Milan C-2 Schools:

ENTRY PLAN 2022-2023

Entry plan to learn safely at Milan C-2 Schools for our students, staff, and Wildcat family.

General Guidelines

The following guidelines will be in place for Milan C-2 Public Schools during the 2022-2023 school year, or until the COVID-19 pandemic subsides and normal guidelines can be reinstated. These measures will be updated or changed as new information becomes available or every three months. These guidelines will be followed to the extent possible given the unique circumstances of each school facility and guidelines might look different across school sites. Decisions will be made in coordination with the Sullivan County Health Department.

Goal

Our goal is to keep students and staff healthy and provide a safe learning environment to the best of our ability. This will be a synergistic effort among our students, staff, and families.

Resources

Milan C-2 Website

Student Handbook

Milan C-2 Public Schools is committed to returning to fully seated in-person learning on August 23rd. Students will report to their schools full-time to receive in-person instruction and support. All students will be attending in person.

Plan for Review:

Milan C-2 will review the plan and practices in place every six months. When we review the plan we will seek consultation from students, families, school personnel, administrators, teachers, principals, school leaders, and other educators and organizations. Our first meeting to review the re-entry plan will be on August 18th at 5:30 p.m. Invites will be mailed to specific stakeholders and open to all parents and community members.

PHASES OF OPERATION

GREEN: Face to Face Learning (current planned status for August 23, 2021 start)

● School operations will be as normal as possible

● Social distancing will be encouraged at all times

● Visitors to buildings will be limited as needed

● Hand washing/hand sanitizer will be available and frequently encouraged

● If students exhibit cough, shortness of breath, or at least two of the following symptoms:

Fever (100.4 or greater) or chills
Cough
Headache
Muscle aches
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Sore throat
New runny nose or congestion
Nausea/Vomiting/Diarrhea
New loss of taste or smell
Close contact with a person with COVID-19 in the last 14 days

Students will be sent to the nurses’ office for evaluation. If a student's symptoms are determined to possibly be COVID-19 related, the student will be sent to the Isolation Room and a parent or guardian will be contacted. Students may be allowed back at school with one of the following: symptom-free for 72 hours with a doctor's note to return to school, a negative COVID-19 test, or after 14 days of quarantine.

● Staff will be trained on healthy hygiene practices so they can teach these to students.

● Ensure handwashing strategies include washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Strongly encourage hand washing during all the following:

o After going to the bathroom.

o After playing outside.

o Before eating.

o After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

● If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

● Remind students to not touch their eyes, nose, or mouth.

● Remind students to not share cups, eating utensils, food, or drinks with others.

● Personal water bottles are encouraged as drinking fountains will have limited accessibility.

● All areas where students will be active including work and play areas/equipment will be sanitized regularly throughout the day.

Green-G#2-Self Contained

Elementary-

Students will stay in their homeroom for all instruction.
Teachers will move from one room to the next providing specific instruction.
Specials and small group instruction will be push-in from the teacher.
Students will have both breakfast and lunch in the classroom.
Recess will be given on a rotation with a limited number of students on the playground.
No outside visitors.

High School-

Students will be placed in a classroom with a reduced number, by grade level, and be in that room for all classes throughout the day.
Assignments/lessons will be pushed out to students from the content teacher daily/hourly via the students’ Chromebook. Communication between student and teacher will be by Zoom, pre-recorded and live video, and email.
Grab and Go breakfast and lunch in the room will continue.
No outside visitors.

Staff Health

● Facial coverings will be recommended when social distancing is not possible. Mask or face shields will be provided upon request.

● Staff members are to take their temperature and monitor for symptoms prior to starting to work daily.

● If staff exhibit cough, shortness of breath, or at least two of the following symptoms:

Fever (100.4 or greater) or chills
Cough
Headache
Muscle aches
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Sore throat
New runny nose or congestion
Nausea/Vomiting/Diarrhea
New loss of taste or smell
Close contact with a person with COVID-19 in the last 14 days

Staff members will be sent to the nurses’ office for evaluation. If a staff member’s symptoms are determined to possibly be COVID-19 related, the staff member could be sent home.

Staff may be allowed back to work with one of the following: symptom-free for 72 hours, with a valid doctor's note allowing a return to work, a negative COVID-19 test, or after 14 days of quarantine.

● The workspace will be disinfected.

● Assure employees are routinely washing their hands for at least 20 seconds.

***All staff have been encouraged to obtain the COVID-19 Vaccine***

***Staff will continue to be given the opportunity to be vaccinated upon their own choosing***

Action Plan if Confirmed Case

● If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, correspondence with the Sullivan County Health Department (SCHD) will begin - either from SCHD or the district - depending on the situation

● Monitor exposure, absenteeism, and symptoms within the classroom/building to determine further action, based on the guidance from the Sullivan County Health Department

● Identify student exposure in relation to direct contact with others and facility exposure for targeted cleaning.

● Perform targeted cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched hard, non-porous surfaces, such as counters, appliance surfaces, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, drinking fountains, phones, technology, and any other surfaces that are visibly necessary.

