Credible research and experience shows that COVID-19 is spread through aerosols in the air from breathing, sneezing, coughing, and singing. 

We SING in Kindermusik, and our young children are not vaccinated.  We must continue to be diligent in order to reduce our risk with this extremely random illness and all it’s variants and possible outcomes.

Guidelines for Reducing Risk of COVID-19

These new guidelines will be routinely updated as the medical community learns more and will be adjusted as Covid-19 cases change in our community.  I have personal connections with people who have had COVID-19, with asymptomatic cases, to long-Covid results, and even death, so it is very real to me.  I am watchful for local cases and am in communications with local Doctors and nurses to ensure our guidelines will reduce our risk as much as possible, while still being able to carry on with our joyful music making together.

These precautions do change how an indoor Kindermusik class should feel. Like you, we are looking forward to all getting vaccinations which will allow us to be gathering without these limitations.  For now, know that I, and my whole family, have been fully vaccinated since March 2021, and I will still be wearing a mask at time to reduce risk.

Music Connections Studios holds classes for Newborns-7 years old.  The most effective risk mitigation for this age group include adult physical distancing, adults wearing masks and all age hand hygiene. While we understand that many adults are vaccinated, at this point all of the children are not. Our goal is to protect them in our classroom as best as we can. 

If your family is sick, it is important that you do not attend.  Stay home and get better.   In Kindermusik, we love to share many things, just not germs.  I swear that is one of the hardest decisions we have to make as parents – to determine whether a child is dealing with contagious or non-contagious symptoms.

Of course, an easily identified indicator of being contagious is the presence of a fever.   The CDC recommends being fever free for at least 24 hours before going out to interact with others. Learn more about evaluating fevers in this KidsHealth article.

We understand that children can have a runny nose from teething, or allergies, which is not contagious, and you cannot keep them home for life due to allergies, but this kind of mucus is clear and thin.  If this is the case, feel free to attend, just make sure to have tissues at hand for limiting it’s spread.  My son had really bad allergies in the spring, so I fully feel for any of you dealing with those issues.  When the color of the mucus changes, you will want to stay home.

• The thickened mucus that accompanies many illnesses is often darker and yellow-colored (early part of illness and likely to be contagious.)
• Greenish mucus means that the mucus contains infection-fighting white blood cells  (highly likely to be contagious)

A cough is only a symptom, not a disease, and often the importance of a cough can be determined only when other symptoms are evaluated.  This article about Coughs in Children from University of Michigan can be very helpful in your evaluation.

You (and your teacher) may NOT enter the building if you or your child could answer YES to any of the following questions:

• Have you been in close contact with any person with a confirmed case of COVID-19?
• Are you experiencing a cough, any shortness of breath or a sore throat?
• Have you experienced any recent loss of taste or smell?
• Have you experienced any vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours?
• Do you have thick nasal discharge?
• Have you had a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit today or within the last 48 hours?

If you answer YES to any of the above, you will not be allowed to enter Kindermusik classroom, but rather you will be encouraged to give consideration to contacting your health provider and scheduling a make-up class.

If  you attend and it appears that you or your child have symptoms that seem contagious, we reserve the right to ask you to leave, as it is important for the health of everyone.  If that occurs, you will still be able to schedule a make-up class. 

We have an open and flexible make up policy so there will be ample opportunities for class attendance.  See our Guide for Scheduling Make-Up Classes HERE.

We look forward to making music with you and your child every single class when you are healthy.  If you ever have questions, please call Debbie.

Before class

All instruments and props, as well as door handles, etc. are sanitized fully each week.  Items in use during the day are cleaned BEFORE they are used again which is why extra time has been planned between classes.  

In our healthy and happy Kindermusik studio, we use ODOBAN which is known to kill 99% of germs on non-porous surfaces.  This will be used on door handles, and instruments that will be shared again. in between classes.  

• Enter the building for your class no more than 5 minutes early to allow for proper cleaning between classes. If you arrive earlier than 5 minutes before your class start time, please wait in your car.
• Please limit attending adults to 2 per family.

YOUR first priority is getting your child prepared, clean, comfortable and ready to participate.

Upon entering the waiting room area, please:

TAKE OFF SHOES and store along with your bags on the shelves to the right as you come in the entry way.

CLEAN HANDS with water and soap, or sanitize with antibacterial hand gel.  (FYI:  Research indicates best practice is using water and soap for 20 seconds, rinsing for 10 seconds.)  Please make sure to arrive timely so there is time for this before class starts.   It is also recommended to wash hands AFTER class.  Soap and water works best, so Ms. Debbie will clean her own hands this way before each class.

