Introduction

The Executive Administrative Team of SouthLake Christian Academy has established a plan to return to live instruction on campus this fall. While we acknowledge that there is no risk-free way for students and teachers to return to campus, our plans intend to mitigate risk and balance the spiritual and educational needs of our students with the health and safety needs of the entire community. Attempting to resume on-campus operations during a pandemic will require careful strategy and unprecedented cooperation. We are committed to the words of our vision statement “that Christ may be preeminent in all things” (Colossians 1.18) and we take seriously the promise of our mission statement to education and disciple students “in all aspects of God’s reality.” We also know that we have an obligation to the common good, to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. With these principles in mind, we will keep our plans flexible, our operations nimble, and our eyes attentive to changing circumstances.

Our decision to reopen campus for all students, five days per week, is based on the following considerations:

• Monitoring the number of COVID-19 cases in the primary zip codes that feed our school
• Monitoring the percentage of COVID-19 cases in our area affecting children ages 0-17
• Available scientific evidence showing that children are at lower risk than adults for contracting the virus and developing severe symptoms
• Available evidence that prevention practices such as physical distancing, hand washing, surface cleaning, and face covering (masks) significantly reduce the risk of infection
• Mandatory COVID-19 testing for all SouthLake employees prior to the start of school
• Enrollment caps to allow sufficient room in school classrooms to space students safely
• Our ability to implement daily health screening and safety practices schoolwide
• Willingness on the part of our teachers, parents, and students to return to live instruction, understanding both associated risks and prevention strategies
• Our continued ability to provide quality online instruction during the year when it becomes necessary for students with health concerns or those in quarantine
• Information from health officials allowing us to make precise decisions by class, grade, hallway, or building about any needed shut down of operations
• Continuation of Phase 2 or 3 or North Carolina’s reopening plan and the absence of stay-at-home orders by government officials

Should there be an outbreak at school or increasing disease prevalence in the areas where our families live, or if local, regional, or state government officials issue stay-at-home orders or other restrictions that make campus operations impossible, SouthLake Christian Academy will shift to online instruction until conditions allow us to return to campus. The Executive Administrative Team, in consultation with local health officials, will continually assess current conditions and closely follow the latest research to adjust our safety protocols as the school year unfolds. The following document outlines details of our reopening plan that parents and students need to know. This is a long document, but we ask that you please read all of it carefully.

Executive Administrative Team

• Matthew Kerlin, Head of School
• Rebekah Leonard, Associate Head of School
• Becky Makla, High School Principal
• Mark Apgar, Lower School Principal
• Jennifer Thomas, Middle and High School Assistant Principal

Communication

Successfully navigating the 2020-2021 school year will require clear channels of communication. Email is the official means of communication for SouthLake Christian Academy. Emails from the school to families should include SLCA in subject line and a brief description of the content. The school will send at least one weekly email communication to all families and the Head of School will send schoolwide updates on the first of each month. Teachers will send regular communication related to classroom activities. For urgent, emergency, or time sensitive communication, parents may receive a Renweb Parent Alert (text and/or voicemail). Certain times of the year may require more frequent communication than normal.

Both parents and employees are encouraged to attend carefully to all school information, particularly information related to safety protocols. As rumors tend to proliferate during stressful times, remember that the only official source of information for school operations is a direct communication from an official representative of the school. Everyone should be certain that all relevant contact information is correct in Renweb. To update your contact information, go to the “Family” tab in Renweb or the “School” tab in the Renweb app.

School Calendar and Attendance

School will begin as scheduled on August 12. Fall Break will be October 5-9 and Thanksgiving Break will be November 23-27. Other relevant dates will be updated and posted on our website at southlakechristian.org at About > School Calendar prior to the first day of classes. Calendar dates are subject to change this year as needed to protect instructional time or promote safety.

Attendance policies for the coming school year have been revised. For the 2020-2021 academic year, students will be allowed 10 absences for semester-long classes and 20 absences for year-long classes, twice the number of allowed absences from last year. This should prevent students from feeling pressure to attend school when they are showing symptoms of any illness. Furthermore, should a student contract COVID-19 or be required to quarantine because a member of his/her household is being tested or tests positive, we will seek to provide online instruction and suspend normal attendance policies provided we receive documentation of the positive COVID test. Documentation allows us to isolate potential spread of the virus and to assure that we make attendance allowances fairly and accurately.

