• In Luxembourg physical attendance at school is obligatory for all students over the age of 4.
• If your child is sick or unable to attend school, please email usattendance@islux.lu or complete the absence notification form on MyISL.

General Illness:

Your child should come to school if they can fulfil the following requirements:

• Can energetically participate in classroom activities and recess without use of fever/symptom-reducing medicine (paracetamol, Ibuprofen, cough syrup etc)
• Is FEVER-FREE with a temperature of 37.5 C or lower
• Has no symptoms of Covid-19 such as respiratory symptoms, muscle ache, loss of taste and smell, with or without fever.
• Has no symptoms of vomiting/diarrhoea.
   

You child should stay at home/will be sent home if they have any of the following:

• General illness:
  They appear or complain of feeling unwell or they have a suspected communicable disease.
• Fever:
  Students with a temperature over 37.5 C will be sent home from school and should not return to school until they are FEVER FREE for 48 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine (e.g. paracetamol, ibuprofen etc)
• Covid SYMPTOMS other than fever:
  At these exceptional times, in the event a student presents in the nurse office with a continuous cough or respiratory difficulty, muscle aches and/or the loss of taste/smell we will send the student home as a precaution. The student should remain home for a minimum of 48 hours or until symptom free.

Students with fever will be held in a designated quarantine room (not in the nurse office barring other physical complications) and will be required to wear a medical mask until they can be picked up by their parents/guardian.

We would expect parents to be available to pick their child up within 45 mins once they have been contacted by the nurse. In the event a parent is unable to collect their child, we will contact the emergency contact we have on file. Parents/emergency contacts will be expected to collect the child by car in order to avoid possible spread on public transport.

In the event of a student presenting with Covid-19 symptoms, it is strongly recommended that you follow the Health Ministry of Luxembourg recommendations and contact your doctor to arrange for testing.

Please inform the school nurse if someone in your family is being tested for Covid-19.

Return to School After Illness/Fever (Covid-19 considerations)

• In the event of suspected Covid-19 infection you should contact your doctor to arrange for testing and not return to school until you have the results.
   
  • In the event that the results are positive, you will need to follow the guidelines of the government in regards to quarantine and self isolation for the family. The student may not return to school earlier than the minimum quarantine requirement even if the student is feeling well. The length of quarantine is 14 days from the onset of symptoms. If the symptoms extend longer than 14 days, then you should remain in quarantine until you are 48 hours symptom free.
     
  • If a member of the family receives a positive result of a Covid-19 test, we ask that the family self-isolates and students do not come to school during this time.
     
  • In the event that the results are negative, students must be symptom and fever free for 48 hours or longer.
     
• On return to school following absence due to an illness or isolation, students must be checked at the nurse office immediately upon arrival to school, before going to the classroom. Students who arrive with fever, temperature over 37.5 C or have taken fever reducing medication will not be given access to the classroom and parents will be notified to pick up their child immediately
   
• When the child returns to school, he/she must be fit enough to participate in all activities.

Exception to the rule:
If there is a restriction from some activity (recess or PE) there must be doctor's note explaining for how long.

• Due to the constraints and directives imposed by the Ministry of Education, our approach to teaching and learning cannot be what is normally experienced by students at ISL. School will look and feel different from usual. At least for the first few days, this may  generate some disorientation for students. Our counselling team is on call to help and can be contacted in the usual way. Our teachers are also sensitive to the impact the altered environment and practices may have on students and are there to help. 
• This is an emergency learning situation. Our goal is to provide students with some familiarity of school routines for social and academic learning in a school environment. In order to support students at home as well as those at school, virtual or online learning will remain the norm. Students will spend much of their time with their Advisory or Homeroom groups to minimise interactions with a wide range of other students.
• Please note that because many teachers are unable to come to school, because many students usually follow individualised timetables, and because of the complexities inherent in splitting the student body, students may not have their usual teacher in class. The need to maintain social distancing prohibits many opportunities for group work -  other than online collaborations. Lessons will be designed to provide practice for consolidating skills as well as implementing new learning, according to the curriculum.
•  It is also important to note that in addition to supervising their classes, teachers will also be working with students who are at home. This means that interactions  between teachers and students will be more limited than usual.

