Saint Gabriel’s Hall
Overview
Saint Gabriel’s Hall (SGH) is a residential program located in Audubon, PA for male youth 14–18 years in the General Residential and Drug and Alcohol Units. Male youth ages 10–13 years are accepted in the Pre-Adolescent Unit. SGH has implemented a Sanctuary Model of Trauma-Informed Care as part of the therapeutic milieu for all residents and staff. SGH is recognized by Community Behavioral Health as a Residential Treatment Facility (RTF) where psychological, psychiatric, individual, group, family therapy, one-on-one services are provided. A year-round academic program is offered as well as Career and Technical Education in the following areas: Culinary Arts, Microsoft Office, Building and Landscape Maintenance, and YouthBuild Construction.
History
The opening of the Philadelpha Protectory for Boys opened in 1898 however, the true beginnings of SGH started 3,000 miles away and many years before 1898 in the French City of Reims by John Baptist de La Salle. He took action in 1682 against the elitist stance on education as being only for the socially privileged, the affluent and created a Christian community with a handful of poor school masters. De La Salle’s school masters became the Brothers of the Christian Schools. “John Baptist de La Salle believed that education should be available for everyone; it was not meant to be merely an aristocratic privilege for the fortunate.” Fast forward to 1896 when Archbishop Ryan officiated the ground-breaking and cornerstone-laying of the Philadelphia Protectory for Boys. Records indicate that on June 21, 1896 anywhere from 25,000 to 65,000 Catholics assembled to witness this historical occasion. On Thursday, November 3, 1898 the Protectory received its first-ever resident, twelve –year-old John Todd, from the Manayunk section of Philadelphia at the request of the Most Rev. Archbishop. As is the case today, most of the boys were admitted to the Protectory by Court however, a close second was by Priests, usually the boy’s parish priest. The average length of stay at that time was 20 months and ten days. The list of offenses span from Incorrigible, Runaways to “Till tapping, For protection, For vacation. In 1962 a letter was sent to Monsignor Thomas J. Rilley from Brother David Peter Ryan about changing the name of the Protectory. The reason he gave to have the name changed was that a new name was needed to “’assist in creating an image of a modern institution involved in an enlightened program of treatment rather than punishment of simply confinement.’” So, an official announcement was made on July 6, 1962 to rename the Protectory to Saint Gabriel, after St. Gabriel Possenti, a young man who had been a student of the Christian Brothers in Italy and was characterized as “the dancer” as well as “the ladies’ man. Needless to say he was not the celestial messenger Gabriel from the Bible. Upon his death Pope John XXIII named St. Gabriel the “’Patron Saint for Rebellious Youth’”.
(Information gathered from A Century of Service: In the spirit of Saint John Baptist de la Salle, An Account of the Growth of The Saint Gabriel’s System, 1898-1998 by Brother Joseph L. Grabenstein, FSC, Archivist)
Program Requirements
• Male youth ages 10 – 18 (varies by unit)
• Youth must be adjudicated delinquent
• SGH clients require a full scale IQ of 70 or above, minimum of 2nd
grade reading level (lower IQ and/or reading levels can be assessed on a
case-by-case basis)
• Youth must be able to fully participate in treatment, without severe
restrictions from physical activity (medical clearance may be required)
• Youth with an extensive mental health history including a history of
assaultive behaviors, serious sex offenses, fire setting or severed
emotional, psychological or psychiatric disorders will be reviewed on a
case-by-case basis
All of the signage currently posted throughout the residential areas will be posted throughout the school area as well. Visitors are prohibited at this time other than essential deliveries. No physical education/ intramural sports of any kind will be available during the Yellow Phase of the school re-opening process. Each student will be issued an individual set of learning materials and resources in use throughout the school day. Each classroom will have a scheduled time to move through the hallway. This will limit exposure to one another. Each classroom will have a scheduled time to move through the hallway. This will limit exposure to one another. No one other than teacher and student assigned to the classroom will be in the classroom unless and emergency occurs.
UPDATE: Posted June 2020
Phased School Reopening
Health and Safety Plan Template
Each school entity must create a Health and Safety Plan which will serve as the local guidelines for all instructional and non- instructional school reopening activities. As with all emergency plans, the Health and Safety Plan developed for each school entity should be tailored to the unique needs of each school and should be created in consultation with local health agencies. Given the dynamic nature of the pandemic, each plan should incorporate enough flexibility to adapt to changing conditions. The templates provided in this toolkit can be used to document a school entity’s Health and Safety Plan, with a focus on professional learning and communications, to ensure all stakeholders are fully informed and prepared for a local phased reopening of school facilities. A school entity’s Health and Safety Plan must be approved by its governing body and posted on the school entity’s publicly available website prior to the reopening of school. School entities should also consider whether the adoption of a new policy or the modification of an existing policy is necessary to effectively implement the Health and Safety Plan.
Each school entity should continue to monitor its Health and Safety Plan throughout the year and update as needed. All revisions should be reviewed and approved by the governing body prior to posting on the school entity’s public website.
Table of Contents
Key Strategies, Policies, and Procedures. 6
Cleaning, Sanitizing, Disinfecting and Ventilation. 7
Social Distancing and Other Safety Protocols. 8
Monitoring Student and Staff Health. 11
Other Considerations for Students and Staff 15
Health and Safety Plan Professional Development 17
Health and Safety Plan Communications. 18
Health and Safety Plan Summary. 19
Facilities Cleaning, Sanitizing, Disinfecting and Ventilation. 19
Social Distancing and Other Safety Protocols. 19
Monitoring Student and Staff Health. 20
Other Considerations for Students and Staff 21
Health and Safety Plan Governing Body Affirmation Statement 22
This resource draws on a resource created by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) that is based on official guidance from multiple sources to include: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the White House, American Academy of Pediatrics, Learning Policy Institute, American Enterprise Institute, Rutgers Graduate School of Education, the World Health Organization, the Office of the Prime Minister of Norway as well as the departments of education/health and/or offices of the governor for Idaho, Montana, New York, Texas and Washington, DC.
Health and Safety Plan: (Saint Gabriel’s Hall)
All decision-makers should be mindful that as long as there are cases of COVID-19 in the community, there are no strategies that can completely eliminate transmission risk within a school population. The goal is to keep transmission as low as possible to safely continue school activities. All school activities must be informed by Governor Wolf’s Process to Reopen Pennsylvania. The administration has categorized reopening into three broad phases: red, yellow, or green. These designations signal how counties and/or regions may begin easing some restrictions on school, work, congregate settings, and social interactions:
- The Red Phase: Schools remain closed for in-person instruction and all instruction must be provided via remote learning, whether using digital or non-digital platforms. Provisions for student services such as school meal programs should continue. Large gatherings are prohibited.
- The Yellow Phase and Green Phase: Schools may provide in-person instruction after developing a written Health and Safety Plan, to be approved by the local governing body (e.g. board of directors/trustees) and posted on the school entity’s publicly available website.
Based on your county’s current designation (i.e., red, yellow, green) and the best interests of your local community, indicate which type of reopening your LEA has selected by checking the appropriate box in row three of the table below. Use the remainder of the template to document your LEA’s plan to bring back students and staff, how you will communicate the type of reopening with stakeholders in your community, and the process for continued monitoring of local health data to assess implications for school operations and potential adjustments throughout the school year.
