Return To Campus

Our priority is to provide a Face to Face Learning Model, the ‘traditional school experience’ of all students and teachers on campus and classes/activities running as normal. While it is our sincere wish that we indeed can provide the face to face experience for our students, we already know that Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports Science and Technology (MEXT) guidelines and the status of COVID-19 cases in Tokyo will influence how face to face learning will take place. For example, the decision has been made not to run SASA classes in the ES for the first quarter. No school trips nor field trips will take place during the first quarter. Decisions in regards to competitive sports and Fine Arts Events will be taken based on decisions made by the Kanto Plains Association of Secondary Schools (KPASS) later on in the summer. The approach to PE classes, Music classes, and Art classes will be revised to accommodate safe practices.

Central to the continued provision of the Face to Face Model will be the consistent adherence to all hygiene and safety protocols by all faculty, staff, and students with additional support from home as outlined in this document.

During exceptional circumstances that may require school closure, our commitment at Seisen International School is to provide an alternative means of education in the form of Online Home Learning which will support student academic progress and attend to student social and emotional well-being.

 We consider this to be our professional responsibility in line with the Seisen International School Mission. 

Our aim is to ensure learning continues in the event of such exceptional circumstances. Our goal is for students to continue learning, but not necessarily replicate a traditional school day as per the timetable. Dependent upon school division approaches, learning and teaching may take place through synchronous or asynchronous lessons and activities. The success of our Online Home Learning provision is dependent on partnership, on careful and collaborative planning, appropriate student motivation and engagement and strong parent support for this alternative model of instruction.

We consider that a fully remote learning model is not a viable or appropriate long term approach to the education of our students. We also wish to note that sustaining Online Home Learning is also extremely demanding of teachers; everything takes much longer; lesson planning, adjusting lesson delivery to an online platform, creating student groups, providing feedback and tracking down students. However, should external health and safety conditions leave no other option and dictate the Head of School designates a date to begin our Online Home Learning Model, teachers will need the two days following this decision to adjust and prepare lessons and units and effectively launch platforms to support Online and Home-Based Learning. Home learning lessons would restart on the third day following the Head of School’s decision. We hope this implementation will not be a necessity throughout the 2020/21 school year.

At the discretion of the Head of School OR due to Government mandate, parents, students and faculty will be informed of the school closure with a date for the activation of online learning and general instructions for parents, students and faculty issued. Students will not be allowed back on campus unless one specific time is designated to retrieve resources. 

Considering the social & emotional needs of our students, with a desire for as much in school interaction as safely possible, a hybrid model may also be considered in the event of an extended need for physical distancing. Decreasing student density to safe levels (as determined by Government guidelines) while utilising our physical campus to the maximum of its limitations will be the drivers of such a plan, should it be necessary to pursue this model in the event of an extended closure. There are many examples of hybrid models that have been used at other international schools throughout the world to varying degrees of success. Circumstances of school closure, would play a role in the offering of any hybrid model eg. section of the school having to close versus another being opened. We are working on some possible examples and will be sharing this with parents in the event a hybrid scenario is necessary.

Our main goal will be to provide support for parents in developing the whole child through social-emotional skills, literacy and numeracy foundational skills, and fine and gross motor skills. 

• Students will attend school virtually through a mixture of synchronous and asynchronous lessons, activities and projects.
• Following feedback from parents, we will be increasing the time of synchronous lessons, especially for the older students. Classrooms will provide Zoom connectivity each day and also pre-recorded lessons. We also respect and are mindful of screen time for such young children.
• Some learning tasks may include other subscription sites (BrainPopJnr., RazKids, Epic, Khan Academy, etc).
• Classroom teachers will communicate through Seesaw and class blogs. For video conferencing in small or large groups, we will use Google Meet and Zoom. Home Learning packages for the 2 and 3-year-olds will continue and all other students can request this service if needed.
• Students will have both off-and on-screen learning activities designed to engage KG learners in experiences that connect to the current curriculum.
• Email will continue to be used for all major communications and announcements, including those from the head of school, kindergarten principal, and KG-ES Counsellor.
• While most students will have reliable online access at home and the necessary devices to support Home-based learning, others will not. Seisen will continue to provide loan-access to devices for students who need these.
• Parents/Guardians are encouraged to communicate with teachers during any period of school closure as family circumstances and the ability to engage in learning opportunities differ.
• Reflective Friday will continue to give students an opportunity to reflect and do a fun activity of their choice.

