Parents, students, faculty, staff, and community members:
A pandemic broke out.
A national emergency was called.
Quarantine was enacted.
Schools were closed.
We supported each other.
We persevered.
We prevailed.
As the 2019/2020 school year closes, all of us here at Helendale School District want to recognize the efforts and sacrifices made by everyone to ensure the success of our students. Every stakeholder in our district should take pride in the level of teamwork and collaboration demonstrated between parent, student, teacher, administrator, board of education and community. The truth of the proverb “It takes a village to raise a child” is more relevant now than ever.
As our students and parents breathe a sigh of relief and begin to plan their summer, we want you to rest easy. Our commitment to provide a safe environment for your children for the 2020/2021 school year is unwavering. While school will not look the same next year, we are planning and preparing to deliver the best possible education to our students.
The California Department of Education released its guidebook for the safe reopening of schools on 08 June 2020. You can find it here. Below are examples of just a few points that we will be addressing over the summer based on the CDE’s expectations.
Know that the safety and education of your children is our number one priority. With your support, we will continue to persevere and prevail.
Thank you,
Helendale School District
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Staff Protocols for Entering Campus:
- Self-screening protocols that staff will perform daily.
- Symptom screening that each site performs as staff enters the campus.
- Conditions and regularity in which staff should wash or sanitize hands.
Outside Visitors and Group Protocols:
- Evaluate whether and to what extent external community organizations can safely utilize the site and campus resources.
Staff Protective Equipment:
- As recommended by the CDC all staff should wear face covering.
Student Protective Equipment:
- Students should use cloth face coverings, especially in circumstances when physical distancing cannot be maintained.
- At a minimum, face coverings should be worn:
- While waiting to enter the school campus.
- While on school grounds.
- While leaving school.
- While on a school bus.
Cleaning and Disinfecting Protocols:
- Disinfecting surfaces between uses, such as:
- Desks and tables
- Chairs
- Seats on bus
- Keyboards, phones, headsets, copy machines
- Disinfecting frequently - at least daily - high-touch surfaces, such as:
- Door handles
- Handrails
- Drinking fountains
- Sink Handles
- Restroom surfaces
- Toys, games, art supplies, instructional materials
- Playground equipment
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Physical Distancing:
- Plan to meet physical distancing standards in school facilities and vehicles.
- Plan to limit the number of people in all campus spaces to the number that can be reasonably accommodated while maintaining a minimum of 6 feet of distance between individuals.
- Minimize movement of students, educators, and staff as much as possible.
- Limit the number of students physically reporting to school, if needed to maintain physical distancing.
- Determine student and staff capacity of each school meeting 6-foot physical distancing objectives.
- Increase supervision to ensure physical distancing.
- Physical education (PE) and intramural/interscholastic athletics should be limited to activities that do not involve physical contact with other students or equipment until advised otherwise by state/local public health officials.
- Determine maximum capacity for students of each classroom while meeting 6-foot physical distancing objectives.
- Ensure desks are a minimum of 6 feet apart and arrange desks in a way that minimizes face-to-face contact.
- If necessary, utilize other campus spaces for instructional activities.
- If necessary, broadcast to other classrooms and students distance learning at home.
- Develop a plan that ensures physical distancing among staff in their work environment to reduce spread of the virus that includes:
- Avoiding staff congregation in work environments, break rooms, staff rooms, and bathrooms.
- Avoiding grouping staff together for training or staff development.
- Adjust staff schedules to accommodate new student schedules and physical distancing strategies.
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