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DPA Health and Safety Plan

Our Plan

We continue to plan carefully, in consultation with experts in DC and nationally, to ensure we can keep our community safe, particularly from COVID-19, while on campus. In the past two years we have spent over $200,000 to upgrade our facilities to state-of-the-art technology that limits the spread of COVID-19. We have created systems that protect our community within the school. 

We have also engaged with you, our community of parents, teachers, and staff at DPA, to ensure that your needs, concerns, and expectations for this new phase of school reopening. Our goal is for 100% of our families to feel safe with in-person learning.

As we have over the past several years, we can closely monitor and follow local and CDC guidelines, and specifically will refer to the CDC’s COVID-19 Community Levels to determine what COVID-19 prevention strategies are needed at given times.  

We have two categories of COVID-19 prevention strategies.  The first, Everyday Prevention Measures, will be kept in place at all times and during all COVID-19 Community Levels.  The second are Enhanced Prevention Measures that will be implemented during Medium or High COVID-19 Community Levels or in response to school and scholar-specific needs.

Everyday Prevention Measures  (inc. for Low Community Spread)

  • COVID-19 Vaccination 
    • Per DC’s “No Shot, No School” regulations, all students and staff 12 and order must complete primary series of COVID-19 vaccines
  • Masking Indoors
    • The following should wear a mask
      • Individuals who develop symptoms at school
      • Individuals with COVID
      • Individuals returning from isolation or quarantine, for the remainder of the 10 days from the start of their isolation or quarantine period
      • Individuals while inside a health suite or isolation suite
      • Staff providing medical care (including testing) or supervising individuals in isolation suites 
      • Individuals exposed to someone with COVID 
  • The following to not need to wear a mask:
    • Individuals eating or napping
    • Individuals outdoors
  • DPA may introduce mask mandates as needed; i.e. preemptively before an anticipated surge in cases.
  • COVID Testing
    • DPA will provide symptomatic COVID testing for individuals with symptoms
    • DPA will provide return-to-school testing
  • Physical Distancing
    • We encourage and will support individuals to
      • Maintain physical distancing indoors (6ft) for unvaccinated and immunocompromised individuals or those at a high risk of severe COVID-19.   
      • Maintain physical distancing from sick individuals. 
      • Prioritize maintaining 3ft of distance inside the classrooms and 6ft of distance outside the classroom to reduce the risk of outbreaks and the need for contact tracing. 
      • Stay home when sick.
  • Cleaning and Ventilation: as a school we are committed to
    • Hand Hygiene
      • Soap in every bathroom/near sinks.  
      • Hand sanitizer in every room and available at key times (e.g. at arrival, before and after meals                         
      • Signage related to importance of hand hygiene
    • Ventilation and Filtration
    • Cleaning
      • Maintaining high-quality HVAC systems and replacing filters as needed. 
      • Opening windows whenever possible                                                                                                                                                     
      • Maintaining portable air purifiers in rooms, particularly those with less than ideal ventilation
  • Isolation/Quarantine
    • For members of the community who test positive:
      • Stay home and isolate for at least 5 days and return after the following are met: 
        • Fever-free for 24 hour without fever-reducing medication, with improving symptoms
        • If/when antigen tests are available, the positive individual should continue to isolate until their antigen test is negative
      • If severely sick or have a weakened immune system, isolate for at least 10 days, and refer to a healthcare provider before ending isolation.
    • For members of the community who are exposed, and unvaccinated or not up-to-date on COVID vaccinations
      • Stay home and quarantine for at least 5 days if exposed and unvaccinated or not up-to-date on COVID vaccinations.    
        • Unvaccinated or those not up-to-date on COVID vaccinations will be required to submit a negative test to return to school.      
    • For members of the community who are symptomatic
      • Individuals with symptoms should stay home, isolate themselves, and get tested.
      • Individuals who develop symptoms at school will mask and isolate until they are able to leave school. 
      • Multiple symptomatic students will not isolate together.
  • Reporting Communication
    • As a school, we will report to DC Health when 25 or more confirmed COVID-19 cases are tied to a single event that occurred at or was hosted/sponsored by DPA.

Enhanced Prevention Measures for Medium Community Spread

  • COVID-19 Vaccination 
    • Per DC’s “No Shot, No School” regulations, all students and staff 12 and order must complete primary series of COVID-19 vaccines
  • Masking Indoors
    • In addition to the guidance for Everyday Prevention Measures, the following should wear masks:
      • Individuals who are immunocompromised. 
      • Individuals who are at higher risk for severe COVID-19.
  • COVID Testing
    • In addition to the guidance for Everyday Prevention Measures, DPA will institute random testing for 10% of the student population.
  • Physical Distancing
    • Same as the guidance for Everyday Prevention Measures.
  • Cleaning and Ventilation: as a school we are committed to
    • Same as the guidance for Everyday Prevention Measures.
  • Isolation/Quarantine
    • Same as the guidance for Everyday Prevention Measures.
  • Reporting Communication
    • Same as the guidance for Everyday Prevention Measures.

Enhanced Prevention Measures for High Community Spread

  • COVID-19 Vaccination 
    • Per DC’s “No Shot, No School” regulations, all students and staff 12 and order must complete primary series of COVID-19 vaccines
  • Masking Indoors
    • All individuals will wear a mask.
  • COVID Testing
    • In addition to the guidance for Everyday Prevention Measures, DPA will institute random testing for 10% of the student population.
  • Physical Distancing
    • All individuals will maintain physical distancing of 6 feet, as much as possible.
  • Cleaning and Ventilation: as a school we are committed to
    • Same as the guidance for Everyday Prevention Measures.
  • Isolation/Quarantine
    • Same as the guidance for Everyday Prevention Measures.
  • Reporting Communication
    • Same as the guidance for Everyday Prevention Measures.

Enhanced Cleaning

We know that deep cleaning high-touch surfaces is one of the keys to maintaining safety for our community. We have enhanced our cleaning protocols to ensure all rooms and materials are disinfected daily.

DPA Facilities Investments

  • Automation of restrooms (toilets and sinks)
  • Automation of water fountains
  • Installation of UV troffers that clear the air with UV light and kill the virus
  • Installation of 22 portable air purifiers that clean and circulate the air
  • Installation of bipolar ionization in our HVAC system that filters the air before it enters the building
  • Replacement of filters in the HVAC system
  • Placement of signage indicating one-way hallways, maximum capacities, and social distancing
  • Installation of hand sanitizer stations in each classroom and other areas