• Students will attend school virtually through a mixture of synchronous and asynchronous lessons, activities and projects.
• Students will have both off- and on-screen learning activities designed to engage ES learners in experiences that connect to current curriculum.
• Email will continue to be used for all major communications and announcements, including those from the head of school, elementary principal, assistant principal and KG-ES Counsellor.
• Homeroom teachers in grades 1 and 2 will continue to communicate learning activities through Seesaw.
• Homeroom teachers in grades 3-5 will continue to communicate learning activities via Google Classroom.
• Some learning tasks may include other subscription sites (ie. Reflex, BrainPop, RazKids, Mathletics Khan Academy, Padlet, Flipgrid etc). If another online platform is required, teachers will link these through Seesaw in grades 1 and 2 or Google Classroom in grades 3-5.
• While most students will have reliable online access at home and the necessary devices to support Home-based learning, others will not. Seisen will continue to provide loan-access to devices for students who need these. Parents/Guardians are encouraged to communicate with teachers during any period of school closure as family circumstances and ability to engage in learning opportunities differ.
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• The changes below to our Home-Based and Online Learning provisions are designed to respond to parent, teacher and student feedback gathered as a result of school closure (March-June 2020) 
• Elementary will adopt the 1-6 day rotation schedule to enable language teachers to provide additional synchronous classes.
• Prioritizing student-teacher and student-student connectivity - homerooms will provide Zoom connectivity each day. 
• Social-Emotional support for individual students through our counselling service will be increased.
• Opportunities for students to collaborate online will be increased. 
• Wellness Wednesdays will be reinstated to provide a range of offline engagements, encourage physical activity and provide the opportunity for a period of catch-up time should students need it to work on/complete assignments.
• Afternoon open-Zoom check-in sessions will be retained so students can connect with individual queries or for more individual support.
• Home-based learning provided opportunities for students to personalize how, and when they learn, to move more flexibly and freely through content and at different paces. The PYP Exhibition demonstrated how students can be empowered to personalise and take greater responsibility for their learning - increasing opportunities for students to pursue passion projects and individual interests particularly in the upper elementary grades will be explored.

Students will attend school virtually through synchronous lessons, activities and projects.

Students will have activities/assignments within the timeframe of a regular class. Teachers will provide guidance specific to the amount of time these activities/assignments might require. This will include time spent on accessing content, as well as completing work. 

Email and ManageBac will continue to be used for all major communication and announcements, including those from the head of school, principals, assistant principals, coordinators, advisors, and the counselor. 

For courses with multiple sections, teachers will be collaborating appropriately to ensure similar approaches with learning experiences.

Teachers will communicate student learning expectations, provide resources, collect assignments, and provide feedback through Zoom/Meet sessions, ManageBac and Google Classroom.

While most students will have reliable online access at home and the necessary devices to support Home-based learning, others will not. Seisen will provide loan-access to devices for students who need these. Parents/Guardians are encouraged to communicate with teachers during any period of school closure as family circumstances and ability to engage in learning opportunities differ.

The schedule will follow the Day 1 to Day 6 rotation schedule for Periods 1 to 5. Period 6 will also sometimes be used for advisory, social-emotional support, additional academic support, and assemblies.

Class period length will be reduced from 60 to 45 minutes in order to reduce screen time and provide more time in between classes for physical well-being. Subject teachers will still be available for questions during the original class time, if necessary.

Social-Emotional support for individual students through our counselling service will continue to be provided.

