Werner Phase 4 Details
January 15, 2021
Message from Mr. Camp
With the shift to Phase 4, there will be many similarities from Phase 3. This site will keep you updated with information about changes and other important information in this shift. As I have shared throughout this year, we appreciate your continued support and everyone doing their part to be safe and care well for others. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know (hcamp@psdschools.org).
Sincerely,
Hayden
Phase 4 Updates
Screening: Please screen your child for symptoms prior to sending them to school. If your child is sick, they will need to stay home. Call our attendance line (488-5551) to report absences. Communicate with office staff first if there is any information regarding the health of your child or someone in your family that the school needs to know, please do NOT reach out to the teacher first. There is a COVID Response Team (CRT) at each school which includes the front office staff and there are processes and procedures we need to follow. Once you communicate with office, we can start determining next steps which includes communicating the right message to the intended people.
Face Coverings: Everyone (staff, students, and parents) will be required to wear face coverings that covers their mouth and nose on school grounds. Parents/guardians are responsible for providing their students with face coverings. Please provide your child with a spare face covering to keep in their backpack or desk. Staff will be providing mask breaks throughout the day and students will be wearing masks while at recess.
Handwashing: Staff will have students wash and/or sanitize hands throughout the day (transition points and after restroom)
Spacing/Barriers: Spacing between desks is maximized to the greatest extent possible (about 3-6 feet of distance). If students are in mixed cohorts for intervention support, they will be 6-feet apart. Barriers will be provided for students to use when eating, when 3 ft. of distance is not possible, or when staff work facing with students less than 6-ft (with mask on).
PSD Protocols for COVID-19: Students will cohort by the classroom. Rather than investigating and identifying close contacts, all people in a classroom will shift to remote education for 10 days to prevent the possible spread of the virus. This includes the homeroom teacher and any itinerant staff (paraprofessionals helping with lunch, specials teachers, etc.) who were in the classroom. All may return to school/work once cleared to do so. In the event that we need to shift to remote learning with a classroom, teachers will have already provided an emergency packet of work for students to do (sent home the first week of school) the following school day while we put together materials/technology for parent to pick up. We will communicate by email when these shifts may happen, with a phone call to cue you.
Why change from targeted to enhanced contact tracing between first and second semester? We did not believe PSD preschool/elementary COVID-19 Response Teams would be able to balance the significant workload of targeted contact tracing and keep our youngest learners in school all day, every day.
Although we recognize the remote shift is disruptive, this approach reduces case response work and allows staff to have the time to consistently deliver full-time in-person education.
LCDHE will issue quarantine orders to students and staff identified as close contacts.
Student Absences: Once we are back in Phase 4, absences and make up of work will be treated like previous years. If your child is out, please connect with their teacher to get the missed work. Laptops will not be sent home because there will not be synchronous remote teaching occurring unless the whole class is required to shift to remote by the health department. We will look at each case separately and make sure the student is getting the needed materials to make up the work missed.
Arrival Procedures: School begins at 8:50 am. Students may arrive no earlier than 8:30 am and will proceed directly to their outer classroom door. Breakfast will be available on the southeast portion of the playground near the modular and will be eaten in the classroom. Parents will need to stay in their car or off school property (outside the fenced areas) in order to reduce the amount of people on school grounds. Staff will be available to help guide students. If you have a kindergarten student or ILS support, you may walk your child up to the school if they need this support. Please keep distanced and wear your mask. Students arriving after 8:50 will need to enter through the main office.
Dismissal Procedures: Students will be dismissed at 3:28 pm. Please wait in your car for your student (south car lot in Pick-Up lane). If you are parked on one of the surrounding streets (Highcastle, Roma Valley, or Mail Creek Lane) you may wait off school grounds (outside the fenced areas) for your child to come to you. Please remain distanced and wear your mask.
Breakfast/Lunch: Meals will continue to be offered for free for students through the remainder of this school year. Students may also bring their own lunch. Breakfast will be available on the southeast portion of the playground near the modular and will be eaten in the classroom. Students will eat meals inside the classroom or outside when the weather is nice. Barriers will be used at when students eat in the classrooms.
