ICSBe Safe
- ICSB STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING RISKS
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Community Pledge
- Risk Matrix
- COVID-19 Info Links
- Helpful Resources
ICSB STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING RISKS
Our goal is to strive to keep everyone SAFE and HEALTHY by implementing strategies that will reduce those risks while still enabling a quality educational program, however we do realize that there is no way to completely eliminate the risks of attending school during this global pandemic. Please understand that this situation is evolving, and these MEASURES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. We ask that you read our Community Pledge, carefully review strategies below, and contact us with any feedback or questions.
OUR STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING RISKS
Healthy Policies
establishing a culture of health, safety, and shared responsibility
- Campus Access
- Response to Student or Staff Illness
- Communication About Attendance
- International Travel
- Remote Learning
Campus Access
For the time being, campus access will be limited to STUDENTS and STAFF. Body temperatures will be checked upon entrance, and no one with a temperature of 37.8°C (100.04°F) or above will be allowed to enter.
Parents, siblings, and other visitors will NOT be able to ENTER the school for any reason other than a business transaction or if they are temporarily fulfilling a staff function.
Please do not come to school if you are sick! For details please see our 'Response to Illness' strategy point.
Response to Student or Staff Illness
IN CASE OF ANY ILLNESS
Symptoms of illness (please note, not all of these symptoms are COVID-related):
- Fever (100.04 °F or 37.8 °C or greater)
- Persistent Cough, new or worsening
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
- New loss of taste or smell
- Unusual fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Congestion
- Chills/Shivering
- Jaundice
- Ear, nose, or eye discharge
- Lice or scabies
- Skin rash or severe skin changes
If a student or staff member has any of the above listed symptoms*:
- They should NOT COME TO SCHOOL and stay at home (if symptoms develop at home).
- They will be SENT HOME FROM SCHOOL (if symptoms develop at school).
- A student will be placed in a designated waiting room until a parent/guardian is able to pick them up - we request that pick up occurs within 30-45 minutes.
- A staff member will go home immediately.
- They must notify the school of the ABSENCE (please follow THESE DIRECTIONS)!
- They should contact their health care provider.
*Some of these symptoms may be due to other known causes or conditions that are not contagious. If so, the student or staff member CAN ATTEND school, but please let the ICSB Health Office know about any visible symptoms due to other causes (eg. allergies, etc.). However, as noted below, if the symptoms are severe enough that they need to stay home from school, a doctor's note will be required to return.
Students and staff members who have remained at home due to ANY illness may only return to school if they have a note from a physician or medical center. The doctor's note must be submitted via our website BEFORE returning to school. Upload Doctor's Note HERE.
IN CASE OF CLOSE CONTACT
If a student or staff member has been in close contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 - within 48 hours prior to the start of that person's symptoms or, if that person is asymptomatic, within 48 hours prior to the positive test:
- They should NOT COME TO SCHOOL, they should stay at home and self-isolate for 10 days after the last contact with a person who has COVID-19. If the close contact lives in the same household, the 10 days should count from the date of the positive test.
- They must notify the school of the ABSENCE (please follow THESE DIRECTIONS)!
-
If Covid 19 symptoms develop within these ten days, we will need a doctor’s note before returning to school. If no symptoms develop at all, please declare this in writing using the following signed statement (adjusted to whether it is a student or staff member):
“In awareness of my responsibility, I, (name), declare that I (or my child, child's name), didn’t show any symptoms related to Covid 19 during the last ten days.” -signature and date
Upload Doctor's Note or Signed Statement HERE BEFORE returning to school.
“Close contact” includes:
- living in a household with a person who has tested positive for the disease;
- being within 1.5 meters of a person who tested positive for 15 minutes or longer; or
- coming in contact with the secretions of a person who tested positive (being coughed or sneezed on, using shared utensils, etc.).
IN CASE OF BEING COVID-19 POSITIVE
If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19:
- They MUST NOT COME TO SCHOOL, but stay at home and self-isolate.
- They must notify the school of the ABSENCE (please follow THESE DIRECTIONS)!
