Dear Members of our Shemer Family:
It is with great care and planning that as of May 20, 2020 we have developed a gradual reopening strategy for the Shemer Art Center, based on its size and physical configurations.
To create this plan we have researched (and continue to research daily) all applicable local/state/federal guidelines and national best practices. The re-opening plans for the Shemer Art Center call for the following, graduated and phased-in dates:
- June 1: The Shemer Art Center opens for Summer Camps only! (26 students or less per day, all parent drop-offs and pick-ups outside.) No public allowed without appointment. Vendor traffic minimized.
- June 30: Shemer Art Center returns to normal working hours, for employees only. Public and vendor traffic minimized.
- July 6: Shemer Art Center returns to normal business hours and is open to the public!
The Shemer Art Center will be unwavering in its attention to detail about its plans to keep everyone safe during its reopening, following the above guidelines and its own. Employees, volunteers and students will be asked to follow the Shemer Art Center Safety Code of Conduct, and its three main points:
- Stay home if you are sick!
- Protect yourself!
- Protect and be respectful of others!
Specific steps will be taken each day to keep our employees, volunteers, students and their families safe. These steps include:
- implementing symptom screening for all employees and volunteers prior to their shift.
- taking the temperature of each student entering class each day.
- sharing our safety guidelines with all employees and volunteers so that everyone is helping everyone with monitoring and safety.
- requesting all employees, volunteers, students and visitors to bring and wear masks while at the Shemer. Additional filtered masks will be available as a back-up for any needs during the day. These masks will be offered for a $1 donation to Shemer.
- using three separate entrances to the three separate classrooms each day, to minimize traffic for students.
- limiting class sizes to allow room for social distancing.
- rearranging or spreading out classroom tables and formats.
- ensuring each class will have fresh paper on the tables, and for painting, sanitized easels will be set up for students in the morning, and then sanitized by staff and put away after class. Tables without paper coverings will be sanitized after each class (use).
- sanitizing commonly touched surfaces and areas of the Shemer Art Center at least twice per day. To ensure daily compliance clipboards will be kept in the lobby and kitchen.
- scheduling weekly janitorial cleanings starting May 30, using top, hospital-grade disinfectants.
- making arrangements to have clean air filters installed twice as often as before.
- placing COVID-19 posters for City Facilities (and others) by every sink and in classrooms and other highly visible areas.
- asking each student to utilize Clorox wipes in restrooms to sanitize all public touch areas prior to and following their use.
- having hand sanitizer in every classroom and tissues in every bathroom.
- discouraging employees from using other employees’ phones or desks, and sanitizing them afterwards if they do, and
- requesting that all gift shop items be handled only by staff members.
These guidelines will remain in place through the month of July, and be re-evaluated for possible extension after that.
We are so pleased we are able to open the Shemer Art Center for on-site classes again, and we look forward to seeing every member of our Shemer Family again soon! Thank you for your patience, and again, thank you for all of your understanding and support during these unprecedented times!
