Jim Thorpe Area School District Curriculum Committee Meeting - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Jim Thorpe Area School District Curriculum Committee Meeting Presentation July 13, 2020

Global Pandemic: COVID-19

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12.9 Million Cases/571,000 Deaths

3.37 Million Cases 137,729 Deaths

99,257

Pennsylvania Confirmed COVID-19 Cases

295

Carbon County Confirmed COVID-19 Cases

6,955

Pennsylvania Deaths from COVID-19

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27

Carbon County Confirmed COVID-19 Deaths

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2019-20 Jim Thorpe Area School District Continuity of Education Plan March 13-June 4

2020-21 Jim Thorpe Area School District Phased Re-Opening Health & Safety Plan

Background of Plan Development

Research-based

✦ CDC Guidelines ✦ American Association of Pediatricians ✦ Pennsylvania Department of Health ✦ Pennsylvania Department of Education ✦ PSEA-PASBO-PASA School Reopening Task Force ✦ Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit ✦ LVHN ✦ Other state education plans ✦ Numerous news articles and resources

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What this Plan Is and IS Not

★Health & Safety Plan ✘ Not a political plan

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✘ Not a plan to return to school as normal (as left on March 13) ✘ Not a plan developed in isolation ★Plan to return to school recognizing changed conditions and need to mitigate risks ★Plan developed in consultation with all stakeholders

Stakeholder Input

✦ Surveys sent to parents: over 1000 responses ✦ Surveys sent to staff: over 200 responses ✦ JTASD Administrative team met regularly ✦ Meetings with school nurses & athletic trainers ✦ Meetings with JTEA, teachers and paraprofessional representation ✦ Meeting with LVHN consultants ✦ Curriculum committee: JTASD School Board

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Parent Survey Comfortable Not Comfortable

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Staff Survey

No Concern Concern

Emphasis is on returning children to school for in-person learning safely while mitigating risks of COVID-19 exposure for staff, students and their families

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Phases of Spread

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Red

• Substantial Spread
• Schools must be closed
• Remote learning

measures in place

• Essential personnel only
• No sports
• Gatherings limited to 10

people

Green

• Low to No Spread
• Schools may provide in-

person instruction after developing a written Health and Safety Plan

• Preventative measures in

place

• Screening Protocols
• Sports may resume under

guidelines

• Gatherings limited to 250

people

Yellow

• Minimal to Moderate Spread
• Schools may provide in-

person instruction after developing a written Health and Safety Plan

• Higher Preventative

measures in place

• Screening Protocols
• Sports may resume under

guidelines

• Gatherings limited to 25

people

Determined by PA Department of Health

Teaching & Learning

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Green Phase

✦ Students return at 100% capacity 5 days/week ✦ Social distancing of 3ft minimum-6ft when feasible as per AAP/CDC guidelines ✦ Classrooms redesigned to maintain social distancing of 3ft-6Ft ✦ Allow for remote learning option for students who may not be comfortable/unable to return to school with classroom teacher via Olympian Learning Connection

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Yellow Phase

✦ Grades K-5: ✦ Students return at 100% capacity 4 days/week (M-Th) & Remote learning on days not physically present in school ✦ Classes split with use of paraprofessionals and co-teachers ✦ Use of cafeteria, gym and other rooms to reduce class size ✦ Grades 6-12 ✦ Students return at 50% capacity 2 days/week (Mon-Tues or Wed-Thurs) & Remote learning on days not physically present in school ✦ Grades K-12: Special education students return at 100% capacity 4 days/week & Remote learning day Friday ✦ Social distancing of 6ft minimum where feasible ✦ Classrooms redesigned to maintain 6ft social distancing ✦ Allow for remote learning option for students who may not be comfortable/unable to return to school with classroom teacher via Olympian Learning Connection

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Red Phase

✦ Schools must be closed ✦ Remote learning measures in place using prescribed learning platforms and devices ✦ Live synchronous teaching with attendance taken ✦ All grades count ✦ Lunch pickup at designated pickup points

