About

COVID-19 Updates

Back to Bellefontaine

Updates on a safe & smart school reopening

Thank you to our Mayfield community for your support and kindness during this challenging time. We will continue to update this page with new information as it comes to hand.

The Basics

We all have an important role to play! In our effort to help maintain the health and safety of the entire school community during the COVID-19 pandemic, we must partner together.

Over the last several months, Nurse Cathy Cota, a fully credentialed contact tracer, has been working closely with her fellow school nurses at four local high schools to follow all public health guidelines and create protocols for our school. Our protocols will change as public health regulations and guidelines change. 

Here’s a top-level overview of what going back to Bellefontaine will look like when we’re able to return.

List of 6 items.

  • Symptom Screening

    Daily at-home self check, including temperature.

  • Physical Distancing

    Maintain a 6 ft distance from others.

  • Face Coverings

    Masks are mandatory on campus.

  • Hand Washing

    Wash hands regularly with soap and water.

  • Cover Coughs & Sneezes

    Cough or sneeze into your sleeve or a tissue.

  • Stay Home

    If you're unwell, or have had contact with a COVID-19 patient.

Expectations for Students & Families

Students coming to campus must:

  • never arrive on campus sick, even if mildly sick
  • complete a daily self-screening before arriving at school 
  • wear face coverings at all times 
  • maintain physical distance from other people at all times  
  • wash or sanitize hands frequently  
  • follow appropriate signage to minimize congestion in hallways and stairways

Students must stay home if:

  • they are sick, even mildly sick, and call their primary care physician for guidance
  • they have answered “yes” to any symptoms during the daily at-home screening
  • they have had close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 
  • they test positive with COVID-19 (isolate for at least 10 days)  
  • they live with someone who has COVID-19 (quarantine for at least 14 days)  

Parents must:  

  • ensure their daughter’s daily screening has been completed
  • notify the Health Office if their daughter or a household member develops any COVID-19 symptoms or tests positive for COVID-19
  • notify the Attendance Office of their daughter’s absence if their daughter is unwell, and include her symptoms
  • ensure that their daughter is physically fit to fully participate in all aspects of a school day
  • retrieve their daughter promptly from the Health Office if she becomes ill while at school
  • stay in the car when dropping off or picking up students 

Equitable Learning

Students who are at higher risk for severe illness, or who cannot safely distance from household contacts at high risk, will always have options including remote learning. Students and families who are high risk, sick or diagnosed with COVID-19 will be accommodated without discrimination, and students will not be penalized for missing class or work. We encourage families and students to reach out to our Learning Specialist, Ann Bussard, to explore their options.

Policies and Protocols

List of 11 items.

  • Mandatory Daily At-Home Screening

    • Students, faculty and staff must submit remote daily symptom checks, including whether anyone in their home is exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, using the Magnus Health app before arriving at school.
    • Students, faculty and staff will be sent home if they have not submitted the daily screening, including temperature (no exceptions) or if they develop symptoms while at school.
    • Symptoms include: fever of 100°F or more, muscle or body aches, cough, headaches, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, congestion or runny nose, chills, nausea or vomiting, fatigue, diarrhea.

  • Face Coverings

    • Face coverings will be required on campus at all times. 
    • Disposable face coverings will be provided to anyone who enters campus without one. Anyone who refuses to wear one provided by the school (and is not exempt from wearing a face covering under CDPH guidelines) must leave campus.
    • Students must use face coverings that are either disposable or made of breathable, washable fabric that can be machine dried without damage.
    • Face coverings should be at least two ply and with no valves.
    • Face coverings should be washed and replaced daily. A back-up mask is recommended each day to allow for a change of mask during the day.
    • Students must wash or sanitize their hands if they touch their mask.
    • Face coverings can only be removed while eating and physically distanced from others.
    • Face coverings that are temporarily removed should be placed in a clean paper bag (marked with name and date) until they are put on again.
    • If a student has a recognized medical, mental health or disabling condition that prevents them from wearing a cloth face covering, they may request to wear a face shield with a cloth drape tucked into their clothing. This exemption must be approved by the Health Office.

  • Physical Distancing & Indoor Ventilation

    • We are currently repurposing larger on-campus spaces to allow for 7-foot desk spacing (e.g. Gym, Pike Auditorium, Sussex Room, Living Room, Student Commons), and we have invested in new technology to transform these spaces into classrooms.
    • Maximum COVID-19 room occupancy will be posted with appropriate signage for each space on campus, including restrooms and the elevator.
    • Doors and windows will be propped open wherever possible to maximize ventilation. We are also working to further increase ventilation, by purchasing pedestal fans, exploring installing MERV 13 filters in the HVAC systems, and setting the HVAC systems to pull in as much outdoor air as possible. Steps will be taken to minimize fan-forced air blowing from one person directly at another individual.
    • Movement between classes will be highly structured to prevent crowding and to minimize interaction, blockages and cross-directional flow. Measures will include, but will not be limited to: making several walkways and stairways one-way, indicating alternate routes, staggering arrival and dismissal times. 
    • Spaces will be marked at least 6 feet apart for students waiting to enter buildings and rooms.
    • In all classes that share communal equipment (e.g. fitness, photography, art), sharing during classes will be minimized and supplies will be cleaned and disinfected between use.
    • No indoor assemblies, gatherings, performances or field trips.
    • Students must avoid congregating anywhere on campus. There will be supervision to ensure physical distancing outside the classroom, e.g. at arrival and dismissal times, during free blocks, during lunch and in student gathering areas.

