Ongoing Best Practices
Ongoing best practice:
HAND SANITISER SUPPLY
we are well stocked with hand sanitisers;
CLEANING
our teachers regularly sanitise resources, furniture and toys during the day; disinfecting surfaces such as taps, toilet flushes, tables, door handles, handrails, light switches twice a day. Staff supervise the children washing their hands at least every two hours, including after coughing or sneezing, before and after food.
CLEAN RESOURCES
only easily cleanable surface resources are brought out for play;
NO SOFT TOYS
If we can’t wash and disinfect it, we won’t use it;
DAILY DEEP (COMMERCIAL) CLEANSE
extra deep cleanse by our (commercial) cleaners;
NO EXCURSIONS
we have postponed all centre excursions for the foreseeable future to eliminate contact with strangers or unclean surfaces. There is ample exciting discovery, exploration and fun awaiting our children still in our centre playgrounds;
PHYSICAL DISTANCING
we are encouraging physical distancing in the most respectful, understanding and kindest manner possible for our children to understand. We are even letting them create and lead new rules for us too (i.e. practicing their role as our future leaders), based on the Prime Minister’s advice here: https://covid19.govt.nz/;
FOR TEACHERS
we are providing moisturising hand creams for our teachers who are continually washing their hands;
TEACHERS' BUBBLES
our teachers are taking extra precautions that they are staying inside their home bubbles as much as practical and keeping record of people/ places they visit. If they begin to show or feel COVID symptoms, then rule #4 below applies.
FAMILIES BUBBLES
families are encouraged to keep a record of places/ people they visit (so that if there is a suspected case direct contacts can be quickly identified)
New COVID prevention rules:
CONTACTLESS SIGN IN AND OUT
No parents are allowed in rooms, children drop-off area will be in the foyer where children are greeted by an educator and settled into their room. The educator will keep records of daily drop off/ pick up times and parents will sign weekly attendance.
RESTRICTED ENTRY
Families are asked to send only ONE member inside to drop off or collect their child. Only staff rostered for the day are allowed in rooms.
CONTACTLESS THERMOMETER CHECKS FOR ENTRY
All staff, parents, children, managers, directors will be checked at the front entrance for high temperature (“at least 38oC” as stated by the Ministry of Health). If they have a high temperature, they will not be allowed in the centre. Turning children away like this will be managed carefully and sensitively.
NO ENTRY IF SYMPTOMATIC
if any teacher or parent or child feels any of the COVID 19 symptoms as stated on the Ministry of Health website:
- a cough
- a high temperature (at least 38°C)
- shortness of breath.
- sore throat
- sneezing and runny nose
- temporary loss of smell,
- they will not be allowed entry into our centre. See guidelines here: https://covid19.govt.nz/;
IF SYMPTOMATIC WHILE IN THE CENTRE
If symptoms are developed while a child is in the centre, parents will be contacted and asked to pick up ASAP. The child will be isolated in a specified isolation area and released when parent arrives. Rule #4 applies thereafter.
If a staff develops symptoms while is in the centre, we will contact Healthline or their GP, for their next steps. They will be isolated in the specified isolation area. Rule #4 applies thereafter.
ENTRY IF SYMPTOMATIC
if any parent starts to feel any of the COVID 19 symptoms while at work during the day, and if there is no other pickup option for the child, then before entering our centre to pick up their child, they must call our centre and wait outside the front entrance. One of our teachers will sign out and bring their child to them. The parent should then contact Healthline on 0800 358 5453 or their GP, for their next steps, before returning to our centre. Until then, rule #4 applies;
CANCELLATION OF ENROLMENT
If any parent is found negligent, puts anyone at risk, or fails to follow our rules and Ministry of Health guidelines, then their enrolment will be cancelled and we may be required to report them to the Ministry of Health;
NO ENTRY FOR VISITORS
we have shifted all non-essential meetings at our centre into on-line meetings for the foreseeable future;
NO ENTRY FOR WALK-INS
we do not allow walk-ins by anyone with non-enrolled children to any of our centres for the foreseeable future;
PRE-BOOKED TOURS
new registered parents booked in for a tour must be asymptomatic and must use our hand sanitisers or wash their hands on site before starting the tour. We will maintain a 1m distance rule as per requirements here https://covid19.govt.nz/. New parents being toured will not need to touch/contact anything (our enrolment forms are now completely online).
ON ARRIVAL TO OUR CENTRE
all children and parents and teachers must wash their hands when they enter the centre;
GREETINGS
Friendly “smiles” and respectful “Salutes” only at our centre