HOLLY SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Return to Learn
Safe
In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Service Plan
Revised January 2022
Like
many school districts in the nation, Holly Springs School District (The District)
is developing a plan for ensure learning continues for the 2021-2022 school
year.
Considerations
for safe in-person learning or continuation of educational services include,
but are not limited to, the following:
·
Maintaining the
safety of students and staff as it relates to the coronavirus
·
Providing
instructional support to ensure students continue to learn to prevent major
learning gaps
·
Providing social
and emotional supports for all students
·
Continuing to
support our parents so that that they will not have to take on the burden of
educating our students alone during these difficult times
On June
8, 2021, the Holly Springs School Board approved a return to school In-Person Model with a virtual option for the beginning of the 2021-2022 school
year as part of a return to school plan. An In-Person Model is where students
come to school to receive face-to-face instruction every day. The district is
including a virtual option only in cases where a student is infected or exposed
and has to quarantine. The option will
also be used in cases of inclement weather to ensure students continue to
learn.
The
District would like to emphasize the safe in-person or continuation of
educational services plan is an evolving process and the district will take
whatever steps that are in the best interest of our students and staff. If the Governor;
Center for Disease Control; or Local Health Agency recommend full virtual
instruction, the district will follow the recommendation.
Some of
the most important reasons for choosing the In-Person Model include the
following:
·
The In-Person Model
will allow for all students to return to school.
·
The In-Person Model
will allow students to receive face-to-face instruction from teachers in order
to master grade-level information which will be critical to their success in
the future.
·
The In-Person
Model will allow students to receive social and emotional support while at
school.
·
The In-Person Model
will assist parents with support in the educational process.
Irene
Walton Turnage, Superintendent
A Culture of Safety
The
district will encourage a culture of safety by completing the follow activities
recommended by the Mississippi Department of Health:
Maintaining Healthy Operations:
·
Use the In-Person Model for all schools in the
district to allow students to fully participate in the learning experience
Maintaining Healthy Environments:
·
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces
including buses, classrooms, bathrooms, and other areas.
·
Provide touchless water fountains, an
alternative to highly used units like water fountains
·
Provide reusable face coverings, sanitizer
dispensers, and sanitizer stations
·
Discourage sharing of items that are difficult
to clean or disinfect
·
Ensure ventilation systems operate properly and
increase circulation of outdoor air as much as possible
·
Modify layouts of desks/seating if necessary
·
Provide guidance and training on social
distancing
·
Consider closing or reorganizing communal spaces
for safety
·
Consider alternative options for food service
like Grab-and-Go and delivering meals to the classroom if necessary
Promoting
Healthy Behaviors:
·
Continue to educate staff, students, and
families about safety including prevention measures and when to stay home
·
Continue to teach and reinforce healthy hygiene,
like frequent hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes
·
Continue to ensure adequate supplies to ensure
healthy hygiene behaviors
·
Continue to teach and reinforce the use of cloth
face coverings
·
Continue to post signs and make announcements
that promote everyday protective measures and describe how to stop the spread
of germs
Safety
Procedures for Returning to School
Daily
Temperature Checks and Simple Screenings ·
Temperature checks will be completed either upon
students loading the school bus or before entering the school building. ·
Students with temperatures of 100 degrees or above
will be asked to return home. ·
Parents are asked to complete a temperature check for
their children each day as well complete simple screening. Students should not come to school if they
have a temperature of 100 or above or any symptoms associated with COVID-19.
Parents should notify the school immediately. | |
Face Coverings ·
Face coverings will be required upon entering and
during the time spent on the bus, when entering the buildings, and in any
area where social distancing is difficult.
Students will be able to pull the mask down below the chin when not in
use. | |
Teaching and
Maintaining a Culture of Safety ·
Ongoing training and implementation will be
completed with students and staff to teach and reinforce healthy
hygiene like frequent hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes, use of
face coverings, and cleaning and disinfecting. | |
| Regular Cleaning of Buildings and
Buses ·
Buses, buildings and highly touched surfaces will be
cleaned and sanitized regularly throughout the day ·
Sharing objects will be limited as much as possible ·
Safety signage will be placed throughout the buildings
to help with safety and help students understand if they have symptoms |
Restricted
Visitation ·
Due to the seriousness of COVID-19 and its impact,
only essential staff will be allowed to enter school buildings unless an
extreme situation exist.
