Staff

Children

Families & Caregivers

Face Coverings

Masks are no longer required for staff unless they are experiencing symptoms or are recovering from an illness after being cleared to return to work.

Masks are no longer required for children unless they are experiencing symptoms or are recovering from an illness after being cleared to return to class.

Masks are no longer required for families and caregivers unless they are experiencing symptoms or are recovering from an illness after being cleared to leave quarantine.

Physical Distancing

Teachers will not social distance but will also not share water bottles or food.

Children will not be social distanced during class or mealtimes. Children will not share water bottles or other food. If a child has visible signs of illness, their grownups will be called for an early pickup.

Social distancing is no longer required during drop off and pick up routines.

Daily Health Screenings & Log

Families will be asked daily about the overall health of their child and immediate family to ensure there aren’t any COVID-related symptoms or exposure. Health Check Questions:

 (1) COVID-19 symptoms in the past 14 days, (2) positive COVID-19 test in the past 14 days, and/or (3) close contact with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases in the past 14 days. (4) Any air travel outside of NYC in the past 14 days. Travelers must refer to any government based travel advisories in place.

BND RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ASK FAMILIES TO TEST AND QUARANTINE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. Assessment responses must be reviewed every day and such review must be documented.

To comply with the above requirement - teachers must note health checks have been completed for themselves and each student and all is clear each morning on BRIGHTWHEEL, prior to beginning class. Any illness noted at drop off, or via Brightwheel  for staff, children, or their immediate families, along with any changes to health throughout the day must also be noted. These channels are private, and only open to administrators and group teachers, as to protect the privacy of all those involved.

All teachers and staff with ANY signs of illness must stay home or come to work wearing an N-95 mask, until they receive a diagnosis from a doctor that allows them to return to class without . Symptoms include but are not limited to: fever, vomiting, cough, wheezing, headache, diarrhea, shortness of breath, sore throat.

Families will be asked daily about the overall health of their child and immediate family to ensure there aren’t any COVID-related symptoms or exposure. Health Check Questions:

 (1) COVID-19 symptoms in the past 14 days, (2) positive COVID-19 test in the past 14 days, and/or (3) close contact with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases in the past 14 days. (4) Any air travel outside of NYC in the past 14 days. Travelers must refer to any government based travel advisories in place.

BND RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ASK FAMILIES TO TEST AND QUARANTINE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. Assessment responses must be reviewed every day and such review must be documented.

Children with ANY signs of illness must stay home until they receive a diagnosis from a doctor that allows them to return to class. If children demonstrate any virus symptoms during class, or just seem unwell overall, we will call parents or caregivers to have them picked up immediately. Symptoms include but are not limited to: fever, vomiting, cough, wheezing, headache, diarrhea, shortness of breath, sore throat.

Brightwheel  - Attendance Record and Sign in and Sign Out Daily Record

Teachers will be in charge of manually inputting each parent/caregiver’s Bright wheel code for signing in and signing out daily.

Our Brightwheel log of sign ins & outs will also serve as our NYS mandated log for contact tracing.

All children must be accurately signed in and out each day, or marked as absent if not attending, so that BW classrooms accurately reflect the number of children present in each group, for both daily safety and for contact tracing as needed.

Please ensure that each parent/caregiver is using their own code, so that in the event we must contact trace, we have an accurate record of those people who interacted with our groups each day. Teachers will be in charge of manually inputting each parent/caregiver’s Bright wheel code for signing in and signing out daily.

Supplies

Teachers must carry all supplies as noted in the Materials and Supplies Appendix daily.

This includes Travel hand washing station, filled with foaming soap and water**

Disinfecting Wipes for supplies and wagons _ EPA approved**

Brooklyn Nature Days will provide tools and materials to be used in class each day.

Each child will need to bring the following items from home daily:

*Snack (MUST be peanut/tree nut free)

*A filled water bottle with a covered spout, as well as an extra water bottle for refills, as we will not be using park fountains and refilling stations for drinking water

*Lunch MUST be peanut/tree nut free

*A small mat or towel to sit on during class

*Extra clothing: seasonally appropriate, including socks and underwear

*Diapers and a changing mat (if applicable)

*Sunscreen and bugspray CLEARLY labeled in a Ziploc bag. Children must arrive wearing sunscreen and bug spray. ***Families are responsible for disinfecting all items noted above each day to ensure they are clean and ready for use when each child arrives to class.

***Families are responsible for disinfecting all items noted on the child’s supply list each day to ensure they are clean and ready for use when each child arrives to class.

Cleaning of  Supplies and Class Materials

Teachers are responsible for disinfecting wagons after dismissal each day. ALL disinfectants must be EPA approved against COVID. A record of before and after class wagon cleaning/shared supplies MUST be noted in real time on the slack #cleaninglog channel in accordance with NYS regulations. NOTE date, time, and scope of cleaning with each entry.

