This is the e-mail that I got from my kids' school the other day:
What families may expect this fall:
Masks required for all
Hand washing required throughout the day
Hand sanitizer readily available in all locations as well
Families keep home any child who is unwell
Continue upgraded cleaning standards that began last spring
Cleaning supplies in every classroom for use during the day (in addition)
Training for students, faculty, and staff and information sharing with families about adherence to safety and health protocols and schedules
Signage to reinforce behavior
Active administrative and board committees as well as outside health and safety experts to monitor and advise in an ongoing capacity
Direct contact with Dedham Department of Public Health who will guide us through any suspected or actual COVID-19 cases.
Confidentiality maintained
Children unable to abide by safety measures will participate from home
Continuing our practice from the spring, access to the building during the school day will be limited to students, faculty, and staff until community health conditions suggest otherwise
My last message (19 July no.2) described scenarios under consideration and the significant tech upgrades to facilitate them. Here are updates to the model as envisioned at this time.
I wrote about three scenarios. In a practical sense, there are two:
A full in-building schedule that students at home can follow as well
An upgraded Rashi Online program based on experience from last spring, that will be used if the entire school is at home
Other aspects of the fall program include:
Individual workspaces In all rooms
Six--foot distancing in all classrooms
Retrofit large rooms throughout the building for classroom use as needed
Use outdoor spaces when possible
Student and faculty groupings to limit exposure of individuals within the community
Reduced transitions and thoughtful traffic flow to maintain physical distancing
Full complement of music, performing and visual arts, and fitness and health classes revised to exceed safety guidelines laid out by the Commonwealth
Lunch will be eaten within groups. (We will not use the chadar ochel.)
Recess will be by group and outdoors whenever possible.
We are working on upgrades to the building and will report more comprehensively on those in a future message. At this time we can report in process:
Upgraded ventilation and filtration systems (will report following completion and testing)
Tents to extend learning spaces -
One on the concrete outside the chader ochel
Three in the meadow beyond the amphitheater, leaving field for play at the end near the playground as well as access for emergency vehicles
Touchless faucets
Touchless flushing mechanisms
Touchless paper towel dispensers in classrooms
Designated isolation space proximate to the nurse’s office
Our teams will continue to diligently, thoughtfully, and intentionally consider all pertinent information at hand, along with any new developments. We are planning a 2020-21 Parent Info Webinar and Q&A for Thursday, August 13 at 7:30 pm. You will receive an invitation.
We are making significant investments in our campus infrastructure to allow for in-person education and are creating robust teaching and learning frameworks to carry the learning out of the building. We are well prepared to take on challenges of the year ahead, together.
We recognize that you will have further questions. We are happy to receive them and we promise to answer all questions as answers are available. Thank you for your patience, flexibility, and support as we continue to adjust to this ever-changing landscape. Expect to hear from me on a weekly basis going forward.
Not really sure what to make of it. Seems like they are trying to have an in-person component, though also recognizing that there will inevitably be at least partial distance learning as well (at least for kids who can't follow the safety procedures), which means that there will have to be some kind of virtual option. It's a school with a large building that's under-capacity in attendance in general, so there's more ability to do smaller groups than other schools, and since we don't live in Trump country I think it's more realistic to expect general compliance with masks and whatnot.
But still. I was glad to see the emphasis on as much outdoors as possible and on an upgraded ventilation system (though I'd really like more details on what exactly that means). But you know, you can't avoid groups in doors, especially when winter rolls around.
Black Lives Matter.
My mask is off in my "office" with a closed and locked door. People can't just let themselves in. I let them in when I mask up. I'm not sure what I'd do if I didn't have a lock. People turn the handle to let themselves in too often. Even after over a month of part time being in the office, and when there are at most, 15 of us who have been given permission to return as necessary.
