Mill Creek Elementary’s Re-Opening Plan for the 2020-2021 school year can be found here. Please take a few moments to download the plan and review. Principal Kane is available to answer your questions or concerns. We are looking forward to having our Mustangs back this year whether it is face-to-face or online. Welcome to our newest Mustangs!
Mill Creek Elementary Condensed Reopening Plan
Communication and Training
Implementation Plan (“How”)
• Develop Mill Creek Re-Opening Plan with protocols based on the health and safety guidelines including input from teachers, staff, SCC, PTA
• Train teachers and staff during first week of contract, August 17-21, 2020
• Continued training and reinforcement will occur throughout the school year.
• Teaching and re-teaching of students will occur starting the first days of school and throughout the year.
• Mill Creek’s Re-opening Plan will be shared with community and staff via email, website, etc.
• Principal Ann Kane (akane@graniteschools.org) will be the point of contact for questions and concerns for Mill Creek Elementary.
• Mill Creek’s Re-Opening Plan will be sent out and accessible to all community members. Parents will be given updates, changes etc. via email, school website, etc.
• Mill Creek’s Re-Opening Plan will be posted to our website (Schools.graniteschools.org/Millcreek) by July 30 at noon.
Accommodating Individual Circumstances (e.g., High-Risk, Personal Decisions)
Implementation Plan (“How”)
• Mill Creek will share our plan for mitigating risk factors.
• Accommodate alternative learning options as requested by parent/guardian and re-evaluate quarterly, or sooner if necessary.
• Teachers and staff that identify as high risk may reach out to GSD Human Resources Department for reasonable accommodations.
• Mill Creek principal and school/parent teams will review Health Care Plans, IEPs and 504 accommodations to address risk for exposure and make appropriate, reasonable accommodations.
• Consider the social emotional needs of teachers and staff.
• Consider the social emotional needs of all students.
Enhanced Environment Hygiene & Safety
Implementation Plan (“How”)
• Develop increased cleaning and hygiene protocols for custodian, teachers, aides, students, etc.
• All people in the school building wear face coverings.
• Provide hand sanitizers, soap, water, disinfecting solution and rags in classrooms and other locations throughout the building.
• Provide contact tracing when required by SLCo Health Dept.
• Disinfect touched surfaces at least twice a day (doorknobs, tables/desks, playground equipment, etc.).
• Maintain adequate supply of PPE, sanitizer, soap, etc.
• Use floor markings for social distancing expectations
• Provide individual lanyards for lunch card and face coverings.
Implementation Plan (“How”)
Granite School District has three schedules that we are prepared to implement depending on what may be happening due to the virus. The three schedules are Regular, Modified and Dismissal.
• Regular Schedule: students will be allowed to attend every day (face-to-face or online) using the board approved school calendar with increased safety and mitigation measures in place. We plan to use this schedule unless notified a change is required.
• Modified Schedule: Mill Creek School will operate on a split A/B schedule M-Th (Half of the students in a class will come one Mon/Wed. and half on Tues./Thurs.) Students not receiving face to face instruction will utilize distance learning or paper-based modules. On Fridays, all students will receive distance learning. Teachers will also us Fridays for planning, small groups meetings and interventions. Students would be divided alphabetically so students in the same families can be on the same schedule. Accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis.
• Dismissal Schedule: we will only utilize a dismissal for a class, grade, or school in the event of an outbreak and in consultation with the Health Department.
In consultation with, and based on the recommendation from GSD, SLCo Health Dept, USBE, Mill Creek may be required to move from one schedule to another. These schedules could occur by class, grade level, school, or district in the event of an outbreak.
Teachers and staff of Mill Creek will be notified by Principal Kane as soon as possible of the need to switch schedules.
