j gn n ==1n to...2020/08/03 · trad itio nal in-pe rs o n le arning: traditional, in-person...

PS - 8TH GRADE SCHOOLS

RE-OPENING PLANA S O F A U G U S T 3 , 2 0 2 0

August 3, 2020

Dear Parents,

We understand you’ve been anxiously awaiting the re-opening plans of our diocesan

schools. As we’ve prepared to welcome back our students and teachers this fall, our

partnership with you will continue to be instrumental throughout the school year.

It remains our goal, and is included in our daily prayers, to open our school doors for on-

site learning for the first day of school. We understand the value of face-to-face

instruction and the faith-based learning environment that your child/children experience

in each of our schools. Our Diocese of Des Moines Catholic Schools have worked

diligently to create re-opening plans that focus attention on the whole child.

We continue to seek input from our diocesan medical partners to stay abreast of the

fluidity of the virus. This team has assisted in our health and safety plan with mitigation

strategies to help keep us in school and our students, faculty and staff as safe as we can

be. The Diocese of Des Moines Catholic Schools will continue to work with our health

professionals in conjunction with state and local public health officials to solidify decisions

related to best practices surrounding infectious disease control.

Each diocesan school’s Iowa Department of Education Return-to-Learn approved plan is

posted on their websites. Included in this document are the diocesan-wide protocols that

all of our elementary schools will follow. This plan represents what we know as of August

3, 2020. I ask that you continue to watch for communications from your child/children's

school for updates.

Thank you for your continued support of Catholic education.

Donna Bishop

Superintendent of Schools

Diocese of Des Moines

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

PS-8TH GRADE SCHOOL RE-OPENING PLANAugust 3, 2020

3OVERVIEW

4

GENERAL HEALTH ANDSAFETY MEASURES

12

PROMOTING A HEALTHYSCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

13

ACADEMICS

16

CONTINUITY OF EDUCATION19

SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL ANDSPIRITUAL HEALTH

21

SCHOOL-HOMECOMMUNICATION

LEARNING OPTIONS FORFAMILIES

22

23FREQUENTLY ASKEDQUESTIONS

24IOWA DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH INFORMATION

Each of our diocesan Catholic PS-8th grade schools plans to re-open school

for in-person instruction in August. Please consult your local school for their

scheduled opening day. The key components of each school’s re-opening plan

addresses the health and safety of our students, teachers and staff at school.

It is every person’s responsibility to help us keep our school community safe.

Please remember - these are plans as of August 3, 2020. As this is a fluid

situation, we will continue to revise protocols and update you as we approach

the opening of school.

OVERVIEW

R E - O P E N I N G P L A N | A U G U S T 3 , 2 0 2 03

LEARNING

OPTIONS FOR

FAMILIES

The Diocese of Des Moines Catholic Schoolsare committed to meeting the needs offamilies during these unusual times. Our goalremains to keep our schools open forstudents to learn, pray and grow together as acommunity. We are preparing a healthy andsafe school environment for our students andstaff to return in August.

Traditional, in-person learning will beavailable and will provide students andteachers with the safe experience we have allcome to expect. As a result, in-personlearning will include additional COVID-19risk mitigation efforts outlined in this bookletsuch as use of face coverings, physicaldistancing and daily temperature checks.

While traditional, in-person learning will bethe choice for many families, our schools willalso offer the option for students to attendclasses remotely for the 2020-2021 schoolyear.


TRADITIONAL IN-PERSON LEARNING:Traditional, in-person learning will havestudents in classrooms with peers andteachers. A number of health and safetyprotocols are in place to ensure the well-being of all students and staff. A completelisting of the safety and health protocols inplace can be viewed on pages 12-14.

If your family has completed the regularregistration and enrollment process for the2020-2021 school year, your student isalready enrolled for in-person learning.

Students who attend in-person learning willbe assessed early in the school year andclassroom instruction will be differentiatedto accommodate students at, below or abovegrade-level.

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While each school's plan may vary slightly,students at all our schools will follow a model inwhich they are with the same teacher andcohort of students throughout the school day.Transitions to specials classes will be limited,but the full academic offerings will be available.By limiting the number of transitions, we canpromote a safe and healthy environment whilemaximizing instructional time.

While it is our goal that our schools remainopen for in-person 5-day instruction, we mustadhere to public health mandates from theGovernor and local health departments.

In the event that we are directed to close ourschools again, all students will be able to quicklypivot to remote learning that continues theirrigorous and personalized education from theteachers they know and love.


HOW TEACHERS WILL SUPPORT

In-Person learning1

Whether your chi ld learns in-class or remotely, wewil l continue to foster posit ive, caring and faith-f i l led relationships with al l students and famil ies.

