1. How will students be organized in the buildings?
Identifying Student Groups and Keeping Them Together (Cohorting). Students will be in “cohorts.” This helps ensure that student and staff groupings are as static as possible by having the same group of children stay with the same staff (all day for young children, and as much as possible for older children). We will limit mixing between groups when possible.
- Elementary students will be cohorted by their roster teacher. This group will have all their learning together, eat lunch together, and attend recess together.
- Middle school will be scheduled into cohort sections and these students will be together for all of their courses.
- High school students are not cohorted. They will utilize block scheduling to reduce the number of classes in a day from eight to four. This reduces the number of people they are exposed to and reduces the number of transitions.
2. Will recess stay the same? Frequency, time of day, etc? If it will change, how so?
Yes, recess will still be scheduled with the same amount of time and frequency. Recess will be organized by classes and spaces can be split and rotated by classes.
3. Will students be able to go to the library as they have been able to in the past? (During class, working on special assignments, before the school day.)
Yes, our libraries at the secondary level will operate on an as-needed basis, when classes use the library it will be closed off. At the elementary and middle school level library use will be scheduled by class.
4. Will lunches look differently? Can kids still bring meals from home? Will they be able to sit with others? Will time be shortened to accommodate cleaning?
Yes, lunches will be structured differently to accommodate distancing during meal pick-up. Lunch seating will be spread out more than it has in the past with additional spaces to be utilized. Students will sit with the same students at lunch each day.
5. Will extra-curriculars such as music, art, and PE be altered? If yes, how?
Yes, the specials (extra-curriculars) rotation at the elementary and the middle school will be altered. Cohorts will attend classes together. The high school is structured by class assignments and not cohorts like middle school and elementary.
6. Will pre-schoolers still have snack time?
Yes, precautions will be made. No homemade items are allowed. Pre-packaged items will be required.
7. Will pre-school classrooms still have play areas and toys?
Yes, play areas and toys will be in place with sanitation of items occurring routinely.
8. Is there a maximum number of students within certain spaces to allow for social distancing?
Distancing will be organized to the best extent possible. But, it is not guaranteed in all areas of the school.
9. How many positive cases of kids and/or staff are needed to close school (if any) and for how long?
The school will be collaborating with the department of health on who would need to quarantine following a possible exposure or positive case of COVID-19.
10. If in-person school onsite instruction moves to hybrid Mon./Tues. & Thurs./Fri. would the Tiny Vikes schedule change because it now runs Mon.-Thurs.?
If the learning model transitions to hybrid, preschool students would only attend two days a week to provide smaller class sizes. The preschool hybrid schedule will be Monday/Tuesday and Wednesday/Thursday with Friday off.
11. When will we know what days families are assigned if we need to go to a hybrid model?
This will be organized by alphabetical order according to last name. For example, last names starting with letters A-I will be scheduled as group “A”, while last names starting with letters J-Z will be scheduled as group “B”. Accommodations will be made for families when necessary.
12. How much notice, at a minimum, will be given if we go to a hybrid model?
We will do our best to give as much notice as possible and use a natural transition such as a weekend for the change. The school will use guidance from public health and the department of education.
13. Will computers be provided to students if we go to a hybrid model?
Being in a hybrid model does not necessarily mean all the continuous learning will be digital, accommodations will be made for students and families as needed.
14. Will kids still have lockers?
Yes, mitigation strategies will be used to limit the number of students in the locker areas.
15. Will students still be able to use computers?
Yes, as long as they fall within the AUP (Acceptable Use Policy).
16. Will students be able to keep items in their desks?
Yes.
17. What mitigation strategies will be used in the various buildings to keep social distance? (ie: lockers, hallways, congregating before and after school, lunchrooms, weight room, etc.)
Each building is creating schedules and plans for transitions and procedures for all settings.
18. In the spirit of cohorting, how will specials be taught given the fact that teachers will come in contact with all students in a building?
Those rotations are being modified in regard to the frequency of when students attend.
19. What symptoms will determine if a child is sent home? When they are pulled from class, will they be sent to a room with other children awaiting pickup? Or kept separate?
Each school building will have designated sick room space and identified backup space if necessary.
COVID-19 SYMPTOMS
- Fever (100.4F or higher)
- Chills
- Shortness of breath and/or difficulty breathing
- New cough
- Loss of taste or smell
- Diarrhea, vomiting, or abdominal pain
- New onset of headache, especially with a fever
20. If my child needs to quarantine for 14 days while the rest of the class is in session, what will their educational experience be, given the fact the teacher will be busy in the classroom?
Teachers will be posting materials on the designated learning management system for their level (SeeSaw, Google Classroom, and Canvas). Students will be expected to work on materials from their classrooms while quarantined.
21. Will volunteers or parents be allowed in the buildings? How about parent-teacher conferences?
We are limiting access to school buildings. Visitors will not be allowed to come into the building without permission from the building principal. Additional details regarding parent-teacher conferences will be released soon.
22. What will the school policies be on exposure to a positive case (either in or out of the school)? Can the student return to the class after a negative test or will they be required to wait 14 days? How about a student who is sent home with suspicion — who determines if and when they return?
The school will be collaborating with the department of health on who would need to quarantine following a possible exposure or positive case of COVID-19.
23. Who will notify parents of exposure within a class or sports team? Will it be the school or the public health department?
Parents will be notified in-person or by phone call and along with a letter home from the school. The school will be collaborating with the health department on when this should occur.
24. What will constitute an exposure in the classroom: Everyone in the room? Within six feet?
Because the elementary and middle school are in cohorts, if someone in the class (cohort) tests positive the entire cohort would have to quarantine. At the secondary level, contract tracing could possibly be conducted by utilizing the seating charts from classes and lunch to identify the exposure circle. However, this could also lead to a whole class having to quarantine for two weeks because of positive exposure.
25. Can we anticipate any update to bullying policies to include intentionally coughing on a student, making fun of masks, etc?
The definition of bullying/harassment does not change. The Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District is committed to providing all students, employees, and volunteers with a safe and civil school environment in which all members of the school community are treated with dignity and respect.
26. How is VSCSD approaching singing and playing musical instruments?
The school will be following guidelines set forth by the state music association.
27. How are we cohorting kids in the upper levels?
Schedule modifications will occur at the high school level to allow for reduced passing time and limit the amount of contact with other teachers and students in a single day.
Middle school will be cohorting all core areas (this includes PE, Art, Industrial Technology). Music and band will be following the guidelines from the state music association.
28. Will bus routes/ cohorts be used to adjust classroom cohorts? (ie: keeping the same kids together all day)
The shuttle buses will be cohorted. Students will be assigned seats on all buses.
29. Will the requirements for public volunteering (Black and Gold hours) change at the high school level?
There are a variety of ways for students to obtain volunteer hours over the course of their high school careers.
30. Who will clean desks between upper-level classes, and during that time, where are the students going to be to avoid being in close contact?
We will have a variety of materials for cleaning in between classes. Staff will be adjusting class routines to allow time for cleaning.