PAB Guidelines for Healthy & Safe Operation of SPB: Part 1
The Pennsylvania Ballet (PAB) is committed to creating a safe and healthy training environment for our students, staff, and families. This has been, and continues to be, our priority since the closing of PAB in March related to SARS-CoV-2 health and safety management.
Pennsylvania Ballet has created a phased-in plan for our return to the studios with a hybrid training model which includes in-person lessons and remote training. The following information was developed through research in consultation with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state and local officials. These guidelines were developed in a joint effort with our colleagues from schools across the nation based on research in our particular field of operation.
SAFETY AND SANITATION
PAB is implementing the CDC recommendations for cleaning and disinfecting facilities. The following procedures will take place before opening the building and will continue daily once the buildings are open as part of routine safety and sanitation procedures:
• Facility will go through a thorough cleaning and disinfecting at the conclusion of each day in preparation for the next day. EPA-registered surface disinfectants which are approved for use against SARS-CoV-2 will be used.
• Sanitizing stations are installed throughout the building, including the entrance and studios.
• All studios will have anti-bacterial gym wipes.
• Ballet barres will be disinfected before class begins and after class ends.
• All high-touch surfaces and door handles will be wiped down by staff and faculty throughout the day (every 4 hours minimum) along with an enhanced regular cleaning schedule.
• Floors will be disinfected between each pod.
• Bathrooms will be cleaned and disinfected frequently.
• Masks will be required for all occupants of the building. (City of Philadelphia mandate.)
• Lobby, break area, dressing rooms, and lockers will be closed.
• Water fountain will be closed for common use. Students should bring water for the day. No-touch water bottle filling station is available for filling personal bottles. No cups will be provided.
• Six-feet physical distancing will be maintained throughout the day.
ARRIVAL PROCEDURES
Signage will be displayed at the entrance with regards to COVID-19, describing sanitation procedures, social-distancing guidelines and areas with limited or restricted access. In addition, everyone must adhere to the following:
• Students will be assigned staggered arrival and departure times. Students may arrive no earlier than 15 minutes prior to their scheduled lesson.
• Students MUST arrive wearing a mask and their dance attire under their street clothes. All dressing spaces are closed at this time.
• Only students will be allowed to enter the building. A staff member will greet the student upon arrival.
• Students and staff will be required to complete a daily health self-screening and record their answers on the PAB checklist prior to leaving their residence. Bring the completed checklist with you to be turned in upon arrival. Once at PAB's facility you will submit your self-screening form to a PAB staff member who will ask 2 additional questions prior to permitting entry:
o Do you have any COVID-19 related symptoms?
o Have you been in close contact with anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last 14 days
• The parent should not leave until the student has passed the screening. A green flag will be raised when your student has been admitted. A red flag will be raised if your student has not passed the screening and must return home.
• The decision to admit a student to the building rests solely with a PAB staff member.
• Students will be released from the building by a staff member at the end of the day. Students MUST be picked up within 15 minutes of the end of their lesson.
• Hand sanitizing stations will be utilized once students enter the building.
• Staff will sign students in and out of the building.
• Visitors, including parents, will not be allowed in the building at any time without an appointment.
SOCIAL-DISTANCING AND OTHER SAFETY PROTOCOLS
• All lessons will be in pods of the same students.
• Studios are capped at 10 students per lesson (City of Philadelphia guidance as of 7/22/2020) until further notice.
• Lesson start/finish times and breaks will be staggered.
• Barre work will be a minimum 6-feet apart in distance and will be marked with assigned placement.
• Center work will have an 8- to 10-foot radius that will be marked with assigned placement.
• Students will not be allowed to change shoes on the floor. They will each have their own stool to change shoes and keep belongings.
• There will be no physical contact during class including corrections from faculty.
• Students leaving barre will sanitize their hands before going to center.
• No combinations will take place crossing the floor at this time.
• Students must bring their own personal Yoga type mat for stretching.
• Entering and leaving the studios will be staggered.
• No more than two students will be allowed in the bathroom at the same time.
• All students and faculty will remain six feet apart in hallways and lobby areas where possible.
• Wearing a mask will be mandatory for all students while in the building including while dancing.
• Professional students are to bring their own snacks that do not require refrigeration/microwave. Students may not leave the facility. Students are not allowed to share snacks.
