COVID-19
February 3, 2021 2023-06-23 14:17COVID-19
Dear Lorge School Community,
We are pleased to welcome back our students, staff and faculty to the 2022-2023 school year.
This past year and half has forced many educational communities to create innovative ways of engagement. For the first time in educational history, instruction has occurred exclusively on-line and you should all be proud of the connections you have made with your students and families alike.
I am most impressed by the response of our teachers and teacher assistants., administrators, clinicians and behavioral mentors to enhance the educational process for our students. During this unprecedented disruption, I am most thankful for your creativity, patience, persistence and compassion in making sure our students were well cared for and continuously engaged in learning. As we move toward live instruction, I trust that we will collectively hold onto the same values that made our virtual program a success and work together to make this a healthy and safe school year full of robust learning experiences.
Our primary objectives this school year is to keep our school community safe, address the social emotional needs of our students and return to in-person instruction and learning. In order to successfully achieve these goals, The Lorge School has developed this guide to assist all staff and faculty in developing plans for a safe return. The information and resources provided in this guide are based on the guidance written by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
The strategies and protocols described in this guide are intended to keep all members of the Lorge School community safe and have been developed in conjunction with The Lorge School Re-opening committee and local health and safety experts. This handbook is a living document which provides recommendations based on the most up to date information with the understanding that it may change as public health conditions evolve.
In closing, The Lorge School is committed to working closely with all federal , state and local agencies to implement best practices in response to the virus and make decisions based on the most current medical recommendations to mitigate the spread and keep our community safe.
Educationally,
Harry Gonzalez
Executive Director
Health and safety have always been a primary concern for all school leaders. Unfortunately, the pandemic has redefined its context and forced schools to focus on things like monitoring air quality, prescreening for Covid symptoms, improving ventilation, and implementing hygienic protocols throughout the day. Both the New York State Education Department (NYSED) and the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) have helped compile this guide based on the CDC’s Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools and the AAP’s COVID-19 Guidance for Safe Schools.
It is the recommendation of the CDC and the AAP that all schools should implement a layered approach which includes the following:
- Everyone wear a mask while in the building
- Cohorting / Creating pods of students and adults
- Plan for handwashing & using sanitizing products
- Covering coughs and sneezes
- Exercising social distancing when possible
- Improve ventilation and purify the air in enclosed spaces
- Regular cleaning of frequently touched surfaces
- Staying home when sick or symptomatic
- Have a contingency plan in-case remote instruction is necessary
- Encourage all eligible Students to get vaccinated
The Lorge School will continue to partner with our local department of health, the director of school health services and other health professionals to monitor the evolving trends of the virus. We are confident that we have taken every step to mitigate the spread of the virus while serving the needs of our students. Despite our commitment to safety, it is important to note that there is an element of personal responsibility that must be exercised in and out of school for the sake of our community. We ask that you take every precaution possible to take care of yourself and your family when engaged in personal interactions in your free time.
