NOW MORE THAN EVER, IT IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT YOU FEEL SAFE WHEN LEARNING AND WORKING. BEYOND THE PHYSICAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES, PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT RECOMMENDATIONS AND ADDITIONAL SANITATION MEASURES, CLEAR CREEK ISD PLEDGES TO KEEP CHILDREN FIRST IN ALL DECISIONS AND MEASURES TAKEN TO PROTECT THEM AND THEIR LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. THIS PLEDGE EXTENDS TO OUR ASPIRATION TO ENSURE THAT - IN THE MIDST OF CHALLENGING FACTORS - OUR SCHOOLS AND FACILITIES REMAIN PLACES OF GENUINE WARMTH AND WELCOMING SPIRIT. BE ASSURED THAT CCISD EXPERT STAFF CONTINUOUSLY MONITORS AND ADAPTS QUICKLY TO ANY GUIDANCE OR REQUESTS FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL, LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS AND THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR EFFORTS AND BELIEVING IN OUR MISSION TO ENSURE EACH STUDENT CAN ACHIEVE, CONTRIBUTE AND LEAD WITH INTEGRITY. WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO YOUR SAFETY AND HEALTH SO THAT, TOGETHER, WE MAY REALIZE THIS MISSION EVERY DAY. 2 The Clear Creek Independent School District will hold in-school instruction with safety and COVID-19 prevention measures in place as well as offer families a high-quality, rigorous and engaging online experience through the newly-developed Clear Connections program. Additionally, the school district has outlined an instructional model that provides for a continuation of instruction in the event a classroom or a school must temporarily move to a School-to-Home instruction model due to COVID-19. Although there are no strategies to completely eliminate transmission risk in schools, we are committed to keep transmission as low as possible in order to safely continue school. LEARN YOUR WAY BRICK AND MORTAR INTERMITTENT SCHOOL-TO- HOME LEARNING ONLINE LEARNING Regular in-school instruction CCISD instructors and curriculum All core and elective courses Music, PE and Art for elementary Technology and learning software Transportation for eligible students Extracurricular activities Counseling services Health prevention measures Temporary due to class or school closure Teachers instruct from a classroom Real-time and self-paced instruction Modified school day schedule Extracurricular activities unavailable Counseling services Daily self health monitoring Home internet and computer required K-12 online program of choice Application required CCISD curriculum and instructors Real-time & self-paced instruction Limited Edgenuity high school courses Formal class schedule Daily attendance Access to extracurricular activities Parent as learning coach Counseling services Internet and computer required Visit clearconnections.ccisd.net 3 BRICK AND MORTAR PLAN The Brick and Mortar plan is the traditional school environment. It is the District’s plan to reopen schools on August 18, 2020 for students unless otherwise determined by State authorities. To address the current COVID-19 environment, Clear Creek ISD has developed a set of health and prevention measures for all staff, students and visitors and such measures tighten or loosen dependent on the COVID-19 Stage Protocol (see page 9) a school or facility is operating. The school day will be extended by 10 minutes to allow students and staff additional time to properly wash their hands and follow important health protocols. The Superintendent of Schools, the Coordinator of CCISD Health Services, and the COVID-19 Response Coordinator will monitor internal data and information from the health departments to determine whether a school or facility shall move from one stage to another. The factors for such decisions may be subject to change to account for the situation at that time. Parents and staff will receive daily communication to inform them of the current stage, number of confirmed COVID-19 cases within the school building, if any, at 5 p.m. every day via email and on www.ccisd.net. Clear Creek ISD will follow all state and federal requirements, rely on local health experts for guidance in decision-making, and adopt reasonable practices while maintaining an effective learning environment. PERSONAL PROTECTION Students (as developmentally-appropriate and per CDC guidelines), staff and visitors will wear a face mask/covering when entering a CCISD facility, in common areas such as hallways and cafeteria, when not eating, and whenever a physical distance of 6 feet from another person is not possible. CCISD is developing schematics for classrooms to achieve a 6-foot distance for students and teachers however that may not be possible in all classrooms. When not possible, students and teachers will wear a face covering. Individual needs will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. Requests for accommodations should be submitted in writing to campus administration. All staff will be required to take a COVID-19 Health Assessment prior to coming to work every day. Parents will be asked to administer the COVID-19 Health Assessment daily prior to sending their children to school, take their temperature, and keep them home if ill. Students and staff will follow current COVID-19 Return to School/Work Guidelines. Individuals who develop symptoms of the COVID-19 illness will be sent to the school health clinic, placed in isolation and sent home immediately. Parents/Guardians will need to make every effort to receive children within 30 minutes. Students will be instructed on methods to protect themselves and others from COVID-19 at