If online instruction becomes necessary, students will be expected to participate fully unless illness prohibits it. In cases of illness, we will provide grace and reassurance, doing our best to help students make up any work missed. The school may make additional changes to policies for assignments, grading, and exams as needed to effectively facilitate any necessary online learning.

Health Screening, Hand Washing, Cleaning

Each student will have a temperature check every morning. Students with a temperature of 100.4 or higher will be isolated and sent home. Parents should be familiar with COVID-19 symptoms, including:

• congestion, sore throat, runny nose
• recent loss of taste or smell
• worsening cough, shortness of breath
• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
• fever, muscle aches, unusual fatigue

Students with any of these symptoms should stay home and seek medical attention from a physician to determine whether a COVID-19 test is needed. A signed commitment to this effect appears on the final page of this document.

We will make time in our daily schedule for students to wash their hands on a regular basis. Students who change classes (grades 5-12) will wash hands between every class using staggered dismissals and assigned sinks. Students in self-contained classrooms will wash hands at least every 90 minutes. Sinks have been added in all JK-2^nd grade classrooms to minimize hallway traffic. All bathrooms will be equipped with both electric dryers and paper towel dispensers. Students are encouraged to use paper towels to open bathrooms doors upon exit.

All surfaces used in class will be cleaned between classes with a cleaning solution approved by the CDC to kill viruses and bacteria. Except in cases where we have a student with a chemical allergy, we will use a properly diluted and safe solution of water and chlorine bleach, paper towels, and gloves. In grades 5-12, students may use masks and gloves to assist with surface cleaning between classes.

Face Coverings/Masks

Students and employees will be required to wear an approved face covering (mask) when they arrive at school, when they transition between classes or lunch, when they are dismissed from school, and any other time when physical distancing is not possible. Administrators and teachers may require masks at any time during the day as they deem it appropriate to protect the safety of students or teachers who may have a heightened risk of infection or complication from the virus. We will begin the semester wearing masks anytime we are indoors, but our aspiration will be to relax use of masks when seated and spaced in classroom as health conditions in our area allow. Students with health problems that might prevent them from wearing a mask in certain settings should submit documentation from a primary care physician to that effect. In such cases, we will consider exceptions to our mask policy on a case-by-case basis. All parents and guests entering a school building will be required to wear a mask.

We will provide three washable cotton/poly masks for each student. Additional masks may be purchased from the school. We recommend that you use the masks we provide for a few days to test for comfort, breathability, and fit before purchasing more. Cotton/poly masks should be washed and hung to dry after each day of use. In addition, students may use a standard disposable light blue surgical mask. Disposable masks should be used for no more than one day. No other types of masks or face coverings will be allowed except by written recommendation from a primary care physician. We will consider such situations on a case-by-case basis.

School Arrival

School buildings will open at 7:15 AM each morning. No student will be allowed to enter a school building prior to 7:15. Students should not be left at school unattended before 7:15. Students should wear masks as they enter school buildings each morning.

• JK – 8^th grade students will arrive at Hampton Hall and proceed to the lower level until 7:30 when they will go their classes. Students in grades JK – 8^th who arrive at 7:30 or later will go directly to their classrooms.
• High School students will enter Wilcox Gym upon arrival and will leave for their A block classes at 7:30. High School students arriving at 7:30 or later will go straight to their A block classes.

Class Transitions

• Students in grades JK-4 will transition to PE, specials, and recess by grade and separated from other students.
• Students in grades 5-6 will change classes as normal.
• Grades 7-12 will change classes in a staggered format, one-half of each class dismissing at a time, separated by five minutes to minimize hallway traffic. Students will be allowed to use backpacks should they wish to do so to avoid the need to go to a locker after each class period.

School Dismissal

Students in grades JK-6 will dismiss at 2:30 as follows:

• 2:30 PM – car riders will dismiss for the pavilion
• 2:40 PM – After School students will move to the Lower Level of Hampton Hall
• Late Wait students will remain in their classrooms until 3:10 and then dismiss for the pavilion

Students in grades 7-12 will dismiss at 3:10 as follows:

• 3:10 PM – bus riders and students picked up by a parent or guardian dismiss for the pavilion
• 3:20 PM – student drivers and their siblings dismiss to cars

Classrooms

We have established a maximum capacity for each classroom on campus that allows us to separate students by approximately 6 feet from nose to nose in each classroom. Most Hampton Hall classrooms will seat 18 or fewer students. Most Wilcox classrooms will seat 16 or fewer students. First Building classrooms seat between 12 and 18 students. On the rare occasion that a class size exceeds designated limits, that class will be moved to a larger area on campus such as the First Building Commons, Mezzanine, Library, or lower level of Hampton Hall. School HVAC systems will be adjusted to provide maximum air circulation and classroom doors and windows may remain open as weather and security precautions allow.

