Dear Parents,
Over the years, having led communities through situations like the one in which we currently find ourselves regarding COVID-19, I have learned the importance of timely and accurate communication. My plan is to communicate two or three times weekly for the next few weeks. Depending on how this situation develops, we will adjust our communication strategy as circumstances warrant. As always, please contact me at alank@faculty.isd.sn with any questions.
Health and Safety Measures at ISD
If any ISD community member (student, parent, or employee), or member of their household, has visited any country designated with a Warning Level 3, which the CDC has recommended avoiding all nonessential travel, the ISD community member and any member of their household will be restricted from campus for 15 days after they have left the designated country. ISD community members may return to campus after the 15 days provided that they are symptom-free. These guidelines are consistent with the measures taken by other international schools and other schools in Dakar.
Parents should notify the school that someone in the household has traveled to a Warning Level 3 country, and their child(ren) will be away from school for some time. The teachers will support the student(s), so they can keep up with their school work.
Here is the list of countries at the CDC Warning Level 3. The current Warning Level 3 countries are China, Iran, Italy, and South Korea. The Director will inform the ISD community of any changes to the list of countries.
Students need to stay home if they have a fever of 38°C. If any member of the household has a fever, we are asking the parents to take the children’s temperature before they come to school.
COVID-19 in Senegal
There is a second confirmed case of COVID-19 in Senegal.
School Nurse
We now have a second full-time nurse on campus to make sure that we are meeting the students’ everyday needs while Nurse Jen is busy supporting our efforts around Coronavirus and answering parent questions. Nurse Jen received the protocol for evaluating potential COVID-19 patients from the U.S. Embassy Health Unit and will be using this going forward.
Community Greetings
Based on medical advice, we will be asking the community to discontinue shaking hands and giving high fives. Alternative options of greeting are encouraged - elbow taps, hand over the heart, and simple smiles.
Around Campus
Posters in both English and French will be hung around campus, including all bathrooms and common areas, to remind our community of preventive measures we can take including frequent handwashing. ISD custodians have been disinfecting all entry surfaces—door handles, doorknobs, staircase railings, regularly throughout the day. We are also installing additional sinks by the elementary and Pre-K eating areas.
Posters: Wash Your Hands! | Lavez-Vous Les Mains! | Preventive Measures for Education Settings
ISD Crisis Management Team
On Tuesday, we had our first meeting of the Crisis Management Team. The team is comprised of administrators, counselors, and operations staff members and will be responsible for coordinating the school’s response.
Communication with Faculty & Staff
I have met with all the faculty and staff to explain the ISD response plan. The school is taking a series of actions based on best practice recommendations, including informing the community on preventative measures, increased cleaning schedules, and educating students in an age-appropriate manner about COVID-19.
Communication with Students
The counselors created age-appropriate lessons on COVID-19 and the preventive measures our students can take and will be sharing those with them this week. Here are two letters sent to our elementary parents: Pre-K 3 & 4 | Grades 1-5
Additional Resources
Covid-19 - Navigating the Uncharted from The New England Journal of Medicine
Be sure to visit the ISD website for all of our COVID-19 updates and resources.