Lincoln Park Public Schools

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District » Return to Learn 2021 - FAQ

Return to Learn 2021 - FAQ

This FAQ was updated 1-5-2021
Q. With all of the possible restrictions/recommendations is it even worth it to have in-person or face-to-face instruction?

A. Learning occurs best in a classroom. Students learn social emotional skills at school. Students engage with other students and adults. We are following the latest guidance and are eager to return our students to a face to face environment but respect those families that may not be ready for this yet and we will continue to offer online tracks for these students.
 

Q. Will there still be 3rd grade reading law requirements? 
 
A. Currently that is the expectation unless the Michigan legislature changes that expectation.


Q. Will there be standardized testing?
 
A. The Michigan Department of Education has submitted a waiver request to the federal Department of Education asking for a waiver from federal testing requirements. The US Department of Education responded that a waiver should not be expected for the 2020-2021 school year. LPPS will continue to use universal screening tools, formative and summative assessments, as we always have, to assess students’ current level of achievement and plan instruction.

 
Q. Will students be changing classes or will they stay together as a class?

A. At this time here is what we are planning. If plans change we will communicate clearly the change
-Pre-K-5: Students will not be changing classes. They will stay together in their classroom or cohort group. (Cohort means that the same group of students will be kept together during the day) This is done to ensure that students will not interact with large groups during the day. It is also done in order to be able to trace contact if there is a positive case detected
 
-6-12 and post-secondary students will have a traditional schedule with an attempt made to keep groups of students together as much as possible and if feasible.
Q. What health guidance has the district received to advise the district on return to school plans?

A. The Wayne County Superintendents have worked with the Wayne County Health Department on return to school plans and have received their advice and recommendations. This guidance includes the recommendations of the CDC.
 
Q. Will there be daily health screenings for staff and students?

A.
-Staff will be required to complete a self-examination health screening, including a temperature check, every day. Additionally, all staff will complete a monitoring form daily.
 
-Students: Families will be encouraged to check their child’s temperature at home
every morning using oral, tympanic (ear), or temporal scanners; students with a
temperature of 100.4 or greater should stay home and consider coronavirus
testing if symptoms of COVID-19 are present. Families will be encouraged to
monitor their children for symptoms of COVID-19. The presence of any unusual symptoms,
including cough or shortness of breath, should prompt the family to keep the
student home from school and to follow up with a primary care provider.
 
 
Q. Does the district have hand sanitizer available for staff and student use?

A. Yes. The district has purchased hand sanitizer that will be available throughout the building in strategic locations – classrooms, buses, hallways, restrooms.
 
 
Q. How often will hard surfaces be cleaned?

A. Desks and tables that are used during class will be disinfected as often as possible. Disinfecting wipes will be available for students to use if they would like to voluntarily clean their own desks or work stations for personal comfort or safety.
 

Q. What additional steps are being taken regarding ventilation?

A. We will increase the outside air brought into the building as much as possible and feasible. Outdoor air damper minimum intakes will be increased as available and we will ensure that filters are clean and up-to-date.
 

Q. I see in the plan that students will be required to wash their hands as often as possible. How will this be done?
 
A. Every school will establish a plan to accomplish this the best way possible. Generally speaking, this will occur at the beginning of the day, before lunch, and sometime after lunch. When hand washing is not feasible, hand sanitizer will be used.
Q. Can parents decide which option to choose?

  • Yes, there is a selection form that each school has communicated to their families. These are due January 15, 2021 and their are two selections. All Face to Face or All online. The selection is for the entire 2nd semester beginning February 1, 2021.
 

Q. If a student chose online, can they return to face to face at a later date and vice versa?

  • To ensure our plan can be implemented, it will be required that once a selection is made by a family, that student will commit to that option for the entire 2nd semester beginning February 1, 2021.
 
Q. What are the requirements for masks?

  •  
  • Face coverings are mandatory for all students and staff at all times except to eat meals. Additionally, students in the pre school programs (ages 3 and 4) will not be required to wear a face covering in the classroom
  • The only other additional exceptions will be those that cannot medically tolerate a face covering and this must be documented with a doctor’s note.
 
Q. Will there be a plan for the kids that have to wear masks in parts of the building with no air conditioning?

  • Unfortunately, the air conditioning situation is what it is. It is physically impossible to provide air conditioning to all spaces between now and the start of school even if we could afford it. There is a requirement for the use of a facial covering regardless of the air conditioning situation.

 
Q. Will the school be supplying masks to students who do not have masks or forget them? Will they be sent home? What if they don’t wear them in class like they are supposed to?

