This section of our reopening plan directly relates to the ISBE & IDPH Guidelines Document and the “Additional Guidance” as of August 13th, which maintains that all public and non-public schools must follow the guidelines. The Guidelines Document specifies 5 bullet points that schools must follow to reopen during this phase, for which we have outlined specific SMPS protocols below.

1. Face Coverings: Require use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including face coverings;

2. Spacing & Movement: Prohibit more than 50 individuals from gathering in one space;

3. Physical Distancing: Require social distancing be observed, as much as possible;

4. Symptom Screenings: Require that schools conduct symptom screenings and temperature checks or require that individuals self-certify that they are free of symptoms before entering school buildings;
   and,

5. Cleaning: Require an increase in schoolwide cleaning and disinfection.

1 - Face Coverings

• All students and staff will be required to wear a face mask at all times when inside the school building.

• Students will be permitted to take off their face covering during snack and lunch, and when outside if six feet apart from others.

• Requirements for a face covering from the CDC are as follows:

• Students should be able to maneuver their face coverings independently.

• As long as the coverings’ designs are school appropriate, there are no specific requirements for mask designs.

• Either cloth face coverings or disposable masks are acceptable. Face coverings may have ear loops, wrap around the back of the head, or lift up from the neck over the nose and mouth (gaiter-type).

• We will have a supply of disposable face masks available if a need arises.

• Plastic “face shields” are not an approved face covering per the guidelines at this time.

• Cloth face coverings should be taken home, laundered daily, dried in a dryer, and reused.

• The IDPH recommends cloth face coverings be stored between uses in a clean bag or container.

• Face coverings must be changed immediately if soiled, wet, or torn. We recommend each student have at least one extra, clean face covering with them in case they need to change theirs during the school day.

• Teachers may temporarily use a face shield when needing to show facial expressions where it is important for students to see how a teacher pronounces words. However, teachers will be required to resume wearing face coverings as soon as possible.

• Parent tip: if your child has not worn a face covering much, practice wearing it at home a little each day to make using it at school more comfortable.

• Staff note: please know that we teachers and staff will model wearing the face coverings without complaint. We realize this may be a challenge at first for students, and we will be encouraging and positive.

2 - Spacing & Movement

• We will prohibit more than 50 individuals from gathering in one space.

• To limit movement through the school, students in ALL grades will remain in their assigned classroom.

• To accommodate the “additional guidance” document from the IDPH, now students in 5th – 8th Grades will be assigned to a primary classroom based on their math assignment. ELA assignments will remain, though ELA classes may have students from multiple assignments, for which the ELA teachers will differentiate to ensure continued challenge and/or support for the student.

• Some classrooms have been moved in the building to ensure less travel throughout the school.

• Students in 5th - 8th grades will no longer have passing periods, but will remain in their assigned classroom.

• Stairwells will be designated as “up only” or “down only” to lessen face to face passing.

• Students will walk on the North side of the hallways when travelling East to West, and the South side of the hallways when traveling West to East.

• Students will eat lunch in their classrooms (or outside when possible).

• Recess will be scheduled for students to play alternately in the green space near the Faith Center (fence enclosure coming soon) or the parking lot with their grade level only. Kindergarten will alternate days on their playground with parameters for equipment use and sanitization.

• Bathroom breaks will be scheduled and supervised (from the hallway) with exception of emergency use.

• Parent tip: your child may or may not react much to these changes. Encouraging your child to be open-minded and take them seriously will help the student and staff community work together for our collective health. If your child experiences a strong emotional reaction to changes at school, please let us know. In addition to your child’s teachers, our excellent Social Worker Mrs. Kozica is here to help.

• Staff note: we will have visual posters and give regular verbal reminders of safety expectations. It is a lot to remember, but on the whole, our students are respectful and responsive to school structures. With a little practice, we anticipate the new expectations to simply become part of the routine this fall.

3 - Physical Distancing

• We will provide at least 6 feet of physical distancing in hallways and classrooms.

