POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES
FOR RETURN TO IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19
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Adjusted Start Schedule Following Kentucky and Archdiocesan recommendations, we have readjusted our timeline for reopening. We will now follow the adjusted timeline outlined below.
• Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 students will start school, in-person, on Tuesday, August 18. August 18 will be a full day of school. • Junior Kindergarten, Kindergarten students will start school, in-person, on Thursday, August 20 (with noon dismissals from 8/20 -- 8/26) • Level 4, Level 5, Level 6 students will start with a full day of digital learning on Tuesday, August 18 and with in-person classes on Tuesday, August 25. To start the school year, digital learning days will be from 8:00 a.m. – 2:40 p.m. Levels 4 and 5 will receive daily agendas indicating what time they should be on TEAMS. Level 6 students should report to TEAMS for every class period listed on the schedule they receive August 7. • Level 7 and Level 8 students will start with a full day of digital learning on Tuesday, August 18 and with in-person classes on Tuesday, September 1. To start the school year, digital learning days will be from 8:00 a.m. – 2:40 p.m. During digital learning, students should report to TEAMS for every class listed on the schedule they receive on August 7. In addition, we have made two revisions to the school calendar: • Friday, September 4, is now a school day • Monday, October 19 and Tuesday, October 20 are now school days
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Current Health and Safety Measures
As we move towards the opening of school, each day brings new opportunities and new challenges. A group of ten teachers, teacher leaders, and the SHMS Leadership Team has met weekly since late May to prepare for welcoming students back to in-person classes. The fundamental priority of this reopening taskforce has been to provide a safe and healthy educational environment for everyone in our school community. Even with the hope that being back together brings, the unpredictability of the circumstances demands our patience and flexibility and a trust that we are in this together to serve our students, staff, and each other. The best sense of a way forward is built upon several pillars. We recognize the complexity of the pandemic as well as its varying effects on our families’ home lives and personal circumstances. The following are the key principles the reentry taskforce has used in developing our plan to return to school: • Protect the health and safety of our students and staff • Rely on trusted medical officials to help us make the best decisions with the information at hand • Work with diocesan and public health officials • Utilize guidelines from local and state health departments, the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), as well as collaboration with multiple health professionals and other administrators and educators • Establish effective use of our 48-acre campus and space(s) in both of our school buildings • Provide students and teachers with some normalcy to their school routines • Set clear expectations for all of us to follow As we have said many times, we anticipate and must be prepared for a return to digital learning for parts of the coming school year. Whether we are in-person or digital, please know that our teachers want to teach, and your
children want to learn. The faculty and staff at SHMS partner with you in educating your most precious gifts from God, your children. Informed by guidance from our local and state health departments, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), as well as collaboration with multiple health professionals and other administrators and educators, new measures to protect our students and robust learning environments are in place in both our Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP) buildings. It is important for us to adhere to these protocols in order to minimize risk to our students, parents, faculty, and staff and to keep our school open. We recognize there are students who have underlying medical conditions and may need to remain at home for digital learning. Please feel free to call Ms. Mullen or Dr. Bratcher to talk through this option. We will want to determine the feasibility of digital learning on a case by case basis. As we open our school again, we will expect a commitment to in-person learning or digital learning for regular intervals of time. Parents may choose to have their child(ren) participate with their class(es) in digital learning for the entirety of the academic school day; however, those students may not participate in any SHMS sponsored event to protect their health and safety. Below please find the current (as of July 13, 2020) overview of the health and safety measures Sacred Heart Model School will be implementing for the safe reopening of school, addressing how we will protect our students, staff, families, and personnel from the spread of Covid-19. These procedures are fluid and based on guidance from the Archdiocese of Louisville, city, and state officials and the medical community at large.
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PYP Building Arrival • Doors will open at 7:15 a.m. and cars will follow the normal carpool route. • When you arrive in our parking lot, we ask that everyone in the car be wearing a mask. Before a staff member can approach the car, they must be able to see that everyone in the car is wearing a mask. • When you reach a spot in the circle in front of the main building, a member of the SHMS staff will approach the car to take the temperature of every student in the car. All children should remain in the car until released by a SHMS staff member. • After the student(s) is released, they may exit the car and head to their assigned door (see below) to enter the school building. • If a child’s temperature is 100.4 or higher, he or she must remain in the car and will not be permitted to enter the school building for the entire day. A doctor’s note will be required prior to coming back to school. Random temperature checks may be done throughout the school day. Anyone with a temperature or feeling ill should stay home to help us maintain a healthy school campus. • See sick policy in the 2020-2021 handbook for further instructions. Students will enter using the following doorways – • All students must wear a mask from their car to their homeroom classroom. • JK/K/L1 students will use the main school entrance. • All Level 2, L3 Spenlau and L5 students students will use the entrance nearest the UAC. • L3 Young and L4 students will use the entrance near the dining room. • Students will only use the staircase nearest the doorway where they entered throughout the day. • Once they enter the building, students should proceed to the hallway where their classroom is located. Between 7:15 a.m. – 7:25 a.m., students will be seated six feet apart on one of the designated markings outside their homeroom with masks on. • At 7:25 a.m., students will move into their homeroom classroom. • Announcements begin at 7:50 a.m. Students should be seated in homeroom ready for announcements by this time. Students are considered tardy if they are not in homeroom by 7:55 a.m.
