Fall Opening Q & A

Hello Conway Cougar Families, Staff, Friends, and Community Members.

Conway has the capacity in our buildings to separate SOME students and staff (following DOH guidelines) to reopen safely in the fall FOR CELP, Kindergarten and first grade.

How did we come to this decision?

During the decision making process, our first priority was to keep students, staff, and families safe while at school. Using the options presented by OSPI (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction) and the guidelines from the Department of Health we determined that we could safely reopen by reducing the number of students in each room and use additional classrooms and common spaces for instruction.

FOR 2-8 STUDENTS

1. Fully online option with a teacher. New and improved over what we offered in the spring.
2. A "hybrid" model with parents and school staff as partners with staff in a mentoring and support role. Families will have full access to our online programs, assessments, and materials.

Students in specific programs may also be on campus. Program coordinators will contact families to set up days and times for them to visit campus.

While we will have a number of students on campus, bringing back the entire student body at this time is just not feasible.

Thank you to our planning team of parents, staff, and community members for their guidance and assistance in creating our plans.

Jeff Cravy
Superintendent

School Districts were given guidance on reopening in the fall. If a school district was unable to meet the physical distancing, health & safety, and other guidelines, the state outlined several other options schools could adopt.

While we initially felt we could open for everyone, as the number of cases has increased in Skagit County all other districts have moved to online learning with some students at school. At the same time Snohomish County Districts were advised by their health department to go to online school because of their high rate of transmissions. We not have staff members as well as students who reside in Snohomish county and attend Conway School.

We felt it was safer to start with a small number of students and over the first 10 weeks review our plan and add additional students as we are able.

We are using a phased approach. We will review how things are going with those that are on campus and when appropriate add other grade levels. At a minimum we will review the plan during the week of November 5th - 9th and update families.

What will the schedule look like?

K-1 will be on an A/B schedule. 1/2 of the class will attend two days a week. Classroom teachers will contact families with a schedule, ensuring that if you have both a K and 1st grade student they attend on the same days.

Monday - Friday 8:30 with a 2pm. This will allow for a shorter day for our youngest students.

The guidance from OSPI was to open fully if possible and if not, then look into other models. We reviewed the model of an A/B schedule of alternating days. After reviewing the pros and cons we determined that the physical distancing, scheduling, and other procedures required for an alternating schedule were similar to opening full-time.

Unfortunately with the changes over the month of July, it has become evident that a phased in approach as we watch the progression of the virus is the best option for Conway.

The plans listed in the next few boxes are still in effect for the students that will be on campus.

If you are attending Conway under a Choice Waiver, your enrollment will continue with the district if you choose options 1-3 (in-person, distance learning, or Conway Connects).

If you are a Choice Waiver and you choose option 4 to Homeschool without a connection to Conway, you will need to fill out an intent to Homeschool form and will be withdrawn from the district.

If you decide at some point to come back to Conway, you will need to fill out a new choice waiver. As with any waiver application, we follow the procedures for the district and there is no guarantee that the waiver will be accepted.

We understand that having such a regimented and controlled environment will be difficult for some students, while others will take it in stride. I want to assure you that our staff are working hard to develop additional strategies to keep students connected with each other. Our school counselor will work closely with our social-emotional support team (PBIS) and other staff to ensure we are identifying and helping students who are struggling.

If you know your student is going to have a hard time with the new changes, please use the link below to connect with our counselor, Crystal Kombol about your concerns.

Counselor Contact

What will classrooms look like? We will have 18-22 students in each classroom (depending on size). Students will be evenly spaced following DOH guidelines. Teachers are working hard to adopt new strategies for instruction that will allow them to give students the individual attention they need while at the same time following guidelines.

Students will be spaced out in their classrooms and we will limit the desks, chairs, tables, etc. that students use to mitigate any possibility of cross contamination. Paraprofessionals will assist teachers throughout the day with maintaining lower class sizes and providing instructional assistance.

How are you cleaning and sanitizing?

We have procedures for staff to follow to clean and disinfect classrooms during the day. Students will not be exposed to harsh chemicals. Any aerosol cleaning products will be used when students are not in the classroom.

Custodial staff will follow protocols for disinfecting classrooms at the end of the day to prepare them for school the next day.

What about getting drinks of water, going to the bathroom, washing hands, etc? Students are being asked to bring their own water bottles. We will take advantage of classroom sinks and our water bottle filling stations. Communal drinking fountains will be closed.

Each classroom teacher will review routines and expectations for using the restroom, washing hands afterwards, and hallway procedures for getting to/from other locations with minimal contact.

Following DOH guidelines students will be instructed on additional hand washing required, such as after sneezing or blowing their nose. Some classrooms have sinks, those that do not will have procedures for using shared sinks in the hallway or bathroom. ALL classrooms will have the recommended hand sanitizers as a backup to handwashing.

What will hallways look like?

The halls will have floor markings for students to use to maintain social distancing. Much like the way grocery stores are marked, hallways will have areas where they are one direction only. This will all be shared with students during orientation on the first day of class.

We realize how important it is to be outside in the fresh air. We will have recess and breaks throughout the day. Activities outside will look different with our physical distancing guidelines. We have a group that is working on creating new games and activities to be painted on the sidewalks and asphalt around the school.

During the summer we are responding to emails, please contact us if you have questions. Mr. Cravy jcravy@conway.k12.wa.us or Mr. Dickinson at tdickinson@conway.k12.wa.us

Email: info@conway.k12.wa.us
Website: www.conway.k12.wa.us
Phone: 360-445-5785

The Conway School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.