GENERAL BUILDING AND ENGINEERING CONTROLS
• OCCUPANCY: As mandated by the City of Philadelphia, PAB facility will have a temporary occupancy limit of 75. (5 total staff and students per 1,000 square feet.)
• HVAC: Fresh air intake has been increased to 40% for all air handlers. Each studio's air flow is isolated from other building areas. Merv 13 air filters have been installed in all air handlers.
• STUDENT STATIONS: Each student will be assigned a stool near their assigned barre spot. Their gear will be stored in an assigned spot next to their stool. They will use their stool, not the floor, for changing shoes. Stools, as well as each studio, will be disinfected between uses.
• VISUAL CUES: Signage will be posted regarding COVID-19, describing sanitation procedures, social-distancing guidelines and areas with limited or restricted access. Floor markings will be utilized to assist with social distancing.
PAB ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
• To reduce the occupancy of the facility at any given time, administrative staff will work remotely when possible.
(Please accept Part 1 and continue to Part 2 of this document.)
PAB Guidelines for Healthy & Safe Operation of SPB: Part 2
(Guidelines Part 2)
PROTOCOL FOR WHEN A STUDENT OR STAFF MEMBER HAS A COVID-LIKE ILLNESS
• If a student or staff member becomes symptomatic during the program they will be isolated in a specified area.
• The student's parents/caretakers will be advised immediately and arrange to pick up their student in order to leave the building as soon as possible for medical care. (In the case of a respiratory emergency PAB staff member will call 911.)
• The student or staff member will seek medical care on their own.
• All students and families will be notified via e-mail when a student or staff member has a COVID-like illness. All efforts will be taken to maintain the confidentiality of the individual with the suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19.
• When a student or staff member is affected and reports a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, PAB will notify the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) to assess the risk and determine the most up to date course of action.
• In accordance with PDPH guidance, Student/staff member who have a COVID-like illness will be allowed to return if:
o A clinician has evaluated the student/staff member and documented an alternative diagnosis and determined the student/staff member may return, OR
o At least 10 days since the onset of symptoms AND fever free off anti-fever medications for 1 day AND symptoms are improving.
• All students and/or staff who have come in 'close contact' with the individual affected (greater than 10 minutes of interaction less than 6 feet away) will not be allowed to return until they have completed a 14-day quarantine. 'Close contact' generally does not include brief interactions, such as walking past a person.
• Students and/or staff in the affected pod will NOT automatically be subject to quarantine unless they have come in "close contact" with the individual affected OR show symptoms.
If a COVID-19 case prompts temporary suspension of in-person lessons, SPB's virtual lessons will continue.
NOTES ON THE DECISION TO REQUIRE A MASK
PAB has deemed it mandatory for students to wear masks at all times whilst in the building, including during lessons. Recent studies designed specifically to determine the benefits of mask wearing for COVID- 19 have demonstrated that wearing a mask reduces transmission of the virus amongst the general public substantially. The students' ages place them in the lower risk category for illness, but they are more likely to be asymptomatic carriers.
PAB's decision is guided by CDC and PDPH recommendations and amplified by scientific research. We recognize that the risk of transmission is most significant from respiratory droplets, shared over time, in enclosed spaces. As you have read above, we are implementing many layers of risk mitigation. In our studios, our students will be physically distanced. Our HVAC system's exchange rate of fresh air in/out has been increased and equipped with MERV13 filters. The studios will be cleaned and disinfected between cohorts. However, we believe wearing a mask greatly reduces the risk of our students becoming asymptomatic carriers and bringing the virus back to your home and to those at risk in the general public. It reduces the risk of a student becoming symptomatic and creating a temporary shutdown of the program. It protects our faculty and staff who are in higher risk categories by age. It is the most responsible approach for our overall community at this time.
COVID Liability Waiver
ASSUMPTION OF THE RISK AND WAIVER OF LIABILITY RELATING TO CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19
The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has been declared a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization. COVID-19 is extremely contagious and is believed to spread mainly from person-to-person contact. As a result, federal, state, and local governments and federal and state health agencies recommend social distancing and have, in many locations, prohibited the congregation of groups of people.
