COVID-19

A ‘Health Safety Committee’ was created at our School to ensure an effective protection and quick intervention during Coronavirus and suchlike epidemic process.

We kindly request you to provide information to epidemic@hisarschool.k12.tr address, which is created to follow up the process and support you, when necessary, in case of suspicious case description, quarantine, diagnosis and treatment processes related to your family or the people you are in touch with regarding Coronavirus.

Health Safety Commission Members

• Spec. Dr. Müge Kardaş, Hisar School Doctor
• Ezgi Çebi, Preschool Vice Principal
• Hüseyin Çelebi, Primary School Vice Principal
• Füsun Toparlak, Middle School Vice Principal
• Nilüfer Çağın, High-School Vice Principal
• Özlem Ada Ülke, Human Resources Coordinator
• Sedat Çağlayan, Procurement and Supplier Management Representative
• Sinan Türkan, Occupational Health and Safety Expert

Coronavirus (COVID-19) 

Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that have been known in scientific circles for a long time. Some of these viruses occur only in animals. Most people come into contact with these viruses at some point in their lives and have the disease as a mild or moderate upper respiratory tract infection. However, these viruses can cause severe symptoms by causing severe bronchitis or pneumonia in risk group individuals and in some cases. Young children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems are particularly at risk.

With the Scientific Committee established in January 2020 by the T.R Ministry of Health, it has had a successful period in protection from this epidemic and in the fight against the epidemic since March 11, 2020, when the first case was seen in our country. However, due to the continuation of the pandemic and the peak of the number of patients with new variants in the period from that date to the present, it is essential that we continue to meticulously implement the prevention measures recommended by the Scientific Committee in our daily life and work environment in order to control the disease.

Covid-19 strains undergo periodic mutations. Currently, the Omicron Variant (BA4 and BA5) is dominant all over the world and in our country. Due to these mutant viruses, which cause the contagiousness of the disease to increase, travel arrangements and additional measures can be taken from time to time in our country and around the world.

Currently, travel restrictions have ended. However, it is very important that you follow up-to-date information on international travel requirements, which may change for different diseases in the light of new developments, from your travel agency and the representatives of your country of citizenship: https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/world.php

The primary protection methods recommended by the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization are as follows:

• Use of Masks: Compliance with the use of masks is an important method of protection in preventing the spread of the epidemic. The obligation to use masks for our students, teachers and employees in all buildings within the school has ended. People who show signs of an infectious disease such as fever, cough, runny nose should wear a mask in school. Masks will be given to people who are under follow-up in our school infirmary. It is strongly recommended that people in the risk group due to chronic diseases use masks in closed and crowded environments. People who prefer other than these conditions can continue to use masks.
• Physical Distance: Avoiding crowded environments and close physical contact is an effective method of prevention for all infectious diseases and is recommended for disease prevention.
• Hygienic Protection Methods: We recommend paying attention to maximum hygienic protection methods in our living spaces and personal cleaning.

Efforts to develop vaccines against Covid-19 in different countries around the world for eight months yielded results and the mass application of these vaccines started on January 14, 2021 in Turkey. The Covid-19 vaccine, which will be administered as two doses with an interval of 28 days, is applied to everyone over the age of 12 as of September 2021. It is essential for the continuation of the protection that the reminder doses of the Covid-19 vaccines are made at intervals of 4-6 months.

You can access the detailed information about Coronavirus by clicking the links on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guide containing the detailed protection methods, Pandemic Management and Study Guide, and Vaccine Information Platform prepared by the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health.

• COVID-19 Guide
• Contact Follow-up, Outbreak Management, Home Patient Monitoring and Filiation
• The Ministry of Health Vaccine Information Platform

In line with the decisions announced by the T.R. Ministry of Health and the T.R. Ministry of National Education on March 4, 2022, the updated applications of our students and employees regarding the Covid-19 positive diagnosis or contact criteria, isolation and tracking systems are listed below.

