In addition, we are extremely proud that our student body and staff represent a myriad of countries, and we take every opportunity to teach our students that we are Muslims first, united by our religion.  We also teach that culture comes second to the religion, and is represented only in the different languages we speak, and the food that we eat — but that in the sight of Allah, we are ONE.  

We believe that:

“WHOEVER LEARNS SOMETHING IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, SEEKING THAT WHICH IS WITH HIM, HE WILL WIN.  AND WHOEVER LEARNS SOMETHING FOR OTHER THAN ALLAH, HE WILL NOT REACH THE GOAL, NOR WILL HIS ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE BRING HIM CLOSER TO ALLAH.” (AL-HASAN AL-BASREE, RA)

Enjoy your tour and we look forward to meeting you in person.

JazakAllahu Khayran.

Khadijah Jean Pryce, Ed.D.

Principal, Islamic Cultural Center School

The Mission of the Islamic Cultural Center School (ICCS) is to provide high quality Islamic and secular education to its students. ICCS’ goal is to empower students to become lifelong learners, incorporating Islamic values in a collaborative environment where stakeholders are partners in fostering well-rounded global citizens, prepared to achieve their maximum potential.

Last year was unique in its own way and brought many challenges as COVID-19 cases surged in New York City. ICCS implemented a successful virtual learning program for the school year 2020-2021 with the help of our devoted teachers, administrators, support staff and cooperative parents.

This school year as the ICCS welcomes students and staff back in-person into the school building, the primary intention is to ensure the health and safety of everyone at the school premises. After thorough review of the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH),  the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Department of Education (NYSED) Standard Policy and Procedure, ICCS presents its Reopening Plan for the year 2021- 2022. The physical, social, emotional and academic health of students and staff were paramount in the development of this plan.

The plan includes various policy and procedural protocols to be followed regarding the following areas: 

1. Communication/Family and Community Engagement
2. Health and Safety/Facility Maintenance
3. Child Nutrition
4. Transportation
5. Physical Well-Being
6. Social Emotional Well-Being
7. School Schedules/ Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism

Communication

1. All communications between the ICCS and its community stakeholders, including but not limited to, administration, faculty, staff, nurse, parents, students and community members, will be clear and documented.
2. ICCS will train all faculty, staff and students to follow COVID-19 protocols safely and correctly, including but not limited to, hand hygiene, proper face masking, social distancing and respiratory hygiene.
3. ICCS will provide signage in classrooms, hallways and throughout the building presenting CDC and DOH guidance regarding personal protective equipment (PPE), specifically acceptable face coverings, social distancing, hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, signs and symptoms of COVID-19.
4. Any changes or additions in the ICCS reopening plan 2021-2022 will be clearly communicated to all our stakeholders via email and/or virtual meetings.
5. All our updated ICCS reopening plans will be posted and can be found on our website https://www.iccschooleast96.org

Health and Safety

The health and safety of ICCS students and staff is our top priority.

1. ICCS planned, reviewed and considered the number of students and staff allowed to return in person, including the ability to maintain social distancing, PPE and face coverings. Acceptable face coverings include, but are not limited to, surgical masks, N95 masks and cloth masks. All masks must completely cover the individual’s mouth and nose. 
2. Face shields will be used for mask breaks. 
3. ICCS has created a written protocol for daily temperature recordings and ICCS COVID-19 screening form.
4. All Students and Faculty will sanitize their hands before entering the school premises. It is also recommended that they change their current mask to a fresh one.
5. If any child or faculty member is identified as sick, with a temperature over 100.4 degrees, they will be sent home and can only return with sufficient evidence from their healthcare provider that they are well enough to be in school.

