At Brooklyn Nature Days, we are honored to work outdoors each day with the budding naturalists of tomorrow: exploring, playing, observing. Their care and safety are our utmost priorities each day.
For this reason, we want to share some information with you regarding the new Coronavirus strain that has recently come to light. Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that can cause either mild illness, such as a cold, or can make people sick with pneumonia. As many of you are well aware, a novel (new) coronavirus was detected in thousands of people worldwide, primarily in China. The infection, called COVID-19, can be spread from person to person. A "novel coronavirus" is a strain that has not been previously found in humans.
As of the moment of this posting, 25 people have been diagnosed with this novel coronavirus in New York City (see up-to-date case count here: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/coronavirus.page#cases). The risk to New Yorkers of contracting this novel coronavirus is still considered low.
We at Brooklyn Natue Days are taking precautions against the spread of germs while still going about our daily business in the park with our nature kiddos and at home with our families. We are have implemented temporary wellness protocols that will reduce the likelihood of spreading germs & will continue to hold classes as usual, with some added safety precautions in place until cold & flu season has passed or the CDC announces that the virus has been contained.
What Brooklyn Nature Days is doing
We are putting a hold on tea for all classes. Children will drink from the water bottles they bring from home ONLY.
We are keeping water bottles off the mat. Bottles will be in the wagon, only to be taken out for snack or when a child needs hydration.
We are using paper snack bags in lieu of reusable silicone cups for the time-being.
We are having children use extra soap and will manage hand washing to ensure each child scrubs their hands for 20 seconds.
Teachers will continue to wash their hands effectively and will continue to use our single use gloves when serving food to children.
We will continue to strictly enforce our sick policy; no child with a fever in the last 24 hours may come to class. Your child's teacher will call you and have you pick up your child if they appear sluggish, feverish, or unwell.
Teachers will disinfect their phones with alcohol wipes at the start and end of each day. At pick up or drop off we will ask caregivers for their sign in/out code and input it ourselves to reduce physical contact.
What Families Can DoYou should go about your daily life, but take the same precautions that you would during cold and flu season:
Get your flu shot for you and your children — it's not too late. Although the flu shot will not protect you from COVID-19, it will help prevent the flu which has similar symptoms to this coronavirus.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or sleeve when sneezing or coughing — do not use your hands. Help your child learn to cough or sneeze into a tissue and then dispose of it immediately.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Oversee your children as they wash their hands and help them to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (or another song of the same length) as they wash. Do not touch your face with unwashed hands.
Please stay home from work if you are ill and keep your child at home if they seem sluggish, have a fever, or a cough. Call your pediatrician for more information if your child has these symptoms. When your child returns to class after an illness, please be extra diligent in ensuring they are ready to return and have no lingering symptoms.
We will continue to closely monitor all developments concerning this novel coronavirus and will implement further safety precautions if and when it becomes necessary. If you think that you, your child, or someone close to you has been exposed to the virus or has symptoms, please let us know immediately so we can have all the information needed to continue keeping our staff and students safe.
As always, thank you for choosing our program and for entrusting your children to us. We take your child’s safety and well-being, both physical and emotional, very seriously & and are honored you chose to share them with us.
Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have.
With gratitude,
The Brooklyn Nature Days Team