Q. How many students per class?
- The Governor’s Safe School Road Map strongly recommends that class size should be kept at a level that will allow the necessary spacing requirements. The strongly recommended spacing is that desks will be kept six feet apart. We have no classrooms in our district that could accommodate a traditional number of students and keep desks 6 feet apart. In most classrooms we could create 3-4 feet of space between students if we used the entire classroom space. As a result, we will use the available space in the classroom to spread out and social distance as much as possible. Student and staff awareness and cooperation will be expected.
Q. What will in-person classrooms look like?
-Desks will be moved as far apart as possible.
-All desks will be facing one direction as much as possible.
-Students will be assigned a desk.
-K-5 students will sit in the same desk all day long.
-6-12 students will be assigned a desk in each class period.
-Student movement within the classroom will be limited and discouraged.
-Small group interactions may take place but students will keep an appropriate distance.
-Students will not share supplies.
-Teachers will be able to move throughout the classroom and interact with students one-on-one or in small groups.
-Lunch at this time is planned for the cafeteria with as much social distancing as possible and the use of face covering when students are not eating.
-Students will be still able to receive breakfast and lunch from our Food Service Department.
-Students can also continue to bring their own food for lunch
Q. How will recess, arrivals, dismissals take place?
Recess: Teachers will be able to take their classroom outside as a class. If more than one classroom is outside for recess at a time, students will be required to wear a face covering. There will be no interaction with students from another class. Multiple classes could be on the playground at the same time but classes will have to stay together and not interact with other classes.
Arrival: Students will arrive at school and be able to enter through multiple doors. Upon entering the building students will proceed to their classroom or a designated waiting area where the use of a face covering and social distancing will be required.
Dismissal: Students will dismiss as usual with staff members supervising to enforce the use of face coverings and social distancing.
Q. How can early childhood staff (PreK-2nd grade) as well as other grades, complete assessments with social distancing?
- Staff will be able to interact with students one-on-one as long as safety protocols are in place. Staff will need to be wearing a face covering. Additionally, staff will wear face shields or use plexiglass barriers.
Q. Will the students have any type of interaction with each other during the day? Our plan needs to benefit student mental well-being, social/emotional development, as well as academic needs. How are they supposed to learn how to collaborate or use team work If students are never able to do so?
- Students in grades K-5 will have a cohort to interact with during the day. A “cohort” model keeps groups of students together for the day. Students within the cohort can work in small groups as long as they keep some social distance. Additionally, our social emotional learning curriculum and our Resilient School Project will continue during the school day and social emotional lessons will continue to be taught.
Q. What will recess look like?
- Students will participate in respectful and positive play techniques and games. These will be utilized during recess. Students will also be allowed to interact with others in their group.
Q. What will specials look like? These are just as important as their core academic needs, are they not? Would gym in the classroom really be what’s best for kids? Music? STEM?
- K-5: Specials will continue to be STEM, music, and physical education. Specials teachers will go into classrooms as much as possible. An example of an exception may be, at times, physical education, could occur outside, in the gym, or in the classroom. Electives will be offered in grades 6-12
Q. For gym would they have to wear masks?
- Yes if inside, but gym classes will be outside as much as possible with social distancing enforced to allow some flexibility with the use of a face covering.
Q. Would gym class do non-contact sports?
Q. What will traversing hallways / changing classes / lockers look like?
- K-5: Hallway traffic will be limited. Typically only one class at a time in the hallways.
- 6-12: Hallway traffic will be limited during class.
- All hallways will be marked and divided into two lanes with each lane going in one direction.
Changing classes:
- K-5: Most instruction, including specials, will occur in the classroom so they will be limited to no “changing classes.”
- 6-12: Students will still change classes as normal but will need to stay to one side of the hallway, following the direction of that lane, wear a face covering, and socially distance as much as possible.
Lockers:
- Students will be asked to only go to lockers at the beginning of the day to drop off coats. All books will either be in classrooms or in backpacks and taken from class to class.
Q: I read/heard that other school districts are requiring K-5 to wear masks in the classroom. Will the LPPS require K-5 students to wear masks in the classroom?
- No, K-5 students will only be required to wear a face covering in hallways and common areas, not the classroom. This will be the same for preschool students as well.