• Signage will be posted throughout the hallways to help students maintain distance.

• Markings on the floor will assist with keeping at least 6 feet apart.

• Teachers will monitor hallways.

• We will utilize 2 nurses stations: one for routine wellness needs and one for students presenting or complaining of illness symptoms.

• Dismissal times will be staggered and students will observe social distance rules throughout dismissal.

• For the time being, parents may not gather at door 4 for pick up, but rather, students dismissed to the walker door should walk to their home. If this is not safe and a student needs parental guidance to walk home, we encourage parents to pick up their child in the carline during this time to avoid gatherings or exposure at Door 4.

• Parent tip: have your child stand and stretch out his or her arms (airplane-style), then slowly turn in a circle. Have your child observe how much space is around him or her. This gives a great mental and physical reference for your child of a good amount of safe distancing space.

• Staff note: don’t be surprised if your child talks about how the classrooms look a little different. In order to maintain distance, perimeter furniture may be removed, desks will be spread out, and “extras” will be minimal. Where relevant, classrooms will still utilize standing desks or designated spaces with ample supports for student learning.

4 - Symptom Screenings

• Daily no-contact temperature checks

• Before entering St. Michael Parish School, every individual (staff, teachers, and students) will have his or her temperature checked with a no-contact thermometer. A staff member will be at door 1 (for walkers and car riders), door 4 (for students riding the bus), and at the Faith Center to check each person’s temperature.

• Temperature checks will take place before exiting a vehicle and recorded as pass/fail.

• Any person with a temperature over 100.4 [updated temperature requested by IDPH to be consistent with CDC and ISBE guidance] should remain in the car and be taken back home.

• Any family member of a person with a temperature over 100.4 and any other students in the carpool should remain in the car and be taken back home.

• Any student, and sibling, and student deemed in “close contact” (within 6 feet of the symptomatic student for more than 15 minutes with or without a mask) who is sent home due to a temperature over 100.4 “must remain home and quarantine until an alternative diagnosis is made or a negative result received. If the sick student becomes a confirmed case or a probable case, the local health department conducting contact tracing will place household contacts, including siblings, in quarantine for 14 calendar days.”

• Students riding the bus will have their temperature checked when they arrive on site and in the event of a temperature reading of 100.4 or higher at their on-site reading, we will contact the parent to pick up the student.

• A St. Michael staff member will do a verbal wellness check each morning. Any student who identifies as feeling sick with COVID-like symptoms will be sent home.

• Any visitor entering SMPS will have his or her temperature checked upon arrival, and is required to pass with a temperature under 100.4 to enter, as well as answer questions of the verbal wellness check . The visitor’s log will have a record of pass/fail.

• Parent tip: routinely checking your child’s temperature at home before leaving the house should make for an easy arrival at school. If your child’s temperature is elevated (100.4 or higher) please keep your child home, as well as siblings, then notify the nurse’s line as usual. (In no instance is it acceptable to administer fever-reducing medication to a child with a 100.4+ temperature and then send him or her to school.)

• Staff note: each teacher is working on how they will handle missed classroom time due to illness or need to quarantine, and this plan will be clearly communicated through our Curriculum Night presentations. We will work together to make sure your child stays on track.

5 - Cleaning

• Personal Hygiene

• Once a student or staff member passes the temperature check, wearing a mask, s/he will enter the building and proceed directly to their homeroom and sanitize their hands.

• Hand sanitizing stations are in place in every classroom near the doorway. Students and staff will utilize it when entering and exiting a classroom.

• All students who eat a snack during the day will wash/sanitize their hands before removing their face covering and eating their snack. As soon as they finish eating, they will put on their face covering and again wash/sanitize their hands.

• All students will wash/sanitize their hands before and after recess.

• All students will wash/sanitize their hands before and after lunch.

• Classroom Hygiene

• All grade levels will use a sanitizing wipe to wipe their desks before and after eating.

• Shared resources or equipment in a classroom will be limited as much as possible. When shared resources or equipment are used, each item will be sanitized after each student’s use.

