Homecroft Elementary School
Update and Info
Welcome Back!
We are excited to reconnect with all of our students in whatever way possible this fall. We welcome the Class of 2034 to elementary school and all of our students in other grades who are new to us this year. Our primary goal remains, providing the best educational experience we can!
So much is changing, but one thing is for sure, we are here for you! Our teachers and staff are working hard to plan for each day we may find ourselves in this year. While our district currently is starting in a Hybrid Model, we know how fast things can change and we want to remind you that it is possible that we will be using all three learning models at some point this year.
We can't say this enough; thank you in advance for your patience with us as we consider every aspect of your child's educational experience during this pandemic. We know things will be different, and there will be some things we'll have to let go of, but there are opportunities for great new things, too!
This newsletter includes a lot of information that you have been waiting for. We encourage you to read through it to become familiar with new practices. While we are attempting to provide as many of these details as possible here, we know that things change daily and may have to make adjustments. The district or school will communicate any major changes should they occur.
In this document you will find updates for the following:
- Arrival/Dismissal
- Bus Transportation
- Parent pick up/drop off
- Screening your child
- how to report illness
- what will happen if a child gets sick
- what to bring/not bring
- Walking the halls
- Function safely in a classroom
- Face Coverings
- Breakfast/Lunch routines
Sincerely,
Tom Cawcutt, Principal
Bus Transportation
Safety guidelines will be followed, as outlined in the Stay Safe MN 2020-2021 Planning Guide for Schools:
- Check your child for fever and symptoms before sending them to the bus stop.
- Students must not board the bus if they have a fever or are experiencing symptoms of COVID.
- Students who become ill during the school day will need to find alternate transportation home.
- Make sure your child has their face covering. Per the Governor’s executive order, all students over the age of 5 years and staff will be required to wear cloth face coverings on the bus and in school, (unless medically exempt).
- Help your child understand how to keep six feet away from others at the bus stop.
- School buses are limited to 50% capacity for students and a 6 foot distance created between the driver and students.
- Students will fill the bus from the back to front and assigned seats may be implemented based on routes and capacities.
- Plans will strive to have 1 student per seat, but in certain cases, based on bus route enrollment, 50% capacity may mean students share seats. If this is required, siblings will be encouraged to sit together.
In addition:
- Staff will clean and disinfect transportation vehicles regularly, focusing on frequent cleaning of touched surfaces in the vehicle.
- Staff will keep doors and windows open when cleaning the vehicle and between trips to let the vehicles thoroughly air out.
BUSSERS UPON ARRIVAL
- Students will exit the bus and follow these procedures:
- Students will enter the building at the main entry.
- Students will be encouraged to use hand sanitizer upon entering.
- Students eating breakfast will go directly to the cafeteria.
- Students not eating breakfast will go directly to their classroom.
Arrival & Dismissal/Parent Pick Up & Drop Off
Once your child is dropped off at school they should proceed as indicated below:
Arrival / Dismissal Procedures
Homecroft Elementary
2020-2021
**Parents using parent pick up/drop off must have a vehicle pass, please see below for more information.
DISMISSAL PROCEDURES
Parents should notify the office by 1:00 PM for transportation and/or end of day changes. Changes cannot be made after 1:00 PM, thank you for understanding.
Bussers will be picked up in the bus alley and depart by 2:15.
Each day we will be dismissing classrooms in the following order:
2:00 - SPED Transportation
2:10 - Bus
2:15 - Car Pickup
CAR PICK UP PROCEDURES:
Families will be provided a Parent Pick Up Pass to put in their vehicle window that will correspond with the child(ren)’s pick-up number.
Families will drive into parent pick up, beginning at 2:05 PM. Please be mindful of congestion.
Families are to remain in their vehicle to expedite this process.
A Homecroft staff member will identify you and your vehicle number, and radio in to the staff member waiting inside with your child(ren) in the designated waiting area. Inside staff members will send your child(ren) out.
Once your child is safely in your vehicle, we ask that you promptly pull away from the building as this is a very congested area.
Please make a Right turn out of the parking lot to keep traffic flow moving.
Anyone other than the identified vehicle/license plate picking up your child will be questioned for appropriate identification and verified through the office.
Please notify the office of any changes by 1:00 PM. All students who have not been picked up by 2:25 will be waiting inside by the office area.
PRE SCHOOL STUDENTS will be exiting through the main entry. Pre School teachers will be providing instructions to families.
How do I get a parent pick up pass for my vehicle? Please complete the form below. Families will be given two cards at no cost. Replacement and/or additional cards are available for a fee.
ARRIVAL PROCEDURES
Parent Drop Off
Families will enter parent pickup/drop off in our south parking lot only.
Vehicles should enter through the southern most entrance and exit through the northern entrance of the south lot. Please make a right turn when exiting.
