Start of School COVID-19 Mitigation Policies

Dear Families,

I hope this finds you well and that you had an enjoyable summer. The campus is buzzing with activity as we prepare for another school year and we are looking forward to seeing everyone back at school on Monday, August 16.

I am proud of how we all came together last year to support having our children in school in the midst of the pandemic with the minimum of disruption. Yes, it was different in some ways, but on the whole we were able to provide the same educational experience that our students had been accustomed to.

As I am sure you are aware, we are again starting school with COVID-19 being a prominent point of concern. In fact, we are seeing significantly higher COVID-19 infection rates in Alachua County than last year. Unlike last year, we now have over a year's worth of experience in how to conduct school as safely as possible. We also have better official guidance and a seasoned medical team that has worked together with the school’s administration throughout the pandemic.

Our primary goal is to keep all our classrooms open throughout the school year and to keep our students, staff, and community safe. Due to the dynamic nature of the pandemic, our medical team will be re-evaluating the overall situation every 2 weeks and adjusting our mitigation efforts accordingly.

After a review of the latest Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidance, local infection data and the first-hand experience of the medical professionals guiding us, we strongly feel that a cautious approach to the start of the school year is necessary. Linked below are the COVID-19 mitigation policies that will be in place for the start of school and the 2021-22 Family Handbook:

COVID-19 Mitigation Policies - Fall 2021

2021-22 Family Handbook

Here are a few key points:

• All classes will operate 5 days per week at full capacity. In particular, this means all Krishna Sharanam students will attend on-campus full-time.

• Health screenings will need to be done daily via the Procare app prior to sign-in. For families unfamiliar with the app – this is a screening tool used last year. Instructions will be sent for installation and setup within the next couple of days.

• Masks will be required indoors for all students, staff, families, and visitors.

• Symptoms of sickness will need to be evaluated by a medical doctor prior to the return to school. Due to the unique nature of the Delta variant of COVID-19, this includes minor symptoms, such as runny nose or minor cough.

•  Unvaccinated students and teachers who travel by air, bus, or train will require a negative COVID-19 test prior to returning to school.

Based on communications I received after the release of Governor Desantis’ executive order for public schools, I know that the mask requirement is not welcome news to some of our families. I too wish this was not necessary but we know unequivocally that universal masking does inhibit the transmission of COVID-19 indoors. We have first-hand experience from last school year with this.

Our hope is that COVID-19 infection rates will again drop to what they were in June and we will be able to loosen requirements accordingly – including not requiring masks. In the meantime, I ask that we all again come together as a community of families to do all we can to provide an uninterrupted on-campus learning experience for our students. We did it last year and I am confident that we can again by Krishna’s grace.

Please plan on attending our online welcome meeting and classroom orientation this Friday, August 13, starting at 5:30 p.m. Times and access links can be found in your email and at www.bhaktischool.org.

Due to heightened concerns due to COVID-19 we have postponed our welcome picnic and supply drop-off originally scheduled for Saturday. Instead, families of students in Bhakti Bhavan, Audarya Bhavan, and Madhurya Bhavan are invited to drop off school supplies this Friday, August 13 between 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. to the back porch of your child’s classroom.

I am looking forward to another great school year – my 14th as Head of School. It is a great honor to have the opportunity to serve in this role and to have the opportunity to work together with a dedicated team of teachers, support staff, and families as we strive to provide the best educational experience possible for our students.

Yours in service,

Visvambhara Dasa
Head of School