Parents and the community will be informed of any change of schedule by Principal Kane via email, telephone, social media, and website. Teachers will also communicate with parents via Google Classroom and other established communication methods (i.e. Remind, ClassDojo, etc.)chool Schedules
Monitoring Incidents
Implementation Plan (“How”)
• Per Granite School District policy, the new Utah School Nurse Association (USNA) protocol for symptom monitoring will be used at Mill Creek.
• Teachers, staff and students will be trained on symptom monitoring using the USNA protocols.
• Teachers, staff, and students will be re-taught, and protocols reinforced on a regular basis and as needed.
• Establish and communicate a plan to assist families in conducting symptom checking at home.
• Monitor staff/student symptoms and absenteeism carefully
• Educate and promote, “If you feel sick, stay home.”
• Do not allow symptomatic people to physically return to school until they meet health dept criteria or are cleared by a medical provider.
• Implement more lenient absentee policies
• Provide option of school checking for symptoms
Containing Potential Outbreaks
Implementation Plan (“How”)
• Train staff on protocol for containing potential outbreaks using guidance/protocol from GSD and SLCo Health Dept.
• Mill Creek has an established sick room as well as an isolation/quarantine room for suspected exposure.
• All suspected cases at Mill Creek will be reported to Principal Kane who will contact the school nurse.
• School nurse with work with SLCo Health Dept to verify positive cases, provide information for contact tracing, and to establish next steps recommendations for Mill Creek (i.e. parent and staff communication, enhanced cleaning in designated areas, prevention education, other actions deemed necessary, etc.)
Transition Management Preparation
Implementation Plan (“How”)
• Identify communication procedure for staff, students and families.
• Principal Kane and teachers will contact parents via email, telephone, social media, and school website in case of temporary change of schedule.
• Training regarding the privacy of students, staff, and families will be provided to teachers and staff.
• Only essential personnel will be routinely notified of the names of positive cases. Other identifiable information will only be shared as needed for contact tracing and prevention purposes.
Mitigating Tactics for Specific School Settings
Classrooms
- Provide teachers ongoing training on implementing strategies to identify and mitigate risk in a classroom setting.
- Teachers will explicitly teach routines to mitigate risk including hygiene and sanitation.
- Signs with expectations will be posted in each classroom.
- Students, teachers, aides are required to wear masks when engaged in contact longer than 15 minutes or within 6 feet of others.
- Reasonable accommodations such as face shields/face coverings will be utilized for individualized instruction, assessment or other areas where physical distancing is not possible, and one-on-one is required.
- Schoolwide and class PBIS systems will be created to praise students and encourage them to wear masks as directed.
- Assigned seats/workspaces to support contact tracing.
- Keep the same students and teachers with each group to the greatest extent practicable.
- Doors propped open where and when practicable. Doors will remain locked per safety incident protocols.
- Maximizing space between students and facing in the same direction when seated at tables/desks.
- Dividers available for when students sit across from one another.
- Move non-essential furniture and equipment out of the classroom to increase distancing options.
- Move teacher resources not in current use out of the classroom/into cupboards.
- Under the guidance of teachers, students will clean their own workspace and assigned Chrome Book before/after each transition.
- Common supplies and equipment will be cleaned by teacher or student after each use.
- Each classroom will have cleaning supplies (rags, sprayers, etc.) and used rags container.
- Students will use water bottles (brought from home or supplied by the school).
- Individual student supplies, books, notebooks, etc. will be kept at each student’s space. No sharing.
- Dots will be used on the floor to support social distancing.
- Students will be given a lanyard to hold their mask when not in use and to hold their lunch card.
- Custodian will thoroughly clean all touch surfaces daily and thoroughly vacuum classroom every other day.
Transitions
- Identify high traffic areas and apply floor markings to direct traffic
- Limit transitions to support contact tracing and to minimize interactions with multiple groups.
- Staggered transition times as determined by master schedule ensuring classes don’t pass.
- Teachers will lead students through transitions.
- Students will be trained to limit physical contact and to follow floor markings.
- Students and teachers will wear face coverings during all transitions.
