Handwashing, Masks, and Safety Protocols at Christ the King Catholic School

Christ the King Catholic School "Forward With Hope"

Our focus the first few weeks of school When the children return to our campus, they will have been away from school for 5 months. We anticipate that many will feel anxiety about returning to school. We are working to provide as gentle and loving of a reentry as possible, especially for our youngest children and those who suffer from anxiety. Teachers will be wearing badges with their smiling faces (since all teachers will be in masks), and our main focus for the first several days will be the social, emotional and physical wellness of each child. Don t be alarmed if you don t hear much about math and reading at the start. There will also be a strong emphasis on acclimating your child back to the routines and protocols of school. Learning some of the basics all over again, as well as the special actions related to COVID.

This will be our motto this year! Every time a student leaves the classroom, they will sanitize their hands. Every time a student enters a classroom, they will sanitize their hands. "Sanitize In Sanitize Out"

See attachment for your child s assigned door to enter/exit school every day. Temperature checks will be done before students can enter the building. Please do not leave the premises until you see that your child has entered the building. Any student with a temperature of 100.4 or higher will be sent home and must be fever free for 24 hours without any fever reducing medication before returning. Morning Drop Off/Afternoon Pick up Students will be dismissed through the same door they entered the building in at the end of the day

Handwashing/Sanitizing This will be the number one strategy for safety at all levels. In school, hands will be washed/sanitized several times each day, in particular upon entering for the day and before and after lunch. If your student s skin is reactive to certain sanitizers, you may send a personal one to school for your child to keep in his/her desk.

Masks (From the Diocese of Wichita) Governor Kelly s executive order says all adults and all students (pre-school and up) will wear a mask at all times in the building. Face Shields do not replace masks. Kids should bring two masks to schools and change if it gets wet (one sneezing or coughing fit is not a reason to change) Extra mask and mask during lunch or recess should be kept in paper bag. A Gator is an appropriate mask if it fits tight around the face (usually they don t) Research shows most young children will adapt in 2-3 weeks if adults have a positive attitude. Lots of mask lessons and books available (sesame street, Boston Children s Hospital)

Mask Exceptions (From the Diocese of Wichita) Lunch, when six foot distancing (or barriers) are in place When students are outside and maintaining social distance. In PE when students are engaged in vigorous activity. When kindergarten students are taking a nap. When a teacher is six feet away from all students and is presenting information to the class where a mask prohibits effective teaching. (This could apply to principals at in-services as well)

Mask Breaks (From the Diocese of Wichita) Six foot social distancing is NOT a reason for students to remove masks. Short mask breaks are allowed when all students are six feet apart (or barriers), and no students are moving around the classroom. Mask break should not exceed 5 minutes No more than one mask break per hour in the classroom.

Water Bottles All students will be expected to bring a CLEAR water bottle to school. Water bottles will be sent home nightly to be cleaned. Children will have access to the bottle filler part of each fountain but not the individual faucet piece. They will be welcome to fill up as needed during the day for proper hydration.

Students will practice social distancing as much as possible throughout the day. Student chairs will be placed 6 feet apart and all facing the same direction. Social Distancing

The lunch schedule will be adjusted to allow for social distancing per stable groups. Lunch Students will wear masks when coming into and leaving the cafeteria; Masks may be removed when seated. Students will be spaced six feet apart on each side of the bench. Students will not be assisting with table wiping or plate scraping this year. Parents or other guests cannot eat lunch with their child.

Visitors Visitors will not be allowed in the building, which includes walking children to their classrooms. If parents need to drop off items please come to the main school entrance (Door #1) and a school staff member will retrieve them from you.

Volunteers Upon entering the building, volunteers must have temperature taken and complete a screening questionnaire. Persons who have temperatures of 100.4 degrees or higher or any symptoms of COVID-19 will not be able to stay. All volunteers must wear a mask the entire time in the building. Only scheduled volunteers that are approved by administration may come into the building. Unfortunately, birthday treats will not be allowed this year, nor classroom holiday parties.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF MY CHILD IS ARRIVING LATE OR LEAVING EARLY? When parents need to pick up a child early, they should call the school office, notify the office staff, and wait in the car for their child. The child will be walked out by a staff member. When parents need to check in a child late, they should call the school office, notify the office staff the child is on campus, and a staff member will meet the child at the front doors. Parents are welcome to schedule appointments as normal and dismiss children and return them to school as normal.

Field Trips No field trips will be scheduled at this time.

