Education, development and socialization are important, but your child’s safety is what matters most. At LDA, we take every precaution to ensure your child is safe and secure when they spend their day with us.

At LEAH Schools Downtown Academy, we follow the health and safety guidelines as outlined by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.  Additionally, we strive to align our practices with the current guidance and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), state and local officials, and the local health department.

You will notice:

• Temperature Checks: We perform random temperature checks throughout the day in an effort to detect illness in students as early as possible to limit the exposure to other students.

• Protective Masks: Teachers wear face coverings at their discretion when they are experiencing mild symptoms of upper respiratory illnesses or have been exposed to someone who is experiencing similar symptoms to limit the potential spread of illness to one another and to the children. 

• Health Screening: Children are not required to wear face masks, but parents are asked to perform a health screening before bringing their child to school and keep them home when symptoms suggest concern. In addition to temperature checks, teachers perform health screenings throughout the day and notify parents when illness is suspected.

• Limited Classroom Access: LDA currently offers an open-door policy.  Parents may come and go as they wish throughout the day by simply checking in at the office first. To limit outside exposure as much as possible, entrance to classrooms is limited to the point of entry.  Classrooms have a safe spot posted on the floor near the door.  We ask parents to not go beyond that point to limit interaction with children other than their own as much as possible.  Parents can bring illness into this environment as well as students, so we ask parents to be mindful of their wellness or any incidents of exposure to illness that may have occurred in their workplace and respond accordingly.

• Hand Washing: We continue to ensure increased frequency of hand washing by children and staff. Hand sanitizer is available for parents in the office.  

• Social Distancing: We have implemented the social distancing strategies listed below:
  • Children and staff remain in the same group each day, when possible.  
  • We are staggering indoor and outdoor play times so different groups are not mixed together.
  • During nap time, children will sleep six feet apart, whenever possible, and positioned alternating head-to-toe or toe-to-toe. Bedding, cot sheets and blankets will be laundered weekly or when soiled. Infant classroom bedding and crib sheets are laundered daily.
  • Children are more likely to be combined during the first 45 minutes of the day and during the last 60 minutes of the day when a limited number of students and staff are present. Students are combined in open areas where there is more breathable space including the hallway sitting area and the multi-purpose room. To avoid this combining of students, parents may schedule drop off and pick up times accordingly.

• Sanitizing & Classroom Cleanliness: We are particularly mindful of our cleaning and sanitizing practices. Toys, playground equipment, doorknobs and other high-touch surfaces are disinfected, and toys are rotated throughout the day. We follow CDC guidelines for selecting proper disinfectants.