What's New at Walnut?
November 3, 2020
Reopening Guide
- Monday, Nov. 9th--TK through 2nd Grade
- Thursday, November 12th--3rd through 5th grade (as well as TK-2)
Students in the Remote Learning Cohorts will continue as usual. If parents requested a change from Remote to Blended, or from Blended to Remote, their child will have a new teacher. Some of the teachers in the Remote program are based at other schools; however, they do have Walnut students in their classes. Our remote teachers are: Mrs. Champlin (AM only), Mrs. Hogue (PM only), Mrs. Merziotis, Ms. Villanueva, Mrs. Taketa, Ms. Brady, Mrs. Feiereisen & Mrs. Ludders, Mrs. Upton, and Mrs. Lamoreaux.
If you requested a change in learning model for your child, and that change was approved, you will receive a written notice via email this week. Everyone should have already received a confirmation phone call. Nearly every requested change has been accommodated; however, we can not always promise a change to the Blended model since we are limited by classroom size with social distancing requirements.
If you have any questions about the Nov. 9th and Nov. 12th transitions, feel free to contact Mrs. Wall directly or attend the Parent Q&A Session via Zoom on Thursday, Nov. 5th, at 6:00 p.m. The Zoom link will be sent by email.
Please check the CVUSD School Opening & Safety Plan as well as the Parent Information presentations on the Walnut Website. conejousd.org/walnut
Masks Required on Campus
If your child sneezes into their mask, or it becomes soiled in any other way, we will ask them to remove it and put on a fresh mask. They will also be asked to wash their hands.
Face shields do not count as masks but may be worn in addition to a mask.
Anyone refusing to comply with the mask policy will be sent home. Thank you for helping us keep our campus as safe as possible!
New Things on Campus:
Distancing Dots at Gates and Classrooms
Pawprints for Dismissal
Handwash Stations
Sanitizer Stations
Waiting Stickers
Directional Arrows
Drop Off and Pick Up
Drop-Off and Pick-Up Locations:
TK/K—Gate on Lesser Drive (older siblings welcome)
Bus Riders—Gate on Lesser Drive (all bus riders are actively screened and must pass before boarding the bus)
Grades 1 & 2—Gate by front office
Grades 3-5—Center gate by the MPR
Gates open at 8:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Students must pass the screening and have a temperature less than 99.5 to enter campus. Tip—Have children wear a sweatshirt or jacket that they can easily take off (don't bundle up). Do not drop them off early. There is no supervision, and their temperature may be elevated if they stand in the sun. If a temperature is 99.5 or higher but the child doesn’t look sick or report any symptoms, they will be allowed to wait in the shade for a few minutes before rechecking.
Wednesdays
Dismissal times:
10:30 AM, Cohort A
2:30 PM, Cohort B
Safety Policies in Place for COVID-19 Mitigation
CVUSD/Walnut’s Reopen & COVID-19 Mitigation Plan addresses the following:
Promoting Healthy Hygiene Practices--hand sanitizer upon arrival at school; handwashing with soap & water upon entering the classroom initially, after recess, and before leaving.
Cleaning, Disinfecting, and Ventilation--Classrooms are disinfected between cohorts and thoroughly cleaned each day with extra attention focused on high touch points. Classrooms have new air filters-, with MERV-13 filters arriving ASAP. The intake balance has been adjusted in our HVAC systems to draw in more outside air. All classrooms have two doors and windows on both sides, which will remain open.
Implementing Distancing Inside and Outside the Classroom--Distancing dots outside of classrooms for line-up, approaching gates for entry, and outside restrooms; dismissal "paws" as reminders for distancing during dismissal, TK/K snack areas clearly marked, desks 6 ft apart in classrooms (seat to seat). Reminder signage posted. Directional arrows on the ground.
Limiting Sharing of Materials and Equipment--No sharing of materials in classrooms. Reminder signs posted. Students have individual plastic bins for books & materials.
Screening Staff, Students, and Visitors--Everyone actively screened before entering campus. Must have temperature below 99.5, have no symptoms on the list, and have not been around a person positive for COVID-19 to enter. Everyone requested to screen themselves as well before leaving home (passive screening). Please don't have your child bundled up when they arrive at school--this could give a false reading of a fever.
Plan for When a Staff Member, Student, Visitor Becomes Sick--Anyone with potential viral symptoms will go to the Health Assessment Room and be sent home to recuperate. See the CVUSD Safety Plan on the Walnut website for more details about what is required to return to school. With a confirmed positive case of COVID-19, families of students who came into contact with the person will be notified immediately and will receive directions regarding quarantining and remote learning. Anyone who comes into close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 will need to quarantine for 14 days, regardless of whether they have a negative test themselves.
Family Checklist
Recorded Stories for our Youngest Wildcats about Masks & Social Distancing:
Walnut Elementary School
Email: awall@conejousd.org
Website: conejousd.org/walnut
Location: 581 Dena Drive, Newbury Park, CA, USA
Phone: (805)498-3608
Facebook: facebook.com/walnutBEAT
Twitter: @WalnutAWall