Seven Arrows Elementary, a private kindergarten through sixth grade school on La Cruz, announced on July 11 that it will reopen classrooms on September 3.
According to school media contact Fiona Farrahi, the school has developed a plan that will use safety measures and is “guided by recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, L.A. County Department of Public Health, John Hopkins Medicine, Office of Governor Newsom, Office of Mayor Garcetti and from a consortium of fellow independent schools.”
The plan allows a hybrid model that will allow parents to choose to either have their child in school full-time or engage in full-time distance learning. School start times will entail staggered start and stop times per grade.
The distance model will be conducted remotely, but in synchronicity with the in-class students through Zoom Meeting Owls and digital collaboration programs.
The number of students in a space will be restricted to 10 to 12 max, which means if an infection occurs, the school will close down one grade instead of the whole school and adult interaction will be limited to the teacher and associate only.
Students and faculty will wear a mask indoors, while maintaining proper social distancing of six feet.
Additionally, other changes will include: new handwashing stations, plexiglass installations around the school, keeping doors and windows open to increase airflow, changing of air filters from MERV 8 to MERV 13 to prevent spread via ducting, hiring additional cleaning staff to sanitize the school and adding cleaning devices such as electrostatic sprayers and disinfectant foggers.
“This is certainly uncharted territory for all of us, but we do have plans that have integrated the best research and we believe that children need to be in school,” said Margarita Pagliai, Head of School. “The long term mental and emotional risk in our developing children is too high not to consider reopening in the safest way we can.”
The school will host virtual town hall meetings with parents in August so they can see simulations of the classroom plans and ask questions.
The school was founded in 1999 and has about 140 students with a 1:10 teacher/student ratio. The school believes “academic success creates strong self-esteem, growing compassionate, inspired thinkers and ethical leaders.” (Visit: sevenarrows.org or call 310-230-0257.)
Seven Arrows, which is located on La Cruz, always has unique celebrations and teaching styles and will open for in-class students in September.
It figures that Seven Arrows would lead the way where others are still feeling around in the dark. Best run school in LA! LAPS should take notice.