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Dismissal • Announcements will begin at 2:50 p.m. • Students remain in their homerooms until they see their carpool number. • Students exit their homeroom and the building following their assigned staircase route to the exterior door. • Students go directly to their cars or the spot indicated on the carpool chart. • Cars follow the normal carpool route. After School Activities • SHSA students will be dismissed before carpool begins. They will follow their assigned staircase route to the PYP Chapel. • After School Care will remain in their homeroom until after carpool is finished, and they are dismissed to the Dining Room over the intercom. Students will follow their assigned staircase route to the Dining Room where the ASC staff will check their temperature and sign them in for the afternoon. • All other students participating in after school activities remain in homeroom until their activity is called. They will follow their assigned staircase route to the library where their coach or leader will check their temperature. • Walkers will remain in their homeroom until they are called. They will follow their assigned staircase route to leave the building for the day. Movement once a student enters the building during the school day – • All PYP Levels will use the same staircase - for AM carpool, movement throughout the day and PM carpool. • Students will follow directional floor markings which indicate a pathway from each classroom to the bathroom and use floor markings outside of the bathroom for proper spacing as they wait their turn.
MYP Building Arrival • Doors will open at 7:15 a.m. and cars will follow the normal carpool route. • When you arrive in our parking lot, we ask that everyone in the car be wearing a mask. Before a staff member can approach the car, they must be able to see that everyone in the car is wearing a mask. • Parents should pull in front of Brescia Hall where a member of the SHMS staff will approach the car to take the temperature of every student in the car. All children should remain in the car until released by a SHMS staff member. • After the student(s) is released, they may exit the car and head to their assigned door (see below) to enter the school building. • If a child’s temperature is 100.4 or higher, he or she must remain in the car and will not be permitted to enter the school building for the entire day. A doctor’s note will be required prior to coming back to school. Random temperature checks may be done throughout the school day. Anyone with a temperature or feeling ill should stay home to help us maintain a healthy school campus. • See sick policy in the 2020-2021 handbook for further instructions. Students will enter using the following doorways – • All students must wear a mask from their car to their homeroom classroom. • L6 and L7 students will use the main entrance.
Dismissal • Announcements will begin at 2:50 p.m. • Students remain in their homerooms until they see their carpool number • Students exit their homeroom and the building following their assigned staircase route to the exterior door. • Students go directly to their car or the spot indicated on the carpool chart. • Cars follow the normal carpool route
After School Activities • SHSA students will be dismissed before carpool begins to a member of the SHSA staff. • After School Care will remain in their homeroom until after carpool is complete and they are dismissed to the Dining Room by an announcement made over the intercom. Students will follow their assigned staircase route to exit the building and walk together, with masks on, to the Dining Room in the PYP building (through the main entrance) where the ASC staff will check their temperature and sign them in for the afternoon. • All other students participating in after school activities remain in homeroom until their activity is called. Students will follow their assigned staircase route to exit the building and walk together, with masks on, to the Library in the PYP building (through the main entrance) where the ASC staff will check their temperature
• L6 proceeds straight through to their lockers on their first floor to put their coats and lunches away and gather ALL books for the day. Students will sit on the floor six feet apart until 7:25 a.m. when they will report to HR.
• Walkers will remain in their homeroom until they are called. They will follow their assigned staircase route to leave the building for the day.
• L7 proceeds up the curved staircase to their lockers on the second floor to put their coats and lunches away and gather ALL books for the day. Students will sit on the floor six feet apart until 7:25 when they will report to HR.
Movement once a student enters the building during the school day –
• L8 students will use the playground side entrance straight through to their lockers on the third floor to put their coats and lunches away and gather ALL books for the day. Students will sit on the floor six feet apart with masks on.
• At 7:25 a.m., L6-L8 students will report to homeroom. • Announcements begin at 7:50 a.m. Students should be seated in homeroom ready for announcements by this time. Students are considered tardy if they are not in homeroom by 7:55 a.m.
• Students will go to their lockers at lunchtime and the end of the day as needed following a staggered schedule. • L6 will always use the stairwell on the Brescia field side of the building. There will be signs on all floors at these doorways saying “L6 only staircase.” • When L6 moves to the 2nd floor, they will have colorcoded tape keeping them on the locker/rotunda side of the hallway. • L7 and L8 will use the playground side staircase to move between the 2nd and 3rd floor. Blue/White day schedule will keep their co-mingling to a minimum. • When L7 moves on the 2nd floor, they will have colorcoded tape keeping them on the side of the hall along the front of the building (opposite of L6). SACRED HEART MODEL SCHOOL
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Leaving school for an appointment
• Leaving school for an appointment is strongly discouraged. If students must leave, they will have their temperature checked at the PYP reception desk before being allowed back into either building.
