2020 Return to Learning Updates for July 31
2020 Return to Learning Updates for July 31
Garfield Re-2 will be providing you the most up to date information as we develop, refine, and review our protocols for the 2020-21 return to learning. You can find all of this information on the Garfield Re-2 website as well at www.garfieldre2.net. We will send out updates as soon as we have protocols established. Please keep a close eye on your email and the Garfield Re-2 website.
FACE COVERINGS
All students ages 11 and over are required to wear face coverings unless they cannot medically tolerate a face covering. Students 10 and younger are strongly encouraged to wear a face covering.
Global COVID-19 evidence suggests that younger children play a smaller role in onward transmission of COVID-19. The risk of transmission between young children and from young children to adults is lower, than the risk of transmission to adults between or from older children and adults. The risk to children is likely lower than that of yearly influenza, accounting for both primary disease and Multisystem Inflammatory Disease in Children (MIS-C). This is why kindergarten and elementary schools should have different guidelines than secondary schools.
The risk of transmission between children and from children to adults is low, and the risk of transmission to adults is greater from other adults with either symptomatic or asymptomatic infection. Therefore, the most important limit to classroom size for adults is the number of adults required to be in close proximity.
http://www.cde.state.co.us/communications/20200720reopeningguidance p3
Are you going to provide N95 masks for staff?
CDE is working with the State Emergency Operations Center to coordinate the delivery to Colorado school districts, BOCES and facility schools of a 10-week supply of KN95 masks -- one mask per week -- for every staff member who works with students.
Non-medical grade masks are available for students and staff. These are available for students and staff at the health clerk’s office.
Schools may supply branded reusable cloth face coverings or staff may bring in their own face coverings. All face coverings must cover nose and mouth.
Are face shields acceptable?
Transparent face shields are NOT a replacement for a face covering.
CDC does not recommend use of face shield for normal everyday activities or as a substitute for cloth face conversing.
Face coverings need to be worn in ADDITION to a transparent face shield unless the person cannot medically tolerate a face covering.
If the governor removes the mask mandate will the schools also do so?
Garfield Re-2 School District will continue to follow all Federal, State and local guidelines and recommendations from health organizations.
How will the school enforce proper face covering wearing in a way that is still mentally and physically best for the kids?
School Board policy allows for the enforcement of student attire to promote a safe learning environment for all students and staff.
Policy JICA (Student Dress Code) states: “A safe and disciplined learning environment is essential to a quality educational program. District-wide standards on student attire are intended to help students concentrate on schoolwork, reduce discipline problems, and improve school order and safety. The Board recognizes that students have a right to express themselves through dress and personal appearance; however, students shall not wear apparel that is deemed disruptive or potentially disruptive to the classroom environment or to the maintenance of a safe and orderly school.”
INSTRUCTION
If we choose online, how will it be structured?
Garfield Re-2’s Virtual Academy will look different than the pivot to distance learning that occurred in the spring.
The Virtual Academy will include regular attendance, regular grade updates in PowerSchool and increased structure through daily schedules provided to students and parents.
Certified teachers that you know will provide direct instruction in both live and offline settings.
Lessons will be built around the Colorado Academic Standards and anchored in best practices.
Students will have the flexibility to move between online and in-person models on a quarterly basis and within the first two weeks of school.
Schools will provide services as outlined in a student’s IEP or ALP.
Students who are learning English will receive services appropriate for their level of English proficiency.
We will use Google Classroom in Grades 2-12 and See Saw for PK-1.
Students in concurrent enrollment classes, AP, or IB classes will use the platforms unique to those programs.
Training will be provided for parents about PowerSchool, Google Classroom, and other platforms that we use for the Virtual Academy.
What are the specific conditions for moving to hybrid or online learning?
In the event local, regional, State or Federal governments issue Stay at Home orders, Garfield Re-2 will pivot to 100% distance learning.
Garfield Re-2 School District may pivot to the hybrid model of learning to reduce the community spread of COVID-19 and/or to assist in reducing the strain on local hospital capacity.
What is the district's plan to address students or staff who do not comply with the new policies and guidelines?
All School Board policies will be enforced for students and staff.
EMPLOYEE SUPPORT
Q: If I am exposed to the COVID 19 virus and my test comes back positive, do I have to take sick leave?
