The Country School is an independent, coeducational, Pre-K through 8 school founded in 1934.
About
COVID-19 Plan
Since March 2020, The Country School's administrative team, COVID Task Force, and School Reopening Task Force have labored under the guidance of the CDC and Talbot County Department of Health to devise a safe plan for returning to campus. Remaining open -- not just reopening -- was and remains our goal.
These groups researched and discussed every facet of a safe school experience for our teachers, staff, students, and their families. Despite the new rules and protocols implemented, we are heartened by the response of our staff and students. Their adaptability and enthusiasm has kept The Country School the engaging and joyous place it has always been.
How are we keeping everyone safe?
1) SCHOOLPASS APP. The Country School instituted the use of an app called SchoolPass as a health and safety measure. Parents or caregivers must respond YES or NO to a set of five health-related questions each morning prior to dropping their child off. If YES is selected for any of these questions, that student may not come to school that day, nor may s/he return until the parent receives permission from our school nurse, Brooke Bishop.
2) TEMPERATURE CHECKS. Ms. Bishop takes the temperatures of all Pre-K students upon arrival at school. Temperatures are also monitored for all grades - depending upon grade level - at snack and lunch time, before recess, and at other points throughout the day.
3) MASKS AND HAND WASHING/SANITIZING. Masks are required to be worn by all faculty, staff, and students. Mask breaks occur at strategic points throughout the school day when students are physically distanced. Students must also wash or sanitize their hands before and after using the restroom, before and after eating, before and after recess, and at other times at the discretion of the teacher.
4) CLEANING PROTOCOL. The Country School's cleaning provider arrives on campus at 4:30pm and is on location for 7 hours until the school has been disinfected from top to bottom. Teachers also sanitize desks and other materials during the school day, including anything used outdoors during recess or P.E.
5) COHORTS. Each grade level has two to three self-contained homerooms in order to mitigate exposure involved with any positive COVID cases we may contend with. Specials teachers visit the homerooms to provide instruction so that we can limit the number of students and staff in the hallways, as well as the rooms used on a daily basis.
These groups researched and discussed every facet of a safe school experience for our teachers, staff, students, and their families. Despite the new rules and protocols implemented, we are heartened by the response of our staff and students. Their adaptability and enthusiasm has kept The Country School the engaging and joyous place it has always been.
How are we keeping everyone safe?
1) SCHOOLPASS APP. The Country School instituted the use of an app called SchoolPass as a health and safety measure. Parents or caregivers must respond YES or NO to a set of five health-related questions each morning prior to dropping their child off. If YES is selected for any of these questions, that student may not come to school that day, nor may s/he return until the parent receives permission from our school nurse, Brooke Bishop.
2) TEMPERATURE CHECKS. Ms. Bishop takes the temperatures of all Pre-K students upon arrival at school. Temperatures are also monitored for all grades - depending upon grade level - at snack and lunch time, before recess, and at other points throughout the day.
3) MASKS AND HAND WASHING/SANITIZING. Masks are required to be worn by all faculty, staff, and students. Mask breaks occur at strategic points throughout the school day when students are physically distanced. Students must also wash or sanitize their hands before and after using the restroom, before and after eating, before and after recess, and at other times at the discretion of the teacher.
4) CLEANING PROTOCOL. The Country School's cleaning provider arrives on campus at 4:30pm and is on location for 7 hours until the school has been disinfected from top to bottom. Teachers also sanitize desks and other materials during the school day, including anything used outdoors during recess or P.E.
5) COHORTS. Each grade level has two to three self-contained homerooms in order to mitigate exposure involved with any positive COVID cases we may contend with. Specials teachers visit the homerooms to provide instruction so that we can limit the number of students and staff in the hallways, as well as the rooms used on a daily basis.
COVID Resources
Brooke Bishop, School Nurse
BROOKE BISHOP, RN, was appointed School Nurse for The Country School in September 2020. Brooke came to us from the University of Maryland Shore Medical Center in Easton, where she had been an Emergency Department nurse. She received her training from Chesapeake Community College and is currently working on her BS in Nursing from the University of Maryland.
In this new role, Brooke serves as the chief health liaison among The Country School, the Talbot County Department of Health, and our parents as we work together to keep our school community as safe and as healthy as possible. Brooke is responsible for situations involving the internal health of our students, with Shannon Fogg continuing to meet the needs of students with bumps, bruises, cuts, and scrapes.
Brooke monitors developments and alerts regarding COVID-19 from the Health Department, CDC, and other health organizations and communicates them to parents regularly. She also communicates directly with parents regarding the health needs of their children, and creates and modifies protocols and procedures regarding the health of our student community.
bbishop@countryschool.org
© 2017 The Country School. All Rights Reserved.
The Country School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, gender, nationality, ethnic origin, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational, admission, and employment policies, or its financial aid, athletic, and other school administered programs.
