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COVID-19 Updates

Please browse the tabs below for the latest on-campus protocols, COVID-19 documentation, county and state guidance, and family resources.

On-Campus Policies, Procedures, and Protocols

Updates effective Monday, May 3:

Carpools

We are now able to allow carpooling across grade levels. All grades across both divisions (Kindergarten through US4) can carpool with people in their grade level and siblings. Masks must be worn at all times in the car.

If your child will be traveling to or from school with a carpool other than your own, please use the SchoolPass app to add your child to the carpool of another Mirman School family. You can find step-by-step instructions on how to change your child’s carpool here. Additionally, you may find the LADPH COVID-19 safety guidance for carpooling helpful.

Testing

  • Testing will be required once weekly of all on-campus students and non-vaccinated staff and faculty. On campus testing times will transition to Wednesdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
  • Fully vaccinated* staff and faculty are no longer required to test weekly.
  • We are transitioning to at-home temperature checks. Students are required to have temperature checks administered at home prior to coming onto campus, and temperature readings must be submitted into the Wellness Questionnaire each morning.

Travel Guidelines

Fully vaccinated* household members are not required to quarantine after travel outside of California. Unvaccinated household members and children are required to quarantine for seven days after return to LA County from any out-of-state travel and must have a PCR COVID-19 test within three to five days upon return. Please refer to the LA County Travel Advisory for more information. Please contact Jowana Nasrallah with your travel plans.

Gatherings

The three-person household limit for gatherings will be lifted, per LA County guidelines. Please follow LA County safety guidelines for informal gatherings.

Symptomatic or Exposed Children

If your child has any Covid-19 like symptoms, has been exposed to a confirmed positive or symptomatic case or an individual that has had positive exposure, please follow these guidelines and protocols.

Daily screening and reporting requirements

  • Each morning before driving to campus, a parent/guardian must fill out the COVID screening questionnaire on SchoolPass by 7:30 a.m.

All students and adults on campus are required to properly wear an appropriate face mask (covering the nose and mouth) at all times unless eating or drinking while properly distanced from others.

Lunchtime Protocols

As case counts continue to drop our medical advisors have advised us that we may lift our restrictions on reusable times for lunch and snack. Students must be able to fit their reusable items in their backpack after use to contain any contaminated items. Students will be able to bring their water bottles to lunch and snack and bring it right back to their desk afterward.

Remote Learning

Whether at home or on campus, Mirman is committed to serving the unique needs of highly gifted students. Learning from our experience in the spring after going remote, our administration and faculty have dedicated considerable time to research and professional development around the specific skills necessary to facilitate successful remote learning. While lessons will vary from grade to grade and class to class, all are connected by a philosophy emphasizing access and engagement through a mix of synchronous and asynchronous content, small group discussions, individuated groups for mathematics, and more. From a revised schedule in the Upper School offering more time to dive deeper into subjects to providing new age-appropriate devices for our youngest learners in Lower School, we are working hard to bring the campus home to you.

While much of our campus life is based around gathering as a community, we will continue to look for opportunities to connect our students, faculty, staff, and families. These include but are not limited to ample parent education panels on timely topics, Town Halls with the administration and Trustees, enrichment and social offerings for our students, and, of course, all-school assemblies.

Safety on Campus

Mirman is committed to keeping our entire community safe no matter the circumstances. Throughout the summer of 2020, the members of a Scenario Planning Task Force, comprised of administrators, faculty, staff, parents, and medical professionals, worked to develop practices and protocols to create a safe school while keeping on top of shifting conditions and new information from state, local, and federal agencies. We have also made changes to our physical plant to better allow for safe distancing and heightened hygiene practices. That having been said, as we are a community that stretches far beyond our campus space, we ask that all of our community members make a commitment to keeping each other safe by practicing vigilance and safety at home and elsewhere.

Procedure changes include, but are not limited to:

  • Twice-weekly on-campus testing for students and their families as well as employees and their families
  • Daily health and travel reporting requirements for employees and families using the SchoolPass app
  • Screening all individuals for symptoms as they enter campus, including temperature checks performed by staff in full PPE
  • Utilizing a limited-size cohort model to limit exposure and assist with contact tracing
  • Additional staffing to account for smaller class sizes
  • No sharing of classroom materials among students
  • Staggered start and end times
  • The elimination of congregation in common areas (faculty/staff breaks and workstations will be moved elsewhere)
  • Closing campus to outside visitors with strict screening requirements for essential vendors
  • Switching from a buffet-style lunch and washable serving-ware to single-use products and pre-packaged meals in strict accordance with Los Angeles County Department of Public Health standards
  • Use of outdoor spaces and tenting for outdoor classes when possible
  • Eliminating shared bus service and restricting carpools to immediate family members only
  • Suspension of all large on-campus gatherings and large in-person meetings where physical distancing is not possible
  • Universal masking requirements for all individuals on campus
  • Maintaining physical distancing of 6 feet at all times
  • Required COVID-19 training for all faculty/staff through SafeSchools
  • Hiring additional professional cleaning staff and frequently sanitizing and disinfecting high-touch surfaces
  • Enhanced nightly cleaning measures including electrostatic fog
  • Upgrading and testing HVAC systems to ensure proper air circulation and filtering
  • Additional sanitizer stations and handwash sinks installed throughout campus
  • Creating additional classroom spaces to reduce class size
  • Additional spacing between desks and installing plexiglass barriers where necessary
  • Clear signage promoting healthy practices and managing traffic flow and occupancy
  • A separate infirmary space for individuals who are a concern for COVID-19 symptoms or exposure
  • Hiring a dedicated Health Coordinator

COVID-19 Response on Campus

While our ideal focus is prevention of COVID-19, plans must be made for containment and communication in the case that someone in the Mirman community is symptomatic, has been exposed to COVID-19, or receives a positive test result. Our Scenario Task Force has also examined these issues and created policies in accordance with city and state guidance.

Absence reporting requirements for COVID-19 symptoms, exposure, or confirmed case

  • All individuals will agree to exercise “full COVID-19 precautions” if they are a potential concern for COVID-19 (CC-19) or have been directly exposed to a CC-19. This includes self-quarantining for 14 days.
  • Parents/guardians and employees will agree to immediately notify the School if anyone in their household or close network (childcare providers, tutor, visitors to the home, etc.) has potentially been exposed to or tested positive for COVID-19.
  • If an individual is experiencing any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, they must stay home. If there has been known exposure to COVID-19, individuals will quarantine for 14 days and be tested as advised by their healthcare provider. Individuals cannot return to campus while test results are pending. If there is no known exposure to COVID-19 and there is a negative test result, the individual may recuperate at home and return to campus three days after their symptoms resolve

State and City Guidance

According to state directives, reopening for public and independent schools in Los Angeles County is tied to the state's COVID-19 watchlist. This list is based on several factors; chief among those factors are positivity rates. As of this writing, Los Angeles County is in the state's Purple Tier.* More information about the watchlist and reopening requirements can be found at the following links:

* Please note there is no set timeline for protocols as all guidance is based upon state and county requirements, which are subject to change.

Mirman's Required Reopening Protocol Documentation

COVID-19 Health and Safety Resources

Parenting Resources: Talking to Kids, Distance Learning, Social-Emotional Wellness

At-Home Activities and Extracurricular Resources