• School Cleaning & Protections

• Common doors will have doorstops to limit students’ need to touch or hold doors.

• In 5th - 8th grades, students will wipe down desks and chairs before they leave each classroom.

• Bathrooms will be cleaned after each class’s scheduled bathroom use.

• Any shared space used for a specials class will be cleaned after each use (primarily applies to the gym and music room).

• The entire school (classrooms, communal spaces, bathrooms, hallways, etc.) will be disinfected daily using a fogging disinfecting machine, the Power Mister 130 Atomization Sprayer.

• Ventilation and air flow throughout the buildings will be monitored.

• Parent tip: the increased hand washing and use of hand sanitizer may lead to dry hands. It might be helpful for your child to use a moisturizer at home to prevent dry hands.

• Staff note: we will review expectations and provide reminders and time for hand washing and cleaning surfaces at school. As well, we will have clearly marked areas for any shared items (which will be very limited) to be set aside or immediately cleaned after use, including classroom references or books.
  

  
  

Bussing

• At this time the bus company intends to offer bussing. We expect protocols to be shared soon which we will share ASAP.

• Students riding the bus must sit with siblings only.

• Students riding the bus should sit 4 or more seats away from one another to be outside the range considered “close contact” in order to avoid quarantining if any fellow bus rider develops COVID-19 symptoms or tests positive for COVID-19. According to new guidance, a close contact on a bus would “include persons who sat 3 rows in front and 3 rows behind the confirmed or probable COVID case.”

Carpooling

• New guidance from the IDPH requires “at least 6 feet” between students with a face covering making carpooling a “close contact” environment. Therefore all students in a carpool now fall into the category of “close contact persons,” requiring all to quarantine if any person in the carpool exhibits symptoms of COVID-19 or tests positive for COVID-19.

• If carpooling, all persons in the car (over age 2) should wear a face covering while in the car.

• If a student in a carpool registers a temperature of 100.4 or higher, ALL students in that carpool will NOT be allowed to proceed into school.

• If a child in a carpool does not pass the temperature check, the carpool driver will return ALL students home.

Cohort Structure

• Under the most recent guidance, the priority of a consistent student “cohort” takes precedence. Therefore all grades will be grouped by homeroom and be as static as possible. This strategy minimizes interaction between cohorts, allowing a single class to be quarantined in the event of infection, rather than large portions of or the entire school building.

• To accommodate learning goals for students in grades 5-8, the student’s math assignment (G, A, E) will take precedence in determining the cohort group.

Number of Cohorts per Grade

Preschool 3: 2

Preschool 4: 2

Preschool 4Plus: 1

Kindergarten: 2

1st Grade: 2

2nd Grade: 2

3rd Grade: 2

4th Grade: 2

5th Grade: 2

6th Grade: 3

7th Grade: 3

8th Grade: 3

Community Activities

• School sponsored community activities and gatherings will be temporarily suspended.

• If a safe format can be determined for a fall tradition or school activity, it may be led with approval from SMPS administration and will be communicated to the community.

• SMPO and the School Board will continue meeting and communicating either virtually or with submitted and approved safety precautions. Both of these parent led groups are important to SMPS operationally and have been preparing to continue their missions with modifications for this fall. (Thank you!)

Curriculum Night

• To protect our parents as well as our students and teachers, Curriculum Night will be presented through video.

• Mr. Ferguson will provide a video with a welcome and updates that pertain to the full school.

• Your child’s teacher will present:

• A video tour of your child’s classroom

• Learning targets for each subject for your child’s grade

• Classroom procedures and expectations

• ELearning protocols and tools that will be used for both in-person and virtual students

• How missed material will be shared/taught/completed if a child has an extended absence due to illness

• If your child is in 6th-8th grades, you will view a video presentation from each of your child’s teachers.

• Specials teachers will prepare a video presentation, as well.

• Your child’s teacher will provide you with digital references for Curriculum Night.

Dismissal

• Any changes in your child’s dismissal plan must be called into the office by 1:00pm, as no changes will be made after that time.

