Parents,
Below you will find the link to the Morningside Opening Plan Assurances. This has been reviewed by our teachers, custodial staff, district leadership, and our Morningside Community Council. This plan details the improved safety, distancing, and cleaning measures that we will employ to keep the students and adults that come to Morningside safe.
I know many of you are hoping to hear details of exactly what distance learning will look like in the fall and who will be teaching it. While I cannot give exact answers to these questions until I get parent commitment forms back and know what our numbers look like, I can offer these assurances regarding distance learning for the 2020-2021 school year
- Distance learning will include regular (most likely daily) instruction from a teacher either in real-time or using recordings
- Teachers will have virtual “office hours” each day for students to be able to communicate questions or concerns
- Distance learning students will have the same access to the core-curriculum that face to face students will be given
- Distance learning students will have access to the same online learning tools as face to face students (ST Math, Lexia, etc.)
- Distance learning teachers will provide a scope of instruction for several weeks at a time for families to use as a map for learning
- Distance learning students will be part of a classroom and enjoy access to the fun activities that are available to the rest of the class (classroom parties, virtual assemblies, virtual arts instruction, etc.)
- French Dual Language distance learning instruction will be meaningful and keep students pacing and progress with their face to face peers
- Kindergarten distance learning will have a variety of task options for you and your child to choose the amount and type that work best for you and your child
I hope you will be stay here with us at Morningside rather than withdraw and homeschool your child. Losing students changes our funding and will impact our number of teachers. We are allocated 1 teacher for every 27.25 students, please help us keep your favorite teachers here at Morningside, we want to keep our teachers and be ready to welcome all students back to school soon! If you have questions or concerns, please call and share them with us.
I am working through parent emails each day, if you have emailed me in the last few days and have not heard back, I will be in touch with you soon. You will hear from us later this week with information regarding registration, we will start registering students next week!
Thank you- I am grateful to work with such a thoughtful and committed community.
Anne
Morningside Elementary Condensed Reopening Plan
Communication and training
- Develop School reopening protocol and plans including input from SCC, PTA President, and Morningside teachers and staff.
- Share plan with district, community and staff via email and school website.
- Anne Reese is point of contact person for Morningside Elementary. Contact information is 385-646-4924 and areese@graniteschools.org
- Weekly communication with community via website and monthly digital newsletters
- Train all staff on protocols/plans during August staff meeting
- Prepare or procure training videos for staff/students/families
Accommodating Individual Circumstances (e.g., High-Risk, Personal Decisions)
- Develop process for identification as ‘high-risk’
- Provide alternative learning as requested
- ‘High-risk’ employees work with HR and building principal to minimize risk
- Review Health Care Plans/IEPS/504s to address risk for exposure and accommodate as needed (prior to August 24th)
- Consider emotional/social needs of staff (breaks and peer interaction)
- Consider emotional/social needs of students (breaks and peer interaction)
Enhanced Environment Hygiene and Safety
- Develop increased cleaning and hygiene protocols for custodian, teachers, aides and students
- Faculty/staff/students wear face coverings
- Provide hand sanitizer, soap, water and disinfecting solution and rags in each classroom and other high usage areas of the building
- Provide contact tracing when required by the health department
- Disinfect touched surfaces at least twice daily (doorknobs, desks, tables, etc.)
- Have an adequate supply of PPE supplies, sanitizer, soap, etc.
- Use floor markings to indicate spacing in hallways and direction in the lunchroom
- Individual student lanyards for masks
- Provide disinfectant sprayers/solution for classrooms, playground equipment, and playground
School Schedules
Granite School District has three schedules that they are prepared to implement at the direction of the State Health Department and Utah School Board’s direction. The three schedules are Regular, Modified and Dismissal.
- Regular Schedule: students will be allowed to attend every day 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: 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 at the direction of the State Health Department.
Our school run on any of these schedules regardless of what color phase the state, county or city is in. These plans will be communicated to all stakeholders via email, the school website and hard copies when requested.
Monitoring Incidents
- Develop and train all staff on school’s protocol for symptom monitoring during August staff meetings. System monitoring will include looking out for students acting tired or lethargic, taking a student’s temperature, listening to student reported symptoms (headache, aches, etc.).
- If a child reports not feeling well, they will be asked to go to the office for a temperature check and check-in with office staff. If a child has a temperature of 100.4, or nearing 100.4, the child will be escorted by an adult to an isolation room and monitored there until a parent can be reached to come and pick the child up. A previously used “collaboration room” will be established as an isolation room. This isolation room can hold 6 children, appropriately distanced until they are picked up. If additional isolation rooms are needed then art rooms, PE/Lit. coach offices will be used. All isolation areas will be thoroughly cleaned after a child has gone home ill.
- Establish a plan to assist families in conducting symptom checking at home and communicate the plan with families via email and school website
- Educate and 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 a medical provider
- Implement more lenient absentee policies
- Provide option of school checking for symptoms (morning temperature checks only if required by Granite District or State Health Department.)
