Holy Family, Sacred Heart reopening information to be published next week

St. George School ready for in-person classes

St. George School is ready to get the year started Aug. 13 with COVID-19 protocols in place that closely follow the plan laid out by St. George and with direction from the Jefferson City Diocese.

“We’ve missed our students, and we’re excited to have them back,” said Principal Lisa Grellner, noting the Diocese’s new logo is “Better Together,” a sentiment with which she completely agrees. “I think we will better by working together with parents and students to ensure everyone’s safety in this challenging school year.”

There will be a lot of changes this year.

“Not following Linn’s schedule will be a big change, since they’re on a four-day week and we’re staying at five days,” said Grellner, noting the school has its own bus. “We have been with Joe (Neuner) for a long time, but with the change in schedule we had to do something else.”

While parents will be required to drop off their children in the morning, there will be two routes in the afternoon, and Grellner said she hopes for a quick turnaround between the east and west trips.

“We needed to make this option available to our parents without increasing their cost,” said Grellner. “This was the only way to make it a cost-effective option.”

Grellner added that St. George may use Rudroff Bus Co. for field trips or special activities. “Joe has been great to work with, and we appreciate his willingness to help out,” said Grellner.

The daily schedule will be from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

According to the plan released by St. George, students will be dropped off as normal and assigned places in the gym. Grouping in the morning will be the same for most of the day, and masks will be required while students are in the gym, and when students are dismissed after morning prayer.

Each student and staff member will be provided a bandana with the school logo on the front by the school, which they will be required to wear around their neck when not in use.

After school, dismissal will be normal, but students will be required to wear a mask until they are placed in a parent’s vehicle.

Students are encouraged to drive, get dropped off, or picked up from school.

For those riding the bus home, the following protocols will be observed.

* Social distancing on the bus will be implemented to the extent possible, with assigned seats for students, and families grouped. Attempts will be made to have an empty seat between groups of students.

* Students will only be allowed to ride on one bus route and must ride the same bus to and from school, and may not ride the bus home with someone else unless it is their normal bus.

* There will be no eating or drinking on the bus and students will use hand sanitizer when loading and unloading. Seats will be cleaned after each route.

* Students are encouraged to wear masks provided by their parent/guardian while on the bus.

Like R-2, St. George will begin the year at Level 1, and it’s important to note that incentives for perfect attendance will not be given this year.

It is much more important to stay home when sick to prevent the disease from spreading, the plan noted, and attendance policies will be modified to account for COVID-19.

Students at all grade levels will follow a typical class schedule and will receive general education instruction, supplemental instructional services, and special services.

Elementary students will receive instruction in special courses identified as music, media/library, art, and PE/health), but teaching and location may be modified or revised.

All PE classes will utilize outdoor space when possible; junior high and high school (JH/HS) physical education classes may have access to the locker rooms in shifts; JH/HS special courses will be taught with needed modifications.

With increased spread of the virus, the school will move to Level 2 and Level 3, as deemed necessary with guidance from the Osage County Health Department. At either advanced level, distance learning will be implemented. Junior high students will learn primarily in a virtual or computer-based scenario, while elementary students will be a combination of the two.

GENERAL POLICIES

* Refillable water bottles are required, as drinking from a water fountain will not be allowed.

* Social distancing will be practiced at all times as students and staff move throughout the building and wait in line.

* Classes will enter and exit buildings at different times to avoid contact at doors.

* Maintenance will sanitize door handles and commonly touched items before student arrival each day, and thoroughly clean all areas after school.

* Staff will clean their areas of use at least once a day (door handles, student desks, etc). Rooms will have disinfectant spray, towels, and or wipes.

* Any shared materials will be cleaned after each use.

* In the event a person diagnosed with COVID-19 is determined to have been in the building and poses a risk to the community, the school will follow established procedures and coordinate efforts with the Osage County Health Department.

* Areas used by any sick person will be closed off and not used again until they have been cleaned. The district will wait 24 hours before cleaning or disinfecting the area to reduce risk to individuals cleaning. If it is not possible to wait 24 hours, the staff will wait as long as possible.

* Local health officials, staff, and families will be notified immediately of any positive case of COVID-19 while maintaining confidentiality as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Contact tracing will be handled by the OCHD.

* St. George will follow guidance from the local health department to inform those who have had close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 to stay home and self-monitor for symptoms and to follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop.

