• Pandemic Coordinator: Avi Baran Munro, Ed.M., Head of School

• Pandemic Team: 

  • Bari Weinberger, CFO (co-chair); Jordan Hoover, Director of Technology and Strategic Initiatives (co-chair); Josh Albright, Director of Maintenance; Donna Weir, Certified School Nurse; Nate Muscato, Director of Security; Jennifer Bails, Director of Marketing and Communications; Jackie Goldblum, Facing History and Ourselves Lead Educator; Leslie Frischman, Math Teacher; Jill Braasch, Office Manager; Mark Minkus, Head of Intermediate School and Middle School; Andrea Erven-Victoria, Head of Lower School and Early Childhood; Kelly Binning, Head of Academic and Emotional Services; and Dr. Micah Jacobs, Infectious Disease Specialist and CDS Trustee 

Achieving high levels of COVID-19 vaccination among eligible students as well as teachers, staff, and household members is one of the most critical strategies to help schools safely resume full operations. Vaccination is currently the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic.

People who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are at low risk of symptomatic or severe infection. A growing body of evidence suggests that people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are less likely to have an asymptomatic infection or transmit COVID-19 to others than people who are not fully vaccinated. We are grateful and proud that 100 percent of faculty and staff have been vaccinated against COVID-19, and the vaccination rate among eligible CDS students is also very high. 

• It will be the policy moving forward to require full COVID-19 vaccination for employees at CDS, subject to exceptions as per U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission guidance. Currently, full vaccination means two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, or one shot of Johnson and Johnson plus two weeks post-vaccination. The potential requirement for booster shots will be evaluated as guidance evolves.

• At this time, Community Day School strongly recommends that all eligible students (age 12+) be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Currently, full vaccination for children under age 16 means two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, now widely available, plus two weeks post-vaccination. Families should send a copy of your child’s vaccination card to the School Nurse after full immunization. 

• As per our 2021-2022 enrollment contract, CDS reserves the right to require additional vaccinations for students beyond what the state requires including, but not limited to, the flu shot or COVID-19 vaccine. 

• Throughout the year, CDS will work to provide information about COVID-19 vaccination, encourage vaccine trust and confidence, and establish supportive policies and practices that make getting vaccinated as easy and convenient as possible for eligible students, families, and staff.

• We will continue to monitor vaccination coverage rates and may adjust policies as needed.

• Adults:

  • All adults are required to wear a face covering while indoors, following CDC guidance on proper use.
  • Face coverings are optional for fully vaccinated adults while outdoors or alone in private office spaces or classrooms (please note this applies ONLY to staff members; all visitors on campus must be masked outdoors regardless of vaccination status, including parents).
     

• Students:

  • All children (over the age of 2) are required to wear a face covering while on the CDS campus (both indoors and outdoors).
  • Face coverings may be removed only when at least 6 feet apart and eating or drinking or having a designated “face covering break” monitored by an adult.
  • Face coverings are optional for fully vaccinated 7th and 8th Grade students while outdoors (proof of vaccination required).

• Exceptions to these requirements due to medical conditions or other circumstances may be made on a case-by-case basis by the school in conjunction with health professionals.

• Single-layered face coverings like neck gaiters, bandannas, scarves, and knitted masks without liners, as well as masks with exhalation valves or vents are not acceptable for anyone on our campus. We instead recommend multi-layer cloth masks that are appropriately sized to cover the mouth and nose (without slipping off) and secured with ear loops instead of ties so students can manage them independently. All children should arrive every day with masks on their faces and keep labeled extras at school.

• CDS has an adequate, but not inexhaustible, stock of face coverings for staff and student use. In an effort to maintain the supply, we ask everyone to bring in their own clean face covering every day.

• Staff and students will be informed about the proper use of face coverings to cover the nose and mouth and how to maintain hand hygiene when removing and replacing face coverings.

• Based on CDC guidance, at least 3 feet of physical distance between students should be maintained both indoors and outdoors at CDS to reduce COVID-19 transmission risk. Desks for students in Grades 2-8 will face in the same direction to the extent feasible. Students will be separated by at least 6 feet when masks are removed for eating and drinking.

