We recently made you aware of the vaccination requirements that were being put in place by the Office of Head Start for all CAP Tulsa staff in January 2022. On Monday, November 29, the Office of Head Start also announced that masks will now be required for all adults in our buildings as well as all children 2 years of age or older.

This mask requirement is consistent with the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s recommendations regarding mask use in early childhood education and childcare programs. While we had encouraged masking for children 2 years and older, it had not been mandatory. We apologize that advance notice of this new rule was not given to help you prepare; however, we were not aware this new requirement was coming. Our teams are working to provide instruction to our teachers and other school staff on how to assist children with masking and we are working to secure supplies of child-sized masks, so families are not burdened with purchasing and providing their own. Children will begin wearing the masks as soon as they are available at their school.

Because this new rule has been added to the Head Start Program Performance Standards, which must be followed by all programs funded to provide Early Head Start and Head Start programs, we must comply with the masking requirements immediately. Further, we will be monitored by the Office of Head Start for complying with the new mask and vaccination requirements in the same way they monitor other health and safety requirements.

To help your child adjust to wearing a face mask, we recommend you try these 8 Tips for Kids and Masks:

• Be Consistent. Remind kids to wear their masks, just like you. Encourage them to avoid touching the mask and keep it over their mouth and nose.
• Explain Why. Even very young kids will understand masks are important to help keep everyone safe.
• Personalize. Let your children pick out kid-friendly masks with characters and cool designs or encourage them to decorate their own with things like tie-dye or fabric markers.
• Take a Picture. Snap a photo of your child in a mask and reinforce how awesome he/she looks. You can even opt for a family photo, or simply look in a mirror together. Drawing a self-portrait also works.
• Practice at Home. Get the whole family involved in practicing mask wearing for a day, or a few hours, to get the hang of it.
• Use Masks in Play. For younger kids, put masks on stuffed animals or dolls during play time.
• See Masks in Action. While it’s still best to avoid public spaces as much as possible, consider taking your child out to a safe space where people are wearing masks to help normalize mask wearing.
• Identify Good Behavior. Point out others who are doing a good job wearing masks.

Children model the behaviors they see in the adults in their life. Please also be a good role model by properly wearing a mask when you are in the school and help them to understand that masks keep you and them safe.

Some exceptions to the mask requirement include:

• An individual with a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Children under 2 years of age
• Children while napping
• Children and adults while eating or drinking
• Children with special health care needs, for whom the program should work together with families and follow the advice of the child’s health care provider regarding the best type of face covering
  

If you believe your child qualifies for an exception due to special health care needs, please talk with your child’s School Leader to request an evaluation or you may submit a doctor’s note indicating their recommendation for the best type of face covering for your child.
Health and safety have always been core components of the Head Start program. Taking this step of requiring masks is another way the Office of Head Start is trying to make sure our children, families, and employees remain safe and healthy. We hope that by working together we can help make this an easier transition for everyone.

If you have any questions, please ask to meet with your child’s School Leader.

Based on current community data and recommendations from the Tulsa Health Department as well as the CDC, all staff and adults entering our buildings will be required to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status. Additionally, based on CDC guidance, we encourage and allow masks on children ages two years and older but we currently do not require masks for children in our program. The health and safety of the children and families we serve is our top priority. We will continue to provide your family with updates as we monitor and review community data and guidance from the CDC and THD.

Effective immediately, all CAP Tulsa staff and families that have been fully vaccinated will no longer be required to wear a mask while in a CAP Tulsa school. Staff and family that are not yet fully vaccinated, or are unable to be vaccinated due to health or religious reasons, are
required to continue to properly wear a mask and practice social distancing while in our schools.

The health and safety of our employees and the children and families we serve continues to be our top priority. This change is in line with current guidance from the CDC and provides continued protection to the children at our schools.

We encourage all families to receive the free COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. To find options for booking your vaccination, you can access more information on the Tulsa Health Department website. To make an appointment with the Caring Van at McClure on June 18, click this link.

