At Millennium Charter Academy, our number one priority is keeping our children safe and healthy. Below is a high-level overview of some of our primary methods.
Safe Return to School
Since August of 2021 and during this post COVID-19 pandemic time, the MCA faculty and staff deliver direct, face-to-face instruction every school day, all day, to all MCA students, kindergarten-twelfth grade. Currently the school offers no option for remote attendance or for virtual instruction. MCA welcomes visitors, as they check in with either of the two offices. The facility is cleaned regularly, and lunchroom tables are sanitized after each lunch period. MCA follows generally accepted health protocols, including washing hands and sanitizing water fountains, and the school’s infectious disease policy, here stated:
The health and wellbeing of our students, faculty and staff are extremely important to our institution. Staff and students should self-monitor for symptoms such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath. If a student develops symptoms throughout the day, he or she must notify an adult immediately. Parents are expected to screen children prior to sending them to school. Children should be kept home if they display any of the following symptoms: body temperature of 100.4º or higher, chills, cough, shortness of breath, diarrhea, fatigue, muscle and/or body ache, headache, loss of taste and/or smell, sore throat, nausea and/or vomiting. Any person who is experiencing a possible infectious disease should seek medical care from his or her personal medical professional. Any person that is advised to avoid close contact with others should follow the given recommendations and return to school or work when deemed appropriate.
Millennium Charter Academy does not require the wearing of face masks on school property or while utilizing school transportation. Any student, faculty or staff member is welcome to use a mask if he or she so desires.
Facility Safety
All outside doors and windows are kept locked. All visitors use the two main entry locations, which are staffed throughout the day, and which require that visitors be “buzzed in.” The Mount Airy Police Department is actively involved in all safety planning and routinely reviews our procedures to ensure they are up to date and as safe as possible for all students and staff. The department has a presence on campus, often dropping by to say hello and build relationships with staff and students. Police officers are periodically on site at drop-off and pick-up times to help monitor traffic safety.
We regularly practice fire safety. Alarm systems, emergency lighting, and fire extinguishers are inspected monthly. The Mount Airy Fire Department performs routine inspections of our facility, and the fire station is less than a two-minute drive from the school.
After training, students and faculty rehearse lockdown drills one-three times per year, fire drills monthly, and severe weather drills during tornado season.
First Aid / Life Safety
Various faculty members throughout the school are CPR and first-aid certified and can be called upon in a moment’s notice should the need arise. The school has three Automatic Electronic Defibrillators and epinephrine injectors. These are located near the lower school gym, the upper school office, and the upper school gym.
NC Public Health Information
The NC Division of Public Health, through the NC Division of Non-Public Education, provides the following information to North Carolina’s schools for annual release to school personnel, parents and students. These documents are provided in PDF format. If you do not have a PDF reader on your computer, visit Adobe Reader for your free copy.
NC COVID-19 Information Hub
What Parents Need to Know About the Flu
What Schools Need to Know About Preventing the Spread of the Flu
What You Need to Know About Meningococcal Meningitis
Cover Your Cough, Clean Your Hands
Tips for Preventing the Spread of Germs
You may also visit the North Carolina Department of Administration’s Division of Non-Public Information if you’d like to find out more.