ISK COVID-19 HUB

The health and safety of our community is our top priority. We will continue to work with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, and other health officials to ensure we are in alignment with the latest and most accurate guidelines. While on campus, students who are not in compliance with our safety/health protocols will be asked to leave campus. 

We thank you in advance for your cooperation and commitment to our community’s safety as we offer in-person learning this semester.

Our community members are advised to continue practicing the 4Ws for safety:

• Wear your mask indoors - Everyone on the ISK campus is required to wear masks when indoors. You do not need to wear your mask when working alone (eg. classroom) or outside. However, if someone else walks in, it would be best practice to put on your mask and ensure you maintain your physical distance. Ensure the mask is worn properly, i.e covers mouth and nose completely.
• Watch your distance - Our classrooms, offices, and common spaces are organized to ensure appropriate distancing (1 meters minimum). We always maintain at least 1 meter distance.
• Wash your hands - Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. Clean and disinfect shared resources (e.g., photocopier) between employees.
• Work together - Try to meet in a well ventilated area or outside if possible if you have a meeting. If you meet in an office or classroom, keep windows and doors open for air flow and wear your mask.

Expectations for Attendance

Our primary goal is to maintain the health of our community. Please note that students who are feeling unwell need to remain at home. Students will not be penalized for the number of sick days accrued during the school year. 

Please note the following:

• Students, parents, staff, extended family and ISK alumni will be allowed access to the campus-as outlined in the COVID Handbook.
• A policy of “staying at home if you are unwell” for students, teachers or school staff with symptoms will be encouraged.
• Please contact our Health Office at clinic@isk.ac.ke if your child is feeling unwell.

In case of Illness

• If a student or adult develops Covid-like symptoms while on campus, the ISK Health Office has designated an isolation room with a separate bathroom facility.
• Please note that a child who has developed Covid-like symptoms while on campus will not be allowed to travel home on ISK’s buses.

Learning at ISK is guided by our Mission, Vision and Educational Aims: creating, communicating, solving, learning and acting. We ask all of our community members to remember we are all here to support children and the communities they (and we) live in. We aspire to craft learning experiences that continues to encourage experiential, integrated and personalized learning.

Class & Common Spaces

ISK is fortunate that the building design facilities and grounds allow us to continue to offer a quality education whilst maintaining our adherence to the COVID school guidelines provided by the CDC, KMoH and KMoE.

Classrooms in ISK are spacious and have large windows. This has allowed us to ensure good airflow and socially distanced seating that reduces the risk of catching COVID-19.

All common spaces such as the canteen, library, auditorium and playgrounds have been accessed in relation to ventilation, capacity, social distance and traffic flow. Guidelines and timetables have been devised to reduce overcrowding, provide opportunities to clean spaces between use and offer a safe space for students to eat, move and relax. 

All activities and facilities outside of a conventional classroom setting are provided with guidelines to ensure that all staff and students using the facilities are doing so in a manner that also reduces their risk of infection or infecting others.

Organization of the Day

Schedules are designed based on the grade of the students. We will not be using our typical homeroom system as we need to reduce the number of transitions students make throughout the day.  Students will be grouped in classrooms according to grade and placement.

While we want to limit the possibility of exposure between each of our cohorts, we also understand the importance of movement and will provide frequent breaks and opportunities for students to get outside.

Classrooms and Hallways

ISK recognizes that to effectively reduce risk of infection, it must implement effective physical distancing policies. When all ISK students attend school at the same time, this poses additional difficulties for the school to adhere to best-practice guidelines, however, we have reviewed all our spaces in order to ensure a 1 meter physical distancing guideline.

Face Masks

• The Ministries of Health and Education Guidelines for basic school education mandates the wearing of face masks in educational institutions. Community members do not need to wear a mask when outdoors. 
• You do not need to wear your mask when working alone. However, if someone else walks in, it would be best practice to put on your mask and ensure you maintain your physical distance.

Movement on Campus

• We always maintain at least 1 meters distance.
• We learn and work outside when possible and in well ventilated spaces (ie windows open).
• We organize our classrooms, offices, common spaces to ensure appropriate distancing (1 meters minimum).
• We maintain distance and follow traffic flow guidelines around campus.
• We maintain distance and look for maximum capacity in each room/space.
• We use virtual meetings to support proper distancing and avoid mixing when suitable.

Early Childhood Protocols

• We know that it will be challenging for our youngest learners to physically distance throughout the day.
• We will structure the day and design activities that will promote healthy distancing as much as possible, including time spent outdoors. 
• Early Childhood students will be required to wear face masks while indoors at all times except while eating. This includes arrival and dismissal time and when moving around the building.

We appreciate that many families at ISK choose to use private transportation. Parents/drivers must stay in their vehicles while dropping off their children in the designated locations and then continue by exiting the campus. At this stage of our reopening, parent access to campus is only allowed in an emergency situation such as a health emergency or prior appointment for a specific purpose. We kindly request that you do not drop off your children before 8:00 a.m. (unless for an approved before school activity). 

ISK has 3 drop off and pick-up points based on the enrolment of the youngest child of the school:

1. Upper parking (Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and Grade 1 ) 

2. Lower parking near the Arts Centre (Grade 2-5)

3. Lower parking at the High School Drop-Off and Pick-Up Point (Grade 6-12)

Taxis and other non-identified vehicles without parking stickers park outside the upper parking and enter through our main security gate. We ask for your cooperation with the security team to ensure that we can move traffic on and off campus in an efficient manner.

Taxis and other non-identified vehicles park outside the upper parking and enter through our main security gate. We ask for your cooperation with the security team to ensure that we can move traffic on and off campus in an efficient manner.

COVID-19 FAQs

The Health Office has some wonderful health information in light of the COVID-19 pandemic to share with ISK staff and students. We hope this will provide further clarity around our procedures. 

• Inform your teacher or teaching assistant, who will alert the Health Office. 
• If you are able to, kindly walk down to the Health Office. 
• Explain your symptoms to the Health Office team.

What happens if I have COVID-19 symptoms while on campus?

• Your teacher or teaching assistant will alert the Health Office team who will advise on the next course of action.
• Older students are advised to walk to the Health Office.
• The Health Office team will take care of students until a parent or guardian picks them up.
• The Health Office staff in the isolation area have gloves, masks, gowns, and face protection. They wash their hands often to keep you and themselves safe, and disinfect the isolation area often.
• The Health Office team will figure out who else at school may have been in close contact with you.

• Make sure you read ISK's COVID-19 handbook and follow the flowcharts outlined regarding the steps to take if your child is unwell.
• Please be kind to the Health Office team who are working to keep our community safe.
• Talk with children about physical distancing and other health expectations in school and on the bus.
• Make sure your child has clean, properly-fitted masks every day and has a spare one on hand.
• Monitor your child’s symptoms at home if unwell.
• Seek advice from a medical professional as per Kenya’s Ministry of Health guidelines.
• Be prepared to pick up your child from school at any point if needed.

For more information on ISK's COVID-19 protocols and Learning Guidelines, please click on the links below:

• ISK COVID-19 Handbook
• ISK Dynamic Distance Learning Plan