Depending upon the public health conditions in any county within the Commonwealth, there could be additional actions, orders, or guidance provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and/or the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) designating the county as being in the red, yellow, or green phase. Some counties may not experience a straight path from a red designation, to a yellow, and then a green designation. Instead, cycling back and forth between less restrictive to more restrictive designations may occur as public health indicators improve or worsen. This means that your school entity should account for changing conditions in your local Health and Safety Plan to ensure fluid transition from more to less restrictive conditions in each of the phase requirements as needed.
Type of Reopening
Key Questions
- How do you plan to bring students and staff back to physical school buildings, particularly if you still need social distancing in place?
- How did you engage stakeholders in the type of re-opening your school entity selected?
- How will you communicate your plan to your local community?
- Once you reopen, what will the decision-making process look like to prompt a school closure or other significant modification to operations?
Based on your county’s current designation and local community needs, which type of reopening has your school entity selected? (SELECT ONE BOX BELOW)
☒ Total reopen for all students and staff (but some students/families opt for distance learning out of safety/health concern).
☐ Scaffolded reopening: Some students are engaged in in-person learning, while others are distance learning (i.e., some grade levels in-person, other grade levels remote learning).
☐ Blended reopening that balances in-person learning and remote learning for all students (i.e., alternating days or weeks).
☐ Total remote learning for all students. (Plan should reflect future action steps to be implemented and conditions that would prompt the decision as to when schools will re-open for in-person learning).
Anticipated launch date for in-person learning (i.e., start of blended, scaffolded, or total reopening): (7.6.2020)
Pandemic Coordinator/Team
Each school entity is required to identify a pandemic coordinator and/or pandemic team with defined roles and responsibilities for health and safety preparedness and response planning during the phased reopening of schools. The pandemic coordinator and team will be responsible for facilitating the local planning process, monitoring implementation of your local Health and Safety Plan, and continued monitoring of local health data to assess implications for school operations and potential adjustments to the Health and Safety Plan throughout the school year. To ensure a comprehensive plan that reflects the considerations and needs of every stakeholder in the local education community, LEAs are encouraged to establish a pandemic team to support the pandemic coordinator. Inclusion of a diverse group of stakeholders is critical to the success of planning and implementation. LEAs are highly encouraged to make extra effort to engage representatives from every stakeholder group (i.e., administrators, teachers, support staff, students, families, community health official or other partners), with a special focus on ensuring that the voices of underrepresented and historically marginalized stakeholder groups are prioritized. In the table below, identify the individual who will serve as the pandemic coordinator and the stakeholder group they represent in the row marked “Pandemic Coordinator”. For each additional pandemic team member, enter the individual’s name, stakeholder group they represent, and the specific role they will play in planning and implementation of your local Health and Safety Plan by entering one of the following under “Pandemic Team Roles and Responsibilities”:
- Health and Safety Plan Development: Individual will play a role in drafting the enclosed Health and Safety Plan;
- Pandemic Crisis Response Team: Individual will play a role in within-year decision making regarding response efforts in the event of a confirmed positive case or exposure among staff and students; or
- Both (Plan Development and Response Team): Individual will play a role in drafting the plan and within-year decision making regarding response efforts in the event of confirmed positive case.
| Individual(s) | Stakeholder Group Represented | Pandemic Team Roles and Responsibilities (Options Above) |
| John Mulroney/Michael Hamilton | School Administration | Plan Development and Response Team |
| Valerie Duffan/Joanne Granato | Residential Management | Pandemic Crisis Response Team |
| Claire Emplit | Teachers | Pandemic Crisis Response Team |
| Julia Caldwell | Nursing | Pandemic Crisis Response Team |
Key Strategies, Policies, and Procedures
Once your LEA has determined the type of reopening that is best for your local community and established a pandemic coordinator and/or pandemic team, use the action plan templates on the following pages to create a thorough plan for each of the requirements outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Preliminary Guidance for Phased Reopening of PreK-12 Schools.
For each domain of the Health and Safety Plan, draft a detailed summary describing the key strategies, policies, and procedures your LEA will employ to satisfy the requirements of the domain. The domain summary will serve as the public-facing description of the efforts your LEA will take to ensure health and safety of every stakeholder in your local education community. Thus, the summary should be focused on the key information that staff, students, and families will require to clearly understand your local plan for the phased reopening of schools. You can use the key questions to guide your domain summary.
For each requirement within each domain, document the following:
- Action Steps under Yellow Phase: Identify the discrete action steps required to prepare for and implement the requirement under the guidelines outlined for counties in yellow. List the discrete action steps for each requirement in sequential order.
- Action Steps under Green Phase: Identify the specific adjustments the LEA or school will make to the requirement during the time period the county is designated as green. If implementation of the requirement will be the same regardless of county designation, then type “same as Yellow” in this cell.
- Lead Individual and Position: List the person(s) responsible for ensuring the action steps are fully planned and the school system is prepared for effective implementation.
- Materials, Resources, and/or Supports Needed: List any materials, resources, or support required to implement the requirement.
- Professional Development (PD) Required: In order to implement this requirement effectively, will staff, students, families, or other stakeholders require professional development?
In the following tables, an asterisk (*) denotes a mandatory element of the plan. All other requirements are highly encouraged to the extent possible.
Cleaning, Sanitizing, Disinfecting, and Ventilation
Key Questions
- How will you ensure the building is cleaned and ready to safely welcome staff and students?
- How will you procure adequate disinfection supplies meeting OSHA and CDC requirements for COVID-19?
- How often will you implement cleaning, sanitation, disinfecting, and ventilation protocols/procedures to maintain staff and student safety?
- What protocols will you put in place to clean and disinfect throughout an individual school day?
- Which stakeholders will be trained on cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting, and ventilation protocols? When and how will the training be provided? How will preparedness to implement as a result of the training be measured?
Summary of Responses to Key Questions: A full time housekeeper will be re-assigned to perform all of the sanitation and ventilation required daily on the school floor of the building. This would include hallways, staff bathrooms, and other common areas. Five Deans of Student’s will be trained to disinfect the school hallway and student bathroom throughout the day. Students will be escorted by the Dean’s to their house bathroom on the residential floor when possible, thus reserving the bathroom on the school floor for emergencies only. Bottled water will be available to students since there are no drinking fountains in the school area. Teachers, along with their students, will be trained and charged with the responsibility of sanitizing the inside of their classrooms, as well as all of the equipment within those classrooms on a daily basis.
| Requirements | Action Steps under Yellow Phase | Action Steps under Green Phase | Lead Individual and Position | Materials, Resources, and or Supports Needed | PD Required (Y/N) |
| * Cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting, and ventilating learning spaces, surfaces, and any other areas used by students (i.e., restrooms, drinking fountains, hallways, and transportation) | Assign a full time housekeeper to help with the school floor. Train five Deans and all of the teaching staff on sanitation and ventilation procedures, both inside and outside of classrooms, before school re-opens on July 6th. Students have already been trained on disinfection and sanitation procedures and have been maintaining their residential living quarters throughout the pandemic. | Same as Yellow Phase. | John Mulroney, School Principal | Already have all of the necessary materials and cleaning resources. | Yes |
| Other cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting, and ventilation practices | None |
Social Distancing and Other Safety Protocols
Key Questions
- How will classrooms/learning spaces be organized to mitigate spread?
- How will you group students with staff to limit the number of individuals who come into contact with each other throughout the school day?
- What policies and procedures will govern use of other communal spaces within the school building?
- How will you utilize outdoor space to help meet social distancing needs?
- What hygiene routines will be implemented throughout the school day?
- How will you adjust student transportation to meet social distancing requirements?
