COVID-19 SAFETY GUIDELINES
(Updated as of September 9, 2022 and subject to change)
American Repertory Ballet (ARB) and Princeton Ballet School (PBS) remain focused on protecting the health and safety of our community.
Since March 2020, ARB/PBS has been implementing best known practices understood and proven to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The following guidelines have been developed in consultation with medical experts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state and local health officials, and other guidelines that have been researched specific to our field of operation.
ARB/PBS safety guidelines and policies are continually reviewed by Jeffrey Grosser, Princeton Deputy Administrator for Health and Community Service.
While our organization is not able to fully eliminate risk due to COVID-19, we aim to keep students, families, and our employees as safe as possible. We continue to evaluate our processes, adapt as needed, and want to emphasize the shared responsibility of our community as we continue to operate safely.
WELLNESS CHECKS
POLICIES & PROCEDURES
Check 1: Before arriving at the studio each day, parents/guardians should conduct a wellness and temperature check. All students should remain home if they are not feeling well or have a fever of 99.5 or higher.
Check 2: Temperature and visual wellness checks will take place when students arrive at the School. Checks will be conducted safely and respectfully with a non-contact digital thermometer.
Parents and guardians are required to report any symptoms of illness and keep their symptomatic child(ren) home. Any student showing symptoms of illness will not be allowed to enter any ARB/PBS facility. If symptoms or illness occur on site during the day, students should tell the teacher immediately.
If a student is showing signs of illness or has an elevated temperature of 99.5 degrees or higher, the student’s guardian will immediately be called to take the student home.
An isolation area has been identified at each facility in the event a student requires isolation as a result of illness. Plans for supervising a child in the isolation area will be in place to ensure safety while arranging for transport home.
IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION
All programs are in-person, unless otherwise noted, with a teacher and an accompanist in each studio. A virtual option is available for all levels. If you do not feel comfortable with in-person instruction at any time, you may elect to shift to online classes through Zoom.
CLOSE CONTACT
Any UNVACCINATED person that has been informed that they may have been exposed to COVID-19 within the last 14 days should stay home and test 5 days after the date of known exposure.
Any VACCINATED person that has been informed that they may have been exposed to COVID-19 within the last 14 days may return to the studio if they remain asymptomatic, fully masked at all times, and test 5 days after the date of known exposure.
WHEN TO STAY HOME
If you test positive for COVID-19, you must stay home even if you are up-to-date on your COVID-19 vaccinations, have no symptoms and/or were recently (within the last 90 days) infected and recovered. You may not return to a PBS facility until all of the following are true:
- At least five (5) days have passed since the day your symptom(s) started AND
- You no longer have a fever, AND
- Your other symptoms are getting better, AND
- You can show proof of a negative test result 5-10 days after you tested positive.
You must stay home for five (5) full days after your positive test, even if you do not have symptoms.
If you become symptomatic after you test positive, you must stay home for five (5) full days after the start of symptoms. If you are unable to test, or if you choose not to test, you can end isolation and return to PBS after day ten (10).
Anyone with a confirmed positive test must report it to Dan Bauer by emailing dbauer@arballet.org or calling (609) 921-7758.
MASKS
Face masks are welcomed, but not longer required.
FACILITY OPERATION AND CLEANING PRACTICES
The following sanitizing and safety procedures will take place before our facilities open at the beginning of each session, and will continue to occur on a regular basis:
All locations will have a thorough cleaning and disinfecting before the start of classes and daily enhanced professional cleanings using EPA certified products.
Each location will have a sanitizing station as you enter the building, in the hallways, and in the studios.
Bathrooms will be cleaned and sanitized often.
Frequently touched surfaces, including door handles, will be wiped throughout the day, in addition to the regular cleaning schedule. Floors will be cleaned on a regular basis.
Break rooms, dressing rooms, and showers will be unavailable for use.
Heating and ventilation (HVAC) systems have been assessed, include fresh air components, and have received COVID mitigation cleanings and ionizer purification systems for greatest efficiency.
Any non-touch water bottle filling station may be used, but water drinking fountains will not be available. Students are encouraged to bring their own water bottles.
DROP OFF PROCEDURE
Students should arrive wearing their dance attire.
Princeton Studio Location:
Please do not wait in your car in the circle. The circular driveway is only used to drop off and pick up when it does not block the flow of the Shopping Center traffic. Parents are encouraged to park in the parking lot.
Cranbury Studio Location:
There is ample parking in the back of the studio. The door on Main Street will not be open.
New Brunswick Location:
Metered parking is available, or parents may park in a nearby lot and walk students to the main entrance.
Visitors, family and/or friends, will not be allowed in the School lobby or studio areas. Only authorized employees and students may enter to minimize the number of people in the facility
.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
All students must follow ARB/PBS Safety Guidelines to help protect the health of our School students, families, employees, and the greater community.
If a family or student does not feel comfortable with these guidelines, Princeton Ballet School offers a virtual option to accommodate at-home learning through online classes.
Princeton Ballet School recommends that students age 5 and up get their primary series of COVID-19 vaccines, and receive a booster dose when eligible.
Questions or concerns?
Please contact:
Dan Bauer, Communication & Operations Manager/COVID Compliance Officer dbauer@arballet.org (609) 921-7758 x23
Julie Diana Hench, Executive Director jdhench@arballet.org (732) 249-1254 x16