I Fort Payne City Schools Message from Superintendent Fort Payne City Schools is committed to providing high-quality instruction, a safe/clean learning environment, and mental health support for all students and staff. We are looking forward to the start of the 2020-2021 school year and are working diligently to create a plan that supports our reopening. We know that we cannot anticipate every challenge or obstacle that might present itself but be assured that we are making every effort to address a safe start and daily routine for the school setting. We are working in conjunction with health experts, state officials, school leaders, industry specialists, families, and others to be as prepared as possible. We thank you for your continued support as we work together to make this a safe and successful school year! Jim Cunningham Plan Highlights • School start date and calendar • Traditional Learning or Virtual Learning options for Parents/Guardians • Traditional School Day • Transportation Guidelines • School officials in partnership with the Alabama Department of Public Health will monitor health conditions and determine if one or all of our campuses transition to a blended learning model if necessary Parent Communications Regarding COVID-19 All communications related to FPCS will be communications to parents/guardians through the following methods. • FPCS Website: www.fpcsk12.com • Email • Social Media-Facebook: www.facebook.com\fortpayneschools • Voice messaging system • Traditional media outlets • Traditional Face-toFace Instruction/ Start Date • All new and returning students in grades K-12 will not register onsite. In-District registration forms can be accessed at www.fpcsk12.com Students will return to school on August 12th. Parents may not enter the building. However, parents are encouraged to bring students to school and not ride the bus, if possible. Additional information regarding individual school returns will be available on school websites. Virtual School Option and Registration Information • In response to COVID-19, Fort Payne City Schools surveyed our parents and will be implementing a virtual school option for the upcoming 20202021 school year. Virtual learning has been an option for FPHS students for several years. However, this year we will be extending access to grades K12. How will the Virtual School Work? The FPCS Virtual School will work much like our traditional school with the exception that students will work from home. Classes will start in August and follow our traditional school calendar. FPCS Teachers will be working daily with students through assignments that provide a mixture of both interactive and independent assignment. The curriculum utilized will be SchoolsPLP provided by the ALSDE and focuses on Alabama Standards. Unlike the last nine weeks of the past school year, when students’ grades couldn’t drop during virtual learning, the regular grading system will be utilized, regardless of where the student is taking the class. Virtual learning will include rigorous instruction, high expectations of student performance, and meeting all grade-level standards. How will the Virtual School Work? Students participating will be counted in attendance as they participate daily and turn in assignments. Reliable internet service will be required to participate. Students who select the virtual option will be required to stay with this option for at least nine weeks. After, the first grading period, students will have the option to change their choice. Additionally, there will be an opportunity to transfer from full-time virtual learning to the school/traditional classroom setting at the end of each nine weeks. Students will use district-approved learning management platforms such as Google Classroom, Canvas, or Schoology. Additional Considerations Extracurricular Activities – Students must meet the same extracurricular activity eligibility requirements as students enrolled in the traditional day program, including, but not limited to, any applicable Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) requirements. All elective courses may not be offered to full-time virtual program students. Students can be required to be on campus for certain events such as class meetings, state testing, or other activities designated by the school principal. How to Sign Up? Parents who have declared each student’s preference for virtual instruction, or those who are interested in doing so may visit our website at www.fpcsk12.com to complete the Virtual School Full-Time Registration form for 2020-2021 • • Expectations for FPCS Campuses • • Social Distancing guidelines of six feet will be implemented at all facilities as feasible. Personal protective equipment (PPE) will be issued to all employees and will be required to wear on school campus at all times when six feet distance cannot be maintained. All students will wear face mask/covering when six feet social distancing cannot be maintained on the school campus and any time they ride a school bus. Employees are required to self-check for illness and are required to stay home if they are sick. Parents of students should check child’s temperature and check for illness each day prior to school. Students should not report to school sick. FPCS Persons with COVID-19 Exclusion from School Students and employees exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 without other obvious explanations are prohibited from coming to school, and if they do come to school, they will be sent home immediately. Persons will not be allowed to return to the school