Wooster COVID-19 - Education Recovery Plan

[Pages:14]2021-2022

wooster COVID-19

Education Recovery Plan

Student Start Date: August 18, 2021

Dear Wooster Families and Caregivers,

On behalf of the Wooster City School District, I would like to extend my thanks to our teachers, staff, families and community who have done so much to support our students through the challenges of last school year. The successes of the 2020-2021 school year would not have been possible without your dedication and devotion to our students.

As we begin the 2021-2022 school year, I am hopeful. Hopeful for a safe and healthy school year that will provide a return to what we know - in-person learning, extracurricular activities and less restrictive social distancing measures. Moving forward we will continue to provide the excellent education we are known for, and strive for flexibility, equity and coherence in 2021-2022 learning from the success and challenges of last year.

Wooster City Schools will open the 2021-2022 school year with an all-in, five-daysa-week schedule. Families will also have the option to opt for a fully remote learning model as part of this year's restart plan. We will continue to make decision based on the guidance from the Wayne County Health Department, the Ohio Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Wooster City Schools acknowledges the importance of adhering to best practices to ensure a safe return to in-person learning. Although this time will present challenges, we will do our very best to support our students in the pursuit of a successful education at Wooster City Schools.

We will continue to reevaluate our plan and current guidance and continue to update our Wooster City Schools community. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact district staff.

Gabe Tudor, Superintendent of Wooster City Schools

WOOSTER COVID-19 EDUCATION RECOVERY PLAN

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Our Beliefs

The District Leadership believes that the Wooster City School District must operate with public health as the core principle during COVID-19 educational recovery. Our response to the virus will continue to be based on and directed by the guidance of our local health department, the Ohio Department of Health and the CDC.

wooster COVID-19

Education Recovery Plan

WOOSTER CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT:

Framework for Opening Schools (COVID-19)

Operations

? Health & Safety ? Technology ? Facility ? Maintenance ? Transportation ? Food Service

Stakeholders/ Communications

? Employees (WEA) ? Students ? Parents ? BOE ? Community

FLEXIBIL

EQUITY

Public

Health

ITY

CO

HERENCE

Instruction/SEL

? Curriculum ? Student ? Faculty ? Master Schedule ? Staff Schedule

Resources

? Budget ? Time ? People ? Facilities

WOOSTER COVID-19 EDUCATION RECOVERY PLAN

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Our Beliefs

? We believe that the Wooster City School District must filter all planning and implementation through a lens of equity, coherence and flexibility (Figure 1). Our plan must be coherent - logical and uniting - and equitable for ALL of our students, families and the greater Wooster community. The plan will have to be flexible in case we need to pivot quickly.

? We believe that the Wooster City School District must mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus. This plan will be implemented while the Coronavirus is still active. Our approved strategies will follow the best medical sciences and recommendations to minimize the spread of the virus while protecting those children and adults who are most vulnerable.

? We believe that the Wooster City School District must design this plan to be feasible, innovative, and yet pragmatic.

WOOSTER COVID-19 EDUCATION RECOVERY PLAN

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educational options

Grades K-12 COVID-19 Educational Options for Families

COVID-19 Educational Options for

Families

Mode of Engagement

Description

How will the school week look?

Do I need to enroll in Wooster Online Academy?

Grade Levels Available

Students will have a traditional

Option A

Face-to-face instruction

Students will report to their school

building five days per week

school experience with teacherled instruction and typical class schedules. District-wide sanitation and other safety guidelines will be followed. Mask wearing will be

No

required.

PreK-12

Students will work through self-

Option B (Wooster Online Academy)

Fully remote

Students will have the ability to work from home, fullyremote, five days per

week

paced online learning platforms: Accellus (K-6), Edgenuity (7-12). Wooster teachers will be available

for tutoring and monitoring progress, but will not be providing

Yes

K-12

instruction to students.

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facemask policy

Wooster Families, We understand there is continued uncertainty in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent variants. As a school district, we continue to prioritize the health and safety of each of our students. Given current circumstances and the guidance of the CDC and the Ohio Department of Health, we are setting the following guidelines ? regardless of vaccination status ? for the opening of the school year:

? We are mandating masks for all individuals, including students, teachers and staff, who are indoors with students present. ? No quarantine nor modified quarantine would be required if individuals within three feet of an infected individual are masked. Mandating masks provides the highest rate of possibility of keeping kids in school and allowing kids to participate in activities.

