Paul Banks Elementary
Home of the Peanuts-September 2021
Welcome Back!
I was a 1st grade teacher last year at Nikiski North Elementary, but prior to that, I was a school administrator in Georgia. Along with my wife and two of my three grown children, I moved to Alaska to fulfill a 26 year dream. I have loved getting to know the school family and the Homer community.
DATES TO REMEMBER
9/14 PTA Meeting at 6:30 on Zoom
9/15 Early Release at 12:50
9/23 Fall Picture Day
Meet our PBE School Counselor!
2021-2022 KPBSD Mitigation Plan
1. Masks The district highly recommends all students and staff to wear a face covering while indoors. The district will follow local and state health authority mandates regarding face coverings. All visitors and volunteers must wear a face covering when indoors during the academic school day. When the exposure risk increases, and other engineering controls are inadequate, masks are available and provided to minimize transmission exposure. Signs identifying CDC recommendations for vaccinated /non-vaccinated individuals are posted.
2. Symptom Free Protocol The purpose of this protocol is to provide a learning environment that promotes the safety, health and welfare of our communities. This applies to students, staff, parents and guardians, volunteers, and any school visitors. A person should stay home if exhibiting any of the following: any signs or symptoms of illness, taking the first 24 hours of antibiotic treatment, and/or have an undiagnosed, new and/or, untreated rash or skin condition. People entering KPBSD schools are asked to screen themselves and their children before entering any facility. Link to KPBSD Symptom Free Protocol
3. Physical distancing (e.g., including use of cohorts/pods) Physical distancing of 6 feet will be encouraged while working and learning with others in the building. KPBSD has maximized the available space to allow for maximum distancing to minimize potential exposure.
4. Handwashing and respiratory etiquette Proper handwashing and respiratory etiquette signs have been posted, taught and modeled for our students and staff.
5. Cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities, including improving ventilation KPBSD facilities have had bipolar ionization systems installed, and the custodial staff have been equipped with HOCL and electrostatic sprayers to improve the efficiency of building sanitization.
6. Contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, in collaboration with the State, local, territorial, or Tribal health departments The KPBSD Health Services Coordinator will continue to monitor daily COVID percentages, attend local and state health updates and provide professional development and training to site based and itinerant nurses as necessary. Link to Close Contact Guidelines
7. Diagnostic and screening testing KPBSD has provided testing capability and training for every school in the district. Antigen screening is available to students and co-curricular participants. All positive results are immediately verified by a molecular test. The district has either the Cue or Abbott ID Now devices available at each site.
8. Efforts to provide vaccinations to educators, other staff, and students, if eligible The KPBSD has partnered with local health entities to provide vaccine clinics in KPBSD site facilities and has provided information to staff, students, and parents about the clinics and locally available vaccines. AK Department of Health and Social Services Vaccination Page
9. Appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities with respect to the health and safety policies A variety of options are available to accommodate children with disabilities. The accommodations can be but not limited to providing additional engineering controls including additional social distancing space, barriers and personal protective equipment.
10. Sports and Activities Daily symptom check for athletes and coaches, weekly antigen testing (no symptoms/no exposure), antigen testing will depend on travel destination, COVID Return to Play, Before or After Activity Best Practices, volunteer screening. For the health and safety of student athletes and coaches a 12-foot buffering zone from spectators will be in place. Best practice is to place athletic teams on one side of the gym and spectators on the opposite side as gym space allows.
11. Transportation Per the US DOT mandate for public transportation, face coverings are required for all bus passengers travelling to and from school and for all co-curricular activities.
Symptom Free Protocol
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Symptom-Free Schools Protocol
The purpose of this protocol is to provide a learning environment that promotes the safety, health and welfare of our communities. This applies to students, staff, parents and guardians, volunteers, and any school visitors.
People entering KPBSD schools are asked to screen themselves and their children before entering any facility. Please stay home when experiencing symptoms of illness. Need Help? Call your School Nurse.
When to Stay Home from School and Contact Your School Nurse:
Stay home if:
• You have any signs or symptoms of illness (see list below)
• You are taking the first 24 hours of antibiotic treatment
• You have an undiagnosed, new and/or, untreated rash or skin condition
When to Return to School After Illness
• If you have been tested and are diagnosed with COVID19, you may return to school no sooner than 10 days after the onset of symptoms, or the date you took the test that was returned positive, and you have been symptom free for 24 hours without medication.
• If you have COVID19-like symptoms but choose not to be tested, you may return to school no sooner than 10 days after the onset of symptoms AND symptoms resolved for 24 hours without taking any medicine to reduce the fever.
• If you have COVID19-like symptoms, are tested and receive a negative result, you may provide the test result and return to school 24 hours after symptom resolve with no medication.
• If you have symptoms and visit a doctor who tests you for Covid19 and determines your symptoms are caused by something else besides COVID19, you can provide a doctor’s note and return to school 24 hours after symptoms resolve with no medication.
• If you feel the symptoms were caused by a chronic problem, such as allergies, please consult your School Nurse. You may return after symptoms resolve with a Health Care Provider alternate diagnosis exemption.
• If you are fully vaccinated (at least 14 days past the 2nd dose of Pfizer or Moderna; or 14 days past single Jansen) and develop symptoms of illness, experience loss of taste or smell, or have been exposed to a positive case. Testing may be required for attendance. Consult your School Nurse.
Molecular testing is required for symptomatic people, close contact reduced quarantine and when antigen testing produces a positive test result. Consult School Nurse.
When to stay home and get tested
● Fever greater than 100.4*F, chills, or a presumed fever (your child feels very warm) ● New cough
● Fatigue
● Muscle or body aches
● New loss of taste or smell
● Sore throat
● Congestion or runny nose
● Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
● Skin Lesions / Rash
Emergency Information
Do you know what to do in case of an emergency? What happens on snow days? What should parents do if there is a shelter in place, earthquake or lockdown at school? Below are links to district web pages and district information sheets for your information about the District Emergency Action Plan.
https://www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/Workarea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=34276
Do you have the KPBSD app? This is another tool to notify you in case of emergency. More information can be found at:
https://www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/communications.aspx?id=31262
Here are a couple quick answers to the questions asked above:
What if there is a huge snowstorm?
- Check on the KPBSD Facebook to see if school is closed. If you think it is dangerous to travel, you don't have to send your student to school. It is your call, but please call the school office so they know what's happening with your student.
What is ALICE?
- ALICE is a system to help keep as many students safe as possible during if an active shooter incident happens at our school. This program trains students and staff to know whether to evacuate, stay in place or counter. See the form below that explains what ALICE stands for.
What if there is an earthquake or active shooter at my school?
- Please don't rush to the school; this creates more challenges for the emergency responders and police and could make the situation more dangerous. It is better not to call your child; it distracts them from following safety instructions and could put them at risk in some situations. The police and school will not let students or staff out until everything is all clear. Check the school's Facebook page for information. Please trust us to take care of your children.