Return to Learn for the 2020-2021 School Year

Authorities advise the best way to prevent coronavirus infection is: (1) to wear a mask (2) to implement social distancing (3) follow hand washing protocols. All students and staff are required to wear masks. Our hybrid model reduces our school population by half, allowing the 6-foot distance between students in the hallways during passing periods, and students will be advised to adhere to these guidelines. Students will be working with teachers to wipe down desks at the end of class with disinfectant wipes approved for use in the classroom and by students. The health department has advised that transmission occurs through “close contact,” defined as being within 6 feet of an infected individual for 15 minutes, a situation that will not occur during passing periods.

The International Coalition of Performing Arts Aerosol Study commissioned a study to determine how to safely mitigate risk incurred from aerosols emitted through vocal and band music. Students in orchestra will wear masks and social distance as in any other class. The results of the study informed our plan for choir and band as follows while students enrolled in the in-person learning option are in school: (1) We plan to hold choir and band classes outdoors as long as weather permits, since this will allow for adequate social distancing. (2) Instrumentalists (other than percussionists and vocalists) will wear slit face masks to allow them to play their instruments. (3) Bell covers will be applied to all band instruments. (4) Breaks will be taken during band and choir rehearsals to allow aerosols to disperse. The study shows these efforts reduce aerosols by 85% indoors and to almost 100% outdoors. When students enrolled in the in-person option are at home, they will be practicing pieces rehearsed at school. We are looking into promising programs that will support students in their home music studies.

Our goal is to educate as many students as possible who have selected a virtual learning option with Forest Hill teachers. There is no set number of students that are required, but we would expect that the numbers will be similar to what they would experience in the face-to-face, in-person setting.

We are working with program teachers and administrators to meet the needs of our students in these programs, as well as investigating various means of using technology to deliver curriculum.

We will look into transmission of the virus throughout the district, as well as the community. We will evaluate the classroom experience. We will communicate with other schools, districts and organizations in hopes of perfecting best practices in safety and instruction. And we will continue to seek guidance and comply with requirements set forth by the State, the CDC, the Kent County Health Department, etc. Assigning specific values to any of these criteria is challenging, since they all contribute to the determination of the best learning plan for our community.

This will be left to each teacher’s discretion and could feasibly vary day by day based on the content being taught and supporting experiences/activities planned by the teacher. Building teams are meeting to outline what the hybrid days will look like for in-person instruction. For these days, we anticipate a schedule similar to a regular school day. A combination of synchronous and/or asynchronous learning will occur depending on the class. Some classes may be able to accomplish the learning in an asynchronous manner, while others may need to connect with students synchronously for a certain amount of time to accomplish the task. Some may use both methods. You can anticipate the outline of the school day will look similar to their school day in-person (see below). Hybrid/Remote days will be new learning.  As teachers outline these expectations, those will be communicated. Each teacher, depending on the class they teach, will let you know what those expectations will be. All students will be participating in learning throughout the day and some of that could be independent, self-paced work.

At the elementary level, the focus early on will be in determining what gaps need to be addressed from the spring, which is formative assessment work. At the secondary level, teachers may expect students to check in at various times during the class period. Synchronous learning may involve a shared lesson, followed by asynchronous learning to contemplate discussion topics or project work. Similarly, teachers working with Group A on Monday may assign students  work required while they are remote on Tuesday, with time frames to check in for consultation. Teachers have considered pairing students from groups A and B to work together in certain circumstances during the school day. Again, as teachers outline these expectations, those will be communicated.

If a student tests positive, all families in that student’s class will be informed that an individual in that class tested positive for COVID-19. Those families will then need to monitor for possible symptoms. Meanwhile, the health department will contact the effected family to initiate the contact tracing process. If determined that your child may have been a close contact, you will be contacted by the health department.

Students will not be admitted into school or be able to ride the bus without face masks. Face masks will be available for students who need them.

We are working with program teachers and administrators to meet the needs of our students in these programs, as well as investigating various means of using technology to deliver curriculum. Please also see the additional immersion FAQs.

Chromebooks will be made available by the district this fall to both virtual and in-person students. Due to manufacturing delays, the district does not have enough devices to operate in a 1:1 environment and we are unable to provide a device to every student at this time. If you know that you will need to use a district-provided device this semester and you do not have a device already available to use at home, please complete this online form by 4 p.m., Friday, August 21, 2020. The district must receive a completed form to issue a device. Additional details will be sent at a later date coordinating device distribution dates and times. If you are interested in purchasing your own Chromebook, here are some specifications compiled by our technology office to assist you.

Here is a list of commonly-used terms in regard to COVID-19.

Coronavirus: Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is an illness caused by a virus that can spread from person to person. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a new coronavirus that has spread throughout the world. 

Contact Tracing: A strategy for slowing the spread of disease in which public health workers communicate with infectious people to identify their contacts. They then follow up with those contacts to provide guidance on how to quarantine themselves and what to do if they develop symptoms of disease. 

