Page 9 - North State Parent August 2020

Health, Safety and Learning: The North State Goes Back to School
ball response to the need to create a reopening plan,” says Irene Salter, school administrator. “I wanted parents to end the last school year with a model for what to expect in returning to the classroom, even if it had to change a little. The reopening plan is flexible and able to accommodate changing needs as they happen in the coming months.”
Richard Duvarney, Tehama County superintendent of schools, says, “Af- ter many parent surveys, it has become apparent that our families want their children back to school in the traditional five day a week track. We are trying to honor that while taking every safety precaution.”
With around 12,000 students, Chico Unified School District included par- ent input from multiple surveys to craft a careful, adaptable reopening plan. On July 15, the CUSD Board approved a plan that offers parents a choice of online learning or a new in-person classroom model that will have half of the students attending class in the morning and half in the afternoon, five days a week. However, this plan is now on hold, as Butte County was placed on the state’s watch list on July 24.
If the county goes off this watch list before school is set to open, students will still have the option of online or in-person learning.
In-person learning features modified classrooms to create social distanc- ing with desk placement. Classrooms will be cleaned and disinfected after each group of students departs. Teachers, school staff and students will be required to wear face coverings and students will be provided masks if they don’t have one. Daily wellness checks include a mandatory, no-touch tem- perature screening at a single point of campus entry.
If Butte County is still on the watch list when schools reopen, parents can place their children in independent study or enroll them in the online Oak Bridge Academy for students in grades K-12. Oak Bridge is structured learning using curriculum designed especially for online educational success. Hours of daily attendance differ for elementary and secondary students, and all stu- dents are assigned a teacher to guide them. Students will attend online Zoom classes with teachers and students, submit homework online and have weekly teacher check-ins. Parents will receive regular teacher feedback.
Chico Oaks Adventist School Principal Leslie Bartsch had planned on offer- ing in-person classes, and has also planned for the switch to distance learning if campuses must be closed. With in-person instruction, she says, “Our focus on educating the whole child, academically, spiritually, physically and socially is best accomplished when students and teachers can be together. As a small school, we can limit our class sizes and our students have fewer classmates to share germs with. We’re planning to use outdoor spaces as much as possible.”
Director Michelle Yezbick of Chico’s Sherwood Montessori says that if the campus must be closed, all students will be working with the online learning option the school has already put in place: “We will have students at home use a ‘tech buddy system’ that has been working for our Montessori friends in other areas. Students at home will join the classroom via technology, and work at home will resemble work at school as much as possible.”
California State Universities and community colleges such as Butte Col- lege, College of the Siskiyous and Shasta College will resume instruction with almost all courses being online. Students that require in-person education like nursing, EMT and fire science will be notified of class safety protocols. Peter Griggs, director of marketing at Shasta College, says, “Our instructors continue to find new and innovative ways of connecting and communicating personally with students to help them succeed in achieving their goals. Com- munity college students will continue to earn degrees and certificates and prepare to transfer by completing undergraduate requirements for CSU, UC or private colleges.” Ó
Deborah Peel is a writer, blogger, content marketer, mother and lover of big trees and isolated mountain tops. When she isn’t turning pages on a book adventure, she's an avid hiker and a dog person.
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Some critical health and safety precautions that schools are adopting:
· Face Coverings: Per a directive from Governor Newsom, students in third grade and up are required to wear a mask. Masks are encouraged for students in second grade and under. Cloth masks or face shields will be worn by teachers and campus staff. Cloth masks and gloves will be worn by food services and office staff in contact with the public.
· Social Distancing: Classrooms will be modified to maintain space between desks, tables and classroom equipment. Class sizes may be reduced.
· Healthy Hygiene: Students will be reminded to cough or sneeze into their el- bow and frequently wash their hands for 20 seconds with soap. Students will have access to hand sanitizer on campus and in classrooms.
· LimitedSharingofObjectsandEquipment:Toys,games,artsuppliesandoth- er classroom equipment will not be shared to the extent practical. Any shared items will be cleaned between uses.
· Daily Cleaning and Disinfection: Buses and frequently touched school sur- faces including light switches, door handles, sink handles, bathroom surfaces, tables, desks and chairs will be cleaned and disinfected daily or more often.
· CleaningProducts:SchoolswilluseproductsapprovedbytheEnvironmental Protection Agency for use against COVID-19.