Communicable Disease Policy | Saturday Academy

Communicable Disease Plan

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

At Saturday Academy we believe the health and well-being of our students, educators, staff, and the communities we serve are vital to a successful learning environment. The following document outlines our communicable disease plan, with acknowledgement of the evolving landscape. Updates will be made when/if the health climate changes as it relates to communicable disease in Oregon and SW Washington. The national lens is always considered. Resources consulted in developing this document can be found at the end.

HEALTH and SAFETY PRECAUTIONS @ SATURDAY ACADEMY

WORK DYNAMIC

Staff currently engage either entirely remotely and/or in a hybrid-dynamic with designated employees working between two-to-three days on-site in the Saturday Academy facility. During the summer season, this shifts to increased staff support on-site.

SAFE OPERATIONAL PRACTICE

Saturday Academy ensures accurate information and resources are shared with its key stakeholders with regards to vaccinations, boosters, and current health trends.

In the event a stakeholder is experiencing symptoms of illness including those closely associated with COVID-19, RSV, MPOX and/or the FLU, they should stay home.

Maintaining clear boundaries is essential to communicable disease prevention. Saturday Academy agrees to ensure participation needs are met despite outages due to illness.

Stakeholders are encouraged to practice safe judgment in regards to sick family members with whom they have been in close contact.

Staff members, educators, or participants are empowered and encouraged to stay home to care for sick family members and will work to ensure supports are in place

to meet programmatic needs.

We are a flexible employer that centers family.

Full-time staff is eligible for Family Leave and/or Sick Leave in the event they must care for a sick or ill family member.

Saturday Academy leadership consults Covid-19 Community Levels to assess any adjustments to this plan. Saturday Academy’s office is located in Multnomah County, OR.

FACILITY

The Saturday Academy offices are equipped with hand sanitizer, soap, tissues, proper waste disposal containers, and masks.

Increased ventilation exists with air purifiers set-up in every area of the building.

University of Portland is committed to deep cleanings of the building on a designated schedule, including daily wipe-downs, spot-checks, floor cleaning, and trash removal.

Staff are encouraged to wash their hands regularly and are provided cleaning products to wipe down work stations.

All stakeholders are encouraged to cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, utilizing their elbow when possible. If hands are used, they are encouraged to wash or sanitize afterwards.

MASKING and VACCINATION

Masking is optional, but encouraged for all stakeholders.

We welcome the choice to mask and are able to provide both adult and/or kid masks in the event they are needed or desired.

In the event our Covid-19 Community Levels reach an increase, masking will be required for all stakeholders.

Covid-19 vaccination is required for full-time staff and educators.

While proof of vaccination is not currently required for participants in Saturday Academy programs, up-to-date vaccinations are highly encouraged and recommended.

Our Apprenticeships in Science and Engineering Program host a wide range of internships in a diverse array of professional settings. We work in partnership and adhere to standards established by that host site for additional health requirements.

Participants in our ASE Programs, therefore, may be subject to unique requirements and may need to meet additional health parameters prior to accepting an Apprenticeship.

Youth Programs also enjoy strong community partnerships. As such, in the event any of our partner sites have additional health requirements, these will be clearly communicated to stakeholders.

COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CASE CONTRACTION PROTOCOL

In the event a stakeholder experiences symptoms of any major communicable disease, they should report this to their direct supervisor, begin masking, and head home for testing

In the event of a positive test result, they will again, notify their direct supervisor.

Student participants should tell their teachers and/or mentor supervisor and their designated Youth Programs or Career Prep staff member.

Educators or Mentor Supervisors should notify SA Staff in Youth Programs or Career Prep.

From there, YP and CP staff will notify the Executive Director immediately.

Saturday Academy Staff should notify their direct supervisor, who will then amplify to the Executive Director.

The Executive Director will notify designated staff and/or stakeholders of an exposure who were in the proximity and/or may have had contact with that individual within a 48 hours window.

Youth Programs and Career Prep Programs teams will communicate internally and externally balancing confidentiality with transparency.

If a student contracts a communicable disease, Youth Programs and/or Career Prep will engage a primary caretaker as a primary point of contact

and will not rely on communication with the student directly impacted.

These teams will additionally ensure any school site coordinator and ASE mentor sites are properly notified.

In the event of a positive result, the stakeholder will engage in best isolation practice.

If you had symptoms and tested positive, Day 0 of isolation is the day of symptom onset,

regardless of when you tested positive.

Day 1 is the first full day after the day your symptoms started.

It is advised that you remain home and isolated from others, including family members, for five full days.

Monitor your progress. If you are asymptomatic or symptoms significantly reduce, five days is your isolation period.

If symptoms continue, isolate for a full 10 days.

If you are fever-free for 24 hours and no longer have symptoms, you may engage in reentry.

Masking is required for reentry through Day 10.

Only after two negative antigen tests within a 48 hour window, may you unmask prior to that.

Note: If your antigen test results are positive, you may still be infectious.

You should continue wearing a mask and wait at least 48 hours before taking another test.

Continue taking antigen tests at least 48 hours apart until you have two sequential negative results. '

This may mean you need to continue wearing a mask and testing beyond day 10.

After you have ended isolation, if your COVID-19 symptoms recur or worsen, restart your isolation at day 0.

Talk to a healthcare provider if you have questions about your symptoms or when to end isolation.

Whenever possible, working remotely is an option for both exposure and/or contraction to mitigate risk.
The Executive Director will work closely with designated staff to constellate a plan-of-action for workflow during these periods.

SUCCESSION PLAN FOR COMMUNICATION

Should the Executive Director be unavailable, the responsibilities outlined above will then fall to the Director of Finance and Operations. In the event both of these individuals are unable to fulfill their duties, the Director of Development will ensure these protocols are enforced. These staff members will consult all necessary Saturday Academy staff members that are impacted.

REPORTING

It is not a requirement to report a communicable disease instance. However, as we value public health, in the event you would like to share a case of confirmed Covid-19 and/or other Communicable Diseases, you may do so using this information: