“No plan can address every scenario when aiming at a moving target,” stated Dr. Jimmy Carter regarding the plan to reopen schools in Union County this August.
Carter reiterated that the most important keys to a successful reopening will be patience and cooperation among all stakeholders. He emphasized that the Strategic Reopening Committee led by Roxanne Patterson, Attendance Supervisor, and Josh Williams, Distance Learning Supervisor, have been in constant communication with the state-administered Union County Health Department to ensure that the reopening plan addresses the CDC concerns to keep students safe.
All levels of educators from teachers and paraprofessionals to administrators and supervisors have worked an endless number of hours since the end of last school year to try to prepare a school reopening plan. The plan continues to evolve and parents can consult ucps.org for updates as well as listen to an interview conducted by Marty Smith from The Union News Leader and live-streamed on historicunioncounty.com.
The plan covers in-classroom attendance as well as distance learning. Some procedures only apply to specific grade levels. Some 39%, and possibly more, have opted to do distance learning full time.
All students are expected to wear a face covering/mask while in the building unless directed to remove the mask by a teacher or supervising adult. School buildings will be sanitized throughout the day. Hand washing will occur multiple times.
Social distances of six feet will be maintained as much as possible. Temperatures will be checked and recorded during first period classes to scan for changes. A full-time nurse will be assigned to each school. Hall lockers will not be used.
Pre-K and Kindergarten
Teachers are contacting parents to have individual conferences to discuss procedures and transition students to Pre-K and Kindergarten. These conferences will accommodate working parents and should occur on August 4, 5, or 7 if possible. During the conference, parents will be given a schedule for when Pre-K and Kindergarten students attend.
First through Eighth
These students will attend school on a staggered schedule through August, and staggering is planned to end with the close of the September 1 school day. The purpose of staggering is to allow students and teachers to concentrate on COVID-19 procedures, to teach students to use Chromebooks as a part of regular instruction, and to facilitate a smooth transition to distance learning in the event that the spread of the coronavirus causes the system to use distance learning in the future for all students.
All students from the same family will attend on the same day, according to the first letter of the last name of the youngest school-age child. Tuesday, August 4, is for last names from A-C. Wednesday, August 5 is for last names D-J. School is closed for the General Election on Thursday, August 6. Friday, August 7 is for last names from K-R. Monday, August 10 is for last names from S-Z. Teachers will give students a schedule for the remainder of August when they attend the first day.
High School
High school students will attend on the same day as the last name of the youngest school-age sibling or child in the same household. The high school will have certain pick up days for Chromebook distribution. The high school administration will post unique high school procedures and notify students.
Distance Learning
Elementary and middle students who have opted to do full-time distance learning will pick up Chromebooks on August 11 at the student's regular school. High school students will be notified as to when to pick up Chromebooks. All distance learning students must log in and spend 6.5 hours in on-line instruction according to state requirements. Lessons will be on Google Classroom, but will be videos of Union County teachers doing the same lessons that are being taught in the school buildings.
Transportation
Parents of students who normally walk to school should check with the school principal before August 3. Buses will run on normal schedules but may vary some during the staggered attendance so patience will be helpful during this time. Students will sit in family groups or in assigned seats. Hand sanitizer will be used when boarding and masks are required as determined by the bus driver, ventilation by opening the windows, and physical distance. Buses will be sanitized between loads.
Cafeteria
Cafeterias will have limited self-service and no microwave use. Menus will be simplified but still meet state and federal mandates. Some students may eat in their rooms on a rotating basis. Teachers may not have duty-free lunch every day.
Carter concluded by saying the final key to a successful school opening is communication. If parents or any stakeholders have questions regarding anything, check ucps.org or call the school before the first day of August 4.