Our schools and district leaders have been working on detailed plans for reopening schools and providing educational services this fall using the Louisiana Department of Education's Guidelines released on June 25th.
There are many logistics that must be worked out such as classroom layout/assignments, student meal service, bus transportation, and online education options. We are using the feedback provided by parents in the survey sent on June 17th. These surveys help as we shape flexible education plans to meet the needs of over 19,000 students.
PREPARING FOR A SAFE START? In preparation for the return of students and staff, our maintenance and custodial staff have already taken many safety precautions with intense cleaning of all of our campuses. Furthermore, we are disinfecting all school buses and putting regular cleaning protocols in place for buses, classrooms, and all high traffic areas in our facilities. Several schools are looking to installing water bottle fillers to take the place of the school water fountains. This will ensure students have frequent access to clean water without compromising safety. Students can bring water bottles to school for this purpose. Child Nutrition is preparing to serve student meals in modified formats - likely in some grab and go format to ensure minimal contact outside of classroom groups. Foodservice protocols may vary by school. According to health officials, the most important safety message is frequent hand washing. We will provide students many opportunities to either wash hands or use hand sanitizer throughout the day. Schools will be supplied with digital thermometers, which will allow for daily non-contact temperature screenings of all students by their homeroom teacher or first period class. Students with a temperature of 100.4 or higher will be sent to the nurse’s office and sent home. It will be very important for parents to monitor their child's health on a daily basis by watching for symptoms of COVID-19, and it would be very helpful if parents took their child's temperature each morning. Do not send students to school if they have a temperature of 100.4 or above or after administering fever reducing medicine.
WHAT CAN PARENTS DO RIGHT NOW? There are certainly some things you can do right now to prepare for the opening of school on Aug. 12, 2020, if you plan to send your child to school in our buildings. 1. Get your children face coverings. The state strongly recommends students in grades 3-12 wear face coverings and this will be required in Ouachita Parish Schools for 3-12 grades and adults to the greatest extent possible. Face coverings should be school-appropriate, and you will receive additional information from your schools on face coverings. We recommend that you have your elementary students practice using face coverings prior to the beginning of school. 2. If you have moved, register your student at your new school as soon as possible. This will help us in making plans for classroom and transportation capacity, as well as staffing. Schools are open through the summer by appointment, please call ahead. 3. Be looking for more information coming from your child’s school concerning class schedules, transportation, school supplies, etc. Make sure your school has updated and correct contact information. 4. If you have not done so already, follow @OuachitaParishSchools on Facebook where updates will be shared as available.
ONLINE EDUCATION: For those who are not comfortable returning to our buildings this fall for whatever reason, we still want to educate your child in an online environment. Ouachita Parish Schools has developed an online distance learning virtual instruction program that will be staffed with Ouachita Parish teachers. Along with our school opening plans, we will be rolling out very detailed information about how our distance learning programs will look this year. As always, we continue to be grateful for your partnership, because without your help and your support, there is no way we would overcome the challenges ahead of us to serve the children of our community.
STATE GUIDELINES FOR PHASE ONE BUS OPERATIONS: Students should be seated one per seat in every other seat when riding a bus.
MAXIMUM GROUP SIZES: State guidelines are no more than 10 people including a teacher/staff member in a classroom. Individuals are to maintain 6-feet of spacing to the greatest extent possible.
FREQUENT HAND WASHING: Handwashing/hand sanitizer is recommended at arrival, at least every two hours, before and after eating, before and after using outdoor play equipment, and at exit.
FACE COVERINGS: Face coverings are recommended for adults and third graders and above. Individuals with severe breathing difficulties should not wear face coverings.
SYMPTOM MONITORING: Assess students on arrival and throughout the day, including conducting an initial temperature check.
ATHLETICS: Refrain from contact and high-risk sports.
OUACHITA PARISH PROCEDURES FOR PHASE ONE Grades PreK through 12 will be receiving online distance instruction. Due to the limitations on transportation and group sizes, Ouachita Parish Schools will provide face-to-face instruction as an option to students with significant disabilities as identified in their IEP’s. These students can also elect to participate in the virtual program. All other students will be served through online distance learning utilizing grade level, high quality curriculum using Google Meet (synchronous) and Google Classroom (Asynchronous). 1:1 student to device ratio and connectivity: Chromebooks have been ordered and are expected in by December to be 1:1 with our student population. Devices will be distributed on an as-needed basis. School bus passengers ride one per seat with every other seat empty; 25% maximum school bus capacity, including adults. Members of the same household may sit in the same seat or adjacent seats, with an empty seat between household groups. Emergency feeding program will be put in place: select schools will provide 2 breakfasts and 2 lunches at the same time on Mondays and 3 breakfasts and 3 lunches at the same time on Wednesdays. Meals will be in a to-go box or bag for curb-side pick-up.
STATE GUIDELINES FOR PHASE TWO BUS OPERATIONS: State guidelines are 50% of manufacturer's capacity.
MAXIMUM GROUP SIZES: State guidelines are no more than 25 people including a teacher/staff member in a classroom. Individuals are to maintain 6-feet of spacing to the greatest extent possible.
