Student Handbook &
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STUDENT HANDBOOK & CODE OF CONDUCT 2020-2021 1 | P a g e Administration Office THE OFFICE OF THE GCSC MANAGER 900 Gerry Street Dr. Paige McNulty, Manager Gary, IN 46406 [email protected] (219) 886-6400 Dear Gary Community School Corporation Families, Welcome to the 2020-21 school year! So many exciting and unique educational opportunities await every student, and we look forward to helping your child learn, grow, thrive and succeed! This handbook offers important information about the Gary Community School Corporation. We respectfully request that you and your child review its contents, which includes the policies and procedures upon which the District is governed. Most important, we created this handbook to ensure that you are fully aware of and follow all of the expectations and standards that have been established in all of our schools. Please know that our entire team is committed to your child’s safety and overall growth both personally and educationally. Student achievement is at the top of our list, and we are counting on your partnership to ensure that this school year will be an overwhelming success. On behalf of the Gary Community School Corporation, thank you for your entrusting your child’s bright future with us! Have a safe and productive year. Warmly submitted, Dr. Paige McNulty Emergency Manager 2 | P a g e Administration Office THE OFFICE OF THE GCSC MANAGER 900 Gerry Street Dr. Paige McNulty, Manager Gary, IN 46406 [email protected] (219) 886-6400 10 Things to Know About Gary Schools in the 2020-21 School Year Our goal is to educate our children while safeguarding their health and our staff members’ health. 1. The 2020-21 school year will begin on August 12, 2020. 2. School will be in session five days a week. 3. Families can choose for students to attend in-person or online during the regular school day hours. This choice is in effect for the fall semester (August - 12). - For students learning in-person: classroom seats will be arranged facing the front of the room with as much distance between seats as possible. School meals will be pre-packaged. - For students learning online: they will be expected to log in and complete all work during regular school hours, at the time instruction is offered for each class. Doing so will account for these students’ attendance. A week’s worth of meals will be provided for pick-up. - Counselors will be available to all students, whether they are learning in-person or online. 4. All students and staff in school buildings will be required to wear masks at certain times and practice social distancing. 5. Each staff member and student registered for in-person instruction this fall will receive a wellness kit with a face mask, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, and a reusable thermometer. 6. All students/families and staff must check themselves for symptoms of COVID-19 before coming to school. Call the school nurse to report possible exposure if your child or someone in the household is experiencing symptoms. a. Students and employees exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 without being otherwise explained, will be prohibited from coming to school, and if they do come to school, they will be sent home immediately. 7. If the Gary Health Department determines that a particular school is in need of closing due to exposure concerns, e-Learning would be used for all of that school’s students. - In this scenario, students would receive instruction from their teacher, and they would be expected to attend all sessions and complete all work. Students with IEPs would adhere to Continuous Learning Plans. 8. An isolation area will be used to separate anyone who exhibits COVID-like symptoms and school nurses and healthcare providers will provide care. Families, staff, and health officials will be notified immediately of a possible case, while maintaining confidentiality. 9. Students and staff are encouraged to bring water bottles from home. Water bottle filling stations may be used with appropriate rules followed ー rules will be posted. Water fountains will be turned off. 10. Read the entire reopening plan at GarySchools.org. If you still have questions, contact (219) 881-5466. 3 | P a g e Return to Learn for Lake County Students A message from the Superintendents of Lake County Schools July 13, 2020 Dear Lake County Families, Recently, Governor Holcomb has approved the re-opening of Indiana Schools for the fall. All Lake County Schools are committed to providing a safe, secure and healthy learning environment for all students and staff. We believe that students learn best when they are in the school setting. Further, the socialization aspects of school are critical in a student’s life. Therefore, all Lake County Schools will be starting the school year in the traditional manner. All Lake County Schools have worked collectively to ensure a safe return for students and staff. Efforts have been made to align with CDC guidelines, the Indiana Department of Health, the Indiana Department of Education and our local Lake County Health Department. It is important to note that it is not possible to meet physical distancing guidelines at all times. Therefore, all Lake County Schools require that staff and students have masks with them at all times, be prepared to wear them at any time they are in close proximity (examples include hallways and buses) or interacting face to face, and when social distancing is not possible. Students can remove mask during class time when all students are seated at desks facing the same direction and spread out as much as possible. Please note that the well-being of our students and staff is of the highest priority. We want our students in school and believe this plan makes that a reality. All Lake County Schools will be starting on their scheduled date. Some of the measures followed by all schools are provided below. More specific guidelines will be made available by each school district. • All Lake County schools require that staff and students have masks with them at all times, be prepared to wear them at any time they are in close proximity (examples include hallways and or in large congregating groups. • Observing social distancing to the greatest extent possible. • Maximize instructional space and scheduling flexibility • Employ enhanced cleaning procedures and with greater frequency throughout the day. • Frequent hand washing throughout the day. • Prohibit the use of water fountains. • Adjust lunch schedules and spaces to maximize social distancing. • Identify and have separate clinic spaces in which students who are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms are screened. • Restrict visitors to school buildings. • Discontinue perfect attendance awards. 4 | P a g e • Require students and staff to be fever free for 72 hours without the use of medication before returning to school. All Lake County School will receive direction from the Lake County Health Department should there be confirmed cases of COVID-19. Please note that the above information is subject to change based on available health data and guidance from state and local officials. We thank you, in advance, for your cooperation and commitment to ensuring the safety of our students and staff. We look forward to welcoming our families back to school. Dr. Tony Lux, Dr. Paige McNulty, Mrs. Michele Riise, Crown Point Community Schools Gary Community School Griffith Public Schools Corporation Mrs. Mary Tracy-MacAulay, Dr. Larry Veracco, Dr. Sharon Johnson-Shirley, Hanover Community School Lake Central School Corporation Lake Ridge New Tech Schools Corporation Dr. Tom Cripliver, Mr. Nicholas Brown, Mrs. Jane Winkoff, Lake Station Community Schools Merrillville Community Schools Northwest Indiana Special Education Cooperative Dr. Steve Disney, Ms. Dee-Etta Wright, Mr. Scott Miller, River Forest Community School School City of East Chicago School City of Hammond Corporation Dr. Peggy Buffington, Mrs. Cindy Scroggins, Mr. Brian Smith School City of Hobart School City of Whiting School Town of Highland Dr. Jeff Hendrix, Dr. Rod Gardin, School Town of Munster Tri-Creek School Corporation 5 | P a g e RE-ENTRY PLAN PARENT/ COMMUNITY NOTICE Providing a high-quality education in a safe environment is our top priority at Gary Community School Corporation. During the past few months, COVID-19 rapidly changed how education was provided to our students. As the new school year approaches, it is our aim to ensure the best educational opportunities for all students while safeguarding their health and the health of all staff members. There are many thoughts about what should be in a plan and what a student and staff member’s day should look like. Our re-entry planning committee of several people including a subcommittee considered input from parents and worked to align the reopening of school with the guidelines from the CDC, Indiana Department of Health, Indiana Department of Education, and the Lake County Health Department. Plans are subject to change based on continued guidance from state and local agencies. In times like this, we can best meet students’ needs by treating each other with respect, grace, and compassion. The overview in the sections below provides a quick summary of how our schools will operate when we return on August 12, 2020. Read this first, then go to the question and answer section for more detailed information. 6 | P a g e RE-ENTRY PLAN Overview ● All students can return to school on August 12th as scheduled. The traditional five-day school week will be used and the school day will be the same length as in previous years. ● All students and staff members will participate each day in at-home screening for COVID-19 symptoms.