When the Kindergarten students return to school in late August, our first priority will be to provide a safe environment for them. All students will be considered “new” and they will need to be given time to reconnect and feel comfortable before any learning can happen. The social-emotional wellbeing is what we will work on from day one. Teachers will spend one-on-one time with each student to strengthen this important relationship. We will ask all students to share with us some work that they have done over the past few months and to talk about how it made them feel and to explain their learning. This will have a dual purpose of getting to know each other again and assessing their learning in a more informal way. Some of the classes will have new teachers and we will give full attention to this change. Students work and play with peers and teachers, and this allows for greater levels of interaction and learning to take place. Social interaction is only developing at this young age and needs to be nurtured and experienced for a better understanding of the world around them.

We are also fully aware that the environment will look a little different and that more strict hygiene practices are in place. 

Measures that are currently the subject of planning and the development of protocols and guidance in KG include:

• Providing training to all students on good respiratory etiquette, hand hygiene, wearing and removing masks safely, adherence to environmental signage and physical distancing in the school environment.
• Students must wear masks at school for all classes, but will be asked to remove them when deemed necessary by the situation or activity such as  PE and Dance.
• As per MEXT guidelines students two years and younger will not wear masks. No student should wear masks when sleeping or napping.
• Efforts to achieve as much physical distance as practicable within our physical, staffing and resource constraints; adjusting classroom set up and rearranging the layout to maximise physical distancing where possible.
• Exploring alternative ways students might interact safely with peers and teachers in supportive environments rich in dialogue, engagement, social interaction and feedback.
• All carpets, mats, and soft toys will be removed for the foreseeable future.
• The purchase of wipeable individual floor seating pads.
• The suitability of space dividers for tables if needed.
• Reducing contact through shared equipment, such as each child having their own pencil box (already in practice).
• Providing individual cubby space for each child’s belongings and not hanging sweaters/coats on hooks.
• The establishment of routines for use of and cleaning of classroom materials, manipulatives and books.
• Efforts to control social movement within the Kindergarten through maintaining students to class groupings, individual playtimes for each class rather than large group playtimes.
• Arranging staggered pick-up times in the afternoon in conjunction with the elementary school. Students from the downstairs classes will enter and leave through their outside classroom doors. The upstairs classes will enter and leave by the main KG entrance.
• Dual-purpose use of the Kindergarten Hall, such as an extra classroom space and play corner.
• Re-envisioning the locations, scheduling and provision of play corner, music, art and physical education activities and curricula to lesson contact risks; exploring sports and recess activities that can be done with physical distancing or individual with no sharing of equipment.

Students will need time to settle back and reconnect with school life; they need to feel safe, confident and connected in order for meaningful engagement with learning to take place. Our initial priority will be to focus on the wellbeing and socialisation of the students in addition to engaging with them on health and safety issues so they develop a common understanding of expectations for infection prevention in the school setting. Additionally, teachers will need time to engage with students to establish and assess where they are at in their learning across a range of subject areas and to plan to deliver lessons accordingly as student engagement and progress in learning during the period of school closure varied. Teachers will need to identify the additional supports that particular learners may require.  

We are planning a ‘learning to learn’ initiative for the beginning of elementary school reopening to refocus students’ attention and promote active engagement in learning. We aim to involve students in this initiative, asking them to reflect on their experience of home-based learning and to identify and build on the positives of school closure; the skills and approaches to learning they felt helped them or they need to further develop to succeed as active learners.

Of necessity, the elementary learning spaces students enter will look different in August. The physical size and number of individual classrooms within elementary represents a primary constraint to accommodate all students and achieve a physical distance of 1-metre minimum in all classrooms as currently recommended by MEXT. Attention is also drawn to the WHO Guidance where there is a question on whether the physical distance between students can be maintained throughout the school day given normal student behaviour (particularly for younger students). 

