• PHS does not require masking but encourages those who choose to mask to continue to do so.

• In order to be onsite while PHS is in session, all individuals must be vaccinated against COVID-19. (Exceptions will be made to accommodate health conditions that preclude vaccination.) We require a signed affidavit of vaccination status or medically necessary exemption for each community member intending to be onsite in any capacity.

• In an effort to reduce germs in the air, we will have Corsi-Rosenthal boxes in all classrooms that are in use, as well as a portable HEPA filter in the Fellowship Hall. Faith UMC will set its HVAC system to circulate air continuously through its filters. Windows may be opened for fresh air.

• Stay home if you feel ill or have any COVID-like symptoms, including but not limited to cough, fever, muscle aches, fatigue, sore throat, runny nose, stuffy nose, congestion, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, or loss of taste or smell.

Honoring our commitment to a safe and vibrant learning space, PHS’s approach to illness is cautious, science-minded, and informed by the needs of our most vulnerable members. We are making every effort to ensure that our mix of online and onsite courses are safe and accessible for all of us. When we are indoors together, those efforts include vaccination, masking, and air filtration.

Our commitment to immunocompromised families

To be on site while PHS is in session, all individuals must be committed to protecting our most vulnerable members by:

• staying home when ill
• vaccinating when accessible
• masking when viruses are in high circulation
• hand washing
• covering coughs/sneezes.

Mask Information

Masks — specifically, N95/KN95/KF94 or equivalent respirators without vents — are encouraged when indoors at PHS or PHS-sponsored events. Masks are recommended during times of high community illness. PHS reserves the right to require masking should MDH viral data indicate that viruses are circulating at high rates in the community.

• KN94 and KF94 masks are acceptable substitutes for N95 masks.

• Students with sensory processing or other medical issues who cannot tolerate N95/KN95/KF94 or equivalent respirator masks may wear ASTM Level 1 procedure masks or ASTM Level 2 or Level 3 surgical masks.

  Cloth masks are found to be ineffective.

• Be wary of fraudulent or counterfeit masks.

• Ensure that your mask fits well. It should completely cover your nose and mouth and fit against the sides of your face without gaps. A well-fitting mask will not slip down below your nose on its own — or fog your eyeglasses.

• To ensure a good fit, your mask should have both adjustable ear loops or head straps and an adjustable nose bridge.

• A poorly fitted mask will negate the mask’s filtering efficacy.

• Never wet your respirator mask with alcohol or soapy water, as they can break down the electrostatic charge that is key to filtering small particles. You can rotate respirator masks by letting each one rest for 3 to 4 days between wearings or steam clean them in the microwave using distilled water. Procedure and surgical masks should not be used more than once.

• Face shields are not a substitute for masks, but face shields or goggles may be worn in addition to masks.

• No one should ever request or recommend that another person remove or lower their mask for any reason, indoors or outdoors.

Ventilation

In an effort to reduce germs in the air, we will have Corsi-Rosenthal boxes in all classrooms that are in use, as well as a portable HEPA filter in the Fellowship Hall.

Faith UMC will set its HVAC system to circulate air continuously through its filters.

Windows may be opened for fresh air, even during colder weather. (Everyone is responsible for ensuring that all windows are closed and locked at the end of the day.)

Cleaning

Everyone is encouraged to wash their hands frequently with soap and water.

Hand sanitizer will be available throughout our space.

Paper towels and general-purpose cleaners will also be available. Students should assist with wiping down surfaces (tabletops, chairs, counters, doorknobs, etc.) before and after class.

Minimizing Exposure

What to do if someone is ill or has had a recent exposure to illness

Stay home if you feel ill or have any symptoms, including but not limited to fever, muscle aches, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, loss of taste or smell, or gastrointestinal distress, skin rashes that are not explained by eczema, psoriasis, or contact dermatitis.

If you or a family member has been exposed to someone with COVID-19, influenza, or another highly communicable disease, or are experiencing any related symptoms, follow Minnesota Department of Health recommendations for quarantine, masking or monitoring.

If you or your student tests positive for COVID-19 or is ill with another highly communicable disease, let our co-op’s Leadership Team know via an email to PlanetHomeschoolMN@gmail.com. One of our co-op’s lead volunteers will make a general forum post that a member of our community is ill, and to watch for symptoms. If you are comfortable doing so and have the energy, also notify your contacts at PHS (your instructors, classmates, etc.) directly.