campus until they have completely recovered according to Alabama Department of Public Health guidelines. All Staff and Parents should be familiar with the symptoms of COVID-19 based on CDC Guidance: A fever or chills Cough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Fatigue Muscle or body aches Headache New loss of taste or smell Sore throat Congestion or runny nose Nausea or vomiting Diarrhea Asymptomatic return to School per CDC Guidance: If you continue to have no symptoms, you can be with others after: 10 days have passed since test Staff and students who have recently had close contact with a person with COVID-19 should also stay at home and monitor their health. Dealing with Illness during the School Day Any person exhibiting signs of illness will be sent to the nurse immediately for evaluation. A separate room will be set up for any person who is exhibiting signs of COVID-19 to be cared for. Few people will be allowed in the room, and the room will be disinfected frequently. Students/staff will be walked out of the building from the room to persons driving them home. We strongly encourage parents and staff to take the temperatures of their children or their own temperature before entering the building. • Contact Tracing Guidance for FPCS from the Alabama State Department of Education Contact Tracing Protocol: As Dr. Harris mentioned, contact tracing is an ADPH function. We strongly recommend that schools not attempt to do contract tracing but leave that to trained experts. ADPH will notify people whom they deem in need to be selfquarantined. During the previous months, we have asked you to report positive cases to the ALSDE via State School Nurse Jennifer Ventress. That reporting is no longer part of our protocol. Nurses are always welcome to run things by her as they have questions. Siblings or Other Students in the Household with COVID-19 & When to Self-Quarantine Siblings or Other Students in the Household with COVID-19 • If a student is excluded from school due to COVID-19 symptoms or has had a positive COVID-19 test, his or her siblings or other students living in the same household will be questioned and if they exhibit symptoms, they will also be excluded from school. If they do not exhibit symptoms, they may still be excluded from school and asked to self-quarantine. Self-Quarantine • If a student or employee has recently had close contact with a person with COVID-19 symptoms or diagnosed with COVID-19 or has recently traveled from somewhere considered to be a “hot spot” by the CDC, the LEA may exclude the student or employee from the school building and recommend that they self-quarantine for 14 calendar days. FPCS Facility Cleaning Procedures As soon as FPCS becomes aware of a student or employee that may have COVID-19 or that has been excluded from school or recommended to selfquarantine, the custodial staff will be informed so that all desks, lockers and workspaces of the person are thoroughly disinfected. If the school is not open when notification occurs, the custodial staff will wait 24 hours or as long as possible prior to disinfecting and instead will block off the area so that others do not have contact. However, if that is not possible or school is in session, the cleaning will occur immediately. Parent Requirements Home Screening • Home is the first point of the Screening continuum. • Parents should check child's temperature every morning. Students with temperature of 100.4 or higher should stay at home and consider COVID testing if there is no other explanation. • Monitor for the following COVID symptoms every morning and keep student home if present: cough, congestion, shortness of breath, or gastrointestinal symptoms. • Teach and reinforce proper handwashing, coughing into elbow/tissue; not sharing personal items/supplies; self-reporting any symptoms to teacher/nurse. FPCS Face Covering and Social Distance Requirements Recommendations regarding face mask/coverings differ based on the level of community spread. Due to the current Threat Level all FPCS students and staff will be required to wear a face covering when they cannot maintain a social distance of six feet. Also, students riding a bus will be required to wear a face mask/covering at all times during the route. Face covering requirements will be sensitive to students and staff who have documented medical issues that make wearing a face covering inadvisable by their physician. • • • • FPCS additional hygiene, cleaning & disinfecting measure for the building • • • • • • • • All persons are encouraged to wash hands frequently. Place hand sanitizer hygiene stations at the entrances of the building. All persons entering the building should sanitize their hands. Encourage students and employees to sanitize their backpacks and personal items at the beginning and end of the day and separate personal items into cubbies or baskets that are not shared with other students. Do not allow students to share lockers. Require all persons to wash hands after blowing noses, coughing or sneezing or when in contact with bodily fluids. Discourage shaking hands, hugging or giving high-fives, etc., Disinfect door handles, light switches, stair railings and other frequently touched surfaces every hour. Disinfect bathrooms and other common areas frequently with posted schedules where workers sign off the time when the work has been completed. Make sure that disinfectant and related supplies are available to all employees close to their workstations. Ensure that there are adequate sinks, soap and paper products for all classes or other