Families should ensure that all their health forms are up to date in Magnus so that we may be best prepared to manage your student’s health and any associated risk factors.  Faculty members will also have the opportunity to confidentially share their health concerns and risk factors before the school year begins so that Bernard Zell’s administrative team can take steps to accommodate all members of our community. We will continue to provide opportunities for families and faculty to register their concerns and discuss strategies to manage risk.

Check back here for more information in the coming weeks

To ensure a safe return to campus we have developed essential protocols which must be followed by every member of the Bernard Zell community. It is up to each and every one of us to keep this community safe and healthy. Together we will demonstrate the value of Achrayut, responsibility for others, as we commit to the following pledge. This pledge signifies your commitment to keep our students, faculty, staff and fellow community members safe.

As a Bernard Zell Parent, I pledge to:

• Ensure my student(s) will wear masks at all times at school and on campus, except on occasions when expressly allowed by a teacher or administrator.

• Encourage my student(s) to maintain a distance of 6-feet to support social distancing guidelines 

• Promote frequent handwashing and hygiene at home and at school

• Certify my student’s health each morning through a symptom tracker/health certification app 

As a Bernard Zell Parent, I pledge to follow the following protocols:

• I will communicate any diagnoses of communicable diseases to the school

• I will not send my student to school if they are sick, regardless of whether it is advised by the health certification app 

• I will not send my student to school if a household member has been exposed to COVID-19 or has symptoms related to COVID-19

• I will not send my student to school for potentially as long as 14 days if they have been exposed to COVID-19

• I will pick up my student from school promptly if they develop symptoms during the day or have behavioral issues, including failure to adhere to safety guidelines such as wearing masks or social distancing 

As a member of the Bernard Zell community I will work to uphold the standards of conduct for all of my student’s interactions.  I will limit interactions outside of school as I understand these  may greatly increase my child’s potential for exposure, and that in turn, introduces new potential vectors of transmission to our school community. If I choose to participate in outside activities I will ensure the groups or organizations that I join will uphold the same guidelines that we commit to within the Bernard Zell community. 

To support the continued health and safety of our entire community I will support consistent mask-wearing in public, social distancing, and avoiding situations or events in which social distancing and mask-wearing are not consistently maintained. I am also aware that Bernard Zell is asking all families to observe the quarantine guidelines for travelers returning to the City of Chicago from international travel or from states cited as high risk on the CDPH website. 

By signing the pledge, I commit to maintaining the safeguards listed above in order to uphold the school’s safety standards and promote continued on-campus learning.

Before the 2020-2021 school year begins, we will host a series of live informational webinars to answer questions and provide further details about health and safety as well as academics and instruction under our new circumstances. In mid-August, Head of School, Gary Weisserman, will host an initial conversation with school leaders and a leading physician for our entire community. Our Division Heads will each host their own webinars focusing on topics related to the student experience in their respective schools, each taking place in late August, closer to students’ first day back. These dates will be published before the end of July.

Additionally, informational videos sharing new procedures and policies will be posted on the Fall Reopening Plan landing page over the course of the next few weeks, along with links to external resources and health information.

• Students will have a number of virtual opportunities to get to know their classmates and visualize the changes for next year.

• Our early weeks will be spent assessing student’s learning needs as well as their social and emotional health

• Orientation will emphasize student’s role in safeguarding the community while finding developmentally appropriate ways for them to contribute and feel empowered (e.g., creating signage, 3D printing shields).

• Students will become familiar with the tools needed to be successful should extended absences or remote learning occur.

Students and teachers will always be required to wear masks in the school’s public spaces and nearly always in classrooms (with lunchtime and select other activities being the rare exception).

It’s imperative that students spend time over the summer acclimating to a high-quality mask that’s comfortable for them. Before the year begins, please purchase a set of at least three washable and reusable masks that are tightly woven and cover the student’s nose and mouth completely, even while talking and moving. 

Because fit and comfort are so specific to individuals, we recommend that families start to look for masks now that meet the following criteria. When you have one you like, and these may be made rather than bought, we recommend having three in rotation. Criteria are:

• Triple-layered (it is up to you whether you want the middle layer to be a disposable filter material but do not choose a filter material that contains fiberglass). Some dual-layered masks may also be acceptable depending on material.

