Safe Reopening Protocols

Published by Erin Feltham on August 12, 2020

We are so blessed by our community and the support we have received these last few months, as well as the support we are already seeing from so many families that wish to return in the fall. We are happy to announce that dance studios have been given permission to open in Phase 2, under certain social distancing guidelines.

The government is suggesting that it is safe to return to dance as long as we can maintain appropriate social distance and sanitization protocols. In response to this we have taken the following steps:

• Restricted registration to ensure small class sizes
• Clearly marked the studio floors to allow dancers to take class in 2m x 2m square spaces
• Changed our pick up and drop off procedures to ensure a one way flow of traffic
• Allowed for a full disinfection of the space between each and every class
• And much, much more!

We will also be offering a live stream of all in person classes through Zoom this fall. Zoom provides families another option if they could not get into the class they really wanted, or for families who are not yet comfortable with in person classes. In addition, we feel that the need to self isolate for 10 days upon seeing symptoms in the household, especially during the upcoming cold and flu season, will be something that all our families may have to do often, and we want our students to have an option to still take class if they feel well enough. We will also be recording and posting all classes in the parent portal for student access so they never feel like they are falling behind.

Please read on for more details and as always, please contact the office with any questions you have at this time. You can also check out our video that demonstrates our pick up and drop off procedure here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HjagUSuOhQ&t=4s

Sincerely,

Miss Erin

When You Arrive:

• Please wait in your vehicle with your dancer.
• Have them put on their mask.
• Log into your parent portal to complete the online COVID Questionnaire and to mark your dancer's attendance.
• Watch for their teacher to open their appropriate studio door (A or B). You can find out which studio they are dancing in as listed on their schedule in the parent portal.
• Their Teacher will give a wave when it is time to line up..
• Note:
• In the warmer weather dancers should leave extra items like coats and sweaters in their vehicle.

When Their Teacher Waves The Class In:

• Parents of children 6 and older remain in your vehicle, only the dancers need to proceed to line-up.
• Students should have on their mask by now.
• Please try to limit the items they need to bring into the studio. Appropriate items include:
  • a dance bag,
  • full water bottle,
  • dance shoes for the class they are about to enter,
  • sweater or dance wrap,
  • props (will be communicated on a class by class basis

• Students need to line-up two metres apart, this will be indicated by pylons on the sidewalk. If the pylons are full, please have your dancer wait until one is free.
• Studio A lines up towards and around the side of the building.
• Studio B lines up towards exit doors and Discovery Music.
• Students will move-up to the next pylon as the next person moves up. Please keep the line moving.
• At the front of the line, they will:
  • take off their outdoor shoes,
  • put all their belongings in the bin provided,
  • have their hands sanitized, currently we are using Precision Brand Sanitizer which contains 73% ethyl alcohol,
  • proceed into the dance studio.

Reminder: Attendance will not be taken once in class. Parents must complete attendance prior to dance class through their Parent Portal login. We have moved to this system so we take less class time to start dancing and so you can fill out your covid questionnaire.

Please note: If you are going to be absent, please notify the office and the reason why.We will be contacting families who are absent that we don't hear from, in the interest of proper contact tracing.

Once Inside Students Will:

• Find their own socially distance dance square.
• Please remind your child not to cross into the square of another student (even if they are siblings/ cousins, or friends who see each other outside of dance class).
• Remove their mask and place it in their bin of belongings.
• Alberta Health Services (AHS) does not recommend wearing masks during physical activity, so children may remove them once in their personal square.
• Parents who wish their child to wear a mask throughout class may continue to do so, however we will be closely monitoring them and may give more breaks to ensure they don't overheat or experience shortness of breath.Please contact the office if you wish your child to wear a mask throughout their time in class.
• Take a seat in their square.
• Put on their dance shoes.
• Wait for instruction from their teacher as to where and when to move their bin.
• Have Fun Dancing!

Additional Class Notes:

• Our Waiting rooms, and viewing areas are closed. Parents/ Guardians will need to wait outside for their dancer to finish class.Parents may sign into zoom to watch their students.
• Our Washrooms are closed to the public. Only the dancers and teachers may use them.
• There will be no shared props this year.
• Water breaks will be controlled by the teachers.
• Students need to bring their own full water bottle.
• Teachers will be wearing PPE when social distancing can not be maintained, for example in the case of needing to spot a student for safety, assisting with shoe tying or helping with emergencies.
• Attendance will not be taken during class time.. This must be completed by parents before class starts through their Parent Portal.

Waiting Rooms/ View Areas are Closed

• Parents/ Guardians will need to wait outside for their dancer to finish class.
• Our Washrooms are closed to the public. Only the dancers and teachers may use them.

Exiting Dance Class & Studio

• Teachers or the Classroom Transition Assistant (CTA) will instruct students to...
• Put on their masks
• Take off their dance shoes
• Pick up their bins and exit the classroom one at a time.
• Have their hands sanitized
• Line Up 2 metres apart. Their are floor decals in the hallways and waiting rooms to assist dancers with spacing.
• Put on outside shoes
• Watch for the CTA to dismiss your child from the main studio doors (the regular waiting room doors).
• Reminder to keep the sidewalk clear for dancers who are exiting, and lining up for next class..
• Maintain social distancing during this transition time.
• If you are waiting close to the sidewalk/other parents/ students for your child, please wear a mask.
• For younger children 4-6 year of age, parents should make eye contact, and give a wave to the CTA when their child comes to the front of the line for dismissal.
• If they don't see a parent they will not be releasing the dancer.