Teaching & Learning

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• Students kept in cohorts (“bubbles”) when possible
• Teachers travel to students when possible
• Minimal transition in hallways with directional traffic flow
• No locker rooms
• Use outside spaces when possible
• Modified recess with emphasis on group activities with social distancing
• No School-wide assemblies
• No Field trips
• Hygiene and COVID-19 risk mitigation added to curriculum
• All parent conferences, family nights will be held remotely

Green Yellow

Teaching & Learning

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• Special Education
• All special education meetings will be held remotely in all phases
• Title I, EL and At-Risk Students
• Targeted interventions will be conducted to provide needed academic,

social-emotional and behavioral supports

• Pre-K Counts
• Green Phase:
• All students report as normal to PKC and JTAHS
• Yellow Phase:
• To be determined based on location and parental preference

Green Yellow

Cafeteria & Lunch

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• K-8 students will eat in the classroom at K-8 schools
• High school students will be seated at no more than three to a table in the

commons

• Staggered meal servings and serving lines marked for social distancing
• Pre-packaged food and bags will be served for ease of transport to classroom
• No sharing of foods, utensils or trays
• Elimination of salad bar and condiment stations
• Use of disposable trays and utensils
• Use of new POS touchless scanners
• Elimination of outside food or drink for communal sharing (parties, etc.)

Green Yellow

Transportation

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• The district is working closely with Brandywine Carbon Transportation
• Drivers and bus monitors will be screened prior to reporting for work
• Drivers must wear a face covering during entry and exit of students
• Bus monitors must wear a face covering at all times
• Parents are asked to reduce unnecessary congestion at bus stops
• Drivers and monitors will do a visual screening of students for overt COVID-19

symptoms and may request symptomatic students to not board bus

• Students will wear face masks and sit 2 per seat with a max capacity of 48
• Increased ventilation of the bus interior as weather permits
• No eating or drinking on the bus
• Arrival and dismissal times will be staggered to prevent congestion
• No alternate bus stop requests will be permitted
• Buses will be cleaned, sanitized and disinfected between each run
• Parent pickup will be conducted outside with no parent entry using software

platform

Green Yellow

Olympian Learning Connection (OLC)

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✦ Remote learning at home option with live synchronous instruction by your classroom teacher with learning done in unison with classmates ✦ Use of iPad or MacBook Air to connect via Google Meet into each class during school day ✦ Allows students to remain connected to their school, friends and teachers ✦ Students may transition between in-school and OLC instruction as needed ✦ For parents who may not be comfortable sending students to school in-person or have a child who is symptomatic ✦ Parents will need to indicate initial choice by August 1

Olympian Learning Connection

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Using Swivl

Hygiene, Health & Screening Protocols

The Jim Thorpe Area School District will comply with the Governor’s Order Requiring Universal Face Coverings announced July 1, 2020 that designates that all staff and students all will be required to wear a face mask or shield in all public areas in the school with the following exceptions: eating or drinking when spaced at least 6 feet apart; seated at desks or assigned work spaces at least 6 feet apart; or engaged in any activity at least 6 feet apart (e.g. face-covering breaks, recess, etc.).

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Face Masks

Face Coverings

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✦ Face covering means a covering of the nose and mouth that is secured to the head with ties, straps, or loops over the ears or is wrapped around the lower face. ✦ A "face covering" can be made of a variety of synthetic or natural fabrics, including cotton, silk, or linen, and, for the purposes of the order, can include a plastic face shield that covers the nose and mouth. "Face coverings" may be factory-made, sewn by hand, or improvised from household items, including but not limited to, scarves, bandanas, t-shirts, sweatshirts, or towels. ✦ Face coverings must adhere to local school dress code policy. ✦ Staff and students will be provided with a face covering should one be required and not brought from home. ✦ Any staff or student who cannot wear a mask or face shield due to a medical condition, including those with respiratory issues that impede breathing, a mental health condition, or disability, and staff or students who would be unable to remove a mask without assistance are not required to wear face coverings

