Reopening GCSD Q&A
We submitted our plan by July 31st based on the guidance provided by the Department of Health and the New York State Education. Each school principal put together a plan based on the reopening committee recommendations and work. Since the plan was submitted the Governor has given schools more work to be done.
The governor asks the following of the school district
- Host meetings with parents & families by August 21 (see slide #3).
- Host meeting with teachers by August 21 (see slide #3) Dr. Chase will include all staff and faculty, not just teachers.
- The remote learning plan must be conspicuously posted on the district website by August 14.
- Plan for COVID-19 testing and tracing. - The original guidance document did not include this.
Good news
- All students will have an electronic device.
- All of our students will have a Chromebook or a touchscreen device. We feel a touch screen device will work better for our younger students. Dr. Reynolds. and Mr. Ramirez is working on a plan for the distribution of these devices. The goal is that by the end of August, every child in our district will have a device.
- We want to be ready should we reopen school and possibly need to go into full remote learning in the near future.
- Entrance thermometer reading.
- It's a contactless way of taking temperature.
- The temperature will be taken upon entrance to our buildings.
Steps Ahead for the Greenburgh Central School District
- We are moving ahead with the requirements that are due by August 21.
- We will continue to seek guidance from the CDC and New York State and Westchester County Departments of Health.
- We will discuss with our district medical professionals the best way for contact tracing and COVID-19 screening.
- It will be done by the Department of Health. We will follow their procedures.
- We will host our meetings.
- Meetings will be held by the school building and will be held very soon.
- Parents have children in multiple schools.
- A meeting for our Spanish-speaking parents.
- A meeting will be held with our faculty. Dr. Chase will also meet with the unions.
- We will reissue another parent survey.
- This survey information will help us to make a very informed decision about reopening the school.
- We have to make a decision with the information we have.
- We need to continue to be flexible because the recommendations keep changing.
Dr. Chase will communicate with Paul Finer, the Town Supervisor. We need to have information about the positivity rate in Greenburgh. If the positivity rate in the community reaches a high level of concern, Dr. Chase will have no other choice but to close schools. She will not put her staff and students in jeopardy.
Jeff Barnes, the outgoing PTA president, left a message for Dr. Chase. "There is no perfect solution on paper when there are imperfect conditions on the ground."
Dr. Chase expresses that as long as she's the Superintendent she will never put the staff, faculty, or students in harm's way, even if the decision is not popular. She will make a decision in order to keep everyone safe and healthy.
Questions and Comments
Q. Will there be difficulty with connectivity?
We are looking to increase our broadband. We are also looking at a program offered through BOCES to ensure we can secure WiFi hotspots for families that do not have connectivity.
Q. Will the contactless entrance thermometers cause a backlog for students entering the buildings?
It will actually assist in helping students move into the building at a faster pace. We will have a density reduction in the buildings that will help with the backlog in entering the buildings.
Q. Will there be training for staff and parents on remote platforms?
Yes, we are putting together the availability of video training that will be available on our district website for everyone.
We are cleaning and sterilizing devices that have been returned to the district. They are also reimaged and ready to be redistributed to our students.
Q. Are there any updates on building ventilation?
We currently have contractors that have been on site to evaluate the buildings and we will provide more updates as we receive them. We will address this further at our parents' meetings.
Q. Can we provide an update on the hybrid model we are focusing on now?
We are looking at a couple of models but nothing is etched in stone. A model that we are looking at now that seems will work in favor of our District, we will bring our elementary school students and spread them out in our buildings. We will try to use our outdoor spaces as much as possible. We are examining very closely a one-week off-week model or possibly remote learning for our secondary school students, depending on how we can spread out our elementary school students. For our students with disabilities and ENL students, we are looking at a 5-day-a-week in-person instruction. Provisions will be made for IB and AP students.
*Dr. Chase is asking that you not compare what other districts are doing because every district has a different plan and is doing what will work best for their students and community. We are looking at a 5 day a week model with a day focused on Social Emotional Learning (SEL). This also allows for more learning consistency for our students.
Dr. Reynolds adds that this model will allow for easier contact tracing and also allows for cleaning the buildings on the weekends.
Q. What was the 2.2 million dollars needed for upgrades, filters, exhaust vans, etc., for ventilation?
Mary O'Neill, Assistant Superintendent for Business, explains that our buildings' condition surveys are posted on our website. She reached out to architects to examine the survey and the costs associated. They came up with a list of items that needed to be addressed that were COVID-related. *Please see the building conditions survey on our website. Many issues have been addressed by Mr. Falcone, Director of Facilities. We are looking to continue address them with our architects and engineers.
