HI PARENTS,
As we are every season, we are eager to launch our programming for this fall. We really miss your students! We have put together a plan for high school and junior high small groups that, similar to everything else in this season, looks a little bit different than our “normal” programming routine. We have put together a list of guidelines that are in accordance to “Places of Worship” and “Childcare” as provided by the state of California. We are confident in our ability to provide a safe space for your students this fall if we can all agree together to follow the guidelines we have put in place. The guidelines are not a burden we must carry, but a way that we can protect each other and keep our community safe.
PRECAUTIONS WE ARE TAKING
All students, small group leaders and staff are mandated to wear masks while on campus at La Canada Presbyterian Church.
All of programming will occur outside in the lower parking lot of LCPC. There will be bathrooms available that will be disinfected before and after programming. (For high school programming, they will be disinfected in between the lowerclassmen and upperclassmen hours.)
We will continue to perform health screenings, which includes temperature checks, for all students, small group leaders, and staff in attendance. Anyone with a fever, or who does not pass our health screening, will be kindly asked to leave. If a student, small group leader, or staff member is experiencing any COVID-19 related symptoms, they should stay home. This includes a fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, congestion or runny nose, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Additionally, if a student, small group leader, or staff member has come into contact with a lab confirmed COVID-19 case in the previous 14 days, they should stay home. If a student, small group leader, or staff member has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and has been in attendance to programming, we will contact trace using our health screenings forms and alert anyone who has been exposed.
There will be a hand sanitizer station at the entry point of our events. All students, small group leaders, and staff will be required to sanitize their hands before entering our events.
We have identified common surfaces as the following: faucets, toilet flush, doorknobs in the bathroom, LCPC provided camp chairs, small group lantern. The common surfaces in the bathroom will be disinfected before and after programming each night, and in between the lower and upperclassmen hours on Monday nights. If a student borrows an LCPC provided camp chair, that will be disinfected before and after use. The small group lantern will be disinfected before and after programming.
Staff and small group leaders will promote social distancing during times when we are sitting together (for the “message”) and during small group time. This will be prioritized second to masks.
We will be encouraging staff and small group leaders to get tested for COVID-19 as they are comfortable. Staff will be getting tested regularly.
If any staff, small group leader, or student becomes infected and tests positive for COVID-19, we ask that they notify us immediately. Through our health screening forms, we will be able to contact trace and identify any “close contacts” (within six feet for 15 minutes or more). We will now be asking for cell phone numbers and/or emails on our health screening forms in order to be able to contact families if there is an outbreak from small groups.
HIGH SCHOOL | SMALL GROUPS
Monday underclassmen 6:30-7:30PM | Monday upperclassmen 8:00-9:00PM
We are striving to keep fall programming as “normal” as possible for our students this year although we have made some changes. First and foremost, in an effort to crowd control, we are splitting our Monday nights into two segments. Lowerclassmen students and small group leaders will have programming on Monday evenings from 6:30-7:30 PM. Upperclassmen students and their small group leaders will have programming on Monday nights from 8:00-9:00 PM.
SCHEDULE
For the first few weeks as we get used to masks and social distancing, the Monday night schedule will go as follows:
CHECK IN & HEALTH SCREENING
First 10 minutes of the hour will be dedicated to filling out health screening forms and getting temperature checks.
ANNOUNCEMENTS & MESSAGE
The next 20 minutes will be for students to gather altogether to hear the week’s announcements and the “message” from Anna.
SMALL GROUPS
For the last half hour of programming, students will meet with their small groups to share their highs and lows and talk about that week’s message. Each small group will have an assigned area of the lower LCPC parking lot that will be chalked out. Students will be asked to bring their own camp chairs, and Youth Min will keep 10-15 on hand for any student who forgets theirs. Additionally, each small group will be given their own lantern to make sure there’s enough light, especially as we get into the winter months. Small groups will space out and enjoy socially distant small group time.
END & RESET
Students will leave at the end of the hour. In between lower and upperclassmen, bathrooms, camp chairs and lanterns will be disinfected.
JUNIOR HIGH | THE WAY
Wednesdays 7-8 PM
We will have another year of small groups though it will look a little different. We’ll meet in the LCPC parking lot and be wearing masks for the entire time we are there. All Jr High Program nights will be 7-8pm on Wednesday nights.
SCHEDULE
This is what you can expect for the breakdown on a Wednesday night program:
CHECK IN & HEALTH SCREENING
First 10 minutes (7-7:10) - Everyone will check-in and go through the health screening and have their temperature checked
ANNOUNCEMENTS & MESSAGE
Next 20 minutes (7:10-7:30) - Announcements, a fun game, and a talk from Kyle.
SMALL GROUPS
Last 30 minutes (7:30-8) - Students will meet in small groups with their small group leaders to connect, check in with one another, and discuss the talk. Small groups will disperse throughout the parking lot and meet in circles formed by the chairs they bring.
Anna Duncan
Kyle Brenneman
Connor Cipolla
