As has been the case since the COVID pandemic began, we have closely monitored guidance from national and local authorities, including CDC, DC Health, and OSSE, related to in-person gatherings. Additionally, we remain mindful of virus spread both within our own community and in the local area. If circumstances internal or external to the school change at any time, our operational status may be subject to change as well.

Our top priority is ensuring the health and safety of all students and their families, as well as staff and faculty. After reviewing all available guidance on health and safety protocols and procedures, NCRC’s staff and faculty have put in place significant procedures and protocols to ensure the health and safety of the entire community. These include enhanced procedures on numerous fronts:

• Cleaning of all classrooms, with special attention placed on frequently touched surfaces;

• Establishing requirements for the monitoring the health of students, faculty and staff;

• Mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for every NCRC employee;

• Maintaining cohorting by class grouping, and avoiding comingling of classes;

• Ensuring access to classrooms through assigned entrances to lessen hallway traffic; and

• Limiting in-classroom presence to only students and their teachers.

Specifically, designated classroom spaces at NCRC, to allow for physical distancing, easier cleaning and to enable contact tracing. Every classroom is cleaned and sanitized throughout the day and at the end of the day, using approved cleaning equipment and products. All teachers and students wear masks throughout our campus and frequently wash and/or sanitize hands. 

With the exception of rest, snack and lunch (when physical distancing is maintained), all children are required to wear masks throughout NCRC’s campus.

• The Library at the very front of the main building is now the Bunny classroom

• Mr. Carroll's Head of School Office has become a Library

• The Outdoor Classroom is used for Motor and Music classes, as weather allows

• The Motor Room has is now the Pioneer classroom

• The Program Office is now the ‘NCRC Nook’, which will be used for isolating any child or adult who may become unwell

Several factors have been taken into consideration as we have weighed how to reincorporate carpool into our pick-up procedures.

o   With multiple classes dismissing at the same time/a similar time at the end of the school day, we remain committed to maintaining safe social distancing and ensuring that classes do not comingle.  Drop-off time presents much less of a challenge, as children are taken directly to their classrooms as they arrive.  At the end of the school day, it remains challenging to have multiple classes safely wait in groups close to the front of NCRC to await their vehicle, with the space limitations of our campus and the continued need to avoid comingling.

Given the requirements of not comingling classes and ensuring successful physical distancing, we will be using multiple assigned entrances and exit points to and from the building at both the start and end of the day. Given additional protocols to ensure health and safety for all in our community, arrivals and dismissals will be staggered.

Our top priority is ensuring the health and safety of all students and their families, as well as staff and faculty. At this time, we remain committed to avoiding comingling of students from different classes, in line with current guidance from DC Health and OSSE. Therefore, these programs are currently not available.

For the time being, all snacks are brought in from home each day (lunch has always been brought in from home).  We will periodically review this plan.

Each classroom being used for both an AM and a PM class is being thoroughly cleaned and sanitized during the intentionally extended time between classes. All equipment, resources, toys and books will be switched out between the AM and PM groups. Teachers will change all PPE before transitioning to a PM class.

Our top priority is ensuring the health and safety of all students and their families, as well as staff and faculty. Any indication of illness in any individual will be treated seriously and will be closely monitored, with individuals immediately being isolated within NCRC as quickly as possible in the 'NCRC Nook' - formerly the Program Office, on the Lower Level of the schoolhouse outside the Motor Room. Any adult or child believed to be ill will be sent home as quickly as possible, with lines of communication between the school and the family maintained to ensure effective contact tracing if COVID-19 is confirmed.

Please continue to refer to our Returning to NCRC after an Illness or Test flow-chart (see below).  Please know that this RETURN CRITERIA represents general criteria. In all cases, personal guidance from DC Health or a healthcare provider could override this guidance on an individual basis.

Whenever NCRC has a case of COVID-19, we are required to report it to the DC Department of Health and OSSE. In fact, any time an individual receives a positive test result from any testing provider, it is automatically shared with their local health authority.  With any case, the DoH asks NCRC for information about our health check-in procedures, cohorts, cleaning protocols, classroom organization and their setup. They take all of these factors into consideration as well as the children within the cohorts and their teachers.