school. Students will be trained on proper hand washing techniques and participate in scheduled handwashing times throughout the day. 4 PROTOCOLS FOR CAMPUS VISITORS Campuses will utilize online meeting options to limit campus visitors when possible. All visitors who enter the building will be required to wear a face covering at the start of the school year. As the year progresses, this requirement may be moved to a recommendation as long as COVID-19 community spread is greatly reduced. Individuals who proceed beyond the reception area will follow specific guidelines for visitors. All visitors entering the building must sanitize hands upon entry. Visitors proceeding beyond the secure vestibule area will be subject to screening by way of a symptom screening form. Visitors and staff will adhere to safety protocols including physical distancing for meetings. Cleaning/disinfecting will occur after each meeting. CLEANING AND DISINFECTING PROTOCOLS Frequent cleaning and disinfecting will occur throughout the school day. Nightly deep cleaning. Each classroom and restroom will be cleaned/disinfected at the end of each day. All high touch areas will be disinfected throughout the day. Cleaning supplies will be provided for each classroom and common area to maximize room-toroom cleanliness. Custodians will wear masks and gloves during work hours. The cafeteria will be disinfected regularly. Staff will have access to supplies to clean/disinfect working surfaces and shared objects after each use and during breaks in instruction. Alcohol-based hand sanitizing stations will be located throughout the building in common areas. 5 TRANSPORTATION In response to COVID-19, Clear Creek ISD encourages all families, with the ability to do so, to transport their children to and from school. Bus transportation will be offered; however, the standard number of transported students compromises the ability to socially distance. For this reason, students utilizing bus transportation will be required to wear face coverings/masks at all times on board as developmentally-appropriate. Eligible bus riders may register for bus transportation through Back-to-School Forms between July 13 and August 4, 2020. Hand sanitizer will be available when boarding the bus. All bus drivers will wear face coverings/masks. All students, as developmentally-appropriate and per CDC guidelines, will wear face coverings/masks while riding the bus. Buses will be cleaned/disinfected between each transportation run and at the end of the day. Transportation staff will be trained in proper cleaning/disinfecting procedures. All Clear Creek ISD vehicles will be equipped with cleaning and disinfecting supplies. BREAKFAST AND LUNCH To minimize foot traffic in the building and to allow for adequate physical distancing for students during eating periods, no outside food deliveries will be accepted and there will be no visitors allowed in the cafeteria. These restrictions may loosen as the year progresses, however, it is important to allow campus staff the flexibility to space out students throughout common areas so that social distancing is possible. Cafeteria and serving areas will be cleaned between uses. Lunches served by CCISD child nutrition will be “Grab and Go.” Students may eat in various locations throughout the building to maximize social distancing. Cafeteria, serving, and eating areas will be cleaned between uses. Signage and staff will reinforce social distancing throughout the cafeteria. All CCISD child nutrition staff will use face coverings/masks and gloves while performing job responsibilities and will be trained to practice health and hygiene regulations. 6 ARRIVAL, DISMISSAL & TRANSITION Parents are asked to assist campus staff in the implementation of arrival and dismissal plans. When transporting or walking children to school, please follow all signage, drop off and pick up children at the appropriate locations, and quickly exit the parking lots. Parents will not be permitted to walk students inside the school building beyond the secure vestibule without a mask. Each group of students will be directed to a designated location prior to the start of school. Water fountains will not be accessible. Students should bring water to school. Hand sanitizer stations will be placed at entrances, exits and common areas throughout the building. All areas of the building (gym, cafeteria, larger classrooms, common areas, etc.) will be utilized to limit the size of student groupings. Dismissal exit points will be established. Campuses will implement staggered release procedures. Students will be released directly from their classroom whenever possible. Transition time of students will be limited as much as possible during the school day. Whenever possible, teachers in grades PK-5 will rotate into the classrooms to limit student transitions. Students in grades 6-8 (intermediate) and 9-12 (high school) will have a campus schedule designed to limit student transitions during the school day. CLASSROOM CONFIGURATIONS AND PROCEDURES It is our promise to maintain a warm and inviting learning environment in our classrooms while simultaneously following health guidelines. Specifically, if it is not possible to distance students 6 feet apart in a classroom, students and staff will wear a face mask/covering. If it is possible to keep a physical distance of 6 feet and students are sitting alone, they may remove their face covering as permitted by their teacher. CCISD will adhere to any State or County executive orders which may require face coverings at all times. Each classroom will have the following: Visual reminders of distancing requirements in all classrooms, marking off areas for common spaces and distancing best practices. Access to alcohol-based hand sanitizer. 