Safe Return to Learn
Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan
We will review this plan at the end of each semester or as needed to update the plan with input from staff, students, parents, and administration.
- The safety and well-being of Richwoods students and staff is our top priority in all decisions related to conducting school and providing a quality education to all students we serve.
- The COVID-19 guidelines developed and presented here follow all applicable local, state, and federal guidelines, and incorporate many best practices recommended by DHSS, CDC and Washington County Health Department.
- The content in this document will be updated as additional guidance is provided by state, local, and federal authorities. Please refer to this document often to stay informed about the most current guidelines and protocols our district will be following.
- Stakeholders should contact the district if information is needed in a different language or a printed version.
Phase 1: This phase will have the school operating in normal school conditions. We will not require students and staff to wear masks while inside our buildings. The District will not have any special scheduling in place to limit the amount of students in the cafeteria at one time during meals. The District will not restrict any entrance into the buildings except what is mandated by policy.
Phase 2: During this phase masks are optional but are strongly encouraged when social distancing is not possible.
With this modification, students who have been exposed to a positive in the school setting and are asymptomatic can remain in school during the 10-day exclusion period if able to comply with the following:
- Well-fitting masks are worn correctly and consistently for 10 days after the last date of exposure.
- Well-fitting mask must be worn correctly and consistently on transportation.
- Exposed student(s) will social distance during classroom/lunchtime.
- Parents should evaluate/monitor their child(ren) daily for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19.
- MSHSSA guidelines are followed when it comes to participation in competitive play. For sports, with the modified exclusion, if a child is excluded from school, they cannot participate in the event, but may observe from a distance properly masked.
If the above guidelines are not followed, the individual(s) will have to be excluded at home. Please keep your child(ren) home if they are sick, or someone in your home has tested positive for COVID.
Students who are fully vaccinated or have been diagnosed, by a medical professional, with COVID-19 in the past 90 days, or were confirmed to have an “in school” exposure where both the students were correctly and consistently wearing a well-fitting mask will not need to abstain from extra-curricular activities if they remain asymptomatic. Outside of school setting exclusion requirements still apply. Outside exposures must be excluded at home.
Phase 3: This phase will require students and staff to wear masks anytime they are outside of their normal classroom. We will not require students and staff to wear masks outside or in gym class. The District will have special scheduling for students during their meal times. This will limit the amount of students inside the cafeteria at one time. The District will require outside guests to wear masks anytime they are in a District building. The District will have limited access to entry inside all of our buildings per District policy.
Phase 4: This is considered the highest phase the District will have in place. We will require students and staff to wear masks at all times inside any of our buildings. Students will still be able to not wear masks while outside or in gym class. The District will have special scheduling for students during meal times. This will limit the amount of students inside the cafeteria at one time. The District will restrict any entrance into our buildings on an individual basis or by board policy. When the District is operating above Phase 1, the Board of Education will review monthly the continuation to operate at its current phase. The Board of Education can raise or lower to any phase as they see necessary to protect the students and staff of the District.
- Be consistent with CDC and local health department guidelines.
- Accommodations as necessary or as mandated by the individual education plan and/or health plan.
- We may require masks worn per phases of operation
- We recommend masks worn at school by students and staff
- Richwoods R-VII will follow all CDC and local health department guidelines
- Richwoods R-VII will follow all CDC and local health department guidelines in regards to masks being worn while on transportation
- Consistent with CDC and local health department guidelines
- Taught and reinforced
- Sanitizers and tissues provided
Social distancing is an effective way to prevent potential infection. School employees, students, parents, and visitors should practice staying 3–6 feet or more away from others when possible.
- We will observe social distancing to the extent possible by all faculty, staff, and students. Social distancing is more achievable in hallways, outdoor areas, and larger facilities.
- We will use visual markers to assist students and staff with social distancing.
- We will use routing and minimum distancing practices.
- We will use drinking fountains during the school year. If the water fountain has a bottle filling station, we recommend using the filling station.
- We encourage all employees to disinfect their own personal workspace throughout the day, giving special attention to commonly touched surfaces.
- We will stay consistent with CDC and local health department guidelines.
- We will increase cleaning on high-touch surfaces.
- Deep cleaning is triggered when an employee or student is identified as positive for COVID-19 based on testing.
- The district has an adequate supply of soap, disinfectant, hand sanitizer, paper towels, and tissues. We will supply these items to staff as needed.
- Drivers will sanitize buses as required.
- Hand sanitizer will be available on school buses.
- We will assign students seats based on bus routes.
- The CDC and health department recommend using a seating chart with consistent day-to-day positioning for contact tracing.
- Parents/Guardians: Student drop-off time is 7:15 a.m. All students will enter through the gym doors
- All students will go directly to classrooms upon arrival. Students will eat breakfast in the gym/classrooms and will have limited access to the building including the District office
- We will space seating/desks at appropriate distances from each other
- Assigned seating in all settings to assist with contact tracing as needed
- We will provide signage throughout the building on floors, doors, and windows to promote healthy habits, such as social distancing, washing hands properly, etc.
- We will limit the sharing of items as much as possible.
- If we cannot acquire adequate supplies to minimize sharing of high-touch materials to the extent possible (e.g., assigning each student their own art supplies and equipment), we will limit use of supplies and equipment by one group of children at a time.
- We will require cleaning and disinfecting of supplies/equipment between uses.
- We will assign students a Chromebook at the beginning of the school year to utilize.
- We will minimize the sharing of student supplies (art and other).
- We will stagger lunch shifts to maximize social distancing.
- We will plate or box all meals.
- Students will wash hands prior to eating and prior to engaging in other activities after eating.
- Students will not share food, and we will not reserve unopened food/drinks previously served.
- Students will use individual packets of condiments.
- Staff should wear gloves when handling used utensils and removing trash bags.
- Staff should was hands after handling soiled dishes and before handling clean dishes.
- We will not require all kitchen staff to wear a mask and gloves during meal preparation and serving.
- Staff will clean all tables thoroughly between uses.
- Consistent with CDC and local health department guidelines
- Contact tracing by the District and/or the local public health department
- Seating charts expected
- Consistent with CDC and local health department guidelines
- Testing available at health care providers or clinic
- Consistent with CDC and local health department guidelines.
- LEA participates in local vaccination events.
- The district will have a counselor on staff to meet students, staff, and community emotional/social needs.
- The district also has a traveling counselor to meet with students and staff on an appointment basis at our district.
- The district will have suicide prevention hotline posters throughout the district to provide a phone number for students and staff to contact.
- We will allow students to take home Chromebooks as needed during any interruption of face-to-face learning once a parent signs the agreement.
- The District will send home learning packets the day before using an AMI Day. If the situation does not allow for us to send packets home; the District will not consider using AMI for this time. All material will be a review of items that have been previously taught to the student. Staff will be available during these days to assist any student. We will send a letter home at the beginning of the year explaining how AMI days work and how to contact staff during this time.