DECATS SUGAR LAND 2021

Staff will disinfect frequently touched areas throughout the campus, multiple times per day. Hospital-grade cleansers will be every night in all classrooms, restrooms, offices, and other spaces.   Sneeze guards are in place for each student in the classrooms, ultraviolet sanitizing lights will be used nightly. Staff will teach, model, and enforce appropriate social spacing protocols on the campus.  All scholars and staff will wear masks when walking in halls and occupying shared spaces. Scholars must provide their own masks.  Face shields are acceptable but may only be worn in addition to masks, not in lieu of masks.

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Visitors

At the present time, we are not planning to allow visitors on campus.  Only DECATS employees, scholars, and essential Saint Theresa personnel and support services will be admitted into instructional spaces.

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Water

Water fountains will be turned off in all campus buildings for the summer session.  Families are encouraged to send their scholar to DECATS with a full, non-glass water bottle each morning.  No-spill designs are most conducive to classroom use.

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Morning Drop-Off

Scholars’ temperature and screening questions will be performed before scholars exit their vehicle.   Scholars not meeting the temperature or screening question standards will be asked to return home for the day.  Depending on the severity of the symptoms, scholars may be asked to receive a negative Covid test before returning to campus.

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Field Trips

No outside field trips will be occurring this summer.

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COVID-19 Symptoms on Campus

If a child presents with potential COVID symptoms during DECATS, we will immediately call the child’s parents and expect that the scholar will be picked up without delay.

Per the current recommendations from the Center for Disease Control, any person exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms will be assumed to have COVID-19 unless they have at least two verified, negative test results, administered more than 24 hours apart OR the individual receives an alternative diagnosis by a medical professional who clears that person to return to school or work.

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 COVID-19 symptoms currently included the following: 

• Fever or chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• New loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

 

Confirmed COVID-19 Cases in the Community

If any scholar or staff member is presumed to have or tests positive for COVID-19, we will follow CDC recommendations which state that the individual may return to DECATS when all three of the following criteria are met: 

• At least three days (72 hours) have passed since recovery (resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications)

• The individual has improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath, etc., are resolved or nearly so)

• At least ten days have passed since symptoms first appeared

 

We will inform the whole community when a positive case emerges, and we will tell those families whose child had direct contact with that individual.  While the identity of the person who has tested positive will be kept strictly confidential, we are required to report to the Archdiocese and the Health Department if we should have a positive COVID case on campus. The Health Department may also inform Saint Theresa Catholic School and DECATS - Sugar Land of positive cases in our community. Community members also have the option to self-identify. Any individual who had direct contact with the person who tested positive must quarantine for 2 weeks prior to returning to DECATS.

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Refund Policy

Scholars asked to quarantine based on exposure to a positive Covid case while at DECATS will be considered for a partial refund.  Refunds will not be considered for scholars who are exposed to Covid outside of DECATS.

 

Travel Outside the United States

We kindly request that any scholars who travel outside the United States in the weeks prior to DECATS plan to quarantine for 1 week after returning to the United States. Scholars with no Covid related symptoms and a negative Covid test will be allowed to return after their 1-week quarantine.

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COVID-19 Update

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As you know, we’ve seen great improvements in the number of Covid 19 cases in Houston and the surrounding areas.  As a result, many school districts, religious entities and other businesses and government affiliations have adjusted their Covid protocol and practices.

 

After careful consideration of messages from Cardinal DiNardo, Governor Abbott, The Catholic Schools Office, and neighboring public school systems, DECATS Sugar Land has opted to make wearing masks optional this summer.

 

With this being said, there may be certain activities in certain courses where the mentors may need to require masks.  DECATS Sugar Land reserves the right to ask any scholar to wear a mask for a certain activity. Please have your child keep a mask in his/her tote bag in case it is needed.

 

All other Covid 19 protocols will remain as described in the original Covid 19 plan attached.  This includes:  sanitizing, social distancing, sneeze guards, visitors on campus and refraining from all field trips this summer.

 

Temperatures and check-in protocol will also remain the same, as will procedures for any child who may be showing signs of illness. We have employed a registered nurse on our campus this summer, Ms. Kim Gorsha, who is here to ensure that your children’s safety is our top priority.

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