1- Disease and Contact Criteria:

• It is mandatory for our students and employees to have a PCR test for the diagnosis of Covid-19.
• In order for our students and employees to be considered as domestic contact and to be considered on administrative leave in home isolation for 7 days, the following two conditions must be valid:
  • Positive family member or relative living in the same house
  • Not having received at least 3 doses of Covid-19 vaccine or not diagnosed as positive for Covid-19 in the last 3 months

2- Isolation Processes:

The isolation processes of our students and employees with a positive diagnosis or contact will be implemented as follows:

• In private life:
  • Our Covid-19 positive students and staff are sent to home isolation after a positive PCR test result.
  • Our students and employees can return to school on the 8th day after 7 days of home isolation, if hospitalization is not required and their symptoms do not persist.
  • Students and employees who are not ready to return to school on the 8th day due to their health conditions are required to report their doctor’s reports to the school.
• In the classroom:
  Class isolation practice has been abolished. The case that is positive for Covid in the classroom goes to home isolation. Other students and teachers in the class continue to come to school by following protective measures and following symptoms for 7 days.
• In the services:
  Service isolation application has been removed. The Covid positive case in the service goes to home isolation. Other students and employees in the service continue to come to school by following protective measures and following symptoms for 7 days.

3- Tracking System:

• Disease diagnosis and contact status of our students and employees can only be followed through the data integration system between the Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Health. In order for our students and employees to be considered in isolation within the scope of Covid positive or contact and to be considered on administrative leave, they or their family members/relatives with whom they share the same household must have PCR tests; In the Ministry of Health system, our students and employees must be registered as Covid diagnosis and contact and reported to our School. Rapid test results or written/verbal parent statements will not be accepted.

We strongly recommend to all our School community that Covid vaccines and booster doses are made, which is one of the most important protection tools for the health of people, ensuring the continuity of face-to-face education and ending the pandemic struggle socially. It is of great importance that all of our employees, students and parents, who have been vaccinated, update their vaccination, vaccination report and Covid-19 disease information on HisarNet, so that our school can track the vaccination and disease process and organize in-school activities.

It should not be forgotten that the risk of transmission may continue for students and employees who have had Covid-19 disease or are in contact, but whose isolation has ended and will return to school. It is strongly recommended that these people continue to use masks in school until 14 days are completed after contact or diagnosis of illness.

You can direct your questions to the “epidemic” e-mail addresses* determined separately for each school:

• Okulöncesi: epidemicpre@hisarschool.k12.tr
• İlkokul: epidemica@hisarschool.k12.tr
• Ortaokul: epidemicb@hisarschool.k12.tr
• Lise: epidemicc@hisarschool.k12.tr
• Personel: epidemicpersonel@hisarschool.k12.tr

Please click to reach the guide “Applications to be Done in the Case of Covid in Schools” published by the T.R. Ministry of National Education on March 4, 2022.

The new education period 2022-2023, which started on Monday, September 12, 2022, has started with new regulations in addition to the existing measures and practices in line with the guidelines of the Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Health and Hisar Schools Science Board. In our school, daily, weekly, monthly and holiday cleaning processes and work plans are monitored, evaluated and improved when necessary within the scope of OHS (Occupational Safety and Occupational Health).

As you know, our school was re-inspected by TSE on November 4, 2021, during the renewal process of the Turkish Standards Institute (TSE) “My School is Clean” Certificate, which the Ministry of National Education has made mandatory for private schools. We are pleased to announce that we have had a very successful audit process and that our TSE “Our School is Clean” Certificate has been renewed.

It has been proved that the criteria list consisting of 250 items is complied with within the scope of the “Cooperation Protocol for the Improvement of Hygiene Conditions in Educational Institutions and the Prevention of Infection”, which the Ministry of National Education put into effect in order to improve hygiene conditions and to maintain infection prevention and control processes with a consistent, valid, reliable and impartial understanding. With this document, it has been approved by the Turkish Standards Institute that the health safety of all our students, employees and every individual on campus is guaranteed.

2022-2023 Academic Year

Entrance To The School Buildings

• Entrances to the School buildings are from certain Blocks and doors.
• Doormats with special disinfectant are placed to the entrances.
• Continuous temperature/fever measurements are taken through the thermal cameras which operate actively at 16 points in total at the entrances to the School and within the campus.
• Students or teachers with temperature over 37°C will be instantly detected with the alarm implementation.
• People with high fever will be checked by the infirmary staff as soon as possible with manual thermometers. In the second measurement to be made with an interval of 15 minutes, if the fever is again above 37 degrees, legal isolation measures will be applied. If the person with a high fever is a student, his/her parent will be contacted as soon as possible, and our employee will be directed to a health institution to undergo the necessary examination and treatment stages by planning the transfer.

General Hygiene Measures

• Hand sanitizers have been placed at school entrance points, cafeteria/cafeteria entrances and all sinks. Regular checks are made to ensure that they are always full.

• Cleaning, disinfection and ventilation processes are carried out continuously and regularly in school buildings, especially in classrooms and offices.