• Based on CDC guidance, a distance of at least 6 feet is recommended between students and adults.

• Since all CDS employees are vaccinated, there are no physical distancing requirements among employees, although we encourage staff to be respectful of the comfort of their colleagues and to spread out where possible, especially indoors. If possible, employees should maintain 3 feet of distance when eating.

• There are no physical distancing requirements among vaccinated 7th and 8th Grade students, although we encourage students to be respectful of the comfort of their peers and to spread out where possible, especially indoors. If possible, these students should maintain 3 feet of distance when eating.

• To limit cross-group exposure, students will remain with the following stable cohorts throughout the day as much as possible:

  • Early Childhood Cohort: EC Zahav and EC Kachol are one single cohort
  • Kindergarten-Grade 5: Each grade level is a single cohort
  • Middle School Cohort: Grades 6-8 are one single cohort
     
• During the school day, these cohorts will not mix with other cohorts of students, including during lunch and recess. Student movement will be coordinated to maximize physical distancing, including the use of markers, signage, and limits for students/adults in common areas. Cohorts can occupy the same space if the space is large enough to have 3 feet between the students in the cohort and at least 12 feet of distance between the cohorts themselves (e.g., Intermediate School tefillah in the Ulam K’lalee). 
   

• Restroom occupancy will be limited to the number of stalls, and students will follow physical distancing guidelines when transitioning to the restroom and continue to wear face coverings while there.

• The CDS Annex ground floor is designated for use by Early Childhood and the main floor bathroom may only be used by Early Childhood students and staff.

• Health Office procedures will limit non-emergency traffic to see the School Nurse where possible by asking teachers to call ahead for student visits.

• Community Day School classrooms used by students receive outside air circulated by an air handling system, from air pulled from the outside from forced air heating/cooling systems, or from a fan. Additional Blue Air 211+ purifiers installed in most classrooms in 2020-2021 filter the air at the industry-recommended rate of five times an hour (or about every 12 minutes) in a 540 ft² room to effectively lower particle levels and maintain a comfortable environment.

• Maintenance staff cleaned the entire campus over the Summer of 2021 while it was unoccupied and will clean frequently touched surfaces and objects within the school on a daily basis. This includes door and sink handles, water dispensers, desktops, railings, etc.

• All cleaning supplies in use are approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use against SARS CoV-2 and Safety Data Sheet documentation is available upon request.

• Hand sanitizer (with at least 60 percent alcohol) stations are located throughout the building, and faculty and students will be instructed in their location and proper usage.

• Handwashing and hand sanitizing will occur before and after lunch, before and after using the bathroom, upon arrival at school, and at other times throughout the day.

• Touchless paper towel dispensers are in restrooms, and outdoor hand washing stations are located on both CDS playgrounds.

• Water fountains are disabled and water bottle filling stations are located on each floor.

• Signs are posted on how to stop the spread of COVID-19 (properly washing hands, promoting everyday protective measures, and properly wearing a face covering) in visible locations throughout the buildings.

• Teachers will reinforce protocols for handwashing, covering coughs/sneezes, and face coverings with students in age-appropriate ways throughout the year. 

   

Pikuah Nefesh (“safeguarding life”) is a bedrock principle of Jewish law, and the guidelines in this document were developed to protect the health of students and staff in at-risk groups.

Our best approach to minimizing the impact of COVID-19 in our community is to embrace a shared sense of responsibility for one another’s well-being. While we cannot eliminate the risks altogether, we can work collectively to mitigate them. 

• Community Day School requires that staff and students stay at home if they are sick to protect those in our community most at risk of contracting COVID-19 and other communicable illnesses.

• We are not offering a permanent Virtual Learning option for students this year; if you have specific health concerns for your child, please reach out to the School Nurse to discuss them. 

• We will be prepared to operate fully remotely within an entire grade level or division should COVID-19 cases require us to pivot. Individual students in Grades 4-8 required by the School Nurse to quarantine at home will also have virtual learning access.