7 Access to disinfectant supplies to sanitize working surfaces. Desks or tables will be physically distanced as much as spatially possible. Shared supplies will be limited and cleaned between uses. Based on district guidance, teachers will develop, teach, and implement procedures that: Limit student movement within the classroom such as turning in assignments, materials being passed out, etc. Establish student responsibilities to clean personal areas and materials/supplies. Reinforce hand washing protocols and intermittent use of hand sanitizer. Reduce the use of large table seating in classrooms and replace with desks when possible. If tables are used, limit the number of students per table to provide as much social distancing as possible. To the extent possible, locked doors will be propped open between classes to minimize contact with doors and door handles by students and staff entering or exiting classrooms. EXTRACURRICULAR AND STUDENT ORGANIZATION ACTIVITIES Extracurricular/Cocurricular activities, practices and competitions will be conducted following safety protocols provided by CCISD, University Interscholastic League (UIL), and the Texas Education Agency (TEA). This will include health screening, group sizes, sharing and sanitizing of equipment, locker room usage, etc. Hand sanitizer will be available in gym areas and equipment will be sanitized on a regular basis. Locker room use will be determined by TEA/UIL. If locker rooms can be accessed, all locker room space will be utilized to follow social distancing guidelines. Bus travel will follow transportation guidelines provided by CCISD and TEA. Spectator attendance at games and contests may be limited based on TEA and UIL guidelines. Ticketing for events may be utilized to control capacity of facilities. Event procedures will be in place to minimize face-to-face interactions. Separate entrances and exits may be utilized and event doors may be propped open to minimize physical contact with handles. Spectator seats may be marked and/or configured in a way to enforce social distancing. Concessions and/or concession sales may be limited to encourage social distancing and to follow health and safety guidelines. 8 School-wide indoor pep-rallies will not be held during the Fall semester. Outdoor pep-rallies or gatherings must include appropriate social distancing. Assemblies and student activities must adhere to recommended social distancing. Hand washing or hand sanitation stations will be available for any activity. Use of face coverings should be implemented per face mask protocols. PHYSICAL EDUCATION Whenever possible, physical education classes will be held outside to allow for maximum social distancing between students. Visual markers will be on the gym floor and bleachers as reminders of social distancing rules. Locker room and class size will be determining factors when it comes to dressing out for secondary physical education classes. Students will be placed in smaller, appropriate groups for instruction and activities for appropriate social distancing. Students will need to provide their own water bottles. Restroom use will be the practice of “one in and one out.” Equipment will be disinfected after each use. Any activities bringing students into close physical contact will be avoided. Activities requiring multiple students to touch or handle the same equipment will be avoided. Sanitizing areas and access to handwashing will be provided. COVID-19 STANDARD RESPONSE PROTOCOL The Clear Creek Independent School District has created a standard response in the event there is a case or cases of confirmed COVID-19 among students or staff. Each facility will be operating at Stage 5 at the start of the school year. While the protocols that follow provide District leadership guidance on how to respond, the school district will always err on the side of caution and may take additional steps in any one stage. At the end of each school day, no later than 5 p.m., parents and staff members at each campus will receive an email with an update. COVID-19 STANDARD RESPONSE PROTOCOL STAGE 5 Prevention No confirmed cases of COVID-19 among staff or students. Health prevention measures are in place. Daily intensive cleaning and frequent cleaning of common areas. Limited visitor access. Monitoring virus trends in the community via health departments. Mitigation STAGE 4 One or more confirmed case(s) of COVID-19 at one facility. Persons who came in close contact of an individual with a confirmed case of COVID-19 will be contacted and advised to follow CDC health guidelines. Affected area is closed for deep cleaning. Self-health monitoring, prevention information and stay home if ill communication to all persons at the facility. A short-term closure of the facility may be necessary. Modified Operations STAGE 3 Confirmed COVID-19 cases in one specific area (ie: classroom) reaches 10%. Individuals in that area will be advised to self-quarantine per CDC guidelines. Students and staff impacted move to School-to-Home learning model. Affected area is closed for deep cleaning. Self-health monitoring, prevention information and stay home if ill reminders sent to all persons at the facility. A short-term closure of facility may be necessary. Facility Closure STAGE 2 Suspected/Confirmed COVID-19 cases exceed 10% of facility occupancy. Entire facility and activities will be closed for a minimum of two days. All students and staff move to School-to-Home learning model. Those in close contact of the confirmed COVID-19 positive persons will be asked to follow CDC guidelines. District-wide communication to staff/parents with self-health monitoring guidance. District Closure STAGE 1 Suspected/Confirmed COVID-19 cases exceed 10% of occupancy in 10 facilities. All CCISD facilities close for a minimum of 14 days. Students and staff move to School-to- Home learning model. Disinfection of all facilities and school buses. All auxiliary areas such as playgrounds and athletic fields are closed. Extracurricular activities are cancelled. Decisions are made with the best information at the time and are subject to change with limited notice. 