Good Day Diamond Ridge Families! We hope your summer is going great and everyone is safe and well. Our school reopening plan for Diamond Ridge Elementary is ready for your review. Please take time to read the Reopening Cover Letter prepared by the principal and the Diamond Ridge School Reopening Plan. If you have questions, please contact the school office at 385-646-4858
Diamond Ridge Elementary Condensed Reopening Plan
Communication and training
✓ Develop school reopening protocols and plans (administration, BLT, SCC, PTA)
✓ Share plan with community
✓ Principal Carbaugh is point of contact person for Diamond Ridge. Contact information: acarbaugh@graniteschools.org Phone: (385) 646-4858
✓ Weekly communication with community (update/changes, best practices for preventive care, positive outlook)
✓ Provide communication in Spanish & English
✓ Pre-write statements to be used in case of confirmed cases/outbreak
✓ Train all staff on protocols/plans (August)
✓ Prepare training videos for staff/students/families
Accommodating Individual Circumstances (e.g., High-Risk, Personal Decisions)
✓ Develop process for identification as ‘high-risk’ (students and employees)
✓ Provide alternate learning as requested for students
✓ ‘High-risk’ employees work with Mr. Carbaugh & HR to minimize risk
✓ Consider emotional/social needs of staff (breaks)
✓ Review Health Care Plans/IEPs/504s to address risk for exposure & accommodate as needed
✓ Consider emotional/social needs of students (breaks)
✓ Consider emotional/social needs of staff (breaks)
School Schedules
✓ Ongoing and consistent communication to stakeholders and patrons regarding all updates to class, grade level and school-wide schedule changes.
✓ Update School Website consistently
✓ Ensure all patron contact information is current
Monitoring Incidents
✓ Establish a plan to assist families in conducting symptom checking at-home
✓ Monitor staff/student symptoms and absenteeism carefully
✓ Educate & promote “If you feel sick; stay home”
✓ Do not allow symptomatic people to physically return to school until they meet health department criteria or are cleared by medical provider
✓ Implement more lenient absentee policies
✓ Parents/guardians complete an affirmation that they will not send their children to school with symptoms
✓ Provide options of school checking for symptoms
Containing Potential Outbreaks
✓ Develop and train staff on protocols for containing potential outbreaks
✓ Designate quarantine rooms to temporarily house students who are unable to go home – Quarantine room separate from sick room
Transition Management Preparation
✓ Develop/train staff on protocol for temporary reclosing of school if necessary
✓ Establish plan for responding to confirmed cases and coordinating temporary closure
✓ Closure may be whole school, class, or grade level
✓ Implement temporary closure plan when necessary
✓ Develop communication procedure for staff and students in the event of reclosure
✓ Provide distance learning
✓ Cancel or postpone extracurricular events
Mitigating Tactics for Specific School Settings
Classrooms
✓ Teach and reinforce all social distancing and safety principles to students repeatedly (make it part of the routine)
✓ Students required to wear face coverings when engaged in contact longer than 15 minutes or within 6 feet
✓ Desks in all classrooms vs. students sitting at tables
✓ Assigned seating to help track contact tracing if needed (also consideration for small group instruction)
✓ Maximize space between seating/desks
✓ Seat students forward ✓ Nonessential furniture and equipment out of classrooms to increase distancing footprint
✓ Classroom cleaning bucket w/supplies/sprayer
✓ Used rags container. Laundry bags or other containers that are for safely gathering cleaning rags/supplies. Laundered daily
✓ Student water bottles (brought from home/school purchased)
✓ Water bottles will be provided and to be filled, stored, and cleaned in the classroom
✓ Carpet Dots/vinyl stickers/tape for floors to teach and encourage proper social distancing when lining up
✓ Individual student books/supplies kept at each desk – no sharing
✓ Student totes (purchased from district), or other options containing all materials for each student.
