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Schools Reopening: Social Distancing

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One controversial part of the Massachusetts plan to reopen schools is the section on social distancing. Before reading the plan, keep in mind that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended maintaining a physical distance of six feet between individuals to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus.  Here is their social distancing plan for schools reopening:

 

●Distancing requirements: Schools should aim for a physical distance of six feet when feasible, and three feet is the minimum distance allowed. Schools should seek to maximize physical distance among individuals within their physical and operational constraints.

●Classroom and facility configuration: To the extent possible, desks should be spaced six feet apart (but no fewer than three feet apart) and facing the same direction.

●Alternative spaces in the school (e.g., cafeteria, library, and auditorium) should be repurposed to increase the amount of available space to accommodate the maximum distance possible. In these larger spaces, establishing consistent cohorts/classes with separation between the cohorts/classes provides another option to maximize these spaces safely.

●Additional safety precautions are required for school nurses and/or any staff supporting students with disabilities in close proximity, when distance is not possible:These precautions must include eye protection (e.g., face shield or goggles) and a mask/face covering. Precautions may also include gloves and disposable gowns or washable outer layer of clothing depending on duration of contact and especially if the individual may come into close contact with bodily fluids.

 

Although not as feasible, 6 feet social distancing is known to be safer. What do you think of them reducing the number to only 3 feet? Be sure to check here soon for the school reopening plan for how to manage student groups.

 

Schools Reopening: Masks

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The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has issued safety guidance required for reopening schools in the fall.  The 28 page Initial School Reopening Guidance is complex and reading it in full can be very confusing.  Y3K Tutor In Your Home has decided to break-up their guidance information, highlighting the issues that are important to you.

Today we will look at face mask rules. Here are the rules Massachusetts schools will require when they reopen:

Students in grade 2 and above are required to wear a mask/face covering that covers their nose and mouth. Students in kindergarten and grade should be encouraged to wear a mask/face covering. Face shields may be an option for those students with medical, behavioral, or other challenges who are unable to wear masks/face coverings. Transparent masks may be the best option for both teachers and students in classes for deaf and hard of hearing students. They may also be useful for teachers and younger students who rely on visual/facial cues.

  • Adults (including educators and staff) are required to wear masks/face coverings.
  • Exceptions to mask/face covering requirements must be made for those for whom it is not possible due to medical conditions, disability impact, or other health or safety factors.
  • Mask breaks should occur throughout the day. Breaks should occur when students can be six feet apart and ideally outside or at least with the windows open. Further guidance on mask breaks including duration and frequency will be forthcoming, as well as more information about properly removing and putting on masks.

 

Masks/face coverings should be provided by the student/family, but extra disposable face masks should be made available by the school for students who need them. Reusable masks/face coverings provided by families should be washed by families daily.

  • Masks/face coverings are required to be worn by everyone on the bus during school bus transportation.
  • Transparent face coverings provide the opportunity for more visual cues and should be especially considered as an alternative for younger students, students who are deaf and hard of hearing, and their teachers.

 

Check here soon as we take a closer look at the new social distancing requirements for schools.

Scrambling For Answers – Online Schooling

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A much larger problem that school systems do not have an answer for is that some students are not even logging in. As opposed to doing incomplete work or work that is of poor quality, these students are literally not signing in to their online classes or assignments. In fact at least 10,000 Boston Public School students have not signed into their classes in the month of May. In a sense, these students could be considered virtual dropouts whose education was paused three months ago when schools closed to slow the spread of COVID-19.

More than 20% of Boston’s students have not logged on to any of the main academic platforms since May 4, 2020. This means thousands of these students have not attended online classes or picked up any homework assignments.  22% of students never logged into Google Classroom. There is a large gap between the number of students who teachers are marking “present” each day for engaging in “some or all remote learning opportunities” (an average of 84%) and the smaller number of students who have logged into Google Classroom even once.

School systems don’t know how to solve this problem. Do you?

