January 2, 2022
We have been very fortunate at PCA that we did not have COVID in the school from mid-September to the week before Christmas. Based on high transmission and positivity rates in our community as well as experience, we fully expect to have to carefully monitor and manage COVID protocols throughout the month of January and perhaps into February to ensure that our school remains open and healthy.
If your child is experiencing symptoms, please do not send your child to school until a negative test confirms that symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19. Please note, we are finding that many individuals are testing negative the first time they test even if they are symptomatic. When retesting a day or two later, they are testing positive. To maintain a healthy environment, PCA will not allow sick students or students with COVID-like symptoms to remain at school. If your child is symptomatic at school, you will be required to pick your child up within 30 minutes. If you are awaiting test results, please do not send your child to school.
Over the Christmas holidays, the CDC changed quarantine and isolation guidance. Please find the updated protocols below:
Any student who tested positive or was exposed on or before Wednesday, December 29th, may return to school on Tuesday, January 4th. These students will need to adhere to strict mask use until the 11th day after they tested positive for COVID. Email nurse@ilovepca.com and your child’s teacher to inform the school. We ask that you partner with us by speaking to your child about the importance of mask-wearing prior to returning. If students are unable to adhere to strict mask use, they will be required to isolate at home for the full 10 days.
Students who tested positive or were exposed after December 29th or are experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19, may return when the following criteria have been met:
- 5 calendar days have passed since date of initial positive test or exposure (return on the 6th day).
- Free of fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and symptoms are resolving.
- Wear a mask for days 6-10 and practice social distancing.
- Email nurse@ilovepca.com and your child’s teacher to inform the school.
We ask that you partner with us by speaking to your child about the importance of mask-wearing prior to returning. If a student is unable to adhere to strict mask use, the student will be required to isolate at home for the full 10 days.
Distance learning will be available for students (K5-8th grades) who need to isolate or quarantine at home. We can make materials available for pick up Monday afternoon before 3:00 p.m. or first thing Tuesday morning.
If your child has been fully vaccinated (less than 6 months out from second dosage of Pfizer or Moderna), or has a booster shot, your child will not need to quarantine but will need to wear a mask for 10 days after exposure. Your student should test after day 5 of exposure.
If you have traveled or been in gatherings, please test to help protect others. Over the counter tests are adequate for this purpose.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our school nurse - nurse@ilovepca.com, or call the school office at (954) 434-1550 from 8:00am - 3:00pm. Thank you for your partnership! We appreciate you so much!
JULY 29, 2021
As we plan for COVID policies and protocols for the upcoming school year, PCA utilizes CDC guidance, health department guidance, guidance from elected officials, as well as experience we have gained over the past school year at PCA. Our desire is to safely maintain in-person instruction in a manner that is healthy for the physical, spiritual, mental, and social development of our students.
The school will be implementing the following prevention strategies/protocols for the start of the school year:
- PCA’s greatest prevention strategy has been the amazing partnership between our school and our parents. In most cases, students have gotten COVID from a family member. When symptoms have appeared in the home, parents have kept students at home until they were certain it wasn’t COVID. We are asking parents to continue this practice and keep kids at home when family members are sick. When COVID doesn’t come to school, we eliminate the possibility of in-school transmission.
- Masking will be optional for students.
- Students will be temperature-checked upon arrival each morning by designated PCA staff. Anyone who exhibits a temperature of 100.4 or higher will not be able to be on campus and must return home immediately.
- The school provides and encourages the use of hand sanitizing stations and frequent hand washing.
- Frequent cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces will continue to reduce the risk of infection. Air purifiers with HEPA filters are located in each classroom.
- Students are, by nature, social beings and gravitate towards one another. Students will be grouped in pods of approximately 4 students within the classrooms. These pods will remain consistent at lunch and in co-curriculars to reduce student exposure.
- Families are asked to follow CDC quarantine guidance following international travel. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel-during-covid19.html
- PCA will continue to limit indoor visitors.
JUNE 2, 2021
In accordance with the new CDC guidance, PCA will allow staff members who are fully vaccinated the option to not wear masks at school should they so choose. If at any point, we feel the need to return to mask wearing, we will make that change for a season. The student mask policy will remain the same for the remainder of the school year.