? Masks are required on all transportation vehicles. ? Adults are not required to wear masks when students are not present, but they are encouraged to do so.

? Masks are not required outdoors, but they are encouraged in crowded areas. ? Masks are not required during physical activities, such as sports and drama productions.

? Masks are required indoors when not actively participating in the activity, including sitting the bench, waiting backstage or spectating.

? A mask exemption for medical or religious reasons will require written documentation. ? Teachers may provide a mask break for students each class period, or once per hour. ? Students are not permitted to wear face shields as an alternative to masks. ? Teachers may wear face shields while instructing students.

? When wearing a face shield, teachers must maintain six (6) feet distance from others unless specific instructional strategy requires otherwise.

Moving forward, we will continue to monitor the situation on a local, regional and national level. We will continue following the guidance of the CDC and Ohio Department of Health, and keep our families updated as that guidance requires. We understand some may be frustrated with sudden and recurring changes to policy, unfortunately this is the climate we live in for the time being. By following COVID protocols, we can do our part in the fight against the virus spread while keeping our students, staff, families and community safe and healthy.

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Quarantine Guidance

Guidelines for Quarantine After Exposure in K-12 Classroom Settings This chart can help guide quarantine decisions after a student or adult contact is exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the classroom setting.

Does the school have ALL of the following in the place?* 1. Masking for students and staff (regardless of vaccination status).** 2. Strategies to maximize physical distancing (at least 3 feet between desks). 3. Documented COVID-19 prevention policies and procedures (identification of individuals

experiencing symptoms, strategies to increase ventilation, protocols for cleaning, etc.).

No

Is the contact vaccinated?

Yes

No

Yes

Did contact consistently wear a mask?

No

Yes

Contact is recommended to: Follow normal quarantine procedures, as outlined below.

They should not attend in-person school. They should not participate in sports or extracurricular activities.

They can return to normal classroom and extracurricular activities after 7 days if they have received a negative viral (PCR or antigen) test that was performed at least 5 days after exposure.

If they test positive, they should isolate for at least 10 days from the date of the positive test.

Contact is recommended to: Wear a mask indoors, as much as possible, either for 14 days or until they receive a negative viral (PCR or antigen) test performed 3-5 days after exposure.

Vaccinated individuals can remain in the normal in-person classroom setting and participate in extracurricular and sport activities as long as they have no symptoms.

If they test positive, they should isolate for at least 10 days from the date of the positive test.

Contact is recommended to: Wear a mask indoors, as much as possible, either for 14 days or until 7 days if they receive a negative viral (PCR or antigen) test performed at least 5 days after exposure.

They can remain in the normal in-classroom setting and participate in extracurricular and sport activities as long as they have no symptoms.

If they test positive, they should isolate for at least 10 days from the date of the positive test.

Individuals can safely remain in the normal in-person classroom setting and participate in extracurricular and sport activities as long as they have no symptoms.

*This flowchart applies only to COVID-19 exposures that occurred within a K-12 classroom setting. It is not applicable to exposure in the community, extracurricular, or sports environment. **If masking has not been implemented, local health departments (LHDs) may use this workflow if it can be established that the person WITH COVID-19 and individuals within 3 to 6 feet of the infected person were consistently and correctly wearing masks.

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Wooster City Schools Restart: Need to Know

Social Distancing

? Desks will be situated to maintain 3 feet of distance due to updated quarantine guidance ? Teachers will be encouraged to keep 3 feet distance between students when possible, but not at the

expense of the learning environment or instructional model

Deep Cleaning

? All buildings will be disinfected each day ? Students in grades 5-12 may assist in cleaning personal space and/or desk throughout the school day ? Water fountains will be used but only for filling personal bottles ? Custodians will clean handles frequently

Visitors

? Visitors are permitted but must conduct a self-wellness check before entering a school building ? Visitors will be required to wear masks indoors anytime students may be present

Student Lockers/Hallways/Common Areas

? Class changes will occur as scheduled ? Students will be discouraged from congregating in the hallway ? During lunches, seating will be assigned.

? Wooster High School students will not have assigned seats, but will instead use a QR code check-in each day so the district has the ability to appropriately contact trace

Transportation

? Students will be given an assigned seat ? The CDC's most recent order states that passengers and drivers must wear a mask on school buses.

Masks are required on all transportation vehicles

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