• In our school, drinking water needs are met from water dispensers with sensors.

• At the end of each recess, toilets and floors are disinfected with bleach (sodium hypochlorite).

• Disinfection of all door handles and frequently touched common areas is done with spray disinfectants every 3 hours.

• A different color cloth is used on each surface, and the cloths that can be washed at the end of the day are disinfected with sodium hypochlorite or another disinfectant.

• Elevator buttons and panels are disinfected every 3 hours during the day. The maximum number of people who can use the elevators at the same time is written and indicated with bookmarks. Our students can only use elevators with permission for medical reasons and under the supervision of an adult.

• Filter maintenance in air conditioning systems, fan maintenance in elevators and air conditioning filter maintenance of service vehicles are carried out regularly.

• Used masks, visors, glasses and gloves are thrown into “medical waste bins” placed at various points in the School.

• External corporate cargo, package, envelope, etc. documents are sterilized in the sterilization device located at the security main entrance.

• Regular trainings and audits for the employees of the cafeteria, service, cleaning and security companies ensure that they comply with the working and hygiene criteria of the institution.

• It is provided by training and warnings that cleaning workers pay attention to personal hygiene, use of masks and gloves and how often they should be changed.

• The relevant cleaning company being worked on has the “Protocol-V-Safe” certification from an international certification company, which shows their expertise in preventing exposure to viral pathogens, including measures against Covid-19.

Administrative Regulations

• Due to health safety, visitors are not accepted to our school, except for obligatory cases.

• Informative and warning posters regarding hygiene rules and practices were hung on the boards in all common areas of the school, corridors, classrooms, offices and toilets. These posters are also broadcast on TV screens in the school buildings and cafeteria.

• It is recommended that all non-compulsory meetings between offices be held online.

• Meetings that are not suitable to be held online due to the subject and content can be held physically in a controlled manner by completing the necessary precautions and preparations at the relevant venue beforehand.

Regulations Regarding Classes

• Classrooms are frequently ventilated.

At the end of each day, classrooms are cleaned and disinfected daily with appropriate cleaning materials and disinfectants.

Regulations on Infirmary

• Our Main Infirmary is divided into two different entrances and places as “Student Infirmary” and “Employee Infirmary”. Students and staff are examined and treated separately from each other in the infirmary areas.

• Except for emergencies, people who apply to the infirmary will be met by the infirmary officer at the station in front of the infirmary gate, and their temperature will be measured and evaluated for the first time. People with signs of disease will be accepted to the infirmary by filling out a form.

• Non-specific routine and minor treatments, ice applications, etc. that our students should take during the day. The treatments will be held at the station outside the infirmary. Students or employees who do not need intervention or treatment in the infirmary will not be admitted to the infirmary in order to minimize the risk of disease transmission.

• Except for emergencies, a patient examination will be made by appointment at the infirmary (with 15-minute intervals). For an appointment, the infirmary staff can be reached by calling 212 or via the address infirmary@hisarschool.k12.tr.

• Our infirmary staff always accepts and intervenes in patients by following mask and disinfection rules.

• It is mandatory to disinfect hands using hand disinfectant before entering and leaving the infirmary.

• The infirmary environment is ventilated frequently.

• The paper towels on the infirmary beds and stretchers will be thrown away after each patient, and regional disinfection will be done after each patient.

• Infirmary floor and table top cleaning will be done with 10% sodium hypochlorite every 3 hours, frequently touched surfaces and medical devices that are not suitable for using sodium hypochlorite will be disinfected with appropriate disinfectants every 2 hours/after use.

• Medical wastes are kept in special bags/containers in an isolated area on the school campus and delivered to the municipality at least once a week.

• Our students and staff who have symptoms of illness such as fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, conjunctivitis, sneezing, weakness, loss of taste and smell, diarrhea should not come to school in this situation, apply to a health institution within the same day, and submit their diagnosis and rest reports on the same day. It is obligatory to notify the school doctor and the relevant deputy principal or the administrator they are affiliated with and the relevant school epidemic@hisarschool.k12.tr address.

Regulations on Dining Hall

• In our cafeteria, meal times are divided and organized in order to apply the physical distance rule between our students, teachers and employees and to provide a seating arrangement accordingly.

• Our High School students and employees eat their meals in the High School Cafeteria. There are two canteens, one in the High School cafeteria and one in the garden, for our High School students who want to use the school canteens.

• Our Preschool students eat their lunches with their teachers in the B-Block Preschool Dining Hall.