The Pennsylvania Ballet (PAB) has created safety guidelines for the return to in-person training. The attached guidelines were developed through research in consultation with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state and local officials, as well as our own research in our particular field for operation, including in consultation with our colleagues from dance schools across the nation (the "PAB Guidelines for Healthy and Safe Operation of The School of Pennsylvania Ballet").
Pennsylvania Ballet has put into place these preventive measures to reduce the likelihood of spread of COVID-19. However, PAB cannot guarantee that you or your child (the "Student") will not be exposed to COVID-19 while on PAB's premises.
By reading the PAB Guidelines for Healthy and Safe Operation of The School of Pennsylvania Ballet and adhering to the practices outlined therein you understand the risk and contagious nature of COVID-19. By signing this release, you acknowledge the risk of COVID-19 transmission to you or your child by attending the School of Pennsylvania Ballet (the "SPB") or otherwise visiting PAB's premises. This exposure may result from the actions, omissions, or negligence of PAB and others, including but not limited to, faculty, staff, and other Students and their families. You further agree that you and your child will comply with all protective measures and protocols implemented by PAB and/or established by the CDC and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
READ CAREFULLY AS EXECUTION OF THIS FORM WILL WAIVE LEGAL RIGHTS:
By checking the "I've read the above and agree" box below, you acknowledge that:
I understand that PAB has implemented the enhanced safety and sanitation protocols (outlined in the PAB Guidelines for Healthy and Safe Operation of The School of Pennsylvania Ballet) in response to COVID-19. I further acknowledge and understand that, even in light of these procedures, there is still a risk that I or my child attending SPB may be exposed to and/or contract COVID-19 while on PAB's premises. I also acknowledge that due to their physical nature, dance programs may carry a greater risk than other activities of exposure to COVID-19. Even when all reasonable precautions are taken, there is an unavoidable risk of exposure to COVID-19.
I knowingly and voluntarily agree to assume all the risks of any COVID-19 exposure and accept sole responsibility of any infection (including but not limited to personal injury, disability, and death) or expense of any kind, that I or my child may experience or incur due my child's participation in the SPB program and/or use of PAB's facilities.
Student and his/her assignees, heirs, parents, guardians, and legal representatives hereby voluntarily release, forever discharge, and hold harmless PAB and each of their officers, trustees, employees, faculty, staff, students, agents, representatives, or groups affiliated therewith (collectively, the "Released Parties") from any liability, claims, or causes of action of whatever nature, arising from or related to exposure to COVID-19 for any reason whatsoever to the fullest extent permitted by law, including without limitation any liability, claims, or causes of action based on the actions, omissions, or negligence of the Released Parties.
I acknowledge by signing this release that I have read and understand the PAB Guidelines for Healthy and Safe Operation of The School of Pennsylvania Ballet. I also understand that any COVID-19 infection (whether it occurs before, during, or after participation in the Program) and any related claims will not be directed to the Released Parties. By signing this release, Student and his/her assignees, heirs, parents, guardians, and legal representatives waive the right to bring any legal action against the Released Parties now or at any time in the future to recover compensation or obtain any other remedy for any injury to Student or Student's property caused by COVID-19 or COVID-19-related procedures and arising out of or related to his/her participation in the Program.
In addition, I understand that this release is intended to be as broad and inclusive as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will allow and that if any portion is held invalid, agrees that the balance shall, not withstanding, continue in full force and effect
COVID Parent Agreement
To protect our children and staff, I agree to keep my child at home if he/she has:
• Fever (a temperature of 100.4 or more)
• Cough
• Chills
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
If my child has any of these signs of COVID-19, I will not send him/her back to school until:
o A healthcare provider has seen my child and documented a reason for the symptoms other than COVID
OR
o All are true: 1) at least 10 days since the start of symptoms AND 2) fever free off anti-fever medicines for 1 day AND 3) symptoms are getting better.
If my child is diagnosed with COVID-19, I will not send him/her back to school until the following:
o It has been at least 10 days since my child first had symptoms AND
o My child has had no fever off anti-fever medicines (ex: Tylenol, Ibuprofen) for 1 days AND
o My child's symptoms are getting better
If someone in my household is diagnosed with COVID-19 or my child is exposed to COVID-19, I will keep him/her home for 10 days.
