Wildheart Nature School protocols

Highlighted below are a list of the mandates that are applicable to our school, and the precautions we are following while keeping with the integrity of our mission and agreements.

● Currently, per OHA rule and guidance, it is acceptable for both fully vaccinated and unvaccinated people to be outdoors without a face covering…”where ventilation and physical distancing are maximized.”
● We strongly believe that vaccination is a personal choice and private matter amongst individuals in our family community. Our school by definition does not fall under the School-Based Program Vaccination Requirement OAR 333-019-1030.
● We ask that parents and kids do not come to camp if they have been in close contact with someone who has recently had 2 positive PCR tests for corona virus. This does not include close contact with someone who simply believes they might have covid. If they have been in close contact we ask that the student take 5 home days.
● If a student gets two positive tests with no symptoms, we ask that they take 5 home days.
● If a student gets two positive tests with symptoms, we ask that they take at least 5 home days. They cannot return to school with symptoms so if it takes longer than 5 days to recover, then they must stay home in that window.
● We ask for elevated mindfulness to signs of illness within family groups, and “home days” with your child in response as needed.
● We implement extra sanitation and prevention: Hand sanitizing upon drop-off; Outdoor meals in spacious picnic setting; No sharing of food during snack and lunch.
● We implement extra cohort precaution: Limited visitors and pre-qualified and trained teaching substitutes; Staggered drop-off.
● Reminder to refer to our school’s communicable disease management plan that describes the measures we have taken including a system for maintaining daily logs for each child for the purposes of contact tracing.
● Understanding of the potential for temporary closure. Temporary closure will only happen if a student or staff member gets 2 positive PCR tests after showing symptoms and having contact with others in the classroom setting. Closing the school for any length of time has a huge impact on everyone and we do not want make a decision based on a potentially “False Positive” test.
● Isolation if sick: If a student gets sick during the day, an immediate call for pick-up and isolation space will be provided (alongside the comfort of a teacher) for that student to rest and be monitored by staff until they are able to go home (OAR 581-022-2220).
● Transparent and respectful communication between parents and staff regarding concerns for children in the class.

Wildheart Nature School was originally inspired by a small group of homeschool families who looking for alternative education options for their children. One of our core founding principles has always been and will always be inclusion of all people regardless of religion, race, and medical choices. With public schools implementing measures such as vaccine requirements and personal protective equipment, we remain a safe haven for families with diverse viewpoints. We nurture an environment of tolerance and respect around each family’s decisions. We have a variety of measures in place such as small stable group sizes, frequent hand washing/sanitization, outdoor settings, and temperature taking at times when the OHA recommends to ensure that everyone remains as healthy as possible. Please see our Communicable Disease Management Plan to understand the significant efforts we are making in this regard. We are proud to say that we have had ZERO covid cases linked to our school out of the hundreds of children we have been served since June, 2020.

If you are uncomfortable in an environment where each family and staff member is trusted to make their own decisions regarding vaccines and personal protective equipment, then unfortunately our program is not a good fit for you. The sentiment is, “My and my child’s body, my choice.” If you agree that diversity of thought, honoring of medical choices, and inclusion above all else are values that you align with then we would love to see you in an upcoming outdoor adventure!