FREQUENT HAND WASHING: Handwashing/hand sanitizer is recommended at arrival, at least every two hours, before and after eating, before and after using outdoor play equipment, and at exit. FACE COVERINGS: Face coverings are recommended for adults and third graders and above. Individuals with severe breathing difficulties should not wear face coverings.
SYMPTOM MONITORING: Assess students on arrival and throughout the day, including conducting an initial temperature check.
ATHLETICS: Refrain from contact and high-risk sports.
OUACHITA PARISH PROCEDURES FOR PHASE TWO Our goal for Phase Two is to serve all PreK through 5th grade students in our buildings on a daily basis maintaining static groups of 25 or less including teacher in a classroom. Middle and high school students will be served through both online learning and on-campus learning in alternating schedules such as an A-B schedule. Details of these schedules may vary by school. o An example of an A-B schedule would be: Students whose last names begin with A-L will attend school on Monday and Wednesday and alternating Fridays; students whose last name begins with M-Z will attend school on Tuesday and Thursday and alternating Fridays. Grade-level, high-quality curriculum using Google Meet and Google Classroom will be utilized in instruction. Face coverings for grades 3-12 will be required (exception will be for people who have breathing problems as defined by the CDC.) Students with severe disabilities in grades 6-12 will have the opportunity to attend school face-to-face daily. 1:1 student to device ratio will be utilized for students who are on an A-B schedule. Attendance will be taken each day. For PreK-5th grades attendance is taken face-to-face; Grades 6-12 attendance will be a combination of face-to-face and alternating A/B schedules will be used for recording attendance in WebPams. Full bus capacity for 66 passenger buses is 33 students; for our 72 passenger buses the capacity is 36 students. Therefore, buses will run with no more than 50% maximum capacity of students in Phase Two. This may require double routes where possible and staggered arrival and dismissal times. Students riding the bus will be spaced to the maximum extent possible not exceeding 50% manufacturer’s capacity of the bus; face coverings will be required while riding buses for 3rd through 12th grade students and adults. We are encouraging all parents who are able to drop their child off at school AND pick them up in the afternoon, to please do so.
PHASE TWO CONTINUED: Students in grades PreK-12 will receive a grab-and-go breakfast and will transition to the cafeteria to pick up lunch with the option of staying in the cafeteria, eating in a designated common area, or returning to the classroom to eat. Students in grades 6-12 on the A/B schedule will be provided breakfast/lunch for distance learning days (at regular meal costs.) CEP schools will receive breakfast/lunch without charge. We are striving to achieve six feet of spacing in our classrooms to the greatest extent possible in Phase Two; although, some rooms may have 4-5 feet of spacing. Groups will stay static as much as possible in elementary schools. Static group is defined as “the same group of students who will stay together in the same group during classroom instruction, lunch, recess, and dismissal” throughout each day. When students change classrooms, shared surface spaces will be sanitized. Temperatures will be checked every day by first period teacher. Students will be given several opportunities to wash hands and/or use hand sanitizer throughout the day.
STATE GUIDELINES FOR PHASE THREE BUS OPERATIONS: State guidelines are 75% of manufacturer's capacity.
MAXIMUM GROUP SIZES: State guidelines are no more than 50 people including a teacher/staff member in a classroom. Individuals are to maintain 6-feet of spacing to the greatest extent possible.
FREQUENT HAND WASHING: Handwashing/hand sanitizer is recommended at arrival, at least every two hours, before and after eating, before and after using outdoor play equipment, and at exit. FACE COVERINGS: Face coverings are recommended for adults and third graders and above. Individuals with severe breathing difficulties should not wear face coverings.
SYMPTOM MONITORING: Assess students on arrival and throughout the day, including conducting an initial temperature check.
ATHLETICS: Contact/high-risk sports are allowable within defined groups.
OUACHITA PARISH PROCEDURES FOR PHASE THREE Our goal for Phase Three is to serve all students (PreK-12th grades) in our buildings as frequently as possible. Elementary students (grades PreK-5) will remain in static groups to the greatest extent possible. Middle school students (grades 6-8) and high school students (grades 9-12) will follow the 6-feet social distancing to the greatest extent possible; face coverings are required throughout the day, especially entering school, in high traffic areas, while within less than 6 feet of others, during transition times throughout the day and exiting schools; all students are encouraged to practice good hygiene throughout the day by washing hands with soap and water and/or using hand sanitizers. High schools may consider modified block scheduling to reduce the number of transition times throughout the day. Attendance will be taken face-to-face daily for PreK-12th grades. We will strive to achieve 6 feet of spacing in our classrooms to the greatest extent possible in Phase Three; although, some rooms may have 4-5 feet of spacing. 75% (maximum school bus capacity, including adults) will be followed. Passengers will be spaced to the maximum extent possible. Students in grades PreK-12 will receive a grab-and-go breakfast and will transition to the cafeteria to pick up lunch with the option of staying in the cafeteria, eating in a designated common area, or returning to the classroom to eat. Schools may vary on how/where students may eat. CEP students will receive breakfast/lunch without charge. Groups will stay static in elementary grades as much as possible. When students change classrooms, shared surface spaces will be sanitized. Temperatures will be checked every day by first period teacher. Students will be given several opportunities to wash hands and/or use hand sanitizer throughout the day. Although the requirements for face coverings remain the same for all three phases, we strongly encourage everyone to wear face coverings with larger groups while in our buildings.