• The student body will be split into 2 equal cohorts/groupings.
• Cohorts rotate one week in school, one week at home, Monday to Friday.
• Grade 11 students will continue with virtual learning at home as this is the strongest way for us to support them given the complex and individualised nature of their schedules.  
• Public holidays and the Upper School Grading Day will be maintained as per the school calendar.
• For the final week of school 22 - 26 June, ALL students will attend school for at least one day. This will be included in the calendar to be shared via email. 

• In order to maintain the high standards of safety and hygiene, everyone in the school community must take responsibility for themselves and for each other.  As such, strict social distancing rules and expectations for hygiene will be enforced throughout the school.
• A breach of these rules will be considered a serious behavioural matter. 
• Should a student fail to comply with the expectations, he or she will be reported to the school principal or Upper School deputy principal.  Parents will be contacted and asked to pick up their child or for permission for the child to go home by themselves.  The child in question will then not be permitted to come to school the next day.
• A second incident will mean that the student at fault will not be permitted to return to school for the remainder of the school year.

• When arriving on campus, parents are to do drop offs/pick ups only.
• Parents are requested to remain inside their cars, there is no waiting time in the drop off zones or parking.
• Outside of drop off/pick up, parents are only permitted on campus for an emergency.
• The map shows the on campus flow to the Upper School
  • Blue: Extended drop off zone
  • Green: One way pedestrian walkway. Green lines indicate how students will enter the building.
  • Red: Exit school premises. Red lines indicate how students will exit the building.
• Signage and arrows will indicate how people should move when entering and exiting the campus.
• Face coverings are mandatory while moving around campus.

A one-way system will be in operation in the common areas of the school, especially corridors and hallways. These will be clearly marked. This has been put in place in order to minimise the crossing of students with one another. As students move around the school, they will be wearing their face coverings as well as maintaining social distancing protocols as much as possible.

• Outdoor play is allowed but students will not be able to play any games that involve contact or close proximity with each other. Additional staff will be on duty to support and enforce this.
• Recesses will be staggered in order to support social distancing effectively.

• Additional security guards will be outside to check and hold off visitors and parents during the day.
• Parents and visitors are not allowed to enter the buildings except for urgent meetings

• Travelling to and from school, using public transport
• Moving on campus and in all areas of the school. This includes corridors, classrooms, bathrooms, drop off and pick up points.
• Students are only permitted to remove their face coverings in classrooms with the permission of their teacher.

As soon as the school receives its shipment of “buffs” from the Ministry of Education each student will receive two. The “buffs” will be distributed during the Advisory period. These “buffs” are made of cloth and machine washable. Students are expected to wear one and wash one in alternate. Red bins have been provided to dispose of non-reusable masks.

How to use a mask? (click to see a video)

• A deep cleaning of all classrooms and shared spaces has taken place.
• Since February, additional measures have been put into place such as daily cleaning of handrails, door handles, bathrooms. These measures will be intensified with additional cleaning personnel during the school day.
• Staff members will receive the following cleaning materials:
  • Spray bottle of disinfectant
  • Paper roll to wipe down
  • Disinfectant wipes
  • Masks
  • Gloves
• The school has also purchased these additional supplies:
  • Masks
  • Disinfectant
  • Thermometers
  • Disinfectant wipes
  • Disposable gloves
  • Protective goggles
  • Red bins dedicated for masks and gloves
  • Protective face shields produced in house with 3D printer
  • Thermal cameras

• Parents should take their child’s temperature each morning before arriving to school. If your child’s temperature is above 37.5, he or she must remain home.
• Student should arrive between 8.00-8.20
• Upon entry to the school everyone will have their temperature checked. The temperature check facility will remain open until all students/staff have entered.
• Once students have passed the screening they will receive a token which they need to give to security to be allowed entry. Students should then proceed to their homeroom or advisory classrooms. Parents and students will receive room numbers via email.
• If a student shows a temperature above 37.5 they will not be permitted to enter school. Parents will be contacted to make the necessary arrangements to return the child home safely.