As previously announced, beginning PCA Summer Camp, we will move towards masks optional for students. This is in keeping with the request from Richard Corchoran, Florida Commissioner of Education, that schools move to making masks optional for students at the start of the new school year. If at any point we see a surge of COVID in our school community, we may ask students to return to mask wearing until that surge has passed.
As face-to-face instruction is most effective, PCA will be moving to face-to-face instruction ONLY in the fall, except when COVID quarantining or isolation are needed.
We will continue to ask parents and visitors to wear masks on campus as we will not be asking parents or visitors for proof of vaccination. None of our students are yet fully vaccinated, and we want to make sure that we are protecting them from unnecessary exposure.
July 28, 2020
As we get closer to the start of the new school year, we have updated our Re-Entry Plan and recorded a new video (https://vimeo.com/442171898/b1748f05cb) with important updates and information.
Our School Supply List was recently shared in an email that went out to parents. Please take a look at the supplies that your child will need for the 2020-2021 school year.
july 2, 2020
PCA has updated its Re-Entry Plan effective July 2, 2020. This document will continue to evolve as new developments are considered, but for now, this is what PCA will look like in the fall.
In addition to the school's Re-Entry Plan, we have also created a detailed VIDEO further explaining PCA's plans and expectations for the coming school year. https://vimeo.com/434542611
We are also sharing our school's Holiday Calendar so that you can start making plans as well. Please continue to check your emails for updated communication from the school regarding COVID-19.
june 2020
Curious about PCA's plans for the fall? Our Head of School, Dr. Julia Elliott, provides an important update. Please check out our Re-Entry Plan for the 2020-2021 school year.
https://vimeo.com/425990693
PCA's Re-Entry Plan is a living document that may change as updates become available from state and local agencies following Covid-19. Please contact our school should you have any questions or concerns.
March 13, 2020
This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. Psalm 91:2
Dear PCA Parents,
Below you will find important information regarding PCA school closing:
·In keeping with the Broward County School District, Potential Christian Academy will be closed to students beginning Monday, March 16th.
·Monday, March 16th and Tuesday, March 17th will be teacher planning days. PCA schedules 2 additional days in its annual calendar in case of hurricane closure. These days will not need to be made up.
·PCA will transition to remote learning on Wednesday, March 18th and Thursday, March 19th.
·Spring break begins Friday, March 20th.
·Please watch for updates towards the end of spring break to determine whether school will reopen Monday, March 30th.
Due to the change from face-to-face to remote learning, 3rd quarter will end today in lieu of next Thursday. This will allow PCA to provide students some grace as they learn to transition to remote learning.
After school activities and sports will be suspended until school reopens.
During this time, PCA will undergo a thorough cleaning, as has been our practice.
Keeping continuity of education and meeting your children’s educational needs is very important to us. We will provide you with instructions to log into and utilize Renweb’s Learning Management System (LMS) on Tuesday. Thank you so much for entrusting us with your children. Know that your family is in our prayers.
March 11, 2020
RE: PCA CORONAVIRUS UPDATES
Dear PCA Parents,
Potential Christian Academy continues to closely monitor COVID-19 (coronavirus) developments, and follow the guidance of several resources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Florida Department of Health (FDOH), the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE), and other reputable sources of information to safeguard the health and safety of our students and staff.
We are not operating out of a place of panic or fear, as our trust is in the Lord, but rather from a place of an abundance of caution and due diligence. We have been taking all necessary precautions and implementing a series of preventive and proactive measures to address this ever-changing issue. With the situation being so fluid, it’s important to note that adjustments will be made as necessary. These changes and updates may be found on our website, ilovepca.com.
Given the upcoming spring break holiday (Monday, March 23 to Friday, March 27), it is extremely important to address the school’s necessary protocols to help keep our students and staff healthy and safe. We are aware that some families have secured travel plans during the break. Although it is not our intention to force anyone to cancel their vacation, we do URGE all travelers to consider changing their plans to any of the affected areas for the remainder of the school year.