• Dismissal from the classrooms will be staggered to ensure student safety.

• We will first dismiss any students going to Lancer Care. Students dismissed to Lancer Care will check in downstairs at the entrance to the cafeteria with our Lancer Care staff, and follow all safety procedures.

• Next, we will dismiss bus riders. We will call one bus number at a time to ensure student safety. Bus riders must follow all of the physical distancing precautions established during the regular day as they exit the building and wait in line to board the bus.

• Next, we will dismiss car riders by grade. Car riders will report to the gym, where they will wait with their family in alphabetical order in designated areas in the gym.

• Last, we will call any walkers to be dismissed to the walker door. Please note that parents may not assemble at the walker door this year. If you believe your child needs to be escorted to safely walk home, we encourage you to utilize the car line this year for pick up.

Forgotten Items

• We will continue to use the “I forgot table” in the vestibule if a parent brings an item from home that a student needs during the school day. A staff member will bring the item to the student.

• Please only bring a forgotten item for the “I forgot table” if it is absolutely essential (such as food or medication). We will be flexible with students regarding all other forgotten items.

Lunch, Snacks, & Recess

• Students will be encouraged to bring a reusable, washable placemat with their lunch.

• Milk will be delivered to each homeroom by the lunch staff.

• Feasibility and details for Hot Lunch, Fun Food, and Sunset Slush options are under careful review and will be made and communicated ASAP.

• Water fountains will be closed. Due to water fountain closures, teachers will explain specific classroom procedures for students’ personal water bottles, which will be allowed and encouraged.

• Any student who has forgotten a lunch and recognizes it prior to their lunchtime can alert their teacher. The teacher will alert the office, and an office staff member will contact the parent to see if a lunch can be brought.

• Our office will have a ready supply of pre-packaged items for students who forget a snack, lunch, or water bottle. In an instance where a student needs these items, a staff member will bring them to the student in his or her classroom.

• Restaurant delivery of lunches will not be accepted by the office.

• Lunches and snacks must be peanut and tree nut free during this time. Any additional necessary precautions regarding allergies will be per classroom.

Mass

• As a Catholic school, it is important that students still participate in Mass.

• Grade levels will be assigned a weekly Mass to attend, limiting the total attendance to comply with current church regulations.

• We are looking into the ability to Live-Stream the weekly school masses through YouTube for those classes that will not physically be in attendance in the Church, as well as for the parents and families at home.

• During weeks when a grade level is not attending Mass in the Church, if Live-Stream is not available, teachers will arrange a prayer service in their classroom that incorporates that week’s readings and Gospel.

• At this time, weekly school Mass will move to 9:15AM and will be closed to parents, visitors, and parishioners, as only that week’s attending students and staff will be considered “registered” for that Mass.

Office, Volunteer, & Guest Procedures

• We will work with parents to do as much as possible without contact. Please call us before coming to the office to see if we can address your needs without necessitating an on-site visit.

• When visiting school, please call upon your arrival from your car for instructions. Depending on any persons already in the office area, you may be asked to wait or may be met by a staff member at the front doors to help you.

• Volunteers and guests will be very limited during this time.

Outside Activities & Travel

• State guidelines regarding activity and travel continue to evolve and change. We urge families to regard these guidelines and exercise appropriate caution in an effort to protect all in our school community.

• If state parameters require a student to quarantine due to travel, activity, or exposure, please follow the procedures for reporting an absence for illness, alerting the nurse through a message on the nurse’s line, and alerting your child’s teacher of the need for quarantine. Then follow your teacher’s instructions from Curriculum Night for how she has outlined learning during quarantine or extended absence due to illness.

Service

• Service to the greater community is critically important to us as a Catholic school. SMPS will continue to serve through projects carried out in our classrooms that directly impact and benefit our local community.

• The Faith Families and Buddies programs will continue, whereby students are in service to one another through faith leadership, though in-person gatherings for these programs will not occur during this time.

