Solterra Academy Reopening Plan Summary Fall 2020
We hope that the number of COVID-19 cases here in CT will be low enough for all of our students to return to school safely in person this fall starting Thursday, August 27th. Solterra Academy is taking the following steps to meet the safety requirements set by the State Department of Education and the Department of Public Health:
Social Distancing
▧ In order for our classrooms to accommodate our students’ desks being placed at least 6 feet apart, we have rearranged our building to allow for most classrooms to have a nearby annex. Between the main classroom and the annex, staff and students will be able to maintain social distancing. We have purchased new technology for the teacher to be able to teach to the two rooms at the same time. While our staff at times may need to be closer than 6 feet to our students in order to provide necessary support, we are confident that the use of masks (and face shields if necessary) will mitigate the risk during these times.
Masks
▧ Masks will be mandatory for all students and staff, with a few exceptions only for health reasons. We will plan for mask breaks during the day and will encourage the use of outdoors when weather permits to provide for larger social distancing where masks can be removed. Solterra Academy has purchased masks for both staff and students – both cloth and clear – as well as face shields in both adult and child sizes.
Handwashing
▧ We will be scheduling mandatory hand washing sessions into our school schedule and teaching all students how to do this correctly. Hand sanitizer will also be available throughout the building.
Cohorts
▧ All classes will stay with their own class in their main classroom or it’s annex throughout the school day. Vocational teachers will teach classes in the main classrooms rather than having the students travel to them. Each section of the school will be assigned bathrooms (roughly Elementary, Middle, High School, and SAS). All meals will be served in the classroom or possibly outside if weather permits. Common areas such as quiet rooms, study rooms, the cafeteria, and the gym will be used only as needed in emergencies and will be cleaned regularly between student use.
Sharing of Materials
▧ Whenever possible, all student school supplies will be kept in a separate bin for each student so that school materials such as notebooks, pens/pencils, art supplies, etc., are not shared between students. Supplies that are shared such as scissors, rulers, text/library books, balls, and board games will be cleaned after each student use.
Sanitation
▧ Our cleaning protocols have been greatly enhanced with all staff along with our facilities team being trained in regular cleaning techniques. All bathrooms will be cleaned multiple times each day and all desks will be wiped down following breakfast and following lunch.
Illness Protocols
▧ It is critical that everyone stays home when they are sick. No longer can staff or students “tough it out” by coming to school and getting through the day while feeling only a bit sick. If your child does not feel good, they need to stay home. As a proactive screening measure during morning searches, all students’ temperatures will be taken using a no-contact thermometer. Students with elevated temperatures will be taken to the nurse to be assessed further. If your child meets certain illness criteria, you will be required to come to the school to pick your child up as soon as possible.
Parent Opt-Out and Remote Learning
▧ Parents who do not feel comfortable sending their child to school in person have the option to keep their child at home to participate in remote learning rather than in-person classes. These remote learning opportunities will be a combination of synchronous activities where your child will watch live instruction in their classroom and asynchronous activities that are posted in our remote learning platform for them to complete. The amount of required screen time will vary based on the child’s developmental level.
Communication
▧ Solterra Academy has recently contracted with a service called One Call Now in order to send out timely communications to parents, staff, and districts via phone, text, and e-mail.