To review all policies related to our response to COVID-19, please go to our online handbook. If you have any questions about our COVID-19 policies please talk with your School Leader.

We want to thank our CAP Tulsa families for their patience and flexibility as we have made changes to our early childhood program services over the past year. We appreciate the partnership that we have built with our families while keeping the health and safety of our staff and the children we serve as our top priority. With that partnership in mind, we are excited to let you know of the next phases for our return to schools.

Beginning Monday, March 22, families will be allowed to enter our schools to take their children to the classroom for drop off and pick up and we will no longer have curbside drop off and pick up. During this time, children will still be learning based on their staggered A/B schedules.

On Monday, April 5, all children will return for five day a week in-person learning at all schools, with staggered drop off and pick up times. Utilizing this phased approach will allow us to evaluate our processes and protocols while there are smaller numbers of families and children in the buildings and so we can make adjustments prior to April 5.

We have made this decision based on several factors including:

- Review of our staffing data
- Consistent decline in COVID-19 cases in our area
- Access to vaccines for school staff
- Return to five day services by other early childhood programs and surrounding school districts
- Confidence in the effectiveness of our extensive cleaning procedures
- Continued daily monitoring of employee and child health

We all have an important role to play in making sure we are able to move forward with our plan to return to five days a week in-person learning. It is critical that staff and families consistently follow our safety procedures and instructions to keep everyone safe and healthy.

Below are some of our safety procedures families can expect as we return in person. These protocols will be enforced by our staff.

- Only one adult may enter the school with their child
- Face masks will be required to enter the building at drop off and pick up; masks will be provided to families if needed
- Families will be required to properly wear face masks at all times
- Please be mindful of your distance between others and reduce the time spent within close contact with others
- Families will not be allowed to gather in groups in the building and will need to leave as soon as they have safely signed in or signed out their child for the day
- Please follow all safety signs and reminders placed throughout the school
- Wash hands thoroughly and use hand sanitizer frequently

It is important that all families fully review our safety procedures before returning in-person. Please click this link to access the Handbook.

At this time, we are not re-opening extended care. However, we will be developing staffing and safety protocols to support the return of extended care in the future and will let families know when we are able to begin these services again.

We appreciate your partnership, and your continued patience and flexibility as we work together to fully return to schools in the safest way possible. We want to reassure you we remain focused on our health and safety protocols as our top priority for our employees and the children and families we serve.

*Updated April 2, 2021*

We would like to let families know that important air ionization upgrades have been made to our school’s HVAC systems to ensure proper air filtration.

All of our schools now have air ionization technology that cleans and filters the air to help reduce airborne contaminants, including particles containing viruses. The systems also introduce outside air into the school buildings throughout the day for better air quality.

Effective immediately, all CAP Tulsa staff and families that have been fully vaccinated will no longer be required to wear a mask while in a CAP Tulsa school. Staff and family that are not yet fully vaccinated, or are unable to be vaccinated due to health or religious reasons, are required to continue to properly wear a mask and practice social distancing while in our schools.

The health and safety of our employees and the children and families we serve continues to be our top priority. This change is in line with current guidance from the CDC and provides continued protection to the children at our schools.

We encourage all families to receive the free COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. To find options for booking your vaccination, you can access more information on the Tulsa Health Department website. To make an appointment with the Caring Van at McClure on June 18, click this link.

To review all policies related to our response to COVID-19, please go to our online handbook. If you have any questions about our COVID-19 policies please talk with your School Leader.

We have made the decision to move forward with our plan to return to in-person learning for enrolled families on Monday, February 1 and will remain in the A/B hybrid schedule at least through Friday, March 12. We made this decision based on a reduced number of COVID-19 related employee leaves since December. We will continue to monitor school and community data and staffing for all schools and will let you know if any adjustments to this plan are needed at a classroom or school-level basis. Families can expect to be contacted in early March with another update on our return to in-person learning after spring break.

