Following are the general guidelines that will be in place at Open Door Christian Schools at the onset of the school year. As you review, please know that we welcome further questions/comments as we move forward together. Please also read with the following principles in mind:
- We have sought to embrace proven counsel from a variety of sources while honoring our belief in parental empowerment/discernment as parents raise their children. (Deuteronomy 6:5,6; Proverbs 11:14)
- Our guidelines should not be misconstrued to be a political statement, nor a commentary on public health recommendations.
- We believe in the power of prayer, the sovereign ability of our Lord to protect us throughout all circumstances, and the gift of counsel from expertise. Being sober-minded and living by faith are not mutually exclusive.
- ODCS seeks to be a Christ-honoring community in every circumstance/situation. Christian witness is often at its best when we remain Christ-like in our convictions and discourse even when challenged with viewpoints different than our own.
May the Lord continue to guide our efforts, may He provide needed resources throughout our world to address the pandemic, and may He be glorified by our actions as we move forward together.
Open Door Christian Schools
COVID-19 Safety Protocols for 2021-2022
CURRENT as of 8/23/2021
The following safety protocols are subject to change as conditions warrant:
Air Filtration:
- Air filtration units are utilized and continually running in every classroom.
- Outdoor spaces will be utilized by classroom teachers when applicable.
Social Distancing:
- Social distancing of three feet or more will be utilized in the classroom to the extent possible.
- Classroom seats are in rows for K-4 classrooms.
- Desk shields for K-6th grade classrooms will be on each desk.
- Desk shields for 7th-12th grade classrooms are available for use when needed for health or instructional purposes.
- After-school extra-curricular clubs, activities, and sports will have similar social distancing guidelines as normal school day operations to the extent possible.
- Seating for events that take place during the school day such as chapel and assemblies will be every other seat or space.
- Seating for non-mandatory indoor events such as sporting events will strive to have opportunities for social distancing to the extent possible.
- Lunch will take place in the cafeteria with spacing guidelines being in place. Procedures are in place to ensure:
- Students sit at a designated seat.
- Students move at limited times with their assigned groups. (ie. purchasing lunch, throwing away trash, lining up, etc.)
- During the school day outside of the cafeteria, if food is offered, all items will be prepackaged to avoid sharing of food and utensils.
- Parents are asked to bring students to school no earlier than 7:50 am to maintain the greatest degree of social distancing. From 7:20 - 7:50...
- Kindergarten through fourth grade students will report to the RNC.
- Fifth through Twelfth grade students will report to the gym.
- All students will report to class beginning at 7:50.
Facial Coverings:
- Facial coverings are optional for campus activities and programs. The Center for Disease Control and the Ohio Department of Health strongly recommends facial coverings to be utilized in all school buildings.
- Parents who desire their child(ren) to wear face coverings during the school day should communicate with the classroom teacher to ensure the request is consistently in place.
- Facial coverings will be required for all individuals on school-provided transportation while the CDC Requirement for Face Masks on Public Transportation Conveyances and at Transportation Hubs is in effect. This includes extra-curricular activities.
- Open Door Christian Schools reserves the right to require all visitors who are not parents to wear a facial covering while on campus. (ie. vendors)
Hygiene/Cleaning/Disinfecting:
- Adequate supplies to support healthy hand hygiene behaviors, including access to soap and water and/or hand sanitizer, will be maintained. Pre-school through fourth-grade classrooms will have regularly scheduled times for hand-washing along with general access.
- Plans for routine and frequent cleaning/disinfection of shared spaces, objects, etc. will take place daily and include frequently touched surfaces such as door handles, sink handles, desktops, reception countertops, and other surfaces as needed.
Education Engagement Options:
- Students in grades Kindergarten through fourth grade may elect to participate in a remote learning platform. Interested parents should contact Angie Lowe, our lower school principal, at alowe@odcs.org or (440)322-6386 for more information. Preliminary information regarding the platform are as follows:
- Approval is necessary by the lower school principal for admission into the platform.
- The platform will include touchpoints from the classroom teacher. However, instruction will be provided via the chosen online platform.
- Instruction within the platform will be for a mutually agreed duration between the parent and school with the goal being to return the student to on-campus learning. Variables such as student success and Covid-19 information will be utilized for decision-making for continued participation.
- Students in grades fifth through twelfth grade will participate in on-campus instruction with accommodations being made when students must quarantine/isolate due to Covid-19 exposure. Accommodations will be primarily asynchronous with potential opportunities for other learning options as determined by the classroom teacher.
- When possible, alternatives will be provided to families so that they can maintain a connection to our school community while making choices that best serve the unique needs of their particular family. (ie. live-streaming of athletic events, parent conferences, Back to School celebration, parent meetings, concerts, etc.)
Parental Discernment:
- In accordance to our shared values, parents have a choice as to how they would like for their child to participate in school activities. (ie. wearing face coverings and attending non-mandatory events) We recognize that opinions will vary related to the choices each family chooses to make. As we are a Christian community, all efforts should be made to honor one another by respecting choices made by one another. (Ephesians 4:15,16; Romans 14:1-19) In so doing, we will be a testimony to our region in how we can honor one another by respecting differing viewpoints.
- Parents should continue to monitor their children to ensure that they are healthy and fever-free when coming to school. Exercising an abundance of caution serves as the primary protocol for parents to employ in order to keep our students well as we move forward together.
Quarantine/Isolation Protocols:
- A designated isolation space for staff/students who become symptomatic while on campus will continue to be utilized. A staff member will attend to the student until parent/guardian arrives.
- Students who become sick on campus will be removed from the classroom. The student will be brought to Mrs. Dueck, our school nurse, who will conduct a health assessment of the student. The school nurse and/or staff member will contact the parent/guardian to pick up the student. The school nurse and/or staff member will provide direction to the family regarding next steps.
- The school nurse and/or staff member will follow safety and health protocols established by Lorain County Public Health.
- Open Door Christian Schools will notify parents and staff about positive COVID-19 cases in individual buildings and classrooms. Positive cases will be reported to Lorain County Public Health and Ohio Department of Health.
- Individuals who are determined as close contacts to individuals testing positive will be subject to the quarantine protocols if they have not been vaccinated, or were not masked in accordance with the recommendations from the Ohio Department of Health and Lorain County Public Health.
- Vaccination and/or masking exempts individuals from the quarantine process. This includes both in-school and extra-curricular activities.
- The Ohio Department of Health is currently coordinating contact tracing and notification of quarantines for schools.
- Visitors will be limited to essential business during the school day. Visitors are subject to the health and safety protocols of ODCS.