MA's Focus on the Deep Clean

With the new variant reaching further and further into our loved one's lives, we, at Marshall Academy, want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to mitigate the risk to our children while learning here on campus.

Now is not the time to loosen our practices. Our teachers, students and staff are buckling down on on our cleaning practices to ensure as safe an environment as possible.

Making sure we are healthy at our entrances is our first line of defense. Any student, or staff member with a fever should self quarantine until the fever subsides.

Just to be sure we catch any cases before they enter the building, at each entrance in the morning we have our staff taking the temperature of each student.

If a student's temperature is too high, we give them some time, check it a few more times to make sure and then ultimately arrange for a ride home so we do not possibly infect others.

With the help of our nightly cleaning crew, provided by He Cleans Too, we will be able to completely disinfect each room each week.

For the last few weeks we have been renting a the sprayer to kill any germs that may be in the air, or left over on surfaces. This cleaning sprayer emits a superfine mist of Clorox sanitizing spray. This mist is so fine that is is safe to spray on any surface, including electronics, fabrics and even screens.

The process only takes 10-15 minutes per room and with such a powerful air compressor it delivers a reliable 360 degree clean.

We are excited to be able to work this practice into our weekly routine ensuring germ free space to learn.

Our building maintenance director, Mr. Cottom, has created a routine of of a wipe-down of all common spaces twice daily.

Once in the morning while the students are in class and once in the afternoon while students are in class he wipes down every single door handle, drinking fountain and frequently touched surface in the school. This process only takes about 20 minutes to ensure that we are passing as few germs as possible.

Marshall Academy is a unique place. We can do this because we are so small that is easy to manage. Good things come in small packages.

Inside the classroom our teachers are wiping down the desks, chairs and frequently touched surfaces as often as possible.

The building maintenance crew has provided spray bottles and refills them with the solvent frequently. The teachers switch their classroom rags out as often as they need to.

Middle and High school teachers have designated jobs in the classrooms to have a student volunteer to wipe down after transitions. Elementary teachers have worked classroom wipes downs into their daily routines.

Our community is banding together to clean the environment the best we can without losing a moment of instruction.

For the last two years we have implemented the cohort system.

While our high schoolers do mix and match the rest of the Kindergarten through 8th grade keep pretty much to their own groups.

Each group enters and exits the building through their own cohort's unique entrance. With the design of the building, we are able to assign cohorts their own entry. In the cafeteria groups of students sit with their own grade levels. We are even able to play at recess in groups.

Though this may seem a bit drastic, it definitely has its benefits.

For one; we have never had to cross quarantine multiple classes because of school related contact.

The second effect we have seen is that our classes have developed stronger bonds than we have ever witnessed. Our classes were already small and had that family feel, but now they have really come together.

Your small, safe and supportive choice.

Email: wilsonn@marshallacademy.org
Website: https://www.marshallacademy.org/
Location: 18203 Homer Road, Marshall, MI, USA
Phone: (269)781-6330
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marshallacademygriffons
Twitter: @magriffons