We ask that students please refrain from traveling to areas that are at WARNING LEVEL 3 or ALERT LEVEL 2. Following are the types of notices and what they mean, taken from the CDC website:
Warning Level 3 (Red): Avoid all non-essential travel to this destination. The outbreak is of high risk to travelers and no precautions are available to protect against the identified increased risk.
Alert Level 2 (Yellow): Practice enhanced precautions for this destination. The Travel Health Notice describes additional precautions added, or defines a specific at-risk population.
Watch Level 1 (Green): Practice usual precautions for this destination, as described in the Travel Health Notice and/or on the destination page. This includes being up-to-date on all recommended vaccines and practicing appropriate mosquito avoidance.
Currently, Level 3 countries are China, South Korea, Italy, and Iran. Level 2 is Japan, but this can change at a moment’s notice. Please check the CDC website regularly for travel advisories, as these change daily (https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices).
In addition, the CDC and the U.S. Department of State recommend against all cruise ship travel as well. The CDC states: “Cruise ship passengers are at increased risk of person-to-person spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19.”
Therefore, if any of these areas are visited and students or anyone in their household travel on any cruise ship, the student will need to self-quarantine for 14 days. The student may return to school if no symptoms are present after the 14-day period.
During the 14-day isolation period, individuals who develop a respiratory illness with symptoms of cough, fever, and shortness of breath, should report immediately to the Florida Department of Health-Broward or their healthcare provider. This is also in line with the Surgeon General’s recommendation that those planning to travel outside of the United States, specifically to high-risk countries, self-report and self-isolate.
In these cases, student absences will be excused and every effort will be made to supply the student with schoolwork to complete from home. As of March 11, 2020, PCA is suspending all awards and recognitions associated with perfect attendance. This aligns with recommendations provided by the CDC in order to encourage all students and staff who are sick to stay home, thereby helping to reduce the spread of illness.
If you or anyone in your household recently traveled or plan to travel to any Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 countries in the foreseeable future, we request that you please advise the school immediately via email at eileen.trimble@ilovepca.com. Please be sure to include the dates and location(s) of your travel.
We thank you for your continued partnership as we work together for the health and safety of all. May God bless and protect your families.
March 2, 2020
Dear PCA Parents,
As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread in the US, we want to inform parents of PCA’s plan to mitigate the risk to our students and help keep them healthy.
To our knowledge, we do not have any cases of that particular virus at our school, but we would like to remind all parents to please keep their children home when they are sick.Viruses are extremely contagious and can spread quickly among students. Viral symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, etc. These children must stay home during and 24 hours after the symptoms have subsided without a fever reducing medication.
If a student is exhibiting symptoms at school, we will quarantine the student and immediately contact a parent to pick up their child. Please partner with us by picking up your child promptly.
During this flu season, we are taking the following precautionary measures:
·We utilize a bio enzyme machine, after school hours, that purifies the air and kills spores or germs inside the air, killing any germs and some viruses.
·We are purchasing a disinfectant that is COVID-19 certified for use on desks, classroom hard surfaces, and lunch tables. We continue to work vigorously by cleaning classrooms and other main areas.
·We are ensuring that bathrooms are fully stocked with soap and paper towels each morning.
·Additional hand sanitizing stations will be installed.
As recommended by the CDC, our school staff is also reinforcing good hygiene habits with our students. Please review them with your children at home as well. A great poster for your home can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/pdf/family_handwashing-508.pdf
·Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
·Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
·Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipes.
·Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
·Vaccinations - Stay up to date on vaccinations, including the influenza vaccine.
·Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Maintain at least six feet of distance from anyone exhibiting obvious symptoms.
·Stay home when you are sick.
We ask that you also reinforce the importance of good personal hygiene at home, keep sick students out of school, and visit your doctor right away for proper diagnosis when they are sick. If your child has been diagnosed with a virus strain, please inform the school office as we are keeping a master list. Should your child be diagnosed with a virus, a doctor’s note will be required stating that the student is clear to return to school.
Thank you for continuing to partner with us in maintaining the health of our children and families. We rest in the comfort of knowing that God is in control and we can always find peace in Him.
Blessings,
PCA Administration