a cold lunch/sandwich). We appreciate the efforts of Wi, Paolo and Natalie on this committee – we all have the shared goal of full bellies and healthy bodies.