CCS Path Forward for PreK-12 Schools
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Over the past several months, we have been working with the Department of Public Health
(DPH) and Camden Emergency Management, soliciting feedback through the CCS Path
Forward Family Survey and partnering with our teacher and parent led System Steering
Committee, to develop a plan for the reopening of our schools. Our goal in developing this
plan was to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus on our students, faculty and
staff, families, and community while maximizing student development, learning, and growth.
For the 2020-2021 school year, we plan to provide both in-person learning beginning August
3rd and offering a virtual learning option for families who may not yet be ready for students to
return to the classroom.
TRADITIONAL LEARNING PLAN
• Students, faculty, and staff will return to traditional in-person instruction with enhanced
safety protocols and sanitation practices in place in all schools and CCS buildings.
• Deep cleanings through the remainder of summer will continue prior to students/staff
returning to school. School holidays and weekends will allow for periodic deep cleaning
of buildings to the extent practicable.
• Classroom cleaning supplies will be provided in all classrooms for daily use.
• School leaders will continue to emphasize good cleaning practices including paying
closer attention to frequently touched surfaces and taking steps to ensure all water
systems and features are safe.
• The use of face masks/coverings is optional but strongly encouraged. Face
masks/coverings must be appropriate for the learning environment and will need to be
provided by parents. Masks will be provided for the use of all CCS employees and will be
made available to any student unable to provide one on their own. Face Shields will be
provided to employees who request one due to underlying health conditions.
• With the exception of the front office areas, schools will only be accessible to students,
school faculty and staff and limited necessary vendors.
• Signage in classrooms, hallways, and entrances will communicate important information
regarding COVID-19 symptoms, preventative measures (including staying home when
sick), good hygiene, and school/district specific protocols.
• Information that will reinforce the importance of good hygiene such as handwashing
and covering coughs will be shared in schools. Schools will continue to provide hand
soap and paper towels along with hand sanitizer when all are available. No-touch trash
cans will also be placed in schools.

 • Ventilation systems operating properly to increase circulation of outdoor air, as much as
possible, will be monitored to remain at a safe and healthy level for students and staff.
• Maintenance will continue to inspect buses for safety prior to students returning.
Additional safety inspections for cleanliness will occur prior to students returning and as
part of a regular rotation. Buses will be aired out when not in use.
• Parents are encouraged to take the temperatures of their children at home before
sending them to school and keep their student home who may have a fever or are
feeling unwell. Student temperatures will not be automatically screened at school but
will be taken if the children report feeling unwell.
• All faculty and staff members are encouraged to check their temperatures before
reporting to work. There will not be universal screening of employees upon arrival at
their work locations.
• Increased sanitation protocol will be implemented for pupil transportation, including
but not limited to, bus sanitization after morning and afternoon routes, drivers provided
with face masks, face shields, sanitizing cleaning supplies and gloves. Hand sanitizer will
be available to all students entering or exiting the bus. Students are not required to
wear masks/face coverings while on the bus but the wearing of masks is strongly
encouraged. It is also recommended for parents to provide personal transportation or
encourage students to walk or ride bikes if possible, to help decrease the population
density on buses.
• In our cafeterias, students will not self-serve from the serving line. School Nutrition Staff
will serve students or meal items will be prepackaged. An alternative to lunch payment
pin pads will be provided and online payments using the SchoolBucks online system are
strongly encouraged to avoid cash transactions.
• Students and staff who feel ill or experience COVID-19 like symptoms will follow
protocols in place at the schools.
o Students showing symptoms will be placed in an isolation room while awaiting
parent pick-up.
o In the event a student or employee tests positive for the COVID-19 virus, school
employees are not allowed to contact trace or provide notification per the
Department of Health. To ensure compliance with HIPPA law, DPH will handle all
tracing and notification if someone tests positive.
• Practical accommodations for children, teachers/staff, and families at higher risk for
severe illness will be considered to meet their needs.
• Georgia High School Association guidelines for sporting events and practices will be
followed as directed.
• Schools will refrain from non-essential large gatherings such as, but not limited to,
assemblies, field trips, and pep rallies.
• Essential large gatherings such as class transition, athletic and fine arts practices, and
breakfast and lunch service will be adjusted as needed.

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 • The addition of a school social worker for the 2020-2021 school year will allow a greater
opportunity to address the social-emotional needs of students who have been
negatively impacted by COVID-19 or are experiencing increased stress or anxiety.

VIRTUAL LEARNING OPTION
Camden County School System students must apply for virtual learning through Camden
County Schools by completing an application. Camden County School System’s application for
a virtual learning will be available at each school and online. Please visit the CCS website at
www.camden.k12.ga.us to learn more about this service and to view and/or complete the
application. Please note, students participating in the virtual learning program will not be
allowed to participate in any extracurricular activities, including but not limited to, school
clubs, athletics, band, drama events, chorus concerts, and CTAE competitions. The deadline for
completing the virtual learning application will be Friday, July 24th.
INFORMATION SHARING AND RESOURCE LINKS RELATED TO COVID-19 AND CAMDEN COUNTY SCHOOLS
As state mandates are updated, Camden County Schools will continue to implement the
requirements issued by the Georgia Department of Education, the Governor’s Office and the
Georgia Department of Public Health (Georgia DPH). School system information and updates
will be available on the CCS website, the CCS Facebook page, and through the
SchoolMessenger phone and email notification system.
• The below links are provided as a resource for information regarding COVID-19 in
Georgia and the link to Camden County Schools website
o https://dph.georgia.gov/COVID-19
o https://georgia.gov/
o https://www.gachd.org/
o http://www.camden.k12.ga.us/

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