Coronavirus Information
TASIS Announcements
- January 10: An Update on Our Return to School
- December 15: Important Announcement Regarding January Return
- November 13: Important Announcement Regarding Winter Holiday (email to boarding families)
- November 6: Announcement in Weekly Bulletins: Latest Safety Measures on Campus
- October 28: Avoiding Travel to High-Risk Areas
- October 23: Announcement in Weekly Bulletins
- October 16: Announcement in Weekly Bulletins
- October 9: Important Update Regarding Mandatory Quarantine
- October 9: Winter Holiday in the Verbier Valley
- October 9: Announcement in Weekly Bulletins
- September 30: A Successful Return to School
- September 25: Announcement in Weekly Bulletins
- September 11: Announcement in Weekly Bulletins
- August 30: Important Information About the Start of the 2020-2021 Academic Year
- August 28: Covid-19 Testing for Day Students
- July 31: Our Opening Plan for 2020–2021
- June 29: Early Summer Community Update
- June 5: A Successful Reopening for TASIS (article)
- June 5: Community Update as We Close the 2019–2020 Academic Year
- June 4: 2020 TASIS Summer Programs Update
- May 17: Campus Reopening Guidelines and Safety Protocols
- May 11: TASIS Campus Ready for August 2020
- May 3: Update Regarding Reopening of TASIS Campus
- April 17: Update Regarding the Completion of the 2019-20 Academic Year
- April 3: A Powerful Message from the TASIS Community
- March 25: Recent Coronavirus Developments (extending distance learning model)
- March 16: Distance Learning Begins and Additional Updates
- March 11: Distance Learning Model: Guidelines and Expectations
- March 8: An Important TASIS Announcement (moving to a distance learning model)
- March 6: Details for the Spring Holiday Trip to Verbier
- March 6: Alternative Spring Holiday Option for Boarding Students
- March 5: Recent Coronavirus Developments
- March 2: Update on the Coronavirus: A Successful Return to School
- March 1: Update on the Coronavirus: Returning to School Tomorrow
- February 27: Update on the Coronavirus: Looking Ahead
- February 25: A Further Update on the Coronavirus Outbreak
- February 24: Ticino and Federal Health Authorities Update
- February 14: Announcement in Weekly Bulletins
- February 7: Announcement in Weekly Bulletins
- January 31: Announcement in Weekly Bulletins
- January 24: Announcement in Weekly Bulletins
TASIS Protocols and Policies: Fall 2020
Campus Safety Plan: Fall 2020Our Campus Safety Plan for the fall semester was released in late August and will be periodically reviewed and updated as needed. The current version can always be accessed by clicking on the button below. |
TASIS Protocols and Policies: Spring 2020
Distance Learning Model
On March 8, following the Italian government’s decision to quarantine 16 million people to limit the further spread of the coronavirus, we made the difficult decision to move to a distance learning model beginning on Monday, March 16. We took this preemptive measure despite the fact that there were no known cases of coronavirus at TASIS. At the time, no federal or local authorities had mandated that schools in Ticino must close down their campuses. (This would change a mere five days later.) Learn more about our decision here.
After more than two months of relying exclusively upon distance learning, we were thrilled to welcome Elementary and Middle School day students back to campus on May 25. Learn about our successful reopening and the safety measures we put in place in this article.
TASIS Summer Programs
Due to visa and travel restrictions preventing the majority of our students and staff from traveling to Switzerland, we made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 TASIS Summer Programs. See the full letter that was sent to families on June 4.
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Prior to making the transition to a distance learning model, the following protocols and polices were in place on campus:
Daily Temperature Checks
As a precautionary measure, we began conducting daily temperature checks for all students, employees, and visitors on Monday, March 2.
With the understanding that we were in the heart of the cold and flu season, we emphasized that it was important to remain calm and adhere to the following protocols—provided by our school doctor and our Health Center—when we encountered the cold and flu symptoms we typically see this time of year.
