Thank you for the important role that you will play this year in the lives of our children. Thanks, too, for the part you will play in keeping our school community healthy.
Prep Your Child
Explain to your children that there is a serious infection and we want to keep everyone safe. There will there are a few things that will be different at school for now:
▪ Everyone wears a mask inside. You may take your mask off outside. Plan to have three masks at school for your child – one to wear and two in case one gets lost. Rotate and remember to wash frequently.
▪ The teachers will be reminding you to wash your hands (about every hour).
▪ Keep your distance – the teachers will help you. (“I will walk into the lobby with you, but then I will leave.”)
▪ There will be helpers to show you to class if needed.
▪ When you get to your classroom you will wash your hands.
▪ Let your child’s teacher know if your child is showing anxiety. They can help.
▪ Every day, let your child know if he/she is being picked up on time or going to Kids’ Club.
Screening Tools
▪ Soon we will have an electronic screening tool for parents to complete each day for each child.
▪ For now, attached are paper screening questionnaires asking about health symptoms that must be filled out each day before entering the school.
▪ Make copies, fill them out at home and bring them with you to save time.
What to Pack
▪ Screening questionnaire for each child and adult who will be aiding on that day ➢ Be advised that we are not able to use the microwaves, so pack a lunch that does not require the microwave.
▪ Do not call in food for delivery to a child. Thank you for understanding.
▪ Pack one mask to wear and two spares.
▪ Lunchbox with healthy morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack if staying all day.
▪ Because of COVID, preschool snack will not be provided. Please send a healthy snack, lunch if staying all day and afternoon snack.
• Water bottle – We cannot use the drinking fountains, so a water bottle is important. The bottles can be refilled at school.
• Rain boots or outside shoes to keep in their lockers.
• Change of clothes to put in your child’s locker/ cubby if needed after a rainy recess.
Arriving at School
Children will be arriving on a staggered start. Parents will say good-bye to their children in the lobby after their temperatures are taken and screening questionnaires accepted.
▪ This is different than usual. Prep your child that you will be saying good-bye in the lobby.
▪Adults and children wear masks before entering the building.
Staggered Start We will stagger our start times so fewer kids are in the hallway at one time.
▪ Please arrive at the proper time.
▪ All students who arrive before 7:45 AM will go to Kids’ Club in Marisa’s preschool room.
▪ Students who arrive between 7:45 – 8:15 AM are screened in the lobby and then go to Kids’ Club in the gym.
▪ Students arriving at 8:15 AM or later go directly to their classrooms.
Lunch Routines
There are a couple things that will be different due to COVID and Wayne County Health
Department regulations:
▪ Microwaves may not be used to heat up food.
▪ Drinking fountains may not be used.
▪ Coffee makers may not be used.
Physical Activity
▪ There will be more physical activity to offset the need for students to work from their seats.
▪ Teachers will implement more brain breaks for greater physical activity.
▪ To start, children may run outside without masks and may play on the equipment and with the balls only.
▪ Students will be going outside even if it’s rainy or cold. Your child needs rain boots or outside shoes for the first day, and as the weather progresses, needs outside gear.
Dismissal
▪ Kindergarten students exit from K exterior door. Parents pick up at the door.
▪ Elementary students exit their exterior door and walk with teachers over to the soccer park for pick-up. Line up in your car for pick-up. Do not park.
▪ Middle Schoolers who have an elementary sibling exit double doors and walk with their teachers to the soccer park sidewalk for pick-up.
▪ Middle Schoolers with no elementary sibling will be picked up at our circle drive. Line up your car at the circle drive.
▪ Preschool picks up at staggered times and exits the front door.
Kids’ Club
▪ To keep our numbers COVID-friendly, this year Kids’ Club is only for working parents who need care for their children. Please, Kids’ Club this year is not for kids who just want to stay and play. Thanks. Please pick your child up on time if he/she is not going to Kids’ Club.
▪ When you come to pick up from Kids’ Club, they could be in the gym, preschool room or science/art room.
▪ To make it easy for pick-up, call one of the Kids’ Club aides. Then you will be able to go to an exterior door to pick up. These numbers will be on the front door for reference.
PLAN FOR SOMEONE WHO IS SICK
If a child is sick, please follow your doctor’s advice. A child must be fever-free for 48 hours before returning to school with a doctor’s note saying the child may return.
If a child becomes sick, we will isolate the child in the designated area. The parent must contact the child’s healthcare provider to request guidance about getting a COVID test. If the COVID test is negative the child may return to school per the wellness policy below. For re-entry, the parent will provide a note from the child’s doctor.
Wellness Policy
Please call the school office if your child is sick and will not be attending. The school is required to report communicable diseases to the health department. In addition, for the health of all children and staff please keep your child at home if he/she has any of these symptoms:
1. Fever (must stay home 48 hours with no fever) 2. Rash (if not yet treated by a doctor) 3. Vomiting (must stay home 24 hours after vomiting) 4. Cough 5. Diarrhea (must stay home 24 hours after diarrhea) 6. Sore throat 7. Mild to severe congestion 8. Other communicable diseases 9. Is unable to go out for recess
Note that if a family member is sick, the child must stay home from school as well.
If your child shows any of these symptoms New Morning School will notify you, so that you may pick up your child.
Anyone with the above symptoms should be tested for COVID. If negative for COVID you can follow the above guidelines.
If Someone Tests Positive for COVID
If a student, staff member, or aiding parent tests positive for COVID, all school members will be notified. Pending health department directions, the school may be closed for 14 days. We will convert to remote learning that will commence two days after closure.
Disinfecting Plan
▪ In general, disinfecting will be done at 12:30 pm and after school by our classroom aides and a paid cleaner. Thank you.
▪ Weekend cleaners will be disinfecting as well.
▪ In each classroom, there is a bold listing of items to be disinfected in that room and the surrounding area.
▪ There is a QR code on the sign.
▪ When the cleaner is done disinfecting, he/ she will hold a phone up to the QR code (you need a QR reader app).
▪ That will feed into the front office, so we can verify that everything was cleaned.