There should be a plan in place to handle any type of school closing or prolonged absence. Any of the following could occur: closing a specific building, closing the entire district; specific classes or groups of students may be kept from school; symptom-free or otherwise healthy students/staff may be required to stay home if they are considered a close contact; or closing or specific class/grade cancellation due to a lack of substitute teachers or other staff.

CHURCH

Mass will be held weekly, with students grouped as they were placed together in the morning. Students will be expected to observe social-distancing as much as possible.

Pre-kindergarten students will have Mass in the cry room.

FOOD SERVICE

* Staff will wear a mask and follow food prep guidelines, and tables will be cleaned after each shift.

* Lunch will be served in the cafeteria with social distancing as possible and will be served in multiple shifts. Students will be appropriately spaced at cafeteria tables to the extent possible.

* No sharing of utensils, food, napkin holders, etc., and students will not be allowed to use self-serve items, salad bars, etc., or have access to coolers.

RECESS/PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

* Recess and physical activity will be incorporated, with playground equipment routinely cleaned.

* Each grade level will have their own balls, jump ropes, and other items to use, and will not share those supplies. Materials will be cleaned after use, and activities will promote distancing as much as possible.

* Activities will promote social-distancing as much as possible.

CLASSROOMS

* Desks and chairs will be spaced six apart, or as close to that distance as possible.

* Teachers will wear a mask when transitioning, monitoring halls, etc.

* JH students will wear masks when transitioning classes, at lockers, etc.

* Students will not share supplies, computers, equipment, etc., all of which will be cleaned daily, along with classrooms.

* Frequent hand-washing and sanitizing will be incorporated.

RESTROOMS

* Restroom breaks will allow students in one class to go at a time at the elementary campus.

* Proper hand-washing will be emphasized.

* JH/HS will have some flexibility to ensure proper hand-washing and distancing can occur between classes.

VISITORS/PARENTS

Everyone who enters the building will be required to sign in at the front desk, and visitors and parents will only be allowed in a building if necessary or approved by the principal. Visitors and parents/guardians will be required to wear masks while in the building. Anyone who needs to go past the office will also have their temperature taken. Primary communication will be at the door through the telecom system.

* Parents/guardians will be provided a letter to sign and date acknowledging that they received this notice and agree to follow the rules and that they will instruct and discuss this with their school-age child(ren).

* Parents will have the primary responsibility of assuring that their child(ren) do not have signs/symptoms of COVID-19 or any other illness including new-onset fever, cough or diarrhea before the child(ren) leave for school or school-sponsored events.

* Parents should have contingency plans for childcare if the child cannot go to school due to illness and/or quarantine due to exposure to a confirmed COVID-19 case.

IMMUNOCOMPROMISED STUDENTS AND STAFF

Many people of all ages have conditions that put them at higher risk for COVID-19 that may not be apparent to others. Students or staff members who have serious heart conditions, chronic kidney disease, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), Obesity (BMI>30), Sickle Cell Disease, Solid Organ Transplant (heart, kidney, etc.), Diabetes, Asthma, Cerebrovascular disease, hypertension, pregnancy, smoking or use of corticosteroids or immunosuppressive medications may be at higher risk for COVID-19 disease or many other diseases. Those over 65, in addition to those with chronic medical conditions, may be at risk.

St. George may add additional days to the school calendar to recoup lost time due to school closing for illness.

SYMPTOMS/TESTING

* Students and employees exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 without other obvious explanations should not come to school, and if they do come to school, they will be sent home immediately.

* Symptoms can include fever, cough, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, a new loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

* Temperature checks and screening will be completed for students/staff who display symptoms.

* Siblings and other household members of a student or staff who exhibit the above symptoms may also be excluded from school.

* A separate space will be available to assess students or staff members who may be exhibiting symptoms of a communicable disease. Only essential staff will be allowed to enter the room and must wear a mask.

* Students and staff who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms, without other obvious explanations, will be sent home. The criteria for returning will be based on CDC guidelines.

Once a student or employee is excluded from the school environment, they may return if they satisfy the recommendations of the CDC.

* Symptom-based strategy for persons with COVID-19 who have symptoms and were directed to care for themselves at home may discontinue isolation under the following conditions: at least three days (72 hours) have passed since recovery defined as resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); and, at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared.

* A test-based strategy is contingent on the availability of ample testing supplies and laboratory capacity as well as convenient access to testing.

