2020-2021

BCS Re-Opening Plan

Please note that all plans mentioned in this document are subject to change

Re-Opening Update

We are excited to be back on campus with our students soon! We praise God for his daily provision. Please continue to be in prayer for our school. Here are the latest health precautions. Although we may at times question a precaution taken for the pandemic, our desire is to be united in spirit, rooted in our love for Christ and our neighbor.

We are working closely with the Health Department, County government, health professionals, and other Manatee County private and public schools to keep students safe. In doing so, we will follow their example and recommendations by wearing face coverings inside our buildings unless a person has a documented medical exemption or is able to maintain social distance. We will work with our students to adjust to wearing face coverings when they are unable to socially distance inside. Students who are able to have 6 ft. of distance from others will not need to wear a face covering during that time. We will continually evaluate this policy and work in conjunction with local health officials to adjust this policy as local conditions fluctuate. This will possibly change throughout the year and is a season we are all walking through together to give us the best chance of staying here on campus together all year.

Elementary: Please send your student (1st grade and up) to school with a buff, neck gaiter or mask. Middle & High School: Face coverings (buff, neck gaiter or mask) are required in the hallways, and

for classes and times when social distancing cannot be maintained. Face coverings are not required when you can socially distance or if you have a health condition.

We will work with students to make the adjustment to wearing face coverings as easy and comfortable as possible.

Desks will be spread out as far as we are able and in many instances will have the 6 ft. distance to not require a covering while at their desk. Classes that don’t have that much space will take mask breaks outside periodically. At this point, most of our elementary classrooms have the space so the students will not have to wear masks at their desks. Many of our middle & high school classrooms do as well.

Please do not send a student to school who is not feeling well. Please perform a Wellness Check on your student each day. Look for these symptoms: fever, sore throat, new uncontrolled cough that causes difficulty breathing, diarrhea, vomiting or abdominal pain, or new onset of severe headache. Students with these symptoms will need to stay home until conditions have improved and they are fever, vomit and diarrhea free for 24 hours.

If your student has Covid-19 symptoms and has had close exposure (within 6 ft. for 15 minutes or more) to an individual with a confirmed case of Covid-19 or if your student tests positive, they will need to stay home for 10 days after onset of symptoms and be fever free for 24 hours to return to school.

Students who have symptoms should stay home and opt for the online version until they are able to return to school.

Please inform the school if your student has a positive Covid-19 test. We will work with the health department to notify individuals in close contact following HIPAA laws.

COVID-19 Precautions

Illness

By sending your student to BCS you acknowledge that you are aware of the symptoms/exposure of Covid-19 and accept the responsibility of your student being on campus.

Please send your student to school with a water bottle each day so they can use the water bottle filler

versus a drinking fountain. Our regular admission, tuition and withdrawal fees apply.

If a student/faculty member tests positive, the administration will evaluate the situation and work with the parents, doctors and health department to determine our quarantine pathway. If it is deemed necessary, we will work with the health department to notify anyone who has had close contact with the student/faculty member (less than 6 ft. for more than 15 minutes) and recommend quarantine and online school.

COVID-19 Plan

Misc. Information

We have heard from parents who wish for more time to decide about BCS online so we will allow parents to opt for the online option until Monday, August 10. Also, anytime your student has symptoms, we ask you to move to the online version until they are able to return. Students will be able to move back and forth as conditions change. Please email an administrator if you wish to choose online. Those who choose the online option will receive more information next week about how to get started. Tests and exams for online students may require in person attendance at a testing period.

Online Option

First Day of School - Wednesday, August 19

This is our tentative re-opening plan for BCS. We will continue to update this plan as our local situation changes, but this is our current line of thinking. We want to be back in school. We want to keep our students safe. Those are our main goals in all of this. Not everyone will be in total agreement with all of the items in our plan, but please know that this is a season we are all walking through together and God is on His throne. Our wish is for all of us to work together as the body of Christ would, to aid every member in that body.

New Procedures at BCS STAY HOME IF YOU ARE SICK

All adults and students will need to STAY HOME if they are not feeling well or showing any symptoms. PLEASE, for the sake of all of us, DO NOT send a child who is not feeling well to school. Again, DO NOT send a child to school with any symptoms. Do not medicate a child to try and have them feel better and send them to school. Adults, do not come on campus if you are not feeling well or have any symptoms. Students who start not feeling well while at school will be sent home and their room will be disinfected.

Non-Covid illnesses require students to be fever free and vomit free for 24 hours before returning to school.

If a student, family member living in the house or close contact (per CDC guidelines) has tested positive, a student will need a negative test or 14 days of quarantine from the initial exposure and 72 hours of symptom free prior to returning to school.

