Newsletter: December 30

covid-19 updates
Written By Common Ground

Dear Parents,

We were all hoping for a better way to celebrate the new year, but 29 students/staff members have been out in either isolation or quarantine due to a covid exposure.

We need to reiterate the following policies:

As a reminder, we follow the recommendations of the Fairfax County Health Department for licensed child care centers, which may be more conservative than the newest CDC guidance. We will update our policies as soon as the Fairfax County Health Department makes changes.

Up until this latest case of COVID, we had no spread within our center. However, we have had spread within one of our infant classrooms. This is slightly expected due to the fact that they are too young to wear masks. But in light of this spread, we are going back to the beginning with our mitigation practices beginning January 3rd.

Eating outdoors in March of 2021

Our COVID Mitigation Approach - OPEN AIR and OUTDOORS:

Beginning January 3rd, all classrooms will follow this schedule as much as possible:

  • 8:00am to 9:45am: drop off and breakfast, indoors

  • 9:45am to 11:30am: Outdoor Learning and Play

  • 11:30am: Lunch (outdoors if possible)

  • Midday: Nap, indoors

  • 3:15pm to Close: Outdoor Learning and Play

This is the approximate schedule each classroom will follow. Each teacher will adjust based on age appropriateness and weather. We did this during the winter of 2020-2021 with great success!

We do need your help! We need your child to come ready to spend the bulk of the day outside. This means making sure that they have clothing that is warm enough, including back up clothing that is warm enough if they become wet. We have a fantastic supplies list for wet and winter weather!

Learning happens where ever kids are!

Just because we are going back to being outdoors for more, doesn’t mean we are abandoning learning! In fact, our preschool classrooms are doing units that can easily be adapted to be taught outdoors:

  • Rising Stars - Trees

  • Busy Bees - Recycling

  • Love Bugs - Exercise

As you can see from the photos, we had a great time exploring the woods with the Owls Class, last year! And check out this great blog post from Miss LJ: https://www.commongroundchildcare.org/blog-1/2021/2/3/i-met-a-pediatrician-in-the-woods

You can read more about how our classes embrace the outside as in integral part of our learning in some of the linked blog posts below.

Thank you for trusting us to help keep your kids safe!

We will make it through this latest challenge together.

Love,

The CG Team

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Common Ground https://www.commongroundchildcare.org
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