Return To Learn Plan

Date : Jul 22
When : Now
Time : Now

Covid-19 Update

Return to Learn Plan

To: The Paton-Churdan Community 

From: Kreg Lensch, Superintendent

Today, we are releasing our return to learn/reopening plan. We have spent many hours developing a plan in conjunction with guidance from the department of health, CDC and communication with other area school districts. Please understand that not all districts are going to have the same plan. Our plan was developed with our specific community in mind.

We understand also, that there are varying opinions concerning what the “right” or “wrong” thing is in dealing with this pandemic. But one thing we can all acknowledge is that our students learn best when they are physically in the building. This does provide some challenges though, especially with the issue of social distancing. We worked hard to try and mitigate as many of those challenges as possible.

Please trust that we have already prepared in the areas of cleaning and sanitation. That we have added hand sanitizing stations. That we will be providing instruction and training on proper hygiene and that we will do everything in our power to provide a safe and healthy learning environment.

So, as we release this plan, we ask for your cooperation and support. Please follow the guidelines we have established. Please encourage your children to follow the guidelines we have established. Also, know that we understand the hesitation that some of you may have with our face to face option and will work with all families to meet your needs in another way if possible.

This plan will be a fluid plan and subject to change based upon recommendations from public health.

If you have any questions concerning the plan please direct them to klensch@paton-churdan.k12.ia.us

Also note that we will not be having an open house this year. Teachers will be reaching out to families to help coordinate those activities usually done at open house.

Return to Learn Plan

Paton-Churdan

Face to Face Plan:

Our objective in our face to face learning plan is to follow the CDC return to school guidelines as best we can. We will work to clean and sanitize all areas consistently. We will work to protect the health and safety of both our students and staff at all times. We will work to provide the best education possible for our students in these unprecedented times.

District Regulations:

1. The school building will be closed to all except students and staff during the school day. No visitors will be allowed. Parents will not be allowed to walk their children into the building, they must drop them off at the door. (We will have staff present to help direct students when needed). Pick-up after school must be from outside the building, either from your vehicle or with adults practicing social distancing outside.
2. Drinking fountains will not be operable (except for the bottle filler), so all students need to bring a full water bottle with them each day if possible.
3. We will not require the wearing of masks, but we highly encourage it. We will be supplying our students with a cloth mask to start the year and expect them to have it on their person and available to them each day. Teachers will have the option of requesting students wear masks inside their classrooms but will not be mandating it. The district will will not tolerate any harassment or bullying for those who choose to wear or not wear a mask.
4. All field trips will be postponed until further notice.
5. The nurse’s office will now include an isolation room for anyone suspected of having Covid-19. Regular visitors to the nurse will have a separate entry.
6. All staff within the building have been given the option to wear masks. The school district will supply PPE for those who are at health risk or have an underlying condition.
7. Any positive case will be reported to the County Health department who will then help to guide and determine next steps within the building and/or classroom.
8. The district will communicate a positive case has been reported, but will not identify the student, staff member or grade level as to follow all state and federal regulations.
9. The district encourages all parents and staff members to please self-check temperatures each day. Do not come to school if your temperature is 100.4 or above. Also look for the following signs/symptoms:
   1. Fever or chills
   2. Cough
   3. Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
   4. Fatigue
   5. Muscle or body aches
   6. Headache
   7. New loss of taste or smell
   8. Sore throat
   1. Congestion or runny nose
   10. Nausea or vomiting
   11. Diarrhea
10. Any student or staff with a known exposure will be asked to self-isolate for 14 days. Any student or staff member who test positive will be required to stay at home for 10 days and be symptom free for at least three consecutive days before returning.
11. Any student who has to self-isolate will immediately move to a distance learning model.

PK-6 Objectives:

1. We will work to limit the intermingling of age groups as much as possible. This will limit potential numbers exposed if there is a positive case within the district.
   1. Students will, for the most part, stay within their classrooms as much as possible. They will eat breakfast/lunch in their room, stagger times in the hallways to limit both numbers and intermingling. Teachers will coordinate times and areas for recess to limit the number of students on the playground at any time.
   2. Specials teachers will hold class outdoors whenever feasible. Specials teachers will spread students out within their classroom to practice social distancing when possible. Specials teachers will disinfect chairs, tables and equipment between each class.
   3. All teachers and classes will have seating charts and will not alter or change them. Students will work within the same table groups whenever possible. Students will all face the same direction whenever possible.
   4. Teachers/staff members will disinfect high contact areas whenever feasible during the day. Every room will get disinfected each evening.

7-12 Objectives:

1. We will work to practice social distancing whenever possible. We will work to limit the number of secondary students in the building when not in class.
   1. Secondary students will have assigned seats in each class in order to be able to contact trace if need be. 7^th and 8^th grade classes will have the same seating arrangement in every classroom. Staff will work to social distance students whenever possible. Students will be asked to face the same direction in classrooms whenever possible.
   2. All students will eat breakfast/lunch in their classrooms.
   3. Physical Education classes will be held outside whenever feasible.
   4. Other staff members will be encouraged to hold classes outdoors, if feasible to their lesson.
   5. Staff will coordinate passing times to limit the number of students in hallways at any tim
   6. All high contact areas in classrooms will be disinfected between classes.

Any family who has a student who may be health compromised, or who may be dealing with other family members in the home who are health compromised, or who is uncomfortable sending their child to face to face learning and would like to discuss a distance learning option, should contact the school as soon as possible.

Transportation:

1. All bus riders will be highly encouraged to wear a mask.
2. All buses will be disinfected after every route.
3. Students will be in assigned seats and spread out as much as possible.
4. Seats will be assigned by family groups 1^st.

We would appreciate parent help in this situation. If you have the ability to bring your child to school to help limit the numbers on the bus, it would be greatly appreciated.