South Orangetown Central School District

PLAN UPDATES

The New York State Department of Health, in collaboration with the New York State Education Department, released the NYS DOH Pre-K to Gr. 12 COVID-19 Toolkit (10/1/20). Please refer to this document for up-to-date information regarding COVID-19 decision-making for families, staff and school district officials.

Below are substantive changes made to the District Reopening Plan between July 31, 2020 and August 31, 2020.

Health and Safety

Subsection: SOCSD Dual-Screening Protocol
Purpose: To revise the screening temperature value to 100 degrees Fahrenheit and greater, the return to protocol requirements and the secondary screening protocol for students who are symptomatic when they enter the campus or during the school day.
Revisions:

“Staff will perform daily COVID screenings including temperature checks prior to arrival on campus, however, in the event a staff member arrives on campus exhibiting symptoms of COVID or a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or greater, they will be isolated to a separate location and re-checked by the building nurse for an oral temperature. If the temperature is 100 degrees or greater (or other symptoms are present), the principal will be contacted by the Nurse, and the staff member MUST be sent home within 30 minutes. Staff Relations must be notified, and a return date will be reviewed with the Building Principal. If the oral temperature is below 100 degrees, the staff member will continue with his/her day unless they present with other symptoms.

The Director of Staff Relations and/or the Director of Safety, Security & Compliance will consult with the Rockland County Department of Health, in regards to the requirements for determining when staff members, who screened positive for COVID-19 symptoms can return to the in-person learning environment at school. The returning protocol may include, but not be limited to:

• The individual must be fever-free for at least 24 hours, without use of fever-reducing medications, and are symptom-free;
• Documentation of evaluation by a healthcare provider (a healthcare provider note clearing a person to return to school/work);
• Negative COVID-19 diagnostic test result, and symptom resolution;
• If COVID-19 positive, release from isolation from the Department of Health and/or healthcare provider. Also:
  • It has been at least ten (10) days since the individual first started experiencing symptoms.
  • It has been at least three (3) days since the individual has had a fever (without using fever reducing medicine), AND
  • It has been at least three (3) days since the individual symptoms improved, including cough and shortness of breath.

Students will be screened for symptoms as they enter campus and/or school bus consistent with public health guidance, which may include but not limited to, visual wellness checks and temperature checks with no-touch thermometers (check temperature to ensure temperatures are not 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit or greater) and other symptom checks such as: asking students if they have experienced COVID-19 symptoms within the last 24 hours, whether anyone in their home has had COVID-19 symptoms and/or a positive test, and/or traveled to an area listed as part of the travel advisory due to significant degree of community-wide spread of COVID-19 by the NYS Governor.

If a student is symptomatic while entering campus or during the school day:

• The student will be sent to the school nurse for screening.
• The student will be isolated in a pre-selected area of the school that is supervised by the school nurse and/or other trained personnel.
• The student must immediately put on a mask or cloth face covering.
• If screening indicates potential signs of COVID-19, parent and/or guardian will be contacted to pick up student from school immediately.
• Student will remain in isolation until picked up by an authorized adult within 30 minutes.

Any confirmed COVID-19 case the SOCSD learns of regarding students will automatically be reported to the Rockland County Health Department by the School Nurse Team Leader and Executive Director of Pupil Personnel Services.

Contractors, Vendors, Partner Agencies and Visitors will be subject to live temperature screening with no touch thermometers and/or other screening technologies, and other symptom checks. This will be done by SOCSD personnel as deemed appropriate. In cases where one of these individuals exhibits a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or greater, or other COVID-19 related symptoms, they will be denied access and/or removed from campus and their immediate supervisor contacted. Individual(s) will not be permitted back on school campuses until appropriate documentation (and acceptable to Rockland Department of Health) is received by the District.”

Subsection: Cloth Face Coverings
Purpose: To require students to wear a mask or cloth facial covering all day, with the exception of meal service times
Revisions:

“Students are always required to wear a mask or cloth facial covering, with the exception of meal service times, this includes: 

• In all common areas of the school buildings; 
• In all hallways; 
• In all restrooms; and 
• During recess. “

Subsection: Management of Ill Persons
Purpose: To provide additional detail for protocols to manage ill students and staff.
Revisions:

1. “School staff will immediately report any illness of students or staff to the school nurse 
2. The student will be sent to the school nurse for screening. 
3. The student will be isolated in a pre-selected area of the school that is supervised by the school nurse and/or other trained personnel. 
4. The student must immediately put on a mask or cloth face covering. 
5. If screening indicates potential signs of COVID-19, parent and/or guardian will be contacted to pick up student from school immediately. 
6. Student will remain in isolation until picked up by an authorized adult within 30 minutes.  
7. Staff member exhibiting symptoms of COVID or a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or greater, they will be isolated to a separate location and re-checked by the building nurse for an oral temperature. If the temperature is 100 degrees or greater (or other symptoms are present), the principal will be contacted by the Nurse, and the staff member MUST be sent home within 30 minutes. Staff Relations must be notified, and a return date will be reviewed with the Building Principal.  If the oral temperature is below 100 degrees, the staff member will continue with his/her day unless they present with other symptoms.  
8. The Director of Staff Relations and/or the Director of Safety, Security and Compliance will notify the Rockland County Health Department to satisfy reporting requirements and to begin contact tracing, if confirmed case. 
9. This district will follow all guidance from the RCHD and will close off areas used by a sick person and will not use again until the area can be properly disinfected.  
10. Opening outside doors and windows to increase air circulation throughout the space. 
11. Waiting at least 24 hours before cleaning and disinfection. If waiting 24 hours is not   feasible, wait as long as practical. 
12. Clean and disinfect all areas used by the person suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19, such as offices, classrooms, bathrooms, common areas, etc.  
13.  Once the area has been appropriately cleaned and disinfected it can be reopened for use. “

