THE SCHOOLS 0f. Gunter sv1lle Wellness and Operations Reopening Plan 2 2 - 2 2 1 Guntersville Cherokee Elementary School Elementary School Guntersville Guntersville Middle School High School Important Considerations for the Wellness, Facilities, and Operations Reopening Plan:    The Wellness and Operations Reopening Plan has been determined in conjunction with  Centers for Disease Control, Alabama State Department of Education, Alabama Department  of Public Health, Marshall County Health Department, and Schools of Guntersville  leadership. An increase in Covid-19 rates in our area may modify our plans. Therefore, we  will revisit our reopening plans periodically and communicate with stakeholders as changes  occur. Your patience and understanding as we make decisions to support our students,  faculty, and staff during this challenging time is greatly appreciated.      Transportation     Transportation  ● ● ● ● ● ● Parents/Guardians are encouraged to provide private  transportation for their student if at all possible or  practical. This will reduce load sizes on our buses.    Parents will be advised to monitor flu and Covid-19  symptoms and complete temperature checks prior to  sending children to schools. Students with a fever of 100.4  degrees or higher or show other symptoms should not be  sent to school.    All buses will be cleaned and sanitized prior to and  following daily routes.    All students riding school buses will be required to wear a  mask or face cover. Family members will be seated in the  same general area. Students will be 2 per seat. Seats may  be assigned.    Bus discipline and rules will be strictly enforced to  minimize personal contact between students and swift  consequences will be in play for noncompliance.    Bus Drivers will be provided with both a mask and face  shield to wear.    ● A child that a bus driver suspects may have symptoms will  be isolated to the greatest extent practical and released to  a school nurse for evaluation.  2 Health and Wellness    General Health  Information        Defining Close Contact/Risk Behaviors  ● ● ● The greatest risk for infection occurs when people are in  close contact with someone with a confirmed positive case  of COVID-19.    Close contact is defined as being within less than 6 feet of  a person for a total of 15 minutes or longer.    Risk Behaviors also include having direct contact with  infectious secretions of a person with suspected or  confirmed COVID-19.  Hand Washing/Sanitizer  ● ● Teachers and staff will model and expect enhanced hand  washing and sanitizer routines throughout the school day.  Students will be trained and reminded of these routines.     Soap and water along with hand sanitizer will be available.  Water Bottle Filling Stations  ● Current guidance directs schools to not use water  fountains. Students are highly encouraged to have bottled  water or a pre-filled water bottle from home. Water  bottles may also be refilled at our schools "Water Bottle  Filling Stations" as available.  Social Distancing and Physical Spacing   ● ● ● Every effort adhering to the 6 feet/15 minute standard for  close exposure.     Classrooms and common areas will be arranged to provide  physical spacing between students as much as possible.     Student interactions in common areas and classrooms  will be limited in order to minimize long-term close  contact.  3 Health  Procedures  ● ●   ● ● ● Face Coverings  Parents​: Monitor flu and COVID-19 symptoms Complete  temperature checks prior to sending children to schools.      Parents & Students:​ Students who exhibit the following  symptoms should not be sent to school:  ● with a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher   ● Cough, runny nose, or sinus congestion  ● Trouble breathing or persistent pain/pressure in  the chest  ● Abdominal pain or stomach ache  ● Diarrhea or vomiting  Parents​: If aware of your child's exposure to a family  member or others with Covid-19 symptoms, immediately  notify the school nurse and keep the child at home until  proper quarantine and testing can be completed.    Employees:​ If aware of personal symptoms or exposure,  they should notify their supervisor.    School nurses:  If a student, staff or visitor exhibits Covid-19 symptoms,  each school will have a separate health room or area to  separate the individual. Covid-19 protocols are currently  being provided by the State Nurse Administrator and will  be used and followed.    ● If Covid-19 is suspected, but not yet confirmed,  heightened awareness and monitoring for potential  symptoms and health issues with classmates or staff  members will occur. Until there is notification the  individual has tested positive for Covid-19, classes will  continue as normal.    ● ● Employees:  Face coverings and / or face shields will be required in  classrooms, to the greatest extent practicable, common  areas and if contact is going to be made with anyone  outside of their family for longer than 15 minutes and  closer than 6 feet separation.     Each school employee will be provided with up to 3  coverings at the beginning of the school year.   ●     4 ● ● ● ● Students:  Students are required to wear a mask or face covering  when social distancing is not practical.    Students who use school transportation will be required to  use a face covering.    