The Academy of the Arts
COVID Policy at our studio as of 7/20/2022:
As always, our number one priority at the Academy of the Arts is the safety of our students and staff. At this time, the CDC has determined that Johnson County is an area of high risk and has recommended the following for the general public ( Click here for a link to their website.):
Wear a mask indoors in public and on public transportation. Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines. Get tested if you have symptoms. If you are at high risk for severe illness, consider taking additional precautions.
Because, however, COVID vaccines are now available for all of our students, we are not requiring masks at this time. They will remain optional. It is strongly recommended, however, that those who have not been vaccinated wear a mask.
Anyone who has been exposed as a 'close contact' to a positive case and has been vaccinated should still wear a mask for 5 days (if not vaccinated, you should quarantine at home for 5 days) and anyone who is experiencing symptoms should not come to the studio until they are symptom free or receive a negative test.
COVID Policy at our studio as of 4/21/2022:
As always, our number one priority at the Academy of the Arts is the safety of our students and staff. At this time, the positive case test percentage is creeping back up and is currently at 9.1% on the Johnson County COVID Dashboard. In the past, this transmission rate was the main factor in determining our area's COVID risk.
We are, however, also following CDC recommendations which have been updated. Per their website, our county level is considered "low". Click here for a link to their website. You can also check other counties as well. The CDC uses three metrics to determine community risk level. These are: Case rate per 100k population, New COVID-19 admissions per 100K population and % staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19.
Based on the current 'low' risk level, their current recommendation is as follows:
Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines. Get tested if you have symptoms. Wear a mask if you have symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19. Wear a mask on public transportation. You may choose to wear a mask at any time as an additional precaution to protect yourself and others.
As we are following their recommendations, we will not require masks at the studio even if the % transmission on the Johnson County COVID Dashboard goes over 10%. If, however, the CDC determines that Johnson County is a high risk area, we will reinstate our mask requirements. We are very hopeful that this will not be the case. It is still strongly recommended that those who have not been vaccinated continue wear masks.
Of course, anyone who has been exposed to a positive case and has been vaccinated should still wear a mask for 5 days (if not vaccinated, you should quarantine at home for 5 days) and anyone who is experiencing symptoms should not come to the studio until they are symptom free or receive a negative test.
COVID Policy at our studio as of 2/21/2022:
As always, our number one priority at the Academy of the Arts is the safety of our students and staff. At this time, the positive case test percentage is at 9.3% on the Johnson County COVID Dashboard.
Based on this latest information, we will be dropping our mask requirement at the studio. We do, still strongly recommend that those who have not been vaccinated still wear masks.
Of course, anyone who has been exposed to a positive case and has been vaccinated should still wear a mask for 5 days (if not vaccinated, you should quarantine at home for 5 days) and anyone who is experiencing symptoms should not come to the studio until they are symptom free or receive a negative COVID test.
COVID Policy at our studio as of 1/11/2022:
As always, our number one priority at the Academy of the Arts is the safety of our students and staff. At this time, the positive case test percentage is at 30.6%. Per the latest information from the CDC, their recommendation is that everyone needs to be masked--both vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals--in areas of high transmission which Johnson County is now an area of high transmission.
There have been some changes, however, to the quarantine guidelines, so I will post this information here so that you all have this lastest information and will know what to do should you become exposed or are faced with COVID in your household.
To our dance families, we appreciate all of you for always doing what is best for your dancer. We are grateful for you!
COVID Policy at our studio as of 12/04/2021:
As always, our number one priority at the Academy of the Arts is the safety of our students and staff. At this time, the positive case test percentage is at 10.7%. Unfortunately, this means masks. Per the latest information from the CDC, their recommendation is that everyone needs to be masked--both vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals--in areas of high transmission. Unfortunately, Johnson County is now an area of high transmission.
Also, as many of our students are preparing for our annual Nutcracker this next week, we are going to take this additional precaution and recommendation of masking all ages. We are hopeful this will help prevent having to pull anyone from the show due to COVID exposure quarantine or contraction this year. That was an awful thing that we had to do last year, and we want everyone to be able to be in the show this year after working so hard.
We are hopeful that this is a temporary increase in transmission rates so we can go back to making masks optional for those over the age of 5.
To our dance families, we appreciate all of you for always doing what is best for your dancer. We are grateful for you!
COVID Policy at our studio as of 12/02/2021:
Nothing has changed with our policy except the age due to increased vaccination availability for our dancers ages 5-11. Therefore, this is our updated policy below:
We will continue to make masking optional in the dance room for the classes that have all dancers over the age of 5.
For those under the age of 5, we will keep masking optional for students while the percentage of positive tests stays under 10%. If this number goes above 10%, we will return to requiring masks for those under 5 at all times and masking in the lobby/common areas by all. If it stays under 10%, we will only ask that those who have not been vaccinated wear masks in the lobby/common areas--unless the county changes this requirement. This percentage can be checked here on the Johnson County Coronovirus Dashboard.
At this time, the positive case percentage has been steadily increasing and is now at 9.2%. It is likely that it will reach 10% in a very short time. To clarify, this will mean masks for all in the lobby and all in the classrooms that have dancers under the age of 5.
We want to again let our studio families know that we are forever grateful to you who have followed the CDC and local guidelines so that we have been able to continue to offer dance lessons during this pandemic. You all are very important to us and we appreciate you!
COVID Policy at our studio as of 8/03/2021:
Our number one priority at the Academy of the Arts is the safety of our students and staff.
We will continue with our heightened disinfecting of the dance rooms and provide hand sanitizer in all dance rooms and the lobby.
For our fall classes, we have adopted the following plan:
We will continue to make masking optional in the dance room for the classes that have all dancers over the age of 12.
For those under the age of 12, we will keep masking optional for students while the percentage of positive tests stays under 10%. If this number goes above 10%, we will return to requiring masks for those under 12 at all times and masking in the lobby/common areas by all. If it stays under 10%, we will only ask that those who have not been vaccinated wear masks in the lobby/common areas--unless the county changes this requirement. This percentage can be checked here on the Johnson County Coronovirus Dashboard. (Just click on the Testing and Percent Positive Rates Tab and scroll down to the second graph.)
When we began our summer session, this percentage was down to 1.4% which was fantastic, but unfortunately, has rapidly increased to 8.5%. The Shawnee Civic Centre has just switched to requiring masks now for our classes there. While we are hopeful that this number will start to decrease again soon, it is not currently heading that direction.
We want to let our studio families know that we are forever grateful to you who have followed the CDC and local guidelines so that we have been able to continue to offer dance lessons during this pandemic. You all are very important to us and we appreciate you!