✓ Removal of all gathering rugs from classrooms
Transitions
✓ Apply floor markings & signage to direct traffic flow and provide distancing. Traffic must flow in one direction only. 2-way traffic stay to the right
✓ Increase time for transitions
✓ Use alternate methods of providing water/no use of drinking fountains
✓ Prop doors open or have door holders to reduce touch
✓ Clean high-touch surfaces before/after transitions
✓ Require students/staff to wear face coverings during transitions
✓ Minimize/monitor congregation of students during transitions
✓ Teachers rotating during transitions instead of students decrease exposure risk (as needed/where possible)
Entry/Exit Points
✓ Designate entry/exit flow paths
✓ Limit nonessential visitors/volunteers
✓ Establish protocol for any non-regular staff including temperature checking and wearing of face coverings
✓ Establish protocols for drop-off/pick-up and communicate to families
✓ Hand sanitizer available for both entry/exit
✓ Signage encouraging physical distancing – District provided, school specific
✓ Before School – students line up by class at a grade level designated door
✓ One class enters at a time keeping appropriate spacing – Specific maps/plans ready to be taught when school begins
Transportation
✓ Face coverings for all passengers and drivers (provided to students by GSD) Students who refuse to wear a face covering, will not be allowed on bus
✓ Maximize physical distancing
✓ Assigned seating will be used to assist in the event contact tracing needs to be conducted
✓ Drivers will sanitize busses between every run of students
✓ Hand sanitizer dispensers on every bus
✓ Students who are ill, or show any signs of symptoms must be kept home
Restrooms
✓ Signage and instruction on proper hand hygiene and safety
✓ Regularly scheduled cleaning for high touch areas
✓ Scheduled bathroom breaks for individual classes to reduce congestion (we cannot deny students their bathroom rights, but we can minimize risk by making sure that classes are scheduled at different times during high traffic (i.e. recess, lunch, etc.)
✓ Minimize number of individuals in restroom (hooks on wall for bathroom pass – no more than 2 allowed in bathroom at a time). Especially during transitions (schedules/maps to be ready for school opening) Floor markings/signage to encourage physical distancing while waiting
✓ Encourage student mask use while in restroom
✓ Monitor restrooms closely to ensure hygiene, safety, and social distancing
Entry/Exit Points
✓ Designate entry/exit flow paths
✓ Limit nonessential visitors/volunteers
✓ Establish protocol for any non-regular staff including temperature checking and wearing of face coverings
✓ Establish protocols for drop-off/pick-up and communicate to families
✓ Hand sanitizer available for both entry/exit
✓ Signage encouraging physical distancing – District provided, school specific
✓ Before School – students line up by class at a grade level designated door
✓ One class enters at a time keeping appropriate spacing – Specific maps/plans ready to be taught when school begins
Transportation
✓ Face coverings for all passengers and drivers (provided to students by GSD) Students who refuse to wear a face covering, will not be allowed on bus
✓ Maximize physical distancing
✓ Assigned seating will be used to assist in the event contact tracing needs to be conducted
✓ Drivers will sanitize busses between every run of students
✓ Hand sanitizer dispensers on every bus
✓ Students who are ill, or show any signs of symptoms must be kept home
Restrooms
✓ Signage and instruction on proper hand hygiene and safety
✓ Regularly scheduled cleaning for high touch areas
✓ Scheduled bathroom breaks for individual classes to reduce congestion (we cannot deny students their bathroom rights, but we can minimize risk by making sure that classes are scheduled at different times during high traffic (i.e. recess, lunch, etc.)
✓ Minimize number of individuals in restroom (hooks on wall for bathroom pass – no more than 2 allowed in bathroom at a time). Especially during transitions (schedules/maps to be ready for school opening) Floor markings/signage to encourage physical distancing while waiting
✓ Encourage student mask use while in restroom
✓ Monitor restrooms closely to ensure hygiene, safety, and social distancing
Lunch/Cafeterias
✓ Floor markings and signage to designate food serving line flow paths
✓ No self-service bars
✓ Food servers wear face covering and proper PPE
✓ Sanitizer before/after meals for ALL
✓ Increase cleaning & disinfecting of high touch surfaces
✓ Use outdoor areas for eating when possible
✓ Wear masks when in line
✓ Always assigned seating. Appropriate signage on tables for students to follow (stickers/vinyl dots, etc.)
✓ Reduce number of students seated at a table/assigned seats
✓ Home lunch students at start of class line-up
✓ Students will not use lunch keypads. Students will have their own card and will scan it instead of using keypad. Outdoor option for eating lunch when weather permits
✓ Large digital clock, or other countdown method, with countdown to help motivate students to stick to lunch schedule
Large Group Gatherings (e.g. assemblies, performances)
✓ Cancel or limit nonessential assemblies
✓ Record assemblies to be viewed in classrooms/at home
✓ Hold virtual meetings when possible
✓ Wear face coverings when at large group gatherings
Unique Courses with Higher Risk of Spread
✓ Build in time for sanitation between sessions/use
✓ Outdoor PE when weather permits
✓ Limit number of classes/students together for PE and Fine Arts when possible
Recess and Playground
✓ Alternate use of outdoor spaces/class assigned to designated area of play
✓ Disinfect playground and equipment between use
✓ Grade levels that share restrooms do not go out to recess at the same time
✓ Dividing the playground into sections and assigning groups of students to different areas to limit exposure risk and allow for possible contact tracing
Special Education, Related Services, or School Counseling (e.g. School Psychologist, Speech Language Pathologist, etc.)
