COVID Protocol

Heartsong Preschool began as a dream in 2018. My family began our move to the Gorge that winter and arrived in April. We were pregnant with our third child at that point. My plan was to do a year of festivals and invite the community as I recovered from birth and tended the new life in our home and the new dynamic of our family. When my son turned one, I would begin preschool. 

Little did I know that in the time from when he was born to when school started, a pandemic would hit. We have gone through massive upheaval with everyone orienting to this pandemic and our own health and wellness. As an outdoor preschool, we were in the unique position of being able to hold class without masks. 

The goal of a Waldorf education is to raise free thinking, moral adults. To this end, we honor and respect the perspectives and opinions of all families at our school. We believe that everyone is making the very best decisions they can for themselves and their children in this challenging time. 

One of the great tragities of covid is how divisive this issue has become in our small, rural communities. People have strong opinions on vaccination, masks, freedom and more. Heartsong holds a space of respect and honor for our fellow human beings as we each navigate this together. 

Heartsong School is a private membership group. All of our activities, and obligations are held within the private realm. The following information is posted at the request of our members.

2022 Protocol:

We base our protocol on the desire to maintain the health and safety of all children, parents, and the community at large. We also do so in a way that is not invasive to the children’s own sense of goodness, wellbeing and safety. 

Before Coming To School:

We ask parents to hand check the temperatures of children, on the forehead, belly and ear. If their child feels warm, they are asked to check their temperature with a thermometer. 

If children are coughing, congested, or sick in any way, we ask parents to keep their children home from school. 

If an adult in the home has a fever, we ask the children stay home 5 days after which they have a clear covid test, or 14 days without.

Please follow the protocol according to the CDC here.

At school: 

We have thermometers that change color. They are applied to the forehead. Each child will get one of these to keep in their backpacks. Additionally, we begin with a gentil hand check of temperature. If a child feels warm when they arrive, we take their temperature with a mouth, ear or forehead thermometer.  

We were hoping to serve meals to students this year. However, due to COVID’s delta variant, we have decided to continue with parents packing lunch for the time being. This cuts down on cross contamination potential. For summer camps, we have transitioned to having lunch picnic style on the floor of the tipi to allow children proper spacing during meal time. 

All of our structures have 100% air exchange every minute.  

Art projects at the table are done with 6 students or less at a time, the table is long and this allows for proper distancing.

We generally follow the CDC protocols for children’s attendance at school with COVID exposure.

We have a small grade school pod that meets three days a week. They will be working directly with their teacher and member families to determine proper protocols and safety measures are in place. 

Our Adventure Fridays are outside.

Should a case of COVID enter the school, all families will be notified.

For all Heartsong activities, the above protocols are baseline and additional protocols are added as new information emerges.