Measures that are currently the subject of planning and the development of protocols and guidance in elementary include: 

• Efforts to achieve as much physical distance as practicable within our physical, staffing and resource constraints; adjusting classroom set-up and desk layouts to maximise physical distancing. Resources which are not easily washable or wipeable such as sofas, soft furnishings, and toys will be removed from classrooms.
• Students must wear masks at school for all classes, except PE. Faculty must wear masks.
• The purchase of wipeable, individual floor seating pads so students are not confined to desks the entire day.
• The replacement of carpet tiles in learning areas with washable laminate flooring. 
• The suitability of space dividers for tables in grade 5.
• The establishment of routines for use of classroom manipulatives and books.
• Efforts to restrict movements within the school, such as confining students to class groupings where possible, arranging staggered pick-up times. 
• Re-purposing the multi-purpose room to a homeroom class for incoming 4C students to increase space available for learning.
• Providing training to all pupils on good respiratory etiquette, hand hygiene, wearing and removing masks safely, adherence to environmental signage and physical distancing in the school environment.
• The application of physical distancing protocols in shared areas of the school such as the cafeteria, corridors and recess areas.
• Reenvisioning the locations, scheduling and provision of recess, music, art and physical education activities and curricula to lessen contact risks; exploring sports and recess activities that can be done with physical distancing or individually with no sharing of equipment.
• Reducing contact through shared equipment and supplies (updated supply lists will be shared with elementary parents prior to August).
• Support needed from parents/guardians to ensure names are consistently visible on individual water bottles, clothing and supplies.
• Exploring alternative ways students might interact safely with peers and teachers in supportive environments rich in dialogue, engagement, social interaction and feedback.
• Promoting various alternative means for children to get to school in a safe way, including walking and cycling.
• The suspension for the time being of after school activities (SASA), the ES homework club and after-school open playground access to lessen the number of students across elementary who socialise together.

As we welcome the Middle and High School students to the 2020-2021 school year, we will continue to plan for the safety of our community. Students will have assemblies on their first day of return with an initial focus on social and emotional wellbeing after having been away from campus for a prolonged period of time. Time will need to be spent with students to explain and practice the new safety protocols we are putting in place. 

Teachers will need time to engage with students to establish and assess where they are at in their learning across a range of subject areas and to plan for adjustments in learning activities and assessments based on feedback. We will continue to provide additional support structures for students through the homeroom and advisory systems and the Student Support Team consisting of the counselor, learning support specialist, nurse, assistant principals and principals. 

We plan to make every effort to allow students to be able to experience their learning and engage with their peers and teachers collaboratively, but we are aware that safety protocols and guidelines necessitate physical distancing and other practices, further outlined below. We will need to make adjustments based on our observations, as well as MEXT guidelines, with the ultimate goal of providing the most engaging learning experiences and environment possible. 

Measures that are currently the subject of planning and the development of protocols and guidance in Middle and High School include: 

• Students must wear masks at school for all classes, except PE. Faculty must wear masks.
• Students will be reminded to adhere to the physical distancing rules via announcements and signage.
• For the first few days, students will have time to reconnect with classmates and get to know their new teachers.
• Students will have lunch in their classrooms, including students who purchase lunch from Cezars Kitchen.
• Having daily temperature checks before coming to school and again upon entering the campus.
• Hand sanitizers in all classrooms with the expectation that students will use them in the morning, before and after lunch, and at the end of the day.
• Having students bring their own refillable water bottles. Drinking directly from water fountains will be prohibited.
• Desks and chairs in the classroom separated across the room. 
• Having windows and doors opened for ventilation.
• Students are responsible for keeping their desks sanitized. Spray and paper towels will be provided.
• The possible cancellation of  dances, field trips, and sports events with other schools for at least the first quarter.
• Having  students off campus by 3:30 pm unless involved in supervised activities.
• Efforts to achieve as much physical distance as practicable within our physical, staffing and resource constraints; adjusting classroom set-up and desk layouts to maximise physical distancing. 
• Providing training to all pupils on good respiratory etiquette, hand hygiene, wearing and removing masks safely, adherence to environmental signage and physical distancing in the school environment .
• The application of physical distancing protocols in shared areas of the school such as the cafeteria, corridors and break areas.
• Reenvisioning the locations, scheduling and provision of music, art and physical education activities and curricula to lessen contact risks; exploring sports activities that can be done with physical distancing or individually with no sharing of equipment.
• Exploring alternative ways students might interact safely with peers and teachers in supportive environments rich in dialogue, engagement, social interaction and feedback.