Subsection: Returning to School After Illness
Purpose: Revised requirements for returning to school for individuals who are not diagnosed with COVID-19 and those for those who are diagnosed with COVID-19.
Revisions:

“The South Orangetown CSD will follow CDC guidance for a student or staff member to return to school after exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. If a person is not diagnosed with COVID-19 by a healthcare provider (physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant) they can return to school if all of the criteria below are satisfied:

• The individual must be fever-free for at least 24 hours, without use of fever-reducing medications, and are symptom-free;
• Documentation of evaluation by a healthcare provider (a healthcare provider note clearing a person to return to school/work); AND
• A negative COVID-19 diagnostic test result can be produced.

If a person is diagnosed with COVID-19 by a healthcare provider based on a test or symptoms, or does not get a COVID-19 test but has had symptoms, they will not be allowed at school and must stay home until:

• A letter stating they are released from isolation by the Department of Health and/or healthcare provider.
• It has been at least ten (10) days since the individual first started experiencing symptoms.
• It has been at least three (3) days since the individual has had a fever (without using fever reducing medicine), AND
• It has been at least three (3) days since the individual symptoms improved, including cough and shortness of breath.”

School Schedules

Subsection: Scheduling Options
Purpose: To provide additional time for socially distanced arrival and departure procedures.
Revision:

• Bus arrivals to start at 8:10AM for SOMS and TZHS, with school day beginning at 8:30AM;
• Bus arrivals to start at 9:15AM for WOS and CLE, with school day beginning at 9:30AM;
• Parent pick up to start at 3:00PM for SOMS and TZHS; and
• School day ends at 3:30PM for WOS and CLE, with parent pick up to start at 3:40PM at CLE and 3:45PM at WOS.

Teaching and Learning

Subsection: Continuity of Learning
Purpose: No additional preparation of materials to be sent home, beyond standard practice, is required.
Revision: 

• Deleted “Throughout the week, teachers will prepare materials for students who are going home for the following week for distribution on Friday morning.”

Subsection: Continuity of Learning
Purpose: To revise format of instruction for in-person learners to preserve bandwidth, shift day for posting assignments and specify teacher and student expectations regarding office hours
Revision: 

• Teachers are required to use Zoom video conferences or Google Meets with their students when students are remote to preserve bandwidth in the classroom and school. However, students may use their Chromebooks or devices to access Google Classroom or other learning management systems or applications that don’t require live streaming in the classroom.
• Teachers will also use digital tools, such as Google Classroom, Schoology, SeeSaw to provide both live and asynchronous classroom experiences for all students.
• These live sessions or activities will be streamed to any students who are learning remotely. Teachers can continue to create and post asynchronous lessons or activities as well.
• During lessons, teachers will be able to step away from the camera when giving a lesson when screen sharing from the Smartboard or when engaging in hands-on activities, labs or projects.
• Throughout the week, teachers will prepare materials for students who are going home for the following week for distribution on Friday morning.
• The schedule of assignments or lessons for students will be posted online and shared on Fridays for the following week.
• Teachers are expected to post their office hours one week in advance. Students are required to sign up for office time with teachers.
• Teachers will permit school leaders and support staff to have access to their Google or online classrooms.
• At the beginning of a lesson, the teacher should be in the teacher safety zone, where their computer is plugged into a network. The teacher should log in to Zoom or Google Classroom and connect with the at-home students. Once this occurs, the teacher can begin their lesson. After the direct teaching/modeling portion of the lesson, students in class and at home can work in small groups, partnerships or individually to complete the activity/project/lab portion of the lesson.
• Teachers should log in to each of their virtual classes, post work and provide feedback on student work.

Subsection: Continuity of Learning
Purpose: To add expectation for teacher support of skills students need to be successful in a remote learning environment
Revision: 

• Teacher support for students in learning the skills to be successful with remote learning, including executive functioning skills, self-advocacy and self-assessment using rubrics.

Subsection: English Language Learners / World Languages
Purpose: To explicitly state alignment with New York State
Revision:

• Added “SOCSD is aligned to the Blueprint for ELL/MLL Success: ensure coordination content and ENL/BE teachers; adopt progress monitoring tools to measure ELL proficiency; provide social-emotional learning supports to ELLs in their home language; continue utilizing technology in ELL instruction; support SIFE and other vulnerable populations; ensure EMLL Profile supports early learning; and support completion of the NYS Seal of Biliteracy.”

Special Education

Subsection: Special Education Program and Services
Purpose: To provide clarification
Revision:

“an extended learning space to receive synchronous instruction and in-person program accommodations and related services according to their plan.”