• Our Primary and Middle School students and employees eat their meals at the B-Block Cafeteria at the times reserved for them.

• Those who receive cafeteria service from our High School students eat breakfast and lunch in the High School Cafeteria.

• Aprons, bonnets, visors, masks and gloves are provided for all cafeteria employees without exception.

• After each use, cleaning and disinfection of the table tops and after-meal food service areas are provided.

• At the end of the day, detailed cleaning and disinfection is done with bleach and disinfectant in the cafeteria and canteen.

• All vegetables and fruits entering the cafeteria are washed with appropriate systems, and the packages of all packaged foods are wiped.

• Regular water and food sample checks are carried out.

• In order to minimize contact during meal purchase, an upgrade was made in the section where the food is taken, leaving only enough space for the plate to pass through.

• Adjacent food service waiting areas are separated by plexiglass.

• Open water service will not be provided during this period, it will be presented in closed packages. We have non-contact water dispensers in various areas in A-Block, B-Block and High School. Forks, spoons, knives, napkins and toothpicks are single-use, individually packaged, and spices are distributed in single-use small bags.

• The buffet for salad and yoghurt has been removed. Salad varieties, yoghurt and diet menu, along with other varieties, are served by the cafeteria staff upon request.

• All of our cafeteria employees have been vaccinated and the relevant company providing food service has TSE Covid-19 “Safe Production Certificate”.

Regulations on Shuttles

• Temperature of all of our students and employees is measured with contactless thermometers by the shuttle driver before they get into the shuttle vehicles and the ones with temperature over 37°C will not be accepted to the shuttles.
• Everyone that is confirmed to have temperature over 37°C before getting on the shuttle will be notified to the school infirmary.
• The shuttles are planned separately for students according to their grades.
• The shuttles will operate with a maximum capacity of 10 people.
• In all vehicles, the driver seating area and the personnel seating area are separated by an airtight transparent screen.
• All individuals using the shuttles are required to wear masks during their travels.
• Students and employees can only use their own shuttles, they cannot get on different shuttle buses.
• The shuttle seating plan is followed through the first two people getting on in the morning sitting on the window side in the back row and the next ones sitting on the window side, one after another. This seating plan is fixed on departures and returns, and cannot be changed. Seating plan is placed in the shuttle as diagrams with names and locations.
• Speaking is not allowed unless necessary and food or drink should not be consumed in the shuttles.
• It will be mandatory for all shuttle drivers and hostesses to use masks during the shuttle service.
• Cologne/hand sanitizers will be available for students and employees in the vehicles.
• Daily/weekly/monthly/periodic disinfection will be provided for the shuttles.
• Until otherwise notified, air conditioning will not be used in shuttles, windows will be opened and the vehicles will be ventilated frequently.

2019-2020 Academic Year - 2nd Term

Regulations and Practices Between 1 February 2020 – 1 May 2020

Common Areas

• Our school was disinfected with Actosept AF* on 01.02.2020 for precaution reasons. As of 03.02.2020, all common areas were disinfected with Actosept AF every 3 hours.
• The common areas of our school were disinfected with Sodium Hypochlorite at the rate of 1/10 with a wet system at the end of each day and disinfection processes were repeated depending on the need during the day.
• Filter maintenance of all air conditioning systems throughout our school has been made.
• Disinfection process performed through ozonization by using ULV device was repeated periodically throughout our School.

Classrooms

• • Our classrooms were disinfected after the daily regular cleaning. The classroom floors were disinfected with Sodium Hypochlorite at the rate of 1/10 with a wet system while the tabletops, door handles and window winders were disinfected with Actosept AF.

  • Classroom door handles, stair railings and all surfaces having contact with hands were disinfected daily with Actosept AF once in every 3 hours, along with all the above mentioned processes.

  • Our classrooms were frequently ventilated throughout and at the end of the day.

In line with the guidelines of the relevant ministries, the rules to be observed in the campus areas during the pandemic process were transformed into poster works. The posters include not only the general information as a precaution against the virus but also the rules determined on the basis of the places within the campus (classrooms, library, hobby rooms etc.).

There are also informative posters prepared by the Ministry of Health on the campus.

You can view all poster works here.

With the normalization process initiated in our country by making a significant progress in pandemic management thanks to the measures implemented, the remote working period in our school since 21 March 2020 was terminated for administrative activities and Hisar Campus was opened on Monday, June 1, 2020.

During the period when our school is closed, our School Principals and Vice Principals as well as the Office of Admissions, Accounting, Information Technologies, Computer Training departments and other administrative personnel have continued to serve and all administrative and academic activities were carried out without delay, as permitted and stipulated by the official authorities.

