Coronavirus: Measures taken and Health reminders

At Tessa, The safety of our community is our top priority. While the number of disclosed cases in the area is still small, the situation is evolving rapidly. Knowledge is the most important key to avoid viruses to spread, we are therefore committed to regularly sending updates and relevant information.

Health Practices

Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends individuals and families follow the following everyday preventive measures:

• Stay home when you are sick with respiratory disease symptoms. At the present time, these symptoms are more likely due to influenza or other respiratory viruses than to COVID-19-related virus. Faculty, staff and students should not return to school until they have been fever-free for 24 hours without medication.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then throw it in the trash can.
• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with 60%-95% alcohol.
• Routinely clean frequently touched surfaces and objects

How to talk to your children about the virus

News of the coronavirus COVID-19 is everywhere, from the front page of all the papers to the playground at school. Don’t be afraid to discuss the coronavirus. Most children will have already heard about the virus or seen people wearing face masks, so parents shouldn’t avoid talking about it. 

Here are a few resources that can help: 

• Talking to kids about Coronavirus
• For Primary School students, a comic exploring the Coronavirus
• For Preschool students, a video on how to cover your cough and sneezes

Here is a short institutional video we use to teach our students how to wash their hands.

What measures do we take at Tessa?

We ensure that every necessary measures are taken and closely follow the guidance of health experts across the CDC and WHO. 

Practices that we are enforcing in our classrooms include:

• Using masks for children or teachers who are coughing 
• Disinfecting door knobs, tabletops, counters, light switches, and toys several times a day
• Revisiting hand-washing and coughing/sneezing lessons in each classroom and building on them to be even more thorough
• Keeping children who show symptoms away from other children, and call parents to pick them up
• Stocking up on sanitizers, gloves and masks to make sure not to run out

Travel To and From China, South Korea, Italy, and Iran

• At Tessa, all employees and students are prohibited from traveling to  China, South Korea, Italy, and Iran until further notice. Both countries have been classified as “Level 3, Avoid Non Essential Travel” by CDC. Please note that travel restrictions include connections through these countries.
• If allowed entry by U.S. authorities, any community member currently in China, including students, will only be allowed back to school or the dormitory if they return with a parent or other authorized guardian.  They must also stay out of school for 14 days or get the proper medical test that shows as negative for coronavirus conducted by an American physician and share that documentation with the Tessa leadership team.  Alternative assignments will be available if this guidance prevents students from attending school. 

Travel to Other International Locations

• Other countries may be added to the restricted travel list as the WHO, CDC, and State Department update their travel warnings and other guidance. 
• If any Tessa community member or anyone in their immediate household travels to other countries bordering China, South Korea, Italy, and Iran or countries with travel warnings, please contact our leadership team immediately so we can determine next steps. 

Contingency Planning

Tessa International school is committed to ensuring any potential closure of school be as least disruptive to student learning as possible.There are no plans to close school at this time, and the decision to close school and next steps forward will be in collaboration with public health experts. For Kindergarten and Primary classes, we are working on a distance learning plan in case the school was to be closed.

For more information and updates about COVID-19, please consult the following resources:

Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC)

World Health Organization (WHO)

New Jersey also has a 24-7 hotline devoted to your questions about the virus: 1-800-222-1222.