The campus is only accessible to the following people until further notice:

1. SIS faculty, staff, students, the Sisters of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Yoga Convent.
2. SIS Parents / Guardians only when:
   1. Dropping off or picking up children. We ask that parents and children leave campus immediately. We will be offering staggered pick-up times and parents in ES and KG will be notified prior to the start of school of these details. We ask that parents model physical distancing and mask-wearing
   2. Attending an essential pre-arranged meeting with a principal or faculty member

Visitors by prior arrangement ONLY for ESSENTIAL reasons and with the approval of the Head of School.

The following people are NOT allowed on campus:

• A person who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
• A person who has any *cold/flu-like symptoms must be at home at least for 10 days. He/she must be free of a fever without using fever-reducing medicine, and other symptoms for 72 hours before returning to campus. (*cough, shortness of breath, or difficulty of breathing, fever of 37.5C or over, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell. May also have nausea, vomiting or diarrhea)
• A person who has been in close contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 (follow the instruction from a public health center, PHC)
• A person who has returned from any country on the watch list within the past 14 days 
• A person who is staying in the same household with anyone who has returned to Japan from any country on the watch list within the past 14 days.
• A person who is staying in the same household as a family member or other close contact who exhibits cold or flu-like symptoms. In this case, home isolation for 14 days from the first day of those symptoms should be observed. 
• A person staying at the same household with a person who was told as a close contact by a PHC must follow the instructions from a PHC/ medical institution.
• A person staying at the same household with a person who has *cold/ flu-like symptoms must stay home for 14 days.

Tokyo COVID-19 Consultation Hotline

Which of the following is your situation?

• You are experiencing symptoms and have a primary care doctor
• You are experiencing symptoms and do not have a primary care doctor
• You are feeling anxious

Relatively mild cold-like symptoms such as a fever or cough

If you are pregnant or at higher risk for serious illness)elderly, receiving dialysis, taking immunosuppressive or anti-cancer medication, or have an underlying medical condition such as diabetes, heart disease such as COPD), call immediately. For others, call after 4 days of continued symptoms.

Severe symptoms such as shortness of breath, severe sense of fatigue, or high fever

• If you think your symptoms are severe, or you are taking and need to remain on antipyretic, call immediately.
• If you have a primary care doctor and have above symptoms, call to consult your doctor or medical institution. Even if you do not have these symptoms, if you are worried about mild symptoms, for example, call your doctor.
• If you do not have a primary care doctor and have above symptoms, the COVID-19 Consultation Hotline is available for 24 hours.

If you are worried that you may be infected or would like to learn about preventive measures, call the Tokyo COVID-19 call center(0570-550571).

Check the Tokyo Government website for information (English)

https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/flow/

Useful Information:

Japan Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (English)

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/newpage_00032.html

Student or Staff Member diagnosis

The school will move to online learning for a minimum of three days in order to allow consultation with the local health authority to determine the length and scope of the closure.

The school will undergo disinfection/deep cleaning.

 

Close contact of a Student or Staff Member with a COVID-19 Diagnosis

If there is a case of COVID-19 in the extended community (eg a household member or other close contact of a student or staff member) - need to follow the instructions from Public Health Center.

The student/staff member will quarantine at home.

The school will alert other parents in the division but school will continue as normal.

Parents who choose to keep their children at home are welcome to do so.

 

In the case a Student Exhibits Symptoms while at school

The student will be placed into isolation with immediate collection from school.

 

Informing Seisen:

Please note that in the case of testing a diagnosis of COVID-19, faculty, staff and families are required to inform the SEISEN INFIRMARY immediately.