- What visitor and volunteer policies will you implement to mitigate spread?
- Will any of these social distancing and other safety protocols differ based on age and/or grade ranges?
- Which stakeholders will be trained on social distancing and other safety protocols? When and how will the training be provided? How will preparedness to implement as a result of the training be measured?
Summary of Responses to Key Questions: Students will be grouped heterogeneously by their house fraternities. Student-teacher class ratios will be restricted to no more than 1:6. No communal spaces will be in use throughout the school day. Students and teachers will eat lunch in their classrooms. Outdoor areas will be open on non-code red weather days to assist with the social distancing spread. Classrooms will be fully supplied with hand sanitation devices, etc. Students will have time for more rigorous hand and face washing when they visit their home bathrooms on the residential floor. No non-essential visitors will be allowed to enter the building throughout the Yellow Phase of the re-opening process. There will be no difference in safety protocols based on age or grade levels, since all of our students are adolescent high school students.
| Requirements | Action Steps under Yellow Phase | Action Steps under Green Phase | Lead Individual and Position | Materials, Resources, and or Supports Needed | PD Required (Y/N) |
| * Classroom/ learning space occupancy that allows for 6 feet of separation among students and staff throughout the day, to the maximum extent feasible | One teacher to every six students. Teachers will change classrooms rather than the students. | Same as yellow phase. | John Mulroney, Principal and Michael Hamilton, Assistant Principal | NA | yes |
| * Restricting the use of cafeterias and other congregate settings, and serving meals in alternate settings such as classrooms | Students will eat lunch in their classrooms. The cafeteria will be off limits during the Yellow Phase of the re-opening process. | Same as yellow phase. | John Mulroney, Principal and Michael Hamilton, Assistant Principal and Malcolm Cain, Director of Food Services. | NA | yes |
| * Hygiene practices for students and staff including the manner and frequency of hand-washing and other best practices | Teachers and Dean’s will be trained to teach and re-enforce, with students and staff, best practices regarding the frequency of hand washing and other best practices relating to hygiene. | Same as Yellow Phase | John Mulroney, School Principal | Already well stocked in this regard. | Yes |
| * Posting signs, in highly visible locations, that promote everyday protective measures, and how to stop the spread of germs | All of the signage currently posted throughout the residential areas will be posted throughout the school area as well. | Same as yellow phase. | Anita Godshall, Director | Materials printed from CDC website. | no |
| * Identifying and restricting non-essential visitors and volunteers | Visitors are prohibited at this time other than essential deliveries. | Same as yellow phase. | John Mulroney, School Principal | NA | Yes |
| * Handling sporting activities for recess and physical education classes consistent with the CDC Considerations for Youth Sports | No physical education/ intramural sports of any kind will be available during the Yellow Phase of the school re-opening process. | Same as yellow phase. | John Mulroney, School Principal | NA | no |
| Limiting the sharing of materials among students | Each student will be issued an individual set of learning materials and resources in use throughout the school day. | Same as yellow phase. | Classroom Teachers | Already in stock. | no |
| Staggering the use of communal spaces and hallways | Each classroom will have a scheduled time to move through the hallway. This will limit exposure to one another. | Same as yellow phase. | Deans | NA | Yes |
| Adjusting transportation schedules and practices to create social distance between students | Each classroom will have a scheduled time to move through the hallway. This will limit exposure to one another. | Same as yellow phase. | Dean | NA | Yes |
| Limiting the number of individuals in classrooms and other learning spaces, and interactions between groups of students | No one other than teacher and student assigned to the classroom will be in the classroom unless and emergency occurs. | Same as yellow phase. | Deans and teachers | NA | Yes |
| Coordinating with local childcare regarding on site care, transportation protocol changes and, when possible, revised hours of operation or modified school-year calendars | NA | ||||
| Other social distancing and safety practices | NA |
Monitoring Student and Staff Health
Key Questions
- How will you monitor students, staff, and others who interact with each other to ensure they are healthy and not exhibiting signs of illness?
- Where, to whom, when, and how frequently will the monitoring take place (e.g. parent or child report from home or upon arrival to school)?
- What is the policy for quarantine or isolation if a staff, student, or other member of the school community becomes ill or has been exposed to an individual confirmed positive for COVID-19?
- Which staff will be responsible for making decisions regarding quarantine or isolation requirements of staff or students?
- What conditions will a staff or student confirmed to have COVID-19 need to meet to safely return to school? How will you accommodate staff who are unable to uncomfortable to return?
- How will you determine which students are willing/able to return? How will you accommodate students who are unable or uncomfortable to return?
- When and how will families be notified of confirmed staff or student illness or exposure and resulting changes to the local Health and Safety Plan?
- Which stakeholders will be trained on protocols for monitoring student and staff health? When and how will the training be provided? How will preparedness to implement as a result of the training be measured?
Summary of Responses to Key Questions: Students, staff, and others who interact with each other will be required to have their temperature checked before entering the school/ living units each day. They will also be asked if they are experiencing any symptoms at least twice per day. In the case of staff, and a very limited number of others, who will be entering the building each day, their temperature will be taken by staff at the Communications Center, which will be the only central entrance and check-in point for all. Student temperatures will be taken twice per day, before and after school, by our nursing staff on the student living units. The policy for quarantine or isolation of staff or students who might become ill or be exposed to an individual confirmed positive for COVID-19 has already been operational since the beginning of the Pandemic. The policy has been determined and implemented in cooperation with the Montgomery County Department of Health. The nurse on duty, in cooperation with the Executive Director, will be responsible for making decisions regarding the quarantine or isolation of any member of the school community who may be impacted in any way by COVID-19. Any student or staff who has been quarantined for a period of two weeks and presents as symptom free at that time may return to school/work. Any student or staff member who feels unable or uncomfortable returning to school/work after a period of quarantine will be referred to the in-house clinic and or the Human Resources Department. The families of students and staff impacted in any way by COVID-19 will be notified and communicated with regularly throughout their recovery process by the clinic and the Director. The Director and the Head Nurse will train both the principal and the vice-principal on the protocols for dealing with COVID-19. Collectively, they will train the teachers and Deans during the week before the scheduled re-opening and they will determine our readiness to implement and re-open.
| Requirements | Action Steps under Yellow Phase | Action Steps under Green Phase | Lead Individual and Position | Materials, Resources, and or Supports Needed | PD Required (Y/N) |
| * Monitoring students and staff for symptoms and history of exposure | Staff report for their shift through the main entrance and have their complete a questionnaire regarding COVID-19 symptoms as well as have their temperature checked prior to beginning their shift. Signs are posted on all doors reminding staff to follow this protocol. All staff are required to wear masks during their shift. The nursing department checks the temperatures of all students each day and asks of symptoms related to COVID-19. | Same as yellow phase. | Communications center/front desk and nursing staff | NA | Yes |
| * Isolating or quarantining students, staff, or visitors if they become sick or demonstrate a history of exposure | St. Gabriel’s Hall has been consulting with the Montgomery County Department of Public Health. If/when a youth presents with symptoms of COVID-19 they are taken to Phoenixville Hospital for testing and is then quarantined on a unit separate from other youth pending results. If the youth tests positive for COVID-19, he remains in quarantine for at least 14 days. The unit that the youth originally resided on and any other unit that may have been exposed by this youth are also quarantined for 14 days. If two youth are quarantined together pending results and one is positive and the other is negative, the negative youth is then moved to a separate unit and quarantined for 14 days to ensure he does not develop any new symptoms before returning to his unit. | Same as yellow phase. | Director of St. Gabriel’s Hall, Principal of the school and nursing staff | NA | Yes |
| * Returning isolated or quarantined staff, students, or visitors to school | Once quarantine is complete for 14 days and no new symptoms develop, student/staff will return to the classroom. | Same as yellow phase. | Director of St. Gabriel’s Hall, Principal of the school and nursing staff | NA | Yes |
| Notifying staff, families, and the public of school closures and within-school-year changes in safety protocols | Families will be notified by the clinic at St. Gabriel’s Hall. Staff in the school will be notified by the Principal and the St. Gabriel’s Hall community will be notified by the Director of St. Gabriel’s Hall. | Same as yellow phase. | Director of St. Gabriel’s Hall, Principal of the school and the Clinic. | NA | Yes |
| Other monitoring and screening practices | NA |
Other Considerations for Students and Staff
Key Questions
- What is the local policy/procedure regarding face coverings for staff? What is the policy/procedure for students?
