PROTOCOLS AND SAFETY MEASURES

• Over the past couple of years, we have greatly appreciated your understanding that your Tutoring Club Experience looked different as we navigated through the pandemic. We remained confident in and committed to providing the same stellar instruction and friendly faces that your student had grown accustomed to in their time with us. We miss “the olden days” like everyone else, but are proud of our efforts in doing our part to keep our staff and kiddos healthy over the past years.
  
  
• With the start of the new school year and the ever evolving guidelines, we are continuing to lift the restrictions we put in place in 2020. We will continue to work within state and federal guidelines for masking, social distancing, and disinfecting, and will continue to monitor the CDC Community Levels of the areas where our students come from. We ask that you continue to honor and respect our rules; keep your students home if they are exhibiting any COVID-19 symptoms; and continue educating your students about social distancing, proper hygiene, sneezing politely, kindly respecting others’ preferences, and avoiding touching their eyes, nose, mouth, and mask. While the protocols we had in place helped slow the spread of COVID-19, they were also helpful in mitigating our kiddos coming in with a cold or flu and spreading it to our beloved tutors. Nobody wins when all of our tutors are out with the flu!
  
  
• Please read through this section for some of the health protocols that are in place at the time of publication to ensure a safer visit to Tutoring Club of McLean (TCM). This list may expand or shrink as our communities continue to combat the virus and address safety concerns. Please refer to Staying Subscribed to TCM Emails on our Welcome Page to ensure that you receive all future notifications.
  

USE OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) AND CLEANING PROTOCOLS

• Employees, students, and visitors can choose to wear face masks or shields for the duration of their time within the center but they will NOT be required. Please see the Student Illness Guide for exceptions to this rule. While masks are no longer required, they are still recommended to help prevent further spread of COVID-19 or other infectious diseases such as the flu. We want our staff to stay healthy!
  
  
• For regular tutoring sessions, optional plexiglass sneeze guards may be used between the tutor and each student at the discretion of the tutor.
  
  
• TCM employees will disinfect tables and chairs once one group of students is excused and before the next is welcomed.
  
  
• Disinfectant will be used to regularly clean door handles and other common surfaces.
  
  
• We worked with engineers on the best air purification system for our center to help stop the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 and installed the IQ Air system based on their recommendations.
  
  
• Students will not be allowed to wait inside between sessions without prior approval, so parents will be asked to pick up and drop off on time.
  

PROTOCOLS FOR ENTERING TCM

• Parents who wish their child(ren) to attend in-person tutoring sessions will be required to sign a waiver of liability form prior to securing their schedule.
  
  
• During tutoring sessions, only students, staff, and parents with scheduled meetings will be permitted to enter TCM. Our waiting area will be closed to reduce the number of extra people in the center.
  
  
• Students will be required to wait in their or their parents' cars until it is time for their session to start. Five minutes before their tutoring session starts, cars can begin lining up at the curb. For those students driving, they can stand in line outside TCM, keeping six feet between others.
  
  
• All students and employees will be required to wash their hands or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer upon entering TCM.
  
  
• To minimize contact of surfaces, students are encouraged to use the restroom at home prior to arriving to TCM. Our restroom will, of course, be open for those who need to use it.
  

CHANGES TO TUTORING FORMAT, INCLUDING USE OF BOOKS AND TECHNOLOGY

• During the enrollment process, your Director or Assistant Director will determine if a laptop is needed for your child during his/her time with us. Unless otherwise discussed or prior arrangements are made, students will continue to work off their laptop when working with their tutor. Exceptions are made for our early readers, writers, and mathematicians, as well as students with specific learning needs, for whom we will print off new materials for each session.
  
  
• Students should bring in their own pencils, pens, calculators, and fidget toys (if applicable). If they will be working on a laptop/tablet, they are required to bring their own (and charging cables), as we have a limited number available. For those students who need to use ours (if/when available), our staff and students will sanitize those before and after each use.
  
  
• Physical tokens have been replaced with tally marks to reduce the exchange of tokens between hands. There will be no high-fives or fist bumps, but they are there in spirit!!
  
  
• Manipulatives and other hands-on teaching tools and games are sanitized before and after each use.
  
  
• For the near term, no snacks are provided in the student store until it becomes safe again to do so.
  
  
• All water fountains in the center are closed to decrease shared surfaces. Please encourage your child to bring in a full water bottle if they need it. Water bottles should be clearly marked with each student’s name. NO FOOD OR OTHER DRINKS ARE ALLOWED INSIDE.