Chapel

To start the semester, Wednesday chapel services will be pushed entirely into individual classrooms through livestreaming and video curriculum. Our aspiration is to transition to in-person chapel services when circumstances make it safer for large gatherings. In the first stage of that transition, chapel services on will operate on a rotation.

• JK and K classes will alternate weeks with grades 1 and 2, attending chapel in person in the First Building Commons (8 AM) one week and holding chapel in individual classrooms the next.
• Grades 3and 4 will hold chapel together each week in the First Building Commons (11:25 AM).
• Grades 5 and 6 will alternate weeks with grades 7 and 8, attending chapel in person in the Wilcox Gym (8 AM) one week and livestreaming chapel in their A Block classes the next.
• Grades 9 and 10 will alternate weeks with grades 11 and 12, attending chapel in person one week in Wilcox Gym (9 AM) and livestreaming chapel in their A Block classes the next.

Lunch and Breaks

Our Hot Lunch Program allows students to pre-order food from area vendors who prepare and package meals off campus and deliver to SouthLake. We keep the food warm and serve it to students during one of three designated mealtimes. Most meals and breaktime snacks will be eaten in classrooms during the first few days of school. To minimize crowds in our lunchroom, we will deliver lunches to classrooms whenever possible.

• Teaching assistants and lunch volunteers will deliver lunches to students in grades JK to 4.
• Students in 5^th to 8^th grades will wear masks and dismiss to get lunch on a staggered schedule by grade, and then return to classrooms to eat.
• High School students will wear masks and depart for lunch staggered by cohorts to wash hands, get food, and then return to B block classes to eat.
• Each stairwell will facilitate one-way traffic only. After the first few days of classes, students may eat outdoors in our pavilion and other designated areas on a rotational basis, as the weather allows.

Because some students have food allergies to nuts and nut-based products, each classroom will have 1-2 desks that are designated nut free and marked accordingly. Students with nut allergies should always sit at a nut free desk in each classroom they use. Teachers will strictly monitor to be sure that only nut free meals and snacks are consumed at nut free desks. Some classes with students having a severe nut allergy may be asked to bring only nut-free snacks at the discretion of the teacher and our school nurse.

School Supplies, Curriculum, and Library

We are purchasing additional supplies and textbooks to limit the need to share resources in the classroom. When technological devices must be shared by students they will be cleaned appropriately. We are purchasing additional art supplies and redesigning art projects to limit group work. The list of school supplies that families purchase for the coming year will be shortened to eliminate items that are now expensive or difficult to find and the school will order needed supplies in bulk. The library will be used primarily as a classroom this year and library time for lower school students will be pushed into individual classrooms on rotation. STEM instruction will be incorporated into individual classes as the STEM lab will be closed and repurposed for the academic year.

Technology for Online Instruction

Online instruction at SouthLake involves three primary platforms.

1. Renweb is our school information management system where you access student information, schedules, class resources, and grades.
2. Google Classroom is a free online class content manager that integrates with Renweb and facilitates assignment creation, grading, testing, and file sharing.
3. Zoom is a free online video conferencing tool. Zoom meetings require a meeting ID and password. For security purposes, students and parents entering a Zoom meeting should use their real names as they appear in Renweb.

Other online platforms may be used as curriculum dictates and we will provide training for parents and students as needed. If parents or students have a technological need, they should contact the Technology Help Desk at slcahelpdesk@gmail.com. During school hours, a member of the Tech Team will typically respond to your request for assistance within a few minutes. After-hours responses may sometimes take longer.

Bus and School Travel

We will continue to provide bus service to and from school each day. Buses will be limited to half capacity with one student per seat. Siblings are encouraged to sit together in the same seat. When weather allows, buses will travel with windows open to allow maximum ventilation. Students will be expected to wear masks during bus travel unless directed otherwise by a school official.

Travel to any scheduled school athletic events will follow the same bus protocols mentioned above. Field trips to indoor public places and all overnight travel has been cancelled for the fall semester. In some cases, we are working to reschedule trips and retreats for later in the school year.