We cannot eliminate the transmission of the virus but we can reduce it by an active commitment of shared responsibility to ensure the following takes place:

 

Health Screening and Hygiene Practices

• All faculty, staff and students will need to have their temperatures checked and recorded  on a Health Screening Document (HSD) (Included below) to be submitted to designated personnel at the start of the day.
• Entry through school gates will be physically distanced and in single file, following signage throughout the school to classrooms.
• There will also be checking of temperature at gate/disinfecting of hands/washing of hands at gates prior to entry on campus.
• Children to be dropped off at the gate. Parents are not allowed on campus unless a younger child is upset entering the school campus. KG Parents will receive instructions prior to KG opening on dropoff and pick up procedures.
• If the temperature is 37.5 oe above students will be taken to the isolation tent under the care of one of our nurses and the parent called to return to school to pick up the student.
• Students and teachers wear masks throughout the school day apart from when eating or drinking. PE class can be a mask free zone for students. Masks to be changed at lunchtime and disposed of in designated garbage bins.
• Parents need to supply disposable or cloth masks for their children.
• Throughout the school day, students follow signage and physical distancing in hallways, classrooms where possible, and cafeteria routines.
• “High touch areas” will be disinfected on a regular basis throughout the school day. The Classroom Checklist  (Included below) will support teachers and students in maintaining strict hygiene standards throughout the school day.
• PE equipment, Art equipment and Science Lab equipment will be disinfected between classes when possible and at the end of the school day.
• Classrooms will be ventilated and physical distance will be maintained so far as is reasonably practicable.
• End of Day Dismissal will involve the staggered exit of students in a single file. With younger students being taken to the futsal area to be picked up by a designated parent/ guardian. The courtyard will be the designated pick up area for the first graders.

PE Classes

Special consideration will need to be taken in accordance with MEXT guidelines. Students will not have to wear a mask during PE but there needs to be a review of what can be offered during our PE classes that maintains preventative hygiene and physical distancing recommendations.

While recommendations are that PE classes take place outside when possible, we are keenly aware of the heat and humidity that occurs in August and September and other risk factors we need to mitigate in terms of students overheating/hydration issues. Thus the gym will remain ventilated throughout the day to allow for classes to take place in the gym.

Curriculum content will need to change to accommodate mitigating risk for example non-contact sports, yoga, dance, aerobics, individual pursuits and health-related fitness replacing the normal activities in the PE class that would occur during the first quarter.

KG PE classes will be gradually and safely phased in after several weeks.

Please note that at the time of publication, a decision has not been made in regard to the Fall sports season taking place this school year. This will be a collaborative decision made by the Kanto Plains Association of Schools.

 

Music and Dance Classes

Choirs and the playing of wind instruments will be unable to take place during the first few weeks of school at which point a review of the status of the virus in the Tokyo area will take place before reinstating such activities.  The possibility of suspension of public performances for the first semester will be reviewed during the first quarter.

Cezars Kitchen & Cafeteria Safe Usage Guidelines

To support physical distancing, decreased density in the cafeteria and to decrease the opportunity for transmission through high touch areas, Cezars Kitchen will provide a modified service until it is deemed safe to revert to the buffet-style service. Lunch will be served in bento-style boxes to avoid use of shared serving utensils.This service will be provided for the first semester. Cezar’s Kitchen will only provide pre ordered obento and a letter from the company will be forthcoming with an explanation of the service.

The cafeteria’s capacity has been halved to support social distancing during the reopening. Every other seat is marked so that students seated in the cafeteria will not have anybody sitting directly opposite or adjacent to them. Classes will have access to the cafeteria on alternate days, with lunches being eaten in classrooms on days when their class is not in the cafeteria and bentos being delivered directly to classrooms.

Supervised handwashing will take place before lunch and students will be reminded to replace their facemasks after lunch.

Students are encouraged to use one of the following methods of transportation to and from school as much as possible. 

1. Walking
2. Car (carpooling can be an option)
3. Bicycle
4. School bus 

Safety measures will be put into place when students take the school buses; temperatures will be taken, masks must be worn and hand sanitizing upon entry.

We understand that at times students and staff may need to use public transportation, we will always encourage them to practice appropriate safety procedures where public transportation cannot be avoided. Students are encouraged to follow the social guidelines of not having close or loud conversations as they ride the public transportation.