- They may return to school after being fever and symptom free for at least 3 days, and at least 10 days have passed since the onset of the symptoms or, if asymptomatic, the positive test date. A doctor's note is required to confirm this and must be submitted via our website or app BEFORE returning to school. Upload Doctor's Note HERE.
If we experience a positive case among the staff or students, we will be in touch with the Health Department and work with them on the proper response.
We will communicate with the school community in a timely and transparent manner (respecting individual privacy), and we will inform whether or not staying home is necessary for other staff members or students.
Any student or staff absence must be reported using the following methods:
Student Absence
Parent should fill in the Student Absence form on the first day of absence.
Staff Absence
Staff member should e-mail or call (+36 23 381 208) the ICSB Health Office and e-mail his/her supervisor.
Communication About Attendance
School attendance is very important, but health and safety are a big concern, so our attendance policies will be flexible this year.
Students are expected to attend school in person if they are well, but we expect them to stay home if they are ill, if any member of their household is in quarantine, if they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus, or if they are COVID-19 positive.
If a student will not be at school, the parent must fill out the the form below on the first day of absence.
A student learning from home will not be marked absent, but will be recorded as 'present/remote'. With this designation, a student is expected to be learning from home, following the Shared Learning Plan.
International Travel
Members of our school community often travel internationally. While some travel is inevitable, we ask that you consider not traveling outside of Hungary.
When students or staff members return from anywhere outside the country, a 10- day isolation or two negative tests are required by the school before the student or staff member may return to school. This is true regardless of whether the quarantine is officially required by the government or not.
If a member of the household or a visitor in the home has traveled from abroad, ICSB requires that the traveler have one negative test result (within five days before travel) in order for the student or staff member to come to ICSB.
If the home has a separate apartment (separate main entrance, bathroom, eating area, etc.) and the traveler can remain completely separate from the student or staff member, then the student or staff member (who had not traveled) can attend school during the traveler isolation period.
In case of student absence, please fill out this form:
Remote Learning
Parents should be prepared that there is a possibility that a given class, division, or the entire school may need to move to learning at home, and we have a distance learning plan in place for that. This would likely happen due to one or more positive cases within the school, or government direction.
If an individual student needs to be away from school temporarily due to self-isolation or quarantine, but is well enough to learn, we have developed a shared learning plan to enable him/her to keep up with learning.
For details on these learning plans, please visit our REMOTE LEARNING page.
Healthy Environment
following safe practices on our campus
- Cleaning and Disinfecting
- Personal Hygiene and Habits
- Physical Distancing
- Face Coverings
- Ventilation
- School Materials
- Water Bottles
Cleaning and Disinfecting
Personal Hygiene and Habits
Frequent hand washing or sanitizing will be expected, especially:
- After entering the building
- After blowing one’s nose, coughing, or sneezing
- Before and after eating or handling food
- After using the toilet
- After touching objects that have been handled by other people
- Before dismissal
Hand sanitizer stations have been added to each floor and entrance of the building, and their use will be encouraged.
The covering of coughs and sneezes by elbow or tissue will be modeled and reinforced.
Touching of one's eyes, nose, and mouth will be discouraged.
Reminders will be posted promoting these good habits.
Physical Distancing
Lower ES, Upper ES, MS, and HS will generally not mix during the day in order to keep exposure within smaller cohorts.
Physical distancing between individuals will be facilitated to the extent possible.
- We will spread out as much as possible in classrooms and other spaces.
- Physical contact with others will be discouraged.
- Passing periods will be organized and monitored to avoid crowding in hallways.
Face Coverings
Middle School and High School students must wear a face covering when entering and exiting the school, in all common areas and hallways, in larger gatherings, and when singing.
Elementary students must wear a face covering when entering the school until classroom is reached, when exiting the school, and when singing.
Students are not required to wear face covering during class/lessons, when in the cafeteria eating, or when outside.
Anyone who would like to wear a face covering may do so at any time during the day.
Visitors to the school, including parents, will be required to wear a face covering while in the building.
