Health and Safety Procedures

At Home Tips:

Review proper hand washing procedures with your scholar.
Remind scholars not to touch their face or mask throughout the day, and teach them to put on their favorite mask in a way that is comfortable.
Help your scholar practice social distancing when you’re out and about together so they know what to expect at school.
Become familiar with COVID-19 symptoms to help keep your family healthy and safe.

Facilities Safety Overview

Our priority is to provide Uplift staff, scholars, and families with the peace of mind that our campuses are a safe, secure learning environments. With that in mind, a set of stringent cleaning procedures have been put into place at all campus sites. Those procedures are outlined below.

Building Cleaning, Sanitizing & Disinfecting Procedures

Uplift has implemented a set of stringent cleaning and disinfecting procedures at all campuses and have mandated the use of disinfectants identified by the CDC and EPA as approved for safe and effective use against coronavirus.

In addition to enhancing routine cleaning, disinfecting spray and wipes will be made available in classrooms and throughout campus buildings to allow Uplift staff to supplement regularly scheduled cleanings.

Disinfection/Sanitation Schedule*
Classrooms	Will be cleaned and disinfected at the end of the day and/or when new groups of scholars move into a classroom space*
Restrooms	Will be cleaned and disinfected throughout the day based on frequency of use, with additional disinfection of handles/touch surfaces*
Common Areas	Will be cleaned and disinfected at the end of the day
Touch Point Surfaces	Each occupied space will be provided with sanitation/cleaning wipes or supplies to disinfect regularly touched surfaces and work areas. This must be done after periods of high traffic and at the end of the day*
* Ops Directors & Facilities Managers will determine additional cleaning/disinfecting needs

Personal Safety Measures

Uplift is mandating several personal safety measures to help protect scholars and staff, including mandatory face coverings, temperature checks, and health screening. To be effective, we know the safety process must begin prior to a person setting foot in the building.

Overview of Staff & Scholar Safety Measures
	Staff	Scholars	Visitors	Location	Notes
Face Coverings / Masks	Required	Required	Required	At all times	Uplift will provide cotton masks and face shields for scholars and staff
Temperature Checks	Required	Required	Required	Upon arrival / at building entry	Any person with a >100⁰F temperature will be denied entry
Health Screen Survey	Required	Required	Required	Upon arrival / at building entry	Any person exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms will be denied entry
Social Distancing (6ft spacing)	Required	Required	Required	At all times	All physical spaces, including: classrooms, restrooms, hallways, common areas, etc.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Face covering will be required for all scholars and staff while on campus. This requirement begins upon entry into the building and is excepted only while eating or drinking.

Example of poster demonstrating proper use of masks

Uplift Education will provide all staff and scholars reusable cloth masks and face shields for personal use during in-person instruction. In addition to this, scholars in primary and middle school will receive face shields. High school scholars will receive masks only.
Uplift-provided masks and face shields will be delivered to classrooms and made available for your scholar on the first day of school
Teachers will help scholars use, disinfect, and (when not in use) safely store their face shields
Disposable masks will be available on campus for anyone lacking a mask (personal masks are also acceptable to use)

Parents, Guardians & Visitors

All campus visitors must follow the same safety protocols as Uplift staff and scholars, including face coverings and health screens. To ensure the safety of all staff and scholars, all parents, guardians, and visitors should schedule an appointment prior to entering Uplift buildings.

Parents or guardians of scholars receiving in-person instruction will not be permitted to eat lunch with scholars or enter classrooms until further notice
Group gatherings at schools will be limited in accordance with state and city requirements and must follow health and social distancing guidelines

Campus and Classroom Safety

In addition to personal safety requirements like mandatory face covering and personal hand sanitizer bottles for scholars, classrooms have been re-arranged from the normal configuration to meet social distancing requirements established by the Texas Education Agency.

Overview of Classroom Safety Measures
	Status	Notes
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)	Required	Uplift will provide scholars and staff with facemasks and face shields
Maximum Occupancy Limits	Required	Maximum occupancy determined by classroom size; signs posted outside of each classroom
Desk Spacing	Required	Desks/tables arranged to ensure scholars and teachers are 6 feet apart
Cleaning Supplies	Required	Disinfecting supplies will be stocked in all classrooms
Classroom Supplies Sharing	Restricted	Supply sharing between scholars will not be allowed except under strict teacher supervision
Personal Hygiene Measures	--	Scholars will be provided individual hand sanitizer bottles for personal use; Handwashing will be incorporated into daily schedule (required before/after meals, etc.)

Instructional Staff Classroom Safety Supplies

Uplift teachers will be provided with the the following:

Disinfecting wipes
Disinfecting spray
Face shield
Cotton masks
Scrubs (if desired)
Plexiglass U-shaped partition (see right: to facilitate face-to-face interactions between scholars and staff)

Social Distancing

Campuses will have fewer people due to virtual and hybrid learning options, in-person staff and scholars practice social distancing (6-feet of space between persons). Uplift staff will enforce proper 6-foot spacing while scholars enter and exit buildings and during breaks, such as in the hallways between classes or during meal times.

Uplift classrooms have also been rearranged to maintain 6 feet of distance between scholars during instructional periods. Examples of classroom layouts are below:

Example classroom with 6 foot measuring tape shown

Another example classroom with spaced out desks

Personal Hygiene Measures

In addition to requiring and providing face coverings and temperature checks for all scholars and staff, Uplift has taken steps to provide for enhanced personal hygiene practices.

Personal Hygiene Measures

Personal hand sanitizer bottles for scholars
Wall-mounted hand sanitizer stations have been added across campuses
Focus on handwashing - including training for scholars upon return to campus
Water fountains turned off
New signage promoting proper health and safety practices (handwashing, masks, etc.)

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