- What special protocols will you implement to protect students and staff at higher risk for severe illness?
- How will you ensure enough substitute teachers are prepared in the event of staff illness?
- How will the LEA strategically deploy instructional and non-instructional staff to ensure all students have access to quality learning opportunities, as well as supports for social emotional wellness at school and at home?
Summary of Responses to Key Questions: All staff and students must wear face coverings at all times. Staff who determine that they are at a higher risk for severe illness will be referred to HR for a complete and thorough review of their job description. A series of next steps will be negotiated through the HR process. There will be no substitute teachers necessary in the event of staff illness. A sufficient number of our regular teaching staff will be employed to ensure adequate coverage. Since Saint Gabriel’s Hall is licensed as a Private Residential Rehabilitation Institution by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, we are our own LEA. The vast majority of our teaching staff is either certified to provide instruction in accordance with legal requirements of the IDEA, or have many years of experience in educating individuals with disabilities.
| Requirements | Action Steps under Yellow Phase | Action Steps under Green Phase | Lead Individual and Position | Materials, Resources, and or Supports Needed | PD Required (Y/N) |
| * Protecting students and staff at higher risk for severe illness | All staff at St. Gabriel’s Hall are considered essential. All students and staff must wear a mask at all times. Ant staff member that has an underlying health condition will work with HR to ensure they can complete their job description in its entirety. If they are unable, HR will work with this individual on next steps. | Same as yellow phase. | Human Resources and the Principal. | NA | Yes |
| * Use of face coverings (masks or face shields) by all staff | All staff must wear masks for the entirety of their shift. | Same as yellow phase. | All staff | NA | Yes |
| * Use of face coverings (masks or face shields) by older students (as appropriate) | All students must wear masks for the entirety of the school day. | Same as yellow phase. | All staff | NA | Yes |
| Unique safety protocols for students with complex needs or other vulnerable individuals | The nursing staff will directly monitor any student will complex medical needs. | Same as yellow phase. | Nursing | NA | No |
| Strategic deployment of staff | Staff will be assigned to classrooms and areas in need of supervision. | Same as yellow phase. | Principal | NA | Yes |
Health and Safety Plan Professional Development
The success of your plan for a healthy and safe reopening requires all stakeholders to be prepared with the necessary knowledge and skills to implement the plan as intended. For each item that requires professional development, document the following components of your professional learning plan.
- Topic: List the content on which the professional development will focus.
- Audience: List the stakeholder group(s) who will participate in the professional learning activity.
- Lead Person and Position: List the person or organization that will provide the professional learning.
- Session Format: List the strategy/format that will be utilized to facilitate participant learning.
- Materials, Resources, and or Supports Needed: List any materials, resources, or support required to implement the requirement.
- Start Date: Enter the date on which the first professional learning activity for the topic will be offered.
- Completion Date: Enter the date on which the last professional learning activity for the topic will be offered.
| Topic | Audience | Lead Person and Position | Session Format | Materials, Resources, and or Supports Needed | Start Date | Completion Date |
| Re-opening school during the Yellow Phase | Teachers and Deans | John Mulroney, School Principal | Direct Instruction and Practice | Copies of The Health and Safety Plan developed by the administration | June 29, 2020 | June 30,2020 |
Health and Safety Plan Communications
Timely and effective family and caregiver communication about health and safety protocols and schedules will be critical. Schools should be particularly mindful that frequent communications are accessible in non-English languages and to all caregivers (this is particularly important for children residing with grandparents or other kin or foster caregivers). Additionally, LEAs should establish and maintain ongoing communication with local and state authorities to determine current mitigation levels in your community.
| Topic | Audience | Lead Person and Position | Mode of Communications | Start Date | Completion Date |
| Quarantine and safety Protocols | School Staff | John Mulroney, Principal Anita Godshall, Director | Face to face in-service following social distancing guidelines. | June 29, 2020 | June 30, 2020 |
| School policies and procedures | School Staff | John Mulroney, Principal | Face to face in-service following social distancing guidelines. | June 29, 2020 | June 30, 2020 |
Health and Safety Plan Summary: (Saint Gabriel’s Hall)
Anticipated Launch Date: (July 6, 2020)
Facilities Cleaning, Sanitizing, Disinfecting and Ventilation
| Requirement(s) | Strategies, Policies and Procedures |
| * Cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting, and ventilating learning spaces, surfaces, and any other areas used by students (i.e., restrooms, drinking fountains, hallways, and transportation) | The cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting, and ventilating of learning spaces, surfaces, restrooms, and hallways (we have no drinking fountains in the school, students will be provided with individual water bottles) will be performed 3x per school day collectively by all students and staff in their respective classrooms. The Dean’s and the Maintenance staff will provide maintenance in the same ways for the school hallways, etc. |
Social Distancing and Other Safety Protocols
| Requirement(s) | Strategies, Policies and Procedures |
| * Classroom/learning space occupancy that allows for 6 feet of separation among students and staff throughout the day, to the maximum extent feasible * Restricting the use of cafeterias and other congregate settings, and serving meals in alternate settings such as classrooms * Hygiene practices for students and staff including the manner and frequency of hand-washing and other best practices * Posting signs, in highly visible locations, that promote everyday protective measures, and how to stop the spread of germs SEE ATTACHED FORM * Handling sporting activities consistent with the CDC Considerations for Youth Sports for recess and physical education classes Limiting the sharing of materials among students Staggering the use of communal spaces and hallways Adjusting transportation schedules and practices to create social distance between students Limiting the number of individuals in classrooms and other learning spaces, and interactions between groups of students Coordinating with local childcare regarding on site care, transportation protocol changes and, when possible, revised hours of operation or modified school-year calendars Other social distancing and safety practices | Since classroom groupings will be the same as those on the student housing units, six feet of separation among students will not need to be enforced to the maximum extent possible. Since the only classrooms in use during the Yellow Phase will be our largest available spaces, and class sizes should be limited to well under ten in most cases, physical distancing will be well within acceptable norms. Students and staff will eat lunch in their classrooms throughout the Yellow Phase. The cafeteria as well as all other common areas will remain closed throughout the Yellow Phase. Hygiene practices for students and staff will be enforced and re-enforced at strategic times throughout the school day. |
Monitoring Student and Staff Health
| Requirement(s) | Strategies, Policies and Procedures |
| * Monitoring students and staff for symptoms and history of exposure * Isolating or quarantining students, staff, or visitors if they become sick or demonstrate a history of exposure * Returning isolated or quarantined staff, students, or visitors to school Notifying staff, families, and the public of school closures and within-school- year changes in safety protocols | Staff report for their shift through the main entrance and have their complete a questionnaire regarding COVID-19 symptoms as well as have their temperature checked prior to beginning their shift. Signs are posted on all doors reminding staff to follow this protocol. All staff are required to wear masks during their shift. The nursing department checks the temperatures of all students each day and asks of symptoms related to COVID-19. St. Gabriel’s Hall has been consulting with the Montgomery County Department of Public Health. If/when a youth presents with symptoms of COVID-19 they are taken to Phoenixville Hospital for testing and is then quarantined on a unit separate from other youth pending results. If the youth tests positive for COVID-19, he remains in quarantine for at least 14 days. The unit that the youth originally resided on and any other unit that may have been exposed by this youth are also quarantined for 14 days. If two youth are quarantined together pending results and one is positive and the other is negative, the negative youth is then moved to a separate unit and quarantined for 14 days to ensure he does not develop any new symptoms before returning to his unit. Families will be notified by the clinic at St. Gabriel’s Hall. Staff in the school will be notified by the Principal and the St. Gabriel’s Hall community will be notified by the Director of St. Gabriel’s Hall. |
Other Considerations for Students and Staff
| Requirement(s) | Strategies, Policies and Procedures |
| * Protecting students and staff at higher risk for severe illness * Use of face coverings (masks or face shields) by all staff * Use of face coverings (masks or face shields) by older students (as appropriate) Unique safety protocols for students with complex needs or other vulnerable individuals Strategic deployment of staff | All staff at St. Gabriel’s Hall are considered essential. All students and staff must wear a mask at all times. Ant staff member that has an underlying health condition will work with HR to ensure they can complete their job description in its entirety. If they are unable, HR will work with this individual on next steps. All staff must wear masks for the entirety of their shift. All students must wear masks for the entirety of the school day. The nursing staff will directly monitor any student will complex medical needs. Staff will be assigned to classrooms and areas in need of supervision. |
Health and Safety Plan Governing Body Affirmation Statement
Option A: The use of actual signatures is encouraged whenever possible. This method requires that the document be printed, signed, scanned, and then submitted.
