PORT WASHINGTON UNION FREE SCHOOLDISTRICT T own Hall August 11, 2020 Reopening 2020-2021 School Year A Pathway to Success
THE PORT PLAN Health and Safety Air Quality/Ventilation Protocols • Air conditioning is not in all of the classrooms or buildings • Portable HEPA filters will be included in all of the classrooms, including spaces that are being used as classrooms (i.e. gym, cafeteria). • Windows will be opened in spaces where there are windows. • Fans will not be used. • Outdoor spaces will be utilized as much as possible, including but not limited to all K-12 P.E. classes and weather permitting. • Tents have been considered for outdoor spaces and we continue to explore this option for all of the schools .
THE PORT PLAN Health and Safety SOCIAL DISTANCING • Students staff, and visitors will be required to maintain a social distance of 6 feet to the fullest extent possible. • All instructional spaces are redesigned so that students can maintain a social distance of 6 ft from one another. • Desk and furniture placement in the classrooms have been adjusted. • Changes to foot traffic flow through buildings will be identified to limit the amount of close contact between students in high traffic areas (i.e. hallways). • Signage will be used to illustrate traffic flow and maintain social distancing. • Staggered arrival and/or dismissal times may be implemented • Multiple entry and exit points will be utilized instead of all students moving through the same space. • Additional paraprofessionals will be on hand to help supervise and monitor social distancing.
THE PORT PLAN Health and Safety MASKS (Part 1) • All students and staff will be required to wear masks that can cover the mouth and nose and are compliant with the DOH and SED. • Masks include, but are not limited to, cloth (e.g. homemade sewn, quick cut, bandana), surgical mask, N-95 respirators. • Masks are required at all times, except for meals, mask breaks and outside socially distanced. • “Mask Breaks” • A time allotted for students and staff to not wear their mask and stay socially distanced. The student would remove the mask down to their chin, and be able to get a couple of breaths as long as they are 6ft apart or more from others. • “Mask Breaks” can occur in the classroom or outside if necessary.
THE PORT PLAN Health and Safety MASKS (Part 2) • Students will be required to wear masks while outside or at recess and during PE when they cannot be socially distanced • If there is a blatant refusal to wear a mask when social distancing is not feasible, the teacher and/or administration will look to work with parents to address the situation. • Mask exemptions will be allowed when medical documentation is provided and reviewed by the school nurse. If additional information is needed, the nurse will contact the medical provider. • If a face covering would inhibit or otherwise impair an individual’s health an individual is not required to wear or use such a covering but medical documentation is required. • Additional paraprofessionals will be available for added supervision for social distancing, bathroom monitoring, mask requirements and other COVID-19 protocols.
THE PORT PLAN Health and Safety LUNCH & OTHER • Students can purchase lunch from the cafeteria. • Students will stay in their classrooms for lunch and can remove masks to eat • Elementary teachers will take students’ lunch order as usual. • Middle school is working on a process for them to order the night before and then will be delivered to classrooms. • High school students will be spread out over 4 eating areas, allowing socially distanced space for them to go through the cafeteria line. • Students will be required to wash hands before and after lunch ( 25 additional portable sinks available & hand sanitizers dispersed throughout schools when sinks are not available). • We are not installing plexiglass on desks at this time and not allowing students to bring their own because desks will be positioned 6ft apart and students will be wearing masks most of the time.
THE PORT PLAN Health and Safety CLEANING, DISINFECTING & BATHROOMS • Cleaning and disinfecting logs will be maintained and include the date, time, and scope of cleaning. • Increased cleaning frequency will occur, but not limited to the following high touch surfaces: • Classroom desks and chairs • Frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs, handles, elevator buttons • Nurses office and Isolation room • Playground equipment • Bathrooms • Nightly, the custodial staff will spot mop, dust mop, clean and disinfect each classroom desk and chair, hallway, bathroom, gym, multipurpose room, locker room, and high touch points with one of the District’s disinfectant, using the appropriate applicator. • If a child is sent home sick with possible COVID-19, the classroom, as well as any other area that the sick child was in, will be cleaned immediately. • Bathrooms • Paper towels will be available for hand drying and air dryers will be available • Paraprofessionals will be supervising the bathrooms in all schools and will limit the number of students in the bathroom based on the number of stalls.
THE PORT PLAN Health and Safety TEMPERATURE & HEALTH ASSESSMENTS • Temperature checks and health assessments are required by staff and students before arriving at school, however students may be screened at school if information is not received prior to arrival. • Temperature checks and health assessments will be via an App (Frontline) and/or a link on the portnet website. • Trust that our community will follow the protocols honestly work together.
THE PORT PLAN Health and Safety RETURN TO SCHOOL AFTER SICK • All students must be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school if they are out sick with something other than COVID- 19. • All students that are absent regardless of illness, will receive instruction by their teachers as if they were home sick pre- COVID. • A doctor’s note is needed to return to school.
THE PORT PLAN Health and Safety TEMPERATURE & HEALTH ASSESSMENTS (SCENARIOS) • When a parent takes the temperature of 3 kids in the morning and one kid has a temperature above 100F, is the parent required to get the child COVID-19 tested and required to keep the other kids home from school too? • The student with the temperature should be kept home until fever free for 24 hours and the other two children should go to school as long as they are symptom free. • My child has seasonal allergies and often presents with a runny nose and cough. These symptoms are similar to COVID-19, how will my child be handled • Each case will be assessed individually. If a doctor has provided medical documentation that this student commonly has these symptoms, then they will be considered when evaluating the student.
THE PORT PLAN Health and Safety TRANSPORTATION • The number of students on a bus will be limited to 22. • Buses will be cleaned and disinfected after each run (both morning and evening). At the end of the day, each bus will be deep cleaned with a fogger. • Weather permitting, windows will be open to provide greater air flow and circulation. • There will be assigned seats on the bus with an ‘X’ marked on each seat to show available seats. • It is strongly encouraged that siblings sit next to each other. • Bus drivers will wear masks. • We will not have bus monitors at this time but will re-evaluate bi-weekly to assess. • The district will provide busing to all “off premise” programs. We will not have any programs in our school buildings as of today so no late bus runs. • Transportation can accommodate utilizing buses for just drop off or pick up • A parent can choose to drive their child to school and then request the bus to take their child(ren) to or from school at any time.
THE PORT PLAN Health and Safety COVID -19 SYMPTOMATIC AT SCHOOL • If a child is symptomatic at school, they will be escorted to the isolation room and evaluated by the nurse. • If determined that they could have COVID-19, the child will be directed to their healthcare provider and will also be given a list of approved Nassau County Testing Sites. • It is possible that more than one student will share the isolation room but will be socially distanced and wearing masks.
THE PORT PLAN Health and Safety COVID -19 SYMPTOMATIC AT SCHOOL How quickly will we be notified of any positive cases in the classroom/school and what are the procedures for shutting down? Notification will be provided as quickly as possible. We will work collaboratively with the Nassau County Department of Health when, and if, a diagnosis of COVID-19 was to be identified in a school. The response to a new diagnosis will follow communicable disease response frameworks. If notified of a confirmed or presumptive case of COVID-19, the District will follow the direction of the Nassau County Department of Health in notifying affected individuals, cleaning and disinfecting appropriate spaces, and providing data to public health organizations to aid their investigation/contact tracing
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