TAISM’s Health and Safety Plans During Hybrid Learning

Disposable or reusable cloth or surgical masks covering the mouth and nose are required at all times for students (Early Childhood through Grade 12) and staff and all adults on the school campus and in buildings. In a school setting, surgical masks are preferable to other masks in  reducing COVID-19 transmission. Cloth masks can be used, but should have adequate layers of filtering. Masks may be removed for eating and drinking only.

To be effective, face coverings (surgical or cloth masks) should always cover the  nose and mouth. If using a disposable mask, students and staff should use a new mask each day, and always carry an extra with them to school in a zip-lock bag. Cloth masks if used, should be laundered each day and should properly fit to avoid having to touch or reposition the mask. N95 masks are not recommended for school settings unless a staff member is required to do so to meet job requirements.

Student and adult mask wearing should be done also during carpools, and drop-off/pick-up areas.

There are many resources available to help young children adapt to mask wearing. Some tips that we are sharing with families include: 

• Allow children to select their mask and design. 
• Beloved stuffed animals, dolls or action figures can also practice mask wearing.  
• Parents can model mask-wearing behavior.  
• Practice wearing a mask in a safe space before a child leaves home.  
• Children can read social stories about mask-wearing. 

Signs and markings are placed throughout the campus emphasizing appropriate physical distancing of 2 meters. Additionally, distancing via smaller teacher-student ratios and physical distancing of seating areas are two primary strategies that have been implemented in the school.

In line with local guidelines, classrooms have been redesigned to accommodate 1.5 - 2  meters physical distance between desks/tables.

Lunch timings have been staggered to allow for smaller numbers of students to be utilizing the ES Cafeteria, and MS and HS Commons areas. Table partitions are placed in the eating areas to provide protection between students when distancing is not feasible and students have removed their mask to eat.

Along with a focus on increased disinfection protocols, TAISM has limited the number of students in bathrooms at any time.  Students should wear masks in bathrooms. 
Normal water fountains will not be in use, but water filling stations are available throughout the building for students to fill up their own private water bottle

Reduced Occupancy

TAISM has maintained small class sizes to assist in accommodating physical distancing.  Also, the hybrid instructional model has been introduced as a strategy to reduce on-site class size and lesson the number of days for students on campus. Parents can choose for their child to participate in the on-campus portion of the hybrid program, or for their child to participate online only from home.   Information regarding the Hybrid Learning Program at TAISM is available on our school website.

Ventilation.  The school buildings have air conditioning and fresh air supply installations that provide adequate thermal comfort and air renovation to the indoor spaces. All the equipment has been checked for maintenance and cleanliness which includes the deep cleaning of components and the replacement of the air filters as appropriate. During summer the school commissioned the services of a consultant and a contractor to confirm that the fresh air installations meet the relevant code and that they work correctly so that the quantity of air supplied to each room is adequate for the number of occupants. 

Natural ventilation. Natural ventilation is used to enhance the indoor air quality and reduce the concentration of pollutants in the interior spaces. The natural ventilation measures in place during school hours are:

• Doors from the classrooms to the hallways will be left open at all times.
  
• Windows in the classrooms, commons, cafeterias, commons, and hallways will be open to create increased airflow.
  

Disinfection of the installations. The indoor air conditioning units are disinfected daily after school by spraying adequate chemicals products (Biotab7). The school has purchased electrostatic spraying machines for this purpose. Furthermore, the external units will be disinfected monthly.  

• There will be disinfectant wipes and spray bottles in the classrooms. Furthermore, there are 74 touchless hand sanitizer dispensers installed throughout the campus, and desktop dispensers are also available in all classrooms and offices.
  
• Opportunities for hand washing with soap and water will be encouraged. 
  
• Drinking fountains will not be available for traditional spout-to-mouth use. Personal water bottles will be permitted and may be filled at filling stations or designated fountains.
  
• When water filling stations are not available in a hallway, small plastic bottles of water will be supplied on a table.  Bottles are to be disposed of in the plastic bottle recycling dispensers.
  
• The schools will have a supply of disinfectant wipes and/or paper towels with disinfectant spray available for student use if necessary to disinfect personal items. Students are permitted and encouraged to bring their own wipes as well.
  
• Gloves are not recommended for general use, but the CDC recommends them for use when cleaning or caring for someone who is sick. The school will have disposable gloves available for these specific purposes if necessary.

• Parents are expected to monitor symptoms prior to students departure for school in the morning and keep students home when sick.
  
• All individuals entering the school building must pass a temperature screening.
  
• Individuals with temperatures 37.5C or higher will be rescreened to confirm temperature. Upon confirmation, they will be directed to the school nurse for evaluation and possibly isolation.
  
• Staff will be vigilant in monitoring symptoms. When visible symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath are observed in students at school, they will be referred to the school nurse for evaluation.
  

What Symptoms Should You Look For?

If your child develops symptoms of COVID-19 at home, we expect that you will keep them home from school and contact the nurse.
Any child who experiences COVID-like-symptoms must have the following to return to school:

• A negative COVID-19 molecular test* (e.g. RT-PCR test)
• At least one day symptom free without the use of medication

*Please note that a copy of the test results must be provided to the school. A doctor's note may also be required.