Face Covering and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) In compliance with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the local health department, physical and social distancing protocols are designed to keep students, teachers and staff safe. The steps outlined below, while basic, help to minimize risk of transmission while allowing for flexibility and ease of use in our classrooms and across campus. • SHMS will require everyone in both buildings to wear face coverings (masks or shields) at all times. It is a good idea for each student to have several masks or shields. SHMS is issuing everyone one reusable face mask and will have disposable masks available if a student or staff forgets theirs at home. • Face masks must cover the nose and mouth to contain the wearer’s respiratory droplets produced when coughing, sneezing, or talking. • Students and teachers will wear face masks or face shields during the school day.
• Masks must not be offensive or distracting. Surgical or disposable masks without logos are acceptable. •S tudents must wear their approved mask or clean face shield all day unless they are eating lunch, engaged in physical education, or outside. • Teachers in classrooms will use hand sanitizer between each group of students or from class-to-class. •F ace shields must be transparent and must extend from the forehead to below the chin and wrap around the ears.
Handwashing and Sanitizing • In addition to the pre-existing hand sanitizer dispensers in our classrooms and several areas in our school buildings, we have added additional hand sanitizer stations in our hallways and office areas. Regular handwashing and use of hand sanitizer will be required. • Students will have a schedule to wash their hands frequently while at school. Again, we ask for you to have them wash their hands before leaving for school each day.
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Social Distancing and Traffic Flow
In order to provide a safe learning environment for our students and staff, SHMS is making accommodations and improvements, in compliance with the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. • Classroom seating will be arranged to maximize strategic social distancing and to limit face-to- face contact. • Students in Levels JK-5 will remain with their homeroom except when they travel to world language. Teachers will be encouraged to get students outside for class as often as possible. • We are using every possible space in both buildings to make sure our students are at least 6 feet apart during the school day. In our MYP building, we will be using desk dividers to protect students inside the classroom. Teachers will be encouraged to get students outside for class as often as possible. • Students in Levels 6-8 will travel in assigned groupings. • At this time, visitors, including parents and parent volunteers, will not be allowed into either of the buildings. • No field trips, extra events, or speakers will be allowed. More information regarding back-to- school nights, parent conferences, etc., will be communicated at a later date. • All staff members and students will follow social distancing guidelines while on school grounds. • Our teachers have arranged students’ desks and chairs so that they are arranged facing the same direction toward the front of the classroom with as much space between them as possible. • Furniture in classrooms has been limited to allow for maximum spacing for students. • To help reduce contact and direct interaction, MYP students will move directly between classrooms without being able to gather in our hallways. We will maximize social distancing to the best of our ability.
Cleaning and Sanitizing •E nhanced cleaning protocols have been established to disinfect both buildings on a regular basis. In addition to all of the high-touch points being cleaned hourly, each classroom and office will contain a bin with cleaning supplies, paper towels, etc. for students and teachers to access as needed. • There will be a housekeeping person in each building every school day. • All students must bring home their water bottles DAILY to be washed and they all must be labeled. Bottles left at school will be bagged and sent home the following day for cleaning. •S hould a positive case of Covid-19 be reported, the entire building will receive a deep clean. •O ur facilities crew will keep a cleaning log and keep track of the number of times high touch points are cleaned during the school day.
Screening and Illness •C hildren and adults will be screened for fever and contagious symptoms upon entry every day. • I f a student or adult registers a temperature of 100.4 or above, he or she will not be allowed to enter the school building or attend any school activities until he or she is 24 hours fever free. • I f a student or adult tests positive for COVID-19, we will work with the local health department and conduct a deep clean of the classroom. • I f your child becomes ill while at school and/or develops a temperature of 100.4 or above, the child will be removed from the classroom and the parent/guardian notified immediately. The student must be picked up immediately from school.
oH allways have been marked so that students will move from one space to another in the same direction. oF ace masks or face shields will always be worn by all persons in hallways and common areas. oF loor markings have been placed in six-feet intervals where line formations take place.
Lunches •S tudents must bring a lunch from home or purchase a boxed lunch from FLIK. •N o food can be shared at any point of the school day. •S tudents will eat in their homerooms or outside when weather permits.
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Sacred Heart Schools, a Catholic community rooted in the Ursuline tradition, inspires diverse learners to become globally minded, compassionate leaders.
Sacred Heart Schools 3115 Lexington Road • Louisville, KY 40206 • 502.896.3910 • shslou.org Sponsored by the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville • A proud partner of Compassionate Louisville 8
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