Coronavirus (COVID-19) Communications and Resources - Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School

At Bernard Zell, the health and safety of our community will always be our top priority. As such, our leadership team continues to monitor news and information related to the worldwide coronavirus outbreak and its implications on school programming and operations. Through direct consultation from local and federal public health officials, Bernard Zell is taking a proactive approach to this virus to ensure the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and parents. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.

For distance learning resources and online learning calendar, click here.

School Updates and Information

Coronavirus Updates from Bernard Zell

This Week at Bernard Zell: March 23
March 22, 2020
To: Bernard Zell Community | From: Gary Weisserman, Head of School

Your Partnership in Distance Learning
March 19, 2020
To: Bernard Zell Community | From: Gary Weisserman, Head of School

Distance Learning Extended Until April 7
March 16, 2020
To: Bernard Zell Community | From: Gary Weisserman, Head of School

This Week at Bernard Zell
March 15, 2020
To: Bernard Zell Community | From: Gary Weisserman, Head of School

Tonight: Welcome Shabbat Together
March 13, 2020
To: Bernard Zell Community | From: Gary Weisserman, Head of School

Distance Learning at Bernard Zell
March 13, 2020
To: Bernard Zell Community | From: Gary Weisserman, Head of School

School Closed Beginning Tomorrow, March 12
March 11, 2020
To: Bernard Zell Community | From: Gary Weisserman, Head of School

Health Update at Bernard Zell
March 10, 2020
To: Bernard Zell Community | From: Gary Weisserman, Head of School

School Canceled: Tuesday, March 10
March 9, 2020
To: Bernard Zell Community | From: Gary Weisserman, Head of School

Tiyul Update
March 9, 2020
To: Eighth-Grade Families | From: Gary Weisserman, Head of School

Important Coronavirus Update
March 9, 2020
To: Bernard Zell Community | From: Gary Weisserman, Head of School

Joint Statement on Coronavirus
March 5, 2020
To: Bernard Zell and Anshe Emet Synagogue Communities

Mifgash Update
March 2, 2020
To: Eighth-Grade Families | From: Gary Weisserman, Head of School and Stephanie Bloom, Head of Middle School

Health and Safety at Bernard Zell
February 27, 2020
To: Bernard Zell Community | From: Gary Weisserman, Head of School

Mifgash Update
February 27, 2020
To: Eighth-Grade Families | From: Stephanie Bloom, Head of Middle School

Coronavirus FAQ's

What is coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)?

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China.

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

Patients with COVID-19 have had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath.

How likely is a community transmission in the Bernard Zell Community?

While it’s impossible to predict whether the Bernard Zell community will be directly affected, our urban location, international visitors, children in close contact with each other and parents who frequently travel all present various levels of risk. As a result, school leadership is developing plans and asking students, parents, faculty and staff to partner in making our community as safe and healthy as possible.

What are we doing to help stop the spread of the coronavirus within our community?

The Bernard Zell administration is taking a multitiered approach to prevention:

1. Student Education. By following guidelines set forth by the Chicago Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each division head is working on the roll-out of age-appropriate guidelines on maintaining safe and healthy classrooms. Key takeaways:

Proper handwashing technique is important
Build handwashing into the students' day (coming in from outside, before eating, after eating)
Practice/model coughing and sneezing into one’s elbow
Create awareness of how often they touch their face

2. Cleaning and Sanitizing. The Bernard Zell custodial crew remains vigilant about maintaining incredibly high standards in cleanliness and hygiene. Surfaces are routinely wiped down and disinfected, and more thorough cleanings will be conducted if there is a known illness in the classroom. Additional sanitizing stations have been installed throughout the building, classrooms have received disinfecting wipes to spot clean during the day, and new procedures are being developed with our foodservice team for making lunchtime safe and sanitary.

3. Contingency Planning. The risks involved with certain school activities and events are continuously being evaluated and contingency plans are being developed should the current closure extend or should the viability of late spring events get called in question.

4. Monitoring and Partnering with Experts. We are continuously monitoring the situation, and working with experts in the field, both at the local and national levels. School leadership is coordinating with Lurie Children’s Hospital, the Chicago Department of Public Health and an ad-hoc medical advisory group that includes parents in the medical field.

What are the immediate steps I can take to help prevent the spread of disease?

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. Pay special attention to wash fingertips and areas between fingers. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
Reduce physical contact, such as shaking hands, hugs and cheek kisses.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Keep your children home from school when they are sick.

What else is the Bernard Zell administration doing to keep the community safe and informed?

The administration will continue with frequent email communications to parents about the threat of coronavirus in our school and the steps we’re taking to prevent transmission. This includes working with the synagogue on joint policies and procedures for keeping our shared community safe and this dedicated webpage for ongoing updates and information.
We are continuously developing and refining our distance learning curriculum to support the academic, spiritual, social and emotional lives of students amidst the ongoing closure.

COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund

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.

Coronavirus News

Aish | March 22, 2020
By David Kilimnick
Jewish Advice for Being at Home

Jewish Journal | March 22, 2020
By Sharla Etkin-Ives
Homeschooling Resources for Canceled Religious Schools

Wired | March 22, 2020
By Adrienne So
How to Care for Kids if You're Sick With COVID-19

Chicago Tribune | March 17, 2020
By Alison Bowen
Working Parents are Suddenly also Acting as Teachers. Here are Tips From One Homeschooling Mom.

The Atlantic | March 16, 2020
By Ashley Fetters
How Parents Can Keep Kids Busy (and Learning) in Quarantine

Standford News | March 13, 2020
By Carrie Spector
Stanford Scholar Offers Ideas to Upgrade Lessons for Kids at Home During Coronavirus School Closures

Medium | March 13, 2020
By Ali Wilkinson
School’s Out, Kids Podcasts Are In (Plus Many More Educate-At-Home Resources)

Good Morning America | March 13, 2020
How to Keep Your Children Engaged at Home Amid Coronavirus

The Jerusalem Post | March 12, 2020
By Rossella Tercatin
Coronavirus: Seven Tips on How to Avoid Going Stir Crazy in Quarantine

New York Times | March 11, 2020
By Lisa Damour
5 Ways to Help Teens Manage Anxiety About the Coronavirus

New York Times | March 10, 2020
By Marisa Porges
Schools Are Closing for Coronavirus. Now What?

McLean Hospital | March 10, 2020
Caring For Your Mental Health Despite the Coronavirus

CBC News | Updated March 10, 2020
What We Know (And Don't Know) About the Coronavirus Outbreak

Seattle Children's Hospital | March 5, 2020
By Heather Cooper
Helping Children and Teens Cope with Anxiety About COVID-19

Child Mind Institute
By Rachel Ehmke
Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus

National Public Radio | February 28, 2020
By Malaka Gharib
Just for Kids: A Comic Exploring the New Coronavirus