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Physical distancing and adjusted schedules ensurethat academic learning can progress successfully.Teachers will remain flexible in the style and typeof lessons provided.

A l l c l a s s r o o m s w i l l r e g u l a r l y p r a c t i c e h e a l t h yh y g i e n e i n c l u d i n g h a n d - w a s h i n g , t h e u s e o f h a n ds a n i t i z e r , a n d r e g u l a r c l e a n i n g a n d s a n i t i z a t i o no f s u r f a c e s a n d c l a s s r o o m i t e m s .

Teachers will continue regular assessments ofstudents to ensure the academic program at schoolis meeting the needs of all students.


Teachers are dedicated to maintaining the samehigh expectations for our students, whetherstudents are learning in the classroom or remotely.

HOW PARENTS CAN SUPPORT

In-Person learning1

Model healthy hygiene for your kids. Wear facecoverings as recommended, launder uniforms often,wash hands, and sanitize items that travel betweenschool and home.

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Stay connected and be informed. Review all schoolcommunications and ask questions as needed.

Contact the school immediately in the event of amedical diagnosis or family emergency.

Maintain morning and evening routines that supporta successful school year for your student(s).


Your continued support helps ensure the futuresuccess of our parish and school community.

REMOTE LEARNING:For some families, the remote learning optionmay be necessary for medical or other reasons.Our schools are prepared to partner with anyfamily that would like to explore the remotelearning option. Families will be able to optinto remote learning for each trimester ofschool. Additionally, families may elect toreturn to the school building for traditional in-person learning.

In the event of a student illness or other familymedical emergency, students can transition toremote learning as necessary.

All students who participate in remote learningwill receive grades and attendance will berecorded. Teachers will provide direct lessons,personalized instruction and students andfamilies will be expected to adhere to allappropriate learning expectations.

8

Students will be assessed and will receiveregular homework assignments. In someinstances, on campus assessments may needto be administered outside of the regularschool day to ensure academic needs arebeing met.

A student enrolled in remote learning is stilla full-time student at a Diocese of DesMoines Catholic School. The same schoolpolicies and procedures apply to studentswhether they participate in remote learningor attend class in-person. Students enrolledin remote learning may also participate inextracurricular school activities andathletics. Tuition rates for both in-person andremote learning remain the same.

In order to be considered for the fully remotelearning option, please contact your localschool administration.


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HOW TEACHERS WILL SUPPORT

Remote learning

Teachers will provide a high quality digital learningenvironment which includes video instruction,lessons, direct teaching, activities and assessments.

Our teachers are highly committed to the educationof all our students. As a result, our teacherscontinue to learn and grow in their ability to instructstudents in a digital space.

Whether your child learns in-class or remotely, wewill continue to foster positive, caring and faith-filled relationships with all students and families.

At home schedules, technology access and day-to-day life is busy and flexibility is key. We are mindfulof these challenges and will ensure the academicneeds of all students are met.


Teacher-designed instruction, assignments andassessment will allow for both synchronous andasynchronous learning experiences.

Teachers are dedicated to maintaining the same highexpectations for our students, whether students arelearning in the classroom or remotely.

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HOW PARENTS CAN SUPPORT

Remote learningSet up a remote learning routine that includes timefor meals, review of daily work, live classes, andhomework.

Visit with your children about their daily goals,homework, special links, and live classes.

Help your child develop goals for each day to helpthem focus on their provided work and meetexpectations.

Let the teacher know if you or your child arestruggling with any technology, resources, classcontent or homework.

R E - O P E N I N G P L A N | A U G U S T 3 , 2 0 2 01 0

Be sure your child's remote learning schedule hasplenty of breaks built-in for outdoor play and quiettime.

Take care of your and your child's emotional well-being. Both adults and children are feeling a lot ofanxiety over the inability to control our situation.

Whether your family chooses in-person or remote learning for your child(ren), all

families enrolled at Diocese of Des Moines Catholic Schools remain a member of

our vibrant school and parish communities.

Just as parents partner with our schools in-person, it is critical for school families

to demonstrate the home-school partnership in a virtual format as well. It is this

home-school partnership that makes our schools and students successful,

whether in the classroom or online.

CONNECTED BY

COMMUNITY

1 1 R E - O P E N I N G P L A N | A U G U S T 3 , 2 0 2 0

Access to school building and campuseswill be minimized. Shared objects and materials used atschool will be limited.Use of drinking fountains (except forrefilling stations) will be prohibited.Students and staff are encouraged tobring water in reusable containers.Water bottles must go home daily to becleaned.Student belongings will be kept separate.All student field trips and travel arecancelled until further notice.Lunch program workers will follow safetyguidelines for food preparation anddistribution.Plexiglass/sneeze guards will be installedwhere feasible.Delivery drop zones may be created tolimit the number of visitors in thebuilding.Review of re-opening plans will continuethroughout the year.Based on community needs, schools mayemploy additional mitigation practices.

