Please keep in mind that all of these questions are being answered with the latest information that we have right now and may change as the rules and regulations evolve.
What group size restrictions are in place at Patchwork?
As is now being allowed by the Health Department, we are returning to our usual small group sizes of 10 students maximum for the toddlers , 18 students maximum for the preschool and 14 students maximum for the kinder program.It is also required that each group of children has consistent teachers as much as possible. The spaces are arranged such that they promote distance from children in other programs.
What days and times are you open?
We are open for half-days from 9am-12:30pm and full-days from 9am-3pm Monday through Friday. There is limited before and aftercare (8-9am & 3-4pm) as we have interest and capacity.
Who are the teachers for each program?
- Toddlers: Andrea, Jodi
- Preschool: Claire, Hannah, Kristen, Carol
- Kinder: Jammie, Deyani
- Support: Michele, Jammie, Heather
- Directors: Michele & Heather
How is drop-off and screening handled?
As of right now, the current regulations require temperature checks for any person entering the building, and hand washing or sanitizing. There are also some exceptions allowed to ensure the safety of students as long as social distancing requirements can still be met. Parents will still be able to walk children to their gate or classroom door, but are asked not to go inside unless a special circumstance arises. We will work with families whose children have particularly challenging drop-offs. We are asking everyone to complete then at home health screener before arriving at school.
What cleaning and sanitizing is happening?
There are clear sanitizing and disinfecting procedures and frequent hand washing rules and regulations which we abide by and helping the children to manage. Children are asked not to bring toys from home, except for a nap time lovey.
How is food handled?
Family-style snack will no longer be an option, and we will be requiring that all individuals bring their own food. Sharing of food is discouraged and social-distancing will be promoted among children as best as possible during meal times. Because children will be required to bring their own snacks, it would be much appreciated if the snack and lunch is clearly labeled so we know what you would like offered when. Each child must also bring their own water bottle each day marked with their name, and it would be appreciated if children bring their own silverware with each meal, as needed.
What is the sick policy?
Patchwork will be holding to a very firm sick policy for families and staff, as is required by the health department. Any child showing symptoms of illness must be kept home, and staff with symptoms of illness must stay home. Children who become ill or begin showing a fever during the day will be isolated from the other children and will need to be picked up promptly. Parents are encouraged to implement temperature checks with children before school, and will have a temperature check upon arrival. We are required to keep a log of all symptoms and illnesses for the health department. Any temperatures of 100.4 and above are considered a fever and the child will need to go home. There will be no refunds for missed days. As per our recently updated make-up policy, make-up days could be an option if we have space and the child misses more than a week of school.
Are the teachers wearing masks?
All staff and visitors at Patchwork are required to wear masks indoors.
Does my child have to wear a mask at school?
Yes, current health department requirements state that all children 2 and older must wear masks in childcare centers when indoors.
What about sunscreen?
In order to reduce the spread of germs, Patchwork is asking that each child brings their own sunscreen marked with their name, to leave at school this summer. We will be requiring that sunscreen be applied by the parent or guardian in the morning before school and teachers will reapply as needed.
What if we travel?
As of right now there are no requirements for quarantining after travel unless you have had contact with someone known to have covid or have any symptoms. However, if you do know you have been in a “hot spot” we would ask that you self-quarantine for 7 days if possible.
Can I do drop-ins?
We are able to do drop-ins when space is available as long as the child is already enrolled in that program.
Will children really have to stay 6 feet apart all day?
No. Regulations ask that during meal and seated times, more distance is created than usual, which we can certainly try to do. At the same time, we all understand that keeping children 6 feet apart would not only be impossible, but also potentially emotionally traumatic. While we will encourage children to stay further apart than normal during meal times and when sitting at tables, outside play will remain very much the same as always, with teachers being mindful of situations that might be likely to spread germs (ex. Runny noses, gently discouraging touching one another, etc.). In such cases, children will be reminded to wash their hands if necessary. We also maintain boundaries with the other programs and staff members as much as possible to ensure that the encounters with other programs are limited.
Has Patchwork had any Covid cases?
As of August 18th, we have had one instance of one staff member testing positive and one instance of two related children testing positive. In both situations there was no community spread to other students or staff. We worked closely with our Nurse Consultant and the Boulder County Health Department to ensure full compliance with all quarantine and cleaning procedures. Please let us know if you would like more details.
What is Patchwork’s refund policy going forward if there would be a need to close the school again/lockdown situation?
Because childcare has been considered essential, even in the case of a return to a stay-at-home scenario, the school may be able to remain operational if all social distancing measures are fully implemented and everyone remains in compliance. Thus, It is our sincere hope that the school will not be fully closed again for any significant period of time. Our intention is to implement all social distancing rules and regulations to avoid any outbreaks, and to clean and sanitize thoroughly and reopen as soon as possible in the case of an outbreak.
Keeping all of this in mind, rather than requiring that tuition be paid three months in advance, we will be changing the policy to require payment only 6 weeks in advance, allowing families to withdraw with only three weeks’ notice given the potential uncertainty of families’ situations.
In return, to allow Patchwork to offer staff some amount of guarantee, 50% of all tuition paid will be absolutely non-refundable. If, (due to lack of staff because of illness or inability to work or due to an outbreak, etc.) the school is closed due to the pandemic for less than two weeks total in the month there will be no refunds. If the school is closed due to the pandemic for more than two weeks total, tuition will be refunded for each day closed beyond the two weeks. Once again, people will also be given the option to turn that refund into a tax-deductible donation if they so chose.
Should you choose to withdraw your child, we will immediately turn off any automatic payments, however any money already paid will be non-refundable given that we are only asking for payment one month in advance. Also, any missed days due to your child displaying potential symptoms or due to being ill are also non-refundable.
This policy should hopefully offer families more flexibility in their planning while also offering some guarantee to staff such that we will be able to give at least one months’ notice before any furloughs would be implemented. Again, we hope that none of this will be necessary, as our intention is to remain open.
When you know your granddaughter looks forward to going to school and returns with big smiles and stories of educational events and good times you know this must be a good school.
Grandparent
The teachers we have had have been compassionate about the kids and what they are doing. They always seem engaged and ready to take a hands-on approach with the children. I have a very good sense of safety when I drop my children off.
Parent