COVID-19 UPDATE - New Provisions and other announcements.

This month would have marked our 6 year anniversary of the opening of Twirl our Park st. Art studio/Playspace. I had planned to celebrate it with the big announcement of our new Reggio Preschool Tinker Toddle and Outdoor Play Garden but instead I stood alone in this magical space that used to hold so much laughter and creative ingenuity. I stared at the tables that I built with my father for the studio and admired how they were covered with paint from all the littles over the years. They have become art in themselves. This community has graced not only my tables but my heart. Twirl has been my labor of love and I am not going to give up this fight. I slightly sanded these tables this week so that we can apply acrylic to them for ease of sanitizing with our new healthcare grade machine. I know that in time this acrylic layer will come off, our world will heal and we will rebuild and share our magic again. These tables in time will become covered with a new layer of paint from our littles. I just know it! In the mean time we want to assure our space is safe and that we are taking all the measures possible to comply with the recommendations given by the agencies and health professionals.

WHAT’S PLANNED FOR TWIRL PARK STREET:

We will no longer operate as an open studio/playspace model at least for the duration of the pandemic. Parties will not be held in our space until late August/September if at all. We will reach out to those that have pre-booked with us. This will allow us to more closely control the variables and limit the amount of people in our space. We will offer outdoor camps at our new Play Garden location (2225 Central ave) starting in June while we make the changes to our Park St. space necessary to open for small private camp groups late this summer. Our main studio is undergoing some re-configuring to allow for optimal ventilation (natural and mechanical), space allotment/transitions, toy/fixture selection for ease of sanitation and addition of handwash stations throughout the space. Our Tiny Twirlers half day program will return in September along with our afterschool program. All groups will remain small and strategic use of the space will be in place.

TWIRL PLAY GARDEN AND TINKER TODDLE PRESCHOOL OPENING:

Our New Reggio Preschool will be opening June 8th. We are working closely with CDSS, CDC and CDPH to implement their recommendations for our facilities. Keeping our families, children and staff safe is of utmost importance to us. Upon opening we will take the following measures:

-Groups will remain small with 12 or less children.

-Groups will not be mixed with other groups.

-All children will be required to wear masks at all times except during mealtimes

-Although small children will inevitably mix with each other within that group, we will do our best to provide stations for spaced play and learning.

-Playground use will be on rotation of those small groups and sanitized between each rotation.

-Same teachers will remain with the same group each day.

-Staff and child screening each day. Children/teachers will be sent home if they exhibit any signs of illness.

-A no-touch thermometer will be used each morning and wiped after each use.

-We have invested in a top of the line healthcare grade sanitizing machine

-Upon entering the facility children will wash hands.

-Parents will be asked to sign in/out at the door while social distancing from each other.

-For the time being we will not allow any personal toys to be brought to the school/studio

-Costumes etc. will not be put out in our classrooms

-Bathrooms will be sanitized after each use.

-Napping cots will be spaced 6’ apart with the head of bed in opposite direction.

-Frequent cleaning and disinfecting of all of our spaces

VIRTUAL CLASSES, CAMPS AND PARTIES

We have been hosting virtual classes and parties for the last three months and plan to do the same for our summer camps for those that prefer to join in the fun from home. We personally deliver our art kits to you for classes or parties and our enthusiastic teachers lead the children through the activities.

WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER!

The pandemic is a fluid situation but we will keep in close communication with regulatory agencies for guidance on how to best keep our facility safe. We hope these changes in our policy will bring comfort to the families that are joining us this summer and fall. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have questions, concerns or suggestions. I am truly grateful for such a wonderful community.

Thank you for helping us get through this.

We look forward to seeing you all soon!

Be Well,

Sabrina