• In the event we need to close our campus, the CDS@home program will deliver an authentic, relevant, and consistent learning experience to children in Kindergarten to Grade 8 and support the individual academic and social-emotional needs of our students.

• All staff, parents/guardians on behalf of students, and visitors will complete a daily COVID-19 health screening prior to entering any CDS building. The nurse or designated staff member will review the COVID-19 health screening, which must be completed by families before 7 a.m. Your child’s privilege to attend school is dependent on your compliance with these procedures, and no child will be allowed in the building without a completed health screening.

• Screening questions are as follows:

1. Does this PERSON OR ANYONE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD have a new loss of taste or smell? If YES, all household members must stay home.

2. Does this PERSON have a new onset of ONE of the following symptoms (not connected to a chronic condition): fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, headache, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea? IF YES, this person must stay home. Household members may attend school.

3.  Does this PERSON OR ANYONE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD have a new onset of TWO OR MORE of the following symptoms (not connected to a chronic condition): fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, headache, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea? If YES, this person and all unvaccinated household members must stay home.

4. Has this PERSON OR ANYONE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD had a positive COVID-19 test in the past 10 days or is awaiting the results of a test due to COVID-like symptoms? If YES, all household members must stay home.

5. In the past 14 days, has this PERSON been in close contact with anyone known or suspected to have COVID-19 and/or been told to monitor, quarantine, or isolate because of concerns about COVID-19? IF YES and UNVACCINATED, this person must stay home for 14 days since the last contact with a person who has COVID-19. Household members may attend school as long as close contact is not a household member. If YES and VACCINATED, this person may be able to attend school with permission of the School Nurse.

6. Has this PERSON, IF UNVACCINATED, traveled internationally within the past 10 days? If YES, this person must stay home until approved for return by the School Nurse. Household members may attend school. 

• Individuals who answer “yes” to wellness screening questions about symptoms or COVID-19 positive exposure or testing must receive approval from the School Nurse before returning to campus.

• When completing questions in the SchoolPass health screening, all members of your household should include visitors who are residing in your home during their visit.

• Daily temperature screening has been eliminated, but diagnostic temperature checks may take place throughout the day at the discretion of the School Nurse. Any individual with a fever greater than or equal to 100°F (37.7°C) or exhibiting other COVID-19 symptoms will be sent home immediately.

• According to the CDC definition (10.21.20), individuals are considered a close contact if they are within 6 feet of a person infected with COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. A new exception outlined by the CDC (7.9.21) for contact tracing purposes is as follows:
  
  In the K–12 indoor classroom setting, the close contact definition excludes students who were within 3 to 6 feet of an infected student (laboratory-confirmed or a clinically compatible illness) where both students were engaged in consistent and correct use of well-fitting masks; and other K–12 school prevention strategies (such as universal and correct mask use, physical distancing, increased ventilation) were in place in the K–12 school setting.
  
  In the event of potential COVID-19 exposure within the school, the School Nurse will work together with our medical advisors and public health officials on contact tracing and family communication based on this CDC guidance and knowledge gathered about the individual case(s).

• When a child is absent, families must notify the school of the student’s absence and reason, and employees should notify their supervisor and the School Nurse if health-related.

• Health office staff will maintain privacy in the management of all health information.

• The CDC recommends against both domestic and international travel for unvaccinated individuals. At this time, CDS is not requiring a travel quarantine for domestic travel, but reserves the right to do so at any time based on prevailing conditions and/or recommendations from our medical advisors.

• For unvaccinated students who do travel internationally, with the current exception of Canada, CDS recommends that the student get a COVID-19 PCR test 3-5 days after travel and stay home and quarantine for a full 7 days after travel. Without a test, the required quarantine period is 10 days after travel.

• Students, families, and staff will maintain physical distancing and wear face coverings on campus during arrival and dismissal, and must comply with the “Monitoring for Exposure” screening protocols.

