CHCS Re-Opening Plan

CHCS Re-Opening Plan for 2020-2021
As part of Michigan’s Phase 5 Safe Start Plan
 

It is the earnest desire of the CHCS Board and Administration to have our students return to school with as much normalcy as possible.  As I’m sure you are aware, our region is in Phase 5 and according to Michigan’s Safe Start for Schools Plan, Phase 5 has no REQUIREMENTS, only recommendations.
We will be implementing the following, with the hope of mitigating an outbreak of Covid in our school, and giving us the best chance of getting through the school year with continued face-to-face instruction.
 

MORNING ARRIVAL
Students may arrive to school between 8:00-8:10 a.m.  School begins at 8:15 a.m. for elementary and secondary. (This is a change for secondary from last year.)

When elementary students enter the building in the morning they will go directly to their classroom, NOT to the Patriots Room.

Secondary students will go to their cubby/locker, get what they need for all their morning classes and then proceed to their Homeroom. *If you have a secondary student, please see separate email regarding new secondary scheduling. * Cubby/locker areas will be assigned according to cohorts.  Students will not return to their cubby/locker until lunch time.

If parent work schedules do not allow them to drop off their students between 8:00-8:10 a.m., parents should call the school office to make arrangements for supervision.

CLASSROOMS
Students will be seated as far apart as possible (not more than 6 ft.), all facing the same direction.

Weather permitting, windows will be open. Students will be encouraged to have and use their own supplies.  If students need to use classroom supplies, those items will go into a bin to be sanitized before other students use them.

Teachers will maintain as much distance from students as is possible without affecting the relationship or learning process. Staff will wear face shields/masks if they are working closely with a student.

Elementary specials teachers will sanitize table/desk tops, door knobs, light switches and any shared classroom items after each class.

Elementary classroom teachers will sanitize door knobs and light switches mid-day.
Secondary teachers will sanitize student tables and door knobs between classes.

TRANSITIONS
To avoid being too close in the hallway, secondary students will change classes using outside paths weather permitting and whenever possible.

Students will be required to walk single file on the right side of the hallway in the main building.  Blue tape will be applied down the center of the hallways to create an awareness of space.

MASKS
Families may choose to have their children wear masks, either all day or only for transitions and bathroom use.  We are asking that every student have at least one mask at school simply as a precaution for unforeseen circumstances.

PERSONAL HYGIENE
Hand sanitizer will be provided by the school.

All students will use hand sanitizer when they arrive to their classroom in the morning.
 

Elementary students will use hand sanitizer before morning recess and will either wash hands or use hand sanitizer after recess.

Elementary students will wash hands before lunch and will either wash hands or use hand sanitizer after lunch recess.

Elementary students will use hand sanitizer when returning to the classroom after specials and when returning to the classroom from a visit to the bathroom.

Secondary students will use hand sanitizer at the beginning of each class and when returning to the classroom after a visit to the bathroom.  Secondary students will wash hands before lunch.

Teachers will use hand sanitizer every time a new group of students enters their room. Teachers will wash hands before lunch.
 

DRINKING FOUNTAIN
Each student will need to provide their own water bottle that may be filled at the bottle filling station of our drinking fountain.  The individual drinking fountain portion of our unit will be disabled.

LUNCH
We are planning to have a hot lunch option available from Chartwells again this year.

Elementary students’ desk tops will be sanitized immediately before lunch.

Elementary students will eat lunch in their classrooms and then be released to go to the playground for recess.

Secondary students will eat in the Patriots room, and will spread out as much as possible, staying in their cohorts.  Secondary students may go to the playground to mingle outdoors after lunch if they choose.

STUDENT SCREENING
Parents agree to take their child’s temperature every morning before leaving for school.  If a child has a temperature of 100.4 or more, or if they have cough, congestion, shortness of breath or gastrointestinal symptoms, parents agree that they will keep their child home from school.