Hygiene Protocols

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Red Green Yellow

• Replacement of water fountains with touchless water bottle fillers. Students

may bring their own water bottle from home

• Increased use of hand sanitizer with installation of hand sanitizer stations and

hand sanitizer bottles throughout school

• Increased hand washing with additional hand washing stations
• Signage promoting hygiene, healthy habits and COVID-19 risk mitigation will

be posted throughout the school

• Clear plastic barriers to be placed in all public-facing high traffic areas, such

as offices, cafeteria serving lines, etc

Health & Screening Protocols: Students and Staff

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Red Green Yellow

• All district staff will complete a self-screening survey prior to reporting for

work

• Parents are asked to prescreen students and keep students at home if

exhibiting symptoms or if they have been exposed to COVID-19

• Students and staff will be screened for high temperatures (100.4 or greater)

upon entering school with touchless temperature scanners

• Students or staff exhibiting symptoms will be sent to a staging area for

additional screenings

• Students and staff who continue to exhibit symptoms will be sent to a

quarantine room manned by the school nurse until they can be sent home with instructions for testing, isolation or quarantine

• Students and staff may return following established protocol for return, as

determined by PA DOH and CDC guidelines

• PA DOH will be contacted when appropriate as per their guidelines

Visitors & Facility Use

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Red Green Yellow

• Facility use is limited to district personnel only in green and yellow phase with

no external groups allowed

• Visitors to district facilities is limited to those conducting business essential to

the operation of the school district

• All visitors will be screened for high temperatures (100.4 or greater) upon

entering school with touchless temperature scanners and asked to complete a self-screening survey.

• Visitors exhibiting symptoms or reporting exposure will be prohibited from

entering the building

• All visitors must wear a face covering when in the building or on school

grounds

• Red Phase: Essential personnel only

Cleaning, Sanitizing , Disinfecting & Ventilation

Cleaning, Sanitizing, Disinfecting & Ventilation

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Red Green Yellow

• Focus on high traffic and high contact areas for cleaning, disinfecting and

sanitizing regularly throughout the day

• High touch areas such as door knobs, hand railings, light switches, printers &

copiers will be cleaned regularly.

• Dedicated custodian for COVID-19 cleaning and mitigation on day shift
• Additional deep cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing of chairs, desks, tables,

doors, light switches, computers, phones counters, corridor walls and hand railings on night shift

• Use of air mister disinfectant machines for room and surface cleaning
• Disinfectant wipes and cleaning supplies provisioned in all classrooms and
• ffices
• Increase outside air into HVAC systems to improve ventilation
• Use of contact film on high touch surfaces
• Use of appropriate PPE for all staff

Cleaning, Sanitizing, Disinfecting & Ventilation

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Red Green Yellow

• Replace blow dryers in bathrooms with paper towel dispensers
• Use of UV light technology carts for laptop and iPad disinfecting
• Use of UV light technology tubs and UV light wands for robotics, STEAM and

classroom equipment disinfection

• Proper training in COVID-19 cleaning, sanitizing and disinfectant procedures

to all district staff

• In the case of a positive COVID-19 test result in a district facility, the affected

areas will be shut down for at least 24 hours if possible prior to cleaning and disinfecting

• Cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting will be performed in accordance with current

CDC, and DOH guidelines. EPA approved products will be used in accordance with labeling requirements and staff will be trained on how to appropriately use these products

Custodial Staff ✦ Custodial staffing at 19-20 level ✦ Additional custodian per building designated for COVID-19 cleaning/ mitigation

AdditionaL personnel Requested As per Plan

Long-term Permanent Substitute Teachers ✦ Two LTS per school to cover anticipated substitute shortage

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Long-term Substitute Nurse/Nurse Assistants ✦ One school nurse or school nurse assistant per school to cover wellness rooms

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Questions?