Phased School Reopening
Health and Safety Plan Template
Each school entity must create a Health and Safety Plan which will serve as the local guidelines for all instructional and non- instructional school reopening activities. As with all emergency plans, the Health and Safety Plan developed for each school entity should be tailored to the unique needs of each school and should be created in consultation with local health agencies. Given the dynamic nature of the pandemic, each plan should incorporate enough flexibility to adapt to changing conditions. The templates provided in this toolkit can be used to document a school entity’s Health and Safety Plan, with a focus on professional learning and communications, to ensure all stakeholders are fully informed and prepared for a local phased reopening of school facilities. A school entity’s Health and Safety Plan must be approved by its governing body and posted on the school entity’s publicly available website prior to the reopening of school. School entities should also consider whether the adoption of a new policy or the modification of an existing policy is necessary to effectively implement the Health and Safety Plan.
Each school entity should continue to monitor its Health and Safety Plan throughout the year and update as needed. All revisions should be reviewed and approved by the governing body prior to posting on the school entity’s public website.
Table of Contents
Key Strategies, Policies, and Procedures. 6
Cleaning, Sanitizing, Disinfecting and Ventilation. 7
Social Distancing and Other Safety Protocols. 8
Monitoring Student and Staff Health. 11
Other Considerations for Students and Staff 15
Health and Safety Plan Professional Development 17
Health and Safety Plan Communications. 18
Health and Safety Plan Summary. 19
Facilities Cleaning, Sanitizing, Disinfecting and Ventilation. 19
Social Distancing and Other Safety Protocols. 19
Monitoring Student and Staff Health. 20
Other Considerations for Students and Staff 21
Health and Safety Plan Governing Body Affirmation Statement 22
This resource draws on a resource created by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) that is based on official guidance from multiple sources to include: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the White House, American Academy of Pediatrics, Learning Policy Institute, American Enterprise Institute, Rutgers Graduate School of Education, the World Health Organization, the Office of the Prime Minister of Norway as well as the departments of education/health and/or offices of the governor for Idaho, Montana, New York, Texas and Washington, DC.
Health and Safety Plan: (Saint Gabriel’s Hall)
All decision-makers should be mindful that as long as there are cases of COVID-19 in the community, there are no strategies that can completely eliminate transmission risk within a school population. The goal is to keep transmission as low as possible to safely continue school activities. All school activities must be informed by Governor Wolf’s Process to Reopen Pennsylvania. The administration has categorized reopening into three broad phases: red, yellow, or green. These designations signal how counties and/or regions may begin easing some restrictions on school, work, congregate settings, and social interactions:
- The Red Phase: Schools remain closed for in-person instruction and all instruction must be provided via remote learning, whether using digital or non-digital platforms. Provisions for student services such as school meal programs should continue. Large gatherings are prohibited.
- The Yellow Phase and Green Phase: Schools may provide in-person instruction after developing a written Health and Safety Plan, to be approved by the local governing body (e.g. board of directors/trustees) and posted on the school entity’s publicly available website.
Based on your county’s current designation (i.e., red, yellow, green) and the best interests of your local community, indicate which type of reopening your LEA has selected by checking the appropriate box in row three of the table below. Use the remainder of the template to document your LEA’s plan to bring back students and staff, how you will communicate the type of reopening with stakeholders in your community, and the process for continued monitoring of local health data to assess implications for school operations and potential adjustments throughout the school year.
Depending upon the public health conditions in any county within the Commonwealth, there could be additional actions, orders, or guidance provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and/or the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) designating the county as being in the red, yellow, or green phase. Some counties may not experience a straight path from a red designation, to a yellow, and then a green designation. Instead, cycling back and forth between less restrictive to more restrictive designations may occur as public health indicators improve or worsen. This means that your school entity should account for changing conditions in your local Health and Safety Plan to ensure fluid transition from more to less restrictive conditions in each of the phase requirements as needed.
Type of Reopening
Key Questions
- How do you plan to bring students and staff back to physical school buildings, particularly if you still need social distancing in place?
- How did you engage stakeholders in the type of re-opening your school entity selected?
- How will you communicate your plan to your local community?
- Once you reopen, what will the decision-making process look like to prompt a school closure or other significant modification to operations?
Based on your county’s current designation and local community needs, which type of reopening has your school entity selected? (SELECT ONE BOX BELOW)
☒ Total reopen for all students and staff (but some students/families opt for distance learning out of safety/health concern).
☐ Scaffolded reopening: Some students are engaged in in-person learning, while others are distance learning (i.e., some grade levels in-person, other grade levels remote learning).
☐ Blended reopening that balances in-person learning and remote learning for all students (i.e., alternating days or weeks).
☐ Total remote learning for all students. (Plan should reflect future action steps to be implemented and conditions that would prompt the decision as to when schools will re-open for in-person learning).