- Each school is required to establish a sick room as well as an isolation/quarantine room for suspected exposure. All suspected cases will be reported to the school administrator who will contact the school nurse. The school nurse will then work with the local health department to verify positive cases, provide information for contact tracing, and to establish next steps recommendations for the school (i.e. patron and staff communications, enhanced cleaning in designated areas, prevention education, and determination of other actions needed to prevent an outbreak).
- We have been working daily with the local health department to refine our procedures for tracing positive Covid-19 cases. Each school nurse will be assigned to a specific health official to work on cases within their assigned school. We have established a weekly Zoom meeting between the GSD school nursing leadership team and our local health department to receive updates, review cases, and continue to refine our process.
Containing Potential Outbreaks
- Develop and train staff on protocol for containing potential outbreaks during August staff meetings (Use guidance/protocol from district and health department)
- Consult with local health department for tracing a positive COVID-19 case
Transition Management Preparation
- In case of reclosure, Morningside Community will be notified of the closure by text, email, blackboard, and school’s website. Notice will also be posted outside of school’s entrance
- Provide remote learning via technology or hard copy
- Teachers will reach out with updated school plans and digital meeting times
Mitigating Tactics for Specific School Settings
Classrooms
- Students required to wear face coverings when engaged in contact longer than 15 minutes or within 6 feet of another student or adult
- Assigned seating in the classroom
- Maximize space between seating/desks
- Seat students forward whenever possible
- Nonessential furniture and equipment out of classrooms to increase distancing footprint
- Classroom cleaning bucket with supplies/sprayer
- Used rags container
- Student water bottles (brought from home/school purchased)
- Dots for lining up in classroom for distancing
- Individual student books/supplies kept at each desk – no sharing
- Individual supplies for students- no sharing
- Doors open to minimize touch surface and support air flow
- Chromebooks assigned and cleaned after use
- Classroom air filters upgraded to hospital-grade air filter
- Individual student manipulatives when possible with scheduled sanitation of manipulatives after each use.
- Increased regular short (~5 min.) breaks outside without masks at teacher discretion and under their supervision
- Backpacks are allowed and encouraged. Parents are encouraged to regularly wash student backpacks
- Students can check books out of classroom libraries under teacher management. Books will be quarantined 4 days before being recirculated
- Chromebooks will be assigned to students, assuring that students use the same Chromebook each day. In French DLI classrooms where students have 2 different classrooms, Chromebooks will be cleaned with 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes after each student use.
- All Chromebooks will be routinely cleaned with 70% isopropyl alcohol
Transitions
- Apply markers on the floor directing traffic and providing distancing indicators
- Increase time/stagger times for transitions to minimize number of students in confined areas or hallways
- School drinking fountains will be transitioned to bottle-filler stations with mouthpiece turned off
- Prop classroom doors open or have door holders to reduce touch
- Clean high-touch surfaces before/after transitions
- Require students/staff to wear face masks during transitions
- Minimize/monitor congregation of students
Entry/Exit Points
- Designate entry/exit flow paths
- No non-essential visitors and classroom volunteers will be allowed past the front office
- All non-regular staff (district employees) are required to wear face coverings
- Hand sanitizer available for entry/exit points
- One class enters at a time keeping appropriate spacing
- Beginning and end of school day: utilize all outside entry doors to the school (north end, south end, bathroom, and cafeteria)
- One class enters at a time utilizing all exterior doors.
- Students will line-up at designated door (look for signs on the first day of school) and put on their masks while they are lined up and waiting for their teacher
- All supervising staff outdoors will wear an orange vest when on supervision. Students will be taught that supervising adults will be wearing orange safety vests.