• For students in the Early Childhood program:

  • Arrival:
    • Students must enter through the CDS Annex Building doors.
    • Prior to entry, all children must have a completed SchoolPass health screening.
    • EC Zahav will be dropped off from 7:45-8:00 a.m. (8:45-9:00 a.m. Wednesdays)
    • EC Kachol students will be dropped off from 7:30-7:45 a.m. (8:30-8:45 a.m. Wednesdays)
       
  • Dismissal:
    • EC Kachol students will be picked up outside the CDS Annex from 3:15-3:30 p.m.
    • EC Zahav students will be picked up outside the CDS Annex from 3:30-3:45 p.m.
       

• For students in Kindergarten-Grade 8:

  • Arrival:
    • Except for bus riders, students may not arrive on campus before 7:30 a.m. (8:30 a.m. Wednesdays). They should proceed to their homerooms upon entry after screening procedures. Students may not congregate in groups on the CDS campus prior to entry.
    • Walkers are encouraged to approach the campus from the Forward Avenue side and proceed without their parents/caregivers on the sidewalk towards the main entrance in the front lobby.
    • Students arriving by bus in the parking lot will proceed directly to the main entrance.
    • Carpool drop-off will take place at the carpool doors from 7:30-7:55 a.m. (8:30-8:55 a.m. Wednesdays). Only children whose SchoolPass wellness questionnaire has been completed may be dropped off in the carpool lane. All others will be asked to exit the carpool lane. Once the wellness questionnaires are complete, they may either return to the carpool lane if it is still open or have their students come to the main entrance as walkers. Students must remain in the car until signaled by a staff member to exit. All vehicle occupants over age 2 are required to wear a face mask in the carpool lane.
       
  • Dismissal:
    • Lower School walkers will be guided by staff members at 3:30 p.m. to the front lawn to be safely reunited with their afternoon caregivers, who should wait, wearing masks and socially distanced, in the grass between the parking lot and front sidewalk.
    • Intermediate School and Middle School walkers will be dismissed at 3:35 p.m., including sports participants. Students who walk home younger siblings should meet them at the front lawn.
    • Carpool dismissal times are staggered for the health and safety of our staff and students. Once all students in a carpool group are safely in their vehicles, the entire group will be directed to exit the lane, and the process will repeat.
    • Students who ride the bus will remain in their homerooms or last period classes and be dismissed via the PA system.
    • Students who participate in after-school programs or our Extended Day Program will remain in their homerooms or last period classes and be dismissed via the PA system.
       
• CDS relies on public school districts for bus transportation, and all guidance related to COVID-19 safety and busing will be communicated directly by the districts. Currently, face masks are required for everyone on all school transportation vehicles.

• All food provided by the CDS Lunch Program will be picked up in reusable “to-go” containers from the Ulam K’lalee for students in K-8 and distributed on plates by teachers to Early Childhood students.

• Outdoor eating will be prioritized, although students will eat in the classroom or repurposed lunch spaces on days of inclement weather. Students will stay in their cohorts during lunch and maintain at least 6 feet of distance while their masks are removed to eat.

• While not required, if possible, vaccinated 7th and 8th graders and employees should maintain 3 feet of distance when eating.

• Each student will receive a vinyl seat cushion to keep at school for use during outdoor lunch and learning.

• All students should bring a reusable water bottle to and from school each day labeled with their name. Water bottles should be kept in a student’s designated space (desk/table), cubby, or locker. This is especially important since the water fountains have been disabled and replaced with bottle fillers.

• Students may not share food or utensils. They should wash hands or use sanitizer before and after eating.

• Cohorting rules for programs before and after the start of the school day will be as follows:

  • Extended Day will be provided for students in Early Childhood as one group and students in Kindergarten-Grade 5 as a second group; to the extent feasible, students in different “school day” cohorts will maintain at least 6 feet of physical distance.
  • After-school programs and activities will be organized in the following groups: Kindergarten and Grade 1, Grades 2 and 3, and Grades 4 and 5; to the extent feasible, students in different “school day” cohorts will maintain at least 6 feet of physical distance.
  • Bus students and staff children in Wednesday morning childcare will be in the Ulam Sport, grouped with other students in their cohorts, which in turn, will be physically distanced from each other to the extent feasible.
     

