Dear Stephen Wise Temple Families and Friends,

As we continue to monitor developments in the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, as well as updated guidance issued by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control, we wanted to share additional information with you regarding our response.

In addition to the increased sanitation measures that we published last week, you will discover additional measures taken at public gatherings to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, including increased availability of hygiene products, new procedures for greeting guests and distributing materials, and more. Also, Wise School has implemented the following policies on our campus, effective immediately:

  • Travel. For families planning international travel, please note that, if you visit a country that is under a CDC Level 2 or Level 3 Travel Health Notice, your child will be required to stay home and away from fellow students for 14 days after returning to Los Angeles. This is the standard period recommended by the CDC as a precautionary measure. If you plan to travel to a country under a Level 2 or 3 Travel Health Notice, please contact Nurse Gail Rosenblum to coordinate.
  • Illness. All students, faculty, and staff who feel ill should remain home, and persons who have been ill should be fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication before returning to campus. Faculty are prepared to help students complete any missed work from home.
  • Hygiene. All students, faculty, and staff have been instructed to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after public gatherings, to include recess, lunch, services, and assemblies. In addition, all students, faculty, and staff have been advised to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after sneezing, coughing, and disposing of tissues. Please note that faculty and staff will enforce these hygiene procedures. We ask that parents adhere to the same hygienic practices.

Yesterday, LA County declared a public health state of emergency in response to additional cases of COVID-19. We understand that such news, understandably, has created additional concern. However, the Department of Public Health advises that the risk for contracting COVID-19 within the county remains low and that there is no need for social distancing measures at this time. Please know that we will never hesitate to cancel or postpone an activity in order to safeguard our students, families, or faculty, but our current circumstance does not warrant such measures. As such, we will continue to provide enriching, meaningful educational and spiritual programs to our families — from regular classes to Shabbat gatherings to the greatest Purim Carnival in Los Angeles — empowered by the knowledge that we have implemented the very best in safety and hygiene standards available.

Should you have questions or concerns, we look forward to discussing them with you. We also encourage everyone to read the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s Coronavirus Resource Page.

We continue to draw strength from our commitment to one another and to pikuach nefesh, to safeguarding the well-being of everyone in our Wise community.