Incomplete – Online Schooling

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School districts throughout the United States are dealing with two online schooling problems that have them frustrated.  The first problem involves students not completing their work.  They either don’t take their online assignments seriously, don’t have the one-on-one support at home to help them, or find independent computer lessons distracting.  One fix to this problem some schools have been doing is to consider the March – June 2020 semester to be graded as pass/fail only. That way report cards won’t show a major drop in grades from third term to fourth term.  What do you think about this solution?

Check back here for the much larger problem that has school systems scrambling for answers.

 

Online Schooling

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With the school year coming to an end, it is a good time to look back and reflect.  Students nationwide have transitioned from pre-COVID-19 school classrooms to online classes.  As the virus is nowhere near being cured, it appears this coming fall will have some form of online schooling as well.  How did online schooling work for your student this year?

Check back here next time for a disturbing online schooling problem that has school systems in a state of panic.

Summer Camp in the Middle of COVID-19 Pandemic

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recently released summer camp guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Besides good hygiene and testing for COVID -19 symptoms each day, they offer suggestions to camps for how the camp day should be structured. The CDC says that camps should encourage social distancing through increased spacing, maintain small groups, and limited mixing between groups. They also recommend staggered scheduling, arrival, and drop off. Summer camps are to also adjust activities and procedures to limit sharing of items such as toys, belongings, supplies, and equipment. Do you think camps should be open this summer using these guidelines?  Will they be successful in stopping the spread of COVID-19 or do you think it is too risky to send children to summer camp this year?

New CDC Summer Camp Guidelines

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have just released their new guidelines for camp directors pertaining to children attending summer camp during the COVID-19 pandemic. These guidelines are to prevent the spread of COVID-19.  The camps are to be responsible for germ prevention. They are to promote healthy hygiene practices such as hand washing and employees are to wear a face mask. Summer camps are to intensify cleaning, disinfection, and ventilation of facilities and buses. Additionally, summer camps are to take temperatures of staff and campers and follow state and local orders.

What will the camp day be like for children during the COVID-19 pandemic? What strategies will they use to keep everyone safe throughout the day? Check back here for the new CDC summer camp guidelines to be followed during the camp day.

A Sign of What’s to Come?

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Schools are opening up again to administer Advanced Placement exams for selected students according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.  They put in place the following rules to allow them to have the testing administered in the school buildings, yet not infect everyone with COVID-19.

According to their plan, following rules are supposed to be observed:

  • No congregating outside school.
  • Ordered/staggered entrance and exit of students into and out of the building and classrooms.
  • No more than a total of 10 students and staff in any single classroom.
  • Adequate spacing of desks to ensure social distancing in each classroom.
  • Students must return home immediately following the test.

Are these safety rules a sign of what is to come in education?  When schools are re-opened for both students and staff, is this how schools will conducted?  It will be interesting to see what happens this coming September.

Advanced Placement Exams and COVID-19

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Advanced Placement exams are still going to be conducted in school buildings for certain students according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. They have released their plan as to how to issue the AP exams, yet not spread COVID-19 infection. It is up to local schools to make sure the rules are followed.

According to their plan, students and staff will be required to wear face coverings at all times. All students and staff must apply hand sanitizer upon entering the building. Students will be monitored by staff while in the building while still maintaining social distance. Social distancing standards of at least 6 feet will be maintained before, during, and after test administration.

How will they protect students and staff from contracting COVID-19 from the beginning of the AP exams to end?  Check back here as we will list how they plan on achieving this goal.  Their AP testing plan may be a sign of what is to come for everyone once they decide to open up schools again for all students.

Breaking News: In-Person Advanced Placement Testing

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Advanced Placement exams for 2020 will still be conducted in-person at local schools on a limited basis, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The option to test at a school will only be made to a restricted number of students. Only those students who do not have adequate access to a computer and internet connectivity at home will be allowed to take an AP exam in a school building. This shocking news is according to a newly released memo from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. They published guidance for Advanced Placement testing for school districts.

Check back here as we will post their plan as to exactly how they will be allowing students and staff into school buildings to conduct these tests, while keeping everyone safe from COVID-19.

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