Sports & Extracurriculars

• All fall sports in the Diocese through both the Suburban Parochial League and DuPage Parochial League have been suspended. As well, the ISBE has cancelled all fall elementary school sports.

• Information about sports beyond the fall season will be communicated as soon as available.

• At this time, all after school activities and extracurriculars will be cancelled until further notice.

Staff Support

• We have extended the hours of the school nurse during this time to cover the entire school day.

• We will continue to employ lunch supervisors. In addition, faculty and staff will help with lunch and recess to increase monitoring and support.

• Additional monitoring and support of new protocols will be taken on by administration, staff, and teachers.

Uniform Adjustments

• Students in all grades will not need to change into the gym uniform for gym during this time.

• Students in 5th-8th grades will not need to wear Mass attire on Wednesdays during this time.

Use of the School Building

• At this time there will be no outside recreational use of the gymnasium.

When to Stay Home

If a student, faculty, or staff member feels ill, they should stay home from school until symptom-free without use of medication for 48-hours, or until they meet the criteria to return to school based on their symptoms.

• What if my child has a fever? A temperature of 100.4 or higher is considered a symptom of COVID-19. According to the IDPH this requires the student “must remain home and quarantine until an alternative diagnosis is made or a negative result received. If the sick student becomes a confirmed case or a probable case, the local health department conducting contact tracing will place household contacts, including siblings, in quarantine for 14 calendar days.”

• What if my child does not have a fever, but has another symptom? A symptom outside of a student’s normal baseline should be taken seriously. Medical evaluation and diagnostic testing are strongly encouraged if experiencing a symptom associated with COVID-19 (fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea).

• When can a child return to school after a non-COVID illness? Students and staff returning to school after experiencing COVID-like symptoms but being diagnosed with a non-COVID illness must meet the criteria for returning to school for the illness with which they have been diagnosed. At a minimum, the individual must be fever-free for 48-hours without the use of fever-reducing medication AND have had no diarrhea or vomiting in the previous 48-hours.

• Does my child need a doctor’s note? A doctor’s note documenting the alternative diagnosis or a negative COVID-19 test result should accompany a student or staff member returning to school with an alternative diagnosis after experiencing COVID-like symptoms.

• What if my child [and family] quarantined? Students and staff with COVID-like symptoms who do not get tested for COVID-19 and who do not provide a healthcare provider’s note documenting an alternative diagnosis, must complete 14 calendar days (10 school days) of quarantine from the date of first symptom onset and be fever-free for 48-hours without use of fever reducing medications and other symptoms have improved before returning to school.

• When should I test my child for COVID-19? Any person with COVID-like symptoms is strongly encouraged to be medically evaluated and diagnostically tested, and remain home from school until they receive the test results and meet the criteria to return. Parents or guardians should inform the school nurse if a student is tested for COVID-19 and notify the school nurse as quickly as possible with results.

If Symptoms Appear While at School

If any student, faculty, or staff member exhibits one or more COVID-like symptoms while at school, the following will occur:

• The student, faculty, or staff member will be ushered to and stay contained in the nurse’s office to be evaluated.

• Any student, faculty, or staff member who states they do not feel well will have their temperature checked.

• Any student, faculty, or staff member exhibiting a symptom of illness may be sent to the nurse to have their temperature checked.

• Throughout evaluation of a person where COVID-19 is suspected, the evaluating nurse will wear an N95 respirator, eye protection, a gown, and gloves.

• If one or more COVID-like illness symptoms are identified, including a temperature of 100.4 or higher, parents will be called to pick up their child and any siblings. * If illness symptoms are COVID-like, the person is strongly encouraged to be medically evaluated and diagnostically tested, and remain home from school until they receive the test results and meet the criteria to return.

• The classmates and staff members of the classroom from where the ill person came will be relocated to a clean area until the previous space is cleaned.

• Cleaning of the contaminated areas will occur with disinfectant spray (or using the Power Mister 130 Atomization Sprayer) which will be used in common areas such as hallways and bathrooms, along with other classrooms.

