Return to Hybrid Information

District Update - Issue 30 - October 28th, 2020

Returning To Hybrid Information

Dear Parents, Staff, and Community Members,

I hope this newsletter finds you well, and is helpful as we prepare to move into a hybrid learning model. Thank you for your continued patience, and also your support for our school district.

Cohort assignments have been sent to all families. You may have already received your letter, or you will be receiving it this week. If you do not receive a letter with your cohort assignment, please contact your child's principal.

The calendar of the cohort schedule for November through January can be viewed here. The in-person dates are as follows:

Cohort A: 11/9, 11/10, 11/18, 11/19, 12/1, 12/2, 12/10, 12/11, 12/18, 12/21, 1/7, 1/8, 1/19, 1/20, 1/28, 1/29
Cohort B: 11/12, 11/13, 11/20, 11/23, 12/3, 12/4, 12/14, 12/15, 12/22, 1/4, 1/11, 1/12, 1/21, 1/22
Cohort C: 11/16, 11/17, 11/24, 11/30, 12/7, 12/8, 12/16, 12/17, 1/5, 1/6, 1/14, 1/15, 1/25, 1/26

Asynchronous Wednesday dates are October 28th and November 4th for the remainder of the fully remote period. Once we move into a hybrid schedule, Asynchronous Wednesdays will be every other week beginning on November 11th. This can also be viewed on the calendar, and the dates are as follows:

11/11, 12/9, 12/23, 1/13, 1/27

We know that the A,B,C Hybrid schedule is not optimal, as we would love every student get as much in-person instruction as possible. However, we also have a responsibility to keep our students and staff safe, and help slow the spread of this virus, which means we have to drastically limit the number of students who can attend in-person instruction at any given time. We thank you again for your patience and flexibility as we navigate this process. Please stay healthy and safe.

Best, always.

Tomás Hanna

Superintendent of Schools

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Wellness Checks and Safety Precautions

Who will administer temperature checks?

Parents will be required to check their child prior to sending the child to school. All staff should be checking their temperature prior to leaving for work. For a Monitoring Checklist, please click here.

What personal protective equipment will be provided to students and teachers?

Students and teachers should bring their own mask each day, along with backups. However, wipes, hand sanitizer, and extra masks will be available and located in all classes. Plexiglass dividers will be provided for office areas, school psychologists and counselors.

Will there be testing given to those with symptoms?

Per the safety plan that was communicated to the community and staff several months ago, if a child has symptoms, parents should not send them to school. Should symptoms develop at school the student will be sent home and will need to quarantine and follow the direction of the Chester County Department of Health. The School District will not administer COVID-19 tests at this time.

What happens if a child or staff member begins showing COVID-like symptoms at school? The Chester County Health Department has created a flow-chart to determine response if a student or staff member begins showing COVID-like symptoms while in the building, and nurses have all been trained to recognize the symptoms. If the positive test is discovered when the person is in school, nurses/administrators will temporarily isolate the individual and any suspected close contacts. The Chester County Health Department will directly contact anyone who is considered a “close contact” to a suspected positive case to provide additional instructions. “Close contact” refers to being within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes (cumulative), regardless of masking. Custodians will be immediately notified, and any affected areas will be cleaned following appropriate protocols.

What happens if you find out a child or teacher has tested positive for COVID-19?

The Chester County Health Department has created a flow-chart to determine response if a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19 . The Chester County Health Department will directly contact anyone who is considered a “close contact” to a suspected positive case to provide additional instructions. “Close contact” refers to being within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes (cumulative), regardless of masking. Custodians will be immediately notified, and any affected areas will be cleaned following appropriate protocols.

How will the district communicate if someone has tested positive for COVID-19?