✓ Plexiglass, face shields, or auxiliary aids for one-on-one close contact
✓ Seating charts for contact tracing
✓ Offer reasonable accommodations for students who are unable to wear face coverings
✓ Allow time for hand washing time prior to return to class
✓ Clean area used prior to next group arriving
PD/Faculty Meetings
✓ Use proper social distancing for in-person meetings
✓ Wear face coverings
✓ Meetings can be virtual gatherings when time and content permits
Before/After Student Supervision
✓ Minimize/monitor congregation of students before and after school on school grounds
✓ Encourage student face covering use
✓ Staff will be required to wear face coverings during supervision
✓ Signage to encourage proper distancing and hygiene habits/respecting others
Drop Off/Pick Up Areas
✓ Minimize/monitor congregation of students before and after school on school grounds
✓ Encourage student face covering use, as well as any adults waiting outside their vehicles
✓ Signage to encourage proper distancing and hygiene habits/respecting others. Signage posted to encourage the wearing of face coverings.
Front Office
✓ Proper signage for all COVID-19 safety related items
✓ Labeled “clean and dirty” pen holders. Community pens retrieved from clean bin and returned to dirty bin for sanitation
✓ All employees, students and visitors are required to wear face coverings in the front office area
✓ Sanitizer readily available
✓ Proper procedures for document turn-in. Limit student runners to the office
✓ Options for contactless delivery for any documents (attendance, copies etc.).
✓ Rocket ticket rewards will be given in the classrooms rather than having them retrieve them from the office
✓ Sick room in the front office not used for COVID quarantine
✓ New method or location of tardy slips for students to minimize traffic and exposure in the front office. Plan in place and taught when school opens
✓ Teachers will be asked to use their point of entry to their classrooms when entering and exiting the building
✓ Designated waiting areas for parents checking students out
P/T or SEP Conferences
✓ All students, distance learning and in-person learning have an opportunity to schedule an SEP meeting
✓ Consider virtual conferences primarily
✓ Consider allowing more time between each meeting to clean meeting area
✓ In-person meetings held with 6 feet social distancing guidelines and face covering protocol in place
✓ Signs in place directing traffic and designating waiting areas for following social distancing guidelines
Safety and Fire Drills
✓ Line class up 6 feet apart
✓ Ensure proper social distancing space during evacuation and between classes after building evacuation – Plans in place and taught to students when school opens
Patron Meetings
✓ Consider virtual meetings primarily
✓ In person meeting scheduled only by appointment when possible
✓ In person meetings held in an area allowing for 6 feet social distancing guidelines
✓ Face covering protocols in place ✓ Area to be sanitized/cleaned after it commences
Library/Media Centers
✓ Fewer tables or use of desks in the media center. No gathering nooks
✓ Area and materials to be sanitized before/after each student/class use
✓ Library materials to be isolated for a period between checkout times
✓ Schedule to allow for social distancing as needed
✓ Online book options as primary option to reduce touch points
✓ Consider options for students to requesting books via google form and class delivery system to limit contact
✓ Books stay at school in classrooms rather than go home
IEP/Special Ed Meetings
✓ Consider virtual meetings primarily
✓ In person meeting scheduled only by appointment.
✓ In person meetings held in an area allowing for 6 feet social distancing guidelines
✓ Face covering protocols in place
✓ Area to be sanitized/cleaned after it commences
✓ Address any safety concerns during meeting (as an agenda item)
Multi-Purpose Room
✓ Assemblies will not be allowed unless face coverings can be worn, and students can be 6 feet apart.
PE/BTS classes
✓ PE and movement held outside as often as possible, weather permitting. Space and rotations may only allow for 1 class at a time to attend PE
✓ Seating chart in place for contact tracing
✓ Assign designated areas of play and rotate. Disinfect any equipment before and after use. May need to allow for time between each session for sanitation practices.
Hallways
✓ Teachers in the halls to ensure no students are gathering in groups
✓ Signs will be posted indicating student distancing. Students will line up and walk with social distancing measures in place
✓ Floor markings and signage to direct traffic flow. Traffic will be permitted in one direction
✓ Clean high touch surfaces in hallways frequently
✓ Encourage student face covering wearing in hallways
✓ Safe transitions in the hallways will be taught and reinforced
✓ Lockers and coat room plans/schedules developed to encourage social distancing and limit risk or possible exposure
✓ Coat Room, process in place to have students stagger their entrance and not congregate