Please talk to your child about cough & sneeze etiquette, proper hand washing, and keeping hands away from their face. We will be teaching this at school as well.

FREQUENT HAND WASHING/SANITIZING We will encourage frequent hand washing and hand sanitizing. Hand sanitizer will be in each classroom and throughout the school. We have provided extra supplies of sanitizer, soap, tissues, paper towels and handwashing stations. We are also doing extra cleaning and sanitizing in our buildings and busses. Classrooms will be fogged with a hospital grade, non-toxic disinfectant each morning before school and sanitized again after school.

MORNING PROCEDURE/TEMPERATURE CHECK All students and staff will have temperature scans each morning at all access points before entering the buildings. (An acceptable temperature is below 100.4). After students enter the building, they will go straight to their first period classroom - no waiting in the hallways. Any student that rides the bus will have a temperature scan before getting on the bus. Parents who come to school will not come further than our lobbies. This is an effort to keep traffic in our buildings to a minimum.

Re-Opening Plan

New Procedures at BCS SOCIAL DISTANCING

We will avoid large group gatherings (parents and students) and encourage students to practice social distance when entering and exiting the buildings and classrooms or whenever they are moving throughout campus. We will also utilize travel directions to better social distance. Classroom seating arrangements will be spread out as far as possible for social distancing. Larger classes may be moved into larger spaces.

MASKS/FACE COVERINGS Elementary: Please send your student (1st grade and up) to school with a buff, neck gaiter or mask. Middle & High School: Face coverings (buff, neck gaiter or mask) are required in the hallways, and for classes and times when social distancing cannot be maintained. Face coverings are not required when you can socially distance or if you have a health condition.

AVOIDING LARGE GROUPS All students will eat lunch in classrooms or outside (some middle & high school

students will social distance in Wichers) Chapel will be streamed into the classrooms We will not have announcements in Wichers for middle & high school

Online Option An online option will be available for families that wish for an alternative to school in

person. For middle and high school students, we will stream the lesson at the front of the classroom in real time to our students at home. Students will be able to watch while the lesson is presented, and work on the assignments after the lessons are completed. Additional online activities may be required. Elementary will include a mix of live streaming and online instruction. Lower elementary especially may incorporate programs like Seesaw and Flipgrid to enhance the lower elementary online experience. Please notify a BCS administrator (Mr. Vande Pol, Mr. Myers, or Mr. Bobitz) by August 3 if you are selecting the online option to start the year to help us plan for the year. Students will be allowed to move from in person to online and back as needed. If the student takes part in the online option, they will be required to attend class online each day and complete all work and tests/quizzes by the given due date.

Students who select the online option will also need to be visible through their computer during the lesson in order to maintain an accurate attendance.

The live-streamed lessons will not and may not be recorded on either end, and the streaming is encrypted from the school to the student who signs in through their BCS student account.

Online instruction in the elementary may be a mix of live instruction, teacher

recorded lessons and online activities.

New Procedures at BCS Increased Cleaning & Sanitation

Cleaning service - cleaning with EPA certified hospital grade disinfectant that kills Covid-19 each day after school.

Electrostatic disinfectant treatment spraying hospital grade disinfectant in classrooms and hallways including all high touch surfaces each morning before school.

Disinfectant available to sanitize desktops between classes in middle and high and for elementary specials.

Hand washing and sanitizing after recess. Exactly what recess looks like will be determined as we get closer to our opening date. We will provide extra hand-washing stations for use, especially before lunchtime.

High touch surfaces sanitized frequently throughout the day. Hand sanitizer available in classrooms and hallways Busses and playgrounds sanitized daily

Teachers Teachers are excited to return to school as well and will have additional health and safety training. Masks and face shields are available for teacher use. Teachers presenting lessons from the white board area will be allowed to wear shields only, but must keep a 6-foot distance from their students at this time. If teachers are working closely with students, they will wear a mask. Teachers in middle and high school will sanitize student desks after each class period.

New Procedures at BCS NEW PROCEDURE FOR DROPPING OFF ITEMS

Tables will be located in the lobby of the elementary, middle & high school buildings. Any items that need to be dropped off to students (lunches, gym bags, instruments, homework, etc.) should be left on the appropriate table. It is your student’s responsibil-ity to pick up the item. Please make sure your student’s name is clearly visible on the item. NO OUTSIDE FOOD DELIVERIES OF ANY KIND WILL BE ALLOWED. This will eliminate contact with office personnel and limit the number of people in and out of our buildings. Outside visitors and guests will have very limited or no access to school buildings during the day. Any visitor entering buildings will be required to have a temperature scan and wear a mask.

