Return to School Planning Guide

Return to School Planning Guide

Webster Groves School District | September 2021

Healthy

Environments

Healthy

Staff

Healthy

Students

Return To School Planning Guide

Healthy

Learning

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Guiding Principles of WGSD Return to School Plan and Implementation

? The physical and mental health and safety of students and staff (and community and region) remain our number one priority.

? Our students will receive highquality academic programming.

? Ensure equity and access to learning for all students.

? In our planning and through implementation, we must regularly assess our current reality and remain flexible and agile based on what is learned and evolving public health conditions.

We have prepared for this year's challenges and look forward to a great 2021-22 school year.

If you have any questions or would like a translation of the plan into another language, please call 314-918-4006.

Table of Contents

3 Introduction

4 Acknowledgements

5 Healthy Environments

5 Cleaning, Disinfection and Ventilation 5 Buildings and Grounds 7 Transportation 7 Response to Confirmed Cases of COVID-19

8 Healthy Staff

8 Physical Health and Safety 9 Mental Health and Wellness 9 Professional Development 9 Attendance and Leave

10 Healthy Students

10 Physical Health and Safety 10 Mental Health and Well-Being 11 Athletics, Field Trips, and Extracurricular Activities

12 Healthy Learning

12 Learning Communities 12 Rigorous Learning 12 Learning Environment 12 Learning for All

13 Frequently Asked Questions

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Introduction

In accord with guidance from the St. Louis County Department of Public Health, the Webster Groves School District will open all schools for full-time in-person learning for the 2021-2022 school year. We're looking forward to welcoming students back in August and are prepared to continue to meet any challenges the new year brings.

Administrators have continued to meet here and participate in regional discussions with other districts and health agencies to plan and review how schools can ensure safety for students, staff and families; provide the best possible learning environment in our buildings and offer solid academics for all.

This plan includes information on: ? Focus areas of healthy school environments,

students, staff and learning ? Frequently Asked Questions

The importance of in-person learning cannot be overstated, nor can the negative effects and inequities stemming from school closures.

Safety, of course, remains our first priority. Please know that we will continue to remain flexible and responsive to local conditions. We've aligned our plan and priorities with guidance from public health authorities to provide a framework for returning safely and successfully in August. We will review our plan every six months and revise it as needed. We last reviewed the plan July 29, 2021. We will also seek input from the public each semester in surveys, just as was done during initial

development of the plan. We continue to ask for feedback through the "Share Your Thoughts" link posted on the same web page as the district plan. We will translate the plan into other languages as needed.

The district will continue to participate in vaccination events and sponsor such events when possible. We will continue to encourage all staff and families of eligible students to talk to their healthcare provider about getting vaccinated. If you are vaccinated, you are exempt from quarantine, per the health department, as long as you do not have symptoms. For this reason, we will be requesting that staff and families of eligible students who have been vaccinated, share proof of vaccination with the district. While doing so is voluntary, it will help ensure as minimal of a disruption as possible to staff and students in the event one becomes a close contact of someone at school or work. We will soon reach out to staff and families regarding how you might share your proof of vaccination.

If your child is 12 years of age or older, he or she can receive the COVID-19 vaccine. There are 3 brands of COVID-19 vaccines with different age requirements. You can view a list of local hospitals and pharmacies offering vaccines and upcoming events in St. Louis County by visiting Missouri's Vaccine Navigator https:// covidvaccine.find/#map/

We have prepared for this year's challenges and look forward to a great 2021-2022 school year.

Our desire is to have school with students physically present in the buildings this year. The importance of in-person learning cannot be overstated, nor can the negative effects and inequities stemming from school closures. Safety, of course, remains our first priority.

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Acknowledgements

This plan's contents were informed by district stakeholders, staff members and an ongoing work group of regional school districts as well as local health experts and authorities.

Dr. Kevin Carl, Superintendent, Hancock Place School District

Dr. Rachel Charney, Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physician, Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital

Dr. Joe Davis, Superintendent, Ferguson-Florissant School District

Dr. Tim Dilg, Superintendent, Valley Park School District

Jamie Driver, Executive Director, Independent Schools of St. Louis

Jim Eckrich, Program Officer, St. Louis County Children's Service Fund

Dr. Bonita Jamison, Superintendent, Jennings School District

Dr. Joseph Kahn, Professor of Pediatrics, Mercy

Dr. Steven Lawrence, Associate Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Washington University

Dr. Jason Newland, Professor of Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases, Washington University

Dr. Rachel Orscheln, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases, Washington University

Dr. Katie Plax, Professor of Pediatrics, Washington University

Dr. Tim Ricker, Interim Superintendent, Rockwood School District

Spring Schmidt, Deputy Director, St. Louis County Department of Public Health

Dr. Randall Sterkel, General Pediatrician, Washington University

Keith Street, Health Education Supervisor, St. Louis County Department of Public Health

Dr. Paul Ziegler, CEO, EducationPlus

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Healthy Environments

Cleaning, Disinfection and Ventilation

We will routinely clean and disinfect shared spaces and high-touch surfaces.

? Custodial staff will clean and disinfect door handles, handrails and other high touch surface areas throughout the day and cafeteria tables each day.

? Teachers and office staff will practice hand hygiene when using shared high touch surfaces and provide students with the supplies needed for good hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette.

? We will clean and disinfect restrooms with increased frequency.

? We will follow established protocols for cleaning and disinfection of shared spaces and surfaces, to be performed by custodial staff each evening.

? We will use disinfectant products that are approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for effective use against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

We will implement protocols for building operations to reduce potential exposure to COVID-19.

? We will establish precaution rooms to care for symptomatic students until they are picked up.

? We will require all pre-K through 12th grade students who feel ill to wear a face covering while in the clinic/precaution room to minimize the spread of respiratory droplets leading to surface contamination.

? We will improve indoor air quality by circulating 10-20 percent outdoor air through the air ventilation system as outside air conditions allow.

? We will ventilate the building two hours before and two hours after occupancy.

Buildings and Grounds

We will promote health and safety practices; minimize contact between building occupants and limit sharing of equipment and surfaces.

Regarding hallways, we will:

? Use signage to promote handwashing and appropriate physical distancing as recommended by public health officials.

Regarding classrooms and learning spaces, we will:

? Promote physical distancing in accord with reopening guidelines.

? Position workspaces (e.g., desks, tables) and seating in compliance with recommendations by public health officials.

? Ensure classrooms have hand sanitizer and/ or sinks with soap and water.

? Promote washing or sanitizing of hands.

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