Spring has come and almost gone during this strange and unprecedented time of combatting the global COVID-19 pandemic. Luckily, all departments of Hiba Academy Shanghai are well prepared to welcome our pupils back to campus and continue their learning face-to-face with their teachers and peers. The Hiba campus, which has been decorated with spring colours and artworks, will be entirely clean and tidy as usual. Also, due to the implementation of all-round virus prevention and control measures, parents can rest assured that the campus is as safe as a fortress and ready for re-opening. In line with measures specified by various government institutions at all levels in ‘Guidelines on Prevention and Control of COVID-19 in Shanghai Primary and Secondary Schools and Kindergartens’, Hiba School has pre-emptively taken a series of actions to ensure that the re-opening of the campus will take place in an orderly manner.
The school appointed a special team to work out a thorough contingency plan for the school’s re-opening while taking every relevant factor into account. All Hiba departments were involved in the simulation exercise of COVID-19 prevention and control, which covered all possible scenarios, including morning checks, lunch arrangements, after school collections and the handling of emergency conditions. This preparation has undoubtedly improved our ability to prevent and control the epidemic while successfully handling any emergencies that may occur.
On 18th April, Hiba School was examined by the re-opening inspection team of the Pudong New Area who conducted their comprehensive examination through listening to reports, touring around the campus, looking through archives and conducting specific interviews. After their inspection, they spoke highly of the considerate and practical preventative measures that have been taken by the school in a proactive manner. Parents’ representatives also took part in the entire process of the inspection and gave similarly approving recognition of the school’s preparations.
Before the school re-open Continuous monitoring health condition of the community Since the outbreak of the epidemic, Hiba has established an impeccable contact network for prevention work. The nurse team, alongside the school office and HR department, has been tracking the daily health information of staff and has established a frequently updated health database for pupils, teachers, non-academic and third-party staff members. Considering that the school’s re-opening is around the corner, we meticulously verify health information of all people who are going to return to school (including pupils), ensuring that they are safe to come back and that their health condition is well under control. A kind reminder: we suggest you stay in Shanghai during the Labour Day holiday to make sure that pupils can return to school as expected. Preparing sufficient protective materials Through centralised procurement, Hiba has sufficient protective materials in store to meet the demands of all daily school operations, including property management, catering, medical care, and the school bus runs. The school also has access to the regular provision channels of protective materials, which guarantees our ability to operate safely for at least 1 to 2 months after the re-opening before needing to resupply, a factor which is also well covered.
According to the ‘Technical Requirements for Disinfection in Primary and Secondary Schools and Kindergartens of Pudong New Area (Trial)’, Hiba has conducted the preventative disinfection of different places on campus to prepare for a safe re-opening. Specialised training for popularising epidemic prevention and control All the academic and non-academic staff will participate in training and simulation exercises regarding epidemic prevention before our pupils return. Specialised training sessions will be tailored for specific positions, such as nurses, catering staff and security guards. All these actions are designed to ensure that staff fully understand the procedures of prevention as well as their own responsibilities during this unusual period.
Nurses and form tutors will pay particular attention to pupils’ psychological health while sharing health improvement information with them. Bulletin boards displaying prevention and control information will be set up in the prominent positions on campus to enhance the awareness of prevention among staff and pupils.
After the school re-open Morning check The school will conduct strict screening at the school gate. According to the requirements of epidemic prevention and control, pupils are allowed to enter the campus only when they do not have any of the following symptoms.
Pupils should wear a mask, disinfect their hands, and wait in line to have their temperature taken with the infrared thermometer. Only when they have a normal temperature can pupils enter the campus. Moreover, parents are not allowed to enter the campus if it is not essential for them to do so.
Pupils with an abnormal temperature will be retested by a nurse in the re-checking area. If their temperature is still abnormal after retesting, they will be escorted to the temporary isolation area and wait for parents to pick them up or see a doctor. The school will keep track of their latest health condition. The school buses, each equipped with forehead thermometers and disposable hand disinfection gel, will be ventilated and disinfected on a daily basis. School bus drivers and monitors should have a normal temperature before they report for duty.