Dr. Chase reiterated that she will not reopen schools if she knows that there are areas that are not safe for staff and students. She wants to make sure it's safe for everyone and not jeopardize anyone's health. She wants to make sure fresh air flows through our buildings.
Q. Is it possible that the elementary school students will not be in their schools based on the maintenance that needs to be done?
Yes, that is a possibility.
Q. Will there be a remote option for parents who choose not to send their children to school at all? Will a full remote student on and off week be logging in to the instruction happening live in the classroom?
We are looking for opportunities for this to take place but not set in stone at this point.
Q. What is the time needed to fix the ventilation problems? Where will the students be eating lunch? How are we doing on PPE equipment?
Kids will have a combination of possible locations to eat lunch. Our outdoor spaces, socializing distance in the cafeteria and in their classrooms. If we do a hybrid model, we will provide students with food for the following 5 days when they leave the buildings on Friday. The meals will include instructions on refrigeration and reheating.
We have quite an inventory of PPE equipment. We started purchasing months ago. We have about 30,000 masks in stock, and we will continue to get more.
Q. What is considered a mask? Is a handkerchief going to be allowed?
Nurse Shelly answers that surgical masks are the recommended masks.
Handkerchiefs are not safe in transmitting droplets. We post on our website the recommended masks so that parents can buy the appropriate masks for their children.
Q. How will students have a chance to properly wash their hands before and after meals?
We will have to schedule handwashing for our younger students. Hand sanitizers will be available for our staff and children to use throughout the day.
Q. Are masks required in the classroom all day? Who will monitor this in the hallways?
The state and national governments say we can enforce it to the best of our ability, but we can not force our students to wear masks. There can not be any punitive measures because it is not comfortable for them, or they have sensory issues. We can reinforce the importance of it, but we can not hold the students liable if they refuse to wear the mask.
Q. Where will children put their masks while eating to keep them from contamination?
It is recommended that they be placed in a sealable plastic bag or paper bag. It will be recommended for parents to send their children sealable plastic bags for their children to place their masks in. We will also provide designated areas for staff and students to take breaks from wearing their masks to get fresh air. While on mask breaks masks, everyone will need to practice social distancing. 12 feet is recommended whenever possible.
For our information, Climate control tent rental costs approximately $60,000 per month.
Q. How will we accommodate students, teachers, and staff with medical conditions preventing them from wearing masks all day?
According to the Department of Health and the CDC, we have to take this into consideration and make accommodations. Anyone who has a medical condition may use a face shield instead of a mask. We will need a certified medical letter from a doctor in order to exempt a child from wearing a mask.
Q. How will passing in the hallways fully be monitored?
We can enforce the physical space in the hallways. Directional movements in the hallways and stairwells.
Q. How will we make sure that instruction is not affected should a teacher decide to take a leave?
We have to comply with leave when it is requested and appropriate. We will respond accordingly. It will need to recruit.
Q. What are your thoughts on testing? Should we be tested before school starts?
According to the CDC and Department of Health, they are not requesting or requiring testing at this time. At this point, the district can not legally request staff to be tested.
Q. If a student does not want to be near a student without a mask, what do you do?
We have to respect both students' rights. We will ensure to the best of our ability that all of our students are safe and everyone's rights are protected.
Q. What will be the practice for elevator use? The plan said at one time students can not go into the elevator alone.
No more than 2
Q. Can a student choose to wear a shield instead of a mask?
Our plans say mask, but we can explore if that is an option.
Q. What is the protocol if someone comes down with COVID-19? Will there be building testing, and who will do it?
The protocol for someone who is suspected to have COVID-19, we will need to advise the Department of Health. They will advise us on what to do next. We will have isolation rooms for anyone who may have symptoms of COVID-19 with a separate exit. The person should see their own medical provider.
At a contact tracing training 2 weeks ago, the Department of Health stated specifically that they do not recommend closing the school if there is a case in the building. We should provide them with the contact tracing information, and they will provide it to the CDC and then make a recommendation back to the district. *Please note this information is subject to change.
Q. If there is a child with COVID-19 symptoms, do the nurses notify the other nurse if they have a sibling in another school building?
There are protocols the nurses will take to notify the siblings and the nurses of the other building. Also, protocols with code words to notify nurses and also to not violate anyone's rights to privacy.
Q. Any updates on bus plans?
Mr. Gunn, the Transportation Supervisor, is ready but we need to have a final decision and plan in place.