Dear Parents and Guardians,
We are very excited to start the school year. Our priority is to keep your students safe as we start the school year. We Wanted to update you on a few things as you:
- I attached our assurance plan to start the year. This plan will show you everything we are working on to keep students and staff safe as students return to the classroom.
- I attached the request form. This form is to decide if you want your students to return to school or a be a part of online learning. Please return this form as soon as possible so we can start assigning students to teachers. The deadline for this form is August 5th.
- I attached a link to a video showing what Online Learning is going to look like this year.
- Registration will be August 3rd-7th. During this week online registration will be open every day. I attached instructions on how to set up a portal account so you will be set up and ready for registration. In person registration will be August 3rd and 6th from 7A.M. to 6 P.M.
- Back to School Night will be August 20th. We will send more information out soon.
Please call us if you have any questions at 385-646-5079.
West Valley Elementary Condensed Reopening Plan
Communication and training
- Develop School reopening protocol and plans including input from SCC and building leadership team.
- Share plan with district, community and staff via email and school website
- Jeffery Walton is point of contact person for West Valley Elementary. Contact information is 801-646-5004 and jpwalton@graniteschools.org
- Weekly communication with community
- 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
- Consider emotional/social needs of students
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
- Use floor markings to indicate directionality in hallways
- Individual student lanyards for masks
School Schedules
Granite School District has three schedules that they are prepared to implement depending on what may be happening due to the virus. The three schedules are Regular, Modified, and Dismissal. With the regular schedule students K-12 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 most of the time. The only time we would utilize another schedule for an individual class, grade, school, or the district, is if we were recommended to do so by the Health Department, the Governor’s office, or the USBE.
If it is deemed necessary that we reduce the number of students that are attending school, we will utilize a modified schedule. On a Modified Schedule, schools would operate on a split A/B schedule M-Th (Half the students in a class will come on Monday/Wednesday and half on Tuesday/Thursday.) 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 use Fridays for planning, small group meetings, and interventions. Students would be divided alphabetically K-12 so students in the same families can be on the same schedule. Accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis.
The third schedule would be a dismissal. We would only utilize a dismissal for a class, grade, school, or the district in the event of an outbreak and in consultation with the Health Department.
These schedules allow for optimal flexibility and are aligned K-12 to best accommodate the students and families we serve. Any of these schedules may be done district wide or on an individual school basis. The district, or an individual school, grade, or class, could be on any one of these schedules regardless of what color phase the state, county, or city is in.
Monitoring Incidents
- Develop and train all staff on school’s protocol for symptom monitoring during August staff meetings
- Establish a plan to assist families in conducting symptom checking at home and communicate the plan with families via email and school website
- 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 department criteria or are cleared by a medical provider
- Implement more lenient absentee policies
- Provide option of school checking for symptoms
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
- Identify communication procedure for staff and students in case of reclosure (phone tree, text, email, blackboard, etc.)
- Provide remote learning via technology or hard copy
- Distribute pre-written statements in case of confirmed cases/outbreak with impacted staff, families, etc.
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
- Assigned seating
- 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
- 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
- Personal portable carrying cases for each student
- Individual supplies for students
- Doors open to minimize touch surface and support air flow
- Chromebooks assigned and cleaned after use
Transitions
- Apply floor markings & signage to direct traffic flow
- 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
- Students/staff required to wear face masks during transitions
- Minimize/monitor congregation of students
- Stagger transitions to limit the number of students moving through hallways
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
- Before School – students line up by class at a grade level designated door
- One class enters at a time keeping appropriate spacing
- Classes will be excused to exit only after the class before has cleared the exit
Transportation
- Face coverings for all passengers
- Maximize physical distancing
Restrooms
- Signage and instruction on proper hand hygiene
- Regularly scheduled cleaning for high touch areas
- Scheduled bathroom breaks for individual classes
- Floor markings to encourage physical distancing while waiting
- Require mask use while in restroom
- Rotate monitoring of restroom
- Hand sanitizer for re-entering the classroom
- Student emergency 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
- Food servers wear face covering
- Sanitizer before/after meals
- Increase cleaning & disinfecting of high touch surfaces
- Use outdoor areas for eating when possible
- Assigned seating in the lunchroom
- Wear masks when in line
- Reduce # of students seated at a table/assigned seats
- Home lunch students enter first to avoid congestion
Large Group Gatherings (e.g. assemblies, performances)
- Cancel or limit nonessential assemblies
- Record assemblies to viewed in classrooms/at home
- Hold virtual meetings as possible
- Wear face coverings when at large group gatherings
Unique Courses with Higher Risk of Spread
- Build in time for sanitation between sessions
- Drama teacher goes class to class
- Outdoor PE when weather permits
Recess and Playground
- Alternate use of outdoor spaces/class assigned to designated area of play
- Disinfect playground between use
- Disinfect equipment between classes
- Require use of face covering when social distancing is not possible
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
- Offer reasonable accommodations for students who are unable to wear face coverings
- Cleaning will happen after each group leaves to prepare for the next group
- Social Distancing as much as possible
PD/Faculty Meetings
- Teachers and Staff will use face coverings when social distancing is not possible
- during faculty meetings and staff professional development
- Sanitize touch surfaces before and after meetings
- Conduct virtual meetings when possible/effective
Before/After Student Supervision
- Increase supervision
- Teach one-way traffic when arriving to and leaving school
- Students line up at designated doors socially distanced
- Face coverings are worn
- Encourage students to arrive to school at an appropriate time
- One class enters at a time
Drop Off/Pick Up Areas
- Increase supervision
- Teach to one-way traffic when leaving school
- Students exit through designated doors
- Face coverings are worn
- One class exits at a time
- Establish protocol for picking up students that ensures social distancing
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
P/T or SEP Conferences
- Hold virtual conferences
- SEP’s possibly could be held in the classroom by appointment.
- Face Coverings will be worn by all in attendance
- Social distancing will be followed for appointees waiting
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
- Patron meetings by appointment only
- Clean all areas before and after meetings
- Wear face coverings
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 3 days before being recirculated
- Face Covering will be worn
- Cleaning will occur between classes
- Touch surfaces will be cleaned multiple times a day
IEP/Special Ed Meetings
- Require face coverings
- Provide hand sanitizer
- Prop the door open for greater air flow
- Hold virtual meetings when possible
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
- Select a location for physical education instruction where students and staff can respect physical distancing guidelines and remain 6 feet apart. Evaluate available outdoor spaces on school property. When possible, use outdoor spaces for physical education instruction.
- Classes should not be combined if it prevents safety precautions such as distancing, safe use of equipment or classroom management within the space. More space than is typical for instruction may be required for physical education class due to increased respiration of students when participating in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.
- If students are required to remain in the same classroom for all instructional periods throughout the day, physical education teachers can rotate through classrooms to deliver instruction.
- If using the gymnasium or multipurpose room for instruction, keep the doors and windows open if possible, to maximize circulation and air flow to accommodate for increased respiration by students while participating in physical activity.
Hallways
- Apply markers on the floor directing traffic
- Clean high-touch hallway surfaces
- Require students/staff to wear face masks
- Minimize/monitor congregation of students
- Stagger transitions to limit the number of students moving through hallways