HVCS in The News

Letter from Mrs. Veys regarding COVID 7/20/2020

Dear HVCS Families,

We are so excited for the start of a new school year and are looking forward to welcoming our returning and new families in August. While we are committed to opening on August 13, we are equally committed to the safety of our families. We are confident that, given our small classes, we can follow CDC guidelines while still providing the quality, hands-on learning for which we are known. Our teachers are working on creative ways to utilize our numerous larger learning spaces, including the Pit, the Fellowship Hall, and the playground.

To better protect our children and staff, we will be employing the following policies:

• Desks will be placed a safe distance apart, and students will be asked to maintain safe distances. Cleaning supplies will be kept in each classroom, and teachers will be asking students to wipe down their desks throughout the day. Frequent hand-washing will be required. Teachers and staff will assist in wiping down surfaces and supplies throughout the day.

• There will be no shared supplies – students will be required to bring their own school boxes, and will have their own pencils, glue sticks, scissors, etc.
• Afternoon dismissal will look a little different: instead of 2^nd-5^th grade dismissing at the lower parking lot, 4^th and 5^th grade will now dismiss at the upper door. 2^nd and 3^rd grade will continue to dismiss at the lower door in front of the school office.
• We will continue to offer lunch and to eat in the gym, as this space allows for greater distancing than our classrooms. Parents may still join their children for lunch, but we ask that you let us know ahead of time so that we have an accurate sense of numbers.
• We will not require students to wear masks, as this is not practical for elementary students. We will, however, have disposable masks available for any student who chooses to wear them. Teachers and staff will wear masks at drop off and pick up.
• Weekly Chapel and Circle will still take place using appropriate social distancing. Larger school-wide events, such as Grandparents Day and our rescheduled Talent Show/Auction may be postponed or moved to an online forum.
• Registration Night will look a little different this year; we will be sending out specific information soon.

If someone tests positive:

• The area where a positive COVID-19 case has been present will be closed off to be cleaned and disinfected based on CDC guidelines.
• Any student, family member, faculty or staff member who receives a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 must notify HVCS that same day.
• A student, faculty or staff member who tests positive for COVID-19 will be quarantined at home for 14 days and may return per CDC guidelines for ending home isolation and submitting a negative test result or the affected person may return if he/she receives two negative tests in a row, 24 hours apart. The school, with guidance from the health department, will determine the need for quarantine of possibly affected individuals.
• Any individuals who are sick with or without a fever must stay home to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. We will be monitoring temperatures and symptoms, but we need everyone to help with the effort to keep our school healthy.

If we are forced to close by government mandate:

• Learning will continue online. Our teacher in-service this August will focus on technology training. We recently qualified for a set of Chromebooks for our students, and we will be utilizing our IPad cart in the classrooms. This new training and increased use of technology will make home-based learning easier and more structured, should the need arise.

We do not want all these new developments to take away from our excitement for the new school year. We appreciate your patience and support. We pray that life will return to normal soon, and we are very excited to see our HVCS families!

God bless,

Emma Veys