Additionally, we have to report all COVID-19 cases, proof of contacting DC health, and our health and cleaning protocols to OSSE (DC’s Office of the State Superintendent of Education – our licensing authority).

All classrooms are cleaned according to the regulations given by CDC, Department of health and OSSE – as they have been throughout the year.

 Should NCRC fail to abide by the regulations and guidance of the DoH and/or OSSE, in terms of reporting, quarantining, and health and cleaning protocols it could result in the entire school being temporarily closed.

The DoH does not consider the Beehive AM or PM classes, nor the Butterfly AM or Butterfly PM classes as close contacts of each other, if a case ever presents itself in any of those particular classes. We have been repeatedly commended by DC DoH on our cleaning, safety protocols and procedures, allowing these classes to remain in-person in such circumstances.

Since the point in early 2021 when our faculty and staff were fully vaccinated, if they are a close contact of a case, they no longer have to quarantine.  However, we ask faculty and staff to undertake a PCR test as an additional layer of caution 5 days after the date of any potential exposure.  They must also still self-monitor for symptoms for 10 days after the date of any potential exposure. If a close contact develops symptoms of COVID-19 during this time period, they must isolate and follow up with their healthcare provider for testing.

A confirmed COVID-19 positive case in a single class:

• Contact Tracing Letter is sent to affected families and staff

• Notification Letter is sent to the NCRC community

• In order to maintain privacy and abide by HIPAA laws, the identity of the individual will not be disclosed

• Students in the affected class, considered close contacts, will quarantine and monitor for symptoms 

• That classroom will be deep cleaned/disinfected

• Distance Learning is provided for all students in the affected class during any quarantine period

• NCRC will consult with DC Health for reopening timeline and other guidance (contact tracing)

• Reopening date of the classroom for will be communicated once known and confirmed with DC Health

Multiple reported & unrelated confirmed COVID-19 positive cases within the school may result in the entire school closing (in consultation with DC DoH) *:

• Contact Tracing Letter is sent to affected families and staff

• Notification Letter is sent to the NCRC community

• In order to maintain privacy and abide by HIPAA laws, the identity of the individuals will not be disclosed

• Students in the affected class/es, considered close contacts, will quarantine and monitor for symptoms 

• The school campus may close for a period of quarantine (in consultation with DC DoH)

• Deep clean/disinfection of entire school campus

• Distance Learning is provided for all students during any quarantine period

• Consult with DC Health for reopening and other guidance (contact tracing)

• Reopening date will be communicated once known and confirmed with DC Health

* Under previous guidance, dating back to the fall of 2020, we may have considered a full closure of NCRC, if three or more unrelated cases presented themselves during one week.  

Since the vaccination of all Faculty & Staff in early 2021, and the availability of the vaccine to everyone 5 or older, guidance such as this has evolved.  Our April 30 2021 community-wide communication updated this original practice, allowing us since that time the flexibility to determine under what circumstances a full closure of NCRC would be necessary.  For example, the need for a full closure of NCRC may be determined based on the number of classrooms involved; or whether those receiving positive test results were symptomatic or asymptomatic; or if any false-positive test results are definitively confirmed and verified by DC’s DoH.  Whenever any positive test results are received, we work in close and frequent consultation with DC’s DoH to determine best practice.  We have been assured by DC’s DoH that our current protocols and procedures meet all of their requirements, and there is no need to consider a broader closure of NCRC simply based on a pre-specified number of positive test results received at any one time.  Every case and situation has its nuances, which we (and DC’s DoH) would always take into account prior to considering the far-reaching measure of closing the entire school.

Other situations which may result in partial or full closure of NCRC:

• Issues related to faculty absenteeism and an inability to adequately staff a class (adhering to OSSE and safety regulations) may call for class closures and learning to be moved to distance learning.

• A large percentage of NCRC School community absenteeism (e.g. flu or illness related) may result in a whole school closure.

An Antigen test (frequently referred to as a rapid test) detects protein fragments specific to the Coronavirus. It can be done in a clinic, doctor’s office, or hospital. Turnaround time for results is usually very quick and, in some cases, results can be reported within 15 minutes.  Rapid tests are considered more accurate in a patient who is displaying symptoms of COVID-19. While the rapid test can get you results very quickly, the results may not always be accurate.

