I can remember back to the days of April 2020, and just like small budding tulips and or springtime animals first emerging from their winter slumber; I started seeing children emerge out to the playgrounds and city streets to play. At first it started as isolated incidents of small families and siblings and then it slowly, over the seemingly never ending and still ongoing COVID months, grew into small groups of children playing together, and now they are out in full force, walking in packs, riding bikes, and playing games together. One has to ask themselves why this is? Why are kids hanging out together “not secretly” in the midst of this debacle we are currently in. The answer is simple! Children need interaction from their peers and from their friends. Despite what may be an ever increasing trend of a younger generation and their technological communications, this COVID era has enlightened the younger generation to one thing, human contact, friendship, and close interaction is still needed and very much desired.
Moffat County Christian Academy is attempting to capture that need for this upcoming fall. MCCA has created our back to school safety plan with the community in mind. MCCA does not want to take a shotgun approach to tackling issues that arise across a state level and instead opts to view COVID in light of our community combined with suggested protocol. MCCA is blessed to be a private business and approaches its back to school plan in that very manner. The remaining parts of this article are meant to enlighten readers on what lies behind MCCA’s back to school plan.
Sifting Through the Guidance
The first question that has been asked lately is how MCCA will respond to the CDE’s (Colorado Department of Education) guidance for schools. The answer is a simple one. According to the CDE’s own statutes (HERE) private schools fall under what is considered a “non-public school”. CDE’s own wording states “The term “non-public school” applies to private, parochial, and independent schools which provide education to children of compulsory school age. Neither the State Board of Education nor any local board of education has jurisdiction over the internal affairs of any non-state independent or parochial school in Colorado. A non-public school is considered a private business.”
With this status as a private business it puts us under the current executive order for businesses in Colorado and allows us to view and assess varying guidance such as Executive Order D 2020 138, CDE and CDC to determine what we see as most effective within our community and school environment, to not shotgun a response, but be specific in our safety strategy.
You can see our full response to masks in school posted HERE based on the exemptions in Executive Order D 2020 138, but it should also be known that we reviewed the CDC recommendations of masks and here is a quote from their recommendations that their own document “provides guidance to help school administrators decide how to best implement the wearing of cloth face coverings – in their school settings and facilities.” CDC also states “Education and promotion of positive and supportive relationships should remain the primary focus of school administrators, teachers , and staff.” This guidance, coupled with exemptions from the Executive Order, coupled with our community statistics and local culture has led MCCA to decide no masks are needed for students this fall.
We will also not be performing screenings at school based on CDC guidelines that recommend to NOT perform these within the K-12 grade levels, you can see that guidance HERE. MCCA will have some spacing requirements, hand washing strategies, as well as some other small safety precautions that will be released in MCCA’s full back to school guidance on August 3rd, but please be at peace that the goal is to create a safe, common sense, relational learning environment for our kids.
I close with the fact that of course COVID response, as evidenced by our current situation, is fluid and somewhat roller coaster-ish and chaotic. MCCA will be constantly reviewing and monitoring all guidance and will alter course as we see fit, but rest assured always with the community and children’s OVERALL growth in mind.
Be Absolutely His,
Matthew Hippely, Chairman