Anticipated launch date for in-person learning (i.e., start of blended, scaffolded, or total reopening): (7.6.2020)
Pandemic Coordinator/Team
Each school entity is required to identify a pandemic coordinator and/or pandemic team with defined roles and responsibilities for health and safety preparedness and response planning during the phased reopening of schools. The pandemic coordinator and team will be responsible for facilitating the local planning process, monitoring implementation of your local Health and Safety Plan, and continued monitoring of local health data to assess implications for school operations and potential adjustments to the Health and Safety Plan throughout the school year. To ensure a comprehensive plan that reflects the considerations and needs of every stakeholder in the local education community, LEAs are encouraged to establish a pandemic team to support the pandemic coordinator. Inclusion of a diverse group of stakeholders is critical to the success of planning and implementation. LEAs are highly encouraged to make extra effort to engage representatives from every stakeholder group (i.e., administrators, teachers, support staff, students, families, community health official or other partners), with a special focus on ensuring that the voices of underrepresented and historically marginalized stakeholder groups are prioritized. In the table below, identify the individual who will serve as the pandemic coordinator and the stakeholder group they represent in the row marked “Pandemic Coordinator”. For each additional pandemic team member, enter the individual’s name, stakeholder group they represent, and the specific role they will play in planning and implementation of your local Health and Safety Plan by entering one of the following under “Pandemic Team Roles and Responsibilities”:
- Health and Safety Plan Development: Individual will play a role in drafting the enclosed Health and Safety Plan;
- Pandemic Crisis Response Team: Individual will play a role in within-year decision making regarding response efforts in the event of a confirmed positive case or exposure among staff and students; or
- Both (Plan Development and Response Team): Individual will play a role in drafting the plan and within-year decision making regarding response efforts in the event of confirmed positive case.
| Individual(s) | Stakeholder Group Represented | Pandemic Team Roles and Responsibilities (Options Above) |
| John Mulroney/Michael Hamilton | School Administration | Plan Development and Response Team |
| Valerie Duffan/Joanne Granato | Residential Management | Pandemic Crisis Response Team |
| Claire Emplit | Teachers | Pandemic Crisis Response Team |
| Julia Caldwell | Nursing | Pandemic Crisis Response Team |
Key Strategies, Policies, and Procedures
Once your LEA has determined the type of reopening that is best for your local community and established a pandemic coordinator and/or pandemic team, use the action plan templates on the following pages to create a thorough plan for each of the requirements outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Preliminary Guidance for Phased Reopening of PreK-12 Schools.
For each domain of the Health and Safety Plan, draft a detailed summary describing the key strategies, policies, and procedures your LEA will employ to satisfy the requirements of the domain. The domain summary will serve as the public-facing description of the efforts your LEA will take to ensure health and safety of every stakeholder in your local education community. Thus, the summary should be focused on the key information that staff, students, and families will require to clearly understand your local plan for the phased reopening of schools. You can use the key questions to guide your domain summary.
For each requirement within each domain, document the following:
- Action Steps under Yellow Phase: Identify the discrete action steps required to prepare for and implement the requirement under the guidelines outlined for counties in yellow. List the discrete action steps for each requirement in sequential order.
- Action Steps under Green Phase: Identify the specific adjustments the LEA or school will make to the requirement during the time period the county is designated as green. If implementation of the requirement will be the same regardless of county designation, then type “same as Yellow” in this cell.
- Lead Individual and Position: List the person(s) responsible for ensuring the action steps are fully planned and the school system is prepared for effective implementation.
- Materials, Resources, and/or Supports Needed: List any materials, resources, or support required to implement the requirement.
- Professional Development (PD) Required: In order to implement this requirement effectively, will staff, students, families, or other stakeholders require professional development?
In the following tables, an asterisk (*) denotes a mandatory element of the plan. All other requirements are highly encouraged to the extent possible.
Cleaning, Sanitizing, Disinfecting, and Ventilation
Key Questions
- How will you ensure the building is cleaned and ready to safely welcome staff and students?
- How will you procure adequate disinfection supplies meeting OSHA and CDC requirements for COVID-19?
- How often will you implement cleaning, sanitation, disinfecting, and ventilation protocols/procedures to maintain staff and student safety?
- What protocols will you put in place to clean and disinfect throughout an individual school day?
- Which stakeholders will be trained on cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting, and ventilation protocols? When and how will the training be provided? How will preparedness to implement as a result of the training be measured?
Summary of Responses to Key Questions: A full time housekeeper will be re-assigned to perform all of the sanitation and ventilation required daily on the school floor of the building. This would include hallways, staff bathrooms, and other common areas. Five Deans of Student’s will be trained to disinfect the school hallway and student bathroom throughout the day. Students will be escorted by the Dean’s to their house bathroom on the residential floor when possible, thus reserving the bathroom on the school floor for emergencies only. Bottled water will be available to students since there are no drinking fountains in the school area. Teachers, along with their students, will be trained and charged with the responsibility of sanitizing the inside of their classrooms, as well as all of the equipment within those classrooms on a daily basis.
| Requirements | Action Steps under Yellow Phase | Action Steps under Green Phase | Lead Individual and Position | Materials, Resources, and or Supports Needed | PD Required (Y/N) |
| * Cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting, and ventilating learning spaces, surfaces, and any other areas used by students (i.e., restrooms, drinking fountains, hallways, and transportation) | Assign a full time housekeeper to help with the school floor. Train five Deans and all of the teaching staff on sanitation and ventilation procedures, both inside and outside of classrooms, before school re-opens on July 6th. Students have already been trained on disinfection and sanitation procedures and have been maintaining their residential living quarters throughout the pandemic. | Same as Yellow Phase. | John Mulroney, School Principal | Already have all of the necessary materials and cleaning resources. | Yes |
| Other cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting, and ventilation practices | None |
Social Distancing and Other Safety Protocols
Key Questions
- How will classrooms/learning spaces be organized to mitigate spread?
- How will you group students with staff to limit the number of individuals who come into contact with each other throughout the school day?
- What policies and procedures will govern use of other communal spaces within the school building?
- How will you utilize outdoor space to help meet social distancing needs?
- What hygiene routines will be implemented throughout the school day?
- How will you adjust student transportation to meet social distancing requirements?
- What visitor and volunteer policies will you implement to mitigate spread?
- Will any of these social distancing and other safety protocols differ based on age and/or grade ranges?
- Which stakeholders will be trained on social distancing and other safety protocols? When and how will the training be provided? How will preparedness to implement as a result of the training be measured?
Summary of Responses to Key Questions: Students will be grouped heterogeneously by their house fraternities. Student-teacher class ratios will be restricted to no more than 1:6. No communal spaces will be in use throughout the school day. Students and teachers will eat lunch in their classrooms. Outdoor areas will be open on non-code red weather days to assist with the social distancing spread. Classrooms will be fully supplied with hand sanitation devices, etc. Students will have time for more rigorous hand and face washing when they visit their home bathrooms on the residential floor. No non-essential visitors will be allowed to enter the building throughout the Yellow Phase of the re-opening process. There will be no difference in safety protocols based on age or grade levels, since all of our students are adolescent high school students.