Class Transitions - Multiple Classes Same Night

• If your dancer has back to back classes in the same studio, they may remain in their designated studio.
• If your dancer has back to back classes in a different studio (moving A to B, or B to A), they will have to exit the studio with their class and follow the same entry procedures as listed on pages 4 & 5 of this document.
• If your dancer has time off between classes they will need to wait with a parent, or guardian outside of the studio during this break.
• Due to COVID protocols Students CAN NOT wait in the studio, as they have in the past, for their next class.

We Are Continuing With ZOOM

• New and improved experience, with professional tv's, cameras, and mic's in each studio.
• Live streaming all in person classes through zoom throughout the year so you don't fall behind if you must stay home to self isolate.
• All classes will be recorded and posted to your parent portal for at home reference
• Zoom is a good option for those with families who are immune compromised and not ready to attend in person classes.
• Parents may log into Zoom to observe their dancers classes at any point, as observation weeks will be cancelled and our waiting rooms are closed.
• Should we have to shut down due to the pandemic again, we will be able to pivot quickly to online classes for all our students.

Please note:Should we need to shut down mid year, as we did last spring, we will be automatically transitioning all students to the online format.Our withdrawal policy will be maintained as one month's notice.We realize that ZOOM is not everyone's first choice when it comes to a dance class.Before deciding whether to continue with online classes, we ask that you consider how long the shut down may be and if your child will want to resume dancing when we return to the studio.For continuity of training and connection to their community, it may be worthwhile to stick with online classes, rather than withdrawing and then returning mid year.

Student Expectations

• DO not come to class if they OR someone in their house is ill or feeling unwell.
• Wear a masks to and from dance class.
• Have their hands sanitized before and after class.
• Bring a full water bottle to each class.
• Maintain social distancing protocols at all time.
• Do not wait in the studio between classes
• Cough or Sneeze into their elbow, not into the air or on their hands.
• Have Fun!

Parent/Guardian Expectations

• Do not send your dancer to in-person lessons if they OR someone in their household is ill, or feeling unwell.
• Always complete their dancer's attendance through the Parent Portal, prior to each class.
• Inform the studio if your dancer is not able to attend class, and if it is due to illness.
• This can be done by calling the studio or sending a quick email.
• Unexplained student absences will be followed up on.
• If you are asked to return to the studio to pick up your dancer because they seem unwell, please do so in a timely manner.
• Ensure your contact and emergency contact details are all up-to-date in your Parent Portal.

• Not to stand on the side walk while waiting for your dancer to enter, or exit the studio. Please keep this area clear for dancers and staff only.
• Be on time to receive your dancer, outside, after class is over. Please do not be late as this will impact the ability to run our entering and exiting protocols in a timely manner.
• Wear a mask while waiting outside, around other parents, and dancers.
• Maintain social distance while waiting for your dancer.
• Parents of younger dancers (ages 4-6) must make eye contact and give a wave to the CTA when their dancer is at the front of the dismissal line.
• Meet your dancer between classes, if they have a time break in between.
• Inform the studio if your child or someone in your household falls ill with COVID.

What Teachers & ITD Staff are Doing

• Taking a daily COVID questionnaire and temperature check to ensure they are well and able to teach.
• Not coming in if they are feeling unwell (please expect subs from time to time).
• Sanitizing Hands between classes and before assisting students.
• Wearing PPE when social distancing can not be maintained during class, due to the nature of teaching dance and spotting.
• Wearing masks during entry, exiting, assisting students with getting ready to leave and in all common areas/ hallways/ washrooms etc.
• If they feel a student looks, or is acting unwell they will remove the student from the class immediately, provide PPE if necessary and will contact the parents to return to pick them up.
• Sanitizing the studio at the beginning and ending of the night, as well as between classes. Please see pages 12 for more detailed information.

HVAC

• Fans will run to circulate air at all times.
• No floor fans will be running in the studios.
• Hvac system has been treated with vital oxide to increase the safety of air quality

Disinfection

• Will take place during opening and closing procedures each day and in between classes.
• In between each classes all bins and surfaces including floors, bathrooms, barres, benches etc will be cleaned and sanitized with Vital Oxide.

Vital Oxide

Vital Oxide has been authorized by Health Canada & the EPA for use against SARS-Co-V-2, the Corona virus that causes COVID-19. It is an EPA registered, hospital grade disinfectant cleaner, mold killer, and odor eliminator. Vital Oxide’s formula is hypo-allergenic and allergen-reducing. It's pH balanced at 8.5, non corrosive, safe on treated articles and non irritating to the skin.Vital Oxide is colorless and has a very light odor. This product is applied through a hand-held fogger system and will be applied/used once students have exited the studio.

For further information please contact the studio, The Canadian Safety Data Sheet can also be found on the Canadian website.