Recess: Students will be expected to wear masks outside while at recess. They may take a quick mask break while distanced from others. Classroom cohorts will play in a zone so that students do not mix. Classrooms are provided with balls and equipment. Students should not bring their own personal items (balls, toys, etc.).
Technology: We will ask that you return your child’s laptop and cord on Tuesday, January 19. In the event that your child’s classroom shifts to remote learning, we will communicate about a time to pick up technology needed.
Snack/Water Bottles: Students may bring a snack and filled water bottle. Your child’s teacher will communicate any other needs with this.
BIRTHDAYS
This year, students may celebrate their birthday by choosing a special activity or extra recess for their class. With current pandemic and restrictions, we will not be allowing birthday treats. If your child has a summer birthday, please let your teacher know when you plan to celebrate it.
Visitors/Volunteers: All nonessential visitors and volunteers are restricted until further notice.
AlphaBEST: Before and After School Child-Care is available on a space available basis. For more information, go to: https://www.alphabest.org/poudreco.
Processes when staff or students are exposed to or test positive for COVID-19
Return to learning guidance
For students and staff returning to work or school in PSD following a positive COVID-19 symptom screen, PSD follows the CDPHE Return to Learn guidance for K-12 schools.
A group of nurses and PSD staff evaluated the updated guidance, which is now in effect and outlines when staff and students can return to work and school.
Note: This guidance is NOT intended for cases or close contacts of COVID-19. A confirmed COVID-19 case or close contact should follow public health isolation or quarantine instructions for return to school/work.
Critical symptoms
- Loss of taste or smell
Critical symptom response:
- Follow home isolation for 10 days following symptom onset AND be 24 hours fever free without use of fever-reducing meds before returning to school.
- COVID-19 test recommended.
Major symptoms
- Feeling feverish, having chills, temperature of 100.4 F or greater
- New or worsening cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Major symptom response:
- If symptoms resolve within 24 hours of onset and stay resolved an additional 24 hours, return to school. (48 hours total)
- If symptoms DO NOT resolve within 24 hours, either:
- Follow home isolation for 10 days following symptom onset AND 24 hours fever free without use of fever-reducing meds before returning to school.
- Get a polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, COVID-19 test. If test is negative, return to school once symptom-free for 24 hours. If positive, follow home isolation for 10 days following symptom onset AND 24 hours fever free without use of fever-reducing meds before returning to school.
Minor symptoms
- Sore throat
- Runny nose or congestion
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Nausea, vomiting
- Diarrhea
Minor symptom response:
- If symptoms resolve within 24 hours of onset and stay resolved an additional 24 hours, return to school. (48 hours total)
- If symptoms resolve within 48 hours of onset and stay resolved an additional 24 hours, return to school. (72 hours total)
- If symptoms DO NOT resolve within 48 hours, either:
- Follow home isolation for 10 days following symptom onset AND 24 hours fever free without use of fever-reducing meds before returning to school.
- Get a polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, COVID-19 test. If test is negative, return to school once symptom-free for 24 hours. If positive, follow home isolation for 10 days following symptom onset AND 24 hours fever free without use of fever-reducing meds before returning to school.
If there are questions about when a student can return to school, the school nurse or PSD health staff will make that determination.
PSD's Return to In-Person Learning Update
Jan. 6, 2021
Dear PSD families,
Welcome back. I hope that you and your family had a restful and safe winter break. Regardless of the circumstances we faced during the first five months of the school year, it is always good to connect with family and friends over the holidays and still celebrate our traditions in some way.
The purpose of this message is to provide you with updated information as we begin our second half of the school year. I will start with the most important details, first. We adjusted our January/February schedule for our secondary students. While PSD preschool and elementary students remain on-schedule to resume in-person learning Tuesday, Jan. 19, our secondary schedules are changed to allow students to begin their in-person learning sooner than previously announced and, in some cases, for more days per week. Additionally, we have set future dates for our secondary students to begin in-person learning, five days per week.