| Requirements | Action Steps under Yellow Phase | Action Steps under Green Phase | Lead Individual and Position | Materials, Resources, and or Supports Needed | PD Required (Y/N) |
| * Classroom/ learning space occupancy that allows for 6 feet of separation among students and staff throughout the day, to the maximum extent feasible | One teacher to every six students. Teachers will change classrooms rather than the students. | Same as yellow phase. | John Mulroney, Principal and Michael Hamilton, Assistant Principal | NA | yes |
| * Restricting the use of cafeterias and other congregate settings, and serving meals in alternate settings such as classrooms | Students will eat lunch in their classrooms. The cafeteria will be off limits during the Yellow Phase of the re-opening process. | Same as yellow phase. | John Mulroney, Principal and Michael Hamilton, Assistant Principal and Malcolm Cain, Director of Food Services. | NA | yes |
| * Hygiene practices for students and staff including the manner and frequency of hand-washing and other best practices | Teachers and Dean’s will be trained to teach and re-enforce, with students and staff, best practices regarding the frequency of hand washing and other best practices relating to hygiene. | Same as Yellow Phase | John Mulroney, School Principal | Already well stocked in this regard. | Yes |
| * Posting signs, in highly visible locations, that promote everyday protective measures, and how to stop the spread of germs | All of the signage currently posted throughout the residential areas will be posted throughout the school area as well. | Same as yellow phase. | Anita Godshall, Director | Materials printed from CDC website. | no |
| * Identifying and restricting non-essential visitors and volunteers | Visitors are prohibited at this time other than essential deliveries. | Same as yellow phase. | John Mulroney, School Principal | NA | Yes |
| * Handling sporting activities for recess and physical education classes consistent with the CDC Considerations for Youth Sports | No physical education/ intramural sports of any kind will be available during the Yellow Phase of the school re-opening process. | Same as yellow phase. | John Mulroney, School Principal | NA | no |
| Limiting the sharing of materials among students | Each student will be issued an individual set of learning materials and resources in use throughout the school day. | Same as yellow phase. | Classroom Teachers | Already in stock. | no |
| Staggering the use of communal spaces and hallways | Each classroom will have a scheduled time to move through the hallway. This will limit exposure to one another. | Same as yellow phase. | Deans | NA | Yes |
| Adjusting transportation schedules and practices to create social distance between students | Each classroom will have a scheduled time to move through the hallway. This will limit exposure to one another. | Same as yellow phase. | Dean | NA | Yes |
| Limiting the number of individuals in classrooms and other learning spaces, and interactions between groups of students | No one other than teacher and student assigned to the classroom will be in the classroom unless and emergency occurs. | Same as yellow phase. | Deans and teachers | NA | Yes |
| Coordinating with local childcare regarding on site care, transportation protocol changes and, when possible, revised hours of operation or modified school-year calendars | NA | ||||
| Other social distancing and safety practices | NA |
Monitoring Student and Staff Health
Key Questions
- How will you monitor students, staff, and others who interact with each other to ensure they are healthy and not exhibiting signs of illness?
- Where, to whom, when, and how frequently will the monitoring take place (e.g. parent or child report from home or upon arrival to school)?
- What is the policy for quarantine or isolation if a staff, student, or other member of the school community becomes ill or has been exposed to an individual confirmed positive for COVID-19?
- Which staff will be responsible for making decisions regarding quarantine or isolation requirements of staff or students?
- What conditions will a staff or student confirmed to have COVID-19 need to meet to safely return to school? How will you accommodate staff who are unable to uncomfortable to return?
- How will you determine which students are willing/able to return? How will you accommodate students who are unable or uncomfortable to return?
- When and how will families be notified of confirmed staff or student illness or exposure and resulting changes to the local Health and Safety Plan?
- Which stakeholders will be trained on protocols for monitoring student and staff health? When and how will the training be provided? How will preparedness to implement as a result of the training be measured?
Summary of Responses to Key Questions: Students, staff, and others who interact with each other will be required to have their temperature checked before entering the school/ living units each day. They will also be asked if they are experiencing any symptoms at least twice per day. In the case of staff, and a very limited number of others, who will be entering the building each day, their temperature will be taken by staff at the Communications Center, which will be the only central entrance and check-in point for all. Student temperatures will be taken twice per day, before and after school, by our nursing staff on the student living units. The policy for quarantine or isolation of staff or students who might become ill or be exposed to an individual confirmed positive for COVID-19 has already been operational since the beginning of the Pandemic. The policy has been determined and implemented in cooperation with the Montgomery County Department of Health. The nurse on duty, in cooperation with the Executive Director, will be responsible for making decisions regarding the quarantine or isolation of any member of the school community who may be impacted in any way by COVID-19. Any student or staff who has been quarantined for a period of two weeks and presents as symptom free at that time may return to school/work. Any student or staff member who feels unable or uncomfortable returning to school/work after a period of quarantine will be referred to the in-house clinic and or the Human Resources Department. The families of students and staff impacted in any way by COVID-19 will be notified and communicated with regularly throughout their recovery process by the clinic and the Director. The Director and the Head Nurse will train both the principal and the vice-principal on the protocols for dealing with COVID-19. Collectively, they will train the teachers and Deans during the week before the scheduled re-opening and they will determine our readiness to implement and re-open.
| Requirements | Action Steps under Yellow Phase | Action Steps under Green Phase | Lead Individual and Position | Materials, Resources, and or Supports Needed | PD Required (Y/N) |
| * Monitoring students and staff for symptoms and history of exposure | Staff report for their shift through the main entrance and have their complete a questionnaire regarding COVID-19 symptoms as well as have their temperature checked prior to beginning their shift. Signs are posted on all doors reminding staff to follow this protocol. All staff are required to wear masks during their shift. The nursing department checks the temperatures of all students each day and asks of symptoms related to COVID-19. | Same as yellow phase. | Communications center/front desk and nursing staff | NA | Yes |
| * Isolating or quarantining students, staff, or visitors if they become sick or demonstrate a history of exposure | St. Gabriel’s Hall has been consulting with the Montgomery County Department of Public Health. If/when a youth presents with symptoms of COVID-19 they are taken to Phoenixville Hospital for testing and is then quarantined on a unit separate from other youth pending results. If the youth tests positive for COVID-19, he remains in quarantine for at least 14 days. The unit that the youth originally resided on and any other unit that may have been exposed by this youth are also quarantined for 14 days. If two youth are quarantined together pending results and one is positive and the other is negative, the negative youth is then moved to a separate unit and quarantined for 14 days to ensure he does not develop any new symptoms before returning to his unit. | Same as yellow phase. | Director of St. Gabriel’s Hall, Principal of the school and nursing staff | NA | Yes |
| * Returning isolated or quarantined staff, students, or visitors to school | Once quarantine is complete for 14 days and no new symptoms develop, student/staff will return to the classroom. | Same as yellow phase. | Director of St. Gabriel’s Hall, Principal of the school and nursing staff | NA | Yes |
| Notifying staff, families, and the public of school closures and within-school-year changes in safety protocols | Families will be notified by the clinic at St. Gabriel’s Hall. Staff in the school will be notified by the Principal and the St. Gabriel’s Hall community will be notified by the Director of St. Gabriel’s Hall. | Same as yellow phase. | Director of St. Gabriel’s Hall, Principal of the school and the Clinic. | NA | Yes |
| Other monitoring and screening practices | NA |
Other Considerations for Students and Staff
Key Questions
- What is the local policy/procedure regarding face coverings for staff? What is the policy/procedure for students?
- What special protocols will you implement to protect students and staff at higher risk for severe illness?
- How will you ensure enough substitute teachers are prepared in the event of staff illness?
- How will the LEA strategically deploy instructional and non-instructional staff to ensure all students have access to quality learning opportunities, as well as supports for social emotional wellness at school and at home?
