COVID-19 & Programming Updates

Rochester Public Schools Community Education Enrichment COVID-19 Prevention Standards

RPS Community Education developed the following COVID-19 Prevention Standards under the guidance of the Minnesota Departments of Health and Education and the Centers for Disease Control to minimize exposure to the novel coronavirus.

We remain committed to providing high quality opportunities for our participants.

Class Design

• Classes are limited to 15 or fewer people, including all instructors and participants.

• Classes will not combine or mix with other individuals or groups.

• All classes are assigned to one or more defined indoor and/or outdoor learning spaces. Staff will restrict activities to those places, and any assigned path between them.

• Within the learning space(s), staff will remind participants to maintain physical separation of at least six feet from one another (12 feet for activities with significant physical exertion, such as an exercise class or sports camp).

• Staff will limit any closer proximity with participants to no more than brief interactions within six feet (less than 1 min).

• Learning materials will be provided for individual-use, wherever possible; staff will separate any shared materials and sanitize them between uses.

• Staff will discourage all physical contact in class/camp, including handshakes, high-fives, etc., and suggest alternate, non-contact greetings and celebrations for participants to use (snaps, claps, call/response, etc.).

Health & Hygiene

• Participants and staff will wash hands frequently to reduce transmission of germs, including, but not limited to, arrival for class, before and after class set-up, before and after transitioning your group to another space, before and after using any shared equipment.

• If hand washing is not possible in a situation, staff and participants will use hand sanitizer instead (RPS Community Education will make hand sanitizer available, where feasible).

• RPS Community Education will encourage participants to bring their own refillable water bottles, to avoid needing to drink from shared water fountains.

• RPS Community Education requires all instructors, coaches, and staff to wear a mask (cloth or disposable) at all times when inside, unless wearing the mask is medically contra-indicated.

Drop-off & Pick-up

• PCAs, guardians and participants must maintain social distancing of at least six feet from non-household members, including staff and other participants, except when staff are taking temperatures.

• Upon arrival, participants will participate in a health status screening based on Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance, which consists of a series of questions and a temperature check; anyone not meeting screening requirements will not be allowed to participate until they are able to meet them.

• RPS Community Education staff will greet participants and PCAs and direct them to a screening station. Staff will wear masks during this process.

• Where possible, RPS Community Education staff will perform these screenings. In the rare case RPS Community Education staff is not available to conduct this screening, instructors/coaches will screen participants before they enter the learning area in accordance with RPS Community Education’s established procedures.

• PCAs will remain with their participants during the health screening.

• Following screening, participants, and any PCAs who will be staying for the class, will wash their hands and proceed to the learning space; those not staying should not enter the group’s learning space.

Sanitizing

• RPS Community Education requires frequent sanitizing of high touch surfaces. In RPS buildings, maintenance staff will perform this duty for fixed building features (e.g., sinks, doorknobs, light switches, stair rails). Community venue owners who host Community Education programs, and transportation vendors who transport Community Education participants agree to ensure this happens.

• RPS Community Education requires instructors/coaches to sanitize any shared materials and equipment between classes/camps with EPA-approved cleaners capable of eliminating the novel coronavirus.

Exclusion

• According to the CDC’s current guidance, people with these symptoms may have COVID-19: cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills, muscle pain or body aches, fatigue, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea. Additional symptoms may be identified by the CDC.Adults/children with any of the COVID-19 symptoms identified by the CDC, without an alternate medical explanation provided, or who has had exposure in the last 14 days to someone with these symptoms, are not allowed to participate in Community Education programs until they are no longer required to self-isolate or quarantine based on CDC guidelines.

Stephanie Conkright

Coordinator, Adults with Exceptional Abilities Enrichment

 

You must call the Community Education Office at 507-328-4000 to withdraw a class registration from any of our programs.

WITHDRAWAL PRIOR TO START DATE

• Class cancellation must be made a minimum of one week prior to the class start date for a full refund.

• Classes paid for by credit card will have the refund returned to the card.

• Vouchers for future classes are available as an alternative to refunds for classes paid for by cash or check. 

• Due to processing costs, no refunds will be issued for amounts $5 or less unless Community Education cancels the class.

• No refunds 48 hours prior to class start date.

WITHDRAWAL POLICY AFTER START DATE FOR CLASSES WITH MORE THAN ONE SESSION

• You may withdraw from classes of three sessions or more after attending the first session.
  You must notify the Enrichment Office, 507-328-4000 of your intent to withdraw prior to the second class.
  Unless otherwise indicated, you will be issued a prorated refund minus a $5 processing fee and any costs incurred.

 

You must call the Community Education Office at 507-328-4000 to withdraw a class registration from any of our programs or age groups.