|
Holly
Springs School District In-Person Model Protocols
Parent Support and Daily Screenings | ·
Parents should check student’s temperature and
complete the screening process each morning before school. Any of the following should result in the
student staying home from school: Fever over 100 degrees or chills; cough;
shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; fatigue; muscle or body aches; headache;
sore throat; new loss of taste or smell; congestion or runny nose; diarrhea; and/or
nausea or vomiting ·
Parents should report if students are exhibiting
symptoms, have a confirmed case of COVID-19, or has someone in the household
that has been diagnosed with COVID-19. ·
Parents should support the school by helping to
ensure all guidelines are followed to keep students safe ·
Parents should maintain a contingency plan in case
schools have to close |
Transportation Protocols | ·
Parents are encouraged to bring students when
possible ·
Students will be required to wear a mask if they
ride the school bus ·
Buses will be sanitized between routes ·
A seating system will be completed to maintain
distance between students ·
Siblings will be asked to sit together on the same
seat to allow more social distancing opportunities |
Facility Protocols | ·
All buildings will receive deep cleaning regularly ·
Safety information will be reviewed with students
and staff ·
Safety signage will be placed throughout buildings to
help with safety and help students understand if they have symptoms |
Operational Protocols | ·
Students will be required to come to school every
day. ·
Virtual events, meetings, gatherings, and fieldtrips
will take place when possible ·
Students will hear announcements and review hygiene
and safety via the intercom and virtual platform ·
The use of shared objects will be limited
|
Health and
Hygiene Protocols | ·
Students will be asked to wear a mask if they ride
the school bus and when in places where social distancing is not
possible. ·
Students will have their own designated Chromebook
and will not have to share with other students. If students do have to share, the Chromebook
will be cleaned after each use. ·
An isolation area will be designated on each campus for
students exhibiting symptoms while they wait on their parents |
Child Nutrition/Food Service Protocols | ·
Cafeteria surfaces will be cleaned and sanitized
daily ·
Signage will be completed to determine the best
movement patterns for students to avoid crossover
|
Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 Guidelines
When a student or staff
member has a confirmed case of COVID-19, the following steps will be taken:
·
The student or staff will be quarantined until
he/she can be picked up by a parent or relative
·
The school will notify the parents
·
The school will identify close contacts for
contact tracing
·
The school will send student or staff and all
close contacts home for 5 days
·
The school will complete an environmental
cleaning of affected areas
·
The school will arrange for an educational plan
for absent student(s)
·
A copy of
the confirmation by a healthcare professional will be required
Return to School
Guidelines:
·
5 days with no fever within or symptoms and
student must wear masks;
·
Respiratory symptoms have improved (e.g. cough,
shortness of breath) and student must wear mask; and
·
5 days since symptoms first appeared and student
must mask
In the event of an
outbreak (3 or more cases within any group, class or team):
·
The school will notify Mississippi Department of
Health using the reporting process required
·
All group members should be quarantined for 5
days
·
Closure of School Building (or School) if
recommended by appropriate authorities
·
Re-opening – When appropriate based on
guidelines
SUMMARY
OF RETURN TO LEARN PLAN FOR 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR
ACADEMIC
PROGRAMMING
·
Implement
traditional five days of face-to-face instruction
·
Provide
Extended School Day and Extended School Year Programs to help with learning
loss
·
Hire
additional personnel as needed (interventionists, supplemental teachers,
nurses)
·
Provide
instructional coaches for teacher and administrator support
·
Issue
devices to students and teachers for virtual or distance learning
·
Use
PowerSchool and School Status to monitor students’ progress
·
Conduct
Needs Assessments throughout the school year
·
Provide
parental feedback at the school level
OPERATIONS
·
Check
student and staff temperature daily upon arrival
·
Stagger
dismissal times
·
Require
family members to sit together on buses
·
Require
masks to be worn when social distancing is not feasible
·
Clean/disinfect
building surfaces and high touch objects frequently
·
Clean/disinfect
buses after each route
·
Follow
the current Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Mississippi
State Department of Health(MSDH) guidelines for providing meals to students
·
Use
school board approved school calendar for 2021-2022
·
Follow
guidelines and best practices for cleaning and sanitizing the buildings
COMMUNICATIONS
·
Utilize
PowerSchool, Facebook, district’s website and School Status to help communicate
health and safety issues or necessary changes to the district’s regular
operating schedule
·
Use
various resources to educate students and their families on proper personal
hygiene and sanitation practices
HEALTH
AND SAFETY
·
Provide
ongoing professional development for all school staff
·
Collaborate
with Mental Health agencies
·
Provide
educational materials and resources to address social, emotional, mental
health, and other needs of students and staff
·
Provide
access to support services (Behavioral Specialist and Counselors)
·
Replace
outdated HVAC systems
·
Update
restrooms with touchless facilities
·
Replace
windows as needed
·
Recommend
self-screening at home by both students and staff
·
Check
student and staff temperature daily upon arrival
·
Clean/disinfect
buildings and highly touched surfaces/objects frequently
·
Clean/disinfect
buses after each route
·
Adhere
to CDC and MSDH mask guidelines/recommendations
·
Provide
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for students and staff
·
Implement
multiple social distancing strategies for large gatherings (extracurricular/events)
based on the CDC and Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA)
guidelines
TECHNOLOGY
·
Provide
devices and software to enhance in-person and virtual learning
·
Conduct
Needs Assessments throughout the school year
Other
Related Information:
·
Meals
will be available for students who must participate in the virtual learning due
to infection or exposure resulting in quarantine when the school is closed for
an extended period of time.
Survey
I
have read and understand the Safe In-Person Instruction and Continuity of
Service Plan for the Holly Springs School District.
O I
agree with the plan.
O I
disagree with the plan.
O Suggestions/Comments:
***This
plan is subject to change based on the Mississippi Department of Education
and/or state officials.
Communication System for
Comprehensive Return to Learn Plan
Communication
and updates related to HSSD Comprehensive Return to Learn Plan will be
completed using the following:
o
The District Website: hssdk12.org
o
The District Facebook Page
o
The District Callout/Email/Text System
o
Local Radio Stations
o
Local Newspaper Updates
Questions and Comments
Please
direct all questions and comments to the following persons:
Irene Walton
Turnage, Superintendent
Phone: 662.252.2183
Email: iwalton@hssdk12.org
Eileen
Dowsing, Assistant Superintendent
Phone: 662.252.2183
Email: edowsing@hssdk12.org