Central School
Response to COVID-19
2020-2021
School Information for Families as of July 27, 2020
We have been working in concert with our district task force to ensure the safest possible return for students in August. Please make sure to continue to monitor the district web site and Facebook pages for the most up-to-date information, as our goal is to communicate the most accurate information to you. As you know, our district seeks continued and ongoing guidance from the Florida Dept. Of Education, CDC, and Florida Dept. of Health as we move forward with opening schools.
Please remember that we value the partnership with our families in creating a safe and welcoming environment for our students. If you have questions, please let us know. We will answer those to the best of our ability.
Educational Options 2020-2021
We ask that you determine which educational option is best for your family and make that decision by August 3rd. We are building class lists and allocating staffing, so it is important we have your most current plan. Your options are as follows:
Your student attends his/her zoned school site, which is the “brick and mortar” option.
If you have a new K-12 grade student, you have not enrolled from a district outside of Santa Rosa County, please register the student through the FOCUS platform on the district webpage now. After the FOCUS enrollment is complete, please call the school to schedule your appointment to drop off documents.
If your child is transferring within Santa Rosa County or is returning to the district as a previously enrolled student (moved away and has returned), call CENTRAL SCHOOL and arrange to pick up a paper enrollment packet.
The next option is to enroll your child through Santa Rosa Online Academy, our district’s online campus. For many years, this site has served our students, as a franchise of FLVS and Fuel Education (formerly known as K-12), and Connection Learning. These are all fully accredited and established leaders in providing online learning opportunities throughout the world. The benefit of enrolling in FLVS through Santa Rosa Online is that you have local teachers on our time zone that will work with your students. Please bear in mind that the remote learning that we put into place during the March school closure was NOT virtual learning. This platform is a rigorous one, but you must enroll through Santa Rosa Online. If you choose the virtual option, you must commit to at least one semester of attendance. Please note that Fuel Education is the option available for KG students. If you have questions, we encourage you to watch the informational video on their website. If you go to our district web page, you can use the dropdown choices under the “schools” tab to access their page. In this option, parents will serve as the learning coach.
· Remote Learning Option: Your child remains in your zoned school and is taught remotely by a CENTRAL SCHOOL teacher. Like SRO, this option requires a minimum commitment of one semester. The curriculum will be a modified version of FLVS, and students will need access to a computer and internet. This option may involve live lessons. Students must attend class at specific times during school hours, certifying their remote attendance. Although there may be virtual field trips, elective opportunities are limited. Parents will serve as the learning coaches.
· The last option is for you to enroll your child in Home Education through that district office or enroll in a private school.
The district will communicate instructions on how to enroll your child in the remote option or change a previously-selected virtual option the week of July 27. If you choose not to send your child to Central (“brick and mortar”), you will need to enroll your child in the alternate options by August 3rd.
Central School has the following framework in place as precautionary measures against COVID-19 and other illnesses.
Daily Screening of Those on Campus
· All families should screen and monitor their children for fever 100.4 degrees or higher within the last 72 hours, cough, sore throat, diarrhea, fatigue, or muscle aches; a recent loss of smell or taste; or contact with someone with flu-like symptoms. If any of those criteria are met, students should not come to school until fever free without medication for 72 hours. Families have an ethical obligation to commit to the safety of our school community.
· All employees will self-screen daily.
· Those needing to enter the campus (e.g., parent picking up child) will need to self-screen and adhere to the criteria above. Only one adult will be allowed into the school building if a child needs to be picked up or checked out.
· All students will be temperature checked a minimum of once weekly by a Central School staff member using a touch-free thermometer.
Orientation
· We have divided our August 20 Orientation into designated blocks.
o For elementary students, this block of time is your opportunity to meet the teacher, gain information regarding his/her class, drop off supplies, and provide important paperwork needed for your child’s first day.
o For secondary students, this time block will be used to pick up schedules and a school map by driving through the bus ramp. Secondary students will not be touring the school unless you are new to Central School.
· Only one adult will be allowed per child in order to limit the number of guests on campus. Please respect that rule, as it applies to each family.
· All visitors will self-screen before arriving on campus, and we respectfully request that all parents/students wear a mask/face covering.
· Please do not linger or congregate in halls.
· Bus maps will be posted on our media outlets. No Transportation Department staff will be available.
· Car rider tags and parking decals will be available in the cafeteria.
· Lunch money may be added to your child’s account through the cafeteria.
· Orientation designated times are as follows:
August 20, 2020 Elementary
· Kindergarten and 1st grade 8:00-9:00 am
· 2nd and 3rd grade 9:00-10:00 am
· 4th and 5th grade 10:00-11:00 am
· Any student new to Central School 1:00-2:00 pm
· Please report directly to the classroom.