We also need to let families know that we have updated our drop-off procedure for when we return to in-person learning on Monday, February 1st. Families will remain in their vehicle at drop-off in the morning, however child temperature checks will now take place inside the school instead of outside at your vehicle. If your child has a fever or any sign of illness they will remain in our Wellness Room where they will be monitored while we wait for you or your designated person to pick them up. For information about this change, please review the updated Temporary Family Handbook or contact your school.

Based on community numbers and the impact of the virus on our staff coverage, we have made the decision to extend distance learning through Friday, January 29. Families will continue to receive regular check-in calls from their child’s teacher during distance learning. Our goal is to return to the A/B hybrid schedule on Monday, February 1 and we will continue to evaluate staffing and community data on a regular basis. We are anticipating continuing the hybrid schedule through Friday, March 12.

We will advise families of our finalized plans closer to these dates.Families are encouraged to access food resources from our public school partners while distance learning or reach out to their Family Support Specialist. CAP Tulsa will provide food services when we return to in-person learning on February 1.

Based on community numbers and an expected increase in COVID-19 cases after the holidays, we have made the decision to return to distance learning when we return from winter break. All schools and enrolled families will return to 100% distance learning staring Monday, January 4 through Friday, January 15, and then pivot to A/B in-person schedules on Tuesday, January 19, after the MLK holiday.

Families will receive more information from their child’s teacher about distance learning. By having CAP Tulsa staff work remotely for ten days after the break, along with allowing our families to distance learn from home, we hope to safely return on Tuesday, January 19 with less exposure and cases.Families are encouraged to access food resources from our public school partners while distance learning or reach out to their Family Support Specialist. CAP Tulsa will provide food services when we return to in-person learning on January 19.

CAP Tulsa will continue to operate all ten schools with the current A/B hybrid schedule. This means enrolled children will continue to meet in-person two days per week. We want to also assure families we will remain open with all current health and safety protocols in place.

By staying open, we can continue to provide important learning and engagement for children and allow families the ability to work and to receive access to food and other resources through Family Support. The A/B Schedule limits the number of children and staff in the building at the same time to reduce exposures. When making these decisions we follow and consider guidance from many sources including: the Office of Head Start, COVID-19 data in our state and community, the CDC, Oklahoma State Department of Health, and the Tulsa Health Department.

We are taking into account that health officials expect numbers to rise following the recent holiday, and we want to assure families that we will continue to watch the situation and will advise families about any necessary adjustments. We appreciate your continued patience and flexibility as we work together to keep our schools open and resources available to families in the safest way possible while also navigating through an unprecedented time.

We are excited to announce a return to in-person services at our schools for enrolled families! Schools will re-open in two phases during November with a combination of in-person and distance learning schedules and reduced class sizes.Currently enrolled families will receive an email from our Admissions Office with specific information on their child’s return to school schedule. Please be sure to update your contact information to receive important calls, texts, and emails.Until then, please continue engaging in distance learning with your child and their teacher, accessing grab and go meals from your school, and utilizing learning kits provided to your family. Remember that Family Support Specialists, and other staff from our support teams are available to help with any needs you may have during this time.We are still accepting applications and will be expanding our services to waitlisted families in early 2021.

As previously announced, we have continued to review community data and other factors every two weeks to help us determine when it would be safe to re-open for in-person learning. The most recent data supports the further extension of distance learning, which will continue through at least November 9. We are also exploring the idea of a new, small, in-person pilot offering, to begin in late October or early November. This means we would continue offering distance learning, while also opening a small number of classrooms for in-person services to children. Our top priority is to make sure children and staff are safe and we believe we need to take a measured approach for our return. We will continue to follow guidance from the Tulsa Health Department and to reassess reopening in-person as more data becomes available.

As we consider the currently escalating numbers for COVID-19 in our area, we have made the decision not to return to schools in-person on August 31. Instead, children will be served in a distance learning format to start the new school year. We will continue family support services in the form of resources and community referrals provided by F&CS, and individualized support as needed from our Behavioral Health, Health and Special Services teams. We are working diligently to finalize plans, including exploring providing meals for enrolled children, and we will share these resources with our families when available.

