Can students wear face shields in the place of masks when in class?
No. Per the Governor’s 15th Proclamation, all persons in the State of Hawai’i must wear a face covering over their nose and mouth when in public and all persons must wear face coverings in compliance with county orders, rules, and directives. Face masks are the face covering mandated by the state. Face shields may be worn in addition to a mask but not instead of a mask.
What happens if a student refuses to wear a mask?
Any student not wearing a mask will not be allowed to enter the building. We will have some disposable masks on campus in the event that a student forgets to bring his or her mask to school. Please remember that cloth masks should be washed after each use. We encourage students to have more than one cloth mask in their homes.
What happens if a student or teacher is exposed to COVID-19?
As soon as we are informed that a student or teacher has tested positive for COVID-19, the community will be notified. Due to HIPAA laws, we cannot identify the name of the exposed individual. The school will contact the Department of Health about the exposure and will ensure the facility is properly sanitized. All individuals exposed will need to remain home for 14 calendar days.
How will we carry out contact tracing?
We will take attendance of all students present on campus. Anyone entering the building who is not a student will be required to sign in. These two registers will allow us to know who was on campus each day in the event that someone is exposed to COVID-19.
What is an isolation room?
In the event a student is exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, all campuses have identified a room where the student will be taken and isolated while on campus.
How many people are allowed per classroom?
Depending on the size of the classroom, our campuses can only accommodate small student groups to safely follow social distancing requirements.
Is there a threshold for positive test numbers where we would go fully remote, regardless of county rating?
At this time, if one person who has been present on a campus tests positive, we will move to full virtual learning for 14 days.
Why can't all the campuses conduct core classes?
The smaller size of our buildings and classrooms prevents us from practicing effective social distancing when accommodating large classes. The number of students in a core class is simply larger than we can safely accommodate, even if divided in half for an A-B schedule.
How is the air quality in the school’s buildings?
Some classrooms have windows or lanais that can be opened to allow better ventilation. For rooms without outside ventilation, we have added air purifiers to improve the air quality. Please note that the purifiers do not claim to eliminate COVID-19; they help circulate the air, which is one of the recommendations from the CDC.
How can parents help us?
Check your child each morning for signs of illness. A child with a temperature of 100.4 degrees F or higher should not be sent to school.
Make sure your child does not have a sore throat or other signs of illness, such as cough, diarrhea, severe headache, vomiting, or body aches.
A child who has been exposed to COVID-19 should not be sent to school. Follow guidance on what to do when someone has confirmed exposure.
Make sure your child is up-to-date with all recommended vaccines, including the flu. All school-aged children should get an influenza flu vaccine every season, with rare exceptions. This is especially important this year because we do not yet know if being sick with COVID-19 at the same time as the flu will result in more severe illness.
Review and practice proper hand hygiene at home, especially before and after eating, sneezing, coughing, and adjusting a mask. Make hand washing fun and explain to your child why it’s important.
Support the school by reiterating the school policies and procedures to your child. Help us remind the students to keep the mask on.
Follow drop off and pick up procedures and help your child remember his/her HTA ID badge. The ID badge is the mechanism for students to enter campus and for contactless check in. Please note that parents must wear a face mask during drop off and pick up.
WHERE CAN I GET HELP?
MEDICAL
Call your healthcare provider
If you do not have a healthcare provider or health insurance, call Aloha United Way 2-1-1
COVID-19 ISOLATION & QUARANTINE ASSISTANCE If you are unable to isolate or quarantine:
Honolulu County: Call Hawaii CARES 1-800-753-6879 (TTY 7-1-1) Call We Are Oceania helpline at 808-913-1364
Hawaii County: Hilo: Call 808-974-6006 Kona: Call 808-322-4880
Maui County: Call 808-984-8213 Mon-Fri 7:45 am to 4:30 pm Call 1-800-360-2575 After Hours
Kauai County: Call 808-241-3563 Mon-Fri 7:45 am to 4:30 pm Call 808-241-3496 After Hours
CRISIS SUPPORT, MENTAL HEALTH, OR SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT SERVICES