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Return to 100% In Person Learning

February 16, 2021

Return to 100% InPerson Learning February 16, 2021

Our staff has been preparing for students to return to 100% In-Person Learning, which we now know will begin on Tuesday, February 16th.


This Special Edition Valerius Weekly Digest contains some reminders as well as information regarding changes that will be made in order to continue to keep our students safe. Please be sure to look over the information and don't hesitate to contact the office if you should have any questions or concerns.

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LUNCH

Students will be returning to eat in the lunchroom. I've arranged the schedule so only one grade level will be eating in the gym at a time. This will mean that we can space students out the best that we can, with only 4 to a table (these same tables would have held 16 students last year).


Lunch times will be:

11:05-11:25 2nd grade lunch

11:25-11:45 4th grade lunch

11:45-12:05 Kindergarten lunch

12:05-12:25 3rd grade lunch

12:25-12:45 1st grade lunch

12:45-1:05 5th grade lunch

RECESS

Another health and safety mitigation strategy we’ll implement when we transition to 100% in-person instruction is for students to wear face masks during recess (both indoor and outdoor recess). With masks on, students will be able to access the entire playground area and will be able to play with students in other classrooms. Each school will share a ‘mask break protocol’ with students so that they may take a mask break in a safe manner during their recess time if they choose to do so.
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CHROMEBOOKS

To help with heavy backpacks, many teachers will be choosing to keep the Chromebooks in the classroom, and charge them overnight. Charging stations are being delivered back to classrooms and some of our 4th/5th grade student volunteers will help us set those up.


If you have specific questions about how your classroom teacher will be handling Chromebooks for your student, you can reach out to them individually.

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Parent Drop Off and Pick Up

We anticipate the line for parent drop off and pick up will increase. Over the next 8 school days, please practice the following for drop off:

  • Two spots get out of cars at once.
  • Masks, mittens, and coats should be on before pulling up to the drop off spots.
  • Everything you need is in your bag before you pull up to the front-water bottle, gloves, boots, etc.
  • Parents stay in cars and kids get out on the building side.


For pick up:

  • Two spots to get into the cars. Students are told spot 1 or 2 as they wait.
  • Parents stay in cars, and kids get in on the building side.


If we can all do these things, it helps the efficiency of our drop off/pick up processes.

WALKER PICK UP

As we come back 100% one change that will be implemented is having two spots where students can exit the building as walkers.


We will continue to use the south door on the blacktop behind the building.


The other location will be the recess doors by the playground. If you would like to park by the tennis courts in Walker Johnson Park and walk over to meet your student, feel free to do so.

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Birthday Treats and Classroom Parties

Students are welcome to bring special treats (birthday and seasonal parties) that are store-bought and individually wrapped to share with their classmates when celebrating birthdays and classroom parties. However, a health and safety mitigation strategy we will implement when we transition to 100% in-person instruction is that students will not consume treats while at school. Students will get to take them home to enjoy.

Reporting Illness

At Valerius, we have been very grateful to our families for calling our school nurse to report absences and follow the CDC guidance below:

  • The CDC, Iowa Department of Health, and Polk County Health Department continue to recommend staying home and away from others for the entirety of the 14-day quarantine as the best way to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.
  • On December 2, 2020, the CDC released two options to shorten the time someone exposed to COVID-19 should stay home and separate from others during the 14-day quarantine period for those that are not experiencing symptoms.

· These two options are only for exposed persons who do not have symptoms of COVID-19 and remain asymptomatic.

  • You must contact Brenda Ness (nessb@urbandaleschools.com) to request an alternative quarantine length. No one will be released from quarantine prior to 14 days without approval from Brenda Ness.
  • If you begin to experience symptoms of COVID-19 at ANY point during your quarantine, you would then move into isolation (see below)


Isolation Guidance:

· People who are COVID-19 positive are to isolate from others until:

o If the COVID-19 positive person is experiencing symptoms, the person should isolate for at least 10 days from the date the symptoms started and have had no fever for at least 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and other symptoms have improved.

o If the COVID-19 positive person is NOT experiencing symptoms, the person should isolate and stay away from others until at least 10 days have passed since they had a positive COVID test.