It is strongly advised that Adults WEAR MASKS in INDOOR settings especially if you are unvaccinated, for your safety, as well as the safety of others.  The CDC has said masks are not required indoors for those who are fully vaccinated, and in that case, you have the option not to wear them. I will TRUST you and not require proof of vaccination.   For those children 5 years and up who wear masks to school/daycare and tolerate masks well, they would be strongly encouraged to wear them for the short time they are in class.

SET your blanket on top of mine in it’s spot to ensure you have a sanitary Family Zone for you and your children, and get comfortable.  You are welcome to explore the instruments in your box.

PLACE your labeled non-spill cup of water on the white cabinet inside the room so it is easily accessible if we get thirsty with all our active movements.  Snacks are not allowed in the room, but you can step out into the waiting room to have a quick snack, then rejoin us when done.

During Class

To ensure a physical distance of at least 6 feet inside each of our studio spaces (which are quite large), we will be limiting class size to 6 families in each class maximum.

Family blankets serve as uniquely defined spaces for each family to sit that encourages interactions with each other within your space, and encourages appropriate distancing, which reduces touching interactions with other families.  Ms Debbie has extra Blankets if you forget, which must be washed before further use, so if you bring your own, it cuts down on the need for washing so frequently.

• Adults and school aged children will be asked to keep a physical distance of 6 feet when able while in the classroom.
• Children under 3.5 years cannot and will not be expected to keep distance but we will discourage sharing any instruments or objects that have been in contact with mouth fluids.  We encourage trading instruments within the family or with Ms Debbie.
• We will have a box for instruments that get picked up and clean instruments will be available to replace.
• Enter the building for your class no more than 5 minutes early to allow for proper cleaning between classes. If you arrive earlier than 5 minutes before your class start time, please wait in your car.
• Please limit attending adults to 2 per family.

ALL scarves are washed after each use, and I have plenty of clean scarves to replenish as necessary.   If there is a babies class later in the day, I make sure to have a set of scarves that are secured from our regular spaces until we use them, then all washed again.  You should see my laundry room on Friday mornings… very colorful !!.

All participants must strive to utilize the healthy habits of keeping their hands out of their mouths, and covering sneezes and coughs with the inside elbow.  If a child wipes their noses or puts their hands in their mouth, their hands should be cleaned again before any interactions with others outside their family.   Of course, we expect young children to explore instruments and their hands with their mouths – that’s how they learn.  We will just all need to do our best to reduce the possibility of sharing germs along with our learning experiences.

Instruments / props will be handed out individually (also a good opportunity for practicing the skills of waiting for a turn), and collected in a separate container where they will be sanitized before any further use.   Sometimes in class, we may have a “TRADING” opportunity (whether planned, or spontaneous), and that is part of learning how to interact well with others.  As parents, we want to encourage these positive social interactions, but make sure that only clean instruments are traded.  Ms. Debbie will be watching closely and promoting safe and healthy practices, but, as with all aspects of raising children… it takes a Village.   Together, we can keep our children as healthy as possible.

Some activities may be adapted to reduce unnecessary touching

For some activities that encourage person to person contact, like circle dances, we may clean hands prior to the activity, families may simply hold hands with each other, and/or we can make sure to wash hands right after contact interactions, and especially after class.   We WANT our children to interact with each other and connect by holding hands with friends (these moments are precious), and don’t want them to feel afraid to touch others, so we must teach the skills surrounding those interactions.

AFTER CLASS

Please be sure to clean your hands again and maintain space as families are getting their bags and putting on their shoes.

WAITING ROOM GUIDELINES

For now, it is recommended to limit the use of the waiting room to reduce health risks.  If you’d like to play with your friends before or after class… or DURING an older siblings class,  you may consider using the outdoor deck or grassy area onsite.  

A few families may enjoy the use of the waiting room when waiting for an older sibling as they participate independently.  Younger siblings may enjoy playing with some of the toys on the shelves, but should be encouraged to play with their separate items side by side, with adequate distance between individuals.  This may work best if each child sits at the two ends of the children’s table.

IF your child plays with any of the toys, please make sure to CLEAN THEM before putting them back on the shelves.  As a teacher, I will be focusing on cleaning the classroom items and spaces.  Thank you for your respectful use of this space.

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It may take a little extra class time to ensure a healthy environment, but it will be worth it for the health of everyone involved.  I am committed to ensure this happens for each one of you!   (I don’t want to be sick either.)

THANK YOU for following these guidelines and doing your part to help us all stay healthy and happy at Kindermusik !

If you have any questions, or recommendations, be aware that I would love to hear from you.  I’m sure there are still things I can learn about staying healthy, and I am always eager to learn more.  If you have a specific concern or recommendation, make sure to talk to me directly.  There may be something we can do right away to keep everyone safe, healthy, and happy.