- Poudre Global Academy, Centennial and Poudre Community Academy will communicate schedules to their families and students.
After evaluating Larimer County COVID-19 data and PSD-specific data gathered throughout the fall while students were in school, we decided to move forward with in-person learning for all PSD students. PSD data and other reputable sources suggest there is minimal spread of COVID-19 in schools, particularly for students ages 5 to 14. Students grow most when they are with their teachers and classmates, and they deserve nothing less than the best chance at success, academically and social-emotionally.
In-person learning presents safety challenges that differ by school level. In elementary school, students are generally grouped by their homerooms. When it is necessary to go to remote learning due to a COVID-19 case, the shift can be limited to a homeroom or a smaller group of students. Secondary students have multiple classes in a day and are around more people throughout the day. As a result, you will see a shifts to remote learning for larger groups of middle and high school students who may be close contacts with a COVID-19 case.
Regardless of the grade level, student and staff safety remain a high priority. You will see this commitment in action as we make our decisions for shifting students to remote learning in response to COVID-19 cases. We will monitor our data and quickly address higher risk situations; actions may include temporary closure of individual schools when percent positivity rates are 1% or higher. Although there will be shifts to remote education, we are opening our schools for in-person learning with the intent of keeping them open for the remainder of the year. We are pointing forward in 2021.
COVID-19 testing: With the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment (LCDHE), PSD will offer testing to symptomatic staff and students by about Jan. 19, to coincide with students’ return to school. We will share more information as it is available.
Vaccinations: The state, not PSD, controls the distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations and has a tiered plan based upon risk level. The 1A-tier, highest-risk healthcare workers are receiving vaccinations now, and people in the 1B tier will follow. In a Jan. 5 announcement, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said that vaccinations will be allocated to those in the top 1B tier (moderate-risk healthcare workers, people 70 years and older) from about mid-January to late February. After these groups, CDPHE estimates providers will be ready to vaccinate bottom 1B tier, frontline essential workers, including teachers and childcare workers, likely beginning around the end of February. PSD will work with LCDHE, so we are ready to go as soon as vaccinations are made available to us.
Health and Safety: Upon their return, students and staff will be expected to continue following our health protocols. We will maximize distancing and practice the 3 Ws, but 6 feet of social distance will not always be possible due to physical space limitations with more students attending more of the time. PSD will align with CDPHE’s updated Return to Learn guidance for when staff and students may return to work and school after experiencing illness symptoms (not a COVID-19 case). These replace the previous iteration of illness protocols.
COVID-19 protocols: Contact tracing will look different at the preschool/elementary and secondary levels. Read more on the PSD COVID-19 Protocols web page. Track the district’s data on PSD’s COVID-19 data dashboards.
Meals and transportation: Meals will be free to all PSD students through the rest of the school year. Distribution information plans will be posted on the Meals During 2020-21 web page. The Transportation Department is working quickly to re-design routes for all grade levels and will notify families as soon as possible about whether their students will be bussed. More information >>
It is incumbent upon each of us to wear a mask, wash our hands and watch our distance. We are counting on students, staff, families and community members to build and maintain our shared culture of safety. Let’s open our schools and keep them open.
Thank you, and I hope you all have a great start to the second semester.
Sincerely,
Todd Lambert, Ph.D.
Interim superintendent
Technology Support Tips
You can also use the Tech Portal for tech support when you need it: https://techportal.psdschools.org/. If you have any other questions about technology, please contact our Media Specialist, Debbie Powers, at dpowers@psdschools.org.
PSD 2020-21 School Year
Stay up-to-date with PSD's plans for the 2020-21 school year at: https://www.psdschools.org/psd2020-21. This site will house all the information needed for the different phases and updates throughout the year.
Werner Elementary School
Email: hcamp@psdschools.org
Website: https://wer.psdschools.org/
Location: 5400 Mail Creek Lane, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Phone: (970) 488-5550
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wernerwildcats/
Twitter: @WernerWildcats