Coronavirus Awareness and Information

Windward is keeping a close eye on the developing situation in regards to coronavirus (COVID-19) and is taking the appropriate safety precautions by following the latest CDC and Department of Public Health guidelines.

Below, please find important news and resources; please check back regularly for additional updates.

Increased School Hygiene Measures

The School has taken the following steps in order to keep our community as healthy as possible. These include:

Daily cleaning of campus and facilities using hospital-grade disinfectants;
Additional sanitization of high volume touchpoints (doorknobs, faucets, push bars, common technology, etc.);
Purell Stations located throughout campus;
Purell and Lysol wipes in classrooms;
Proper hygiene and healthy living encouraged (emails, flyers in restrooms);
Full disinfection of all facilities every Saturday; and
Daily review of CDC and LA County Department of Health websites and announcements.

Windward Updates

Coronavirus Update—Continuing Learning and Well-Being

Dear Windward Families,

As Windward continues to follow developments regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19), we appreciate your support in our commitment to the health, well-being, and education of our students. While there are no confirmed cases at Windward at this time, we believe that it is important for us to do what is best for our global and local communities. After thoughtful consultation, planning, and preparation, we would like to share our plans of closing campus and launching our virtual learning model.

Thursday, March 12: No school for students. Campus closed to students so faculty can continue preparation for virtual school. Faculty, staff, and admin will be on campus to continue planning and preparation.
Friday, March 13: Campus closed. We will test the capacity of our virtual school by conducting all classes online according to an adjusted class schedule.
Monday, March 16-Friday, March 27: Campus closed; virtual school in place, based on our regular class schedule.
March 28-April 12: Spring Break, campus closed; no Windward activities.

While we apologize for the short notice and any inconvenience this news may cause, we feel this is in the best interest of our Windward community. We have met with students and faculty today. Please contact your Division Director or Associate Director if you have a unique situation that requires your child to be at school on Thursday or Friday.

Additional important details are below:

Windward Activities:

Cancellation of all Windward trips involving air travel between now and June;
Postponement of all Windward activities, including field trips, service learning programs, athletics, competitions and performances, and Parent Guild events between now and our anticipated return from Spring Break on April 13—an ongoing list can be found here; and
Cancellation of grade-level meetings for Parents and Guardians; necessary information will be sent home to particular groups.

Virtual School Implementation:

Preparation for the online test and for closure includes taking necessary materials home;
All Departments and Division Administrators have Zoom (virtual meeting platform) accounts for virtual school for classes and meetings;
Counselors, advisors, coaches, etc. remain available to families as needed through Zoom, email, or phone within regular school hours; and
Our tech support teams will remain in place to support students and faculty.

Resources:

The Windward website has updates on the Coronavirus, including links to reliable online resources.

We are proud of how supportive our community has been. We will continue to follow the guidance of health experts, and we will take every step possible to ensure the well-being of everyone in our community. We will also continue to communicate with you based on feedback and experience over the next two days. While no virtual school can replace the warmth and familiarity of our campus environment, we are confident that Windward’s innovative spirit will continue to nurture student growth and learning in the weeks ahead. If you have any questions or concerns, we encourage you to contact the appropriate member of your child’s Division Team for support and guidance.

Sincerely,

Tom Gilder, Eric Mandel, Julia Coley, and Kevin Newman

8th Grade Minimester Canceled

Dear 8th Grade Families,

As we have previously shared with you, Windward continues to monitor carefully the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). One of the areas we have needed to evaluate is student travel. Most of our 8th Grade class has been scheduled to travel for 3 or 4 nights on one of our Minimester trips.

We met with our 8th Grade students this morning and delivered the difficult news that, out of an abundance of caution, we are canceling these trips for 2020. I assure you that nobody is more disappointed than I am, but student safety and well-being will always be our number one priority. While I hope this decision proves to be overly cautious, the level of uncertainty surrounding this outbreak makes it impossible for the School to feel comfortable committing to student travel at this point. In working with the companies with whom we partner, we realized that we had reached the point where we had to commit to move forward or decide to cancel, and we made our decision.

All families will receive full refunds of any money they have already paid towards their child’s Minimester trips. Our Business Office will be coordinating this process in the coming weeks.

We recognize that some students will be very disappointed by this news. Tammy, Ann-Marie, Emily, and I are all here to support the students and are happy to talk about this situation with them. In addition, we are working to find other ways to make the Spring of 8th Grade a special experience for the Class of 2024. More information on that effort will be announced in the coming weeks.

As always, thank you for your support. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.

Warm Regards,

Eric

March 4 Update

Dear Windward Community,

With the national situation continuing to evolve in regard to coronavirus (COVID-19), and the fact that we are still very much in the midst of this year’s flu season, Windward remains focused on what is best for the health of our students, faculty, staff, and community.

At this time, the health risk to the general public in California from novel coronavirus remains low, but schools can take common-sense precautions to prevent the spread of all infectious illnesses.

The health and safety of our community is a shared responsibility and one that we take seriously. The most important thing we ask of you is for students to stay home from school when sick.