6. Sufficient evidence may include, but is not limited to, a negative COVID-19 test result and a letter from the doctor stating the child is well enough to attend school.
7. Keeping in mind that the New York State currently does not have a vaccine for kids 12 years and under, the ICCS will be conducting bi-weekly COVID-19 testing for all students at school premises, with full parent consent.
8. ICCS will maintain a healthy nurse’s office and an isolation room. ICCS will utilize the nurse’s services to assess ill students and staff members. Ill students or staff members will be placed in the isolation room until exiting the building (prior to being picked up) and will require follow up documentation from a health care provider to return to school. 
9. ICCS will require all staff members and transportation personnel to perform a self health assessment prior to arriving at work.
10. ICCS will require students to wear masks at all times at the school premises with exceptions to lunch time when teachers will monitor safe seating and removal of masks with proper precautions. 
11. Students using the bus facility are required to wear a mask at all times.
12. Outdoor activities will be encouraged for all classes. Students will be able to take mask breaks during that time under the supervision of their teachers.
13. ICCS will have assigned entry and exits for all students and staff members to limit cross traffic, and avoid overcrowding. All siblings and elementary school students will enter and exit from the main door on the 97th street entrance, the Early Education students (Pre-K and Kindergarten) enter from the 96th street entrance, and the Middle School students will use the 97th street entrance (not the main gate).
14. All elementary school students will offer their salah in the gym while the middle school will use the main hall for salah.
15.  Kids will bring their own salah mats from home in a ziploc bag which will be kept in school for a week. Salah mats will be sent home for washing and sanitizing on Friday, and must be brought back to school every Monday.
16. Teachers will ensure three (3) to six (6) feet social distancing at all times while students are in the cafeteria.
17. Desks in the classrooms will be set 3 feet apart.
18. The ICCS building will be constantly ventilated, cleaned and disinfected. Classroom doors will be kept open to help with proper ventilation.
19. All students are required to bring their own refillable water bottles (no glass). We will provide a station to refill the bottles as the students will not be allowed to drink from the water fountains.

20. ICCS will post COVID-19 safety signs all over the school, including main halls, cafeteria, gym and classrooms. 
21. ICCS will require all parents, visitors, vendors and contractors to complete health screening before entering the main door of the school building. 
22. Parents and visitors will not go beyond the front desk area once the school starts, unless absolutely required. They will be accompanied by school staff members if they need to go past the front desk.
23. All parents and visitors will remain masked at all times while in the building.
24. ICCS will conduct school safety drills with modifications to ensure proper social distancing between persons.

Facilities

1. ICCS will provide instruction on hand and respiratory hygiene including but not limited to signage, demonstrations, adequate facilities, touch free sanitizer dispensers and additional time for protocol. The school will ensure students and teachers wash their hands after sharing objects and surfaces, before and after meals, after using the restrooms, sneezing, coughing or blowing nose, and/ or anytime the hands become dirty. When washing stations aren’t available, hand sanitizers will be used. Students will be monitored while using alcohol based hand sanitizers.
2. ICCS will obtain and maintain an adequate supply of masks for staff members and students in case of an emergency. However, all staff members and students are highly encouraged to bring their own.
3. ICCS has installed touch free hand sanitizer stations in all main areas of the building including areas outside the classrooms.
4. Alternate bathroom stations will be opened to ensure distancing while students use the bathroom.
5. ICCS will have water bottle filling stations for students to refill their water bottles, while maintaining safety and distance.
6. ICCS periodically cleans high traffic areas including but not limited to copy machines, office spaces, door knobs, water filling stations and stairwells.

Protocol when a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 occurs:

1. If a child or staff member is showing symptoms of COVID-19, they will be immediately removed from class and sent to the nurses office.
2. The nurse will assess the conditions of the person using proper PPE.
3. If the COVID-19 symptoms are apparent, the student, including siblings of the student, who may or may not show symptoms, will enter the isolation room, until they are picked up.
4. For adults, with apparent COVID-19 symptoms, and those who do not need to wait for transportation, will be asked to exit the building immediately and go home to quarantine.
5. The parents/guardian of the child and/or the staff member will be asked to inform the health authorities immediately. The school will inform the relevant authorities for contact tracing purposes. Public health officials place the task of contract tracing on a report from the school.
6. All areas and rooms will be disinfected at the recommended times from the local health agencies. Some classes will be immediately cleaned and students returned to the specific classroom while some will require 24 hours before disinfecting occurs.
7. All this may lead to a 1 to 2-day virtual learning from home. This will vary from case to case. 
8. The ICCS will provide a procedure for returning to school after an illness, including documentation from a healthcare provider indicating a negative COVID-19 diagnosis. 

Student or Staff Member Calls Out Sick With COVID-19 Symptoms

If a student or staff member calls out sick because they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, the person should remain at home until they fulfill the criteria for returning to school. (It is important to remember that individuals who were vaccinated against COVID-19 within the past three days may experience post-vaccination symptoms such as fatigue, fever, headache and/or chills.)