• Washable and reusable. Embellishments like sequins, glitter, etc. that prevent easy washing should be avoided.

• Tightly woven (not sheer). No light should shine through.

• Adjustable either through an elasticized edge or a bendable nose strip so that there are no gaps around your nose or cheeks.

• Covers your nose and mouth completely and fits firmly as you talk and move.

• Water resistant on the external layer if low density materials are used. Note that waterproof materials are to be avoided as they may interfere with breathing.

• Does not have a valve to promote exhalation (the point is to keep your germs inside the mask, not just protect you from germs outside the mask)

• We understand that for many students, masks may be a source of personal expression. Per our student handbook on dress code, masks should not promote hate speech or inflammatory language, have images, language, or references to alcohol, drugs, or anything illegal, distasteful, or obscene.

Please label your mask.

As a general rule, avoid touching your mask. The outside cover is exposed to virus particles so please wash your hands before and after removal. Your mask should be easy to remove using ear loops or ties exclusively. Please look for comfort, a mask that is rated to block 95% of particles is not helpful if your child cannot wear it for more than five minutes.

This compendium has a number of vendors who meet the CDC criteria and also donate some of their proceeds: How to buy face masks, according to medical experts 

And this compendium by CNN lists out vendors who have masks for young children: From unicorns to Mickey Mouse, 19 face masks for kids

The Board of Trustees has unanimously approved the creation of a COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund in light of the many and varied hardships families are facing due to COVID-19. The Board is committed to supporting families through this time and to emerge stronger as a community. This Emergency Relief is made possible through an ambitious philanthropic effort.  With that in mind, awards are made on a rolling basis as funds are replenished through donor support.

Who is eligible?
All current BZ families, including new families that have already signed a contract, are eligible for assistance. The fund is intended to support families through partial, short-term tuition relief. The amount of award is specific to the individual family. Both families already receiving Tuition Assistance (TA), those who have received an award in the past, and families who have never applied for TA are eligible.

A COVID-19 hardship would include but are not limited to job loss or reduction of income, additional expenses such a medical care, child care, or eldercare, or changes in living situations due to COVID-19. Other situations may apply. 

How to donate
Click here to support the COVID-19 Relief Fund

How to apply
You may complete your application here, or download this PDF and email a completed copy to covid-19assistance@bernardzell.org. All requests are confidentially reviewed by Jackie Friedman, Bernard Zell’s Director of Finance, and Audris Wong, Chief Operating Officer. We encourage you to reach out to Jackie as you develop your application. These conversations are always strictly confidential. Award recommendations are then presented anonymously to the Tuition Assistance Committee. 

• Applications received by July 15 will hear by August 15

• Applications received by October 1 will hear by November 1

• You may be waitlisted for an award if the Assistance Fund is depleted. 

Information needed
If you should have any questions, please reach out to Jackie Friedman. The questions on the form are not intended to be a hurdle to obtaining assistance but rather, allows us to view all applications on an equal footing. 

If possible, additional documentation to support the basis of your claim may be requested. This documentation may include letters confirming a job loss, pay stubs or invoices of increased expenses. 

If you have never applied for tuition assistance before, you will also be asked to complete an application through Smart Aid. Smart Aid processes all of our tuition assistance applications and is required to appropriately credit your tuition in our financial system.

How does Emergency Relief work with Tuition Assistance?
Tuition Assistance awards for the 2020-21 school year have already been awarded. These are determined by families’ income and assets from the prior year, and historical levels of assistance are factored into the award. The application deadline for ongoing Tuition Assistance is December 31, 2020.

By contrast, Emergency Relief applications are based on the assumption of temporary hardship due to COVID-19. Applications for Emergency Relief will be accepted now throughout the 2020-21 school year and awards will be made throughout the year as long as funds are available. Emergency Relief awards apply only to a specific school year and should not be considered an indication of future award decisions.

Events and circumstances are rapidly changing. Our goal is to support everyone who needs tuition assistance, whether through our annual Tuition Assistance process or with Emergency Relief, within the limits of our philanthropic outreach. Please be patient as this process may evolve over time. If an award is not available, the Business Office may be able to offer payment schedules and other mechanisms to assist in this difficult time.
 

Click here to visit our complete return to school checklist!