Tiffany Ridge Safety Guidelines
Back to School Special Edition 2.0 - August 2021
Safety is our priority!
Health Guidelines for Students and Staff
If a student or a staff member is sick, it is more important than ever that they stay home. Please help us keep our community safe by being cautious and staying away, even if you think an illness could be allergies. The nurse at your school will be happy to help you talk through your symptoms.
Students and staff should screen for these symptoms each day:
- Fever or chills According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a fever is 100.4 F or greater.
- Cough
- Rash
- Sore throat
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Diarrhea
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Muscle or body aches
COVID Flowchart for Students
5 Pillars of Prevention at Tiffany Ridge
1. Hand Hygiene
- All learning spaces will have hand sanitizer.
- All classes will wash their hands and/or use sanitizer before and after lunch, before and after recess, and before and after specials.
- Students will also clean their hands when entering and exiting any resource, intervention, and special education classrooms.
- Teachers will also develop hand hygiene routines specific to their classroom schedule.
- All teachers will teach and review proper hand-washing techniques.
2. Physical Distancing
We will take steps to promote physical distancing, although we cannot always keep everyone six feet apart.
- Common Spaces: We will stagger the use of common spaces, including the cafeteria, playground, and specials areas. Physical contact will be avoided when possible. Few people will be allowed in the front office. Visitors will be asked to use the camera doorbell.
- Assigned Seats: We will use markers to indicate where each student should sit each time they visit the cafeteria and the gym.
- Schedules and Transitions: We have adjusted recess and lunch schedules to allow for more cleaning and disinfection. We have created a schedule for transitions at all times to avoid congestion throughout the school.
- Hallways: Sit spots have been placed throughout classrooms and the hallways to indicate appropriate social distancing while in lines, such as the bathrooms. Teachers will also encourage students to maintain social distance while in line using phrases like, "keep one Timberwolf apart" or "use airplane arms."
3. Cleaning
4. Cohort Groups
- Students will remain with their cohort group throughout the day, with the exception of recess.
- At lunch, each class will have their own table and students will have assigned seats. Supervisors will bring students the things they need to avoid excess movement within the cafeteria.
- Students who participate in small group instruction with specialized staff will continue meeting in these groups using appropriate protective equipment, hand hygiene, and physical distancing as much as possible.
5. Masks
- All staff and students are currently required to wear masks when in the building. Masks must be worn at all times except when eating, drinking, exercising, or playing outside during recess. Students and staff will take brief 'mask breaks' when appropriate.
- Students and staff without a mask will be provided reusable mask if needed.
Precautions and Prevention...
In the Health Room:
Our school nurse will follow all of the recommended health and safety guidelines if a child is sent to the health room with Covid-19 symptoms. The following is a list of extra precautions we have in place for the health room.
- frequent hand washing, use of hand sanitizer, gloves, with proper PPE worn based on the individual's health needs
- cots, chairs, and other surfaces will be cleaned and disinfected between staff/student visits and throughout the day as needed
- A stop sign will be used outside the health room to encourage students and staff to stop before entry. This will allow the nurse an opportunity to promote: social distancing, appropriate personal protective equipment, and hand hygiene.
- Nurse Nicole will provide each classroom with a more extensive than usual first aid kit. This will help staff manage minor health needs without sending students to the health room.
- Teachers will call the nurse prior to sending any students. We will also continue to use health room passes.
On the Bus:
First Student will train drivers about health and safety precautions for COVID-19. We will open windows when possible.
- Hand Hygiene: We will provide hand sanitizer.
- Physical Distancing: First Student will create assigned seats for students riding the bus, with siblings sitting together when possible. The seat behind the driver will remain empty.
- Cleaning: First Student will disinfect all surfaces on the buses at the end of each route.
- Cohort Groups: When possible, First Student will assign drivers to a single bus and route.
- Masks: Students must wear masks. Drivers will wear masks when students are boarding and getting off the bus.
At Breakfast and Lunch:
Students who choose to have breakfast will go directly to the cafeteria upon entering the building. Students will be offered a hot breakfast, and sit at an assigned table in the cafeteria.
Students will wash their hands before lunch and will use hand sanitizer as they enter and exit the cafeteria. Students will eat lunch with their grade level cohort group.
We cannot distribute any outside food or beverages to our students. This means we will not have birthday treats from outside the school. If families or teachers would like to purchase birthday treats for their students, please work through our Nutrition Services Department. This information is available in the Weekly Howl.
A Few More things...
- For the safety of our students and staff, visitors will not be allowed in the building. Only school district employees are allowed to enter Tiffany Ridge Elementary. Unfortunately this means no lunch or classroom visitors, including the first day of school.
- We cannot distribute any outside food or beverages to our students. This means we will not have birthday treats from outside the school. If families or teachers would like to purchase birthday treats for their students, please work through our Nutrition Services Department. This information is available in the Weekly Howl.
- Please send a reusable water bottle to school with your child.
- Please contact us if you have questions!
- For more detailed information. Please refer to the Health and Safety Precautions on our district website: HEALTH AND SAFETY PRECAUTION