The following changes will be implemented atall our schools to support the overall safetyand well being of our students and staff.

1 2

GENERAL

HEALTH AND

SAFETY

MEASURES


PROMOTING A

HEALTHY

SCHOOL

ENVIRONMENT

Routine cleaning and disinfecting offrequently touched surfaces within theschool building throughout the day.

Cleaning regimen to use EPAapproved cleaning and disinfectingproducts and equipment for use against viral pathogens includingCOVID-19.

The health of students, faculty andstaff will be monitored daily.Temperatures will be checkedthroughout the school day.

All student, faculty and staff concernswill be reviewed by Public Health andthe Diocesan Medical Health Team.

ENHANCED CLEANING/DISINFECTING:Our facilities team in conjunction with ourfaculty will implement enhanced cleaningprotocols on a daily basis.

HEALTH SCREENING:


Daily routines enabling students and staffto regularly wash hands and use handsanitizer.

Practices that ensure personal health andsafety will be used including: hand-washing, avoiding contact with one’s eyes,nose and mouth, and covering coughs andsneezes.

Hand sanitizer will be available throughoutthe school.

Students will wear face coverings whenentering/exiting the building and whenmaneuvering in the hallways (e.g. thebathroom). Parents must provide theirstudent(s) with face coverings.

Small group activity while in classroomsmay require face coverings.

HEALTHY HYGIENE PRACTICES:

PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT:

1 4

Staff will wear face coverings whenworking with students.

Proper wear and use of face coveringswill be taught and reinforced byclassroom teachers. Face coverings areparticularly helpful when physicaldistancing is not feasible.

To the extent possible, we will practicephysical distancing in classrooms,hallways, bathrooms, on the playgroundduring recess/lunch and during dropoff/pick up.

To promote physical distancing, themeasures outlined on the next page willbe implemented.

PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT:

PHYSICAL DISTANCING:


PHYSICAL DISTANCING

Measures1

We will teachphysical

distancingpractices.

2 3

4 5 6

7

We will maximizespace between

student desks asmuch as possible.

We will reduce extraitems in classrooms

to allow for morespace.

We will avoidcongestion when

students usebathrooms.


We will staggerrecess/lunch and

designate playareas by grade.

We will reducehallway trafficduring passing

periods.

We will limit directcontact during drop-

off and pick-upprocedures.

8

We will promotephysical

distancing in theoffice area.

9

We will limitunnecessary

movement around theschool and campus.

ACADEMICS

Our primary objective is to provide alearning rich environment grounded in ourCatholic faith to all students.

Our highly trained faculty is ready andprepared to provide a quality educationthat facilitates mastery of all IowaCommon Core and Diocesan ContentStandards.

The team is also ready and prepared toprovide both asynchronous (recorded) andsynchronous (live) learning should it berequired in the event of a school closure orshould a parent elect the remote learningoption.

CLASSROOMS:To the extent possible, we will minimizemixing students in classrooms, hallwaysand bathrooms, on the playground duringrecess/lunch and during drop off/pick up.

Each school will put in place measures thatwill minimize student contact. Sample procedures can be found on page 18.


COLLABORATION:

Our teachers continue to collaborate as Professional Learning Communities (PLC).

Staff share expertise and instructional strategies to meet the needs of each

individual learner.

INITIAL SCREENING ASSESSMENTS:

At the beginning of the school year, teachers are prepared to assess each student's

current academic needs and address any potential gaps in learning.

ACADEMICS


CLASSROOM

Measures

1

Where possible, wewill limit the number

of staff andclassroom spaces towhich students are

exposed.

2 3

4 5 6

We will minimizesharing of

materials andcommunity

supplies.

There will be noshared storage ofstudent materials,

i.e. cubbies/lockers.

Student field tripsand travel are

cancelled for theforeseeable future.


We will staggerclassroom release

times to reduce thenumber of students

in the hallways.

We have put recessprotocols in place

to encouragephysical distancing.

CONTINUITY

OF EDUCATION

Allow for student-teacher feedback. Allow students to complete and submitassignments. Provide access to educational tools.Offer live instruction and video options.

A key component of our re-opening plan isto prepare contingencies should there be aneed to implement a remote learningprogram due to extended absences or amandatory school-wide closures.

BRIDGING THE CLASSROOM ANDHOME:Each school will use cloud based platformsfor the delivery of instruction, workflow,communication and collaboration withstudents. Technology platforms willsupport in-school classroom instructionand provide a means for maintainingcontinuity should the school be required toclose and move to remote learning.