Ventilation
School Materials
Water Bottles
Healthy Program
enjoying educational activities, though they may be modified
- Teaching and Learning
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health
- Chapels
- Music
- Athletics / Physical Education
- Library
- Lunch / Recess
- Student Retreats / Trips
- Events
Teaching and Learning
Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Chapels
Music
Choir, band, and music classes will be held with special effort made to keep distance and some enhanced protocols, including students wearing masks for singing.
The Middle School musical production practices will not be held after school. Rather, it will be rehearsed during the school day periods, usually in smaller groups. Performances will be modified. More details will be provided closer to scheduled performances
Decisions have not been made about the spring High School musical production. .
Athletics / Physical Education
Library
Lunch / Recess
Students will eat in the cafeteria with their class, but they will be spread out as much as possible, and they may eat outside, or in other areas, as directed by staff.
Hand washing or sanitizing prior to eating will be required.
Students should not share any food, drinks, or utensils with others.
Recess will be held as always, but distancing will be encouraged, and high touch areas on the playground will be sanitized regularly.
Student Retreats / Trips
MS and HS Fall Retreats and Freshman Challenge are currently planned to proceed as usual, with enhanced safety protocols. We will be monitoring the situations as the time draws nearer. These will be optional trips this year.
Other trips will be subject to risk assessment closer to their planned dates.
Events
Frequently Asked Questions
- What will happen if a student or staff member's temperature measures above the threshold at the temperature check upon entry?
- What symptoms require students and staff members to stay home from school, and when can he/she return?
- Do students and staff members need a doctor note to return to school after stay home for any illness?
- What if my child has these symptoms due to an ongoing non-infectious condition?
- If a household member is sick or symptomatic, can the student come to school?
- If a student/staff member or a household member travels outside of Hungary, how long must he/she stay home from school?
- If a household member tests positive, how long does the student or staff member need to stay home from school?
- If a student or staff member is identified as a close contact to someone outside the household who tested positive, what should be done?
- If a household member is identified as a close contact to someone who tested positive, does the student or staff member need to stay home from school?
- If my child or a staff member tests positive, how long will he/she need to stay home from school?
- If an ICSB student or staff member tests positive, how will the school respond?
- What should I do if my child gets sick?
What will happen if a student or staff member's temperature measures above the threshold at the temperature check upon entry?
What symptoms require students and staff members to stay home from school, and when can he/she return?
Students should not come to school if they have any of the following symptoms: (Please note: not all of these symptoms are related to Covid -19)
- Fever (100.4 °F or 38 °C or greater)
- Persistent cough, new or worsening
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
- New loss of taste or smell
- Unusual fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Congestion
- Chills/Shivering
- Jaundice
- Ear, nose, or eye discharge
- Lice or scabies
- Skin rash or severe skin changes
Students who have remained at home due to any illness may only return to school if they have note from a physician or medical center that they are cleared to return. See below.
Do students and staff members need a doctor note to return to school after stay home for any illness?
Yes, a note from a doctor, medical center, or medical lab is required clearing the student or staff member to return to the school if they have stayed home due to any illness at all (including non-Covid related symptoms). Upload Doctor's Note HERE.
What if my child has these symptoms due to an ongoing non-infectious condition?
Some of these symptoms may be due to other known causes or conditions. If so, the student can attend school, but please let the ICSB Health Office know about any visible symptoms due to other causes. However, if the symptoms are severe enough that they need to stay home from school, a doctor's note will be required to return.
If a household member is sick or symptomatic, can the student come to school?
If a student/staff member or a household member travels outside of Hungary, how long must he/she stay home from school?
When students or staff members return from outside the country, they must stay at home for ten days or provide two negative tests.
If another member of a household has returned from outside of Hungary, the student(s) or staff member living in the home must also stay home for 10 days or the traveler must produce one negative test (within five days before travel), regardless of the size of the home. The exception would be if there exists in the home a completely separate apartment with separate outside entrance, kitchen area, sleeping area, and bathroom with no contact between the traveler and the student.
Upload the test results HERE before the student or staff member comes to school.
If a household member tests positive, how long does the student or staff member need to stay home from school?