Enrolled families will receive email or phone call notification by August 14 with more information about distance learning and what to expect as we start the new school year this fall. Our top priority is to keep our employees and the children and families we serve safe and healthy. We will be following guidance from the Tulsa Health Department and will continue to reassess reopening in-person as more data becomes available.

As we learn more about the plans for our public school partners and consider the currently escalating numbers for COVID-19 in our state, we have made the decision to delay our return to school start date for accepted families to Monday, August 31. We will continue to operate with a greatly reduced number of children and we will not be offering Before, After, or Extended Care at least through September and we will evaluate resuming this service later in the school year.

We have a Distance Learning Team working to develop new virtual/distance learning and family engagement opportunities for families. All enrolled families will continue to receive services from
our support departments regardless if they attend school in-person or not as we move toward the new school year and beyond. Families will be contacted during the week of August 10 with information about school placement or to provide information about options for distance learning
services.

The health and safety of our families and staff is our highest priority as we navigate what the new school year will be like. There are still many decisions to be made and details to work out and we
will provide families with additional updates as soon as we are able. We appreciate your continued patience and flexibility.

Yesterday evening the Tulsa City Council voted and approved a mask mandate ordinance due to recent substantial increases in COVID-19 positive cases and increases in hospitalizations. Families can read the entire ordinance here: https://www.cityoftulsa.org/media/13777/20-508-1-mask-ordinance-revised-version-3-final.pdf

As a result of this ordinance, CAP Tulsa has made changes to its mask usage policy effective immediately. All school staff will be required to wear a mask except while on the playground if able to maintain a 6 foot distance from others. At this time children are not expected to wear a mask.

Our families should wear a mask or face covering when interacting with staff during drop off and pick up while in or out of their car.

Families do not have to wear a mask if they meet the CDC requirements for exceptions.

For more information on CDC guidance and exceptions for mask usage please visit their website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html

For more information on how to properly and safely wear a cloth face mask, please watch this video: https://bit.ly/30nkjge.

As we work to reopen our schools for SummerU on July 6, we have several important updates to share with families that may impact your decision to return this summer. Our teaching staff will be returning to schools on June 22 to train and prepare for children to return on July 6 for a shortened SummerU. Based on CDC guidelines around class sizes and enhanced health and safety protocols, as well as staff availability, we will not offer Before or After Care and we will not be able to operate at full capacity with services to all age groups. Unfortunately, this means some families that indicated they would like to return for SummerU will not be able to. All families will be contacted no later than June 12 to let them know if they have or have not been accepted to return on July 6.We want to reassure families that we are working diligently to provide a safe return for everyone. Our top priority is to keep our employees and the children and families we serve safe and healthy. The CAP Tulsa Health team, along with our School Leadership and our partners at Family & Children’s Services, have been working together the past several weeks to develop new processes, added health and safety measures, and updated policies to ensure everyone’s safety upon returning. Some of the temporary changes families can expect this summer include:· No Before or After Care or extended day services· Parking lot drop-off and pick-up for children· Temperature checks for children and employees before entering the building· Staggered and extended drop-off and pick-up times· Employees and children only in the schools; no family members, visitors or volunteers· Three teachers per classroom· Smaller class sizes with fewer classrooms opened · All meals will be individually packaged with no family style dining· Mandatory hand sanitation on entry; No tooth brushing at school· Enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedures· Updates to exclusion policies including the establishment of a wellness room to transition children with fever or other signs of illness from classroom to homeThis is not a complete list of protocols and specific details on our policies and procedures for returning families will be sent prior to July 6. We also want to assure families that if your child does not attend SummerU they are still eligible to return for the new school year in August, if you have completed your School Registration for the 2020-2021 school year. We know that returning to school safely is most important during this time for your family, and we will continue to update and revise our procedures based on the latest guidance from the Office of Head Start, the CDC, OKDHS and the Tulsa Health Department. If you have any questions, please contact your FSS. We are looking forward to seeing your children again and welcoming employees and families back to our schools. We wish you well!

