From the Desk of Dr. Harrington
Special Edition - School Re-opening
School Re-opening!
If you have questions, please give me a call at the school.
We are learners, We are achievers, We ARE Panthers!
Dr. Harrington, Principal
Masks are Required
- Masks are required in the building at all times.
- Please make sure your child has a properly fitted mask on prior to leaving home.
- Please send an extra mask in case the mask gets misplaced or dirty.
- Students may wear a face shield with their mask but not in place of their mask.
Arrival & Dismissal
Arrival
- Car riders will enter the building at the front door.
- Bus riders will enter the building at the cafeteria.
- Tardy students will enter through the front doors.
- Students must remain socially distant upon entry.
- Students may sanitize their hands upon entry into the building. Sanitizer will be available at door entryways.
- Students will enter the cafeteria to pick up breakfast and then proceed to his/her classroom.
- Breakfast will be eaten in the classroom with the teacher.
- All traffic will flow in one direction.
Tardy
- Students are tardy after 7:45 AM. If your child is tardy, you will come to the front doors.
- Ring the doorbell and the front office staff will let your child in and ensure they get to class.
- The teacher will mark the student tardy upon arrival.
Dismissal
- All students will be dismissed from their classroom in a one way flow of traffic through the building.
- Bus students will be dismissed first.
- Car Riders will be dismissed after bus riders.
Parents, please be patient as we are in a brand new learning space. We may take a little longer to dismiss as we adjust to our new routines. Safety is our priority. We want to take the time to ensure we are keeping everyone safe. Please allow ample time for us to dismiss. Please note - our new building is much larger than the previous school. Shorter legs take more time to move around the building.
There will be no changes to dismissal transportation.
ALL STUDENTS MUST BE PICKED UP BY 3:00 PM. Teachers leave the building promptly at 3:15 p.m.. This must happen to ensure the custodial staff has time to properly sanitize the building each day.
If you are unable to comply with the standard operations put in place for the safety of all stakeholders, your child may be placed back in the virtual setting.
Early Dismissal
If you need to pick your student up from school early, you will need to pick them up by 1:45 p.m. to ensure the safe dismissal of all students. No late check-outs will be permitted.
Arrival and Dismissal Times
7:00 AM - Doors open for Bus Riders and Car Rider
7:45 AM - Students are TARDY
2:15 PM - Bus Dismissal begins
2:20 PM - Car Rider Dismissal begins
We will not have AfterCare at this time.
Transportation
Bus Riders
Bus transportation will be provided for students who live on the bus route for Pleasantdale Elementary. Your child must wear a mask on the bus at all times. Your child should not get on the bus if he/she is showing signs of COVID that can not be attributed to another medical condition. If your child has a fever of 100 they should not come to school.
Please do not walk across Pleasantdale Road to get to the school. There will be a bus route for you.
Car riders
Drive up to the school and pull up to the front doors. Signage will be posted to help direct car traffic.
Breakfast & Lunch
- Breakfast and lunch will be free for the remainder of the year.
- Children are allowed to bring their own lunch to school.
- When weather is permissible, students will be allowed to eat outside.
When Does My Child Report to School?
Your reporting dates and cohort assignment will be provided to you next week.
Cohort A students report on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Cohort B students report on Thursdays and Fridays.
All Wednesdays are Independent Learning Days.
What Do I Bring to School?
Students should bring the following items to school everyday:
- District or personal digital device (chromebook or laptop)
- Headphones
- Personal water bottle
- Backpack if you choose
Our school supply list (by grade level) is available for reference on our school website.
How We Keep the Building Safe and Clean
- All rooms and high touch areas are sanitized throughout the day and after the building is clear as well as prior to the start of each day.
- There are sanitizing stations placed in high traffic areas around the building for use as needed.
- Social distance decals and directional arrows have been placed throughout the building.
- All students and staff are required to wear a mask at all times.
- All staff members have been provided with face shields.
Staying Virtual?
Your child will continue to receive high quality instruction and continued support in the remote setting. Your child will continue to log in to class through Teams, Zoom, or Google Meets.
When Do I Stay Home?
If a student has ANY of the symptoms below, STAY HOME AND DO NOT REPORT TO ANY DCSD BUILDING! Contact your healthcare provider. Do NOT Report to school if anyone in your household has been exposed to COVID. Please report this to your school principal and your child's teacher. Use the guide below:
o Fever/temperature at or above 100.0 or chills or sense of having a fever
o Cough that you cannot attribute to another health condition
o Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
o Ongoing fatigue that cannot be attributed to another health condition
o Muscle or body aches that cannot be attributed to another health condition or specific activity, such as physical exercise
o Headache that cannot be attributed to another health condition
o New loss of taste or smell
o Sore throat that cannot be attributed to another health condition
o Congestion or runny nose that cannot be attributed to another health condition
o Nausea or vomiting or diarrhea that cannot be attributed to another health condition
Children with COVID-19 generally have mild, cold-like symptoms, such as fever, runny nose, and cough. Vomiting and diarrhea have also been reported in some children.
If your child stays home due to exposure or mild symptoms but feels good, they may join their teacher's online class for the day.
What Happens if my Child is Exposed to COVID at School?
DCSD collaborates with the Georgia Department of Public Health and the DeKalb Board of Health who promptly identify individuals who have had recent close contact with a COVID-19 positive individual(s) to prevent further spread. The district follows guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as the state and local health departments for best practices and procedures to protect everyone’s health.
DSCD assists the DeKalb Board of Health by providing the name and contact information of individuals that test positive for COVID-19 and the names of contacts identified by the person with confirmed COVID-19. Isolation Guidance or Quarantine Guidance is provided to the individual by our Health Services Department based on their reported case.
Once students return to face to face, the schools will closely monitor the activities and location of students. If a student reports that he/she is feeling ill, the student will be referred to the school nurse for evaluation. If the student presents with a fever or symptoms, the student will be isolated from others, and parents will be called to pick up the student. Based on the symptoms, parents may be asked to seek medical advice to determine the cause of presenting symptoms.
What if my Child Gets Sick at School?
If your child gets sick at school, they will be held socially distant, in the Waiting Room with Nurse Benson. Nurse Benson will examine your child and contact you to notify you of any symptoms. She will also ask that you come and pick your child up as soon as possible.
Link to DCSD Re-opening Information
Pleasantdale PTO
1. PTO is free to join for the 2020-2021 school year!
2. PTO wants to get 100% of our families involved.
3. Click the link below to check out our PTO website.