If your child develops any symptoms of COVID-19 at school, as defined above, they will be evaluated by the school’s nurse, placed in a quarantine waiting room at school, and a parent/guardian will be called to pick them up. We expect that you will be available to answer a call from the school at all times during the day, and will pick up your child within one hour of contact. Students will be accompanied into the quarantine waiting area by a nurse and will be monitored by the nurse.

Any child sent home with COVID-like-symptoms must have the following to return to school:

• A negative COVID-19 molecular test* (e.g. RT-PCR test)
• At least one day symptom free without the use of medication

*Please note that a copy of the test results must be provided to the school. A doctor's note may also be required.

If a household member becomes symptomatic, the student must quarantine until the primary contact is tested and receives negative results. Students may not attend school if a household member has a pending evaluation or test for COVID-19 based on the presence of symptoms.

That household member must isolate for 14 days after the onset of their symptoms   Any close or proximate contacts (including all household members) must quarantine away from the primary contact for 14 days from the date of last contact.

As per the current local requirements, your child must have a negative result on a COVID-19 test prior to travel back into Oman, be tested again upon arrival in the country, and if the test is negative, quarantine for 7 days is required from the date of your return from international travel.  This will then be followed by another test on day 8.  If you receive another negative test result, then you may return to normal activities. Please inform the school nurse or principal of your child’s travel dates prior to departure so that we may monitor their quarantine days upon their return.

If you have more than one child in the school and are called to pick up one sick child, you will be required to take all children home, and stay at home, until the primary contact has a negative COVID-19 test and written medical clearance from a healthcare provider.

At this point, the research is unclear if a person can contract COVID-19 multiple times, though there have been case reports to suggest that it is possible. As a result, if a case develops in situations as listed above, you will be required to follow the same requirements as set forth for other students, including possible quarantines,  isolation, testing and return to school procedures outlined above, even if your child was diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past or has a positive antibody report.

Cough and congestion are both symptoms on the list of COVID-19 symptoms. For any new onset or new worsening of symptoms, we are required to isolate and refer the student for testing.

You will not be notified if a community member experienced symptoms until we receive documentation of a positive COVID-19 test. There are many reasons why a student could be sent home and due to protection of privacy we will not disclose this information. The student or teacher who has COVID-like symptoms may be asked to have a test completed in order for the school to make appropriate decisions in the case of a positive test result.

The school will contact-trace all positive COVID-19 cases within the campus. You will be notified immediately if your child is a close or proximate contact in school of anyone who is diagnosed with COVID-19 (being within two meters of the case for more than 15 minutes). Due to privacy laws, we cannot inform you of the name of the person diagnosed, only that your child had contact with someone now diagnosed with COVID-19. Any close or proximate contacts will be required to quarantine for 14 days from their date of last contact with the positive person. This will likely mean that the entire class and teacher will be home for up to 14 days, depending on the primary contact’s school attendance. Contact tracing coordinated by the school nurse will be conducted regarding the possibility of other students also being considered as close or proximate contacts (e.g. at recess, lunch, or in an activity).

We will require you to quarantine for this period and not travel, interact with other members of the school community, or schedule play dates or group get-togethers.

We will also notify the Oman Ministry of Health of the diagnoses, and they may gather more information.

If a positive case of COVID-19 becomes known to the school, the process of contact tracing will begin. 

Students and staff members determined to be in close contact with the COVID-19-positive individual in or out of school will be required to quarantine for 14 days since the last contact. During quarantine, students will be expected to continue learning remotely.

According to the CDC (link is external), close contact is defined as:

• You were within 2 meters of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more
• You provided care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19
• You had direct physical contact with the person (hugged or kissed them)
• You shared eating or drinking utensils
• They sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on you

If a student or staff member is identified as having close contact (as defined above) to someone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19, quarantine for 14 days is required.

All children and staff in the same classroom, or those who have come in close contact with a COVID-positive individual, should quarantine at home for 14 days unless given alternate guidance from the school. Anyone who develops symptoms during quarantine should contact their health care provider, and inform the school nurse. Testing for COVID-19 must be arranged and results reported to the school nurse. 

If you have any questions regarding the definition of close contact or the need to quarantine or isolate, please contact the school nurse.

Quarantine applies to individuals exposed to a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19, or who have recently traveled internationally or places with widespread COVID-19 transmission. People in quarantine feel well, but may be pre-symptomatic. A person in quarantine must monitor themselves closely to determine if they have developed symptoms of COVID-19. The person must have their own bathroom or clean the bathroom between each use. They must sleep in a separate room from anyone not in quarantine, in case symptoms develop at night. If they develop symptoms, they must be tested and start an isolation period.
Per the local guidelines, a contact must quarantine for 14 days after their date of last contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19. If a person has ongoing contact with a case during their isolation period, they must quarantine for the case’s 14-day isolation period.

Isolation applies to individuals with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19. It involves the diagnosed person having no interaction with other members of the household. The person must have their own bathroom and a door to their quarters. Meals are delivered to the room. This is difficult in a private residence, and may be impossible if the person in isolation is a young child.
Per the local guidelines, a person diagnosed with COVID-19 must isolate for 14 days after the onset of their symptoms OR 14 days from the date they were tested (if they were asymptomatic).