As we continue to monitor the current projections and recommendations from a wide-range of sources, including the White House, the CDC, Oklahoma State Department of Health, National Head Start and state and local government, we have made the decision to reopen our schools for the summer beginning Monday, July 6. SummerU programming will be from Monday, July 6 through Thursday, July 30. A Family Support Specialist will contact you in the coming weeks to find out if your child plans to attend SummerU. We want to assure families that we are taking all recommended safety measures and updating policies based on the latest guidance from the Office of Head Start, the CDC, OKDHS and the Tulsa Health Department to keep everyone safe for our reopening. We will continue to share information with families about new procedures as they become available.

CAP Tulsa's Headquarters at Legacy Plaza and the Support Service Center buildings will remain closed through Friday, May 29.

Based on the evolving COVID-19 situation and the decisions made by the State Department of Education and our public school partners, CAP Tulsa will not be resuming classes for the remainder of the current school year, which ends Thursday, June 4. It is our desire to hold SummerU but we will not be able to make that decision for a few more weeks and will contact you once more information is available. We will also be sharing a new web page with you soon that provides access to learning activities for you and your child to do at home. Please continue to visit our website at captulsa.org and follow us on social media for resources and updates.

Due to the Presidential order issued yesterday, we will be complying with the latest “stay at home” restrictions which means Legacy Plaza and the Support Service Center will remain closed at least through April 30, except for those authorized for a critical business need. All staff should be prepared to have this date extended again based on the continued spread of COVID-19 in our area. We will continue to evaluate the situation and make updates as more information becomes available.

The Oklahoma State Department of Education has voted to go to online learning and to keep school buildings closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. CAP Tulsa has been instructed by the Office of Head Start to heed guidance from local health department officials and public schools to inform our decisions about closures. At this time, we are working to finalize our decision on how we can best serve children and families while keeping them and our employees safe. We will let employees and families know as soon as our plans are finalized and will send out phone calls along with website and social media updates. We appreciate your patience and flexibility.

You can access webmail via the Office 365 Outlook Web portal at https://mail.office365.com while working remotely. You will be prompted to enter your CAP Tulsa network username and password that you use to logon to your work computer. Enter your username and your password in the authentication window then click "Sign In". As a reminder, your username is your full CAP Tulsa email address.

CAP Tulsa continues to work with health and safety experts to stay updated on the status and spread of COVID-19. While this situation is changing by the hour, our most current information is as follows:

- Based on guidance from the Oklahoma State Department of Education to help the state combat the spread of COVID-19, all CAP Tulsa schools will be closed after spring break beginning on Monday, March 23 and lasting through Friday, April 3.

- CAP Tulsa Offices at Legacy Plaza will be closed through Friday, April 3- Applications for the early childhood program can be completed online at captulsa.org/apply/early-childhood-education. Applications interviews, a required step in the process, will resume when our offices reopen on April 6 (click for office hours).- 2020-2021 School Registration: Families with enrolled children can complete school registration when the office reopens on April 6.

We will continue to share information and updates through social media, phone calls, and on our website at captulsa.org/covid19.

Based on guidance from the Oklahoma State Department of Education to help the state combat the spread of COVID-19, all CAP Tulsa schools will be closed after spring break beginning on Monday, March 23 and lasting through Friday, April 3. To support families that may need food assistance, we are working with our public school partners to make “grab and go” meals available at sites throughout the city. Meal distribution locations will be shared on our website on Friday, March 20. Additionally, Family Support Staff will be reaching out to families to check on them and see if any assistance is needed and will be out delivering food boxes. For more information and updates about COVID-19, please visit our website captulsa.org/covid19.

Due to recommendations from the CDC, CAP Tulsa offices located at Legacy Plaza are closed to the public for the remainder of this week. If you would like to apply for the program, the Admissions & Recruitment department can complete application interviews by phone. Please visit captulsa.org/apply/early-childhood-education/to complete an application and to schedule an interview.