Elementary Recess Morning recess will be a single class at a time on the playground. Lunch recess will

have two classes on the playground at once (some classes eat at the same time as recess after lunch). Students will not be allowed to use any of the playground equip-ment, as we can not wipe it down every 15 minutes after every class. Playground balls, etc. will be sanitized after every recess.

Elementary Meet Your Teacher Elementary teachers are putting together a plan for you to come in individually and meet your teacher and drop off supplies. Details will be sent out soon!

Middle School Meet Your Teacher Middle School students will be able to put supplies in your locker, practice opening your locker and walk through your class schedule. You may stop by any time during your designated time below. Please wear a mask when you enter the building.

Current 7th Grade students - Tuesday, August 11 from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm Current 8th Grade students - Wednesday, August 12 from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm All 6th Grade & NEW 7th & 8th graders - Thursday, August 13 at 5:45 pm

High School Meet Your Teacher High School students may put supplies in your locker, walk through your schedule and meet with teachers according to the times below. You may stop by any time during your designated time below. Please wear a mask when you enter the building.

Freshman - Monday, August 10 from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm Sophomores - Tuesday, August 11 from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm Juniors - Wednesday, August 12 from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm Thursday, August 13 will be open from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm for anyone who missed their scheduled time. Seniors - Friday, August 14 from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm (will coordinate with senior pictures)

MEET

THE

TEACHER

Be sure to check out our Media Guide & Sponsorship Packages Deadline is July 31

ATHLETICS

Varsity Football Start date: Monday, July 27 from 7:00 am to 12:00 pm, Monday through

Friday. (May include Saturday)

Contact Varsity Football Coach Greg Williford for questions or more details (gwilliford@bcspanthers.org – 901-337-8787)

MS Football Tryouts: Wednesday, August 19. Time TBD

Contact Varsity Football Coach Greg Williford for questions or more details (gwilliford@bcspanthers.org – 901-337-8787)

Volleyball Tryouts: Monday, July 27 & Tuesday, July 28

Freshman: 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm

JV: 4:45-5:45

Varsity: 6:00-7:00

Any middle school student who would like to try out for a high school

team, may attend the tryouts on July 27

Contact Varsity Volleyball Coach Jon Sherfy for questions or more details (jsherfybcs@gmail.com – 941-893-7142)

MS Volleyball Tryouts: Monday, August 3. Time TBD

Contact Varsity Volleyball Coach Jon Sherfy for questions or more details (jsherfybcs@gmail.com – 941-893-7142)

MS/HS

Cross Country

Tryouts: Monday, August 10 at 3:30 pm. Meet in front of gym

Contact Varsity Boys & Girls Coach Ted Watson for questions or more details (tedwatson68@yahoo.com - 813-785-1987)

MS/HS Golf Tryouts: Tuesday, August 11 at 3:15 pm at the Bradenton Country Club

Contact Varsity Golf Coach Ryan Macey for questions or more details (rmacey@bradentoncc.org) – 863-602-8882)

MS/HS Swim Tentative start date August 3. Time TBD

Contact Varsity Swim Coach Rachel Vos for questions or more details (rvos@bcspanthers.org – 507-440-3843)

MS/HS Cheer Tryouts: Monday, August 3. Meet in the Fine Arts breezeway

High School - Monday, Tuesday, & Thursday from 10:00 am - 12:30 pm

Middle School - Monday, Tuesday, & Thursday from 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Contact Varsity Cheer Coach Sophie Cole for questions or more details (sophiecole090@gmail.com - 941-565-0306)

Please bring your own water bottle & towel daily to practice Temperature checks and screenings will be done daily by your head coach More information will be given at your tryouts

Any questions: Contact Athletic Director, Cole Hudson at 941-792-5454 ext. 119 or chudson@bcspanthers.org

We want our students to experience a school year that is as close to normal as possible; however, in order to keep everyone safe, we need to make some changes. We know that things may look a little different this year, but we ask for your continued patience and understanding as we implement these changes.

EMAIL During the school year, weekly parent communication is sent via email on Fridays. This will contain the most up to date information about what’s happening on campus. Be sure your email is correct in FACTS so you don’t miss anything!

HOT LUNCH/CAMPUS CAFÉ Hot lunch will still be available for purchase this year. No outside food deliveries of any kind will be allowed.

High School New Student Welcome - New Date Students ONLY Monday, August 17 at 6:30 pm We invite all NEW (to BCS) High School students ONLY to orientation. (If you attended BCS in 8th, you do not need to attend.) Please meet in Wichers Auditorium (in the high school building). This will be a time for you to learn about upcoming events, ways to get involved, and how to best be prepared for your upcoming year at BCS.