Whittier STEAM Re-Opening Plan

Please check out our Whittier STEAM Elementary Re-Opening Plan to learn how we are going to keep students safe as our school opens this fall.

Whittier Elementary Condensed Reopening Plan

Communication and Training

Develop School reopening protocols and plans with Leadership Team, admins, approved by SCC/PTA/Teachers. Share plan with community (Email, website). Points of contact for Whittier STEAM Elementary are: Lynette Golze lgolze@graniteschools.org or Allison Banks ambanks@graniteschools.org  Weekly or monthly communication with community according to need. (Updates/changes, best practices for preventative care, positive outlook). Provide in English and Spanish. Prepare statements approved by district in case of confirmed cases/outbreak. Train all staff on protocols/plans (August 14). Share handwashing and other training videos with staff/students/families.

Accommodating Individual Circumstances (e.g., High-Risk, Personal Decisions)

• Develop process for identification as ‘high-risk’. Provide alternate learning as requested. ‘High-risk’ employees work with HR & building Administration to minimize risk
• Review Health Care Plans/IEPs/504s to address risk for exposure & accommodate as needed. Consider emotional/social needs of staff (breaks). Consider emotional/social needs of students (breaks).

Enhanced Environment Hygiene & Safety

• Develop increased cleaning and hygiene protocols for custodian, teachers, aides, students. Provide contact tracing when required by health department.
• Disinfect touched surfaces at least twice a day (doorknobs, desks, playground equipment, tables, etc.) Have adequate supply of PPE supplies, sanitizer, soap, etc.
• Use wall markings and playground dots for social distancing expectation.
• Lunch cards prepared by teachers in the morning according to students eating school lunch and handed to lunch secretary as they bring students to lunchroom.
• Face masks required until students are at lunch table.
• Disinfectant and rags provided for each classroom.
• Teacher sprays and each student cleans own desks before each transition.

School Schedules

Regular: Students have face to face or distance learning teachers assigned. Modified: Students attend according to alphabet on either M.W or Tu, Th. All students do distance learning when not in session; All students do distance learning on Fridays. Dismissal: All teachers teaching distance learning and all students learning via distance learning.

Monitoring Incidents

• Develop and train all staff on school’s protocol for symptom monitoring.   Establish a plan to assist families in conducting symptom checking at-home Implement more lenient absentee policies Provide options of school checking for symptoms

Containing Potential Outbreaks

• School-Re-Opening Plan PD before school starts.

Transition Management Preparation

• Communication sent out on Backboard via email and phone. Provide distance learning.

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).
• Markings for lining up in classroom for distancing.
• Individual student books/supplies kept at each desk – no sharing.
• Classroom doors propped open to limit direct contact of the doors and/or door glass.
• Students wash hands or use sanitizer as they enter classroom each time during the day.
• Teachers spray and student cleans own desks before making transitions.
• Teachers spray and wipe sinks, dispensers, and frequently touched surfaces twice daily.
• Students hang backpacks and coats on own chairs.
• Students hang face shields on hooks in cubbies.
• Classrooms vacuumed every other day by custodians or sweepers. 

Transitions

• Apply wall 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.
• Require students/staff to wear face masks during transitions.
• Minimize/monitor congregation of students.

Entry/Exit Points

• Designate entry/exit flow paths; doors assigned before and after school and for recess.
• Limit nonessential visitors/volunteers.
• All persons entering the building must wear 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 on designated spots.
• One class enters at a time keeping appropriate spacing.
• Teacher or adult holds door for students to enter/exit building.

Transportation

• All drivers and all students will be masked on the bus.
• The ONLY exception is for students with documented health conditions that preclude them from being able to be masked for a short period of time. 
• Students who forget district issued cloth masks will be issued a paper one.
• Students who refuse to wear masks will not be allowed entry to the bus.
• All buses will be sanitized between every run of students.
• Driver has a ½ gallon sprayer filled with disinfectant.
• Driver will walk to the back of the bus spraying one side of the bus and walk back to the front spraying the other side.
• Hand sanitizer dispensers will be placed on every bus.
• These are the same dispensers that are located in classrooms and offices at Whittier.
• We will maximize social distancing the best we can on the bus, but it may not be possible.
• Social distancing is encouraged at the bus stop.
• Students who are ill, or are showing any symptoms must be kept home.