Students will be encouraged to use hand sanitizer upon entering
Grades K-5 eating breakfast will go directly to breakfast. Those not eating will go directly to their classroom.
Families, please stay in line and remain in your vehicle as you are dropping off your child. This parking lot will be very busy especially during drop off and pick up times.
Once your child(ren) is safely out of your vehicle, we ask that you promptly pull away from the building as we will have several vehicles in line each day.
There will be no parking allowed in the driveway. Families will not be allowed to walk into the building with their child.
We will have teachers waiting to meet students to walk them to class, especially our youngest learners. Grade K and 1 will be attended to by our specialists.
Bussers
Students will enter the building at the main entry. Students eating will go directly to the cafeteria. Those not eating will go directly to their classroom.
These procedures when followed by all, will work well to keep our students, staff, and families safe. Thank you for your cooperation!
HEALTH SCREENING YOUR CHILD
District Message:
Families are asked to check temperatures and conduct home symptom screening before sending children to school. Keep children home if they have a fever or symptoms. Please review the following information from the Minnesota Department of Health and keep the Home Screening Tool handy for daily checks.
Download the MDH Home Screening Tool
Download the COVID Attendance Guide for Parents and Families
Please report your child's illness and absence to your school.
Make sure your child has their face mask. Masks are required in school and on buses.
Per the Governor’s executive order, and Duluth Public Schools policy all students older than 5 years of age and staff will be required to wear cloth face coverings, (unless medically exempt). Only students with documented medical conditions and/or IEP team determined cognitive or behavioral health concerns will be allowed to not wear a mask.
Make sure your child has their bottle of water.
School water fountains are not available during the pandemic.
Reporting an Illness
Reporting an Illness
Please contact the school attendance office if your child is ill. Contact 336-8900 option 2.
If this is covid related, the department of health would be contacting the building directly. If you have any questions, please call the school office for information.
This decision tool applies to children, students, or staff members who are experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19. It comes from the MN Department of Health.
Symptoms consistent with COVID-19 fall into two groups:
- More common symptoms are one or more of these: fever of 100.4℉ or higher, new onset and/or worsening cough, difficulty breathing, and new loss of taste or smell.
- Less common symptoms are two or more of these: sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chills, muscle pain, excessive fatigue, new onset of severe headache, and new onset of nasal congestion or runny nose
What will happen if a child gets sick?
Duluth Elementary Schools will keep track of any illness of any student or staff member in accordance with district policy.
This will allow us to do proper contact tracing in the event that may be needed. If this is needed, District administration will assist the School.
Any staff or student showing signs of illness will immediately be isolated and safety measures will be taken.
Processes and procedures will be followed to determine if quarantine of staff or students is necessary as well as students and staff that believe they have been exposed
A positive test (staff or student) will start a 14 day quarantine for that cohort, and trigger remote learning for the cohort.
Decisions relating to quarantining or building closures will be made in collaboration with MDH (Minnesota Department of Health) based on the facts and the individual circumstances. Minimally, if a student or staff member tests positive, the other students in their cohort, or any they may have had contact with, will be quarantined for a period of 14 days and transition to remote learning for that time.
What to bring/not to bring?
- Bring a water bottle for use during the school day as water fountains have been turned off
- Supply list for 20-21
- Please keep personal toys at home.
FUNCTIONING SAFELY IN THE CLASSROOM
FUNCTIONING SAFELY IN THE CLASSROOM
Make sure your child has their bottle of water.
School water fountains are not available during the pandemic.
Classroom procedures.
- Each classroom has sanitizing supplies for use throughout the day.
- Classrooms are set up so students have space between each other to work.
All shared seating options (e.g. couches, bean bag chairs) have been removed. Many items in the classroom will be removed to allow for maximum space between students.
Hand sanitizing stations will be set up at the entry of each classroom.
Desks or tables will be arranged to the extent possible for social distancing. Cooperative learning options will be limited- face coverings are required in small groups when social distancing is not possible.
Face Coverings
This face covering information has been established because we respect and care for ourselves and every person that we encounter in our school. Patience and kindness should be paramount in all our interactions as we work together to make our school safe and healthy and accommodating for all.
The Minnesota Department of Education will be providing all staff and students with a reusable, washable face covering to start the school year. It is encouraged that families and staff obtain additional face coverings as needed.
Face Coverings will be distributed to students on their first day of in-person learning.
What to do!
Students are also encouraged to bring their own cloth face covering, if possible. Face coverings should be:
Be clean and in good repair
Fit snugly, but comfortably against the side of the face
Be secure and should cover the wearer’s nose and mouth
Allow for breathing without restriction
Be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape. They should be routinely washed depending on the frequency of use.
Be on the wearer's face
Take breaks from wearing them:
Staff when in a working space alone, may remove face coverings
Off when eating or drinking, however, practice physical distancing. Students should be sitting at desks or outside when eating snacks and/or lunch.
