Safe Return to In-Person Instruction & Continuity of Services Plan (SRCSP)
- Jun 5
- 5 min read
Source PDF:
Originally approved by the Seneca R7 School Board on June 30, 2020.
Revised and approved by the Seneca R7 School Board using public input on March 15, 2022.
The plan will be reviewed and updated as needed every 6 months. District personnel will provide assistance to students, employees, parents, community members, and stakeholders if questions arise or the content is not understandable. If needed, the information will be provided in other languages or through verbal communication.
School Phases
Phase 1: Full In-Person School
Enhanced safety and sanitizing protocols.
Phase 2: Blended School
Follow all safety protocols in Phase 1, as well as additional procedures outlined.
Students attend in person 2 days per week, either Tuesday/Thursday or Wednesday/Friday. They will complete work virtually or by hard copy on the days they are not scheduled to attend.
Phase 3: School Closure, Full Distance Learning
Full online/alternative learning.
Phase 4: Individual Student Quarantine
Student will immediately transition to online/alternative learning.
Seneca R-7 Safety and Sanitization Procedures
It is important that you are aware of the additional safety and sanitization protocols and procedures in place.
P1 = Phase 1P2 = Phase 2P3 = Phase 3P4 = Phase 4
All Phase 1 (P1) practices will be in place if we are in Phase 2 (P2).
Safety and Sanitization Protocols
Attendance
(P1) Regular attendance required.
(P1) Attendance incentives are eliminated.
(P1) If child is sick or showing symptoms, please keep them home.
Building
(P1) Regularly cleaned throughout the day and overnight.
(P1) High touch areas and bathrooms will be sanitized hourly.
(P1) Schools will be sanitized daily.
(P2) Drinking fountains will be closed, students should bring a water bottle that can be re-filled.
(P2) Sanitize the classroom in between each class.
Cafeteria
(P1) Students spread out to the greatest extent possible throughout the cafeteria.
(P1) Students will wash their hands before and after eating.
(P2) Additional lunch periods at the JH and HS.
(P2) Breakfast in the classroom starting at 7:30.
(P2) Lunch will be in the classroom.
Classroom
(P1) Seating will be spread out as much as possible.
(P1) Minimize face to face seating.
(P1) Seating charts.
(P1) Each classroom will have hand sanitizer to use as needed.
(P2) No carpet time.
(P2) Minimize mass gatherings and school wide assemblies.
(P2) Playground sectioned off to specific classes.
(P2) Shared soft seating removed.
(P2) No more than 2 classes on playground.
(P2) Desks spread out 3 feet.
(P2) Eliminate face to face seating.
Drop Off/Pick Up
(P1) Parents expected to use car rider line ONLY, unless dropping off late or picking up early.
(P1) Students are not to arrive to school prior to 7:30, unless enrolled in before school care.
(P2) Students report to homeroom or first hour when they enter the building.
Face Coverings
(P1) Face coverings are recommended for staff and students.
(P1) Students with special needs handled on an individual basis.
(P2) All employees provided masks and required to wear them when within 6 feet of staff or students.
Screening
(P1) Per recent CDC guidelines, any temperature over 100.4 by a student or staff member will require them to stay home fever free for 24 hours.
(P2) Staff and students will be asked to take temperature daily and look for the following symptoms:
Fever or chills; cough; headache; muscle aches; nausea, vomiting or diarrhea; new loss of taste or smell; new runny nose or congestion; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; sore throat; close contact with a person with COVID-19 in the last 14 days.
(P2) Staff will sign off on a symptom check each day.
Hygiene
(P1) Staff trained on proper precautions to teach to students.
(P1) Student and staff training on proper respiratory etiquette, covering cough with tissue or coughing into elbow.
(P1) Students will wash hands before and after lunch and recess.
(P1) Time scheduled within day to wash hands.
(P1) Teacher training on how to social distance in the classroom.
Students With Disabilities
(P1) Accommodations to meet the individual needs of students will be made in coordination with each student’s IEP team.
Contact Tracing
(P1) Contact tracing will be done by the school district by trained employees to identify close contacts.
COVID-19 Testing
(P1) Coordinated with the Newton County Health Department and area healthcare providers.
Vaccines
(P1) Will participate in vaccination events for staff and eligible students in cooperation with the Newton County Health Department and area healthcare providers.
Transportation
(P1) Assigned seating.
(P1) Load front to back.
(P1) Daily bus logs of students riding.
(P1) Hand sanitizer on every bus.
(P1) Buses sanitized AM/PM.
(P1) Windows open when weather permits.
(P1) Parent transportation when possible to minimize bus numbers.
(P2) Families sit together.
(P2) Safety goggles for drivers and aids when attending to students in a harness.
(P2) Fewer students on bus.
Social, Emotional & Mental Health
(P1) The social, emotional, and mental health of our student and staff is a priority for our districts. Concerns have grown significantly throughout the pandemic and our school counselors will be available for in-person and virtual students who need support.
FAQs
How will the school inform me about positive cases in my child’s school?
Communication between home and school has never been so critical. It is imperative we have correct and updated contact information, both phone and email. Notification and updates regarding COVID-19 within your child’s school will be sent via the school dialer and email system.
What is the definition of Exposure?
Known exposure to a positive tested individual. Exposure is defined as contact within 3 feet for a cumulative total of 15 minutes in a school setting.
What should I do if my child has been exposed to a positive case?
All students and staff members who are contacts to a positive COVID-19 case, determined by being within 3 feet of a positive case for more than 15 minutes, will be contacted by school personnel or the county health department so that the contact may monitor for development of COVID-19 symptoms over a period of 5 days from the last date of contact to the positive case.
Contacts to a positive COVID-19 case may continue to attend school and school activities, including actively participating in extracurricular activities, as long as they remain symptom free.
What should I do if my child tests positive for COVID-19?
Students or staff members who are excluded from school and school activities due to a positive COVID-19 test will be required to isolate at home for a period of 5 days from either the date of test or the date of first symptoms, whichever occurs first. An Isolation Letter will be issued by the county health department. The isolation period will end after 5 days if there has been no fever and no fever reducing agents taken in the previous 24 hours and symptoms have disappeared or have dramatically improved.
Students or staff members may be readmitted to school and school activities with either a certification in writing from an attending physician attesting to the person’s non-infectiousness or an Isolation Release Letter from the county health department.
What online platform will my child use if he or she is quarantined?
Students in grades 7-12 will access their learning through Canvas, our learning management system. Students in grades PK-6 will access their learning through See-Saw.
What if I do not have reliable internet service at home?
Through a partnership with TMobile, the district has a limited number of hotspots that can be checked out during quarantine or isolation for students who do not have reliable Internet access at home. TMobile devices have annual maximum capacity of 10GB per device. Hard copy assignments may also be available to send home.
How does the school make decisions to change to another Phase?
Phase changes will be made at the recommendation or decree by the Newton County Health Department or other governmental agencies. We will also use guidance based on percentages of positive cases within a school building during a specific time frame. Phase changes may be specific to individual buildings.
Example: The Elementary may be in Phase 2 while the remainder of the buildings are in Phase 1.