The Telling Room’s COVID-19 Policies

We are grateful to everyone involved at The Telling Room for their flexibility, patience, and dedication to prioritizing safety throughout the pandemic. The Telling Room has been continuously monitoring CDC guidelines and local mandates regarding the pandemic, and our staff will continue to implement policies that promote the wellness of our community. We are currently asking Telling Room community members to:

  • Complete a self-screening assessment prior to entering The Telling Room and/or participating in in-person programming

  • Check with your primary care provider or pediatrician for guidance on whether it is safe to join us at The Telling Room in-person

  • Follow the Center for Disease Control’s travel policy, which can be found here

  • Review and follow all COVID-19 policies and updates from The Telling Room, as these policies are subject to change.

In order to keep our community as safe as possible, The Telling Room will be:

  • Requiring proof of vaccination for all staff, teaching artists, volunteers, and guests interacting with students in-person. Please complete this form to show proof of vaccination.

  • Closely following the guidelines and recommendations of the Center for Disease Control, Maine Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, and Governor Mills 

  • Keeping our community up to date about any changes that may occur as soon as we are able – and as we know, things can change quickly!

Please review the following policies for more information and before arrival at The Telling Room to prepare for the additional safety precautions.

SELF-SCREENING ASSESSMENT

  • All individuals who plan to spend more than fifteen minutes in The Telling Room must complete the following self-screening assessment prior to arrival. 

    • Have you been a close contact of a person with COVID-19 in the past 14 days?

    • Have you had a fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit and above) or used any fever reducing medicine in the last 24 hours?

    • Have you experienced any of the most common symptoms of COVID-19?

      • cough

      • shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

      • fever

      • chills

      • sore throat

      • new loss of taste or smell

    • Have you experienced any of the less common symptoms of COVID-19?

      • muscle pain

      • nausea/vomiting/diarrhea

      • fatigue

      • headache

      • rash

      • congestion

      • runny nose

    If you or your student answered YES to any of the questions above, have 1 of the “most common” symptoms, or have two or more of the “less common” symptoms, please stay home, regardless of vaccination status, and notify your Telling Room contact to let them know you will not be present:

    • If you are a student or teaching artist who will be staying home due to the results of the self-screening assessment, please contact Program Director Nick Whiston, at nick@tellingroom.org or (207) 774-6064.

    • If you are a volunteer who will be staying home due to the results of the self-screening assessment, please contact Community Outreach & Project Manager, Peyton Black, at peyton@tellingroom.org or (207) 774-6064.

If you are identified as a close contact or symptomatic, please refer to The Telling Room’s COVID-19 scenarios and attendance policies here.

MASKING & SOCIAL DISTANCING

As of June 2nd, 2022, The Telling Room space is mask optional. Free KN95 masks are available for use at The Telling Room should visitors need masks during their time in our writing studio. With warmer weather and sunnier days on the way, we will write outdoors whenever possible during programs, and will open windows to increase airflow in The Telling Room’s studio. We reserve the right to change our masking policy as the presence of COVID-19 continues to evolve in our community.

Drop off and pick up will occur in the lobby of the first floor of 225 Commercial St. Only students will proceed up to the second floor to The Telling Room. Attendees may use bathrooms one at a time during the program. Disinfecting wipes will be provided for surfaces.

  • We recommend that program participants maintain a 3 feet distance between one another.

  • Staff will wipe down any hard surfaces after each program session.

  • Hand sanitizer will be made available to practice hand hygiene.

Please Note: Telling Room staff and volunteers will mask if identified as close contacts.

Please refer to The Telling Room’s COVID-19 scenarios and attendance policies here. Students may have the option to join and participate virtually on a program-by-program basis. 

VACCINATIONS

Telling Room students are not required to be vaccinated to participate in our programming. Other social distancing and precautionary measures must be practiced by students for in-person programming. 

All adult Telling Room community members who interact with students in-person (staff, volunteers, and teaching artists) both in our space and offsite will be required to show proof of vaccination prior to joining us. Please complete this form to show proof of vaccination and/or booster shots. 

We encourage our community members to get vaccinated when and if they are able to in order to make our whole community safer from COVID-19. However, any community members visiting The Telling Room who will NOT be interacting with students or programs who have an exemption should contact The Telling Room prior to arrival, and be prepared to show proof of a negative COVID test from the past 24 hours. We are happy to meet with community members virtually or outdoors while social distancing and masking safely.


HIGH RISK ADVISORY

If you (or your student) are at high risk for COVID-19, please consult with your pediatrician or primary care provider prior to visiting The Telling Room or participating in in-person programming. High risk groups can include but are not limited to:

  • Individuals who are immunocompromised

  • Individuals living with asthma or lung disease 

  • Individuals living with serious heart conditions

  • Individuals living with severe obesity

  • Individuals living with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis

  • Individuals living with diabetes

  • Individuals living with liver disease

By following these precautions, we hope to keep our students safe as we write together at The Telling Room. Although we are able to mitigate and minimize risk of exposure to COVID-19 by following these steps, we cannot guarantee safety through these policies. We are constantly re-evaluating these policies and will provide updates to program attendees and families with any changes we make. Thank you for your partnership with these policies and for taking precautions to keep everyone who walks through The Telling Room’s doors safe. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Programs Director Nick Whiston at nick@tellingroom.org or (207) 774-6064.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

To find a vaccination site near you, visit: www.maine.gov/covid19/vaccines/vaccination-sites

To sign up to receive free COVID-19 at home test kits, visit: www.covidtests.gov

 

FAQ

What do I do if I’m identified as a close contact?

According to the CDC, close contacts are someone who was less than 6 feet away from an infected person — laboratory-confirmed or a clinical diagnosis — for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. Please contact your program lead and refer to our COVID-19 attendance policies for more information on how to proceed.

If I’m not sure if I need to communicate something COVID-related to The Telling Room, should I anyway?

Yes. Please tell us if there’s anything related to COVID that might be helpful for us to know, even if you or The Telling Room are a couple of steps removed from the situation. Our goal is to keep everyone safe and the more information we have, the better.

Will you tell me if there’s something COVID related that affects my program?

Yes. Program leads will be in communication with all participants and their families whenever there is COVID information they need to know.