Tuition, Registration, & Preauthorization
GENERAL TUITION POLICIES:
I understand that I am responsible for the entire season of tuition for classes for which I have registered for.
The registration fee is $80 for the first student and $50 for each additional student within the same household.
Tuition and all fees are non-refundable/non-transferable. The School of Pennsylvania Ballet is not liable or obligated in any way to process any refunds or issue any tuition credits.
INITIAL PAYMENT:
Upon acceptance of my registration and enrollment, I hereby authorize Pennsylvania Ballet Association to initiate a charge from the designated charge/debit card input upon enrollment equal to my first monthly installment and registrations fees.
PREAUTHORIZATION:
I hereby authorize Pennsylvania Ballet Association to initiate preauthorized electronic funds transfers and debit the authorized debit amount indicated at the time of registration from the designated charge/debit card input upon enrollment.
All outstanding balances will be charged to the credit card on file on the 1st of the month. This applies to all iterations of the program: hybrid or virtual.
All charges returned due to insufficient funds or expired cards will incur a $25 fee.
I agree that this is a continuing periodic debit beginning on October 1, 2020 that will be made monthly for the tuition amount indicated at the time of registration and end on May 1, 2021.
I agree to notify Pennsylvania Ballet Association in writing of any changes in my account information 30 days prior to the next due date of the charges pre-authorized by this form.
I will not dispute Pennsylvania Ballet Association recurring billing with my credit/debit card issuer/bank so long as the debit amount and frequency corresponds to the terms indicated in this contract.
I guarantee and warrant that I am the legal cardholder on the account input during registration, and that I am legally authorized to enter into this recurring billing agreement with Pennsylvania Ballet Association .
The School of Pennsylvania Ballet reserves the right to terminate a student's enrollment if they are unable to participate in accord with the school expectations of attendance or conduct. I understand that violation of any rule maybe grounds for instant dismissal from SPB.
Photo Consent
I hereby consent to and authorize the use and reproduction by Pennsylvania Ballet and The School of Pennsylvania Ballet of any and all photographs, recordings, videotapes and/or other reproductions of my child's likeness for any purpose, whatsoever, without compensation. All images shall constitute the property of Pennsylvania Ballet and The School of Pennsylvania Ballet, solely and completely. Further, I assign and release all rights to said images and authorize Pennsylvania Ballet, or others authorized by them, to exhibit, broadcast, and/or distribute or otherwise further reproduce said images in whole or in part over or in any medium whatsoever, including newsletters, radio, newspapers, film, cable and television.
Medical Consent and Liability Waiver
I am aware that dance and the nature of the training and performing associated with The School of Pennsylvania Ballet place unusual stress on the body and carry with them the risk of physical injury. I shall indemnify, hold harmless and defend Pennsylvania Ballet, its officers, boards, agents and employees, against any and all claims, actions, or suits brought for damages or alleged damages, and from all liability, loss and expense, including reasonable legal expenses, resulting from any injury to person or property or from loss of life sustained by my child while a student at The School of Pennsylvania Ballet or while he/she is fulfilling a role in any Pennsylvania Ballet production or event in which he/she has been invited to participate on or about Pennsylvania Ballet premises or other venue where such activity is taking place including remote learning/online platforms.
Authorization for Substituted Consent and Emergenc
I hereby grant permission to the Director of The School of Pennsylvania Ballet or anyone designated by the Director, and to those persons listed below as emergency contacts to authorize emergency medical or surgical treatment, including, but not limited to, blood or blood product transfusions, diagnostic procedures, and the administration of anesthesia, for student where medically appropriate in case of injury, accident, or illness: subject, however, to the following limitations (if none, so state): This authorization is given for the benefit of student. The authorization given to the Director is given with the understanding that the Director, or the Director's designee, (l) will act only in my absence, and (2) will act only until such time as I or my spouse or the student's legal guardian or the persons designated below can be contacted. I understand that the medical appropriateness of such treatment shall be determined by the attending physician or by the medical facility's medical staff, and that such a determination shall be conclusive evidence of the reasonableness of the consent given. I agree to hold the Director, anyone designated by the Director of The School of Pennsylvania Ballet and any employees, officers and directors of harmless from liability arising from any and all medical treatment, or complications arising there from, rendered as a result of consent given pursuant to this authorization.