Persons who have COVID-19 who have symptoms and were directed to care for themselves at home may discontinue isolation following the resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications, improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath), and negative results of an FDA Emergency Use Authorized COVID-19 molecular assay for detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from at least two consecutive respiratory specimens collected.

* Those with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who have not had any symptoms and were directed to care for themselves at home may discontinue isolation if at least 10 days have passed since the date of their first positive COVID-19 diagnostic test, assuming they have not subsequently developed symptoms since a positive test. If an individual develops symptoms, then the symptom-based or test-based strategy should be used.

* Students and staff may also return if they are approved to do so in writing by their healthcare provider.

For more information and updates visit http://school.saint-george-parish.org.

Immaculate Conception outlines plan for in-person instruction

Immaculate Conception School has released its plan for containing or mitigating the spread of COVID-19 as the fall semester approaches.

“We are committed to keeping our students learning while implementing safety precautions to keep our students and staff healthy to the best of our ability,” said Principal Anne Luebbert.

The following model outlines the procedures that Immaculate Conception will follow based on the level of community spread. In all facets of the plan, if there is substantial spread, the school will not be open, using instead a remote-learning approach.

Google Classroom and Google Meet will be used to conduct distance learning, with daily communication between students and teachers to ensure students are following grade-level curriculum in all subject areas. “We are working diligently to apply the CARES funding to purchase iPads for kindergarten and first-grade students and Chromebooks for second grade through eighth grade so that we are at a 1:1 ratio with students and devices,” said Luebbert.

Luebbert said there will be time available for student calls and parent calls, and there will be a designated pick up and drop off of learning materials and/or instructional packets.

“We will be in close communication with the Osage County Health Department for updates and guidelines,” said Luebbert, adding it all starts with practicing prevention.

With moderate spread, the school plans to implement the same preventative measures listed above, and increase the cleaning and disinfecting of hard surfaces and objects at least three times daily (before morning recess, before lunch, and end of the day).

With little or no spreading of the virus, parents will be asked to check their student’s temperature before school daily. While at school, staff will teach and reinforce good hygiene practices such as washing hands, covering coughs and sneezes, and keeping hands and objects away from the face and mouth. Opportunities will be abundant multiple times to wash hands throughout the day, and hand-sanitizer will be provided in classrooms and common areas.

“We will also post signage to promote awareness on ways to decrease the spread including staying home when sick, good hygiene, etc.,” said Luebbert, adding that staff will clean and disinfect hard surfaces and objects at least once daily, and avoid the sharing of personal student supplies.

Students will be asked to bring a filled water bottle from home as water fountains will be closed. Water bottles may be refilled with the upstairs bottle filler, and plans are in process to purchase a bottle filler for the cafeteria.

IC-LC will also increase opening windows and airflow as much as possible as long as it does not pose a health risk to staff or students

Inside the classroom, with moderate spread, cleaning protocols will remain in place, while students will remain in the same small working groups each day. Social distancing will be observed in all classroom activities and movement within the classroom, with assigned seating and no flexible or alternative seating. Seating and areas of the classroom that can be sanitized will be used, and specials classes will be modified.

Masks will be worn when social distancing is not a possibility.

Immaculate Conception is purchasing two navy blue bandana style masks for each student, which will be required for students to wear around their necks daily and pull up when social distancing is not a possibility among grade levels. For example, waiting in line for the bus when all grade levels are present, passing another grade level table while emptying a tray at lunch, etc. They will not be required to have them up while in their own grade-level classroom.

“The idea is to minimize the likelihood of spread among various grade levels,” said Luebbert.

With low or no spread, standard classroom procedures with preventative measures will be observed as previously outlined.

During lunch with moderate spread, Immaculate Conception will observe the following guidelines: hand washing before and after lunch; spaced lines for entering and exiting the cafeteria, serving lines, and when emptying trays; clean cafeteria, tables, and high-touch surfaces throughout the school day; spaced cafeteria seating for grades K-2; grades 3-8 will eat in classrooms; outdoor eating acceptable when weather permits; possible modifications for food distribution; and no students will be serving food.

With low or no spread, regular lunch procedures will be followed while emphasizing hand washing before and after lunch and cleaning cafeteria, tables, and high-touch surfaces throughout the school day.

Transitioning between classes will include a limit on mixing between groups and/or grade levels, with only one grade level transitioning or in the hallways at one time. Students will maintain six feet of distance as much as possible, and all students will wear masks when social distancing is not possible. Desks will be cleaned before transitioning to different classrooms or teachers will move and students will remain in the same classroom.