● Inspect areas to determine readiness for re-entry.

What to Do When Experiencing Symptoms: Students and staff experiencing symptoms should stay home until the following criteria are met:

• Must be fever-free without the use of medication for 72 hours AND

• They have experienced improvement of other symptoms AND

• 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared

What to Do When Testing Positive: Students or staff testing positive for COVID-19 should follow the advice of their healthcare provider and stay home until:

• Must be fever-free without the use of medication for 72 hours AND

• They have experienced improvement of other symptoms AND

• 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared

• A student or teacher can also return after receiving two negative results when tested 24 hours apart or when presenting a doctor’s note for return to school.

Building Operations

● Custodial Department to ensure adequate supplies (e.g., soap, paper towels, hand sanitizer, tissue) to support healthy hygiene practices throughout each facility.

● Individuals are encouraged to sanitize hands upon entry and exit of all buildings. Hand sanitizing stations will be available to do so.

● Routinely clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that are frequently touched periodically throughout the day. Items to consider:

o Door Knobs

o Light switches

o Classroom sink handles

o Countertops

o Lockers

● Clean with effective cleaners that are typically used for those cleaning surfaces. Use all cleaning products according to the directions on the label.

● Provide disinfectant wipes to teachers, staff, or students (grades PK-12) so that commonly used surfaces (e.g., keyboards, desks, remote controls) can be wiped down before use.

● Increase airflow and ventilation as weather allows. (Open windows, use air conditioning where available, etc.)

● Post signs encouraging good hand and respiratory hygiene practices.

● Students should keep their own supplies to limit sharing supplies when possible.

Transportation

● Parents are encouraged to provide their own transportation to/from school when possible to decrease the number of students per bus.

● Students will be separated on the bus where feasible, but social distancing cannot be guaranteed.

● Students on buses will be encouraged to wear a facial covering when social distancing cannot occur.

● Buses will be appropriately disinfected after each use.

Social Distancing Best Practices

● Parents are expected to drop off their child in the Drop-Off Line. Parents/guardians will not be able to walk their child to their classroom/inside the building. Please call ahead if an appointment is necessary.

● Modify activities and events such as field trips, student assemblies, athletic events or practices, special performances, school-wide parent meetings, or spirit nights.

● Modify classes where students are likely to be in very close contact, if feasible. For example, consider having teachers come to classrooms to prevent classes from mixing with others.

● Increase the space between desks when possible. Rearrange student desks to maximize the space between students. Turn desks to face in the same direction (rather than facing each other) to reduce transmission caused by virus-containing droplets (e.g., from talking, coughing, sneezing).

Attendance

● Attendance will be reviewed to monitor absenteeism patterns among both students and staff to assess and determine what level of absenteeism will disrupt the continuity of teaching and learning.

MITIGATION STRATEGIES:

Universal and correct wearing of masks

• Masks are recommended for all staff and students

• Masks are recommended for unvaccinated persons

• Masks are recommended for adults

• Masks are recommended for all students PK-12th grade

Physical distancing (e.g., including use of cohorts/podding)

• Students will maintain the distance recommended by the CDC when possible.

Handwashing and respiratory etiquette

• Consistent with CDC

• Taught and reinforced

• Sanitizer and tissue provided

Cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities, including improving ventilation

• Consistent with CDC

• Modified layouts

• Increased cleaning for high-touch surfaces

Contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, in collaboration with the State, local, territorial, or Tribal health departments

• Consistent with CDC

• Contact tracing by LEA

• Contract tracing by the local public health authority (LPHA)

Diagnostic and screening testing

• Testing available at LPHA or clinic

Efforts to provide vaccinations to educators, other staff, and students, if eligible

• LEA encourages vaccinations for all staff and students

Appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities with respect to the health and safety policies

• Accommodations as necessary or as mandated by Individual Education Plan

FRAMEWORK FOR ON-SITE LEARNING

1. As of this time, school will be on-site starting August 23rd, with the following risk mitigation strategies in place. Please note this list is fluid and is not all-inclusive as guidance from local and state officials

Coming Back:

We will be making every effort to spread students out inside of classrooms to promote distancing to the best of our ability.
Masks will be encouraged but will not be mandatory for students. If your child will be wearing a mask, we ask that he/she bring their own mask each day. The school does have a small supply of masks if needed.
Staff members will have the option to wear masks when working in close proximity to students.
Water fountains will only have the water bottle fill option available. We are encouraging students and staff to consider bringing their own water bottle each day if they would like to have one.
Sharing of items will be discouraged
Extra hand sanitizing stations will be placed throughout the building.
Continuous reminders and signage of proper handwashing, coughing and sneezing into sleeves, and making every effort to maintain social distance to avoid getting within someone else’s personal space.
We have invested in high-quality sprayers to more deeply disinfect the building on a daily basis
We have several air purification units located throughout the building.
Students will be eating breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria.
As new information about risk mitigation strategies comes out during this time of fluid changes; the district will certainly respond appropriately as needed.
All staff have been given and will continue to be given the opportunity to be vaccinated upon their own choosing.