If your child is currently enrolled at CAP Tulsa and you still need to complete school registration for the 2020-2021 school year, please email Admissions@captulsa.org for more information.

Due to the recent recommendations by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to suspend gatherings of 50 or more people, all CAP Tulsa Headquarters staff have been advised to work from home until further notice. This means that the Admissions Office at Legacy Plaza will not be open to families during this time. CAP Tulsa Schools are currently on spring break from March 16-20 and classes will resume on Monday, March 23 unless otherwise notified.

As we continue to monitor the rapidly evolving COVID-19 (coronavirus) situation, we want to update you with information on travel and quarantine directions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

If you plan to travel over spring break internationally or domestically for personal reasons OR if you will be hosting guests from impacted countries, states or cities:

CAP Tulsa employees only

- Have been directed to self-report by phone to their immediate supervisor. Do not take public transportation, taxis, or ride-shares.

CAP Tulsa employees and families

- Based on the CDC’s most up to date guidance, complete a self-isolation period for travels to “Level 2 and 3 countries” (for a period of 14 calendar days).

- Monitor your health by taking your temperature with a thermometer two times a day to check for fever. Also, watch for a cough or trouble breathing. If you have symptoms, call your healthcare provider before visiting their office or before going to the Emergency Room (ER).

- You can also contact the Tulsa Health Department at 918-582-9355 for information about COVID-19.- If you have symptoms of acute respiratory illness it is recommended that you stay home and not come to school or work until you are free of fever (100.4° F /37.8° C or greater) using an oral thermometer, signs of a fever, and any other symptoms for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing or other symptom-altering medicines (e.g. cough suppressants). - Avoid crowded places (such as shopping centers and movie theaters) and limit your activities in public.- Keep your distance from others (about six feet).

At this time, it’s unclear how easily or sustainably this virus is spreading between people. In general, coronaviruses spread through:

- Coughing or sneezing

- Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands

- Touching a surface with the virus, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes before washing your hands

You can prevent infection by doing the following:

- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds

- Use alcohol-based sanitizers (60% alcohol or above) when hand-washing is unavailable

- Help your young students to wash their hands well

- Do not drop off your sick child at school and stay home when you are sick

- Cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing- Avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms

For more information about the situation and travel recommendations, please check the following websites:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),Oklahoma State Department of Health Tulsa Department of Health

CAP Tulsa is closely monitoring the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak with the Tulsa Health Department (THD) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and will continue to follow their guidance as we keep our community prepared.

The health, safety, and well-being of our children and families is our top priority. We know there has been a lot of discussion about the COVID-19 (coronavirus) with the recent confirmed cases in Tulsa (two confirmed cases as of March 10, 2020).

To help lessen illness, we will be deep cleaning and disinfecting all of our schools over spring break. CAP Tulsa follows regular disinfection procedures per OKDHS child care licensing requirements. We will continue to use these same cleaning and sanitation strategies to limit the spread of germs in addition to including antiviral cleaning agents. To help protect yourself and others, we encourage you to practice good health hygiene habits, including:

- Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds- Avoid coughing or sneezing into your hands or in the air- Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose with unwashed hands- Avoid close contact with people who are sick- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces- If children are feeling sick, keep them home from school- Consider getting a seasonal flu shot - Do not share bottles, cups and eating utensilsWe would also like to encourage families to be thoughtful about traveling during spring break. The CDC has not made a recommendation to suspend domestic travel, however, they have issued guidance on areas with an elevated risk of transmission. If you or a family member is sick or suspect you might be infected with COVID-19 call your doctor, restrict engaging in activities outside of your home and continue to practice good health hygiene practices as noted above. More helpful updates and information can be found on the Tulsa Health Department and Centers for Disease Control websites:

https://www.tulsa-health.org/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html

For more information about the risk of traveling please visit the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html