COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is getting traction outside of China and has the possibility of taking hold in US cities. At Lausanne, we're closely monitoring recommendations from the Shelby County Health Department, the State Department of Health, and the Center for Disease Control. Currently, the state is reporting no confirmed cases in Tennessee.
Your child’s safety is, as always, our primary concern and we remain vigilant in cleaning procedures, identifying student and faculty illnesses and educating our faculty, staff and students. Teachers and staff continually stress the importance of basic good hygiene practices such as thorough hand washing and sanitizing and covering mouths when sneezing or coughing. We have hand sanitizing stations throughout campus, but encourage actual handwashing with warm water and soap. Custodial staff continues to disinfect public areas daily, including student desks and chairs, using antiviral cleaning agents. These agents are effective at killing viruses and preventing the spread of viruses through indirect contact. In addition, our food service partner, Sodexo, is taking corporate precautions in their daily operations by reinforcing existing rules for food safety, personal hygiene, and infection control.
We encourage you to continue to educate yourselves on this disease. See the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s official sitehttps://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html on COVID-19 for accurate and timely information. There is no vaccine yet to prevent COVID-19, so the CDC recommends everyday preventive actions to help the spread of respiratory diseases, including:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
- Stay home when you are sick
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash
- Clean and disinfect frequently using a regular household cleaner
- Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, particularly after going to the bathroom, before eating, or after blowing your nose, sneezing or coughing. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
- Please do not come to school if you have a fever or have had a fever within the last 24 hours.
Here are some helpful links:
Spring Break and Self-Quarantine After Travel
We strongly encourage you to adhere to the CDC's guidelines on travel. We understand this information changes frequently, so we encourage you to check this website regularly. Many countries have instituted restrictions and quarantines that could directly affect you.
The CDC is asking all travelers arriving in the U.S. from China, even if asymptomatic, to self-quarantine for 14 days. If you or someone in your household is traveling in CDC Level 2 or Level 3 areas, do not return to campus for any activities until 14 days after returning to the United States. After 14 days, medical clearance must be obtained before returning to campus. If you travel to these areas, we ask you to self-report, via to your respective division head. Please contact your personal physician for specific instructions regarding self-quarantine. Should your student require quarantine post-travel, we will do our best to provide remote learning and extend deadlines.
Notify Us After Exposure or Diagnosis
We also ask students, parents, faculty, staff, and volunteers to notify us if anyone in your household has a COVID-19 diagnosis, has come in contact with someone who has traveled to a country under a CDC travel advisory or has come in contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Plans for Possible School Disruption
Planning responses to crisis situations like storm damage, natural disasters or a large-scale health crisis ahead of time empowers our community to give students a stable, supportive environment and continued academic progress during what could be a difficult time. While we prefer to hold classes on campus, some situations may call for alternative instructional delivery methods to be utilized.
In the event the campus must temporarily close to students, teaching and learning will continue through the various online tools we already have in place. Teachers and division heads will communicate with you concerning the structure of these sessions if the need arises. We suggest you ensure that your family has access to the internet and Veracross should virtual learning need to occur. We also suggest that your student brings home their laptop or any other school resources they may need to access.
Lower School families: please make sure you have access to your child's SeeSaw account. If you need assistance, please contact A.N.T.S. Teacher Amy Brownlee for instructions on how to access your account.
Middle and Upper School families: we're preparing for classes to continue via remote learning utilizing Microsoft Teams and Veracross. Your student will be added to each of their classes should the need to utilize the program arise.
Helping Children Cope With Emergencies
Children often develop anxiety when dealing with situations out of their control. You can help them process their feelings by encouraging them to share their concerns with you, and sharing with them ways your family is prepared.
You can also empower them to help protect themselves by
- avoiding touching their eyes, nose, and mouth
- covering their cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throwing the tissue in the trash
- Washing their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, particularly after going to the bathroom, before eating, or after blowing their nose, sneezing or coughing.
The CDC has resources for more ways you can help children through the process. We also encourage you to visit their official page for accurate and timely information on COVID-19.