Dear Ivy Family,
Welcome back to a new school year! There has been much happening at Ivy Prep this summer. We are excited to share these details with you.
COVID-19 PROTOCOLS UPDATE
As Head of School and as a mother, keeping our children safe is a top priority. Last year when we were determining and implementing COVID-19 protocols, there was less than a year’s worth of data to consider. Also, we did not have any vaccines available, and reported daily cases were rising in Georgia last July. As a leadership team, we worked diligently to put together a comprehensive plan to reduce the spread of the virus. Our plans included mask-up zones, cleaning protocols, good hygiene practices, and mandatory quarantine periods for those directly exposed to the virus. Educationally, we offered flexible learning for all our scholars. I am so proud of our teachers for their efforts to make all of this happen.
Today, we have a year’s worth of local, state, state, international data, including information from our own COVID-19 tracking. While cases reported today in Georgia (7-day moving average) are half from this date last year and less than 20% of the peak rates, they are currently trending upward from the lowest levels in June. This increase is due to the Delta variant which is mainly spreading through those who remain unvaccinated.
We are proud of the work Ivy Prep did last year to keep our community safe. Despite our incredible efforts, we lost important aspects of scholar development and education. We continue to consider the mental and emotional well-being of scholars with the science and data around COVID-19, the variant strains, effectiveness of the vaccines, transmission rates within children, and our ability to reduce the spread within Ivy Prep. We will continue to do our part to reduce and eliminate the spread of COVID-19. Our plan includes air purifiers in classrooms, social distancing where feasible, daily cleaning of classrooms, and promoting good hygiene practices.
To start this year, we have decided on the following guidelines for all Ivy Prep Scholars:
Scholars will be required to wear masks while at Ivy. When worn consistently and properly, masks help to significantly reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Parents are asked to self-screen monitor for symptoms using the Parent Square app.
Scholars who test positive for COVID-19 must self-quarantine. Scholars may return to Ivy ten days from the onset of symptoms. To return, scholars must be fever-free for 24 hours without medications and showing improvement in their symptoms.
If your scholar has had direct exposure to someone at Ivy who has tested positive for COVID-19, you will be contacted and you will be required to quarantine your scholar for ten days
Educational Options Ivy will support scholars who are quarantining with a few educational options:
Online recorded lessons made available within 24 hours for scholars;
Google Classroom access to assignments; and
Instructional packets and direct communication with K-2nd grade teachers
Monitoring for Changes
Please understand that we are striving to make the best possible decisions for our community and will continue to monitor daily updated guidance from the Georgia Department of Health, the CDC, the American Association of Pediatrics, and other reputable school districts in Georgia. Our current guidelines are subject to change if a federal mandate supersedes our guidelines, or the data suggests a loss of effectiveness in the vaccines, or if there is a surge in cases. The Ivy Prep leadership team will consider all options and take appropriate steps such as mandatory mask-up for a period of time or pivoting to remote distance learning for a period of time. The goal is to balance the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of our scholars.
Thank you for your partnership as we walk this journey together!
The Right Choice for Girls,
Dr. Charcia Nichols