Summary of Responses to Key Questions: All staff and students must wear face coverings at all times. Staff who determine that they are at a higher risk for severe illness will be referred to HR for a complete and thorough review of their job description. A series of next steps will be negotiated through the HR process. There will be no substitute teachers necessary in the event of staff illness. A sufficient number of our regular teaching staff will be employed to ensure adequate coverage. Since Saint Gabriel’s Hall is licensed as a Private Residential Rehabilitation Institution by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, we are our own LEA. The vast majority of our teaching staff is either certified to provide instruction in accordance with legal requirements of the IDEA, or have many years of experience in educating individuals with disabilities.
| Requirements | Action Steps under Yellow Phase | Action Steps under Green Phase | Lead Individual and Position | Materials, Resources, and or Supports Needed | PD Required (Y/N) |
| * Protecting students and staff at higher risk for severe illness | All staff at St. Gabriel’s Hall are considered essential. All students and staff must wear a mask at all times. Ant staff member that has an underlying health condition will work with HR to ensure they can complete their job description in its entirety. If they are unable, HR will work with this individual on next steps. | Same as yellow phase. | Human Resources and the Principal. | NA | Yes |
| * Use of face coverings (masks or face shields) by all staff | All staff must wear masks for the entirety of their shift. | Same as yellow phase. | All staff | NA | Yes |
| * Use of face coverings (masks or face shields) by older students (as appropriate) | All students must wear masks for the entirety of the school day. | Same as yellow phase. | All staff | NA | Yes |
| Unique safety protocols for students with complex needs or other vulnerable individuals | The nursing staff will directly monitor any student will complex medical needs. | Same as yellow phase. | Nursing | NA | No |
| Strategic deployment of staff | Staff will be assigned to classrooms and areas in need of supervision. | Same as yellow phase. | Principal | NA | Yes |
Health and Safety Plan Professional Development
The success of your plan for a healthy and safe reopening requires all stakeholders to be prepared with the necessary knowledge and skills to implement the plan as intended. For each item that requires professional development, document the following components of your professional learning plan.
- Topic: List the content on which the professional development will focus.
- Audience: List the stakeholder group(s) who will participate in the professional learning activity.
- Lead Person and Position: List the person or organization that will provide the professional learning.
- Session Format: List the strategy/format that will be utilized to facilitate participant learning.
- Materials, Resources, and or Supports Needed: List any materials, resources, or support required to implement the requirement.
- Start Date: Enter the date on which the first professional learning activity for the topic will be offered.
- Completion Date: Enter the date on which the last professional learning activity for the topic will be offered.
| Topic | Audience | Lead Person and Position | Session Format | Materials, Resources, and or Supports Needed | Start Date | Completion Date |
| Re-opening school during the Yellow Phase | Teachers and Deans | John Mulroney, School Principal | Direct Instruction and Practice | Copies of The Health and Safety Plan developed by the administration | June 29, 2020 | June 30,2020 |
Health and Safety Plan Communications
Timely and effective family and caregiver communication about health and safety protocols and schedules will be critical. Schools should be particularly mindful that frequent communications are accessible in non-English languages and to all caregivers (this is particularly important for children residing with grandparents or other kin or foster caregivers). Additionally, LEAs should establish and maintain ongoing communication with local and state authorities to determine current mitigation levels in your community.
| Topic | Audience | Lead Person and Position | Mode of Communications | Start Date | Completion Date |
| Quarantine and safety Protocols | School Staff | John Mulroney, Principal Anita Godshall, Director | Face to face in-service following social distancing guidelines. | June 29, 2020 | June 30, 2020 |
| School policies and procedures | School Staff | John Mulroney, Principal | Face to face in-service following social distancing guidelines. | June 29, 2020 | June 30, 2020 |
Health and Safety Plan Summary: (Saint Gabriel’s Hall)
Anticipated Launch Date: (July 6, 2020)
Facilities Cleaning, Sanitizing, Disinfecting and Ventilation
| Requirement(s) | Strategies, Policies and Procedures |
| * Cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting, and ventilating learning spaces, surfaces, and any other areas used by students (i.e., restrooms, drinking fountains, hallways, and transportation) | The cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting, and ventilating of learning spaces, surfaces, restrooms, and hallways (we have no drinking fountains in the school, students will be provided with individual water bottles) will be performed 3x per school day collectively by all students and staff in their respective classrooms. The Dean’s and the Maintenance staff will provide maintenance in the same ways for the school hallways, etc. |
Social Distancing and Other Safety Protocols
| Requirement(s) | Strategies, Policies and Procedures |
| * Classroom/learning space occupancy that allows for 6 feet of separation among students and staff throughout the day, to the maximum extent feasible * Restricting the use of cafeterias and other congregate settings, and serving meals in alternate settings such as classrooms * Hygiene practices for students and staff including the manner and frequency of hand-washing and other best practices * Posting signs, in highly visible locations, that promote everyday protective measures, and how to stop the spread of germs SEE ATTACHED FORM * Handling sporting activities consistent with the CDC Considerations for Youth Sports for recess and physical education classes Limiting the sharing of materials among students Staggering the use of communal spaces and hallways Adjusting transportation schedules and practices to create social distance between students Limiting the number of individuals in classrooms and other learning spaces, and interactions between groups of students Coordinating with local childcare regarding on site care, transportation protocol changes and, when possible, revised hours of operation or modified school-year calendars Other social distancing and safety practices | Since classroom groupings will be the same as those on the student housing units, six feet of separation among students will not need to be enforced to the maximum extent possible. Since the only classrooms in use during the Yellow Phase will be our largest available spaces, and class sizes should be limited to well under ten in most cases, physical distancing will be well within acceptable norms. Students and staff will eat lunch in their classrooms throughout the Yellow Phase. The cafeteria as well as all other common areas will remain closed throughout the Yellow Phase. Hygiene practices for students and staff will be enforced and re-enforced at strategic times throughout the school day. |
Monitoring Student and Staff Health
| Requirement(s) | Strategies, Policies and Procedures |
| * Monitoring students and staff for symptoms and history of exposure * Isolating or quarantining students, staff, or visitors if they become sick or demonstrate a history of exposure * Returning isolated or quarantined staff, students, or visitors to school Notifying staff, families, and the public of school closures and within-school- year changes in safety protocols | Staff report for their shift through the main entrance and have their complete a questionnaire regarding COVID-19 symptoms as well as have their temperature checked prior to beginning their shift. Signs are posted on all doors reminding staff to follow this protocol. All staff are required to wear masks during their shift. The nursing department checks the temperatures of all students each day and asks of symptoms related to COVID-19. St. Gabriel’s Hall has been consulting with the Montgomery County Department of Public Health. If/when a youth presents with symptoms of COVID-19 they are taken to Phoenixville Hospital for testing and is then quarantined on a unit separate from other youth pending results. If the youth tests positive for COVID-19, he remains in quarantine for at least 14 days. The unit that the youth originally resided on and any other unit that may have been exposed by this youth are also quarantined for 14 days. If two youth are quarantined together pending results and one is positive and the other is negative, the negative youth is then moved to a separate unit and quarantined for 14 days to ensure he does not develop any new symptoms before returning to his unit. Families will be notified by the clinic at St. Gabriel’s Hall. Staff in the school will be notified by the Principal and the St. Gabriel’s Hall community will be notified by the Director of St. Gabriel’s Hall. |
Other Considerations for Students and Staff
| Requirement(s) | Strategies, Policies and Procedures |
| * Protecting students and staff at higher risk for severe illness * Use of face coverings (masks or face shields) by all staff * Use of face coverings (masks or face shields) by older students (as appropriate) Unique safety protocols for students with complex needs or other vulnerable individuals Strategic deployment of staff | All staff at St. Gabriel’s Hall are considered essential. All students and staff must wear a mask at all times. Ant staff member that has an underlying health condition will work with HR to ensure they can complete their job description in its entirety. If they are unable, HR will work with this individual on next steps. All staff must wear masks for the entirety of their shift. All students must wear masks for the entirety of the school day. The nursing staff will directly monitor any student will complex medical needs. Staff will be assigned to classrooms and areas in need of supervision. |