sanitizing stations. Effective hand sanitizer is made available to all persons working or learning in the building. Parents should notify the school if their child is allergic to any form or common ingredients of hand sanitizer. Remove items from the classroom or hallways that are frequently touched but are not easily cleaned such as fabric. Install physical barriers in reception areas and workspaces where the environment does not accommodate social distancing. FPCS Signage Providing Guidance on COVID-19 • Post signs at all entrances informing all who enter that they must: a) Not enter if they have a cough or fever; b) maintain a minimum of six-foot distance from one another; c) not shake hands or engage in any unnecessary physical contact. • Post signs in bathrooms with directions on how to effectively wash hands. • Materials provided to employees and students should include information on how to recognize the signs of infection and directives not to come to school if sick. Water Fountains • Water fountains will be cleaned throughout each day. FPCS will purchase disposable cups for students and staff to use at water fountain. Areas of Special Consideration Restroom Use • Students will be assigned a restroom and use the restroom closest to their classroom. • Grades 6-12 restrooms will not be allowed to be utilized during class changes. Individual classes will be given time frames for usage and will allow students in need to use the restroom during that time. Lockers • Academic lockers will not be issued this year. FPCS Classroom Reorganization Classroom Organization and Setup • Rearrange desks, chairs, music stands, and art tables to increase space in between students (Goal: 6 feet). • Face desks, chairs, and art tables in the same direction. • Require students to remain seated in the classroom as much as possible and assign seats. • Minimize class sizes when possible. • Revise activities that combine classes or grade levels to work together. • Revise or minimize students traveling to different buildings to receive services. Teachers / staff will travel to classrooms and escort students to other areas of building for services and students will maintain social distance in small group activities. • Implement a homeroom stay where the teachers rotate, as opposed to the students if possible, in lower grades. • Only allow supervisors and staff who are required for instruction to be in the classrooms. • Prohibit students from sharing items like pencils and pens. • Ensure adequate art supplies or educational tools to minimize sharing. When sharing is necessary, minimize the numbers of students having contact and teach disinfecting techniques. Assign students to use different entrances upon arrival when possible. Student breaks will be in classrooms Large group assemblies are suspended- virtual methods will be used when whole student body needs to be informed of information Stagger drop-off and pick-up processes if possible Commons Areas Stagger times that classes are released Require students to stay in an assigned section of the school yard or playground as opposed to mingling with other classes Make hallways or entrances one-way when feasible Rearrange furniture to avoid clustering in common areas such as library In locations where students line up, tape marks are put on the floor to indicate the appropriate social distancing Assessments Formative and State Required Assessments • All students will participate in all formative assessments. This includes both traditional in-person and virtual students. Virtual students will be required to come on campus for state assessments. • Grades K-3 will participate this fall in literacy assessments per state law. • • Cafeteria/ Child Nutrition Program • • • • Encourage grab and go meals Eat meals in classrooms/ Delivery boxes will be purchased for CNP Social distancing and limited capacity in lunchroom Eat meals in alternate areas such as outside as weather permits Students who bring their lunch from home will need to pack items that do not require heating. Snacks and food items are limited to your child. No items may be brought from home for a class or group of students. Guidance for PE & Locker Room Guidance for Physical Education Classes • Reorganize to allow for smaller classes and social distancing (Goal: 6 feet) if possible • Alternate schedule - minimize numbers of students in gymnasium, require social distancing (Goal: 6 feet). • Teachers use controlled entrance and exits -meet students at classroom – utilizing outside entry door as much as possible to pick up and take to gym, fields, multipurpose rooms, etc. • Schedule outdoor activities as much as possible with weather conditions being considered. • Use separate partitions in open spaces; utilize markings on gymnasium floor/wall/field • (student section/workstations). • Manage social distancing when moving students to gymnasium/field. • Disinfect equipment between classes. • Students disinfect hands in and out of PE class (handsanitizing stations, portable handwashing stations). • Teachers have access to technology to broadcast instruction due to increased social distancing (ex. microphone). • Games and sport activities that require close guarding and potential contact with another player should not be included. Provide lessons that include no contact activities and no or limited equipment (e.g. shadow tag, jumping rope, running, etc.). Workstation equipment set-up should consider strategies for social distancing throughout activity. Locker Room • Locker rooms would not be open to students until social distancing