- Hand sanitizer will be available for students and teachers upon exit/entry of classrooms, multipurpose room, library, computer lab, wellness center, etc.
- Doors will be propped open during transitions to reduce touch points.
- High touch surfaces will be cleaned after transitions.
- Students will have assigned places in line.
- Schoolwide and class PBIS systems will be created to praise students and encourage positive transitions.
Entry/Exit Points
- All visitors and non-regular staff will check in at the main office.
- All visitors and non-regular staff will wear face coverings while in the building.
- Non-essential visitors and volunteers will be limited for entry as determined by Principal Kane, or her designee.
- Floor markings and signage will be posted to encourage physical distancing and traffic flow.
- Parents will be given entry/exit updates and expectations via email, website, social media, and telephone calls.
- Hand sanitizer will be available at entry/exit points of the building.
Transportation
- Students utilizing GSD Transportation to Mill Creek Elementary will be taught expectations including face coverings requirement, lining up for the bus at school, boarding and exiting the bus, assigned seating on the bus.
- Schoolwide and class PBIS systems will be created to praise students, encourage them to wear masks as directed, and have proper behavior on buses.
Restrooms
- Signage will be used in restrooms on proper hand hygiene and social distancing.
- Restrooms will be thoroughly cleaned daily and as needed.
- Restrooms will be sprayed and wiped before and after lunch period.
- Faculty restroom will be sprayed and wiped by the person using the restroom after each use.
- Doors to the restroom will be propped open.
- Teachers will teach and reinforce students’ expectations for bathroom use and proper hygiene.
- Teachers will be more lenient regarding the use of restrooms to enable better social distancing.
- Students will sign in/out when using the restroom to enable contact tracing.
- Face coverings are required when going to the restroom.
- Hand sanitizer for re-entering the classroom.
Lunch/Cafeterias
- Floor markings and signage will be used to designate serving line flow.
- Cafeteria doors will be propped open to limit direct contact and continued air flow.
- The self-serve salad bar will not be used.
- Food Service staff will clean lunch tables and benches between each change including the lip underneath the lunch tables and benches.
- Custodian will thoroughly clean the cafeteria daily.
- Students will wash hands/use hand sanitizer before entering the cafeteria.
- Classes will enter cafeteria following the school schedule.
- Masks/face coverings will be worn until students sit down at table.
- Students will use their lunch card on their lanyard to scan their lunch number.
- Home lunches are disposable (no reusable lunch boxes).
- Students will be assigned a seat in the cafeteria.
- Teachers will teach and reinforce lunchroom expectations and protocols to students.
- Schoolwide and class PBIS systems will be created to praise students, encourage them to wear masks as directed, and to follow positive cafeteria behavior.
Large Group Gatherings (e.g. assemblies, performances)
- Cancel or limit nonessential assemblies
- Hold virtual assemblies if needed
Unique Courses with Higher Risk of Spread
- PE and BTS Art classes have been identified as unique courses with higher risk of spread (see below).
- If other classes are identified, protocols and expectations will be followed.
Recess and Playground
- Recess and playgrounds will be managed and scheduled with health and safety principles and requirements in place.
- Recesses have been scheduled by grade levels.
- Recesses will occur outside as practicable.
- Students are required to wear masks/face coverings when social distancing is not possible (i.e. lining up)
- Teachers will teach and reinforce protocols and expectations to students on the safety, healthy hygiene and rules of recess and playground.
- The large playground equipment will not be used unless the schedule allows for disinfecting between each class/grade level.
- Smaller playground equipment (balls, jump ropes, etc.) will be available to each class and disinfected.
- Students will wash hands/sanitize before and after recesses.
- Schoolwide and class PBIS systems will be created to praise students, encourage them to wear masks as directed and have positive playground behavior.
Special Education, Related Services, or School Counseling (e.g. School Psychologist, Speech Language Pathologist, etc.)