PCR testing is considered the “gold standard” in SARS-CoV-2 detection. This test actually detects RNA (or genetic material) that is specific to the virus and can detect the virus within days of infection, even those who have no symptoms. The test can be done in a clinic, hospital, or even in your car. Turnaround time is longer, generally in the 1-3 day range but results can be in as little as 24 hours. When demand is high, results can take longer.

o   Children wash &/or sanitize their hands at a number of key points throughout the day.

• Upon entering the building (there are hand sanitizing stations outside all entrances in addition to inside building entrances, in the event a student misses the station outside)

• Upon entering their classroom

• Before snack or mealtime

• After snack or mealtime

After using the bathroom (every bathroom on schoolhouse property is equipped with touchless soap dispensers, and faucets with safehandles self-cleaning coverings)

NCRC’s ventilation system has a MERV-14 rating, consistent with most medical facilities and known to significantly reduce the risk of airborne transmission of any virus.

Additionally, every NCRC classroom has HEPA-filter air filtration units installed.

NCRC has always prioritized outside play, but particularly at this time, we are very mindful of maximizing time outdoors for all students. Students will often play outside during inclement conditions, like rain and snow, and should therefore come to school dressed appropriately for these conditions. However, students will not play outdoors if the temperature or wind-chill is low, whenever there is a “Weather Alert” issued regarding strong/gusty winds or during dangerous storms (lightning, hail, winds).

Our top priority is ensuring the health and safety of all students and their families, as well as staff and faculty. For that reason, we are not allowing parents, caregivers or other family members into the school building at this time.

NCRC strives to ensure that contractors that have to visit the school arrive outside of regular school hours as much as possible. On the rare occasion anyone has to enter NCRC during school hours, who is not a student or employee, (such as alarm, utilities, and telecommunications technicians, or somebody conducting an urgent repair) they are fully health checked before they enter the building. They must wear PPE at all times.  Their presence is fully monitored, and if they have to enter a room or space where others are present, they must social-distance and may only remain there 15 minutes or less.

Our top priority is ensuring the health and safety of all students and their families, as well as staff and faculty. When COVID-19 was first identified as a global pandemic in March 2020, the school began to plan for what would be required for a physical reopening of the schoolhouse. At that time, NCRC operations staff began the process of procuring all of the equipment and materials necessary to ensure a safe and clean environment for all children, faculty and staff. While the CDC is currently recommending that facilities have three months of these supplies on hand at any one time, NCRC continues to stock a six-month supply of materials including masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and disinfectant, among other things.

NCRC’s Early Beginnings and Play Pals programs have been the foundation of NCRC’s commitment to inclusion for generations. Our talented and dedicated Child Development Team will continue to offer frequent, robust programming to both children and their parents in a variety of formats.

We recognize the stress and anxiety that parents are under as a result of this ongoing pandemic. Whether juggling working from home with your children’s needs, or just feeling the weight of the uncertainty brought on by this unprecedented public health crisis, we want to be a support to our parents in any way possible.

In addition to the content developed by our teacher teams, we have made virtual learning platforms, including Seesaw and Epic, available to all families at no cost. Zoom links have also been established for each class to be accessed if/when needed. We are also here to provide any parent who needs it with support securing the technology necessary to access both our synchronous and asynchronous distance learning content, when it is needed.

At your child’s in-person meet and greet at the beginning of the year, a set of physical resources was distributed which will be used if/when Distance Learning programming is needed.

Finally, NCRC’s Director of Counseling and Family Support, Judith Wides, a member of the Childhood Development Team, is available to all parents for any needs they may have, whether related to their child’s learning experience, a loss they may have suffered, increased anxiety or simply someone to talk to.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Official Coronavirus Webpage
• CDC Official Map of Confirmed US Cases
• Johns Hopkins CSSE Map of Global Cases
• The Washington Post’s Coronavirus Coverage
• CDC travel advisories
• US Department of State Travel Advisory site
• DC Department of Health Coronavirus site