Owen-Withee School Board Approves District's Reopening Plan for New School Year
Thursday, July 30th, 2020 -- 9:12 AM
-The Owen-Withee School Board held a special meeting on Monday and they approved the district’s reopening plan for the new school year.The plan has been developed using CDC Guidelines, Clark County Health Department guidelines, recommendations, WI Department of Health guidelines and OW parent and staff survey data. The goal of this plan is to provide a structure for the safe return to school this fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Minimizing student contact with other students and with staff members is a key concept of the plan. Personal hygiene (handwashing/sanitizing, not toughing face, etc), social distancing (as much as practicable) and the wearing of face coverings, are key to not only a safe return, but to being able to stay in school throughout the year. While the district cannot guarantee that exposure to the virus is eliminated, this plan strives to minimize that exposure through reduced contact and following accepted practices. While their hope is that they can return to school full-time with all activities running, this is not prudent at this time. By reducing the contact students have with each other, providing a minimal amount of at-home learning and promoting good hygiene practices, they hope to keep their schools open all year and keep their students, staff and communities SAFE. The District will run on a 4 day week (Monday-Thursday) with Friday being a virtual learning day. This will reduce contact/exposure by 20%. Staff will report to school Monday-Friday, with Friday being a deep cleaning day, staff meeting/professional development day and time for virtual teaching/office hours. No lockers will be used/assigned and no locker rooms will be used in the middle/high school. A plan will be developed for elementary students to utilize lockers/cubbies and access those on a rotational basis to avoid close contact with other classes. Students will be responsible for carrying their materials throughout the school day and backpacks will be allowed. For high school, they will run on a block schedule with classes 2,4,6,8 meeting on the even days and classes 1,3,5,7 meeting on the odd days for 90 minutes per class.
The typical day would look like no arrival before 7:30 AM. From 7:30-8:10 AM, students will enter the building and get screened with a questionnaire and temperature check, grab a breakfast and head directly to their first block class. No lockers will be used by students. From 8:10 AM-9:40 AM, Block 1 Students will use devices to request lunch for that day. This will be either their 1st or 2nd period class, depending on the day of the week. From 9:44 AM-11:14 AM, block 2 will be either their 3rd or 4th period class, depending on the day of the week. From 11:18 AM-12:03 PM, it will be Homeroom/Lunch and that will be eaten in the classroom. From 12:07 PM-1:37 PM, block 3 will be either their 5th or 6th period class, depending on the day of the week. And from 1:41 PM-3:11 PM, block 4 will be either their 7th or 8th period class, depending on the day of the week Students will leave the building immediately after 4th block. For the elementary, students will be in their grade level classroom. Specialists like music, art, keyboarding, guidance, etc. will come to the students’ classroom rather than the kids going to a different room. Breakfast and lunch will be eaten in the classrooms. The typical day would look like no students in the building before 7:30 AM. From 7:30 AM-8:10 AM, bus students will enter the building at the flagpole entrance with screening using questionnaire and temperature check, grab a breakfast and head directly to their classroom.
Students dropped by parents will enter through the usual drop off entrance with screening using questionnaire and temperature check, grab a breakfast and head directly to their classroom. From 8:10 AM-3:00 PM, the students participate in regular school day in their classrooms. Recess, breaks and other time outside the classroom will be provided, scheduled and coordinated to avoid contact with other classes. For teachers, they will work Monday-Friday, 7:30 AM-3:30 PM. Monday-Thursday will be face-to-face instruction as usual. Friday will be a day to clean their room, prepare both online and face-to-face lessons, provide office hours to work with students, both in person and/or virtually. PLC late start Wednesdays will be eliminated and moved to Fridays. Because of the need for supervision before school starts, staff meetings and other school-related meetings will be held on Friday. Because of the dilemma of 30 minutes of duty-free lunch each day, the end of the day on Friday may have to be compromised. Finally, all parents/students, grades 4K-12 will have the option of attending school face-to-face or taking courses virtually at home. The virtual option is contingent on the student having access to adequate internet access in the home.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.