Health and Safety

• All students, staff and visitors are encouraged to wear masks while inside the building and while on school property. 

• Masks will be available for distribution each morning and will be a standard part of morning arrival.

• The school will instruct students during the first weeks of school on proper hand and respiratory hygiene, as per guidance from the CDC.

• Students will be encouraged to wash hands at the sinks in their rooms upon entering the classroom in the morning, after lunch, and any time after they use the bathroom.

• Students will use hand sanitizer at the start of each block.

• Students will wipe down their own personal learning stations in the morning when they arrive, after lunch, and in the afternoon before they leave

• Teachers will wipe down all other hard surfaces in a room at the end of the day after students are dismissed (tables or chairs they have used, counter space, etc.).

• As a public school that is co-located in a NYCDOE building Launch will rely on NYCDOE custodial engineers and follow directions from NYC Division of School Facilities (DSF) to ensure that ongoing cleaning and disinfection of all classrooms, shared spaces and outdoor facilities meets standards as prescribed by the NYCDOH and CDC.

• Launch will engage in additional cleaning and disinfecting as noted previously in this document

At Launch, collaboration with families is one of our highest priorities.  We know that to best support our student we must know and collaborate with families. We want to ensure that we keep family communication and collaboration stronger than ever, while also ensuring that we support our entire community in remaining healthy and safe.  As such, we are updating our policies for all visitors to the building.  Our intention in implementing these policies is to ensure the health and safety of our students, staff and families, which is always our #1 priority. We encourage all families to take advantage of the many ways we offer to engage with the school, even through remote family meetings.  The policies and procedures below apply to all visitors to the building.

• Families who wish to meet with teachers or school administrators are encouraged to call or email to schedule a virtual appointment. Virtual appointments, scheduled through Zoom, are the safest and fastest way to meet with any member of the school community.

• In accordance with the health commissioner's order and Department of Education policies, any family visiting the building physically must show proof of vaccination when signing in with security.

• Family visits to the school will be by appointment only. 

• We will be establishing ways for families to “visit” classrooms and see student classes, presentations and performances virtually and in-person to ensure that families are still connected to the life of the school.

• Common spaces, such as the cafeteria, auditorium and gym may be used on a rotating basis with PS 243, Launch’s co-located school

• Breakfast and lunch will be provided by the NYCDOE 
• Launch will rely on NYCDOE SchoolFood to ensure that service personnel follow appropriate guidelines for safety as recommended by the NYCDOH.  The school will train school staff as needed to reinforce the protocols adopted by food service and custodial personnel to ensure healthy, safe meals and the least disruption to the instructional day.

• Launch will continue to provide metrocards issued from the NYCDOE for any student who lives more than one mile from the school and elects to come to school for supervision while they engage in remote learning.

• For any student who must take public transportation, the wearing of masks, social distancing, and hand and respiratory hygiene are strongly encouraged.

School Policy for Afterschool Programs

• Launch works with our partner, Good Shepherd Services in order to provide high quality after-school programming for students. Our after school program runs from 3:00pm to 5:30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

• Good Shepherd Services follows all of the same health and safety policies as outlined here.

• If a student is exhibiting signs or symptoms of sickness, they will be escorted, using social distancing, immediately to the nurse. Based on the nurse’s assessment, the student may be sent to a dedicated isolation room in the school until the student can be picked up by a parent or guardian. If the nurse is not available, students will be sent home for follow up with a healthcare provider.

• Staff will observe for signs of illness during the day, including the following, as per CDC guidance:
  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea
• If a student is exhibiting signs or symptoms of sickness, they will be escorted, using social distancing, immediately to the nurse.  Based on the nurse’s assessment, the student may be sent to a dedicated isolation room in the school until the student can be picked up by a parent or guardian.  If the nurse is not available, students will be sent home for follow up with a healthcare provider.
• If a staff member is exhibiting symptoms, they will be sent immediately home and next steps will be determined based on symptoms and Launch screening policies.
   

• Launch will continue to practice required safety drills, including fire drills, lockdown drills and shelter-in-place drills.

• Launch will consult with its assigned NYCDOH nurse to determine which staff and students presenting symptoms should be referred for COVID-19 tests.  COVID-19 testing is available across New York city and unless determined otherwise by NYCDOH, students and staff will continue to use their own doctors or clinics/hospitals of their choice.

• If a spike in COVID-19 cases were to arise during the 22-23SY, we have set aside funds to supply the Launch school community with COVID-19 testing

• Launch will follow all metrics as set by NYCDOH if cases in NYC are increasing beyond an acceptable level and modify any in-person contact with students and families as necessary.

We will update this section soon with guidance from the NYCDOH.

• The school will cooperate with NYC’s Test and Trace Corp. program and any other mandates required by the NYCDOH.

• Launch will work with the NYCDOH to determine what conditions would trigger a classroom, section or full school closure and the amount of time of the closure.

• DOH will provide all the PPE and supplies necessary for outfitting the school health office, including but not limited to eye protection, gloves, gowns and masks.