The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released guidance for safe school reopening during the COVID-19 outbreak. The document is titled “Preparing K-12 School Administrators for a Safe Return to School in Fall 2020.”
The CDC supports the return of students to in-person classes in part because of the critical role schools play in the community as places of learning, support, and providers of social and emotional services. They also site the advantages of in-person over virtual instruction particularly in cases where the transition to virtual learning is hasty or not well supported. They also concede that many students benefit from in-person interaction and the ability of both student and teacher to participate synchronously in the learning cycle.
According to the CDC, early evidence suggests that children are at a lower risk of contracting, spreading, or having serious complications from COVID-19. As expected, the potential for increased community spread of the virus from school-age children was related to the pre-existing level of transmission within the community. And, it appears that most children with COVID-19 were infected by a family member rather than a fellow student.
The CDC states that it is critical for school administrators to:
- Encourage the practice of preventive behaviors
- Utilize multiple preventive strategies
- Educate and reinforce appropriate hygiene and social distancing practices
- Ensure co-curricular and extracurricular activities follow good practices
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces
- Have a plan to deal with potential infection of students or staff
Marine Military Academy will have in-person class for the Fall 2020 term which begins in August. We are committed to the safety of our students, staff, and faculty. As such, CDC recommendations are taken seriously and much planning and effort have been made to maintain a healthy environment and to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. CDC recommendations for schools can be found in the document: Considerations for Schools: Operating Schools During COVID-19 .
Some of the many steps we have taken to mitigate risks include:
- Staff, faculty, and student safety education
- Wellness screening for campus visitors
- A closed campus – students will remain on campus
- Increased hygiene standards to include frequent hand washing, cough covering, and mandatory face coverings
- Physical distancing to include maximum classroom sizes of 10 students, desk separation of 6 feet, and the regulation of pedestrian traffic flow with signs and floor markers
- The installation of bipolar ionization filtering in building ventilation systems
- Regular cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched services
- Daily student wellness assessments to include the installation of no-touch thermometers in many buildings to facilitate self-monitoring
- Staggered meal service and the elimination of buffet service
If you have questions concerning MMA and our response to COVID-19 please call: 956-423-6006.
