Greetings from Onondaga Road! We’re working hard on our reopening plan, and I hope this update will provide a few more answers as we go along…
Welcome, Class of 2033!
Kindergarten screening will take place on Tuesday, August 25. All registered Kindergarten students received a phone call and a letter in the mail regarding your screening appointment. Please pay close attention to the time, as we are following social distancing and safety protocols. The school nurse will be present at the main entrance for temperature checks (parents and students) prior to entering the building!
Masks
Students will be required to wear masks throughout the day. Teachers will give students "mask breaks" during the day (when all students are seated and the teacher is not moving about the room) and students will obviously be able to remove their mask when they eat. Face shields cannot be worn unless they are in addition to a mask.
Classrooms
Due to the limited number of students we can have in a classroom, we have had to make several adjustments and shift teachers to different areas of the building. Teachers and staff are in the midst of "moving out" and "moving in." This is a very daunting task, and I cannot thank our entire staff enough for all of their hard work over the last couple of weeks.
Class Rosters
Keeping in mind all social distancing spacing, class sizes could range between 10-24 students depending on the size of the room space. All social distancing requirements will be followed in all settings. We are currently working on class rosters and look to have that completed at the end of this week. You will receive a letter in the mail early next week.
Instruction
Due to the additional classes we had to create, many different grades could be working as a team and teachers could be rotating between classrooms throughout the day to deliver instruction. Certified teachers within those teams will be delivering the bulk of the academic instruction and core curriculum. In an effort to limit student movement throughout the building, special area teachers will come to the classrooms. When the weather is nice, physical education will take place outside.
Arrival Procedures
School begins at 9:00 a.m. You will receive information about drop-off and pick-up procedures in the mail. Parents may drop off their children between 8:40 and 8:55. Students cannot begin unloading from cars until 8:40. Parents must stay in their car at all times. Buses will enter the parking lot at 9:00. If parents are late in dropping off their children, they will wait to enter the parking lot until after the buses have unloaded. Students will be given a designated door to enter.
Daily Screening Sheets
Families will be provided with Screening Sheets. These slips, which indicate that a child’s temperature has been taken prior to arrival at school, the temperature is less than 100℉, and that the child is symptom-free, will be given to school staff upon entering the building. If a child does not have the screening slip, their temperature will be taken. Students will then walk directly to their assigned classroom.
Dismissal Procedures
Lots more to come! Stay tuned…
Sincerely,
Jeannette Clark
