The start of a normal school year involves weeks of planning, teams of staff and countless people working behind the scenes to make opening day perfect for our kids. This year, however, has tested the best of us. Teams of employees have been working around the clock to ensure the safest environment for our students, staff and families.
As we begin the year there are a number of items you should be aware of.
Start dates
In Person Students
Tuesday, Sept 8th – Students in Group A (last names A-K)
Wednesday, Sept 9th – Students in Group B (last names L-Z)
Thursday, Sept 10th – All students
Monday, Sept 14th – All PK & Kindergarten students
Online Students
Tuesday, September 8th
Students choosing to learn online who do not have a computer at home can contact Mrs. Ensinger and request a Chromebook. These devices will be made available for pickup the week of August 31st.
Health Screenings – Each family must conduct a home health screening before sending children to school. Home self checks should check for the following:
? Fever of 100 ?F or higher
? Chills
? Cough
? Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
? Fatigue.
? Muscle or body aches.
? Headache.
? Loss of taste or smell.
? Sore throat, congestion or runny nose.
? Nausea, vomiting or Diarrhea
If you are ill, you must stay home.
Prior to being seated on the bus, our drivers will be using a touchless thermometer to take temperatures of all riders. Any child demonstrating a temperature of 100?F or higher will not be permitted to ride.
Walk-through scanners have been installed at the main entrance of the elementary and at the event entrance of the middle/high school. These will be used to screen all students who drive or are dropped off each morning.
Visitors will be very limited for the first semester. Visitors who do come to the campus will enter through the main entrances and be asked to take their temperature prior to entering.
Students demonstrating symptoms while at school will be examined by our school nurse and sent home. All symptoms must be treated as a positive case of COVID. Students sent home will be provided a “Return to School” form. This must be completed each day to monitor symptoms. After being sent home, a student must remain symptom free for 24 hours or the next school day (whichever is longer) before they will be permitted to return.
All positive cases of COVID will be communicated to the Portage County Health Department. The Health Department will conduct contact tracing and determine who, if anyone, needs to quarantine.
Masks – All students, staff and visitors will be required to wear masks at all times. Acceptable masks include disposable masks, cloth masks or gaiters. Bandanas will not be permitted. Mask breaks will be available where students can be distanced more than six feet apart and outdoors under supervision.
We will also pay close attention to the temperature and humidity. School will be declared on “Online Learning Day” if the Heat Index reaches 87?F or higher.
Social Distancing – Keeping a distance of three to six feet or more adds another layer of prevention against the spread of COVID-19. Please remind children to “Back up” and keep a safe social distance. Markings can be found on floors and hallways for students while in school.
Due to the number of students learning online this first semester, class sizes for in person learning will be smaller, making social distancing much easier.
Washing & Sanitizing Hands – Hand washing and sanitizing are important tools in preventing the spread of COVID-19 by killing the virus. Students, staff and volunteers will practice frequent hand washing for at least 20 seconds when hands are dirty, before and after eating, and after using the restroom. JAG will provide opportunities throughout the day for hand washing.
To supplement hand washing, we will provide hand sanitizer in high traffic areas including entrances to buildings, offices and classrooms. Further, hand sanitizing stations are installed on every school bus and van and we will instruct students and staff to use the sanitizer frequently.
Additionally, staff, students, and volunteers should avoid touching their mouths, noses, and eyes.
We have incorporated signs, posters and training to reinforce the important practice of frequent hand washing and sanitizing for students and staff.
Cleaning and Sanitizing the School Environment – We will clean surfaces frequently, paying close attention to high touch areas such as door handles and shared materials. We will also make sanitation wipes or disinfectants available in each room and common space. The sharing of supplies and materials will be minimized and if items must be shared, sanitized between each user.
We have purchased sanitizing machines that allow us to sanitize classrooms, restrooms and buses. These tools will be used in conjunction with CDC best practices for cleaning and sanitizing.
Drinking fountains have been replaced with water-bottle fillers and the fountain components have been disabled. Students are encouraged to bring their own personal water bottles as drinking fountains will not be available. High touch areas such as drinking fountains, door handles and railings will be sanitized frequently.
Athletics – We have thoroughly examined each of our athletic facilities to determine capacity and safety measures. We will allow two (2) tickets per athlete, band member and cheerleader at each contest. As required by the State, tickets will be limited to family members, household members and loved ones of each player or band member.
All tickets will be sold online and the link for this can be found at jagschools.org. No tickets will be sold at the gate.
All spectators will be required to:
? Have temperature taken prior to entry. Temps above 100? will not be permitted to enter.
? Wear masks.
? Adhere to social distancing by sitting or standing in designated areas.
For G-Men fans unable to attend, a streaming service will be available for most high school events. Streaming services will cost $10 per device so they can be viewed by many individuals at one time. Links to each game will be shared on the District website.
As you can see, this year will be a year like no other. We have made our best efforts to implement best practices to ensure the safety of our students and staff. This year will test the best of our abilities, but we are confident that with your help, 2020 will be an excellent year for our schools and community.
Have a great year and Go G-Men!
