Community Re-Opening Update, August 8, 2020
Dear MNZ Community,
Greetings! We want to share some new developments with you which grant Manzanita School permission to allow our students in grades 3 through 12 to come to the school campus for certain kinds of in-person activities, specifically as related to sports and physical education. (There may also be particular ‘day care’ activities that will be allowed). We are excited to share this preliminary news with you, and to let you know how it will affect our start date and summer planning (please see below). We also acknowledge the changing landscape of this pandemic, and we continue to remain flexible and creative in our planning and thinking.
This past Monday, California released its “State Guidance Protocols" regarding youth sports during the pandemic. These guidelines apply to leagues, and to public and private schools in California (such as Manzanita). Specifically, these guidelines state, "Youth sports and physical education are permitted...when the following can be maintained: (1) physical distancing of at least six feet; and (2) a stable cohort, such as a class, that limits the risks of transmission...Activities should take place outside.”
It is important to note that the state guidelines "should be implemented only with local health officer approval,” meaning Los Angeles County guidance. That is, the local county guidelines will always take precedence over state guidance, but cannot exceed their permissions.
During our weekly teleconference this past Thursday with Los Angeles County health officials, they announced the “County Guidance Protocols" for public and private schools regarding sports, based on what had been released by the state.
In that county document, they write, "Los Angeles Department of Public Health…[will] allow certain venues to safely reopen. The requirements below are specific to...sports sponsored by private and public schools serving students in TK-12 schools...Until further notice, all youth sports activities must take place outdoors.”
At present, we interpret this information to mean that Manzanita can bring students in all grades to our campus for sports activities, which could include hiking, swimming, tennis, ball tossing, archery, trail running, and fitness, among other things. In all such activities, we will adhere to strict safety guidelines, including safe distancing and wearing masks (except when engaged in vigorous exercise), as outlined by the county. Other safety protocols, such as sanitation, attention to hygiene, temperature screenings, symptom surveys, and possible COVID testing will be included in our robust preparations for any in-person activities at the Big Rock campus. (Our previously-release reopening plans review our specific safety protocols in detail).
We believe that county health officials are increasingly leveraging the science that supports the safety of interactions held in the open air, while also recognizing the psychology favoring safe, in-person interactions for youth, and increased physical activity during the time of pandemic.
Separately, the county has indicated that before-school and after-school care programs are allowed to operate in Los Angeles County. What is not clear yet, is: (1) what hours they may operate; and (2) what activities are permitted. Any such programs will adhere to strict safety protocols, and will likely favor outdoor activities. We are continuing to investigate how these permissions can support Manzanita’s philosophy and programming.
Please note that we are pushing our original school opening date of August 20th, ahead six days, to Wednesday, August 26th. We are using these extra days to continue our preparations and planning for virtual learning, and for the scheduling that will permit us to leverage the campus for permitted, in-person activities to begin at a later date.
Please expect regular, updated information regarding our programs, including how and when we will commence any in-person activities.
We are very encouraged by this news, and by the knowledge that we will see one another again after so many months. We believe we are witnessing a growing understanding among health officials about the considerable safety of outdoor activities during the pandemic. (If you would like to read an excellent summary of the data related to disease transmission and the outdoors, you can do so here).
We are hopeful that we will continue to observe policies and guidance for schools that leverages the safety of being outdoors. It may well come to pass that the re-opening plans we outlined in mid-July, will become a model for other schools.
Thank you,
~Dr. Paul & the MNZ Team