Should a student or staff member test positive for COVID-19, the district will send an email to the staff and parents of the impacted building or athletics team informing them of a positive case. We will not release the names of anyone who tests positive. The Chester County Health Department will directly contact anyone who is considered a “close contact” to a suspected positive case to provide additional instructions. "Close contact” refers to being within six feet for more than 15 minutes (cumulative), regardless of masking. A letter is attached and pictured below to provide one example of a communicated scenario.

Will you close the district again if COVID numbers in Chester County increase?

Yes. If the Incidence Rate per 100,000 or the PCR Test Positivity enter the “Very High” category as defined by the Chester County Health Department, the district will return to a virtual instructional model. Please see pages 2 and 3 of this report: https://www.chesco.org/DocumentCenter/View/59143/School-Guidance-?bidId=

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Frequently Asked Questions

Don't forget to refer to our Frequently Asked Questions on the District website. You can find the FAQs under the Reopening Button on the homepage, but you can also view them here.

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Bussing Information

Before My Child Gets On The Bus:

Please check your child's temperature, and make sure they are feeling well. For a Monitoring Checklist, please click here.
Please make sure your child has a mask to wear on the school-bus.

When can I find out My Child's Bus Route:

Routes are being finalized this week. Letters will go out in the mail to every family, and you can also find your bus route using Home Access Center starting next week.

How To Find My Student's Bus Schedule Using Home Access Center:

Log into your Home Access Center by clicking on the icon at the top of our webpage www.casdschools.org or choose this link: http://homeaccess.casdschools.org/homeaccess. If you do not know your login, please contact your child's guidance counselor.
Once Logged in, choose the Registration Link. In this section, you will see your student's name and transportation information.

*Please note: Some routes could potentially change. Please check back before your child's first day back on the bus to make sure there have not been any changes.

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Pupil Services / Special Education Update

Beginning November 5th, all current in-person students and teachers will return to their home schools. These students will follow a 4 day per week schedule. On November 9th, all previously identified students will return for in-person instruction 4 days per week. Also beginning on November 9th, all paraprofessionals, one-on-one aides, instructional aides, ELL aides, and contracted support staff will report to their assigned buildings to provide live instruction throughout the day to their assigned student(s). Our Technology department is working to ensure that all support staff have access to technology for supporting their students.

In preparation for students returning to the district, all intervention materials have been prepared and distributed to buildings. Trainings have either been completed, or are scheduled to be completed, during upcoming asynchronous Wednesdays.

Special education teachers, reading specialists, and principals were recently trained in the use of several Acadience Learning assessment tools. These assessments will be used to monitor student growth for IEP goals, and will also serve as our universal screener as part of our Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework.

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Updated Meal Information

As our district begins a hybrid instruction model, our food service distribution will change slightly to accommodate students in school. These changes will take effect Wednesday, November 4, 2020.

Distribution locations will remain the same:

CASH (1445 E. Lincoln Hwy., Coatesville – curbside at the gymnasium & auditorium entrances)

Scott (800 Olive Street, Coatesville – curbside at the Stirling Street entrance)

Rainbow (1113 W. Lincoln Hwy., Coatesville – curbside at the cafeteria entrance)

Distribution times for CASH and Scott sites will be 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Distribution times for Rainbow's site will be 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Meal distribution will continue to occur on Wednesdays, from November 4, 2020 through December 23, 2020 – a link for the new online sign-up is below
Due to the Thanksgiving Holiday, meal distribution will occur on TUESDAY, November 24, 2020.

May we still participate in meal distribution if our child(ren) return to a hybrid schedule?

YES! Please use the sign-up link below and identify your students and whether they will attend hybrid instruction, or if they plan to remain 100% virtual instruction. We will distribute five days’ worth of meals (breakfast and lunch) for each student. If your student is attending hybrid instruction, they may also eat breakfast and lunch in school. Meals are free of charge for all children. Additionally, if you have a younger child that is not in school, or a child attending a private or charter school, they are still eligible for our weekly meal distribution.

Please sign-up for meals at: https://forms.gle/K4ntmpr7jySeb2Hz9