- Face shields, plexiglass, or auxiliary aids for one-to-one close contact
- Reasonable accommodations for students who are unable to wear face coverings.
- Schoolwide and class PBIS systems will be created to praise students and encourage them to wear masks as directed.
PD/Faculty Meetings
- Teacher and staff professional development, professional learning and faculty meetings will be organized and held with health and safety principles and requirements in place.
- Employ social distancing during meetings.
- Sanitize touch surfaces before and after meetings.
- Conduct virtual meetings when effective/possible.
Before/After Student Supervision
- Increase supervision.
- Teachers will teach and reinforce student expectations and provide parents updates and expectations on entry/exit protocols.
- All people on campus are required to wear masks when engaged in contact longer than 15 minutes or within 6 feet of others.
- Playground equipment will be off limits before and after school. There will not be free play time before and after school.
- Parents/Caregivers will be asked to drop off students as close to the start of school as possible (8:35 am) and to not linger to limit direct contact.
- Floor markings will be used for student line up outside the building.
- Students will line up where designated for entry to building.
- Teachers will escort students into the building one class at a time.
- Kindergarten and Third Grade will line up at designated markings outside the main entrance of the building.
- Fourth and Fifth Grades will line up at designated markings outside the west entrance of the building along the south sidewalk.
- First and Second Grades will line up at the designated markings outside the east entrance of the building.
- Teachers will escort students out of the building at the end of the day, one class at a time.
- Schoolwide and class PBIS systems will be created to praise students and encourage them to wear masks as directed.
- Afterschool Program: The Salt Lake County Youth Services will work with Principal Kane, or her designee, to organize and hold before/afterschool programs with health and safety principles and requirements in place.
- Afterschool staff will teach protocols and expectations to those students that are enrolled in the afterschool program.
- Registration documents, including waivers, will be signed prior to student participation.
- During a regular schedule, before and after school programs can occur.
- During a modified schedule, some or all components of afterschool program may be suspended. If it is determined to continue with afterschool programming during a modified schedule, strict adherence and compliance to health and safety principles and guidelines. This will be decided by Principal Kane, or her designee, in collaboration with Salt Lake County Youth Services staff.
- During a dismissal, all afterschool programming is suspended.
Drop Off/Pick Up Areas
- Families are encouraged to drop off students as close to the start of school as possible – 8:35 am.
- Families are encouraged to pick up students as close to the end of school as possible – 3:20 pm Monday – Thursday, 1:15 pm Fridays.
- Families are encouraged to predetermine sibling meeting points outside of the building.
- Playground will be off limits after school. There will not be free play time before or after school.
- Areas for drop off and pick up will be marked on the sidewalks.
- All people on campus are required to wear masks when engaged in contact longer than 15 minutes or within 6 feet of others.
- Parents and students need to follow social distancing protocols while on campus.
- Students will leave the building from the same doors they enter.
Front Office
- All visitors and non-regular staff must check in at the office.
- All visitors and non-regular staff will be limited to enter the building based on need determined by Principal Kane, or her designee.
- All entry to the office must be made using the front doors.
- Floor markings and signage will be available outlining expectations.
- Hand sanitizer provided upon entry/exit.
- Teachers sending students to the office will send them with a note specific to their immediate needs.
- Office phones will only be used by office staff. Staff will communicate student messages to parents.
- Families are encouraged to call ahead when a student needs to leave during the school day to prevent long wait times and maintain social distancing. Families will wait either outside or in the vestibule for student.
- All office staff are required to wear masks when engaged in contact longer than 15 minutes or within 6 feet of others.
- All office staff will spray and wipe frequently touch areas at regular intervals throughout the day.
- Custodian will thoroughly clean the main office daily.
P/T or SEP Conferences
- Parent must request a meeting with the teacher. Parents are not allowed in the building (beyond the main office) unless an appointment is scheduled.