Handling Individual Class Cancellations

Unplanned cancellations are always a possibility; an instructor may need to cancel classes due to illness or a family emergency.

Please have a plan for when that happens!

• Ensure that your student brings along something quiet to occupy their class time.

• Offer to step in to serve as a room monitor for the day — with or without planned activities for the students.

Information for Instructors

Classroom Policies for In-Person Classes

Instructors may set stricter policies for their own classrooms.

Questions?

If you have any questions or concerns about these policies, you can reach our co-op’s lead volunteers at PlanetHomeschoolMN@gmail.com.

These policy decisions honor the preferences of the majority of our members as well as guidance from epidemiologists and other public health experts in an effort to ensure PHS not only survives but continues to thrive. Our community is what it is because of the compassion, generosity, and respect extended to each other by members, lead volunteers, and instructors, not just in ordinary times but in extraordinarily challenging ones: so, thank you!

Minnesota Department of Health

• Viral Respiratory Illness in Minnesota (Data & Statistics)

• COVID-19: Protect Yourself & Others: Sick, recovering, or exposed to COVID-19

Options for comfortable well-fitting masks

Inclusion in the following list does not imply an endorsement by PHS volunteers.

• The WellBefore KN95 Adjustable Mask for Kids and Petite Faces has adjustable ear loops and an adjustable nose bridge and comes in various colors and three sizes to fit ages 2–4, 5–8, and 9–12.

• The SoftSeal N95 respirator mask without valve (with adjustable head strap and adjustable nose bridge) is available in child and adult sizes; it has a soft silicone seal that some find to be more comfortable but may not work well with eyeglasses.

• Some people report finding a KF94 respirator mask to be more comfortable than an N95 or KN95.

• For those who cannot tolerate an N95/KN95/KF94 or equivalent respirator mask, the WellBefore Kids surgical-style mask also has both adjustable ear loops and an adjustable nose bridge.

The difference between an ASTM Level 1 procedure mask and an ASTM Level 2 surgical mask is the resistance to fluid spray, not filtration. An ASTM Level 2 surgical mask will resist a spray at arterial pressure (120 mm Hg) and a Level 3 will resist 160 mm Hg, while a Level 1 procedure mask will only resist a spray at venous pressure (80 mm Hg).

More information about masks:

1. “What Doctors Wish Patients Knew About Wearing N95 Masks,” by Sara Berg, M.S. with Louito Edje, M.D. and Luis Seija, M.D., for the American Medical Association’s What Doctors Wish Patients Knew series, 2022 Jun 24. (Advice on fit and comfort.)

2. “COVID-19 Fact Sheet: Workers Need Respirators,” American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). (FYI: ACHIH sets workplace exposure standards.)

3. “N95 Respirators, Surgical Masks, Face Masks, and Barrier Face Coverings,” FDA.

4. What Is the Difference Between Level 1, 2, and 3 Masks?,” Santé Group

5. “Counterfeit Respirators / Misrepresentation of NIOSH-Approval,” CDC. (A running list of counterfeit masks.)

6. “N95 Respirator Cleaning and Reuse Methods Proposed by the Inventor of the N95 Mask Material,” by Pascal S.C. Juang, M.D. and Peter Tsai, Ph.D., The Journal of Emergency Medicine, 2020 May..

7. Microwave-Generated Steam Decontamination of N95 Respirators Utilizing Universally Accessible Materials, by Katelyn E. Zulauf, Alex B. Green, Alex N. Nguyen Ba, Tanush Jagdish, Dvir Reif, Robert Seeley, Alana Dale, and James E. Kirby, mBio (American Society for Microbiology), 2020 May-Jun.

More information about air filtration:

1. Air Cleaners, HVAC Filters, and Coronavirus (COVID-19), EPA.

2. Ventilation and Coronavirus (COVID-19), EPA.

3. “IAQ Research-Practice in Action: The Corsi/Rosenthal Box Air Cleaner,” by Jim Rosenthal, Tex-Air Filters.

4. “How to Improve the Efficiency of the Corsi-Rosenthal Box Air Cleaner,” by Jim Rosenthal, Tex-Air Filters.

5. “Characterizing the performance of a do-it-yourself (DIY) box fan air filter,” by Rachael Dal Porto, Monet N. Kunz, Theresa Pistochini, Richard L. Corsi, and Christopher D. Cappa, Aerosol Science and Technology, v.56:no.6, 2022:April.