If a household member of a n ICSB student or staff member tests positive, please
- Notify the ICSB Health Office by email or call the Health Office number: +36-23-381-208
- Stay home for 10 days after the date of the positive test of the household member
- Watch for fever (100.04 °F or 37.8 °C or greater), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19
-
If Covid 19 symptoms develop within these ten days, we will need a doctor’s note that these have cleared BEFORE returning to school. If no symptoms develop at all, please declare this in writing using the following signed statement:
“In awareness of my responsibility, I, (name), declare that I (or my child, child's name), didn’t show any symptoms related to Covid 19 during the last ten days.” -signature and date
Upload Doctor's Note or Signed Statement HERE BEFORE returning to school.
If a student or staff member is identified as a close contact to someone outside the household who tested positive, what should be done?
When a student or staff member has been in close contact with someone who has tested positive (within 48 hours prior to the start of symptoms or, if the person is asymptomatic, 48 hours prior to their positive test), they should:
- Notify the ICSB Health Office by email or call the Health Office number: +36-23-381-208
- Stay home and away from others for 10 days after the last contact with a person who has COVID-19
- Watch for fever (100.04 °F or 37.8 °C or greater), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19
-
If Covid 19 symptoms develop within these ten days, we will need a doctor’s note that these have cleared BEFORE returning to school. If no symptoms develop at all, please declare this in writing using the following signed statement:
“In awareness of my responsibility, I, (name), declare that I (or my child, child's name), didn’t show any symptoms related to Covid 19 during the last ten days.” -signature and date
Upload Doctor's Note or Signed Statement HERE BEFORE returning to school.
- “Close contact” includes living in a household with a person who has tested positive for the disease; being within 1.5 meters of a person who tested positive for 15 minutes or longer; or coming in contact with the secretions of a person who tested positive (being coughed or sneezed on, using shared utensils, etc.).
If a household member is identified as a close contact to someone who tested positive, does the student or staff member need to stay home from school?
If my child or a staff member tests positive, how long will he/she need to stay home from school?
The student or staff member must stay home ten days plus be symptom and fever free for three days before returning. A doctor's note is required and must be submitted via our website BEFORE returning to school. Upload Doctor's Note HERE.
If an ICSB student or staff member tests positive, how will the school respond?
When a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, they should notify the ICSB Health Office by email or call the Health Office number: +36-23-381-208. If a student or staff member has tested positive, we will identify and notify any close contacts within the school who must isolate at home, and we will work with the Health Department on a proper response. We will notify the school community about the situation.
What should I do if my child gets sick?
- Stay at home, and
- CALL your General Practitioner or
- CONTACT our School Doctor, Dr. Győri, (messaging via his Facebook page or virtual consultation via WhatsApp - phone number: +36 30 914 8557 ), or
- CONSIDER a First Med Video Consultation.
- The doctor will decide if further testing is needed and will arrange it.
- Even those tested positive for the coronavirus will likely not be hospitalized if symptoms are mild but will be quarantined at home.
- For all types of emergency situations, this site lists the hospitals on call where you can take your child if needed (in Hungarian - use Google translate).
Community Pledge
At ICSB, living in community is vital to our mission, and we are stronger together than alone. This global pandemic and the risks it poses to our community require a commitment from each of us. While our ultimate trust and hope is in God, let's pledge together to do our part to protect our community by:
- Diligently monitoring health and staying home (or keeping children home) if sick or symptomatic
- Following all school guidelines aimed at preventing the spread of the virus
- Promoting good communication by reading school related announcements and informing the school of any issues
- Supporting and assisting others in the community, knowing this can be a stressful time
- Discussing with family members and others the important personal choices we must make to protect ourselves and others
All of us, young and old, have a shared responsibility in making ICSB as healthy and safe as possible!
Risk Matrix
COVID-19 Info Links
Hungarian Information
- Hungarian Government Coronavirus Updates (in English and Hungarian) / Official Coronavirus info-line: +36 80 277 455
- Hungarian National Public Health Center - COVID-19 related government regulations/protocols in Hungarian
- Hungarian Government Facebook Page - informational videos (in Hungarian)
International Information