Checking-In With the PAS POA Nursing Team
As an exemplary international community that nurtures confidence to embrace change, especially during difficult times, PAS POA is committed to welcoming our students back to campus as soon as it is safe to do so! As this possibility approaches, we will need to adapt to new protocols and routines that require a shared responsibility before and after classes. The three-way union between students, parents, and staff is the highest focus of PAS POA. We count on the community to be actively preparing themselves even during distance learning. With that being said, our nursing team would like to reinforce some general measures that you can practice at home in preparation!
Awareness: We all need to be aware of our responsibility in stopping the transmission of the virus. Raising awareness of how the virus spreads and acknowledging one's responsibility for reducing transmission will encourage and reinforce prevention practices like good hand hygiene, mask-wearing, and physical distancing. To learn about the spread and how we can protect ourselves and others, click here.
- Monitor and communicate illnesses: Although we are still in distance learning, we are not free from being sick. It is important to monitor symptoms and inform the school Nurses.
Hygiene:
1. Self-Hygiene: Remember to wash/sanitize your hands whenever possible.
2. Environment Cleaning: All frequently touched surfaces should be cleaned often. Preferably before and after use. These surfaces include tables and chairs, as well as any objects such as cellphones and keys.
- Use of Masks: Wearing a mask is an adaptation for each of us! If it's hard for adults, imagine for kids! Parents, it is essential to help students prepare for long hours of wearing their mask before returning to school. You can find some tips on how to do this here. Don't forget; your mask should be changed every three hours or whenever it becomes humid.
- Physical distancing: Infectious disease experts have promoted physical distancing as an essential strategy in the containment of COVID-19, and should be practiced at all times. PAS POA uses the term "physical distancing" rather than "social distancing," after all, we don't want people to be socially distanced, especially during these challenging times.
- Air Circulation: As closed spaces create a greater risk for spreading the virus, doors and windows should be kept open at all times. When possible, activities should be done outside in the open air.
Our main goal is to prepare and educate all school community members on working together to remain as safe as possible before, during, and after school hours! However, it does not stop there. As Norman Vincent Peale said, "Repetition of the same thought or physical action develops into a habit which, repeated frequently enough, becomes an automatic reflex." So, while waiting for schools to reopen, the PAS POA team is counting on the community to work together and embrace the change, so that following health and safety protocols becomes an automatic reflex !