• Psychological Counseling and Guidance Department carried out special studies to establish a healthy and sustainable communication with students, parents, teachers and employees during the pandemic process. You can find the detailed information about these studies on our Psychological Counseling and Guidance Department Distance Education Program page.

  Our Psychological Counseling and Guidance Department also prepares various informative articles to guide both our students and adults on issues such as managing emotions and dealing with anxieties during the current process. You can access the published documents via the links.

  • We Turn Back Home, Again

  • Suggestions for Students on Adapting to New Situations and Managing Emotions 

  • Suggestions for Adults on Dealing with the Pandemic and Anxieties 

  • Being Psychologically Resilient

  Ministry of National Education Special Education and Guidance Services Publications
  Preserving Psychological Health During Pandemics:

  • A Guide for Families to Help Children
  • Information Guide for Adults

Travels

Pursuant to the travel warnings of World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health as well as the letter dated 3 March 2020 and numbered 92176967-952.3.4-E.4653192 of the Ministry of National Education, Directorate General for European Union and External Relations, our school administration decided to cancel all international travels to be made in March, April and May for the safety of our students and teachers in charge as of 6 March 2020.

With circular of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health, international travel restrictions to certain countries was removed as of June 2020. However, it is required that students, teachers and employees returning from international or domestic travel are in home isolation for 7 days before arriving at the campus, and in case of any complaint or suspected COVID-19 contact, they should go through the necessary diagnosis stages and inform the school physician and the relevant assistant principal or the administrator about the issue.

Events

The decisions taken in line with the Republic of Turkey Ministry of National Education resolutions, regarding the events in our School in 2019-2020 academic year are listed below. 

1. All high-participation indoor organizations planned to be held at the school have been canceled as of March 11, 2020 until the end of June. This decision covers activities such as national and international teacher trainings, seminars, Book Tree (Kitap Ağacı) events, conferences, concerts, theater performances, sports competitions, trips planned across the country and within the city borders, and domestic university fairs. Indoor organizations will be re-decided according to the circumstances and legal process at the school opening date.

2. Special Events: 

• Parents Meeting and Individual Parent Interviews: With the appointment system opened on HisarNet on March 23, 2020, all of our parents meetings were held online as of March 30, 2020.

• Middle-Class Transition Exam: The exams for transition to middle-classes planned to be made on 21 March 2020 were postponed to 13-14 June 2020 and were performed online.

• Hisar Academy: It was decided that classes planned are not given as of 14 March 2020 until the end of June, which is the end-of-term, at Hisar Academy.

• 23 April & 19 May Ceremonies: Official ceremonies that we held together with the attendance of parents were celebrated with various events organized through online platforms.

Event planning for the new academic year 2020-2021 is shaped under the decisions of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health and Ministry of National Education. According to this, events such as collective ceremony, seminar, conference in indoor areas etc. are organized online.

Visits

• Shuttle hostesses and drivers, private drivers, other auxiliary staff will not be able to enter the School buildings as of 01.06.2020, within the scope of health and safety conditions.
• No visitors are accepted to our School. All interviews are encouraged to be made online.
• We would like to remind you that personal cargos from outside are not accepted to our campus. Shipments such as flowers and food orders will not be accepted to the campus during this period. Cargos, packages, and documents such as envelopes sent to the institution from outside are sterilized in the sterilization device at the entrance.

• The Ministry of Education and Provincial Ministry of Education Notices

  • Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı Avrupa Birliği ve Dış İlişkiler Genel Müdürlüğü’nün 3 Mart 2020 tarih ve 92176967-952.3.4-E.4653192 Sayılı Yazısı: Yurt Dışı Görevlendirme
  • T.C. Eyüpsultan Kaymakamlığı İlçe Millî Eğitim Müdürlüğü’nün 12 Mart 2020 tarih ve  94805359-299-E.5382543 Sayılı Yazısı: Tüm Programların İptali Hakkında

  Other References

  • Dünya Sağlık Örgütü/World Health Organisation

  • TC Sağlık Bakanlığı, Ulusal Pandemi Planı
  • TC Sağlık Bakanlığı, Halk Sağlığı Genel Müdürlüğü, Koronavirüs Sitesi
  • 11 Mart 2020 tarihli TC Sağlık Bakanlığı, Halk Sağlığı Genel Müdürlüğü, Koronavirüs Seyahat Sağlığı Rehberi