Dear Canterbury Community,
As always, our priority is keeping our Canterbury students, staff, and visitors safe, and that includes doing everything we can to protect our community from viruses like influenza and Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Basic infection control is the key to keeping our community healthy. Please help do your part by reminding your family of the following:
- Wash your hands. This most effective defense against the spread of germs. Washing with antiseptic soap for at least 20 seconds is best, but hand sanitizer can be used when time is limited.
- Cough or sneeze into the crook of the arm or into a tissue. Be sure to wash your hands.
- Keep hands away from the face.
- Avoid shaking hands.
- Stay home when sick.
- Students who feel ill should have their temperature taken and assessed before attending school.
- Do not send your student back to school until he/she has been without a fever for more than 24 hours without medication.
- Students should not return to school until diarrhea or vomiting symptoms have resolved for at least 24 hours and are well enough to participate in a full day of classes.
- Students exposed to sickness should be monitored closely for symptoms and remain home if symptoms develop.
- At this point, masks for healthy individuals are not recommended.
- It is not too late to get your flu shot.
At Canterbury, to maintain infection control, we sanitize cafeteria tables, desks and tables, common areas and restrooms daily as part of our regular maintenance procedures. We use Daily Suprox D, which is a hospital-grade disinfectant that contains twice the level of hydrogen peroxide than most disinfecting solutions, at a variety of levels of strength, depending on the surface being sanitized. In situations of confirmed illness, we add the following steps: - Increased frequency of sanitizing high-contact areas. Maintenance staff sanitize doorknobs, handrails, light switches, and water fountains multiple times during the school day with disinfectant wipes.
- Machine spraying of classrooms. A machine sprayer is put to use in areas of the school as needed, which sprays a fine disinfecting mist that coats under and around most items that have potentially been contaminated.
- Buses are sanitized before and after usage.
We will be implementing these additional steps, effective immediately. I have included additional information regarding what you can do to stop the spread of germs, as well as common questions and answers regarding Coronavirus. Your best source for information on current virus precautions is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov. We are continuing to monitor CDC updates regarding this developing situation to determine additional preventional steps, as well as for guidance with any school-related trips that are scheduled for the upcoming weeks. We will certainly reach out with those updates as they become necessary. Thank you for your cooperation and support as we keep our Canterbury community safe and healthy. Sincerely, Bill Ennist Head of School Canterbury School |