  • Frequent Cleaning & Disinfecting

    • Each student and faculty desk, and each classroom will be cleaned and disinfected before the next class arrives. This clearing will include high-touch surfaces.
    • All other frequently used areas and high-touch surfaces will be cleaned and disinfected three times a day. This includes door handles, light switches, bathroom surfaces and fixtures, office furniture, counters and handrails, elevator buttons, electronic devices and touch screens.
    • Classrooms will be stocked with EPA-approved disinfectant wipes or spray so that surfaces can be wiped down before and after use. 
    • The school will maintain an adequate supply of PPE, soap, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, towels, tissues, etc.

  • Hygiene & Hand Washing

    • Portable sinks have been rented and will be strategically placed throughout campus to increase hand-washing frequency.
    • Hand sanitizer will be available in every room on campus, as well as at the following high-traffic locations: building entrances and exits, gathering spaces, common rooms, offices, elevator entry.
    • Students must wash their hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer when they arrive and leave campus.
    • Students must wash or sanitize hands regularly before eating, after blowing their nose, coughing or sneezing and after using the restroom. 
    • Students are encouraged to use alcohol-based hand sanitizer every time they enter a new room or office, and every time they enter a room.
    • Students are encouraged to use a paper towel or tissue to touch surfaces. 
    • Hugging, handshakes, and high fives and all contact activities are suspended on campus until further notice (but air high fives are acceptable and encouraged!)

  • Extracurricular Activities & School Events

    • There will be no on-campus gatherings or events where physical distancing cannot be maintained. We are planning online versions of many of our major fall calendar events.
    • Each Conservatory will assess whether in-person activities are possible. Aerosol-generating activities (e.g. singing, dancing, wind instruments) and activities where there is increased likelihood for transmission from contaminated exhaled droplets may be affected or adapted.
    • The “Fall” athletics season is scheduled to begin with competition in late December. Conditioning and practice for the Fall sports (cross country, volleyball and water polo) will begin in the weeks leading up to the scheduled start of the season in December. We will continue to follow state and county protocols and regulations, which are subject to change.

  • Health Office Protocols

    • Students, faculty and staff who become sick during the school day must go to the Health Office to be assessed by the School Nurse. Anyone displaying symptoms of COVID-19 will be placed in an isolation room until they are picked up, and must contact their primary care physician for guidance on how to proceed, and whether to be tested at a county or city testing facility with a PCR nasal swab COVID-19 test. (The Health Office has designated two distinct areas in which ill students can be fully isolated until they are picked up from their families.)
    • Students exhibiting one or more COVID-19 symptoms will be required to isolate at home and notify the School Nurse of the primary care provider’s plan of treatment. 
    • Students with a negative test result may return to school if their primary care provider provides a note attributing their illness to other than COVID-19 related and they must be fever free for 24 hours without aid of fever-reducing medication. 
    • Students with a positive COVID-19 test result may not return to campus until at least 10 days have passed since their symptoms first appeared, their symptoms have improved, and they have been fever free for 24 hours without the aid of fever-reducing medication. 
    • Prior to returning to school after an absence, students must complete the “Certification for Student Returning to School after COVID-19 Symptoms, Positive Test Result or Exposure” form.
    • Contact tracing protocols are in place to notify students and their parents of potential exposure to classmates or teachers who have tested positive, or are presumed positive, for COVID-19. Parents and primary Emergency Contacts listed on the student’s iMSS record will be notified via email, text message and voicemail message.
    • Students who have been in close contact with someone who is a presumed COVID case must have a PCR nasal swab test for COVID-19, whether or not they have symptoms, and inform the school of test results. If they test negative, they must complete a 14-day quarantine period. If they test positive, they must follow CDC guidelines for isolation. 
    • The Health Office is well stocked with PPE including: 17 non-contact infrared thermometers, as well as face shields, N95, medical disposable face masks, protective jumpsuits, non-surgical gowns, hand sanitizer, and nitrile gloves.

  • Food & Meals

    • Students must bring their own lunches. There will be no outside vendors and no vending machine use for the time being.
    • Students will eat meals outdoors whenever possible while maintaining 6 feet of physical distance from each other.
    • Students must avoid sharing food, beverages and utensils.
    • Students should bring their own reusable water bottles.

