Areas of Consideration for Back to School
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Practicing Prevention
- Teach and reinforce good hygiene measures
- Provide hand soap, hand sanitizer, paper towels, and no-touch trash cans in all bathrooms, classrooms, and frequently trafficked areas
- Post signage on COVID-19 prevention & symptoms, good hygiene, and school/district specific protocols
- Clean/disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily
- Turn off water fountains and provide bottled water or allow students and staff to bring water from home
- Conduct deep cleaning before school reopens and on weekends, as needed
Transporting Students
- Provide hand sanitizer for students and bus drivers
- Provide masks/facial coverings to bus drivers
- Allow and encourage students to wear masks/facial coverings
- Utilize spaced seating where possible
- Eliminate field trips
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces on the bus daily
- Establish protocols for bus stops, loading/unloading students to minimize the congregation of children from different households
Entering School Buildings
- Post signage on COVID-19 prevention and symptoms, good hygiene, and school/system specific protocols
- Require parents to check their children’s temperature before sending them to school
- Require parents to keep sick children home if temperature over 100.4
- Require school system employees to check their temperature before coming to work
- Designate entrance and exit flow paths for each building
- Establish a protocol for visitors (e.g. requesting use of face coverings and restrict non-essential visitors/volunteers)
- Establish a protocol for student pick up/drop off
Serving Meals
- Allow and encourage student hand washing before and after meal service
- Provide hand sanitizers for students and staff
- Use disposable plates, utensils, and other similar items
- Designate entrance and exit flow paths for cafeterias and serving lines
- Conduct cleaning of cafeterias and high-touch surfaces throughout the day
- Other possible options (grade-level appropriate):
- Serving meals in classrooms
- Pre-packaged/boxed lunches
Transitioning
- Limit congregating between groups/grade levels
- Provide additional time for transitions
- Designate hallway flow paths to minimize/eliminate congregating
- Stagger class changes
Conducting Large Group Gatherings
- Abide by the maximum number of people allowed to congregate as defined by the Governor’s current statewide Executive Order
- Discourage the congregation of students in parking lots and common areas
- Stagger the schedule, when possible, for large group gatherings, such as recess and school meals
- Identify and utilize large spaces for social distancing
- Follow GHSA guidelines for athletic events and practices
Supporting Teaching & Learning
- Use master schedule to balance class sizes
- Remove unused desks and furniture in classrooms to maximize social distancing
- Limit physical interaction through partner or group work
- Establish distance between teacher and student desks/workspaces
- Identify and utilize large spaces for social distancing
Protecting Vulnerable Populations
- Provide virtual learning opportunities for students and staff in vulnerable categories
- Consider allowing special education students, where possible, to continue in-person instruction as these students often rely on daily routines and social interactions to address their individual learning needs
- Adhere to state and federal employment law and extended leave allowances, as well as FERPA and HIPPA requirements
- Consult with local board attorney and HR personnel to offer special accommodations for personnel who are members of vulnerable populations
When a Child, Staff Member, or Visitor Becomes Sick at School
- Identify an isolation room or area to separate anyone who exhibits COVID-like symptoms
- Establish protocols for safely transporting anyone who is sick home or to a healthcare facility
- Notify local health officials, staff, and families immediately of a possible case while maintaining confidentiality
- Close off areas used by sick person and do not begin cleaning and disinfecting procedures for 24 hours, if possible
- Advise students/staff who came into contact with the individual to stay home and follow appropriate DPH guidance