Pandemic Coordinators and COVID-19 Advisory Group

Pandemic Coordinators

• Pandemic Coordinator K-12: Christina Kyong, Associate Head of School

• Pandemic Coordinator Administrative Assistant: Traci Ferguson

• Pandemic Coordinator for Middle and Upper Campus: Billy DuMone, Athletics Director
• Pandemic Coordinator for Elementary Campus: Melanie Benefiel, Assistant Director of Elementary School

Christina, Billy, and Melanie earned their certification in Contact Tracing from Johns Hopkins University. They also participated in a three-day training from Joffe Emergency Services as Pandemic Coordinators. They continue to participate in weekly trainings from a variety of organizations including NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools), CAIS (California Association of Independent Schools), Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) Telebriefings, Joffe Emergency Services, and other national and local organizations.

Together with HLT (Head’s Leadership Team), they will make decisions about policies and procedures related to COVID-19 policies and protocols. Christina is the team leader and will serve as the contact person to the LACDPH.

COVID-19 Advisory Group

Wildwood School’s COVID-19 Advisory Group is composed of medical and other professional experts with specific insight related to the risks associated with operating schools and other organizations in a time of COVID-19.

The purpose of the COVID-19 Advisory Group is to:

• Review emerging COVID-19 data to offer guidance to Wildwood’s Pandemic Coordinators
• Provide direction for campus-specific mitigation strategy recommendations and protocols
• Make recommendations on the timing and conditions for onsite and offsite Distributed Learning that will best fit the needs and ensure the safety of all students, parents, faculty, and staff

In all cases, Wildwood defers first and foremost to specific regulations and guidelines issued from government and health authorities such as the Centers for Disease Control and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. However, Advisory Group members are available to consult and advise the school’s Pandemic Coordinators on how best to respond to unusual circumstances or unforeseen situations. When consulting with the Group, the Pandemic Coordinators share related relevant information gathered from appropriate sources, calling on the experience and wisdom of the Group to guide decision making that is not clearly outlined in recommendations from authorities.

Click here to access the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources for the Wildwood Community page.