Quarantine: The practice of keeping someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others. Quarantine helps prevent spread of disease that can occur before a person knows they are sick or if they are infected with the virus without feeling symptoms. People in quarantine must stay home (usually 14 days), separate themselves from others, monitor their health, and follow directions from their state or local health department. 

Isolation: The practice of separating people infected with the virus (those who are sick with COVID-19 and those with no symptoms) from people who are not infected. People who are in isolation (usually for 10 days) must stay home until it’s safe for them to be around others. In the home, anyone sick or infected must separate themselves from others by staying in a specific “sick room” or area and using a separate bathroom (if available). 

Close Contact: A person who was within 6 feet of a person infected with COVID-19 for more than 15 minutes with or without a mask. Examples of close contacts include individuals who were close to a person who is infected with COVID-19 by providing care to them at home, sharing a living space, having direct physical contact with them (touched, hugged or kissed them), and sharing eating or drinking utensils. People may also be close contacts if they were somehow exposed to droplets from an infected person (sneezed or coughed on).

According to guidance from the Kent County Health Department, if someone tests positive—student or staff member—that person is excluded from school, obviously, and they have to stay out of school for at least 10 days from the onset of symptoms, and they have to be fever-free for at least three days without the use of fever-reducing medications. Other symptoms, such as shortness of breath, and respiratory issues have to subside as well before they're allowed to return. Other people that may have been exposed to someone who has tested positive, again whether that's a student or staff member, we as a school district, would inform people where there may have been a close contact possibility with someone who has tested positive. The Kent County Health Department will interview the positive case and perhaps also talk to school officials to find out who may have been those close contacts. They will then follow up with individuals as that is part of the contact tracing element of their work, and find out if indeed a close contact occurred. Close contact is defined as having interactions with someone that lasts longer than 15 minutes and within six feet of distance. So any interaction that lasts longer than 15 minutes within six feet of distance would be defined as a close contact, regardless if a face covering is worn. If you are deemed to be a close contact to someone who's tested positive, the health department would require that you quarantine at home for 14 calendar days since the onset of symptoms of that person who tested positive.

People living in the same household are considered close contacts by the health department. Therefore, anyone considered to be a close contact with someone who has tested positive must be quarantined for 14 days from the point of last contact and monitor for the development of symptoms. The sibling’s classmates would simply need to monitor; they would not need to quarantine.

Children who receive services as part of their IEP will continue to receive such services. Teachers may elect to provide these services in a one-on-one setting where social distancing is used and/or a plexiglass divider. In the event that a small group of students comes together as part of a service provider’s program, social distancing will be used. The teacher will sanitize surfaces and student equipment in between each new group.

Schools will continue to provide allergy-free zones.  Given that each building and classroom can be different, the solutions to provide this allergy-free zone may vary.

The deadline to sign up for virtual learning is 5 p.m.,  August 14, 2020.

The virtual learning option is a semester commitment; therefore, face-to-face learning would also be a semester commitment. There is not an option to move between the two during a semester. The exception is if we were to move back to Phase 3, then all learning will be done remotely.

Virtual learning refers to the learning done by students who are enrolled in the semester-long virtual option. Remote learning refers to the learning done by students who are enrolled in the in-person or hybrid options and they happen to not be physically in school on a day where their group is not in physical attendance at school. Remote learning also is the term used to describe learning done at home in the event the state moves our region back to Phase 3, wherein in-person learning is prohibited in schools.

Prior to the start of school, all teachers are required to be trained in virus mitigation strategies. This training includes how to ensure social distance, proper face-covering procedures, and proper hygiene techniques. Teachers will teach students how to properly wash hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, how to correctly apply hand sanitizer (don’t forget the thumbs!), and how to properly cover a sneeze or cough. Teachers have been learning more techniques to support instruction in an online environment. Additionally, FHPS added a new position, Director of Instruction Technology, to train teachers and other lead trainers in all of our schools. This training will provide guidance on how to use the district’s new learning management system (LMS) called Canvas. Continued training will take place throughout the fall.

Please refer to the Kent County Health Department’s flowchart about students with symptoms that are concerning for COVID-19, beginning on page 19 of their online toolkit for schools.

A person living in the same household with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 is considered to be a close contact and this person must quarantine for 14 days since the date of last contact. Non-family members will not be notified by officials of someone quarantining.

Close contacts of someone who tests positive for COVID-19 must quarantine for 14 days since the date of the last contact. Close contacts will be determined by Kent County Health Department contact tracers and are defined by spending 15 minutes or more with someone less than six feet apart in physical distance.

Social and emotional wellbeing are important aspects for everyone as we navigate all of the disruption brought on by this pandemic. As such, teachers, mental health liaisons, and counselors will provide social and emotional supports and direct instruction in coping strategies for all students. In the event of the death of a student, staff member, or parent, the district always provides counseling and grief support through its trained crisis team.

