Safety Guidelines & COVID-19 Protocols for Camp
Kala Safety Guidelines & COVID-19 Protocols for In Person/On Campus Activities
Kala is constantly keeping up with the latest updates on COVID-19 safety guidelines and we will update according to the policies dictated by the Center for Disease Control Prevention (CDC), the State of California, and the County of Alameda guidelines regarding COVID-19.
Requirements for In Person Camp Kala 2023
Waivers/Agreements/Vaccination Card
• Media, liability, and health waivers along with program participant agreements are required and must be signed and submitted by families prior to the start of camp.
• Please Note: All camp participants ages 5+ will be required to be fully vaccinated and boosted (if eligible). Families are required to upload their child’s proof of vaccination before the start of the class or email youtharts@kala.org.
Daily health checklist
Before arriving at the program, participants and parents/families are required to go through the following health checklist:
• Kala Youth Arts Participant Health Screening (courtesy of BUSD)– Please review the form before your child attends the program.
• Take temperature – If the temperature seems higher than what is normal for your child’s temperature range, please notify staff and refrain from attending camp.
• Symptom check – If your child is experiencing any symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (including fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea), please notify Kala staff immediately and refrain from attending camp. Please review the CDC’s website “When To Stay Home.”
• Water, lunch, and snacks – Participants will be asked to bring their own water bottles, lunch, and snacks.
Masking / PPE
• (UPDATED 2/14/23) In alignment with Bay Area public health and local school guidelines, indoor masking at Kala San Pablo is now recommended but no longer required for staff, program participants, and visitors. We encourage participants to make whatever masking decisions best suit themselves and their families and to respect the decisions of others.
• Please note that everyone should mask for 10 days after exposure to a COVID-19 case and for 10 days after testing positive. Anyone who develops symptoms should test immediately and stay home. Anyone who tests positive must follow isolation requirements. The CDC, as well as state and local health departments still recommend regular mask use for those who are medically compromised or unvaccinated for COVID-19, especially when COVID-19 community levels are medium and for everyone when levels are high.
• We recommend at least a 3-layer mask or a N95/KN95 mask
• No matter what kind of mask one wears, checking the fit by avoiding gaps above the nose or on the sides is very important and highly recommended. Masks should cover the nose and mouth at all times when worn.
• Any additional PPE, such as face shields, are welcome to be used but not required
If your child has symptoms of COVID-19
• If your child is experiencing any symptoms consistent with COVID-19 as listed above, please notify Kala staff immediately via phone or e-mail, and refrain from entering Kala facilities. You can learn about more possible symptoms on the CDC COVID-19 Symptom page.
• Participants and their families are encouraged to get tested as soon as possible if they suspect possible symptoms of COVID-19. Please visit the City of Berkeley’s website for information about the free city-coordinated testing sites and Covid-19 related resources.
• If your child tests positive for COVID-19, please notify Kala staff immediately.
• If a participant is experiencing any symptoms, they will be unable to participate in person for the rest of the camp. Families will receive a credit to be applied at another time if the camp is canceled by Kala. Please review the CDC’s website “When To Stay Home.”
Personal Belongings
With the exception of water bottles, snacks, lunch, and other essentials such as phones and keys, students will be asked to bring as few personal belongings as possible. There will be designated areas/storage bins for each student to store their belongings during camp.
Participant Drop Off and Pick Up
Sign-in sheet
• There will be a staggered arrival system for students and families to avoid crowding
• At the front entrance, there will be a sanitization station with a sign-in/sign-out sheet for students. Parents must sign the sheet at drop-off and at pick-up times. With signed permission (waiver found in registration) from a parent or guardian, older students/teens may sign themselves in and out.
• There will be a designated container of clean, sanitized pens for signing in. Please put your pen in the “Used” cup after each use. All pens will be sanitized by staff.
Hand Sanitizer
Participants will be asked to sanitize their hands upon arrival. Hand sanitizer will be available at the front sanitization station, as well as throughout the facilities.
Temperature Reader
While we ask that students and families take temperatures prior to arrival, staff may also use a temperature reader to take temperatures at the entrance
General COVID-19 Safety Protocols
Our top priority is to ensure a safe, fun, educational, and memorable summer experience for all participants.
Max class size per camp
Small group sizes of no more than 14-16 campers in a room will allow for individualized/one-on-one guidance and support, as well as safety.
Mask wearing
• (UPDATED 2/14/23) In alignment with Bay Area public health and local school guidelines, indoor masking at Kala San Pablo is now recommended but no longer required for staff, program participants, and visitors. We encourage participants to make whatever masking decisions best suit themselves and their families and to respect the decisions of others.
• Please note that everyone should mask for 10 days after exposure to a COVID-19 case and for 10 days after testing positive. Anyone who develops symptoms should test immediately and stay home. Anyone who tests positive must follow isolation requirements. The CDC, as well as state and local health departments still recommend regular mask use for those who are medically compromised or unvaccinated for COVID-19, especially when COVID-19 community levels are medium and for everyone when levels are high.
• We recommend at least a 3-layer mask or a N95/KN95 mask. Masks should cover the nose and mouth at all times when worn.
Fresh air/water breaks for students
• There will be timed fresh air breaks for all students during indoor instruction and activities. Students will be led out in shifts by teaching artists or assistants to the San Pablo lawn for a few minutes. Students can drink from their personal water bottles during this time.
• If a student needs to drink water at any given time outside of designated breaks, they will be directed outside or accompanied outside by an assistant.
Restroom breaks for students
• Restrooms can be accessed during designated breaks.
• If participants need to use the restroom at any given time, they should notify a teaching artist on site.
• Participants will be asked to wash their hands after restroom use.
Hygiene, Sanitization, Air Circulation
• Participants will be asked to sanitize or wash their hands throughout the day.
• Staff, Teaching Artists, and volunteers are required to wash their hands throughout the day.
• Kala will provide hand sanitizer for adults and children to use when they enter the building, and in the classrooms.
• There will be open windows, fans, and air purifiers that aid in the ventilation of all classroom and camp spaces.
Lunch Break Protocol
Location
Lunchtime will take place outside at San Pablo Park, on the front lawn, or on the outdoor table area out the back.
Sharing
Participants are not allowed to share their water bottles, beverages, snacks, or lunch that they brought from home with other students.
Supplies
Designated sets of supplies and tools
Participants will be provided with their own basic art supplies and tools to use during camp; these are returned to Kala at the end of camp. Supplies and tools will be stored in designated areas for each student.
Artist storage area
• Participants will be given their own spaces/bins to store their supplies, tools, and projects for the duration of the camp.
• Participants will be asked to store their essential personal belongings in these designated spaces/bins during the day.
Supplies from home
Participants will be provided with everything they need for the duration of the camp. They should not bring any supplies, tools, or unnecessary personal items to camp.
If a student refuses to comply with safety protocols
Immediate dismissal and families notified
• If a participant refuses to comply with safety protocol and follow instructions from the teaching artists, parents/families of the student will be notified by phone and asked to pick the student up for immediate early dismissal.
• Participants will be allowed to return to camp if they agree to follow protocol the next day.
Impact on refunds due to early dismissal
• If a participant repeatedly refuses to comply with safety protocol on multiple occasions/days, parents/families of the student will be notified by phone and asked to pick their child up for immediate early dismissal and to refrain from attending the rest of the camp week. In this situation, families will receive partial credit to be applied at another time for Kala classes. Please refer to “Camp Kala Parent and Participant Agreement” in the online registration.