10 INTERMITTENT SCHOOL-TO-HOME In the event a classroom or a school has 10% of the student/staff population with COVID-19 at one time, or otherwise determined by the Superintendent of Schools, students will move to intermittent School-toHome Learning. This is not the Clear Connections Online Learning Program nor will it be programming similar to that of the Spring 2020 emergency closure. In a School-to-Home learning model, students will temporarily learn from home and their teacher(s) work remotely in a classroom and deliver instruction in real time (synchronous instruction) as well as self-paced work (asynchronous instruction). Students will have a formal start and end time of the school day during School-to-Home learning. Daily attendance will be required. Students will receive direct authentic instruction from their teachers as well as participate in group and individual work. CCISD traditional grading system is maintained including GPA and Class Rank. Teachers will be in a CCISD classroom, delivering instruction in real-time a large portion of the day. Internet and computer access is necessary for K-12. Individual technology needs will be addressed. CLEAR CONNECTIONS Clear Connections Online Learning Program is an option for families who, even with all the preventative measures in place, do not feel comfortable sending their children to school, especially children who are medically fragile. Clear Connections is delivered completely virtually with CCISD teachers providing real-time (synchronous) and self-paced (asynchronous) instruction. Clear Connections is offered in grades K-12. At the high school level, course offerings include core content courses, Pre-AP and AP courses, and electives. Not all courses available at the home campus are offered online. All required courses for graduation will be offered through Clear Connections. Students will have a formal class schedule and daily attendance will be taken. Clear Connections will have a full-time principal and counselor available to support students and parents. Students who are enrolled in Clear Connections are still tied to their home campus and are eligible to participate in extracurricular activities such as fine arts, athletics and robotics. Transportation must be provided by parents. Enrollment is through an online application. Applications will be open July 13-August 4, 2020 via Skyward Family Access. Please visit clearconnections.ccisd.net for more information. Students must remain in the online program for a minimum of one grading period before transitioning, if they choose, to the Brick and Mortar plan. Internet and computer access are required during the school day Monday through Friday. 11 Parental support and supervision is necessary for a student to be successful. Gifted and Talented services are offered through clustering at the elementary level, and Pre-AP and Advanced Placement in the secondary level. Special education services as determined by an Individualized Education Plan. Clear Creek ISD is designing Clear Connections to meet the educational needs of students who choose to learn from home. As we strive to duplicate course offerings in both physical and virtual settings, some special programs such as Dual Language, WAVE, Science Magnet, and ESTEM, are not available in Clear Connections at this time due to staffing limitations. This is subject to change based on the number of students who enroll in Clear Connections from these special programs. CCISD's traditional grading system will be used for Clear Connections, including GPA and class rank tied back to the student's home campus. In order to continue in online learning once enrolled, the following requirements must be met: The student will participate in all required coursework and online lessons during normal school hours. The student will participate in all tutoring sessions required by the teachers. For high school credited courses, students may need to take proctored major assessments at a designated campus on assigned days and times. Please visit clearconnections.ccisd.net for more information. SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING Regardless of the learning model, all Clear Creek ISD students will receive social and emotional support every day. Implementation of social and emotional learning will include: Teacher professional learning on social and emotional learning (SEL) and trauma-informed classrooms. Student in-class and online activities on CCISD core values, social and emotional learning, following specific SEL competencies (Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, Responsible Decision-Making). Mental health supports for students and employees. Please Note: The details on this document are subject to change as directives are provided by governing authorities and/or health officials or as environmental conditions change.