2021-2022 Safe Return to In-Person Instruction Plan
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2021-2022 Version as of August 30, 2021 1 SPS Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan Version as of August 30, 2021 2 Table of Contents Health and Safety Strategies Page 4 Facilities Page 7 Teaching & Learning Page 7 Family and Community Page 13 Social Emotional Learning and Mental Health Supports Page 13 Transportation Page 14 Nutrition Page 14 ESSER Page 15 Version as of August 30, 2021 3 Stamford Public Schools (SPS) Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan Health and Safety will continue to be at the forefront of our decision-making in Stamford. The goal of the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) is for all students to return to school for 100% in-person learning. Health and Safety Strategies COVID-19 Checklist To ensure the health and safety of all who work in or attend our schools, all families and staff members are asked to continue to review the COVID-19 checklist and self-assess before leaving home each day. If you are not feeling well, please stay home and consult your family doctor or local urgent care. Universal and Correct Wearing of Masks – Mask guidance All students, staff and visitors are required to use a mask that completely covers the nose and mouth, when they are inside the school building or on school grounds, even when social distancing is maintained. Specific to outdoor settings, masks are not required, but students and staff will continue to wear masks in situations where students and/or staff are outdoors and in close contact while stationary (e.g., sitting/standing together in a group). Where students are actively moving around during recess or physical education activities, masks can be removed. Masks should also be worn when students are traveling to and from outdoor physical education classes and recess. Good hand hygiene will be emphasized before and after outdoor activities. According to the current Executive Order 13A, masks are required indoors in all local school districts until September 30. According to CSDE, a federal order requires masks on all public transportation including school buses. We will continue to work with the Stamford Department of Health to make decisions moving forward. Teacher – Removal of Mask During Active Instruction In an effort to balance the risks of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a classroom and instructional needs, teachers who are fully vaccinated may choose to remove their masks when they are engaged in active instruction at the front of the classroom in which students are seated and masked provided that a separating distance of at least six (6) feet to the greatest extent possible is maintained. Mask removal may not occur in cases where a fully vaccinated teacher is a close contact of a known case and, in lieu of quarantine, is instructed to wear a mask until they receive a negative test. “Fully vaccinated” means at least fourteen days have elapsed since a person has received the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, or as otherwise defined by the Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”). Version as of August 30, 2021 4 Physical Distancing According to CSDE and State Department of Public Health (DPH), students should maintain 3- feet social distance, to the greatest extent possible. When a mask is removed for eating and drinking or taking a mask break, distance will be expanded to 6-feet, to the greatest extent possible. Barriers may be used or the school may alternate rows of students who are taking mask breaks or eating. Students who attend APPLES PreK program will be cohorted by class as social distancing with this age of students is not possible. Hand washing Good hand hygiene continues to serve as a key mitigating strategy in combating COVID-19. Hand sanitizer will be available at all sites, both in classrooms and in common areas. Students and staff will be encouraged to wash hands for at least 20 seconds regularly throughout the day, or use hand sanitizer. Contact Tracing – Quarantine Recommendations We acknowledge that the gold standard for the duration of the quarantine period after close contact with a person who is confirmed to be infected with the SARS CoV-2 virus remains 14 days, and that this timeframe is optimal to lower the risk of transmission (as recommended by the CDC). Based on local circumstances and resources, the CDC has offered alternate options to shorten the length of quarantine. After reviewing these options and local considerations, the Stamford Department of Health recommends the following: ● Non-sports-related quarantine – students may return to school after 10 days without the need for a negative test, providing there are no COVID-19-associated symptoms throughout the 10 days. All students must be monitored for COVID-19-associated symptoms for a 14-day period. ○ Fully vaccinated students/staff who are a close contact with a known COVID-19 case do not have to quarantine, provided they remain asymptomatic after close contact with a known COVID-19 case (Interim Recommendations for COVID-19 Prevention in Connecticut’s PreK-12 Schools, July 2021), and wear a mask until receiving a negative COVID-19 test (taken between days 3 and 5 from the date of contact) or 14 days without a test. ● Sports-related quarantine – ○ Fully vaccinated students/staff who are a close contact with a known COVID-19 case do not have to quarantine from sports or other activities, provided they remain asymptomatic after close contact with a known COVID-19 case (Interim Recommendations for COVID-19 Prevention in Connecticut’s PreK-12 Schools, July 2021), and wear a mask until receiving a negative COVID-19 test (taken between days 3 and 5 from the date of contact) or 14 days without a test. ○ Unvaccinated asymptomatic students who are a close contact of a known COVID- 19 case will be quarantined for 10 days (with a negative test between days 7 and 10) or 14 days without a test. Version as of August 30, 2021 5 ○ Vaccinated and unvaccinated students who experience COVID-19 symptoms after close contact with a known COVID-19 case will be quarantined for 10 days (with a negative test between days 7 and 10) or 14 days without a test. Returning to play after being infected with the COVID-19 virus and after completing all appropriate isolation requirements – the CIAC and the Stamford Department of Health require written documentation of medical clearance by the medical provider. While it is not mandatory, the Stamford Department of Health recommends quarantined students be tested. Screening / Testing During the 2021-2022 school year, Stamford Public Schools will participate in a voluntary, free- screening, testing program. While not required, unvaccinated staff and students have the opportunity to be tested weekly at their school site. The testing provider is assigned by DPH. Travel Guidance As of March 19, 2021, Governor Lamont’s Executive Order No.9S, Section 1 regarding travel is no longer in effect. Connecticut residents and travelers to Connecticut should follow travel-related guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH). Mandates and requirements are not currently in place in Connecticut. Prior to traveling outside of your local community, consider that travel increases your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. Travelers should review CDC's travel guidance when planning travel outside of their local community. Know your travel risk. Do not travel if you are sick, are considered infectious after testing positive for COVID-19, or should be quarantined due to exposure to a person with COVID-19. Vaccination DPH describes vaccination as an important mitigating strategy and encourages families to consider vaccination as an option for age eligible students and other members of their families. Go to the COVID-19 Vaccination Information page of the city website for more information. Version as of August 30, 2021 6 Facilities SPS will continue to create a safe and healthy learning environment for students and staff. ● Implement a cleaning and sanitizing protocol for during the day and evening. ● Post health and safety signage, and provide training. ● Comply with State COVID-19 Guidelines for Ventilation. Ventilation SPS is following the recommendations of DPH and CSDE to re-commission HVAC systems across the district. Water Fountains All water fountains will be reopened for bottle filling only. The Facilities Department will use the DPH Return to Service guidance for reopening water fountains, which will also include testing by the local health department. Teaching and Learning Attendance Teachers will have the option of marking students Present or Absent based on their physical presence in the classroom. Students under quarantine, who meet the requirements for remote attendance, will be marked Remote Present Quarantine or Remote Absent Quarantine. As always, parents/guardians should notify the school of any type of absence. The “Notes” section for attendance in PowerSchool can be used for documenting additional information regarding daily attendance. If a student does not meet the requirements for remote attendance, the student will be marked absent from school/class. English Learner (EL) Instruction Whenever possible, all efforts will be made to keep students with the same EL teacher. The schedule may be adjusted to provide the appropriate level of support. ● EL teachers place students in small groups to offer differentiated instruction based on language development information. ● Students will use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including masks, hand sanitizing, and plastic barriers where applicable. Version as of August 30, 2021 7 Families/Visitors Temporary Restrictions on Nonessential Visitors to School Facilities--In order to secure the health and safety of SPS students and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic and in accordance with the recommendations of the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH), nonessential visitors will not be allowed access to school facilities before, during, or after the school day when school is in session.