Harrison Elementary Reopening Plan - 2020-2021

Rev. 8-18-2020

Welcome to another exciting new school year. As we prepare for our first day on September 8th, I know many of you have a million questions. I hope you find the information below informative and useful.

Mr. Mangus
Principal
Harrison Elementary School

Students Entering the Building

Students riding the bus will be dropped off on Elm Street and enter the doors at the end of the fifth grade hallway. Students will at this time use the hand sanitizer and have their temperatures taken prior to entering the building. Staff members will supervise entrance and temperature taking for bus riders at this door and remind students about masks and keeping social distancing.

Students who are walkers or car riders will enter the school through the front main lobby doors. An E-Z up tent will be placed at the entrance to the front doors for morning temperature checks. Staff members will be stationed at the doors taking temperatures, making sure students sanitize their hands, and asking screening questions.

•         Students with a passing temperature under 100.4 degrees will be allowed to enter the building and either go to class or enter the cafeteria to obtain breakfast (Grab & Go).
•         Students with a temperature greater than or equal to 100.4 or who answers one of the screening questions incorrectly will be asked to step aside and rescreened in 15 minutes.

o   After 15 minutes the student is rescreened and if found to no longer have a temperature greater than or equal to 100.4 degrees he/she will be permitted to enter the building.

o   If after 15 minutes the student still registers a temperature greater than or equal to 100.4 degrees he/she will be asked to get back in their car (car riders) or taken to the isolation room to have parent contacted and documented by the school nurse.

Breakfast

Students will be permitted to purchase breakfast every morning. Students will social distance in line, wear masks, and then take breakfast up to their classrooms to eat. Students should report directly to their classroom keeping appropriate distance from other students once through the breakfast line.

Classroom Instruction 

All content instruction will be taught in the students’ classroom. Teachers will travel to classrooms for those grade levels in which students have more than one instructor. Music, Art and Learning.com will be taught in each homeroom. Students attending PE will be required to wear a mask and travel to the gymnasium for instruction. Seating charts will be needed and kept for each classroom and in physical education.

Bathroom Breaks

There will be NO whole class bathroom breaks. Each grade level will be assigned a bathroom for student use. Students will be required to wear a mask when traveling to the bathroom and back. Students should be reminded that discussions along the way, while in the restroom and on the way back are not acceptable. Students will be given a bathroom pass. Each bathroom door will have slots to place the pass on. If there is no space available, the students will wait until somebody exits the bathroom and takes their pass off of the hook. Students should social distance outside of the bathroom door until entering.

Lunch 

Students will report to lunch by grade level. Paw prints have been sprayed onto the floor for students to keep social distance from one another. Smaller paw prints have been placed on all cafeteria table seats so that students will all know where it is acceptable to sit. Students will be assigned a specific location and seat in the cafeteria. Teachers will keep a seating chart to ensure social distancing and for any future contact tracing if needed. Students will basically have 20 minutes to get through the line and eat. An assumption being made is that more students will be packing their lunch versus buying which will make getting through the cafeteria line quicker. Students will either be dismissed to go out to recess or head back to class with recess scheduled some other time during the day. Paw marks are painted on the floors for students to line up on and keep distanced from one another to exit the cafeteria. The cafeteria will be sanitized in-between each grade level. Students are asked to sanitize their hands as they leave the cafeteria.

Recess

Students will be given one 30 minute recess period per day outside weather permitting. Some recesses will take place immediately preceding their assigned lunch period or after while others will be given at assigned times during the day. At this point in time, students must wear masks out to recess and not permitted to touch or play on any of the playground equipment. Students will be permitted to bring outside equipment to recess but must sanitize the equipment once used. Students will hand sanitize when leaving from the classroom or cafeteria to go to recess. Once back in the building, students will re-sanitize before sitting back down at their desks.

Mask Breaks

Teachers will be asked to provide at least one “mask break” per day. Spaces outside will be designated official “mask break” areas. Once students are positioned at least 6 feet apart outside, the teacher will signal to the class that they may remove their masks for a break period of time not to exceed 10 minutes. Schedules and locations will be determined prior to the start of school.

Parents are encouraged to begin now having their children wear masks throughout the day. Each day, try to increase the time the mask is worn. Getting your child use to wearing the mask for extended periods of time now will make it much easier once they are back in school.

Volunteers and Parents

Unfortunately, parent volunteers will not be permitted inside the school until further notice. Parents coming to the building will buzz the main office and asked if they can be helped. If a parent is picking up a student for any reason the parent will be asked to remain outside until the student arrives. If paperwork is being dropped off, the front office will buzz the door to open and allow the parent to set the paperwork on the desk. If further assistance is needed, one of the office staff members, with masks on, will speak to the parent at the door to provide assistance.

At this time parents will not be permitted inside the building to have lunch with their child. Parents will also not be permitted to attend school parties.

Dismissal

This school year dismissal will take place beginning at 3:45 pm.

Students riding the bus will be dismissed from their homeroom classes and directed to exit out of the doorway in the fifth grade hallway. Staff members will be stationed throughout the building supervising the students walking to their buses and enforcing social distancing.

Car Riders and walkers will be dismissed by grade level. Families are encourage to establish a meeting location outside of the building to meet up with parents or siblings. Parking is very limited in front of the building. Parents are encouraged to establish meeting locations slightly away from the school building.

Contingency Plans

Families are encouraged to develop contingency plans NOW for childcare in the event that their child becomes sick or needs to stay home. Please do not send your child to school if they wake up feeling sick and/or has a temperature greater than or equal to 100.4 degrees. If your child does not have a current pediatrician, please select one as soon as possible. In the event your child become ill, having this in place will definitely help.

Class Lists

In person class lists will be posted on the lobby windows at 2:00 pm. Friday. August 21^st.

Open House 

All teachers will mail out a Welcome Letter to each of their new students. Inside the letter will be an invitation for a virtual Open House via Google Meets. Instructions and codes to enter the meeting will be listed. Virtual Open Houses will take place throughout the week of August 31^st.

Virtual Students

Students who will be receiving their instruction virtually for the first semester will be invited to pick up their school computers and virtual supplies on either August 27^th or 28^th from 8:00 am – 3:00 pm.

Click HERE for a quick reference guide of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

A video of changes for the upcoming new school year will be available on August 25^th. Watch for more information in the days to come.