Children will not return to school until it has been at least 3 days with no fever and no fever reducing medication, and respiratory symptoms have improved and it has been 10 days since symptoms first appeared (per CDC guidelines).  Symptomatic students may return to school if they have tested negative for Covid-19 and have stopped running a fever.

Any child coming to the office for any health related reason will have their temperature taken (i.e. headache, stomach ache, seeking a cough drop, etc.). If a child is discovered to have a temperature of 100.4 or more during the school day, parents will be called and the child will put on a mask and wait in the school office to be picked up.

Staff will take each student’s temperature sometime before noon.

STAFF SCREENING
Staff agree to take their temperature every morning before leaving home.  If they have a fever of 100.4 or more, or if they have respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms, they will stay home, and not return to school until it has been at least 3 days with no fever and no fever reducing medication, and respiratory symptoms have improved and it has been 10 days since symptoms first appeared (per CDC guidelines). Symptomatic staff may return to school if they have tested negative for Covid-19 and have stopped running a fever.

POSITIVE COVID TEST
In the event that a student or staff member tests positive for Covid, local health officials, school families and staff will be notified.  Household members of an affected person will be required to quarantine for 14 days. We will follow the recommendations of the local health department and CDC guidelines regarding other monitoring and quarantine procedures.

CLEANING PROTOCOLS
Classroom teachers will sanitize desktops, door knobs, light switches, etc. at the end of each day.  They will also sanitize any classroom items that were used by students, i.e. books, supplies, toys, etc.

Bathrooms and other common areas will be cleaned and sanitized by hired cleaners each day.

VIRTUAL OPTION
CHCS is upgrading our internet speed and will offer a virtual schooling option (3rd – 12th grade) for those families who do not wish to return to face-to-face instruction at this time.  CHCS teachers will live stream and/or record classroom instruction times for those who wish to remain at home.  Those desiring to school from home will be asked to choose either face-to-face or virtual schooling status by the quarter/marking period.  Families who choose the virtual schooling option need to notify the school office no later than Wednesday, August 12, for the first quarter/marking period.

CHCS Virtual students will be 100% CHCS students and will qualify for all rights and privileges afforded to face-to-face students i.e. athletics, Praxi access (our online student management system) extracurricular activities (when appropriate), graduation credits, transcripts and letters of recommendation (when appropriate).  CHCS Virtual students will be responsible to meet all entrance requirements and agree to abide by the Student Handbook in its entirety.

Families who choose CHCS Virtual Option should plan to have:
 

• Computer, laptop, Chromebook, iPad or other device for each student
• Internet that is capable of video streaming (1.5 megabits download & upload) or fast enough to watch video recordings
• Printer
• Scanner (most smart phones can be used to scan and send documents)
• The availability to monitor your child during school time, during internet use and during test taking
• A signed agreement of shared responsibility for the success of your child.

Students using the Virtual Option will have the same books, requirements and rigor as their in-school counterparts.

The Virtual Option may be used when students are at home due to sickness and in the event of another Stay-at-Home order, we will very easily transition all 3rd-12th grade students to the Virtual schooling option.

CHOIR/BAND/DRAMA
Because of the nature of these activities and the enclosed spaces we have for these classes, we have made the decision to use an abundance of caution.  We will not be offering Choir, Band or Drama at this time. We understand how disappointing this is for families, and we will revisit this decision for second semester.  

END OF DAY DISMISSAL
Students will line up by classroom in front of the building to be picked up as usual.
 

ATHLETICS
At this time, we are hopeful that we will be able to have our athletic seasons.  We will share more information as it becomes available.

SCHOOL CALENDAR
We have had to remove some traditional events from our school calendar due to Covid and we have marked others as “tentative” with the hope that we will be able to have those activities, but we won’t know until closer to the date.  We will do our best to keep you informed.  An updated calendar can be found on Praxi and on our website.

CONSENT FORM AND LIABILITY WAIVER
All families who choose to be part of Cadillac Heritage Christian School for the 2020-2021 school year will be asked to sign a consent form and waiver of liability.

Please feel free to call me if you have questions.
Carol Renkiewicz
Administrator