All schools will have a designated quarantine room for anyone showing symptoms of possible coronavirus infection. Individuals will need to be picked up by a family member and will not be allowed to use district transportation. Each school will have a designated individual to monitor and clean the quarantine room after each use.

Students who disenroll from FHPS will no longer receive educational services from FHPS. However, students who re-enroll in FHPS and present their most recent IEP documents will be eligible to receive services and or updated eligibility testing.

The district will provide required educational materials. Of course, the district appreciates gifts from families, PTO’s, booster groups, and other organizations so long as those gifts are coordinated with the educators at the school to ensure suitability and consistency with district-provided materials.

In the event a teacher is out ill, it is the preference of the district to find one consistent substitute teacher to cover the term of the absence.  

Additional custodians and cleaners have been hired and our staffing is increased since the prior school year. Additionally, custodians have new equipment designed to disinfect large spaces and surfaces in minutes.

If a child tests positive, all close contacts will be notified and required to quarantine for 14 days since the date of the last contact. Close contacts are people who were within six feet of the infected individual for more than 15 minutes.

This will partially depend upon the number of students that opt into virtual learning. The number of students in an elementary classroom will vary from building to building and grade to grade. Elementary buildings will work to socially distance students to the extent possible. Secondary level students will begin the school year with a combination of face-to-face and remote learning. The students that have not chosen the fully virtual option will attend school two days a week, split alphabetically by last name. This will reduce the number of students on buses, in buildings, and the classroom for the first few weeks of school.  

If a child is quarantining, school officials will provide access to the curriculum through services from their teacher(s) of record or through temporary placement with a teacher providing virtual learning.

The first day of school for students is now Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. This will allow the time necessary to make sure our teachers and staff are trained on protocols throughout the district. The district will provide at least 180 scheduled days of instruction for the 2020-21 school year. The final, detailed calendar will be available as soon as this item is negotiated between the district and the teachers’ association.

The survey was available from July 24-July 31, 2020. Overall, 63% are planning on face-to-face learning; 7.7% are planning to participate remotely; 28.4 percent are undecided.

If a child is considered to be a close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19, they will need to quarantine for 14 days since the date of the last close contact.

All instructional staff, counselors, and social workers will be providing extra support to assist students with the social and emotional impact and trauma of adapting to the pandemic. Social and emotional learning will be regular aspects of the instructional program.  Students cannot learn academic content if they are in a state of trauma, fear, or unhealthy anxiety.

The specific nature and type of activities outside of the school day are still being considered and reviewed. Given the additional cleaning schedules and the need to keep students cohorted as much as practicable, indoor after-school activities may be limited for the time being. 

Students engaged in outdoor activities must remember to socially distance themselves from others. During periods of physical exertion, breathing can become more intense, and infected individuals can more easily spread the virus. These differences can result in different protocols for various activities.

Virtual learning is the term FHPS uses to describe students who choose the semester-long option to learn from home. Remote learning is the term used to describe students who are enrolled in in-person learning at school and are home temporarily. In either case of virtual or remote learning, printed materials are acceptable and often preferred items to facilitate learning. In cases where options exist, digital or printed materials can be used. There are evidence-based reasons to limit the amount of time children spend looking at an electronic screen.  Teachers are mindful of this and can provide alternative resources when possible.

Yes, all occupants of a school building must wear a face covering while indoors. The exceptions to this are people who are medically unable to wear a face-covering or when an individual is in an enclosed office or classroom with no other occupants. 

Young people are able to adapt to new routines and protocols. Students will receive multiple mask breaks throughout the day where they will be able to go outside, socially distance themselves, and remove their masks.  Also, outdoor lunch breaks and classroom instruction will be encouraged.

The workgroup responsible for drafting the return to learn plans includes representatives from the Instruction Office, the Operations Department, the Transportation Department, Human Resources, the Forest Hills Education Association (the teachers’ association), the Kent County Health Department, the Kent Intermediate School District, Spectrum Health, and area pediatricians.

A powerful mitigation strategy to prevent school-based transmission of COVID-19 is to minimize the number of people coming into a school to those who are absolutely necessary for the operation of the school. Bringing more people into an indoor space increases the chances of introducing the virus into the building. Parents do have a right to communicate with their child’s teachers and principals. Additionally, pre-scheduled visits to certain areas of a school building (office, conference room, etc.) may be necessary to facilitate school business for parents and families.

Yes. If you withdraw your student from the district, you do surrender your Schools of Choice placement.

Goodwillie is included in the hybrid model because it allows the students to get acclimated to a remote option should the governor move schools back to Phase 3 which would be remote learning for all students.

The communication will come from each child’s school building.

The commitment is from August 31, 2020, through winter break.

Students are encouraged to bring their own water bottles. Drinking fountains in the hallways and classrooms will be shutdown. Bottle filling stations will be on.