These platforms will:


REMOTE LEARNING - STUDENT ILLNESS:We understand that at any given time, astudent may be required to stay at home torecover from illness. The learning plan forthese students is to provide continuitybetween in-class and remote learning on ashort term basis (two weeks or less) tominimize the disruption to learning. This plan isnot meant as a replacement for in-classinstruction.

By frequently checking the school's onlineplatforms and staying in contact with thestudent's teacher(s), parents and students willbe able to keep up with assigned work.

REMOTE LEARNING - SCHOOL CLOSURE:Remote learning is necessary if the stay-at-home order is reinstated by our Governorand/or local public health departments.

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REMOTE LEARNING - SCHOOL CLOSURE :Remote learning can occur asynchronously(recorded) or synchronously (live).

Asynchronous remote learning is wheninstruction and learning do not happen at thesame time for all students. The teacherprovides instruction which could be pre-recorded videos, resources and tasks. Students access learning at a time that worksfor the student and their family.

Synchronous remote learning is an approachwhere students and teachers are engagedonline and learning at the same time. Thisoccurs through video-conferencing (ie Zoom).Expectations will be clearly defined forstudents, parents, and teachers. Models ofconsistent learning experiences for eachgrade level are being developed.


SOCIAL,

EMOTIONAL

AND

SPIRITUAL

HEALTH

Opportunities for students to interactwith their classmates, teachers andstaff in the classroom as well as duringrecess and lunch.School counselors and teachers aredeveloping plans to identify andaddress student needs.School administrations are workingwith parish pastors and the diocesan re-opening committee to put in placethe celebration of Mass.Our schools are collaborating withvarious outside agencies to provideadditional social-emotional support forstudents, families and staff.

We understand the importance ofestablishing a positive, safe and supportivelearning environment as our studentsnavigate the unprecedented challenges dueto the disruptions caused by the pandemic.

We are committed to helping our studentsby infusing social and emotional supportinto our students' experience at school.


Website: The school will postresources and updates on the COVID-19 resource tab.

Parish Communication: Informationwill be shared via parish bulletins, emailand newsletters.

Email: The school will use email tonotify and inform parents aboutCOVID-19 information.

Social Media: Each school will use itssocial media platforms to shareinformation. We invite parents to liketheir school's Facebook page as well as theDiocesan Office of Catholic SchoolsFacebook page for updated information.

We are committed to ongoing, timely, andinformative communication betweenschool and home. In order to provideeffective communication, the following will be provided:

SCHOOL - HOME

COMMUNICATION


WILL STUDENTS ATTEND MASS AT SCHOOL?

Each school will offer a Mass schedule that

accommodates spiritualgrowth while maintaining

health and safety standards.

ARE ADDITIONALSCHOOL MATERIALS

REQUIRED?The provided school supply

list includes all necessarymaterials students need

while at school.

FREQUENTLY ASKED

Questions1 2 3

4 5 6


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DO STUDENTS WEAR FACECOVERINGS AT SCHOOL?Teachers and staff will wear

face coverings at all times.Students will wear masks when

physical distancing is notpossible. (see page 12)

CAN REMOTE LEARNERSPARTICIPATE IN SCHOOL

ACTIVITIES?Remote learners mayparticipate in school

activities if the student'sparents sign the appropriate

waiver and release forms.

CAN WE MOVE TO REMOTELEARNING DUE TO

MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS?Remote learning is availablefor families and students to

use in the event of a medicaldiagnosis or emergency.

WHAT REMOTE LEARNINGPLATFORMS WILL BE USED?

Remote learning platforms varyby school and may include

SeeSaw, Google Classroom andCanvas. Please check with your

school for specifics.

WHAT TECHNOLOGY ISREQUIRED FOR REMOTE

LEARNING? Remote learning requires

access to an internet-capable device and a reliable

internet connection.

WHAT INSTRUCTIONWILL REMOTE LEARNERS

RECEIVE?Teachers will provide videolessons, direct instruction,assignment feedback and

individual assessments.

WILL ATTENDANCE BETAKEN?

Attendance will be taken for allstudents. The same schoolpolicies apply to studentswhether they attend class

remotely or in-person.

As accredited non-public schools in the state of Iowa, the following two pages

of guidance from the Iowa Department of Education and the Iowa Department

of Public Health will be followed, including any further versions released.

IOWA DEPARTMENT

OF HEALTH

INFORMATION


AS A BODY IS ONE

THOUGH IT HAS

MANY PARTS, AND

ALL THE PARTS OF

THE BODY, THOUGH

MANY, ARE ONE

BODY, SO ALSO

CHRIST.

Together we will continue to navigate these unprecedented waters. - The Diocese of Des Moines, Office of Catholic Schools

1 CORINTHIANS 12

j gn n ==1n to...2020/08/03 · trad itio nal in-pe rs o n le arning: traditional, in-person...

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