Yes. Due to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA or Act), Full Time and Part Time employee’s can receive up to two weeks (up to 80 hours) of paid sick leave at the employee’s regular rate of pay where the employee is unable to work due to:
Subject to a Federal, State, or Local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19
Has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine related to COVID-19
Experiencing COVID-19 Symptoms and is seeking medical diagnosis
Q: If I have to take time off of work to take care of my child (under 18 years of age) whose school or child care provider is closed or unavailable for reasons related to COVID 19 or I am unable to work because of need to care for an individual subject to quarantine, do I receive pay?
Yes. Full Time and Part Time employee’s can receive two weeks (up to 80 hours) of paid sick leave at two-thirds of the employee’s regular rate of pay because the employee is unable to work due to requirements stated above. Where leave is foreseeable, the employee must provide notice of leave to the District as soon as practicable. To qualify you must meet the following criteria:
Need to care for an individual subject to an order described in (Q1) or self-quarantine
Needing to care for a child whose school or place of care is closed (or child care provider is unavailable) for reasons related to COVID-19
Q. What if I need to take more time than two weeks to care for my child?
A: The employee is allowed to take an additional ten weeks of emergency paid leave to care for their child whose school or place of care is closed, or the child care provider is unavailable due to COVID 19 related reasons and the employee is unable to telework. The first two weeks of leave are unpaid under the Emergency and Family Medical Leave Expansion Act unless you elect to use emergency paid leave or accrued leave. After the first two weeks have elapsed the employee will receive two thirds of their regular rate of pay for the hours they would have been scheduled to work in the subsequent ten weeks. Employees can use emergency paid sick leave intermittently up to 80 hours if they are able to telework or work on-site with an adjusted schedule.
Note: Emergency paid sick leave is limited to two thirds of the employee’s regular rate up to $200.00 daily and $10,000.00 total in aggregate for the 10 weeks.
Q: Do I have to provide documentation to my Director and Human Resources for taking leave due to testing positive with COVID 19?
A: Yes. A healthcare provider's note must be provided to Human Resources or to your Director if you have tested positive for COVID 19 and have been advised by a Health Care Provider to self-quarantine. The Director of the employee must send a note to Human Resources.
Q: I am the Director or Supervisor of an employee who reports a concern that they have been exposed to COVID 19. What do I do?
A: As the Director or Supervisor, you are not required to try to make a Medical Diagnosis of the employee, but you can ask the employee questions to determine if they should be sent home to quarantine and seek a medical opinion or they can resume their work. Questions you might ask could include: Why do you think you have been exposed to COVID 19? Are you experiencing any symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, headache, ect). Have you spoken to your doctor about COVID 19 testing (and what were you instructed to do)?
Q: If I have been around an employee that has tested positive for COVID 19 what should I do?
A: If you were around an employee or student for more than 15 minutes and within less than 6 feet of that person, you will want to self isolate yourself and monitor your symptoms if you are asymptomatic. If you do start to have any signs of symptoms associated with COVID-19, seek medical advice in determining whether you should get tested for COVID-19 or not and contact Garfield County Public Health.
Who will be responsible for the sub and sub plans if I fall ill with Covid and I have to be quarantined for 14 days?
In the event a classroom teacher is unable to teach, a substitute teacher, working in conjunction with the grade level or department team, will take over instruction of the class.
Each building has specific protocols and procedures in place when sub-plans are needed.
SAFETY
Face coverings (See above)
Hand washing
Handwashing will be required frequently and at regularly scheduled intervals.
Hand sanitizer stands
Schools will have numerous hand sanitizing stands for placement around the school building;
Hand sanitizing can be a good short term solution but is NOT a substitute for consistent hand washing.
Thermometers
Each school has been delivered a minimum of six thermometers to conduct health screenings. Thermometers have been distributed on a per-pupil basis at 1 thermometer per 40 students.
In the event of a staff member/student family members death due to Covid-19, are there counseling guidelines in place for the campus affected?
Garfield Re-2 School District has a crisis response plan that we implement in the event of tragic events that occur. This plan includes intensive counseling support for students and staff.
What protocols will be in place for students who come to school already ill?
All students will have a health screening prior to attending class. Any student that comes to school exhibiting any of the COVID-19 symptoms or has a fever of 100.4 or higher will not be allowed in class. The child’s parents will be called and they will be sent home.
How are we modifying our ventilation systems?
Outside air is provided through a mechanical system, at least 15 cubic feet per minute (cfm) of outside air must be provided for each occupant. A typical classroom with 30 people requires a minimum of 15 x 30 or 450 cfm of outside air.
