Back to school is going to look very different this year

Staff Report

What will the school day look like for Charlotte students, whether they’re at Charlotte Central School or Champlain Valley Union High School, this fall? Here’s some information from the Champlain Valley School District reopening web site.

Drop-off and pick-up/Arrival and departure
Hand sanitizing stations will be set up at school entrances.

Pre-screened students arriving by bus will go directly to their assigned classroom.

Procedures for students not arriving by bus will vary by school. More information will be provided in August. In general, the following procedures will be followed.

  • Multiple entrances will be used in order to maintain social distancing.
  • All students must have a completed health screen and temperature screen prior to entering the building. Adults taking student temperatures will wear masks and gloves and use touchless thermometers.
  • All students will sanitize their hands and must wear masks.
  • Students should go directly to their assigned classroom once they have completed all required screening. (Alternate arrangement are being considered for those students who will be accessing breakfast.)
  • Parents/caregivers will not be allowed to enter the buildings (see Parents and Caregivers).

Parents/caregivers
Parents and caregivers will not be allowed to enter the building with the student.

  • Parents/caregivers should drop off their child outside and leave as soon as their child has safely entered the building to avoid congregating.
  • Preschool classrooms may need to identify a separate entrance and exit given the age of the student so the parent/caregiver may briefly walk the child into the classroom and leave.
  • In the first few days of return to school, the parents/caregivers of younger students and students with anxiety may escort their children to the classroom in coordination with the school.
  • If a parent/caregiver needs to talk with school personnel, they should make arrangements to do so in advance.
  • All parents/caregivers who enter the school building must wear a facial covering, be screened upon entry (screening questions and temperature check) and must leave immediately upon completing drop-off.
  • Individuals who are self-quarantining due to close contact with a COVID-19 positive individual should not do drop-off or pick-up.

Hand hygiene
Schools will put the following procedures into practice to ensure effective hand hygiene:

All students, staff and contracted service providers should engage in hand hygiene at the following times:

  • Arrival to the facility, after staff breaks, before and after preparing food or drinks, before and after eating, handling food or feeding students
  • Before and after administering medication or medical ointment
  • After using the toilet or helping a child use the bathroom
  • After coming in contact with bodily fluid
  • Before and after handling facial coverings/face shields
  • After handling animals or cleaning up animal waste
  • After playing outdoors
  • Before and after playing with sand and sensory play
  • After handling garbage
  • Before and after cleaning
  • Prior to switching rooms or locations
  • Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If hands are not visibly dirty, alcohol-based hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol can be used if soap and water are not readily available (monitor for ingestion of hand sanitizer among young children). Steps for proper handwashing can be found on the CDC website.
  • After assisting students with handwashing, staff should also wash their hands.

Facial coverings and personal protective equipment
All students are required to wear facial coverings while in the building, as well as outside where physical distancing cannot be maintained. Staff will wear facial coverings inside and outside when with students. The CDC recommends facial coverings in settings where other physical distancing measures are difficult to maintain, especially in areas of significant community-based transmission. Adults doing drop-off and pick-up should wear facial coverings. Instructions for making, wearing and washing facial coverings can be found on the CDC website. PreK students require special consideration regarding age and child development.

The following stipulations are for students, as well as staff, where applicable:

  • Facial coverings are developmentally appropriate when children can properly put on, take off, and not touch or suck on the covering.
  • Students who have a medical or behavioral reason for not wearing a facial covering should not be required to wear one. These decisions should be made in partnership with the health care provider and school nurse.
  • Students/staff should not wear facial coverings while sleeping, eating or swimming (or when they would get wet).
  • Facial coverings with ties are not recommended for young children as they pose a risk of choking or strangulation.
  • Facial coverings may be removed during outdoor activities where students and staff can maintain physical distancing and have ready access to put them back as needed when activity stops.
  • Staff may take off their facial covering in select circumstances when physical distancing cannot be maintained, such as when a parent/caregiver is hearing impaired and reads lips to communicate. It is also recommended to use facial coverings with clear plastic windows to support communication when there is ongoing contact with individuals who are hearing impaired.
  • The use of clear facial shields for students and adults is allowable as long as they meet all of the health guidance of the Vermont Department of Health. Face shields should extend below the chin and to the ears laterally, and there should be no exposed gap between the forehead and the shield’s headpiece.