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Petal Middle School COVID Plan
Safety Measures & Procedures
2020-2021 School Year
Overview
PSD has taken steps to prepare for the health, wellness, and safety for students and staff for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year. These guidelines are part of a living document and will be updated with new information as it becomes available. Please see the information below for a set of general guidelines and expectations. Decisions will be made in coordination with local and state guidelines as they are released.
Transportation
- Students will be separated on the bus where feasible. Siblings or children living in the same household will be seated together.
- Drivers and any students who choose to utilize PSD bus transportation will be required to wear masks for the duration of the route to school.
- Buses will be appropriately disinfected after each use with approved disinfectants.
- Buses will have hand sanitizer dispensers installed
- Bus drivers will be properly trained in COVID safety measures
Arrival
- Petal Middle School students will go straight to their 1st period class.
- Students will use hand sanitizer or hand washing upon arrival into classrooms
- Common areas will be restricted where feasible
Dismissal
- Use of the car line for student pick-up only. No in-person parent pick-up to avoid parent gatherings in school lobby or in front of school
- Students will be released in waves from their 8th period class.
- 1st wave--car riders and walkers
- 2nd wave--first group of buses
- 3rd wave--second group of buses
Cafeteria-Breakfast and Lunch
- Cafeteria (Breakfast and Lunch) - Alternate serving methods will enable all students to have access to meals while complying with physical distancing guidelines. To achieve this goal, multiple meal service methods during a single meal service period may need to be utilized with different groups of children within the school building. Methods may include: serving meals in classrooms, providing “Grab and Go” meals in the cafeteria or hallways. Meals choice will be limited this year due to safety protocols for students and staff.
- Hand washing/hand sanitizer will be available before and after lunch
- Cafeterias will be appropriately disinfected after each use with EPA approved products.
Classrooms
- Multiple social distancing strategies will be implemented based on feasibility of the unique space and needs of each school
- Students will be encouraged to maintain distance from each other in the school and taught appropriate hygiene/COVID practices: COVID 19 Do the 5!
- Personal water bottles will be encouraged as drinking fountains will have limited availability
- Built in time during the day for frequent handwashing and hand sanitizing
- Appropriate measures will be taken for cleaning Chromebooks/other technology devices
- Observe students for illness prior to starting class and refer students to nurse
- PSD teachers/staff clean/disinfect at appropriate times
Passing Periods
- Hallway traffic will be limited by schedule and students will be monitored while walking in hallways
- 7th and 8th grade students will be released from class at separate times.
- Movement throughout buildings will be limited and reduced.
- Hand washing/hand sanitizer will be available
Visitors/Volunteers
- Nonessential visitors will be limited
- No lunch guests or volunteers allowed
- Visitor Procedures
Cleaning/ Hygiene
- Cleaning with COVID and EPA approved products will target cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched hard, non-porous surfaces, such as counters, tabletops, stair rails, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, drinking fountains, and any other surfaces that are visibly necessary
- Areas that have been unoccupied for 7 days or more will only need normal routine cleaning to reopen the area. This is because the virus that causes COVID-19 has not been shown to survive on surfaces longer than this time.
- CDC Guide to cleaning/disinfecting
- Hand sanitizer will be available at most exterior doors and in classrooms
- Students and families will be provided with best practices for hygiene during the school day (Sanitize Five) and upon arriving at home
Health Services
- School nurses will provide COVID safety training/materials to faculty and staff
- Medication for students--please schedule a time with the school nurse to drop it off.
- Encourage staff self screening
- Encourage parents to screen students at home prior to sending to school
- Students or staff demonstrating symptoms will be referred to physician or PSD clinic ~ Prior to returning to school, consult school nurse or provide documentation from physician
- Exclusion procedures will follow best practices. Students and/or staff exhibiting COVID symptoms will be required to wear a provided mask.
- Students/adults who are symptomatic will be issued a mask to wear until they are picked up by a parent or leave the building.
PPE
- Use of personal masks will be allowed for students
- Use of personal masks will be optional for staff but may be required in special situations.
- Masks must be worn when in motion. (Masks in Motion)
Athletics/Activities
- MHSAA/MSDH Guidelines