The mission of AppleTree & Gilden Woods Early Care and Preschool has always been to create a safe environment that earns the trust of the children and families we serve. We are as dedicated to that mission now as we have ever been. AppleTree & Gilden Woods will continue to lead the industry in best practices during this time, a responsibility we do not take lightly. Accordingly, we created a Covid-19 Operating Manual that details the necessary policy and procedures and aggressive actions we have taken to mitigate the potential spread of Covid-19. This new operating model supplements our existing and overarching operations manual. As we move forward in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we would like to communicate those aggressive actions we have taken to assure you of our steadfast commitment to the health and safety of our AppleTree & Gilden Woods families.

Operating Policies

• Created a new Child Drop Off and Pick Up Procedure including the following:
  • Parents/guardians may enter the front office after checking their child or children in or out of Procare.
  • Parents/guardians are required to wear a mask during drop off and pick up times regardless of vaccination status.
  • No more than 5 families may be in the school at any given time.
  • Parents/guardians and children will complete a self-screening questionnaire prior to enter the building.
  • The health self-screening questions will be posted on the front door.
  • Anyone who answers yes to the health self-screening questions or displays the symptoms listed will not be permitted into the school.
  • Parents/guardians may then walk their child to their classroom to drop off.
    • Parents/guardians will not be permitted in the classrooms.
    • Parents/guardians may not take more than 10 minutes to drop off their child.
    • If another family is dropping off their child at the classroom door, parents/guardians must maintain a 6 ft distance while waiting to drop off their child.
  • Before entering the classroom, each child will get their temperature taken by a team member. If the child’s temperature is 100.4 or above, the child will not be permitted into the classroom.
  • Team members will assist the child in washing their hands immediately upon entering the classroom.
• Created a Health & Temperature Screening Policy & Procedure including the following:
  • Any time children and parents/guardians enter the school, they must answer the self-screening questions. If a child or parent/guardian displays symptoms, they may not enter the school.
  • When dropping off at the classroom door, children will have their temperatures taken by a team member. If the child has a temperature of 100.4 or above, they may not enter the classroom.
  • When children are sitting at the table for lunch team members will check the children’s temperature.
  • If a child has a temperature of 100.4 or above, call an admin team member. Admin team members will call the parent/guardian of the child to have them picked up within the hour.
  • When team members arrive at the school (i.e. before the start of their shift and after returning from break), they will use a non-contact thermometer to check their temperature and will complete a COVID-19 Screening Questionnaire.
  • Team members who are experiencing any of the symptoms or answer yes to any of the questions will remain out of work until it has been determined they do not have COVID-19.
  • If they have a temperature of 100.4 or above, call an admin team member so they are aware and can send a new team member to the classroom to maintain ratio so the other team member can go home.
• Created a Confirmed COVID-19 Test Policy & Procedure including the following:
  • Immediately contact the local Health Department if a child, parent/guardian, staff member, or admin team member who has been in the school tests positive for COVID-19.
  • Follow the locally established protocol determined by the Health Department and the interim guidance for childcare programs provided by the CDC.
• Created a Non-essential Employees in Classrooms Policy which prohibits non-essential team members from entering a classroom unnecessarily.
• Created a plan for isolating children who develop symptoms while they are at AppleTree/Gilden Woods.

Health & Hygiene

• Implemented strategies for social distancing in the classroom including the following:
  • Do not have children wait in line for handwashing. Only have one child at a time at the sink.
  • Implemented handwashing songs that are at least 20 seconds long to support children’s learning of the amount of time for washing hands.
  • Utilized all mealtime tables to eliminate close physical contact for eating meals
  • Only allowing 2-3 children on an outdoor play structure at a time.
  • Eliminated any curriculum component (i.e. circle time, large group, small groups) that involves children touching one another for any reason.
  • Encouraging children to eliminate physical contact.
  • Created standing spaces to eliminate bunching together when lining up to go from one location to another (i.e. outside).
• Implemented strategies for team members to follow social distancing, when it does not interfere with providing care for children, including:
• Team members will not congregate in shared spaces in the school unnecessarily.
• Team members will take their break in approved areas (i.e. their assigned classroom or their car).
• Required team members to wear a facial covering at all times (with the exception of when they are on their scheduled break (outside the building), while eating, and while outdoors if they are able to consistently maintain a distance of six feet or more from other team members and children).
• Required children to wear a facial covering in the following situations (except for while eating, sleeping, swimming, or performing high-intensity activities):
  • Children Ages 2-3
    • Classrooms = Strongly Recommended
    • Indoor Hallway & Common Spaces = Strongly Recommended
    • Outside with Social Distancing = Not required
    • Transportation = Required
  • Children Ages 4+
    • Classrooms = Required
    • Indoor Hallway & Common Spaces = Required
    • Outside with Social Distancing = Not required
    • Transportation = Required
  • Children under the age of 2 and those who cannot medically tolerate a face covering are not required to wear a face covering.

Cleaning & Disinfecting

Intensified cleaning and disinfecting efforts including:

• Team members will routinely clean all frequently touched surfaces in the workplace, such as workstations, countertops, doorknobs, light switches, and keypads.
• Surfaces must be sanitized when the school is opened, at rest time, and as needed.
• School entry door handles will be sanitized with increased frequency between the hours of 6 am-10 am and 3 pm-6 pm
• Utilizing disinfectant foggers weekly.
• Send dress-up clothes to the kitchen to be washed at lunchtime.
• Sanitize mouthed toys immediately.
• Sanitize all counters, chairs, tables, and toy shelves at 10 am.
• Sanitize all counters, chairs, tables, and toy shelves at 1 pm.
• Sanitize all counters, chairs, tables, and toy shelves at closing.
• Discard playdough or other sensory items after a single-use.

Preparedness & Planning 

• Increased janitorial supply purchases (i.e. soap, gloves, sanitizing solutions, etc.) and instructed the schools to store them in a dedicated space to monitor proper usage to ensure an adequate amount of materials will be available for future use.
• Canceled all upcoming parent involvement events to eliminate non-essential persons entering the school.
• Prohibited all non-vendor visitors (i.e. trainings, staff meetings, etc.) to eliminate non-essential persons entering the schools and Central Services.
• Ensured classrooms use the activity room/gym on designated days of the week.
  • The activity room/gym will not be used by classrooms if School Age children are participating in distance learning.
  • The activity room/gym will be cleaned and sanitized between every use.

Communication

• Provided our COVID-19 response plan to families on the company website and to all school personnel
• Reviewed COVID-19 policies and procedures with school personnel monthly.

Curriculum & Learning

• Created a Healthy Habits and Social Distancing curriculum for children ages 2.5 and older to educate, model, and reinforce the necessary habits at this time.
• Included activities that will introduce and reinforce proper habits in an age-appropriate and fun way.
• Created classroom visuals to reinforce the new necessary habits (i.e., how to stand in a line but remain out of each other’s personal space bubble, etc.)

Facility Management

• Performed preventative maintenance of all HVAC equipment. This includes installing new, pleated filters.
• Inspected the ductwork and coils of all cooling systems to verify no mold or mildew growth has started or is present.
• Verified that outside fresh air is coming into either the return air of the furnace or through each Entergy Recovery Ventilator (ERV).
• Set thermostats to “ON” mode for the fans to force all equipment to continuously maintain a constant changeover of air which includes outside air for greater air quality.