NIS COVID Level Responses

An important part of our COVID response is to determine levels of risk to the community at specific times using agreed upon criteria. The four responses and levels of risk are described below. NIS will make a decision based on a best-fit balance of the criteria. Please note that meeting one single criteria in a level may or may not be deemed sufficient to move to that level, based on contextual factors.

Level Criteria and Implications

Level 4

Level 4 Definition:

NIS is in "Level 4" when there is a real and imminent risk that the school may need to close large sections of the school and/or even the entire campus due to significant numbers of cases among staff and/or students. At Level 4 we exercise the maximum possible level of precaution as a community in order to maximize the possibility of continued on-campus learning for as many students as possible.

Criteria:

Will include one or both of the following:

Government guidance or requirements are in effect which threaten the school's ability to maintain face to face learning AND/OR state of emergency or quasi-state-of-emergency measures are in place;
A number of cases have caused (or are on the verge of causing) a number of different classes/grade levels to move to online learning AND/OR a significant number of staff are absent from school due to COVID-related reasons and the ability of the school to fully staff a face-to-face program is at risk

Implications:

(note that these are given as guidance. The NIS COVID Team will make adjustments based on the specific situation at any given point in time)

Learning may be online for either all students or for a designated sub-set of students (e.g., a grade level group or a division of the school). Learning may be face-to-face for others, in which case the highest level of internal precautions will be taken with regard to close contact avoidance and COVID-preventative safety, for example ‘learning bubbles’ where possible and the avoidance of mixing groups of students as much as possible. Co-curricular activities will be suspended.
Campus access will be restricted to staff, students and only those parents/visitors with essential, pre-arranged and approved appointments and who meet the campus access policy.
Room Capacity: Strict capacity control will be placed on rooms and spaces to at least meet, but in most cases exceed government guidance in order to reduce close-contact and infection risk. The capacity will be considered alongside combined risks (e.g. activity type) in order to make a safe decision on final capacity for any given event.
Food/Drink: Can only be consumed following the strictest guidelines (in silence, supervised, etc.)
Off-Campus activities are generally not permitted. However, in the case of a strong learning need, short, local trips within walking distance which do NOT pose any increased risk may be approved on a case by case basis (e.g. local area nature walk as a part of a science investigation).
NIS Community Expectations are that staff and families are asked to conduct their lives outside of school with the utmost caution, avoiding the risk of community transmission through any high-risk non-essential activity (for example, mixing with others unnecessarily, non-essential travel, playdates/sleepovers/parties, socializing outside of your immediate bubble and/or in any high risk environment such as a crowded restaurant, etc)

Level 3

Level 3 Definition:

While there is no immediate risk of moving large numbers of students to online learning, there remains a real risk of COVID transmission due to high numbers of COVID cases within the local and national community, and government guidance is in place meaning that this poses a risk to continued face-to-face learning. Consequently, high levels of caution are needed to ensure we are able to maximize the possibility of on-campus learning moving forwards.

Criteria:

There remain high and/or unstable/rising levels of community infection in the national and/or local area with significant chance of infection.
Government guidance/requirements mean that schools may need to close classes/sections of the school in the case of a number of positive cases, close contact cases, or undiagnosed symptomatic cases are found AND/OR state of emergency or quasi-state-of-emergency measures are in place.
There may be isolated cases within the direct NIS community but these are confined to a specific small-scale part of the school and do not, yet, threaten large-scale (divisional/whole school) closure.

Implications:

(note that these are given as guidance. The NIS COVIDeTam will make adjustments based on the specific situation at any given point in time)

Learning continues on campus with high levels of caution concerning close contact avoidance; however, regular meetings/after school activities and other approved activities will continue, with caution, and a greater freedom in the mixing of student groups will be possible than under ‘level 4’ precautions. High-risk curricular and co-curricular activities (choral singing indoors, etc) should not happen.
Campus Access is, in principle, restricted only to staff, students and those visitors/parents with clearly-identified and necessary, pre-approved appointments and who meet the campus access policy. However, certain high-value activities (for learning, well-being or community partnerships) may be open to parents under strict precautions (examples might include watching an outdoor sports game, a PTA board meeting, limited attendance at a performance or exhibition, etc).
Room Capacity: Strict capacity control will be placed on rooms and spaces to meet government guidance in order to reduce close-contact and infection risk. The capacity will be considered alongside combined risks (e.g. activity type) in order to make a safe decision on final capacity for any given event.
Food/Drink: Can only be consumed following the strictest guidelines (in silence, supervised, etc.)
Off-Campus activities will be restricted to only safe, risk-assessed local trips excluding long bus rides, public transport or overnight stays;
NIS Community Expectations are that staff and families are asked to conduct their lives outside of school with care, avoiding the risk of community transmission through any high-risk activity (for example, mixing with others unnecessarily in closed or confined spaces, playdates with children outside your child's usual ‘bubble’, sleepovers, parties etc.)