August 20, 2020 Secondary
· 6th -12th grade students may pick up schedules and school maps on the bus ramp 8:00-12:00
First Day of School
· The first day of school is an important event for a child and his/her family, but the need to limit the number of parents on campus requires us to alter our traditional protocols.
· On Monday, August 24, kindergarten students may be walked to his/her classroom with 1 parent/guardian. Students not riding the bus or driving will need to be dropped off in the car rider area only. No student is to be dropped off anywhere on campus except the car rider ramp. Students will only be able to enter the school from the car rider ramp, student parking lot, or the bus rider ramp. Staff will ensure all students report to their classroom safely.
· The lobby will be open only for parents who need assistance from front office staff.
· Parents may not walk students to class. We appreciate your understanding and support of this policy.
· Students who do not need breakfast will report directly to his/her classroom upon arrival. Doors open at 7:50 A.M. Tardy bell rings at 8:15 A.M.
· Students will not wait outside classrooms, in the gym, or in the cafeteria as they have in the past.
Masks/Face Coverings
· All students are required to have a mask, face covering, or full-face shield, provided by the parents or guardians. Central School staff will expect students to wear a face covering throughout the day, requiring them when social distancing is not feasible. We need your help in acclimating your child to wearing a mask as well as encouraging other good hygiene practices: washing hands frequently; avoiding contact with eyes, nose, and mouth; and covering coughs and sneezes.
· All employees will be required to wear a mask/ face covering.
· Central School will provide every student with a lanyard for his/her face covering to assist with misplacing or mixing face masks/coverings.
Breakfast/Lunch
· Students will wear a face covering while in the food serving line.
· Student breakfasts/lunches will be prepackaged grab-and-go, with cold and hot options during the week.
· Until further notice, we will not allow lunch visitors to limit exposure.
· Water fountains will be unavailable. We recommend your student bring a labeled plastic container with water that could be refilled during the day.
· Breakfast-Students will pick up their breakfast in the cafeteria and eat in the classroom and/or other supervised designated areas.
· Lunch-Staff are given a 30-minute, duty-free lunch. Students will stay with their class cohort in the cafeteria as well as other supervised designated areas to allow for social distancing.
· The cafeteria Share Bowl will not be utilized this school year.
· Alternate routes to enter the cafeteria serving lines will be utilized to minimize high traffic volumes.
Supports for Physical Distancing
· Students will use outside exit doors to transition from class to class as much as possible weather permitting.
· Classroom and Special Area teachers will physically distance students as much as feasible, having many opportunities for handwashing throughout the day.
· Classroom arrangements will avoid collaborative seating as much as possible.
· Any tactile manipulatives or equipment will be cleaned between student use. Student supplies will not be in shared bins; each child will have his/her own materials. We ask that you label your child’s items as much as possible (e.g., pencil box; lunchbox; water bottle; scissors).
· Playground equipment will not be used until further notice.
Campus Hygiene
· In addition to hand sanitizers in classrooms, we will have additional sensor-activated hand sanitizer stations throughout the school.
· Our custodial staff will conduct enhanced cleaning protocols, setting up remote cleaning supply stations for additional use by staff. Additional staffing will help support these additional sanitizing methods, which include wiping down/sanitizing all touch points and flat services each day as well as a weekly electrostatic mister treatment of all areas of the school.
· As a component of this service, buses will be cleaned after the A.M. and P.M. routes.
Volunteers/Visitors
· Because we will be limiting access to campus, the minimum duration of which is the first semester, we will not allow visitors and non-essential volunteers on campus. As well, if you need to pick up your student, only one parent/family member will be allowed access to the school.
Digital Learning Days
· Built into our brick and mortar (Central School campus) learning will be weekly digital learning days. Students will use this educational platform as a part of their standards-based curriculum during the school day. In the event of another school shut down, students will be able to seamlessly transition to a distance learning environment. Once the digital platform is in place, the school will provide family training for parents to be familiar with how the curriculum works.
Clinic
· We are increasing the handling of minor issues, for example the application of a bandage for a minor scrape, within the classroom itself.
· If a student has questionable symptoms or needs to report to the clinic for other reasons, the office staff will contact the clinic.
· Clinic beds with separation curtains will be utilized for students with illness, fever, or flu-like symptoms.
· Please know that the Department of Health will communicate as necessary with families for COVID diagnoses.
Car Drop Off
· We have a very narrow window of time for students to arrive at school through our car drop off area. We ask for increased patience this year as we will be checking temperatures daily in the drop off line.
Bus Transportation
· To keep student cohorts together, the school is not allowing parents to change the bus their child routinely rides home (unless it is a permanent change, or an emergency arises with administration approval).
· No bus changes will be made after 12:50 p.m.
Central School administration appreciates your time and attention to this information. We look forward to serving our students and families this school year.
Sean Twitty, Principal
Cheree Davis, Assistant Principal
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