Hello, Village Parents:

As you are aware, concerns about coronavirus (or COVID-19) are rapidly increasing throughout our community, the country and the world. We take these concerns very seriously and are being hypervigilant about any signs of illness and have taken steps that we’d like to share with you to protect our Village community.

First, if your child or a member of your family shows signs of illness of any kind, please let us know and please keep them home until they are symptom-free, unmedicated. Additionally, if you or someone in your family believe you have been potentially exposed to coronavirus, please stay home and keep your child at home with you.

The following are some of the things that we’ve implemented these past few weeks and will keep in place for the unforeseeable future…

• We have implemented more frequent and more stringent cleaning and disinfecting procedures.
• We have discontinued the use of playdo, clay and sand in class to prevent spread of germs.
• We have been teaching and reinforcing several personal hygiene practices daily.
~ Wash hands (ask your child about the handwashing songs)
~ Cough and/or sneeze into elbows.
~ Politely but firmly remind others and selves not to touch faces.
~ Politely but firmly remind others and selves not to put fingers in mouths.
• We are running our special industrial strength Blueair air purifiers in each classroom daily (and we kindly thank our PTO for them).
• We are running our essential oil diffusers nonstop in the classroom filled with tea tree oil which disinfects the air while increasing humidity which slows the transmission of germs.

Please note: There are several instances that would prompt closing our school.
• If an adult in our school community tests positive for COVID-19 or has had contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19.
• If LRSD closes all schools.
• If we are advised to close by DHS, the governor or any other government health agency.
• If we are understaffed to the point that we cannot maintain state-mandated ratios.

We will communicate any change to our operations immediately.

Sincerely with grace and courtesy,

Your Village Montessori Administrators

P.S. We also want to provide you with some trustworthy resources to help you keep informed.

While the media has been quick to provide real-time updates on the spread of the virus, we highly recommend you rely on trusted and respected health services when researching and communicating about the novel coronavirus. We are relying on information primarily from the World Health Organization (WHO) at www.who.int and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at www.cdc.gov.

Below is a brief summary of information and best practices published by the CDC to help you protect yourself from this health concern.

What is the Novel Coronavirus?
Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses, some that cause illness in people and others that cause illness in animals. Coronaviruses include the seasonal flu and common cold. Novel (new) coronaviruses are new strains of the virus that have not been previously identified in humans.

Symptoms
Reported symptoms can include a fever, cough, or shortness of breath and may appear in as few as two to fourteen days following exposure. If you develop cold or flu-like symptoms, especially after travelling, it is recommended to call your local healthcare provider for personalized expert advice.

How It Spreads
According to the CDC, transmission of the virus is primarily spread between people who are in close contact with one another. It is also believed that a person can be exposed to the new coronavirus by touching a compromised surface or object. However, due to the delicate nature of the virus, the CDC has stated that exposure from products or packaging that are shipped or mailed over a period of days or weeks as “very low risk.”

Prevention & Treatment
The CDC and WHO have recommended the following steps to help reduce the risk of exposure and to help prevent spreading the virus.
• Clean your hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer and wash for at least 20 seconds
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands
• Cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with tissue or a flexed elbow, and frequently dispose of used tissues
• Avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms
• Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces
• Stay home if you feel like you have cold or flu-like symptoms