• Students will only be allowed to use their lockers on the first day back in school.
• From day two, students are requested to have all materials needed for daily learning on them. Each evening students should organise all necessary materials needed for the following day, including charging laptops. Charging computers at school can only be done with your personal charger.
• The Ministry of Education recommends no sharing of belongings or materials with other students. Students will be provided with a list of necessary materials.
• Due to continued online learning, students must bring headphones with a microphone.
• The water fountains will be closed. Students must bring a full water bottle, clearly marked with their name. Students cannot share water bottles.

• Classrooms have been organized to allow for 2m distancing.

• Once students are cleared for entrance they will proceed to their Homeroom or Advisory class. They will remain there for the first period.
• Subject-specific lessons will begin at 9:30
• An adjusted letter day schedule has been devised to ensure an equal balance for each student. This will be shared via email the week of 4 May.

• The cafeteria will not be operating as usual.
• Eurest, our cafeteria provider, will prepare packed lunches available for order. Students will receive order details later in the week.
• Students may also bring lunch from home. Students are recommended to bring their food in environmentally friendly packaging, like a reusable box. Any lunch boxes or reusable containers used should be clearly named, and taken home for cleaning each day.
• Students will not be allowed to share their lunch with others.
• Lunchtimes will be staggered to allow around 60 persons at a time to eat in the cafeteria. This number allows for the 2m distancing.

• School ends at 14:30.
• Students will exit the school on a staggered schedule to reduce bottlenecks at the exits.
• All students must leave the campus by 14:40.
• Face masks are required while on campus.
• There will be no after school activities, sporting events or field trips for the remainder of the school year.

The Upper School will re-open on the 11th of May, and we encourage everyone in the US community to return their overdue library materials and 12th Grade textbooks at this time.

Daily Material Collection
Students will return textbooks and library materials during the morning check-in process. Parents, please send any overdue materials with your students as parents are not currently allowed on school grounds without permission. If families have students in both sections of the school, you may also return Lower School library books at this time. Students can also drop books in the box located just outside the library main entrance.

A security guard will direct the collection of materials during morning drop-off (from 8:00-8:30 am) and can provide further guidance. There will also be signage with instructions. Please do not leave books beside the container at times other than those listed, as this will risk damage or loss of materials.

Materials (both paper and plastic) will be safe to handle if left untouched for 3-4 days (Ewen 2020). Therefore, books returned on the 11th of May will only be checked in on the 15th. Priority will be given to textbooks and library materials from seniors and families leaving ISL at the end of this school year. We ask for everyone’s patience as we try to navigate this process.

Checking-Out
Availability of materials will affect the length of wait time. Titles already available will have a much faster delivery time. Materials that have been returned will be ready for delivery once they have completed their quarantine period and have been processed. Checkouts will be processed in order of receipt of order, packaged, labelled, and delivered to Homerooms for pickup.

How to Check Out a Book Virtually:

• Log in to Destiny (found in Schoology or Library website) using your school email address (via Google).
• Search for books by typing the author, title or keyword in the search bar.
• Use the “Hold It” to create your order. Alternatively, you can send a list of requests by email to library staff. Please be sure to include title and call #.

Want to Find Out What Is On Your Account?
Students (and parents) can check their library accounts online through the Destiny catalogue. Instructions can also be found in this screencast: How to Use Destiny Discover. 

Don’t forget to look at our online ebooks and audiobooks as well!

If you need help with logging in or have any further questions please contact: uslibrary@islux.lu

Best Wishes,

Your US Library Team