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COVID-19 Health & Safety Policies

In the age of COVID-19, here is what we are expecting of our families of our in-person programs :

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  • Read through and do your part to follow ALL of our health safety protocols and updates

  • Be honest about your family’s health - keeping yourself / your child home if you should

  • Ask questions if something doesn’t make sense - communication is key

  • All adults and children age 4 and older must wear masks when on the premises of Waynesville Art School. We recommend helping younger children practice wearing a mask to help them avoid touching it / their face while wearing. We ask that parents follow the CDC guidelines for type and fit of masks. (Visit this link for more information).

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​We are committed to continuing to build ways to serve our students - both children and adults - in person. We will do whatever it takes, however, we expect you to do your part as well. As a community, we can do it - TOGETHER.

Waynesville Art School Health & Safety Protocols

As we complete a successful second summer with pandemic, our goal this fall is to continue to provide an enriching class experience for our students of all ages in the safest manner possible! As a business we have chosen to continue requiring all children age 4+ and adults to wear a mask while on the premises of Waynesville Art School. We prefer to err on the side of caution in our effort to provide a safe environment for everyone, regardless of age or vaccination status.  We continue to closely follow guidance from the CDC and OSHA, as well as state and local officials and health authorities, as we strive to maintain a safe, healthy school environment for children and their families, adult students and staff. We have enhanced our already rigorous health protocols in the following ways:

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Covid-19 Training: We have been trained with these protocols so we can provide students proper guidance on hand-washing and physical distancing.

 

Protective Masks:  ADULTS AND CHILDREN AGE 4 AND OLDER ARE REQUIRED TO WEAR MASKS INSIDE THE SCHOOL AT ALL TIMES.  We strongly encourage and very much appreciate kids younger than 4 giving it their best effort! We recommend helping younger children practice wearing a mask to help them avoid touching it / their face while wearing. We ask that parents follow the CDC guidelines for type and fit of masks. (Visit this link for more information)

 

Class Size: We provide online services for registration. The number of students in each class will continue to be limited to about only 60% of our capacity. We are scheduling and finishing classes in a way to minimize student traffic and to maximize physical distancing. We will limit people inside the school to only students and Waynesville Art School staff: parents and family members will remain outside the building during any program (with the exception of parented classes, in which case our programs are limited to 4 students and 4 parents with 1 instructor).

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Classroom Design: We have redesigned our classroom to provide more space for each student while at tables and while moving through the space.

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Wellness Checks: We will be screening students upon arrival at our doors to check for elevated temperatures using a touch free digital thermometer or evident symptoms (see Waynesville Art School Daily Screening Protocols form). Students with a fever, cough, runny nose, discharge from the eyes, nausea, shortness of breath, diarrhea, or rash should not come to class. If any of these symptoms develop during class, parents or an authorized caregiver will be contacted immediately, and we will provide the student with a quiet location away from other students, to help reduce the spread of illness until they can be picked up.

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Sanitation Practices: We’ve strengthened our existing cleanliness and hygiene practices. We have hand-sanitizers in the lobby and the classroom and will require 20-second hand-washing or sanitizing before each activity, upon arrival and check-out, and before and after snack or other breaks. We will be cleaning and sanitizing frequently touched surfaces and items in classrooms multiple times a day - with extra care given to high-touch areas like door handles.

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Water Fountains will not be available for use, so all students need to bring a water bottle. In the event of not having a water bottle, we will have bottled water to offer.

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Materials: When we share materials, we will clean them before and after each use. For some adults classes, we will require students to bring their own materials that cannot be sanitized/cleaned.

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Refunds: If for any reason we are required to close due to Covid-19, we will offer a school credit for future programs for any unused portion of tuition. There will be no refunds. 

Protocols for Students & Families

Here is what we need from you:

 

  • complete and sign our COVID-19 Liability Waiver and return to us along with the rest of the forms before the program starts;

  • complete an at-home self-assessment to make sure you and/or your child are feeling well;

  • wear a facial coverings at all times on the school premises;

  • allow staff to check student’s temperature upon our request with touchless thermometers; 

  • maintain a safe physical distance from others whenever possible or requested by our staff members;

  • use the hand sanitizer before entering and while exiting the school;

  • carry your own bottle or cup for drinking water;

  • limit amount of personal belonging when coming to the school. The goal here is a single bag, to make drop off and pick up as streamlined as possible and reduce the amount of direct contact with outside items.
     

Attendance Policies: In general, we are requiring that children and staff stay home from school for 14 days following the last potential exposure to COVID-19, if any member of the household has (or may have) a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19. These days will not be refunded; an option to make up class in person will be offered based on the availability. Overall, the best way to ensure our students have limited exposure to germs is by keeping children at home when they are ill and/or contagious. We ask that you please watch your child closely and contact your physician if your child appears to be feeling under the weather. Please remember your child must be kept home if they display any signs of illness until they are free of symptoms for 24 hours or have a physician’s approval for them to reenter a child care setting.

We’re looking forward to doing our best to help kids feel as normal as possible during these trying times! We know first-hand how art provides such a therapeutic way to express thoughts and feelings, and we’re so grateful to be able to provide this for kids when they need it more than ever.

THANK YOU for the confidence you have placed in us! 

 

If you have any questions, please give us a call at the school at 828-246-9869.

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