- Boarding Students
- Boarding students who had temperatures over 38 degrees Celsius and respiratory distress (cough and/or shortness of breath) were held in the Health Center, and our nurses then consulted the school doctor.
- Boarding students who had a fever and no respiratory distress (cough and/or shortness of breath) were treated in the Health Center with our normal protocols.
- Day Students
- Per our usual protocol, if a day student had a temperature over 38 degrees Celsius, he or she was required to remain at home. If the temperature was detected at school, the student was sent home. In either case, if the temperature was combined with respiratory distress (cough and/or shortness of breath), the student's family was asked to contact its doctor immediately.
- Faculty and Staff
- Per our usual protocol, if an employee had a temperature over 38 degrees Celsius, he or she was required to remain at home. If the temperature was detected at school, the employee was sent home. In either case, if the temperature was combined with respiratory distress (cough and/or shortness of breath), the employee was asked to contact his or her doctor immediately.
Preparedness and School Hygiene
In order to prepare for contingencies and to protect our community from the spread of all illnesses, we enhanced our stock of various non-perishable food provisions and other necessary supplies, including hand sanitizers and thermometers. We also amplified our cleaning routines around the school and reviewed all of our protocols in the areas of food preparation and service.
Education Campaign
Our Director of Residential Life delivered this presentation on coronavirus prevention to all boarding students upon their return from Academic Travel in late February. These messages were continually reinforced to both day and boarding students in Physical Education/Health classes and advisor meetings.
In support of this information campaign, we prominently displayed a variety of educational posters in the dormitories and other key locations around campus.
Support from TASIS Families
We asked families to help keep our community healthy and safe by adhering to the following measures:
- It is critical that you take your temperature and your children's temperatures each morning before you come to campus or send your children to school. Please note that the CDC's Definitions of Symptoms for Reportable Illnesses defines a fever as a measured temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or greater.
- Do not come to campus if you have a fever or are experiencing any of the other symptoms discussed by the CDC. Do not send your child to school if he or she has a fever or is complaining of any other symptoms. Consult with your doctor in either case.
- Continue to make sure your children (or any children under your care) understand how important it is to wash their hands regularly throughout the day, to use hand sanitizer when soap and water are not readily available, and to cough/sneeze into their bent arms.
- Report to TASIS Health Services any travel that you or your family plans to have or has had to affected areas and honor the regulations in place for those areas.
Travel
When news of the outbreak in northern Italy was released late on February 22, we swiftly re-routed all of our Academic Travel trips—many of which were scheduled to leave early on the morning of February 23—in order to avoid traveling into or through Italy. We continued to avoid any travel into or through Italy, including the cancelation of the remainder of our winter sports season.
To go one step further, we restricted all school travel outside of Switzerland through the end of March, as federal authorities recommended at the time. We soon revisited this policy as more news came to light and announced on March 8 that all Global Service Program trips scheduled for early April were also canceled.
Visitors
We continued to welcome visitors and encouraged prospective families to contact our Admissions Office to schedule an appointment. All visitors to campus were subject to a temperature check and asked to complete a questionnaire focused on their medical history and recent travel history.
Spring Holiday
For our 2020 Spring Holiday (April 4–19), we initially organized a two-week alpine adventure trip to Verbier, Switzerland, for any boarding students who are unable to—or would prefer not to—travel home. Details can be found in the communication we sent to our boarding community on March 6. This plan changed in light of our decision to move to a distant learning model on March 8.
Expert Resources
Please consult the links below for the latest coronavirus updates and educational resources:
- Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH): Latest updates
- Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC): Coronavirus information
- World Health Organization (WHO): Situation Dashboard
- WHO: Advice for the public
- Healix: What do we know about the disease? (January 14)
- FOPH: “Protect Yourself and Others” information campaign
- National Public Radio (NPR): Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring the New Coronavirus
- Message from Director of School Counseling: Coping with Covid-19