  • Drop Off & Pick Up Procedures

    • Drop Off and Pick Up policies will be adapted to what Health and Safety regulations require at the time of reopening.
    • Drop off: Students will be required to be supervised at all times on campus. Although this policy has not been finalized, we anticipate the earliest arrival time is likely to change to 7:30 a.m.  
    • Pick up: Although this policy has not been finalized, we anticipate campus will remain open until around 5:30 p.m. Students who remain on campus after school will have structured time with supervision in designated areas.

  • Campus Visits

    • Parents and visitors are discouraged from entering school and are encouraged to conduct business with school personnel remotely when possible.
    • Visits will be by appointment only and are pre-registered in a visitor log.
    • All visitors to campus must wear a face covering and maintain physical distancing.

  • School Closure/Quarantine

    • Individual school closure, if necessary, will be done in consultation with the Pasadena Public Health Department. A school closure may be appropriate when there are multiple cases at school or when at least five percent of the total number of staff and students test positive within a 14-day period. The local Health Officer may also determine school closure is warranted for other reasons, including results from public health investigation or other local epidemiological data. Schools closed due to COVID-19 may typically reopen after 14 days after thorough cleaning and disinfection and a public health investigation.

Mental Health Resources

In a time of so much uncertainty and change, the health, including the mental health, of our community is a very first priority. Additional mental health access may be needed due to the COVID-19 school environment and distance learning challenges. We encourage families and students to reach out to our School Counselor, Cristina Perez, to explore their options. In addition to the resources provided by the CDC, Mrs. Perez also recommends Project Return Warmline at (888) 448-9777 and OK2Talk at (800) 273-TALK.

Email Archive (click to read full email)

  • We are making progress on plans for our phased reopening (7/28/20)
    Since we found out that L.A. County schools would not be able to reopen in August, we have been hard at work planning for a remote start to the school year, and also preparing for the time when we will be able to welcome everyone back to 500 Bellefontaine.
  • What Governor Newsom's school reopening guidelines mean for Mayfield (7/17/20)
    I’m sure that many of you have already heard the news that Governor Newsom issued an order today mandating that all schools in counties on California’s monitoring list for rising coronavirus infections (including Los Angeles County) must forego on-campus instruction for the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year until conditions improve and counties can meet certain public health standards. 
  • An update on our back-to-school planning (7/6/20)
    First, thank you so much for completing the parent survey about remote learning and back to school planning. We were gratified to have received such a large number of responses, and your input has been very valuable. The results of the survey, which were due on July 1, show that 60% of families would like a full return to on-campus teaching and learning, 33% preferred a hybrid model, and the remaining 7% favored a fully remote option.

Health Updates from Nurse Cota

3 Announcements displayed.

— Kate Morin, Head of School

It is times like these that I am particularly grateful to be part of a loving and faith-filled community. I know that you will continue to join me in holding in the Light all those affected by COVID-19.

Three Letters to Remember

Avoid the 3 Cs

  • crowds
  • confined areas
  • close contact

Remember the 3 Ws

  • wear a face covering
  • wash your hands
  • watch your distance

Focus on the 3 Rs

  • relationships
  • routines
  • reassurance

Daily Symptom Checklist

  • fever of 100°F or more
  • muscle or body aches
  • cough
  • headaches
  • sore throat
  • new loss of taste or smell
  • shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • congestion or runny nose
  • chills
  • nausea or vomiting
  • fatigue
  • diarrhea

Definition of a “Close Contact”

  • Anyone who has been within 6 feet of a confirmed case for 15 cumulative minutes over 24 hours within two days of their developing symptoms and/or an individual who had unprotected contact with the infected person’s body fluids and/or secretions, for example, being coughed or sneezed on, sharing utensils or saliva, or providing care without wearing appropriate protective equipment is a close contact.
  • All family and household members of presumed or confirmed positive cases are considered a close contact and must quarantine for 14 days.
  • A close contact is not someone who has had a brief interaction with a person who has tested positive for COVID. 
  • Being considered a close contact depends on a variety of variables including but not limited to: location (indoors vs. outdoors), physical distancing, physical exertion, masking, hand hygiene, etc. The COVID compliance task force at Mayfield consults with the Pasadena Department of Health to determine these assessments and next steps. Any student who is believed to be a close contact will be contacted by Mayfield’s contact tracers.
  • No immediate action needs to be taken by a contact of a close contact. But if symptoms arise, they should contact their health care provider.

Helpful Links

Mayfield Senior School
500 Bellefontaine St
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 799-9121
Established in 1931, Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena, CA is a Catholic, independent, college preparatory school for young women grades 9-12. Noted for its rigorous academic program, which includes 28 Advanced Placement and Honors courses, Mayfield’s curriculum is underscored by a philosophy of educating the “whole child,” which also encourages commitment to and excellence in the arts, athletics, community service and spiritual growth. The nurturing environment at Mayfield Senior School allows each student to flourish in an atmosphere of personal attention.