Each student will be provided with up to 3 coverings at the  beginning of the school year.  ● ● Parents:    Parents should take this time to secure a face covering  (mask, bandana, or scarf) your child is comfortable with,  get them used to wearing it, and instruct them on how it  should be worn.  ● ● All Employee, Parents, and Students:  Training will be provided to teachers to help students best  use the facial coverings appropriately in the school  setting.    Specific rules for the use of facial coverings will be  provided during the yearly training sessions for school  employees.    Any change in the use of facial coverings will be governed  by The Alabama Department of Health.    ● ●   Child Nutrition Program       ● ● ● Creative scheduling of meal service times to maintain  limited person to person contact within 6 feet.    When a cafeteria is in use, signage and visible marking of  usable seats will allow for distancing.    Staff and students will not be allowed to self - serve food.  All food will be packaged as individual complete meals  meeting all of the USDA requirements for the National  School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.     5 ● ● ● ● ● ● No lunch money will be collected at any point of sale,  remote feeding site or person to person.      It is strongly recommended for parents to make student  meal account payments online through  www.myschoolbucks.com​ Drop boxes will be available at  GMS and GHS for students to drop lunch account deposits.      IF lunch money is sent to school with PK - 5th grade  students, parents should send payment in a marked  envelope with your child’s name and teacher. ON-LINE  PAYMENT is strongly recommended.    The Free/Reduced Meal Eligibility Application​ will be  only available O ​ NLINE​. Please apply for benefits at this  link h ​ ttps://www.myschoolapps.com/​.     Virtual Learners will have the opportunity to participate in  meal service with a one day per week meal distribution  pick up at a determined location. Details will be shared  with the Virtual Learners as they become available.     In the event of a school/school building closure and a shift  occurs to remote learning for traditional students due to  COVID - 19, the Child Nutrition Program will offer feeding  options suitable at that time.  General Operations    Cleaning and  Disinfecting of  Buildings  ● ● ● Sanitation equipment, including additional  state-of-the-art electrostatic sanitizers, will be provided.     Teachers will be provided sanitizing supplies to clean as  needed and to sanitize desks, door knobs, and other high  touch areas according to school cleaning protocols  between groups of students.      Teachers will be provided with professional learning on  how to fulfill these expectations.    6 ● ● ● ● Visitors in  Buildings  ● ● ● Meetings and  Large  Gatherings  Each school will have specific plans to ensure that  classrooms and common areas are kept as sanitary as  possible.  Restrooms will be sanitized multiple times daily.     Modified and expanded cleaning schedules will be  followed to ensure daily sanitation and cleanliness of  facilities.     Custodial staff will receive ongoing training in  recommended cleaning guidelines issued by the Alabama  Department of Public Health and the CDC.  Visitors will have limited access to school campuses.     School administrators must be consulted before planning  an event or inviting a visitor to the campus.     To minimize exposure, personal deliveries to students will  be limited to medical needs only. ● We will limit gatherings, events, and extracurricular  activities to the greatest extent practicable where social  distancing can not be maintained.   ● ● Pep Rallies, Assemblies, Award Ceremonies:  At this point, pep rallies, assemblies, and award  ceremonies are not allowed where social distancing  cannot be maintained. This decision will be re-evaluated  as the school year progresses.    Field Trips:  Field trips are suspended until further notice. School  administrators will share any updates when this may be  lifted to allow field trips to be planned. Teachers may want  to explore virtual field trips to provide an educational  opportunity in place of traditional field trips until this  situation changes.    ● ● Athletics  ● Athletic events will be scheduled and regulated according  to guidance provided by the Alabama High School Athletic  Association (AHSAA).  Social  Distancing  ● We will make every effort to maintain social distancing  where possible or practicable.  7 Sharing Supplies  ● ● We will emphasize that all personal items and belongings  should be kept from others.     Sharing of common supplies is discouraged and can only  be safe if properly sanitized in between use.  The Wellness and Operations Reopening Plan has been determined in conjunction with  Centers for Disease Control, Alabama State Department of Education, Alabama Department  of Public Health, Marshall County Health Department, and Schools of Guntersville  leadership. An increase in Covid-19 rates in our area may modify our plans. We will revisit  our reopening plans periodically and communicate with all stakeholders as changes occur.  Your patience and understanding as we make decisions to support our students, faculty,  and staff during this challenging time is greatly appreciated.     8