- Parents must check in at the office prior to the meeting in the building. Parents are strongly encouraged to reschedule if they, or someone in their household are not feeling well.
- SEP Conferences will be made by appointment. Determination of face-to-face or virtually will be made closer to those dates. When practicable, parents will be give the option of conferencing in person or online.
- Sanitize touch surfaces before/after meeting.
Safety and Fire Drills
- Develop protocol and train staff and students for exiting the building.
- Schedule drills and communicate with staff.
- Scheduled drills will have staff/students exit the building in a slower manner following social distancing protocols.
- If there is an unscheduled event (i.e. fire alarm sounds, shelter-in-place or lock down is called in) occurs, everyone will exit the building quickly, safely and efficiently.
- Lockdown with cover, shelters-in-place and earthquake drills will be conducted as normal.
Patron Meetings
- Hold virtual meetings when possible.
- Patron meetings by appointment only.
- All visitors requesting to meet in the building will need to follow the check in procedures.
- If there is an immediate need to meet with Principal Kane, or another teacher or staff, all efforts will be made to accommodate that need keeping the health and safety principles enforced.
Library/Media Centers
- Follow GSD guidelines for service of library.
- Utilize SORA digital library and Destiny online catalog.
- Returned library books will be stored in a bin for three days before being recirculated.
- Schoolwide and class PBIS systems will be created to praise students and encourage them to wear masks as directed.
IEP/Special Ed Meetings
- Hold virtual meetings when possible.
- When necessary, IEP meetings will occur in the Conference Room, cleaning touch surfaces before/after.
- All participants will wear masks.
- All visitors, parents, non-regular staff will check in at the main office for in person meetings.
- All IEP and special education meetings need to be scheduled.
Multipurpose Room
- Multipurpose Room is used primarily for PE and lunch. All other requests for use need to go to Principal Kane, or her designee.
- For any activity scheduled in the multipurpose room, all health and safety principles and guidelines must be followed including social distancing, masks/face coverings.
- The person who scheduled the activity is responsible to spray and wipe all areas touched (i.e. sound system).
- Custodian will thoroughly clean the multipurpose/cafeteria daily.
PE/BTS Classes
- PE and BTS Art classes have been identified as unique courses with higher risk of spread.
- If other classes are identified, these protocols and expectations will be followed.
- PE classes will occur outside as much as possible and where practicable.
- Each PE and Art period will include only one class.
- PE and Art teachers will use assign seating and lines when practicable.
- Masks/face coverings will be used at the direction of the PE and Art teachers depending on assigned activity/lesson.
- Signs will be posted, and floor markings used to support social distancing and proper hygiene.
- Students will wash hands/use hand sanitizer before and after each class.
- PE and Art teachers will teach protocols and expectations for entering/exiting class and during class.
- Classroom teachers will lead students to PE class and pick up students on time.
- Under the direction of the PE and Art teachers, students will help clean equipment/supplies used.
- PE and Art teachers will ensure that all equipment is cleaned and sanitized before and after each class.
- The Art teacher will go to each classroom as scheduled for art class.
- Classroom teachers will ensure art class starts and ends as scheduled.
- As much as practicable, art supplies will be designated for one student.
- When not practical, art supplies will be cleaned and sanitized between use.
- Schoolwide and class PBIS systems will be created to praise students, encourage them to wear masks as directed and have positive behavior in class.
Hallways
- Floor markings and signage will be used at the main entrance and in the hallway.
- Floor markings will be placed every six feet down the center of the hallway to support social distancing.
- Schedules are created to reduce congestion and limit number of students.
- Teachers will teach and reinforce expectations to students while in the hallway.
- Students and teachers will wear face coverings while in the hallway.
- Teachers will escort classes while in the hallway.
- Students will have assigned places in line.
- Students in the hallway individually need a pass (attached to their lanyard).
- Schoolwide and class PBIS systems will be created to praise students, encourage them to wear masks as directed and follow hallway expectations.