The Garfield Re-2 Hvac team has checked every unit in the district and will continue to do so to keep them in working order.
Garfield Re-2 Hvac team will check and fix economizer dampers and controls and maximize the economizer operation when possible (favorable outdoor conditions and outdoor air pollution).
The Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems (DOAS) is set to begin two hours earlier to bring in as much outside air as possible prior to the beginning of the school day.
Exhaust fans will be on when DOAS is operating to flush the building with outside air and positively pressurize the building.
All building air filters have changed and the HVAC systems were purged.
HVAC systems were started back up July 15th.
What is going to happen if a student or employee is diagnosed with Covid?
If there is a positive case, the student stays home until released from isolation (usually 10 days after symptom onset, 72 + hours fever-free, and improving symptoms).
The class/cohort stays home for a 14-day quarantine. Additionally, those that may have been in “close contact” may be asked to stay home for a 14-day quarantine period.
“Close contact” is defined as any individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes, starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to positive specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated. However, members of the same classroom cohort may be considered “close contacts,” even if desk spacing is greater than 6-foot.
Are you going to do a temperature check on everyone every day?
Yes. There will be health screenings daily for all students and staff.
How will classrooms be disinfected on a daily basis, and who will be responsible?
Teachers and staff are responsible for:
Cleaning and disinfecting classroom manipulatives and electronic devices such as calculators;
Cleaning towels and a spray bottle of disinfectant will be provided in every classroom at the beginning of the year;
Additional resources can be requested through the school secretary;
Custodial staff is responsible for:
Cleaning and disinfection of bathrooms 3 X during a school day;
Playground equipment sanitized daily;
Custodial staffs will be disinfecting every room, every day;
There will be increased attention to high touch surfaces such as door handles, light switches and handrails;
Garfield Re-2 has purchased foggers to support the custodial staff and make these processes more efficient.
Whiteboards will be cleaned and disinfected every Friday.
Finance Department Update
We hope all Garfield Re-2 staff is enjoying the last month of summer before school reopens, here in Finance we are feverishly preparing for everyone’s safe return. While we are still very short-staffed, we have successfully added two accountants (Erin Leary and our newest employee, Candie Vandermark who starts on August 3rd). We were also fortunate to transition Kasadey Crawford into the role of budget analyst. Our sights are now set on recruiting both a payroll and accounts payable professional.
Although we are still a skeleton staff, we are working hard to clean-up our database, reset salaries for the steps and lanes increase, and prepare for our annual audit all while also lending support in the HR area. So as we try our best to provide the highest level of service we can to our educational community, we ask that you give us some extra time and patience to respond to your inquiries.
If you have a Payroll, Benefits or other Human Resources issue, please log in and take a peek at your Employee Portal information to see if you can find the issue there. On the employee portal you can find fun things like your W2s, Payroll stubs for comparison, Leaves and much, much more. The employee portal can be found under staff resources/employee portal on the garfield Re-2 website. (or click here https://www.aliosolutions.net/GARFIELDRE2/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fGARFIELDRE2%2fHome.aspx)
If you are unable to find your information via the employee portal, the fastest way to get your question answered is probably through the payroll@garfieldre2.net and the hr@garfieldre2.net email addresses.
Payroll and HR will be holding "office hours" where they will be able to take staff phone calls and speak about your concerns directly. If you do not reach them during these hours they may be on the phone with another employee. You can reach them at 970-665-7643.
HR & Payroll Office Hours
No office hours on Monday
Tuesday - Thursday 8 a.m - 10 a.m.
Friday 9 a.m. - 10 a.m.
If you leave a voicemail, please provide your name, phone number, and a detailed description of how our team can assist you. These little details will help us ensure we are prepared when we call or email you back. Please allow 72-hours to respond to your requests, voicemails with no details may take longer to respond.
Thank you for your support and understanding. We promise that we are hyper focused on providing you with the best service and systems in our capacity to do so. Stay safe and be well.
Supply Lists are online
The supply lists for all schools that have provided them are now online a www.garfieldre2.net under Parents & Community/Parent Information. You can find them here. As we receive them, we will post them on this page. As a safety precaution this year, all students will need their own supplies. Students will not be allowed to share supplies.
Garfield Re-2 School District
Email: thamilton@garfieldre2.net
Website: www.garfieldre2.net
Location: 839 Whiteriver Avenue, Rifle, CO, USA
Phone: 970-665-7600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Garfieldre2/
Twitter: @GarfieldRe2