Heath & Safety

Southern Academy of SDA is asking for the support and understanding of our visitors in helping us minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Southern Academy of SDA continues to take guidance from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and the Health and Safety Departments of the South Caribbean Conference of SDA. Taking this into account, we are now limiting access to the school compound to essential visitors only. If you are unsure as to whether your proposed visit is considered essential, please email the School: southernacademy1953@gmail.com or contact us at 657-8012.

If your visit to Southern Academy of SDA is an essential one, we would nevertheless ask that you refrain from visiting if:

• you have travelled from or transited through any of the countries or areas that are currently on ‘lockdown’ in the past fourteen (14) days. (Conditioned on when the boarders are reopened)

•  you have developed a fever (body temperature above 37.8C) or a new, continuous cough within the last seven (7) days.

• anyone in your household is required to self-isolate in accordance with Government guidelines.

Along with all members of the Southern Academy of SDA community, any visitors to the School should wash their hands with soap and water before leaving home and once they arrive at Southern Academy of SDA. Washing stations will be available on arrival and throughout your visit.

Masks are to be properly worn on entry to the compound and must remain on during the entire visit. No Mask, No Entry.

All visitors will be screened by security personnel before being allowed on the compound. Thermal Scanners will be used to assess your temperature.  Visitors with a temperature above 37.8C will not be allowed on the compound.

All visitors must register their presence with Security before being allowed to enter the premises. A visitor’s badge will be issued by Security for you to wear while on the compound. Upon exit, visitors are to return the visitor’s badge and sign out before leaving the compound.

Only vehicles belonging to school personnel will be allowed on the compound.  Visitors will be required to find alternative parking arrangements.

The entrance closest to the security booth will be used to enter and exit the premises.

For the avoidance of potential embarrassment, we would also like to advise you that the School is currently operating a ‘no handshake, no hug, no kiss’ policy for all members of its community.

We apologise for not being able to give you our usual warm welcome, but we must take the current situation very seriously and look after the welfare of our pupils and staff.

Keeping Our Community Safe During Our Phased Reopening

As we begin the phased reopening of our School, we have carried out comprehensive risk assessments as part of our planning for a safe return. We have summarised the key points below:

• We have developed a clear protocol and provision in the event of a member of staff or pupil presenting with flu/COVID-19 symptoms while at school. This includes clearly defined safe areas for isolation until the individual can safely travel home.

• We have put in place hand-sanitizing facilities. This includes the installation of three (3) additional external sink units and hand sanitizing depensers. 

• Parents/guardians are also asked to provide their children with their own hand sanitizers, masks and tissues for use in school.

• Students are discouraged from sharing school supplies with other students. As such, parents/guardians are asked to supply the necessary school supplies for use in the classroom.

• We will provide hand sanitizers and tissues to all classrooms, along with lidded waste bins for the safe disposal of used tissues. (For CSEC Exams only)

• We have put in place a comprehensive communications plan, delivered through posters across the site and verbal reminders from staff, to ensure good hand and respiratory hygiene.

• We have significantly enhanced cleaning provision. We use chlorine-based and anti-viral cleaning products, and new cleaning procedures and protocols have been put in place, including an increased frequency of cleaning.

• We are enforcing social distancing: verbal reminders and posters reiterate this, and physical reminders are in place to minimise inadvertent contact.

• We have strict controls in place to ensure parents/guardians do not come into school unless they have an appointment.

• Parents/guardians are asked to make appointments before coming on the compound. This will assist us greatly in managing the number of visitors to the compound.

• All school personnel will be briefed on COVID-19 measures. 

• Failure by students to comply with the above-mentioned guidelines could result in students being confined to a quarantine zone while arrangements are made to have them removed from the compound.

• No exceptions will be made for CSEC students who are found in breach of the stated regulation.

• Parents are encouraged to support the school in this effort by reinforcing the importance of adhering to these regulations.

Teacher / Student Entry Protocol

All teachers and students (Vaccinated and Unvaccinated) are expected to attend school physically from April 19th, 2022 . Form class morning worship is a timetabled activity.

Teachers and Students are required to practice the 3 W’s while on the school compound: Wear Mask, Wash Hands and Watch Distance.

Upon entry, teachers and students must first have their temperatures checked by security before proceeding to wash their hands at the washing station. Security will then log your presence on the compound at the security booth. Information required:

• Time of Entry

• Name of Teacher/Student

• Contact Number

• Temperature

Security Officers shall use non-contact infrared thermometers to monitor your temperature upon entry.

Teachers and student with a higher-than-average temperature (over 37.8 degrees Celsius) would be directed to a cool area nearby. Your temperature will be rechecked after 5 minutes.

If the second reading shows a similar elevated temperature, the student will not be allowed entry and will be placed in the custody of the parent or placed in a quarantine zone (auditorium) while a parent/guardian is contacted to collect the child. 

In the case of a teacher, they will be asked to leave the compound and advised to visit the nearest medical health centre. A ‘fit for work’ document is required before resuming duties on the compound.

General Safety Guidelines