Dear Valiant Knights,
Stonyhurst Southville International School (SSIS) – Batangas City Campus is actively working with academic and health experts to implement a range of measures to ensure the health and safety of the SSIS-Batangas community of learners, parents, faculty, and staff. With the declaration of a state of a public health emergency, SSIS recognizes the urgency of the situation and has been taking the following PREVENTIVE HEALTH MEASURES to address the situation:
1. Mandatory Health Screening of all students, faculty, and staff, parents, guardians, guests who enter the school premises. The screening includes temperature checks, spraying of alcohol/disinfectant on hands, and wearing face masks. All individuals who will be found with a temperature of 37.5 and above WILL BE ASKED TO REST AND RECUPERATE IN THE SAFETY OF THEIR HOMES. 2. All students, parents, guardians, and school personnel, especially those who have coughs and colds, are ADVISED to WEAR A FACE MASK while inside the school premises. Please bring your own face masks. There may not be enough supply available in school. 3. All students, parents, guardians, and school personnel who will develop a temperature of 37.5 & above will be confined in the School Clinic and will be immediately sent home. After receiving a call from the School Nurse, parents are expected to fetch their sick child from school and bring them home or to a doctor for a check-up. 4. Students and parents who had a travel history in the past 7-14 days from countries where there have been CONFIRMED CASES of COVID-19 are advised to do a voluntary self-quarantine for at least 14 days (from the date of re-entry in the Philippines) in their own homes. Parents are advised to be HONEST in coordinating with the school authorities regarding travel history and re-entry into the Philippines vis-à-vis the academic workload that students may undertake while at home. 5. All external visitors (including AlumKnights) will be asked to fill out the HEALTH STATUS DISCLOSURE FORM before they are allowed entry into the campus. Depending on the details that they will place in their disclosure form, visitors may also be required to wear a face mask throughout their stay in campus. Visitors who have a travel history in the last 7-14 days to countries, Metro Manila, or any local place where cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed, MAY BE DENIED ENTRY into the campus.
7. The school undertakes a general cleaning and more thorough disinfection of the school premises and facilities every weekend when students are not in school. The school shall adopt disinfecting measures and guidelines set by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the USA. 8. An hourly “Self-Care Habit” shall be practiced where everyone (including teachers and staff) will simultaneously drink water to stay hydrated and keep their throats moist and disinfect their hands by spraying alcohol. This will be signaled by the ringing of the bell and a reminder over the PA system. All students and staff are then expected to regularly bring a water bottle and pocket-sized 70% Isopropyl Alcohol. 9. Daily reminder of Preventive Measures is given during the Homeroom Class to avoid getting any kind of flu virus. Reminders include tips from the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) on maintaining proper hygiene through constant hand washing, proper use of masks, and coughing and sneezing etiquette. 10. Monthly fogging of the school buildings and premises to get rid of disease-causing insects and pests. 11. Participation in the monthly SGEN 5-Star Campus Audit to maintain a healthy, safe, and conducive learning environment. 12. All parents are discouraged from traveling outside of the country or in places within the Philippines where cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed. If traveling abroad is a MUST, students and parents are advised to do a voluntary self-quarantine for at least 14 days upon reentry into the Philippines and refrain from coming to school. 13. All parents are discouraged from visiting crowded places and/or attending events that will have large crowds. If this cannot be avoided, please wear protective masks properly. 14. Parents whose children show symptoms of the flu (fever, cough, colds, headache, etc.) are ADVISED to have their children be checked by a doctor and have them stay at home until full recovery. Please inform your child’s Homeroom Adviser of this health-related information so that they can facilitate assistance with academic work that will be missed. 15. Entry and access to the school premises for PARENTS shall be limited to the drop-off area. The lobby, the buildings, corridors, etc. beyond the lobby will be declared OFF-LIMITS. Parents who have appointments will have to go through routine health screening and will have to fill out the HEALTH STATUS DISCLOSURE FORM before being allowed entry into the buildings. The PR & Marketing Office shall be the holding area while waiting for confirmed appointments. Parents are advised to wear a face mask while on the school premises. 16. Similarly, the #15 measure is applicable to Caregivers (Yayas and Drivers). Caregivers are advised to stay in their vehicles and designated waiting areas where they will take meals and wait for dismissal. Caregivers are also advised to bring their own packed meals and eating utensils as access to the cafeteria shall not be allowed. Caregivers may only use the comfort room at the Drop-Off Area. 17. There will be a moratorium on the attendance and/or participation of students and teachers and staff in activities, external competitions, seminars, conventions, etc. beginning on March 16, 2020, to minimize their exposure to COVID-19. 18. School activities that are usually held outside of the school campus like the remaining Comprehensive Growth Series (CGS) of Grades 11 & 12, and the Extended Learning Activities of the Senior High School students shall be re-designed to fit an in-house activity to be held within the school premises. 19. Depending on the status of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency in the Philippines in May and June, the school MAY consider canceling end-of-year culminating activities such as Recognition Day, Graduation Day, etc. in compliance with Executive Order #9, s. 2020 issued on March 9, 2020, by the City Mayor. 20. As children are reporting to school regularly, ALL PARENTS (and Caregivers) are expected to consistently observe pertinent preventive health measures at home and at work and to remain vigilant so as to protect your families and our children from contracting COVID-19.