CCS Families In the Know
As we transition back to school under Plan B, we know you have questions about the 2020-2021 school year. We understand and we want to provide you with the information you need so we have created this resource in addition to our website and social media. We'll continue to post updates through all of our communication resources and do our best to keep you informed along the way.
WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL-Starting the week of October 19th, our students following Plan B will return to school for in-person learning. Our schools are excited to welcome you back! For our students continuing remote learning through Craven LIVE your teachers are prepared and ready for a great week of learning.
COVID 19 Communication Protocol and Dashboard
As part of our communication process related to positive COVID-19 cases, Craven County Schools will be updating a district dashboard to display the number of NEW positive cases three times a week. This information will be posted on the district website every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 5:00 pm. In an effort to protect the confidentiality of our staff and students we will not release the name of the school.The dashboard is located at:
www.cravenk12.org
Here Comes the Bus
By: Thomasine Hassell, Director of Transportation

As Craven County Schools continues to make preparations for the return to school, the Transportation Department has been working hard to ensure our students are safely transported to and from school. There are many new procedures in place so our riders, as well as our drivers, remain healthy.

The 3 W’s will part of riding the school bus this year-Wear your mask while at the bus stop and while riding the bus, Wait 6 feet part at the bus stop and when loading and unloading onto and off the bus, and Wash your hands frequently with hand sanitizer that has been installed on the bus for your child’s protection. The safety and health screening protocols will take place by the bus driver prior to students being able to access their assigned seat on the bus. The bus driver will not allow the student to board the bus If the student has a fever of 100.0 or higher. The screening questions for the student when boarding the bus will be:
Do you have 2 or more of the following symptoms?
  • Sore Throat
  • Runny Nose
  • Congestion
  • Headache
 
Do you have any of the following symptoms?
  • Chills
  • New Cough
  •  Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing
  • New Loss of Taste or Smell
 
Have you had close contact (within 6 feet for at least 15 minutes) in the last 14 days with someone diagnosed with Covid-19?
  • Yes or No
 
Have you or your family members been diagnosed within Covid-19 in the last 14 days?
  • Yes or No
 
Have you had a temperature of 100 degrees in the last 3 days?
  • Yes or No
If a child answers yes to any of these questions, they will need to go home, stay away from other people, and the family member should call the child’s health care provider as referenced in the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) Strong Schools NC Public Health Toolkit (K-12). Due to the new protocol of screening students prior to boarding the bus, all students in pre-k through 5th grade will need to be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or parent designee in the event they have to be escorted back home if they display any of the COVID-19 symptoms.

If a student in grades 6-12 presents one or more symptoms, they will not be transported to school and will have to return home. In the event the student is asked to return home, the bus driver will contact the Transportation Supervisor so the school can make contact with the parent/guardian. Please note when a child is sent home based on the symptoms screening process all siblings or children living in the same household must return home as well. This is based on guidance from the NCDHHS.

Our bus drivers will also be trained on the new cleaning procedures. Frequently touched services on each school bus will be properly cleaned and disinfected after each route. This includes seats, door handles, doors and windows, and grab handles.
Under Plan B, bus routes have been created based on the assigned day students will attend school. For this reason, no alternate bus stops or bus stop appeals will be granted. Students will be assigned to a specific seat since only one child is permitted per seat. Siblings will be allowed to share a seat. This information will be communicated by your child’s bus driver. If your child is not planning on riding the school bus at this time, please contact your child’s school as soon as possible.

We realize these guidelines are new for our students and families, so we ask for your patience as we transition to these protocols while safely transporting students back to school. These procedures may take some additional time however it is necessary to support healthy behaviors on all of our school buses, so our students and staff remain safe. Together we can all do our part!
A Look Inside Feeding Students Meals at School Upon Return

Lauren Weyand, Director of School Nutrition

 For most families, the unknown surrounding the safety of their student(s) upon returning to in person learning can be daunting including how school meals. The School Nutrition Department at Craven County Schools have been working diligently to create a plan that aligns with the district’s safety measures to ensure that our students are safe even during meal service times.

           Our goal is to continue to provide safe nutritious meals to our students while they are attending in-person learning and also while they continue learning virtually. While students are in school they will be served mainly a hot breakfast and a hot lunch daily. Breakfast items will consist of menu options that includes; chicken biscuit, breakfast pizza, egg with sliced ham and cheese on a croissant bun, toast with scrambled eggs and yogurt parfaits. Unlike breakfast, students will have a choice between 2 options for lunch. One option will be the hot home plate and the other will resemble a grab and go sub sandwich or hot sandwich type meal. All meals will be served in unitized format as a safety measure. Another safety measure included to facilitate safety while eating is that meals will be eaten in the child’s classroom where they will be socially distanced from their peers.

           Apart from feeding our students while they are in school, we have derived a way to provide for them while they are learning at home or at community hub sites. All students will receive meal kits to take home on their last day of in-person learning for the number of days they will be learning at home during the school week. Meal kits will consist of a breakfast and lunch entrée with the required sides and a milk for the total number of days for virtual learning. These meals will be sent home frozen with storage and reheating instructions. However, families that do not wish to have the meal kits can opt out of the meal kits by declining these meals on a form that will be made available to them by their child’s individual school. Additionally, families that opt out of meal kits will be given a placard which allows them to still participate in meals daily via the schools’ drive through pick up meal sites. These drive through pick up sites will continue to remain open daily between 11:00am – 1:00pm. Students enrolled in Craven LIVE (all virtual learning), will also be able to pick up meals daily via the drive through pick up locations.

           Many of the community hub sites that have been available to our students since the start of school year will continue to operate to support our students’ learning. Families that plan to continue to use hub sites on the days’ students are not doing in-person learning, can also opt out of meal kits. The community hub sites will provide a roster of students attending these sites for our process to be verified for accuracy.

           Despite which method families choose for us to serve their child(ren), we hope that you will not be concerned about the safety of your child while they eat with us.
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