Off when outside at recess as long as social distancing of 6 feet from others is being enforced.
Staff to consider taking “Mask breaks” at certain, designated times of the days. .
When not wearing the mask, students will be taught a procedure what to do with the mask with the wearer's name on it and at his/her desk.
Educators and paras will wear face coverings while instructing or working in close proximity (one-to-one) with a student. Staff may remove coverings when alone in office or other classroom space.
Will expect all parties are wearing face coverings correctly if at any time social distancing measures cannot be met and there is a need for two people to be less than 6 feet from one another.
During small group instruction, reading, math groups etc. all students wear them while next to each other in a small group. Spreading apart and facing the same direction willbe better for virus mitigation.
Staff and students wear them upon entrance to the building and during passing times in hallways.
Use hand sanitizer or wash hands for 20 seconds, before putting on the face covering and after taking it off. How to safely wear and take off a cloth face covering.
When using a medical grade face covering, make sure the metal piece is on the top and over the nose and colored-side faces outward. This will ensure the pleats of the face covering are downward.
Practice masking at home to get used to wearing a mask on the face prior to coming to school.
Face-Shields may be utilized by instructors in addition
Students/staff with disabilities that may not be able to wear a face covering, accommodation may be necessary as indicated by a medical expert.
What not to do:
Touch your face and rearrange the face covering on the wearer’s face.
Share face coverings with others.
Touch eyes, nose or mouth when removing mask.
Wear them under the nose, around the neck, rest under the chin or on the forehead or hanging off one ear.
Wear loose or ill-fitting masks.
Continue to wear a face covering that has holes, rips and tears in it.
Continue to wear a face covering that is wet from condensation or sweat. Replace the face covering if it is damp or wet.
Remove it to talk with someone.
Place face coverings on young children younger than 2 years of age, anyone who has trouble breathing, sensory concerns, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the cover with without assistance.
Walking in the Hallway
- Hallway floors are marked with arrows by direction.
- In general, students should stay to the right while walking down hallways. "BE POLITE, STAY TO THE RIGHT"
- Hallway walls have tape showing distances of six feet.
- Students should stay six feet apart while walking in the halls.
- It's more important than ever for students to keep their hands to themselves
- There are hand sanitizing stations throughout each building and in each classroom.
- Water fountains are not available for use during the pandemic.
- Classrooms will reinforce this new learning with classroom instruction and practice
Breakfast/Lunch Routines
Students will have an opportunity to wash or use hand sanitizer before lunch.
Students wear their face masks while getting their food.
Students will be served their lunch on a tray, including fruits and vegetables.
We're not using keypads during the pandemic. Child Nutrition staff will check in students.
Cafeteria tables are marked for six feet of space between students.
Students can take off their mask once seated and ready to begin eating.
Students will put their mask back on when they get up and walk around the cafeteria.
In addition:
- School breakfast and lunches, whether students are in-person or at home learning, are available at no charge.
- Students are allowed to bring their lunch to school, a carton of milk can be purchased for 50 cents.
BUILDING PROCEDURES
Before Breakfast
- When arriving to school, students will immediately go to the cafeteria for breakfast or to their classrooms if not having breakfast.
- Students will follow physical distancing when entering the cafeteria and proceeding through the food line
Before Lunch/Breakfast
- Students will wash their hands with soap and water
During Lunch
- Meals be served in cafeteria
- Students may bring their lunch from home
- Students will be spaced 6 ft apart while in line
- Lunch will be served in single-serving containers
- Seats at each table will be marked for use.
- Tables and seats will be wiped down after each section of students leave.
- Nutrition personal will be using protective equipment as required per USDA and MDH
After Lunch
- Students will wash their hands with soap and water
- Face Coverings go back on after eating
- Monitored bathroom breaks from the lunchroom
Safety in Kitchens & Cafeterias
- Food & Nutrition staff will wear face coverings during meal preparation and distribution..
- Students will follow physical distancing when entering the cafeteria lines and sitting at tables.
- Tables will be sanitized after each student section goes through the cafeteria.
- Food items will be pre-portioned and placed on trays.
- Meal distribution processes will be reviewed regularly and updated as needed. Signage and floor tape on the floor indicating 6 feet social distancing.
- Food items will individualized in a "grab and go style". Discontinued will be self-service food or beverage distribution in the cafeteria. Meals, snacks, and beverages served at school must be individually packaged, wherever possible. Where individual packaging is not possible, food and beverages must be served directly to students. As always, ensure the safety of children with food allergies.
- Lunch offerings will be prepared according to USDA guidelines.
- Duluth Public Schools Nutrition staff will follow caloric and food categories in order to obtain USDA reimbursement.
- Upon completion of in-school meals, students will be washing hands before returning to the classroom.