Communication: It is imperative that families have current contact information on file with the district allowing for school-to-home communication. Please ensure you have contacted your child’s school to update any recent changes to your phone number(s), physical address, and/or email address. Again, please be sure to have a backup plan for child care in the event your child needs to be picked up from school due to illness. The district requests families and staff to communicate any of the following situations to the school nurse or office.

1. You or someone in your immediate family is diagnosed or knowingly exposed to a positive case of COVID-19

2. You or someone in your immediate family is experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19.

The district will protect confidentiality so as to not identify individuals or their families. However, we need to know the information will be shared with other families and staff so that everyone has an opportunity to reassess their individual situation and make a decision that is right for them. IF A STUDENT OR STAFF HAS SYMPTOMS THAT ARE NOT CONSISTENT WITH COVID-19, THE DISTRICT WILL FOLLOW COMMUNICABLE DISEASE GUIDELINES AS STATED IN BOARD POLICY 2860.

Social and Emotional Learning: We will address the needs of the whole child via interventions. We plan to implement and address the academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of students, particularly those disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, including students from low-income families, students of color, English learners, students experiencing homelessness, children and youth in foster care, and migratory students. We will review student data and emotional needs with weekly meetings to review the whole student. We will do this on each of our early out Wednesdays and full PD days throughout the entirety of the school year.

Visitors: Please know that we highly value parents visiting the school. We ask that parents check in at the appropriate office. Classroom party and field trip procedures will be addressed by the building administrators as the trip dates arise.

Recess: Students and teachers will be asked to be mindful of social distancing during recess. Equipment will be disinfected prior to returning and students will use hand sanitizer when exiting and entering the building.

Large Events: School assemblies, sporting events, and social gatherings, IF allowed, will promote social distancing, will have limited nonessential visitors, and be held in areas with sufficient space, preferably outside.

YELLOW: Hybrid Learning

● Half the students are in session on Monday/Thursday and the other half attend Tuesday/Friday and Wednesday as a possible fully remote day. Students will attend based on their name in the alphabet. (A-L attend M/Thur; M-Z attend Tues./Fri.) We will also check on familial alignment and transportation when planning for the hybrid option.

● Restrictions on school activities will be in place

● Capacity and attendance limits may be established for events or school activities

● No visitors in buildings (includes parents)

FRAMEWORK FOR REMOTE LEARNING WHEN NEEDED

GOOGLE CLASSROOM: The district has implemented the expectation that all teachers utilize Google Classroom as their “home base” to post, monitor, and provide feedback for all learning goals. This unification of a standard platform will hopefully provide for better continuity across the district in regard to learning expectations during a virtual learning time frame. Staff members have had the opportunity to attend a training session to better understand the capacity of how Google Classroom can assist in providing quality learning experiences. The district will also be providing training options for parents, so that you may also better understand how Google Classroom works and how you can track your child’s progress on learning goals.

INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY: The goal of the district will be to engage students in learning opportunities that include live teacher instructional lessons, recorded lessons by district teachers, interactive videos connected to learning goals, and independent practice for students.

ACCOUNTABILITY: It is the district’s intent to maintain high expectations for student learning and engagement in the event we must transition to distance learning at any point during the school year. Our plan will include providing students with a daily schedule that attempts to engage them on a consistent basis that somewhat reflects what their schedule would look like at school. Grading will be focused on priority learning goals that align with state expectations. Please know that at no time will we waive or freeze grades as was done back in the spring. Our expectations will be high for the students, so we ask parents to also place high expectations that their child(ren) engage on a daily basis according to the virtual schedule that pertains to him/her.

This option will focus primarily on engaging your child virtually every day with live instruction by their classroom teachers. The student could be expected to attend Google meets during their regularly scheduled class time and watch the live instruction each day. Once the teacher would finish direct instruction, the student would then have the ability to stay logged in to ask questions or to log off to begin working on independent work. Our goal for students, engaged with this option, is to create a consistent schedule that closely mirrors being on-site.

RED: Remote Learning

● All classes are online and will follow the district’s Emergency Alternative Methods of Instruction plan

● Classwork is done independently

● School buildings will be closed and only designated staff can enter

● All activities will be canceled or rescheduled

*Additional information for parameters involving remote learning can be found in the student handbook under remote learning information.

DISCLAIMER: We ask that all students, parents, and local patrons be flexible with the district as we continue to navigate the constant changes of the Covid-19 pandemic. All of the information provided in this communication is subject to change as continued guidance and health data are released on a local, state, and national level. We greatly appreciate your patience as we are truly doing our best to ensure the most impactful learning experience for all students in the Milan C-2 School District.

THIS PLAN IS AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH ON OUR WEBSITE. IF YOU NEED ADDITIONAL TRANSLATION PLEASE CONTACT OR ELL DEPARTMENT AND WE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH A COPY.

Milan C-2 School District

Safe Return - Continuity of Services Plan (SRCSP)

Milan C-2 Entry Plan 2022-23

CDC Updates 2022-23

Milan C-2 Entry Plan 2021-22