Bathrooms

• Signage and instruction on proper hand washing hygiene.
• Regularly scheduled cleaning for high touch areas.
• Scheduled bathroom breaks for individual classes. 
• Number of students in bathroom limited to amount of stalls. 
• Wall markings to encourage physical distancing while waiting.
• Required mask use while in restroom.
• Lower grades use restrooms in classroom if provided. 
• Custodians will thoroughly clean the restrooms daily, spray and wipe them after morning recesses and after lunch, and dispose of diapers each time they check bathrooms.
• Cloth towel dispensers replaced with paper towels.
• Students taught to use elbow to get paper towels.

Lunch/Cafeterias

• Floor markings and signage to designate serving line flow paths.
• No self-service food stations/bars.
• Food servers wear face covering.
• Sanitizer before/after meals.
• Increase cleaning & disinfecting of high touch surfaces.
• Assigned seating.
• Wear masks when in line and until seated; place on arms.
• Put on masks before excused to dump trays and go outside.
• Reduce # of students seated at a table.
• Food service or custodians sanitize between each grade change, including the edge of the lunch tables.
• Home lunch containers returned to classroom bin; teacher sprays lunch containers, students wipe before returning to backpacks. 

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.
• All required meetings socially distanced and with face coverings.

Unique Courses with Higher Risk of Spread

• N/A

Recess and Playground  

• Alternate use of outdoor spaces/grade level assigned to designated area of play.
• Wear masks until outside; then leave on or place on body.
• Students wear masks before entering building.
• Students wear masks when playing on playscape.
• Students use sanitizer or wash hands upon entry into classroom.
• Equipment sanitized daily.

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.

PD/Faculty Meetings

• Staff wears face coverings and utilizes social distancing.
• Larger areas used when whole faculty is in attendance.
• Online meetings when necessary. Recess and Playground

Before/After Student Supervision

• Parents encouraged to bring students as close to starting or breakfast time as possible.
• Staff on duty outside at 8:30 AM.
• One teacher joins duty for outside supervision at 8:45 AM.
• Teachers walk students outside at end of day using assigned exit doors.
• Teachers on duty at front of building before school and monitoring back crosswalk after school.
• Teachers in any before/after school programs clean desks, chairs, and high touch areas between transitions and after students are gone.

Drop Off/Pick Up Areas

• Students in self-contained classes picked up from buses and walked in school by adult staff.
• Students dropped off by parents walk around back of building and play on supervised playground or line up on socially-distanced dots.

Front Office

• Outside doors remain locked during school hours.
• Patrons call office to be let into building.
• Main office door propped open.
• Teachers call main office if they need to send a student.
• Socially distant markings in main office for waiting.
• Limit number of people in main office.

P/T or SEP Conferences

• All patrons and teachers must wear face coverings.
• Doors of gym and cafeteria propped open.
• Gym and cafeteria both used to allow for social distancing.
• Electronic meetings encouraged and allowed at certain times so teacher can have time to get to classroom for online meetings.

Safety and Fire Drills

• Follow social distancing guidelines as we exit the building.
• Teacher holds door for class to exit.
• Students wear face coverings.

Patron Meetings

• Electronic when possible.
• Face masks and socially distant when in person with limited number of participants.

Library/Media Centers

• Media Specialist takes book cart with books appropriate to age level around at library time to a classroom.
• Small groups of students come out into the hallway at a time to select books.
• No story time for Gen Ed students except Kindergarten until they are allowed to check out books.
• Media Specialist visits self-contained classes of students with disabilities to share a story during library time.
• Books quarantined for 3 days upon return to library.

IEP/Special Ed Meetings

• Electronic whenever possible, based on needs.
• In person meetings socially-distanced and with masks.

Multi-Purpose Room

• Usage limited to PE, Adaptive PE, Fine Arts, or limited small groups.

PE/BTS Classes

• Build in time for sanitation of materials between sessions/use.
• Students wear masks for Fine Arts.
• Larger area used by Fine Arts when possible for larger classes.
• Outdoor PE when weather permits.
• Buddy programs will be reviewed on a case-by case basis.

Hallways

• Social-distance markings throughout hallways.
• Students practice procedure of walking using social distancing.
• Students must wear face coverings.