Brantley County Schools  Reopening Plans   2020-2021 School Year The Brantley County School System is committed to offering the young people of Brantley County opportunities for academic excellence in a learning environment that is safe, supportive and encouraging. Unless directed to do otherwise by Governor Kemp or the Georgia Department of Education, all Brantley County Schools will welcome students back for the first day of school on ​Thursday, August 6th, 2020​ for traditional school with increased safety measures (notice the first day of school has changed to Thursday, August 6th). In addition to traditional, face to face instruction, the Brantley County School System will also provide a virtual learning option for students in PreK-12 whose guardians feel this is the right choice for their child during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual learning option will require a significant commitment from students and parents/guardians, as it will be a full semester commitment for high school students and a 9-week commitment for students in PreK-8. The virtual learning experience will NOT be the same as the distance learning experience this past spring. Attendance, grading, instructional expectations, and accountability will be consistent for students participating in traditional face to face instruction or virtual learning. In order to adequately prepare for the start of school, we will need a parent/guardian of every student who chooses to participate in virtual learning to register their child(ren) at the following link by Wednesday, July 22nd: ​https://bit.ly/3eqWFEj Thank you for your support and patience as our staff continues to plan for the 2020-2021 school year. We know there are a lot of questions as to what safety measures will be in place to limit the spread of germs. Below you will find our School Reopening Plans. While this is not meant to be an exhaustive list with every solution and practice listed, we do hope it helps our families gain an understanding of the safety measures that will be in place and enables guardians to make the best decisions for their children regarding traditional face to face school or the virtual learning option. The Reopening Plans have been developed with guidance from the Governor’s Office, GA Department of Education, GA Department of Health, CDC, local physicians, and feedback from parent and employee surveys. These plans are flexible and are subject to change should new guidance become available or the community spread of COVID 19 increases for our area. ​For the latest information, you can go to our COVID-19 information webpage: ​ ​https://www.brantley.k12.ga.us/bcschools/coronavirusinfo   Reopening Plans Cafeteria ● Students may eat in classrooms on a rotation basis to allow fewer students in the cafeteria. ● Students in PreK-8 will eat with their class groups and be distanced (as much as practical) from other classes. ● Students in 9-12 will be encouraged to sit with the same group of students each day at lunch​, ​a practice that most high school students have chosen in the past. ● Hand sanitizer will be available in the cafeteria. ● Tables (and other commonly touched surfaces) will be cleaned thoroughly after each group leaves the cafeteria. Field Trips ● Field Trips will not occur in the first 9 weeks of school. ● State and local guidance will be utilized to make future decisions regarding field trips. First Day of School ● Thursday, August 6th​ - the start date has ​changed​ from Tuesday, August 4th ● We know the first day of school is a special day for families. In an attempt to limit the number of guests in the buildings, we would like to encourage parents to drop their kids off and let them walk to class - employees will be on duty to make sure students make it to class safely. For parents of primary students who will be walking their younger children to class, we encourage the adults to wear face masks. Additionally, the time for walking a PreK-3rd student to class on Thursday, August 6th will be from 7:35 am to 9:00 am - the extended time on the first day of school is to help with crowding in the halls. All 4th-12th students are expected to be at school by 7:55am on the first day. ● Beginning Tuesday, August 11th, all students are expected to walk to class by themselves with the assistance of school employees if needed. Large Group Gatherings ● Non-essential assemblies or gatherings will be avoided. ● GHSA safety guidelines will be followed for all sporting events and practices. Open House - ONLY 2 ADULTS with STUDENT at OPEN HOUSE to help limit the number of adults in the building. Brantley County High School​, Thursday, July 30th 9th Graders Only ● Birthdays July - September: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm ● Birthdays October - December: 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm ● Birthdays January - March: 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm ● Birthdays April - June: 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm 10th-12th Grade​ ​- Schedules will be opened in PowerSchool Parent Portal/App prior to Open House. A Parent/Teacher Meeting Night opportunity for​ 10th-12th graders w ​ ill be announced later in August​. Brantley County Middle School​, Thursday, July 30th 7th Graders Only ● Last Name begins with Letters A-D: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm ● Last Name begins with Letters E-K: 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm ● Last Name begins with Letters L-Q: 5:00 - 6:00 pm ● Last Name begins with Letters R-Z: 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm - If children in home have different last names, go by older child. 