COVID-19 Protocols

Overview:

The Echo Theater Company is following health and safety guidelines closely, creating additional safety protocols and cleaning procedures, and adapting our class offerings and curriculum accordingly.

• Each student will complete a health screening and have their temperature taken before each class.


• We have decreased the capacity of classes to make physical distancing possible. There will be 9 students maximum in our biggest classes. 


• Each student will have their own mats, aerial equipment, and 6’ x 12’ class space. There will be no sharing of equipment. 


• All staff and students will be required to wear a mask when inside the Echo Theater. Masks will be provided if needed.


• Students and staff will remain at least 6 feet apart. There will be no partnering during class and instructors will not use hands-on spotting unless a student’s safety is at risk. 


• ETC staff will clean and disinfect all equipment and high-touch surfaces between classes.


• ETC staff and students will wash their hands regularly and use hand-sanitizer when necessary.


• ETC will send any staff or students who are ill home. 


• ETC will keep a log of students and staff and participate in contact tracing if needed.


• If it becomes clear that classes cannot take place safely, we will cancel as necessary and contact all registered students. 

Health  Screening:

In an effort to minimize illness in our school, we ask that you PLEASE CHECK ON THE HEALTH OF YOUR STUDENT DAILY, BEGINNING 14  DAYS PRIOR TO CLASS AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE END OF THE 5-WEEK TERM. The best classes start with healthy students and this begins at home. 

In order to participate in class, families must submit a form indicating the student or guardian will complete this health screening daily for 14 days before the start of class and for the duration of the term to the best of our ability. In addition,  we will do a verbal screening and take the temperature of each student at check in before each class. Please review the screening below.

• Have you had a cough? 


• Have you had a fever? 


• Have you had shortness of breath? 


• Have you been in close contact with anyone with these symptoms or anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 14 days? 

If you can answer “yes” to any of the questions above, please contact us to reschedule your class.

Drop-off Instructions:

• Students and parents will line up 6 feet apart on the sidewalk, down SE 37th heading south, away from SE Hawthorne.


• At check-in we will take the student’s temperature, make sure we have your forms in order and ask a few questions about your health during the last 14 days. We will also touch base about the pick up plan and answer any questions you may have.


• We are asking parents to say their goodbyes at the front door of the theater. If this does not work for your family, we will allow parents to enter the theater as needed. 


• Students will leave their shoes, bags and other property in the lobby. Only water bottles may come into the theater with students.


• Students will wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water before entering the theater.


• Our glass doors on the south side of the building (our primary entrance) will be our “in” door. 


• We ask families to respect social distancing when coming and going. 

Pick up Instructions:

• At pick up parents will line up to receive their student just outside the theater doors, in a line running down SE 37th to the south (away from SE Hawthorne).


• When each parent reaches the front of the line, we will bring your student out to you. 


• Once your student has checked out, you will leave heading north, toward SE Hawthorne. 

Traffic note: The block between Echo and Hawthorne, on 37th Ave, is completely closed to traffic. Please allow extra time for parking. The good news is that we (and our neighbors) have the use of our intersection for a parent gathering area, staff and student break area, or even for small classes!

Physical Distancing during Classes:

• Each student will be given a cubby to store their things before class begins. 


• Each student will be given their own 6’ x 12’ trapeze mat, panel mat, aerial equipment and other equipment. Students will not share equipment. 


• Equipment will be sanitized daily after each class.


• Classes will not include partner work or activities that bring students closer than 6 feet apart.


• Students will be encouraged to remain at least 6 feet away from other students and staff at all times. 

Spotting:

• Teachers will keep hands-on spotting to a minimum. Safety is our primary concern. If a student is at risk of injury, our teachers will assist them as needed. 


• Teachers will take the following precautions to reduce spotting: increased instruction on the ground, use of demonstrations, wooden figurines, and dry erase board for visual aid, and aerial equipment hung at a lower height.


• Each instructor will be a designated emergency spotter for up to 6 students maximum. 

Masks:

• All ETC staff will wear masks at all times.


• All students are required to wear masks during class.


• Masks will be available for students if needed.


• Masks can only be removed for water breaks. During water breaks, students will remain at least 10 feet from others.

Food & Water for Fall Term Classes:

• Students and staff will NOT eat in the theater space.


• Students and staff will bring their own water bottle. 


• Students are welcome to fill their water bottle at our water cooler.


• Students will only drink water when at least 10 feet away from other students. Water will not be consumed while walking.

Food & Water for Thanksgiving Break Camp:

• ALL-DAY CAMPERS: Please pack 2 healthy snacks, 1 lunch, and a bottle of water with your name on it. 


• PLEASE NOTIFY THE OFFICE of any allergies that we need to be aware of and any actions we should take regarding them.


• Students must wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water before eating.


• Snacks will not be shared, except within family units.


• Snacks will be eaten outside.


• Hands will be washed after snack and before re-entering the theater.

Aerial Equipment:

Each student will have a specific trapeze, lyra, or aerial fabric that they alone will use in class. They will not take turns or share aerial apparatus with staff or another student unless they are a member of the same household. Each apparatus will be cleaned between class sessions so that they are used by one student only between cleanings. 

We are also giving each student on their own mat(s) to use throughout class. If we need to use a mat another student has used, we will disinfect that mat before allowing a second student to use it.

Cleaning Protocols:

• ETC staff will clean & disinfect all mats, aerial equipment and juggling supplies between each use. 


• All surfaces will be cleaned and disinfected regularly, including the bathroom and lobby.


• Aerial equipment, mats, and other equipment will be cleaned and disinfected between each student’s use.


• For detailed information about our cleaning procedures, see our “COVID- 19 Cleaning Protocols” document. 

Ventilation:

The Echo Theater is ventilated with a brand new AccuClean Electronic Air Cleaning System, installed September 2020. This system moves air through a collection of ducts that serve the lobby and theater space. These ducts draw air back to the system, where it passes through an electrostatic filter and is cleaned before returning to the opposite side of the room. The furnace, ducts, and filter are all regularly maintained, cleaned, or replaced in accordance with health standards and performance guidelines.

Additionally, we have fans in the ceiling that move air through roof dormers, and whirligigs in the roof that vent heated air through the ceiling. Weather permitting we will have our front doors and back window open for increased circulation, along with floor fans that push air outside.

Cancellations:

If ETC chooses to cancel a class, you will receive the choice of a full refund or a full class credit. 

If your child or a family member is ill or you are concerned about COVID – 19, you may cancel your registration and receive a full credit to your ETC account at any time. Unfortunately, we can NOT offer refunds once classes have begun. To view our complete cancellation policy please click this link. 

Communicable Disease Plan:

ETC has a communicable disease plan that outlines the steps that must be taken in the event that there is a case of COVID-19 or any other communicable disease in class.