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We Will Get Through This Together!


COVID Safety Protocols

  • In order to maintain confidence in this safe reopening of the Power Project for our students, staff, and families, we will now require proof of vaccination from all students ages 5+ before coming back to the program on Monday, January 31st. [read more]

  • Students: do not return if you have any symptoms of illness (even if you think it is a light cold*) and let us know!

  • Please share school COVID-19 test results with us weekly using the SFNC Parent COVID-19 Safety Form; a positive test means quarantining for a minimum of 5 days is required without symptoms. 

  • We highly recommend being vaccinated/boosted and to share with us if you have been. It is saving lives and keeping symptoms minor. When your SFNC teacher reaches out, please share if your child has been vaccinated. 

  • All staff and volunteers will test just prior to opening and can only return with a negative COVID-19 test; and all staff and regular volunteers on site will continue to test weekly. 

  • Everyone must wear their masks and must wear them properly (over the nose and mouth at all times). There will be no exceptions. Keeping everyone safe is a priority. Risking the staff, volunteers, and students is unacceptable. Removal from the program will be necessary if not worn properly or after the first warning. Extra masks will be available.

  • Rooms are sprayed with hospital grade sanitizer daily and we follow CDC cleaning guidelines.


A Message from Ms. Jen, Mr. Torbin, and Ms. Christi

We were really looking forward to having our students back January 10 for the Power Project, but this is now postponed until Monday, January 31, so that we can take important safety steps. In the interim, your student's SFNC teachers will be reaching out directly to each of you to not only inform you of the postponement, protocol, but also to “check in.” We are here for you and want to ensure all of our Center families are "ok." We know this is a tough time for everyone. Additional resources and contacts are listed at the bottom of this webpage.

This decision does not come lightly. Governor Hogan just instituted a 30 day State of Emergency because of COVID-19. According to the Washington Post, the latest surge of coronavirus cases could peak as soon as this month while the highly contagious omicron variant speeds through the U.S. population. The nation’s case count is already reaching record levels, as the omicron variant tears through the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic. Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden's top medical advisor, predicted that the latest wave of the coronavirus pandemic may hit its peak in the U.S. by the end of January.

St. Francis Neighborhood Center is a community resource, and throughout COVID-19 we have taken a community approach to caring for one another. Your diligence in maintaining our safety-first culture has maintained a very low incident rate for years, and your ongoing diligence with masking policies so far have also kept everyone safe.

The current COVID spike has been alarming, and demonstrated how quickly exposures can balloon into staff or even service outages. During the holiday break, SFNC had over 1/3 of our staff in isolation due to COVID exposures. Fortunately, all of those affected have since tested negative, but this was a stress test that put a lot of strain on our organization. 

In order to protect our community, avoid rolling closures, and continue operating during this wave, we now plan to open the Power Project on January 31st. We continue to pivot, learn, and listen. Thank you for working towards a healthy New Year!


Additional Community & Family Resources