8th Grade​ ​- Schedules will be opened in PowerSchool Parent Portal/App prior to Open House. A Parent/Teacher Meeting Night opportunity for​ 8th graders ​will be announced later in August​. Waynesville and Nahunta Primary​ - Friday, July 31st ● Last Name begins with Letters A-D - 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm ● Last Name begins with Letters E-K - 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm ● Last Name begins with Letters L-Q - 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm ● Last Name begins with Letters R-Z - 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm - If children in same home have different last names, go by older child. Atkinson, Hoboken, and Nahunta Elementary​ - Friday, July 31st ● Last Name begins with Letters A-D - 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm ● Last Name begins with Letters E-K - 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm ● Last Name begins with Letters L-Q - 5:00 - 6:00 pm ● Last Name begins with Letters R-Z - 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm - If children in same home have different last names, go by older child. Quarantining ● The detailed guidelines for when students/employees can return to school/work after a “close contact” exposure to COVID-19 or a diagnosis of COVID-19 are explained ​HERE​ in the Screening and Responding to COVID-19 in K-12 Schools Chart from the GA Department of Health and GA Department of Education. ● The Department of Health will be working with the school system to determine who is considered a “close contact” when a student or employee is diagnosed with COVID-19. Recess ● Outdoor play is essential for elementary students. Schools will stagger the number of classes at recess. Safety Measures ● School Officials will continue to collaborate with the Georgia Department of Health, Governor’s Office, and GA Department of Education to implement the most current safety guidelines from these organizations. ● Encourage (but not mandate) the wearing of face masks particularly in areas where social distancing is a challenge school bus, crowded halls during class changes, etc. ● Implement/encourage social distancing when practical. ● Teach and reinforce good hygiene measures such as handwashing and covering coughs. ● Provide hand sanitizer in classrooms, offices, and throughout the school. ● Post signage in schools to communicate how to stop the spread of COVID-19. ● Protocols in place for students/staff who feel ill/experience symptoms while at school to isolate from the rest of the school population until they can leave campus. ● Turn off water fountains - students will be encouraged to bring water bottles full of water from home, and water filling stations will be placed throughout the schools. ● Keep students within class groups as much as possible (elementary). ● Allow additional transition time in between classes to reduce the number of students in hallways at one time. Sports ● The directions regarding sports practices and competition from the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) will be followed extensively at both the middle school and high school levels. Transportation ● Students are strongly encouraged to wear face masks on the buses as it is not possible to social distance on the school bus. ● All buses will have assigned seats. ● Students from the same household will be seated together on the bus. ● Students will sit near other students whose guardians have made the same decision regarding the wearing of face masks. Those students not wearing masks will sit near each other, and those students wearing masks will be grouped together. ● Buses will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected daily. School Options ● First day of school will be August 6th - options will be traditional school with safety measures in place​ OR​ virtual school. ● If recommendations mandate very small class sizes, the traditional students will transition to a hybrid A/B day schedule (2 days of classes, 3 days online). Virtual School Information ● Significant commitment from students and parents ● Full semester commitment for high school students ● 9-week commitment for students in PreK-8 ● The virtual learning experience will NOT be the same as the distance learning experience this past spring. ● Attendance, grading, instructional expectations, and accountability will be consistent for students participating in traditional face to face instruction. ● A Brantley County School teacher will serve Virtual School students, but students will be expected to log in to their Google Classrooms daily and to complete the day’s assigned work independently. Short video instruction clips and daily practice assignments will be part of the required lessons. Set times for teacher interaction and questions will be set up.