• Fall Middle School sports (soccer and cross country) will be offered, with masks required for unvaccinated student athletes during practices and optional for 7th and 8th Grade participants who are fully vaccinated. The CDS Athletic Director is evaluating the possibility of interscholastic competition, and families of participants may need to acknowledge the additional risk of participation if masks are not required for unvaccinated players from other teams during games and meets.

• The CDS Instrumental Band program will be offered with percussion and string instruments only, while maintaining physical distancing requirements.

• Indoor singing is an elevated risk activity that creates more forceful respiratory particles than speaking. CDS is committed to creating an environment for a safe and healthy spiritual life on campus and recognizes the important role of singing in learning, especially for younger students. To balance these interests, students must “spread out” as much as possible to sing during tefillah (prayer) and other times and also moderate their volume. It is preferable to move outdoors to sing when feasible.

• Community Day School will continue to evaluate possibilities for field trips for the 2021-2022 school year. We will update families as we have more information, but changes to planned activities/trips may occur. All field trips will follow state, federal, and international public health guidelines.

• All age-eligible visitors must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the CDS buildings when students are present. Proof of vaccination must be provided to the school.

• Non-vaccinated individuals may enter the buildings during school hours if:

  • Providing essential services (e.g., repair persons, emergency personnel)
  • Providing essential academic and/or health services to students (pre-approval required)
     

• At the start of the school year, all visitors must have appointments to enter the building; our goal is to implement a visitor management system that safely makes our Front Office more accessible to vaccinated CDS families for daily school business.

• Community Day School playgrounds and outdoor play spaces are for the use of students during the school day and are closed to the public, including CDS families, from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in consideration of school hours and to prevent mixing cohorts on our campus. For the health and safety of our school community, we ask that families respect CDS physical distancing and face covering guidelines during the use of our playgrounds and outdoor play spaces at all other times.

• All visitors will complete the CDS COVID-19 Health Screening prior to entering any CDS building or if volunteering or working with students in outdoor campus spaces.

• All visitors must comply with CDS physical distancing and face covering policies.

• Whenever possible, deliveries will be left in the main entry vestibule.

• In-person events at Community Day School will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine whether they can be adapted to comply with the school’s health and safety protocols.

• The school Health and Safety Plan will be posted on the CDS website at comday.org/kadimah. In modern Hebrew, Kadimah or קדימה (pronounced Kah-dee-mah) means “forward” or “Let’s go!” 

• CDS will provide regular updates to the website and information to families via email, social media accounts, and phone and SMS messages (in emergencies).

• The school will regularly disseminate information on COVID-19 prevention habits to CDS families. Information will also be shared about the critical role of vaccination as the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic.

• CDC Signs and additional signage will be posted in highly visible locations throughout the campus to promote everyday protective measures and describe how to stop the spread of illness in ways that are easily understandable for both children and adults.

• The school and other health and medical experts as needed will provide training and education for staff related to COVID-19. Information will be communicated to students in age-appropriate ways.

• Updates to information in the CDS Health and Safety Plan will be presented as needed throughout the year.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

  • CDC Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools
  • CDC COVID Data Tracker
  • CDC Guidance on Face Coverings
  • CDC Guidance on Hand Hygiene 
  • CDC Guidance on Cleaning and Disinfecting
  • CDC Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) - Businesses and Workplaces
  • CDC Coronavirus Self-Checker
  • CDC Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Glossary of Key Terms
  • Science Brief: Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in K-12 Schools and Early Care and Education Programs
  • Science Brief: COVID-19 Vaccines and Vaccination
     

• Pennsylvania Department of Education/Pennsylvania Department of Health

  • Resources for School Communities During COVID-19
  • PA Department of Health - Coronavirus in Pennsylvania
     

• Other Online Resources:

  • Independent School Management Coronavirus (COVID-19)
  • Allegheny County Health Department COVID-19 Resources Page 
  • American Academy of Pediatrics COVID-19 Guidance for Safe Schools
  • CHOP Policy Lab Guidance for In-Person Education in K-12 Educational Settings