1. If a vaccinated or non vaccinated child or staff member shows symptoms for COVID-19, they must stay home and get tested on the second day following the first symptom.  If the student or the staff member tests negative for COVID-19, 

they can return to school when they have been fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine, and their overall symptoms are also improving.

2. If they test positive they must stay home for at least 10 days, counting day 1 as the day when the first symptom appeared. They can return to school/work, when at least 10 days have passed since the first symptom appeared, and they have fully completed their 10 day quarantine time period. In addition to this, they must be fever free for the past 24 hours without any use of fever reducing medication and their overall symptoms are improving. 

3. Failure to adhere to this rule, will lead to swift and strict action taken by ICCS, resulting in your child being removed from the school for the rest of the school year.

Student/Staff Member Calls Out Student/Staff Member Calls Out Due to Someone In Household Has COVID-19 

In most cases, all people living with someone who has COVID-19 are close contacts and, if they are not fully vaccinated or were confirmed with COVID-19 in the last three months, they must be quarantined. If the student or staff member cannot avoid close contact with the person who has COVID-19, they will need to extend their quarantine using the day after the infected person ends isolation as their Day 1.

Please see that the ICC school does not require a negative a COVID-19 test result after completion of a 10 day quarantine, as a person may test positive for COVID-19 for many weeks or months after infection even though they are no longer contagious.

Social Emotional Well-Being

ICCS is committed to focusing on the social emotional well-being of its students and staff members.

1. ICCS has a full time counsellor on site who will complete social and emotional wellness checks on site.
2. The ICCS counsellor acts as a liaison between the school administration and families with enrolled students and/or teachers/staff members, providing utmost care to their wellness needs.
3. Each grade (Early Learning to G8) at the ICCS will have a 20 minute social emotional learning (SEL) class every morning which will address all social and emotional needs as well as concerns in creative ways. 

4. ICCS will provide professional development for its staff members regarding the social and emotional needs of its students, as well as how to work with students on the COVID-19 health emergency. The school is prepared to provide support for developing coping skills and building resilience for the ICC community.

School Schedules, Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism

1. Clear communication between parents and faculty is a priority this year. Parents will be kept informed about their child’s performance, as well as the school’s new and updated policies and procedures which will be distributed via emails and virtual meetings.
2. Parents are required, by school policy, to keep the school informed of their child’s health at all times. If the child or any of their family members have COVID-19 like symptoms or are positive for COVID-19, it is the responsibility of the parents to immediately inform the school and keep the child home till the quarantine time period is completely over.
3. All families must disclose their vaccination status to the school. This information is strictly for administrative purposes and will be kept confidential. It will not have any bearing on their child in any way. 
4. If any child has to stay home due to serious illness, including but not limited COVID-19, they will be provided with a laptop from the school so that they can be given school work via google classroom and not miss important work.
5. Chronic absenteeism is highly discouraged and students and/or staff members that fail to provide a valid reason for their being absent are subject to being penalized under our attendance policy.

Child Nutrition

1. ICCS provides free breakfast and lunch options to all the students, all year round. ICCS will address all applicable health and safety guidelines regarding child nutrition guidelines.
2. This year the ICCS cafeteria provides halal/zabiha hot lunch options to all its students.
3. Cold lunch/breakfast options will also be available to the students.
4. ICCS will include protocols and procedures for hand hygiene before and after eating.
5. Any sharing of any food and/or beverages is strictly prohibited.

6. ICCS will uphold protocols and procedures for required cleaning and disinfecting in between different groups of students.
7. All kitchen spaces and appliances will be cleaned in accordance with all Food and Nutrition Guidelines.
8. ICCS will require and ensure that students are socially distant while consuming food in the cafeteria.

Physical Education Classes

1. Students will maintain 6 feet of separation at all times during the physical education class.
2. All students and staff members are required to wear a mask if the gym period is indoors.
3. While outside and maintaining a 6 feet distance, under strict supervision, kids may be allowed to remove masks.
4. All students will wear masks upon re-entering the building.

Item(s) drop off

Any items dropped off for a student (lunch, books, etc) will be left with security at the front desk. A staff member will then be notified and they will bring these items to the child.

Flexibility of the Plan

The plan is subject to change and shift between various learning methods based on a multitude of factors, including but not limited to guidance from local health agencies or a return to virtual learning/stay at home order from the State of New York. Additionally, protocols may be modified based on the most up-to-date recommendations from the State Department of Health and the Center for Disease Control.