• The SMPS administration will determine the need or extent to which the school needs to take further precautions.

• If the person has a known condition causing the symptoms, e.g., allergies, migraine, etc., the student’s normal baseline can be taken into consideration. The IDPH states, “every symptomatic person should be evaluated by their healthcare provider on a case-by-case basis and decisions to test for COVID-19 should be based on their personal history. Diagnostic testing is strongly encouraged whenever an individual experiences COVID-like symptoms as it is possible to have COVID-19 and other health conditions at the same time...Individuals who have undergone testing should remain home away from others while waiting for COVID-19 results.”

When Quarantine Is Necessary

If a student is home due to quarantine, all regular procedures will be followed for an absence, whether the student attends in-person or virtually.

• The parent will call the nurse’s line to report the reason for quarantine.

• The parent will email the child’s homeroom teacher to open communication about the quarantine and expected duration.

• If absent for illness and quarantine, whether virtual or in-person, the student will be marked absent for the days s/he is sick and resume participation in school when well. Students will participate in the Virtual St. Michael option until meeting the criteria to end quarantine (and return for in-person students).

• If well, but home for quarantine, the student will learn through the Virtual St. Michael option with their class. (If usually in-person, the parent should contact the office to arrange a switch to VSM and arrange to pick up any needed materials.)

• Each teacher will outline any additional process for working with students who experience an absence for illness or quarantine during curriculum night, and parents should follow it.

• If a person completes 14 days of quarantine and is asymptomatic throughout, a physician’s note is not needed to return to school in-person.

If a teacher is home due to illness or quarantine, a substitute teacher will teach the class. Teachers will be prepared with a minimum 2 weeks worth of teaching/learning material, in the event of a necessary absence.

If any student or teacher tests positive for COVID, the following will occur

• Administrators will contact Fr. Dan Hoehn (Pastor of St. Michael Parish), the Dupage County Health Department, and the Diocese of Joliet Catholic Schools Office Superintendent, Dr. Boyle.

• Disinfection of the area will occur using the Power Mister 130 Atomization Sprayer.

• A “wait time” may be instituted before disinfected spaces may be used again (including temporary classroom closure or building closure if deemed necessary).

• A student, faculty, or staff member who has a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19 must self-quarantine for 14 days and not return to school until a negative test and doctor's note is provided.

• The person’s household must quarantine for 14 calendar days. The local health department conducting contact tracing will place household contacts, including siblings, in quarantine for 14 calendar days.

• Persons deemed a “close contact” of a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19 will be required to quarantine for 14 days. A “close contact” is any person who was within 6 feet of a confirmed case of COVID-19 with or without a face covering for at least 15 minutes throught the course of the day.

• The period of close contact begins 2 calendar days before the onset of symptoms (for a symptomatic person) or 2 calendar days before the positive sample was obtained (for an asymptomatic person).

• The SMPS administration, in consultation with the aforementioned entities, will determine if there is a need for any additional persons to quarantine.

• Decisions for temporary closure of a school will be made by school leaders in consultation with the local health department during an investigation of a case or cluster of cases of COVID-19. If it is determined there is a risk to the school community, the school may be closed temporarily for cleaning and disinfection.

• Less drastic alternative strategies to school closure suggested by the IDPH that may be considered might include:

• Quarantining the affected classroom [cohort]

• Suspending affected classes or closing playgrounds

• Canceling after school or non-essential activities and meetings

• Keeping students in constant class groups or classrooms and moving teachers routinely between classes

• Increasing spacing between students in classes

• Shortening the school week

• Further staggering start/dismissal or other times across year groups or classes

• Families will be emailed a COVID-19 Exposure Letter if a positive case is identified, with necessary details and directions if any apply.

• Confidentiality of students and families will be protected, as per usual for health matters. In the event of a positive case, reporting must occur as outlined, but the positive person’s name will remain private beyond the student’s teacher or other necessary need-to-know persons, as confidentiality requires. As well, we ask for respect and discretion from community members.