CCS Families in the Know For You-October 9, 2020

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.

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

Please view the following Videos on the Importance of the 3 W's

and Mask Wearing

Safety Protocols to Help Prevent the Spread of COVID-19

By: Amy Heflin, District Lead Nurse

On September 17, 2020, the Craven County Schools Board of Education approved Plan B starting on October 5th for our early college high schools and October 19^th for our traditional schools during the second nine-weeks of the school year. Plan B is a hybrid learning model where students will be divided into designated groups so there are fewer students in the building which will help to maintain proper social distancing during the school day.

Safety protocols will be in place at all school campuses and on our buses for students returning to school for in-person learning. These new protocols will include daily screening, temperature taking, maintaining social distancing, wearing a mask, and frequent hand washing.

Conducting regular screening for symptoms and ongoing self-monitoring throughout the school day can help reduce exposure to COVID-19. Each school will assess staff and students upon arrival for symptoms such as headache, fever, chills, sore throat, cough, new onset of fatigue, muscle or body aches, shortness of breath, congestion or runny nose, diarrhea, vomiting and new loss of taste or smell. If anyone is experiencing any of the symptoms on the screening checklist they will need to go home and not return until they meet the criteria to return. The following flowchart displays the screening process:

Daily mask breaks will be provided to include when students are eating breakfast and lunch. Social distancing means keeping at least 6 feet of space between yourself and other people outside of your home. Signage is posted throughout school buildings to remind our students to maintain this distance. New floor decals have been created and installed to also serve as visual reminders. Classroom furniture will also be configured so all desks are separated from one another by at least 6 feet. Hand sanitizer stations have also been installed at all schools to allow students and staff the ability to frequently clean their hands to help decrease the spread of COVID-19.

It is critical that our families and staff are educated on the steps that will be followed at school in the event of handling suspected, presumed, or confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 or exposure to positive cases of COVID-19. The school nurse, together with assistance from district lead nurses, will follow the necessary steps:

If you have at least one symptom of COVID-19, you must not come to school, or you must go home as soon as you recognize you have a symptom.

While waiting to be picked up by a parent, a student who has developed symptoms at school will wait in a room designated solely for the care of sick students and will be supervised by a trained staff member.

Individual (Staff or student) will need to go home and remain at home, except to get health care. Call your healthcare provider (HCP) for next steps.

If the individual has a positive result from a COVID-19 test or does not test, he/she must remain at home for 10 days since the onset of first symptoms, must be free of fever for 72 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medicine) AND symptoms must be improved for 72 hours, including coughing and shortness of breath before he/she can return to work or school. The individual will need a written note from their HCP releasing them to return to work or school.

If the individual has a negative COVID-19 test result he/she must be free of fever for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medicine) AND symptoms must be improved for 24 hours, including coughing and shortness of breath, before he/she can return to work or school.

If the individual receives documentation of an alternative diagnosis other than COVID-19 (for example: stomach virus, ear infection), he/she must remain at home until free of fever for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medicine) and symptoms must be improved for 24 hours before he/she can return to work or school.

If a staff member or student has been determined to have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, he/she must remain at home for 14 days since the last date of exposure, unless test positive. In which case, exclusion criteria above would apply. Otherwise, he/she must complete the full 14 days of quarantine, even if test is negative.

As we transition to Plan B, Craven County Schools will continue to focus on the health, safety, and well-being of all students and staff. The district is committed to ensuring all of these protocols are implemented, followed, and communicated to help prevent the spread the of COVID-19. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school nurse at your child’s school or reach out to our district lead nurses.

Be sure to view these videos on the return to

school protocols and transportation protocols

Return to School Cleaning Protocols

By: Jeremy Russell, Director of Facilities Services

As our schools prepare to welcome students back to in-person learning, the Facilities Services Department is continuously working to ensure each campus has the training, materials, and resources to properly clean and disinfect their school building. These systematic protocols will help mitigate the spread of germs.

New daily checklists and procedures have been created for administrators, educators in classrooms, and our custodians. These expectations will clearly detail the importance for cleaning, documenting, and monitoring each school building. Training has been provided on the enhanced cleaning protocols including an overview on the important steps in disinfecting.

Custodial staff is using EPA approved disinfectant against SARS-CoV-2 when cleaning frequently touched services such as door handles, light switches, stair railings, desks, chairs, hand sanitizing stations, break room tables, restroom surfaces, and faucet handles. These high touch areas as well as restrooms will be cleaned and disinfected twice per day. Classroom teachers will disinfect desks daily as students transition in and out of class and at the end of the school day. In the event there is a positive COVID-19 case in a classroom, guidance has been provided by the CDC, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and the Craven County Health Department on the proper disinfection procedures.

The Facilities Services Department has been instrumental in the implementation of the district’s new signage at all school buildings and district offices. When students arrive at school, they will notice signage that clearly communicates the entrance and exit doors, floor decals spaced 6 feet apart displaying social distancing requirements, directional arrows in the halls to help minimize traffic flow, and reminders of the 3 W’s-Wear, Wait, and Wash. Each classroom also has floor markers for placement of desks, so they are properly socially distanced. Hand sanitizer stations have been installed throughout the school so students and have multiple opportunities to clean their hands.

The health, safety, and well-being of our students and staff remains a top priority. Our custodial teams are doing a tremendous job in their commitment to keeping our schools safe and clean for students and staff. With all of us working together, these routine cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing measures will help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other sickness. As an additional safety precaution, Craven County Schools is requiring any students and staff who are not feeling well and/or experiencing any symptoms of illness to stay home.