Staying home will help to not put others at risk and will keep our community safe; as with any illness and especially during flu season, students who need to stay home for several days may need help keeping up or making up work when they return. Our faculty and division teams work together to develop reasonable timelines and support.
The California Department of Public Health suggests you remain at home until your fever has been gone for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicines;
Seek immediate medical care if symptoms become more severe, e.g., high fever or difficulty breathing.

Washing your hands is one of the most effective actions you can take to prevent illness. We’d like to remind you of the important steps outlined by the CDC that you can take as an individual to protect yourself during this time.

Thank you for taking precautions to protect yourselves and others in our community. As always, we are here should you have any thoughts or concerns you’d like to share with us.

Sincerely,

Kevin, Julia, and Eric

Handwashing Guidelines

Spring Break Travel Awareness

Please note that if you are planning to visit a country that is under a CDC Level 2 or 3 travel advisory, we will ask that your family and your children self-quarantine off campus for a minimum of 14 days upon return to Los Angeles. We are asking the same of our faculty and staff. For a list of current travel advisories, please click here. Should your children be unable to attend school due to precautionary quarantine or any illness, faculty and division teams will work with you to ensure that all assignments, tests, and projects can be made up. The health of your student is our School’s top priority, and the School is here to support all students through this time.

We’d also like to remind you that students who arrive at school with a fever or develop a fever during the course of the day will be sent home. Students may return to school 24 hours after the fever subsides. It is the family’s responsibility to notify the school of any contagious illness or conditions. Please refer to your Student Handbook (pages 19-20) for further information regarding the school’s policy on communicable diseases.

CDC Coronavirus FAQ

How it Spreads

Person-to-person spread

The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person.

Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.

Can someone spread the virus without being sick?

People are thought to be most contagious when they are most symptomatic (the sickest).
Some spread might be possible before people show symptoms; there have been reports of this occurring with this new coronavirus, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

Spread from contact with contaminated surfaces or objects

It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

How easily the virus spreads

How easily a virus spreads from person-to-person can vary. Some viruses are highly contagious (spread easily), like measles, while other viruses do not spread as easily. Another factor is whether the spread is sustained, spreading continually without stopping.

The virus that causes COVID-19 seems to be spreading easily and sustainably in the community (“community spread”) in some affected geographic areas.

Symptoms

Prevention & Treatment

There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. However, as a reminder, CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.
- CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
- Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

For information about handwashing, see CDC’s Handwashing website.

For information specific to healthcare, see CDC’s Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings.

These are everyday habits that can help prevent the spread of several viruses. CDC does have specific guidance for travelers.

What to Do if You are Sick

Stay home except to get medical care

Stay home: People who are mildly ill with COVID-19 are able to isolate at home during their illness. You should restrict activities outside your home, except for getting medical care.
Avoid public areas:Do not go to work, school, or public areas.
Avoid public transportation: Avoid using public transportation, ride-sharing, or taxis.

Separate yourself from other people and animals in your home

Stay away from others: As much as possible, you should stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home. Also, you should use a separate bathroom, if available.
Limit contact with pets & animals: You should restrict contact with pets and other animals while you are sick with COVID-19, just like you would around other people. Although there have not been reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19, it is still recommended that people sick with COVID-19 limit contact with animals until more information is known about the virus.
When possible, have another member of your household care for your animals while you are sick. If you are sick with COVID-19, avoid contact with your pet, including petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked, and sharing food. If you must care for your pet or be around animals while you are sick, wash your hands before and after you interact with pets and wear a facemask. See COVID-19 and Animals for more information.

Call ahead before visiting your doctor

Call ahead: If you have a medical appointment, call the healthcare provider and tell them that you have or may have COVID-19. This will help the healthcare provider’s office take steps to keep other people from getting infected or exposed.

Wear a facemask if you are sick

If you are sick: You should wear a facemask when you are around other people (e.g., sharing a room or vehicle) or pets and before you enter a healthcare provider’s office.
If you are caring for others: If the person who is sick is not able to wear a facemask (for example, because it causes trouble breathing), then people who live with the person who is sick should not stay in the same room with them, or they should wear a facemask if they enter a room with the person who is sick.

Cover your coughs and sneezes

Cover: Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Dispose: Throw used tissues in a lined trash can.
Wash hands: Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or, if soap and water are not available, clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Clean your hands often

Wash hands: Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to the bathroom; and before eating or preparing food.
Hand sanitizer: If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry.
Soap and water: Soap and water are the best option if hands are visibly dirty.
Avoid touching: Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Avoid sharing personal household items

Do not share: You should not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people or pets in your home.
Wash thoroughly after use: After using these items, they should be washed thoroughly with soap and water.

Clean all “high-touch” surfaces everyday

Clean and disinfect: Practice routine cleaning of high touch surfaces.

High touch surfaces include counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables.

Disinfect areas with bodily fluids: Also, clean any surfaces that may have blood, stool, or body fluids on them.
Household cleaners: Use a household cleaning spray or wipe, according to the label instructions. Labels contain instructions for safe and effective use of the cleaning product including precautions you should take when applying the product, such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during use of the product.

Questions?

Please contact communications@windwardschool.org.

Public Health Resources

CDC

Safer at home order

LA County Coronavirus Details

LA County Guidelines for SchoolsJohns Hopkins CSSE COVID-19 TrackingCHLA—What Parents should knowCIF athletics advisory

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