Level 2

Level 2 Definition:

There are (i) sufficient local and national infection rates and (ii) related government guidance regarding COVID restrictions that pose a viable level of risk of school campus closure/online learning. However, the levels of infection and/or the government guidance in effect is such that this risk is deemed to be manageable and, as a result, the school is able to engage in a wider range of activities, experiences and community events both on and off campus, provided they are done so responsibly.

Criteria:

While levels of local and national infection persist, these are declining/stable and/or of moderate to low overall risk to community health.
Government guidance/requirements mean that schools may need to close classes/sections of the school in the case of a number of positive cases, close contact cases, or undiagnosed symptomatic cases are found; however that risk is judged to be low based on the current local and national situation

Implications:

(note that these are given as guidance. The NIS COVID Team will make adjustments based on the specific situation at any given point in time)

Learning continues on campus with moderate levels of caution concerning close contact avoidance (for whole class singing/band may resume but with additional ventilation and space where possible, using masks etc.); regular meetings/after school activities and other approved activities will continue, with caution.
Campus Access is possible for all those who meet the campus access policy to a wider range of events, perhaps without a specific invitation/appointment - although parents and visitors must still have a specific reason for visiting campus (e.g. a meeting, attending a function, etc). Some activities may be subject to restrictions on numbers due to safety/space limitations in which case pre-registration will be required.
Room Capacity: Regular capacity of rooms can be observed. However spaces should not be over capacity and decisions around capacity must be mindful of concurrent issues such as ventilation, eating intentions, activity type, etc.
Food/Drink: Low-level talking/dialogue during controlled eating is permissible, in well-spaced and well-ventilated spaces as much as possible, and when food/drink is prepared and served with precautions necessary to mitigate reasonable risk.
Offsite activities will resume in full for day trips, subject to enhanced risk assessments. Overnight activities (domestic only) and long bus-rides are possible, with enhanced safety measures (for example sleeping no more than two to a room or equivalent larger, well-ventilated spaces for overnights; no eating on buses for long journeys to ensure consistent mask wearing, etc.).
Community Expectations are that staff and families are asked to conduct their lives outside of school with care, avoiding unnecessary risks (e.g. crowded, poorly-ventilated, close contact spaces, large parties with food/drink that are conducted without sufficient safety measures in place, etc).

Level 1

Level 1 Definition:

In Level 1 the chances of the school needing to move to online learning are remote. Public health guidance and local/national infection numbers no longer provide for explicit triggers which are likely to necessitate the closing of grade levels or classes any more than other infectious diseases (such as seasonal flu, etc.). As such, Level 1 will feel almost ‘back to normal’ although some safety measures will remain in place (guided by the overall risk of infection and existing government guidance).

Criteria:

Relatively little government guidance specific to COVID precautions remain. There are no specific triggers set by the public health department that have a realistic likelihood of causing classes to be moved online (for example, contact tracing is no longer in effect, there are no longer likely automatic public health triggers for class closure, etc)
Low and predictable local/national levels of COVID with stable and/or declining numbers

Implications:

(note that these are given as guidance. The NIS COVID Team will make adjustments based on the specific situation at any given point in time)

Learning continues on campus with some additional levels of caution concerning close contact avoidance (for example mask wearing indoors may still be encouraged but not required, very high risk activities may still be adjusted as necessary – e.g. group singing in confined spaces); regular meetings/after school activities and other approved activities will continue with a full program, subject to enhanced risk assessment.
Campus Access is possible to all those who meet the campus access policy and have a legitimate reason to enter campus. When accessing campus, parents and guests will be expected to follow any safety protocols that are in place at that time. The capacity for certain events may be restricted. Some very high risk events (e.g. indoor pot luck dinners in a crowded space; free-range food and drink at class parties) may still, not yet, be approved, although most ‘traditional’ activities can proceed, with enhanced risk assessment/caution.
Room Capacity: Full capacity for all spaces can be used, with appropriate caution considering the activity being conducted.
Food/Drink: Can occur with any reasonable levels of caution deemed appropriate; for example self-service buffet in Cezars may be deemed appropriate, but additional hand sanitization will be enforced and self-service utensils replaced frequently.
Offsite activities will resume. Overnight activities and long bus-rides are possible, with enhanced safety measures as appropriate. International travel for students may be possible, on a case-by-case basis, subject to enhanced risk-assessment.
Community Expectations are that staff and families are asked to conduct their lives outside of school with care, enjoying the full range of activities on offer, but doing so following any public health guidance that is in effect to the best of their ability.

NOTE: These guidelines are based on current understanding of COVID transmission and these may be reviewed and modified as and when needed should new information come to light. While it is not possible to completely eliminate the risk of transmission, compliance with these guidelines will significantly mitigate risk for staff, students and families.