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The Waldorf School of Santa Barbara (WSSB) serves fewer than 100 students in preschool through Grade 8 in a residential neighborhood of Goleta. Santa Barbara County, in consultation with the California Department of Public Health, has approved our waiver to resume in-person learning. Grades 1-6 will return to campus on September 9th. Current enrollment for Grades 1-6 is only 61 students.
Under Community Care Licensing, WSSB’s Early Childhood (Pre-K and Kindergarten) opened on August 20, 2020. Current enrollment is 27 children.
WSSB’s reopening plan utilizes the most current information and best practices provided by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Our COVID-19 Task Force has researched public health orders, guidelines and recommendations related to COVID-19 put forth by the state and county. We have also consulted with the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department. In addition, our COVID-19 Task Force includes a pediatric surgeon affiliated with Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and a lieutenant of and COVID-19 liaison to the Santa Barbara Police Department.
WSSB’s reopening plan is a set of COVID-19 protocols and a healthy school guide, created to ensure a safe, in-person learning environment for the 2020-2021 school year. It is a thorough, detailed plan which is consistent with guidance from CDPH and the local health department. In conjunction with the COVID-19 Task Force, WSSB will update its protocols based on new guidance and mandates.
Key Priorities:
Education of the whole person: meaningful academic, co-curricular learning, movement, and the arts.
Social emotional well-being is our schools’ top priority in supporting school transitions, not at the expense of academics, but in order to create the mental, social, and emotional space for academic learning to occur.
WSSB is committed to following current protocols and procedures for students, faculty, staff, and other individuals to protect against the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus when on school grounds and in school facilities.
We are adhering to best practices for school health and safety with regard to cleaning and disinfecting protocols, air purification and ventilation, and hygienic protocols for handwashing, detailed later in this report.
Maintaining the strength and unity of our community is integral to the student experience and our culture; we strive to maintain the cohesion of our community even if some students are learning remotely while some are on campus.
We are committed to transparency and good communication with our parents.
If you have any questions about WSSB’s reopening plan, please contact Administrator Carolyn Kaster at carolyn@waldorfsantabarbara.org.