Pupils who take the school bus should have their temperature taken by the school bus monitor and disinfect their hands before boarding. Those with an abnormal temperature are not allowed to take the school bus on that day. Lunch arrangement To avoid the risk of cross-infection during the epidemic period, all meals will be packed in disposable lunch boxes and eaten in a designated area in the canteen. Grades 1-6 can choose their meal options a week earlier, which will then be delivered to their classrooms in a heat-preserving cart.
Grade 7 will have their lunch in the canteen in batches and in a specified timeslot. All pupils should wear a mask to collect their lunch boxes and keep a reasonable distance from others. Seated in their designated places, they should face the same direction and avoid chatting when having lunch.
The school will take pupils’ temperature before lunch time and keep monitoring their daily health condition. Seven steps of handwashing are recommended to all people on campus before or after lunch.
Treatment of suspected casesIf pupils have an abnormal temperature or feel uncomfortable, teachers will report it to the school office. Those with symptoms suggesting the presence of COVID-19 will be escorted to the nurse room, via a specified route, for retesting. Once a fever or respiratory tract symptom is confirmed, they will be sent to quarantine, strictly in accordance with the emergency disposal requirements specified by the Centre for Disease Control. The school will inform parents to pick up their children and take them for medical treatment while reporting the follow-up of suspected cases. After school collection Pupils who take the school bus after school should have their temperature taken before boarding. Those with an abnormal temperature should be picked up by their parents from school on that day. Others should disinfect their hands, wear a mask when riding the school bus and sit some distance away from others wherever possible.
Pupils will be led by teachers to a specified area in a scheduled batch waiting for their parents to pick them up. By showing a valid parent card, parents will be permitted to pick up their children. To avoid crowding, it is suggested to leave immediately after collection. Daily maintenance of campus security The school will strictly obey rules and regulations of disinfection while undertaking a regular disinfection and cleaning of classrooms, canteens and other public areas every morning, noon and evening.
Frequently used facilities, such as handrails, doorknobs, washrooms and lifts, will be cleaned and disinfected multiple times a day. Teaching equipment and aids that are used will be disinfected in a timely manner.
If the air quality is satisfactory, the school will open windows for ventilation three times a day and parents should prepare additional clothes for pupils. The air-conditioning system and central ventilation system will be utilised in line with prescribed standards. The engineering team will renew the filters of the central ventilation system and will disinfect its vents regularly.
Appropriately designed teaching plan for the re-opening Hiba School will continue to take preventative measures to stamp out the virus, creating a safe and orderly environment for a staggered resumption of services. as specified by the Shanghai Education Commission. In the meantime, our academic team will assess all pupils’ home-based e-learning, the result of which will guide them to work out a viable teaching plan for class resumption. They will also provide a personalised support programme for pupils in need, while ensuring a smooth transition from e-learning to offline teaching for all pupils. As Hiba School always makes pupils’ safety its top priority, we have made some adjustments to our curriculum and campus life. • Swimming lessons are cancelled and the PE department will arrange suitable indoor and outdoor lessons for pupils. • Large school events and activities held outside campus are postponed or cancelled. • When taking specific lessons, it is suggested that pupils wear a pair of disposable gloves if they have to use objects that others may touch frequently. • To avoid crowding in the changing rooms, pupils should wear their sports clothes to school if they have a PE class on that day. * Relevant measures will be adjusted and updated in accordance with the teaching plan. During this beautiful yet troubled spring season, people across the Hiba community have taken proactive actions to fight the epidemic together, expecting a safe return of all pupils and the orderly resumption of their schooling. We all know that Hiba School’s safe operation is inseparable from the Hiba community’s support and understanding, whose consistent efforts and cooperation have added invaluable momentum to the school’s re-opening.