Transportation
- Face coverings for all passengers
- Maximize physical distancing
- Limit non-necessary student transportation (fieldtrips) unless approved by building administrator and school director
Restrooms
- Replace cloth towels with automatic paper towel dispensers
- Teach correct paper towel usage
- Signage and instruction on proper hand hygiene
- Regularly scheduled cleaning for high touch areas
- Designated restrooms for grade levels
- Minimize number of individuals in restroom with signage and socially distanced waiting area
- Bathroom entry will be monitored by an adult at high-volume times like recesses and getting ready for lunch
- Teachers will encourage bathroom use during non-instructional class time to avoid a rush to use the restroom at typical “high-volume” times like recesses and lunch
- Floor markings to encourage physical distancing while waiting
- Require mask use while in restroom
- Hand sanitizer for re-entering the classroom
- Student bathroom log with name and time to enable contact tracing
Lunch/Cafeterias
- Floor markings and signage to designate serving line flow paths
- No self-service bars. All fruits and veggies will be served by adult lunch workers
- Food servers wear face covering
- Sanitizer before/after meals
- Increase cleaning & disinfecting of high touch surfaces between grade levels
- Use outdoor areas for eating when possible. Students can sit on the shaded grass on the west side of the school to eat their lunch. Garbage cans and recycling cans will be provided to keep school grounds clean
- Assigned seating in the lunchroom
- Wear masks when in line
- Reduce # of students seated at a table/assigned seats, allow for correct distancing when eating
- Home lunch students enter first to avoid congestion
- Where possible, request parents send disposable home lunch bag to cut down on cross-contaminating reusable lunch boxes. Students with reusable lunch boxes/water bottles can continue to use lunch wagons
- Regularly wash lunch wagon canvas covers if used
- Lunch secretary will enter lunch numbers rather than students type in their own lunch code
- No sharing tables
Large Group Gatherings (e.g. assemblies, performances)
- Cancel nonessential assemblies
- Record assemblies to be viewed in classrooms/at home
- Hold virtual meetings when needed
Unique Courses with Higher Risk of Spread
- Build in time for sanitation between sessions
- Assigned seats/spaces. Teacher will keep seating plan for contact tracing if necessary
- Outdoor PE when weather permits
- PE activities will be socially distanced with low impact/cardio activities masked if necessary
- Limit/cancel non-necessary courses with higher risk of spread
Recess and Playground
- Limit more than one grade level at short recess at one time
- Schedule lunch recesses to keep grade level students on different areas of the playground/field/blacktop
- Alternate use of outdoor spaces/class assigned to designated area of play. Playground duties will monitor playground activities
- Scheduled use of large playground structures to allow for cleaning in between grade level use
- Require use of face covering when social distancing is not possible
- All supervising staff outdoors will wear an orange vest when on supervision. Students will be taught that supervising adults will be wearing orange safety vests.
Special Education, Related Services, or School Counseling (e.g. School Psychologist, Speech Language Pathologist, etc.)
- Face shields or auxiliary aids for one-on-one close contact. Plexiglass dividers if they can be procured
- Offer reasonable accommodations for students who are unable to wear face coverings
- Include learning to ear face masks as part of curriculum and social skills groups, where necessary
PD/Faculty Meetings
- Employ the use of social distancing during faculty meetings and staff professional development
- Sanitize touch surfaces before and after meetings
- Conduct virtual meetings when possible/effective
- Require face masks when 6 foot distancing is not possible
Before/After Student Supervision
- Increase supervision before school while students are arriving
- Teach to one-way traffic when arriving to and leaving school
- Students line up at designated doors socially distanced
- Face coverings are worn if not able to be at a 6-foot distance on playground
- Encourage students to arrive to school at an appropriate time (no earlier than 8:40 am)
- All supervising staff outdoors will wear an orange vest when on supervision. Students will be taught that supervising adults will be wearing orange safety vests.
Drop Off/Pick Up Areas
- Increase supervision
- Teach to one-way traffic when leaving school
- Students exit through designated doors
- Encourage parents to stay in cars when dropping off or picking up students
- Encourage parents that are walking their child home from school to establish meeting spot distanced from school doors
- Face coverings are worn by all
- One class exits at a time
Front Office
- Plexiglass installed
- Limit visitors to the office
- Floor markers designating where to wait
- Request parents wait outside of the office when picking up students
- Scheduled sanitation of touch surfaces in the office
- Hand sanitizer provided upon entry and exit
- Use gloves when handling materials delivered to the office (student work, materials, notes, etc.)
P/T or SEP Conferences
- Hold virtual conferences
- In-person conferences upon request to teacher
Safety and Fire Drills
- Develop protocol and train staff/students for exiting the building
- Schedule drills and communicate date/time with staff
- Scheduled drills will have staff/students exit the building in a slower and distanced manner
- If the fire alarm sounds when it is not a scheduled drill, teachers and students will exit the building quickly
- Lockdown, shelter in place and earthquake drills will be conducted as normal
Patron Meetings
- Hold virtual meetings when possible and appropriate
- Patron meetings with staff and administration by appointment only
- Clean all areas before and after meetings
- Wear face coverings or distance at least 6 feet
Library/Media Centers
- Follow district guidelines/plans for service of library
- Utilize SORA digital library and Destiny online catalog
- Returned library books will be stored in bin for 4 days before being recirculated
- Maximize space in library for social distancing
- Require face coverings when in the library
- Scheduled sanitization of touch surfaces during each day
IEP/Special Ed Meetings
- Require face coverings and follow social distancing
- Provide hand sanitizer
- Hold virtual meetings when possible or at parent request
- Sanitize touch surfaces before and after each meeting
Multipurpose Room
- Maximize social distancing
- Schedule single-class use of room when available
PE/BTS Classes
- Follow district guidelines/plans for service of art and PE
- Require wearing of face coverings for staff and students
- Sanitize surfaces and equipment between classes
- Assign seats and maintain a seating chart to allow for contract tracing if necessary
Hallways
- Apply markers on the floor marking flow pattern and distancing in hallways
- Classes will walk single file through the hallways when transition in and out of the classroom to reduce congestion
- Clean high-touch hallway surfaces regularly throughout the day
- Require students/staff to wear face masks when in hallways
- Minimize/monitor congregation of students with adult supervision
- Stagger transitions to limit the number of students moving through hallways