CKES Reopening Information
2020-21
Dear Families,
I hope everyone is doing well as we come to the conclusion of summer and prepare for our return to school! I am emailing today to provide you with health and safety information specific to Claysburg-Kimmel Elementary.
Masks Update 8/17/2020
Monday, August 17, 2020 3:31 PM
As you know, the health and safety of Pennsylvania’s school communities is top priority, and the guidance we release to support and maintain the health and safety of school communities is rooted in science, data, and research. As more data and research becomes available, the information that becomes guidance must evolve – something we’ve shared with you since we began releasing reopening guidance.
Last week, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released an update to their guidance strongly recommending children age two and older should wear face coverings at all times to help mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Prior guidance we released in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) stated students in schools could remove their face coverings as long as six feet of social distancing could be maintained. Given this recent change from the AAP, and consistent with the Secretary of Health’s Face Covering Order issued on July 1, 2020,
DOH is requiring students wear face coverings at all times while in school, even when six feet of social distancing can be achieved. There are limited exceptions.
Visit our Answers to FAQs on Face Coverings/Masks webpage for more information.
Thank you for your continued commitment to ensuring a safe learning environment for your students and staff.
Matthew Stem
Deputy Secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
PA Departement of Education
Orientation Days August 26-28
August 26-28 Orientation Day/i-Pad Distribution---Regular school times
Wednesday August 26th
Full Day for all students whose last name begins with A-K
Thursday August 27th
Full Day for all students whose last name begins with L-Z
Friday August 28th
No School for All Students –Teacher Act 80 Day
Hybrid Plan
· The Hybrid plan will be in place for the first marking period (Aug. 31 – Oct. 30)
· Grades K – 3 will attend school every day (5 days a week)
· Grades 4 – 6 will attend school 4 days a week
o Student’s “Off Day” will be determined by their last name.
§ A – Cla (Off Mondays)
§ Cle – G (Off Tuesdays)
§ H – Ma (Off Wednesdays)
§ Mc – Ri (Off Thursdays)
§ Ro – Z (Off Fridays)
· If a household has students with different last names and are not in the same range, for example A – Cla and one student has last name beginning with T, those households will have the option of coming in at either assigned grouping
o Families with this situation are asked to contact the school office to indicate their preference
· During Off Days students will be doing remote learning which may include paper and pencil learning activities and use the Zoom app on their iPads to watch a live stream in the classroom.
Before School
· Parents are required to take their child’s temperature before each school day in the morning
· If your child presents COVID symptoms, he/she should remain at home and the parent is advised to consult the child’s physician
Arrival - Bus/Parent Dropoff
· Students who ride a bus to school will be dropped off at the front of the building and will enter the school through the main entrance.
· Students will be dismissed from their buses in a staggered manner, dismissing front to back of the bus
· Parent drop off will be between 8:25 and 8:45 am
· No students will be permitted to be dropped off prior to 7:50 am unless utilizing the new before/after school program. Contact the elementary office if you are interested in this option.
· Students who are being dropped off by parent/guardian will enter through the main entrance no earlier than 8:20.
Dismissal
· Student dismissal from school will be staggered so that all students are not walking the halls and to the bus at the same time
· Students who are picked up via private transportation will do so from the kindergarten entrance as in years past.
· On any given day, parents signing out and picking up their child will do so at the main entrance. Parents will wait outside until the student is called for dismissal
Breakfast
· Breakfast will be served after the bell
· A grab and go breakfast kiosk will be available on each floor
· Students will eat in classrooms between 8:20 and 8:45
Lunch
· Students will be grouped by cohorts
· Students will line up by lunch choice to go through cafeteria lines
· There will be no keypad, so students will be issued a school ID card with a barcode to scan for lunch
· Seating will be rearranged to reduce proximity between students
Recess
· Cohorts will rotate through different areas of playground throughout the week
· Playground equipment use will not be permitted, as adequate disinfecting is not possible during the school day
Hallways
· When possible, students and staff will walk on the right side of the hallway
· Students and staff will be required to wear shields/masks when in the hallway
Restrooms
· Restroom breaks will be scheduled throughout the day
· Students will be permitted to go to the restroom when needed, even if it is not during their regularly scheduled break
· Custodians will sanitize restrooms throughout school day and every evening
Classrooms/Instruction
· Cohorts of students will be kept together for the duration of the school day, as that reduces movement and will minimize a student’s (and teacher’s) cohort of contact, the number of other bodies they come in contact with in a given day
· Teachers will give students the opportunity to get up, stretch, and take breaks throughout the day.
· Special education and Title 1 teachers will pull students out of cohorts as needed to address their needs; when pulled out, social distancing will occur to the maximum extent feasible and proper hygiene measures will be monitored
· Grades and attendance will count (grades will not be pass/fail)
· Efforts will be made to have students complete homework and projects in class as much as possible
Homeroom Cohorts
· Locker usage will not be permitted
· Students will hang their backpacks/coats in the hallway to minimize cross contamination
· Classrooms will be cleared of non-essential furniture and items to maximize space for student seating arrangements
· Desks will be used instead of tables in all classrooms and will be positioned so that all face the same direction and are staggered
· School supplies and instructional materials will be assigned to individual students and kept separate from the other cohorts SPECIALS
· Art, Music, Computer, Guidance, and Library teachers will travel to grade level classrooms to instruct
· Teachers may take classes outside when appropriate
Communication
· Variety of district communication systems (School Messenger, social media, etc.) will be used to notify staff, families, and the public of any school closures and within-school-year changes to safety protocols
· In addition to district email and phone, teachers will be using class communication systems
o Grades K – 4 will use the SeeSaw app to communicate with households
o Grades 5 – 6 will use Microsoft Teams to communicate with households
NOTE: Grades 7 – 12 will also use MS Teams to communicate with households
Health and Safety
· Staff will be educated on signs/symptoms of COVID-19
· Parents should check for symptoms before their child leaves from home. If the student is showing COVID symptoms, he/she should remain at home and the parent should consult the child’s physician.
· If a student or staff member were to test positive for COVID-19, the DoH will lead contact tracing and advise the district on the appropriate safety measures to put in place.
· Face coverings will follow the Dept. of Health requirements.
· Face coverings should be clearly labeled with student’s name
· There will be a wellness room and sick room in nurse’s office specifically for students displaying COVID symptoms
Miscellaneous
· For early dismissals, parents will enter the vestibule and use computer to have their student dismissed; the student will then be called down by the building secretary for dismissal
· There will be no field trips in the fall semester
· Consideration for field trips will be taken in the spring semester depending on current situation
· No inside school facilities usage (basketball, volleyball, softball, etc)
· No after-school activities/clubs
· No large group face-to-face assemblies
· No class parties or snacks brought in on birthdays
· School assemblies will be virtual
· No classroom/school volunteers or visitors
· No large-scale face-to-face community events
· IEP, GIEP, or parent meetings will be phone, virtual, or face to face depending on the situation
· Parent-Teacher Conferences may be held remotely via phone or video conference
· Picture Day will still occur but mitigation efforts will be in place
PTO meetings held virtuallyTechnology Hotline: 814-239-0348
Claysburg Kimmel Elementary School
Website: cksdbulldogs.com
Location: 240 C K Elementary Dr, Claysburg, PA, USA
Phone: 814-239-5144
Facebook: facebook.com/ckbulldogs.com
Twitter: @ckbulldogs