Arrival and dismissal procedures will also be modified.

With low or no spread, standard classroom procedures with preventative measures will be observed as previously outlined, but students will be kept with the same groups as much as possible.

With moderate spread, students will wash hands before and after recess and grade levels will play in separate areas, with no sharing of equipment between classes. Equipment will be cleaned daily, and junior high recess will become a walk break.

With low or no spread, standard protocols will be observed.

Restrooms will be cleaned at least once daily, and more often if possible, with moderate spread. Only one grade level at a time will use the facilities, with social distancing in line and assigned small groups of three or fewer students in the restroom at once, and proper hand washing will be encouraged.

Church attendance with moderate spread will include seating by grade level, with open benches between grade levels. Luebbert noted there may be possible modifications to which grade levels attend on Mass on Wednesdays and which grade levels attend on Fridays, depending on space. Social-distancing between groups and grade levels will be observed, with students required to wear masks when entering, exiting, communion, and approaching the altar for liturgy

With little or no spread, all grade levels attend Mass on Wednesday and Friday.

With moderate spread, the library will be closed, and if there is little or no spread, students will visit one grade level at a time. Returned books will be set out for 48 hours before returning to the shelf.

Before school, with moderate spread, doors to the school will not open until 7:30 a.m. for car riders. Doors will open at 7 a.m. for bus riders. Staff will teach and reinforce good hygiene practices such as washing hands, covering coughs and sneezes, and keeping hands and objects away from the face and mouth, and hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance to the school.

With low or no spread, regular morning practices will include cleaning of tables and hard surfaces in the cafeteria, and students will remain in assigned groups and at assigned tables.

After school care, with moderate spread, students will need to be paired or grouped with students of the same grade level only, and social distancing will be observed between grade levels. There will be no sharing of equipment or toys without disinfection. In addition to protocols for low/no spread, tables and hard surfaces in the cafeteria and after-school care room will be cleaned.

The school strongly encourages students to be dropped off and picked up by car in the event of moderate or low spread, and students will not be allowed to swap buses. No food or water will be allowed on buses, and further guidelines and procedures will come from bus providers.

In the event of moderate spread, only essential visitors will be allowed in the school, and all must wear a mask while in the building. Late drop off or early pick up of students will be managed at the entrance, with primary communication through the door telecom system.

With low/no spread, all visitors and parents who enter the building must log in at the front desk, and visits will be limited.

GENERAL POLICIES

* Students and employees exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 without other obvious explanations should not come to school, and if they do come to school, they will be sent home immediately.

* Symptoms can include fever, cough, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, a new loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

* Attendance remains of high importance for both students and staff, but it is important to stay at home when sick to prevent disease transmission and ensure the health and safety of all in the school.

* Attendance policies will be modified to account for absences due to COVID-19.

The following are procedures and guidelines that will be followed to ensure the safety and health of Immaculate Conception students and staff.

In the event a person diagnosed with COVID-19 is determined to have been in the building and poses a risk to the community, Immaculate Conception will follow established procedures and coordinate efforts with the local health department.

* Areas used by any sick person will be closed off until cleaned-if possible cleaning will be postponed for 24 hours or as long as possible to reduce risk to individuals cleaning.

* Local health officials, staff, and families will be notified immediately of any positive case of COVID-19 while maintaining confidentiality as required by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). The local health department is responsible for contact tracing.

* Immaculate Conception will follow guidance from the local health department to inform those who have had close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 to stay home and self-monitor for symptoms and to follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop. If a person does not have symptoms, appropriate CDC guidance for home isolation will be followed.

* Anyone visiting a current COVID-19 hot spot or traveling internationally will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days before being allowed back on parish/school property. This includes students or anyone who is on parish/school property regularly. Please use the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) map of hotspots. States at the highest levels of current cases qualify as a hotspot. https://www.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/index.html#cases.

All students, staff, and parents need to make plans for any type of school closing or prolonged absence.

“We can’t predict all the possible scenarios, and our plan will be modified and updated as necessary,” said Luebbert.

Any of the following could occur based on specific circumstances: closing a specific class or grade level, symptom-free or otherwise healthy students/staff may be required to stay at home if they are considered a close contact, or closing the entire school.

Additional information and updates will be provided by the school.