requirements are eased. • Students should not be required to dress out. Students should wear clothing that is appropriate for weather conditions, allows for full movement and safe for participation when scheduled for PE. Guidance for Music/Band Classes Guidance for Music/Band Classes • Follow social distancing (Goal: 6 feet) guidelines as much as possible. • Alternate schedule - minimize numbers of students in the classrooms, require social distancing (Goal: 6 feet). • Utilize other available classrooms for sectionals or group rehearsals where social distancing is achievable. • Limited and monitored restroom usage. • Teachers use controlled entrance and exits so students are not entering and exiting through the same door if possible. • Use separate partitions in the open spaces (large classrooms); utilize markings on classroom floor/wall/practice field (marching band) - (student section/workstations). • Manage social distancing when moving students to/from multiple rehearsal spaces. • Students should be provided their own equipment for class/prohibit equipment sharing. • Disinfect equipment between classes. • Students disinfect hands in and out of the music classrooms (hand-sanitizing stations). • Avoid touching, choreography, singing/playing in circles. • Blended Learning/Flipped classroom for concepts and skills relating to each standard. (utilizing technology platforms). • Teachers have access to technology to broadcast instruction due to increased social distancing (ex. microphone). • Conductors face chorus from 10 to 20 ft. away from the first row of singers. Possibly wear a face shield if possible. • Activities that require close contact or potential contact with another person should not be included. Provide lessons that include no contact activities and no or limited equipment (e.g. solo, small ensemble, sectional rehearsals, etc.). Equipment and practice rooms should consider strategies for social distancing throughout the activity. • All efforts should be made at every level to assist students in creating personal activities and rehearsal plans that include logging and reporting of learning processes, achievement of standards and all available assessment benchmarks. Visitors/Check-in &Out/Absences Visitors to School Campus • During the pandemic visitors will be limited in their access to the building • Parents/Guardians will remain outside for check ins. Parents should not leave the premises until the student had entered the building. If you must accompany your child in the building, then only one parent may enter the building and must go directly to the office. Only one parent is allowed in the building to check their child out and they must go directly to the office. Excuses for Absences • Parents are encouraged to upload documentation for excused absences and email to appropriate staff at each school • Hand delivered excuses will be given to classroom teacher FPCS Code of Conduct The FPCS Code of Conduct is in effect. Physical altercations are not an allowable behavior. Given the current situation, such poses an even greater danger to others health and the discipline thereof will be reflected of the severity. • • Transportation All students and staff who ride a bus will be required to wear a face mask covering for the entire route. All drivers will wear a face mask and nurse/aides will wear a face shield. All parents who can are encouraged to transport their students to and from school and activities. Preparation and Cleaning: FPCS will Inspect all buses and transport vehicles for cleanliness and safety daily. • Buses will be disinfected more frequently and thoroughly than previous years. Products used will be based on CDC, local health department and/or risk management professionals. Buses will be sanitized each morning and afternoon. FPCS Transportation Modification Considerations • • • • • • • • • • • Assign students to a single bus. When necessary, exchange drivers as opposed to loading students onto a different vehicle. Assign students to seats; seat students with members of same household Follow social distance in bus loading and unloading Limit students to one route and prohibit practices such as being picked up and dropped off in different locations, using different routes. Consider restricting routes between areas experiencing different levels of disease transmission. Stagger drop-off and pick-up processes and locations. Encourage students to walk to school when feasible. Encourage parent/guardian to monitor social distance at bus stops. Mask or cloth face covers will be worn by students and staff Prohibit eating or drinking (unless medically required) or chewing gum on the bus. Hand sanitizer stations will be installed inside buses or provide drivers and passengers with access to alcohol-based hand sanitizers containing at least 60% alcohol on the bus. Students will wash hands when they enter the bus. Open House All Open House activities will be conducted virtually this year. Schools will contact you regarding information and times for accessing Open House. Additional Information such as obtaining student schedules, homeroom assignments, etc., will be posted on individual school websites. Future Information This document is considered a working document and may be updated based on additional information regarding COVID19 when it is released. This document was developed around current policies, practices, and strategies that the FPCS district and schools must implement in order to ensure the healthiest and safest environment while mitigating risk throughout the 2020-2021 school year.