After School Care

After School Care will operate following the same safety protocols outlined above. Parents entering a building to pick up a child from After School will need to wear a mask.

Sports

The North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association (NCISAA) governs competitive sports at SouthLake Christian Academy and other member schools. Our ability to compete this fall, and our ability to host spectators, will depend on both the decisions of the NCISAA and our assessment of the risk of each particular sport for students and spectators. At this time, the NCISAA has delayed the start of all fall sports until at least mid-August. We suspect that high risk fall sports may be further delayed. Voluntary no-contact practices for some sports may begin at the discretion of coaches and the Athletic Director. In the event that a fall sport is cancelled for the season or moved to the spring semester, we will explore all safe options for inter-squad practice and non-contact competition.

Quarantine and Contact Tracing

In the event that a student or a family member living under the same roof shows symptoms of COVID-19 or is tested for COVID-19, we will follow guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), and the Mecklenburg Department of Health (MCDH) for isolation, quarantine, and contact tracing. The following are some guidelines for responding to symptoms and/or the need for testing. This list is not comprehensive nor intended to replace CDC, NCDHHS, or MCDH guidelines.

• In the event that a student develops symptoms of COVID-19, that student should stay home and contact a health professional to determine if a test is appropriate. A student should not return to school until he/she has been cleared by a health professional to return to school, typically after testing negative and/or being symptom free for at least three days.
• If a health care professional recommends testing for a student or any household member under the same roof, you should notify the school and members of that household should quarantine until either (a) the COVID-19 test is negative, or (b) fourteen days have passed and all household members are symptom free.
• If a student or any household member living under the same roof tests positive for COVID-19, please contact SouthLake Christian Academy immediately. We will consult with the MCDH and relevant medical authorities to determine a timetable for return to school and to provide online instruction during needed quarantine.
• If a student or teacher tests positive for COVID-19, we will begin the process of confidential contact tracing in accordance with the MCDH and local health officials.
• We will handle each case of potential COVID-19 transmission on a case-by-case basis in conversation with you, the MCDH, and school medical personnel, giving you enough information to make decisions while protecting the confidentiality of our employees, students, and families.

Determining When to Close

We will take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 should someone in our community test positive. This includes identifying students who have had high-risk contact with a person who tests positive and notifying parents or legal guardians of the need to isolate and seek medical advice and/or testing. We have made every effort to schedule classes and school activities to keep students in smaller groups and with people in their own grades to the greatest extent possible. This will limit exposure and facilitate more precise contact tracing should it become necessary. Should a student or employee test positive for COVID-19, it may become necessary to close a class, hallway, or building temporarily (2-5 days) to consult with health officials, to clean and disinfect, and to contact trace. In each case, we will attempt to be strategic and precise with our containment measures, closing as little as possible but as much as necessary. More extensive closures would likely coincide with local or state closure mandates.

Signed Covenant of Cooperation

We have read and understand the contents of SouthLake Christian Academy’s Reopening Plan. We understand that COVID-19 has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization and that COVID-19 is a dangerous and potentially deadly disease. We understand that COVID-19 is contagious and believed to spread primarily by human-to-human contact.

We understand the symptoms of COVID-19 include congestion, sore throat, runny nose, recent loss of taste or smell, worsening cough, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, muscle aches, unusual fatigue, and other less common symptoms. We commit to keep our children home from school should they present any of these symptoms and to seek medical advice concerning the need for a COVID-19 test. Should my child test positive for COVID-19, we agree that we will notify the Head of School immediately so the school can help my child shift to online instruction and begin confidential contact tracing as needed to protect the health of other students and families.

We understand that health practices such as social distancing of six feet, coughing and sneezing into one’s arm, wearing masks or face coverings, washing one’s hands frequently, and cleaning surfaces thoroughly may help to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We agree to support these mitigation efforts by asking my child or children to participate cooperatively in these practices while at school as instructed by teachers and school administrators.

We understand that although SouthLake Christian Academy has put into place preventative measures to reduce the risks of disease transmission, no measures can completely eliminate the risk of exposure to COVID-19 while participating in school-related activities. Having enrolled in SouthLake Christian Academy voluntarily, we understand and acknowledge these risks and agree to assume these risks on behalf of our children for the 2020-2021 academic year. We agree that we will not hold SouthLake Christian Academy, its officers, directors, employees, agents, and representatives liable for damages of any kind caused by COVID-19.

[Document to be signed and returned to SLCA before the first day of classes on August 12.]