Update 1/25/2022 for returning to in-person learning

Here are the precautions we will undertake as a studio:

1. Ventilation. I have two exhaust fans mounted in our studio space, one pushing fresh air inside, the other pulling stale air outside. Technical info: Each fan moves 820 CFM. The size of my studio is 20′ x 12’ x 7’6″, or approximately 1,920 cu. ft. That means that the fans can clear all the air in the studio in 3 minutes. To allow for an adequate safety margin, I will run them for 6 minutes at the end of each lesson.

2. Filtration. I have an air filter in the space that will run continuously during lessons. Sometimes I switch off the filter for a moment so that students can hear well enough to tune a string or a note. If anyone knows of a really great filtration unit that may be better than the one I have, please let me know.

3. Masking. I ask that all persons present for in-person teaching wear a well-fitting N95, KN95 or KF94 mask at all times. Please take care of mask changes, blowing noses, drink of water, etc before you enter or after you leave. Below is more mask info and some mask recommendations from colleagues and parents in our studio:

• Powecom (my children wear these)
• Harley

More resources:

• A list of kids masks from clean aircrew.org
• Project N95 is a good resource, however, as of the last time I checked, no child-specific masks were available for purchase
• behealthyusa KF94
• kollecteusa KF94
• CDC: types of masks and respirators
• CDC: guidance for K-12

It’s worth noting that due to high demand, there are many counterfeit masks out there on the internet. You can check the certified equipment list  to verify an NIOSH certification. Unfortunately, in my understanding, you can’t verify a KN95 or KF94 mask here.

Here are the masks I’m currently wearing.

4. Vaccination and Boosting. I ask that all persons coming to the studio in person be fully vaccinated and boosted according to the latest guidance from the CDC.

Thank you all for everything you do to help create music in your children’s lives. I am grateful to be the teacher of such a wonderful community of children and families.

Update: 9/6/21

Below are my guidelines for in-person teaching until further notice. While these precautions can be intrusive and burdensome, it is my view that where it can safely take place, in-person learning is vastly preferable to online learning, especially in the long term. Therefore, in spite of the recent surge of the Delta variant of COVID-19, I will continue with my decision from last spring to teach in-person lessons this year. Many students in our program are under 12 years of age. Please read below to help us all help them and us to be as safe as possible in our Suzuki Violin community.

1. Vaccine Requirement

In an effort to promote health and safety for all, beginning Monday, September 13, 2021, all eligible students (12 and older) and their parents are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Please be prepared to show your documentation of vaccination at our first meeting. I recognize that this information is sensitive, and it will not be shared with anyone. I strongly encourage all of our eligible community members to be vaccinated as soon as possible, if you have not yet been vaccinated. If you or your child is eligible for vaccination but unvaccinated, please let me know your plans for getting vaccinated. If you have a religious or medical exemption, please provide documentation.

Vaccination sites may be found at https://vaxfinder.mass.gov.

2. Masking Requirement

All parents and students will be required to wear masks indoors at all times, regardless of vaccination status.

3. Physical Distancing

All parents and students are expected to strive to maintain a distance of 6 feet in meetings, including group classes.

4. How to protect unvaccinated children: (from the CDC website)

Below are the best ways to protect your child, or a child you care for, who cannot get vaccinated yet:

• Get vaccinated yourself. COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of people getting and spreading COVID-19.
• If your child is 2 years and older, make sure that your child wears a mask in public settings and takes other actions to protect themselves. To set an example, you also might choose to wear a mask.
• If your child is younger than 2 years or cannot wear a mask, limit visits with people who are not vaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown and keep distance between your child and other people in public.
• STAY HOME and take your lesson online if you or your child are showing any symptoms of Covid-19 or any other sickness or active allergy symptoms.

5. The single most important thing to do if any of the following symptoms are present is to STAY HOME.

Note that some symptoms of COVID-19 are the same as the flu or a cold; do not assume that it is another condition. STAY HOME when in doubt, or if you have any of the symptoms listed:

• Fever
• Chills, and/or shaking chills
• Cough
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Headache
• Muscle aches or body aches
• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
• Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms
• Nasal congestion or runny nose

6. The second most important thing to do if any of the symptoms above are present is to NOTIFY ME.

If I learn that a student or parent has reported symptoms or a positive test result, I will immediately notify all families that I taught on that day adjacent to the family in question.

If either you, your child, or I become ill during a lesson, the lesson will end. If you or your child’s guardian is not with your child, I will notify you immediately.

If you have COVID-like symptoms:

• STAY HOME and if well enough, have your lessons online.
• NOTIFY ME immediately, even if you are unsure and/or have not tested positive.

If you have had close contact with someone who has COVID-19  (regardless of vaccination status):

• Close contact is defined as being within 6 feet of someone infected with COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period (for example, three individual 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes).
• STAY HOME and if well enough, have your lessons online.
• NOTIFY ME immediately by phone, text message, and email.
• Get tested 3-5 days after the exposure, even if you have no symptoms.

Students and families may return to in-person learning:

• After you have a negative COVID-19 test result (please note: a negative rapid antigen test, e.g. Binax NOW, is not sufficient) and are symptom-free, including being fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications.
• After 14 days from the start of symptoms, or positive test result if asymptomatic, as long as your child is symptom-free, including being fever-free for at least 3 days without the use of fever reducing medications.

7. Site Details for my Woburn Studio at 7 Senator Road:

• Hygiene: Please sanitize your hands before and after each lesson. Hand sanitizer will be available.
• Beginning 9/13/2021 and until further notice, all students and parents will be asked to enter the studio directly via the glass door in the rear of the building. Please enter the gate on the downhill side of the house. You will find the studio door immediately to your right.
• Parking: Please park in the driveway on the downhill side of the house. I will not have an indoor waiting area. Please wait in your car until the student before you has departed before parking in the driveway.
• There will be a 5 minute period between each lesson to ventilate all of the air in the studio.
• The use of my bathroom will no longer be possible. Please plan ahead. I apologize for this inconvenience.
• Parents and siblings are welcome in the studio provided they are capable of following the COVID guidelines.
• A checklist sign is posted on the entrance to the studio.
• My studio contains an air purifier, which will continuously clean the air with HEPA filtering.
• An air exchanging system has been installed with the capacity to exchange 100% of the air in the studio space between lessons.
• Complete cleaning and sanitizing of the space will occur daily.

8. Site Details for Waldorf School Orchestra Room 739 Mass Ave, Lexington:

• Hygiene: Please sanitize your hands before and after each lesson. Hand sanitizer will be available.
• Take extra care to maintain a physical distance inside the orchestra room.
• Students will be admitted and dismissed directly at the exterior door of the orchestra room (not the main entrance.)
• Teachers and students must wear masks at all times.
• No parents are allowed in the building. I will endeavor to stream the group classes via zoom/private YouTube.
  There will be a 5 minute period between each lesson to ventilate all of the air in the studio.