Middle School Classes There will be a three minute break between classes to allow students the opportunity to have a quick break and move. Students will stay in one room for their core classes and teachers will come to them. Middle school students will have a 15-minute recess after lunch every day.

Middle School Lockers Middle School students WILL be allowed to use lockers, although it will look differently than in years past. Your child will receive their locker assignment at Open House on August 31. A reminder that all lockers need to remain closed. If a student's locker is unable to remain closed, they will be issued a school padlock to be used for the remainder of the school year.

Extended Day will be offered after school as in years past. We will adhere to the same safety protocol as we do throughout the school day. Extended Day

Curriculum Teachers have been hard at work preparing for this school year since May. They have studied and identified what standards will need to be revisited or taught in the coming school year. Teachers are also preparing for the event of Scenario C (Remote Learning).

It is safe to say we did not have our usual high academic standards this past spring with Continuous Learning. In the event we move to remote learning this year, things will look extremely different. Teachers have been receiving professional development during the summer regarding online learning. Much of our time in August will also be spent on this topic. What would this look life for your child? We will be following the requirements of the Kansas State Department of Education. Expect a six-hour day of learning for your child in this plan. This would be a combination of live Zoom meetings with required attendance, online assignments, and also physical assignments. We would find a balance of online and non-digital to ensure your child is not staring at screen all day. A log of minutes spent learning would also be required to ensure students are spending the day learning and still receiving a top-notch education. What if we go to Scenario C? We are setting up digital classrooms now and will teach students how to navigate Google Classroom and other essential programs. K-2 will be using SeeSaw and 3-8 will be using Google Classroom. If we must close and move to Scenario C, it will be because of a Health Department mandate and we will be prepared to go digital overnight if this happens to ensure seamless learning.

Homework and Grading Policies Policies will remain consistent to individual classroom policies, teacher expectations, and established best practices.

Students will not be able to share supplies. Students names must be on everything so items can easily be identified or returned if lost. Supplies

Recess/Class Outdoors Yes, there will be recess! Students will be taken outside, weather permitting. The playground will be zoned off to ensure classes do not cross. Classes will rotate zones throughout the day so students have the opportunity to play on their favorite part of the playground. Students will wash hands before going outside and again when coming inside. Each class will have its own recess equipment (soccer ball, jump ropes, etc.). We have three designated outdoor areas available to the teachers to use throughout the day if they want to take their class outside. Research has shown that fresh air and ventilation is a large deterrent to the Covid virus.

Specials Students will still attend specials (Music, PE, Computer, Middle School Spanish). Specials teachers will have students six or more feet apart and wearing masks. Students will not be singing in music this year. Library time is still being determined.

Student Travel If a student travels outside the state for any reason, the family or employee should notify the school. We will work with each family and the health department to allow for clear communication and expectations about exclusion (or not) from school. This decision is made by the health department, not Christ the King Catholic School. Because of the processes involved, we encourage families to limit travel as much as possible, recognizing, however, that family events such as weddings, funerals, etc. may require out of state travel at times.

Parent University for SeeSaw and Google Classroom Training on SeeSaw and Google Classroom will be provided for parents prior to the first day of school. These dates and times are as follows: Thursday, August 27, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, August 30, 11:30 a.m. Please bring your own laptop or device. This will take place in the school cafeteria. Please sign up on the Sign Up Genius included in this email.

What will our protocol be at CTK for possible COVID exposure?

Reporting a sick child (non-COVID) Parents will be asked to share the child s symptoms as they call in for absences. If a child is tested for COVID-19, the principal must be notified. During a pandemic, the school is allowed to ask these questions for the health and safety of all in the school. Please call and report your child absent, the office staff will be answering phones. Our school number is 943-0111.

Families who choose not to return to CTK due to Covid-19 We are very respectful of each family s decision regarding school during this unprecedented time. We understand that some parents may not be comfortable with their children returning to campus or with the current protocols or policies set forth by the state, local health department or Diocese. If you do not plan to attend Christ the King, please email Mrs Evans at mjevans@ctkwichita.org. CTK will not provide online instruction for families who choose to homeschool. If you plan to homeschool your children you will need to make those arrangements on your own. If the family desires, we are happy to hold their children s placements at CTK for the 2020-2021 school year. Active stewardship in the parish must be maintained throughout the entire year to be considered for return. If a family chooses to homeschool this year and change their minds, enrollment back into school will be considered at semester. This applies only to families who were enrolled in the 2019- 2020 school year.

All COVID policies are subject to change by local or state health guidelines and protocols. In the event of changes, parents will be notified.