Families are responsible for disinfecting all items children bring  each day to ensure they are clean and ready for use when each child arrives to class.

Families are responsible for disinfecting all items noted above each day to ensure they are clean and ready for use when each child arrives to class.

Hand Washing and Sanitizing

• Teachers will carry both mini hand washing stations with soap, warm water, and paper towels, as well as alcohol based hand sanitizer (60% or above alcohol content) in their dry bags for their own use as needed, as well as for children in their care.

Frequent hand washing and sanitizing will be required, including, (but not limited to) before snack/lunch, and after a diaper change or helping a child in the restroom, and before dismissal.

COVID handwashing: use extra soap, ensure each child scrubs their ENTIRE HAND for roughly 20 seconds (sing a song like twinkle twinkle, happy birthday, abc's or something of the like) and make sure teachers are supervising. Do not let a child  wash hands without supervision. Help remove excess mud as viruses/germs adhere to dirt and grime. Be certain to use individual paper towels for individual children to dry hands. 

Frequent hand washing and sanitizing will be required, including, (but not limited to) before snack/lunch and after a diaper change/using the potty or restroom.

COVID handwashing: use extra soap, ensure each child scrubs their ENTIRE HAND for roughly 20 seconds (sing a song like twinkle twinkle, happy birthday, abc's or something of the like) and make sure teachers are supervising. Do not let a child  wash hands without supervision. Help remove excess mud as viruses/germs adhere to dirt and grime. Be certain to use individual paper towels for individual children to dry hands. 

Hand sanitizer will be provided to parents and caregivers by Brooklyn Nature Days as needed.

Communication

It is to the benefit of all that there is open and regular communication regarding the health and well-being of all teachers, staff, children, and their immediate families in regards to COVID and possible exposure.

Staff will receive covid-19 safety information via our field guide, Covid-19 appendix and via regular updates using the slack app. Phone calls will be used for time sensitive matters.

It is to the benefit of all that there is open and regular communication regarding the health and well-being of all teachers, staff, children, and their immediate families in regards to COVID and possible exposure.

It is to the benefit of all that there is open and regular communication regarding the health and well-being of all teachers, staff, children, and their immediate families in regards to COVID and possible exposure.

Parents will receive covid- related safety information via our Brightwheel app, email, and phone calls as needed.

COVID-19 Positive Tests and/or Possible Exposure

We ask that all individuals involved in our Brooklyn Nature Days community immediately report any suspected or confirmed cases of COVID to our directors via phone - 347-743-2333.

Beginning Summer 2021, we will require all staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Staff must be fully vaccinated (highly preferred), or well into the process, in order to work with us. Medical exemptions will be accepted on a case by case basis, dependent upon an individual's needs and the advice of their doctor.

We ask that all individuals involved in our Brooklyn Nature Days community immediately report any suspected or confirmed cases of COVID to our directors via phone - 347-743-2333.

We will likely require all children to be vaccinated against COVID-19 if and when required by the DOHMH.

We ask that all individuals involved in our Brooklyn Nature Days community immediately report any suspected or confirmed cases of COVID to our directors via phone - 347-743-2333.

COVID Related Closures

Government Mandated COVID Related Closures:

In the event our classes will be unable to operate due to government restrictions, which results in citywide and/or statewide closures, teachers will be required to continue to work remotely until it is safe to resume classes.

Brooklyn Nature Days COVID Related Closures:

On a smaller level, we will be closely monitoring any reports of suspected or positive COVID cases within each individual class. In the event a closure or quarantine is required by local city health officials for a particular group of individuals or class(es), Brooklyn Nature Days will not offer makeup classes or refunds for COVID-related class closures or cancellations due to exposure, quarantine, or government mandate. Teachers will be paid for missed classes due to potential illness/exposure for the maximum number of days available through the Families First Coronavirus Act and the NYS Sick and Safe Leave Policy.

Government Mandated COVID Related Closures:

In the event our classes will be unable to operate due to government restrictions, which results in citywide and/or statewide closures, Brooklyn Nature Days will not offer make up classes or refunds for COVID-related class closures or cancellations due to exposure, quarantine, or government mandate. To the best of our ability we will offer an age appropriate remote alternative.

Brooklyn Nature Days COVID Related Closures:

On a smaller level, we will be closely monitoring any reports of suspected or positive COVID cases within each individual class. In the event a closure or quarantine is required by local city health officials for a particular group of individuals or class(es), Brooklyn Nature Days will not offer makeup classes or refunds for COVID-related class closures or cancellations due to exposure, quarantine, or government mandate. To the best of our ability we will offer an age appropriate remote alternative.