  • Yes, a face covering will be provided if they don't have one.  We will work with the student and their family but non-compliance will be addressed using the code of conduct. Additionally, if a student or family refuses to wear the face covering as required, they may be transferred to the online only program. 
Q. How many students per class?

 

  • There are very few 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 and critical to help stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
 

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 be assigned 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. In the rare instances where this may be necessary, all shared supplies or equipment will be disinfected before and after student use
-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 lunch from our Food Service Department during full days. The district wide food distribution will still continue where families can receive 14 breakfasts and lunches per student to cover 7 days
-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. Per current MDHHS orders, students and staff will be required to wear a face covering outside if 6ft cannot be maintained. 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. One way entrances and exits will be utilized as much as possible. 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 be able to 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 cohort 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: At this time, specials will be virtual. Electives will be offered in grades 6-12 and post secondary.
 

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. At this time, gym at the K-5 level will be virtual.
 

Q. Would gym class do non-contact sports?

  • Yes. However, at this time, gym at the K-5 level will be virtual.


Q. What will traversing hallways / changing classes / lockers look like?

  • Hallways:
  • 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 in all buildings will be marked and divided into two lanes with each lane going in one direction.

Changing classes:

  • K-5: Most instruction will occur in the classroom so there 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:

  • No sharing of 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. What will the online day look like?

  • The virtual day will continue as it has since the beginning of the school year.
 

Q. How much live instruction will there be each day in the online classrooms?

  • There has been a minimum of live instruction and interaction established. Teachers have been providing live instruction, assigning work, working with small groups of online students, conferencing individually with students. Teachers have been taking more time for instruction if needed.
 

Q. Can you offer any clarity on what time commitment is required of the students participating in the online learning model? What will the plan look like?  Will there be online teaching sessions?  How much of the teaching is live with teacher teaching versus self-directed viewing of videos?

  • The time commitment for online students has been and will be very similar to the time commitment for face to face students. Attendance has been being taken each day and even potentially each hour.
 

Q. Will there be or how will academic testing be conducted?

  • Testing has already taken place and will continue through a remote environment.
 

Q. Will a student be able to participate in fine arts classes if they are an online student?

  • We want our online students to have a wide range of opportunities. At this time not every opportunity that is available for face to face instruction is available for online instruction.
 
 
Q. Will online students interact with in-person classrooms?

  • No. face to face and online students will be separate cohorts.
 
 
Q. How can social/emotional development be taught with even a little effectiveness, online?

  • Our social workers, counselors, and teachers have been able to connect with our online students and focus on social emotional development since the beginning of the school year.
 

Q. Will all electives be available to online students?

  • Not all electives are available for online instruction.
 
 
Q. Will the online learning format be in Zoom?

  • Zoom has been utilized on limited use. The primary management system has been Google Classroom. Other support programs like Zoom, Google Meet, and Dojo, may be used as well.
 
 
Q. Will grades be given?

  • Yes. Grades will be and have been given in our online classrooms.

 
Q. What will be the curriculum for the online classrooms?

  • The curriculum is the Lincoln Park Public Schools’ curriculum that aligns with the state standards. This curriculum was developed by the Lincoln Park Public School teachers and administration working collaboratively together over a several year period.
Q. I just wondered how the teachers will be able to sanitize in between classes for the middle school and high school? I think there are three minutes in between classes at the middle school.

  • The desks will be cleaned as often as possible. There is no guarantee that a desk will be disinfected between every class period. Disinfecting wipes will be available for students to voluntarily wipe their own desk/station for their own personal comfort and safety.

 
Q. What is the plan to clean the common touch areas like doorknobs, light switches, etc?

  • Frequently touched surfaces including light switches, doors, benches, bathrooms, will undergo cleaning at least every 4 hours with either an EPA-approved disinfectant or diluted bleach solution.
 

Q. What will the evening cleaning plan be?

  • Every building will undergo a deep clean on a daily basis. This will include common touch areas and the use of disinfecting cleaners as well as the frequent use of an electrostatic vaporized disinfectant.
Q. If a student or staff member tests positive for Covid-19 will the whole class or school be quarantined?

  1. This has been addressed by the Wayne County Health Department. The following reflects how LPPS will react:
  1. Families should be notified of the presence of any laboratory positive or clinically diagnosed cases of COVID-19 in the classroom and/or school to encourage closer observation for any symptoms at home.
  2. In the event of a lab or clinically diagnosed case of COVID-19, immediate efforts should be made to contact any close contacts (those who spent more than 15 minutes less than six feet in close proximity to the student or staff member) so that they can be quarantined for 10 days at home. Students and staff should be closely monitored for any symptoms of COVID-19. At this time, empiric testing (testing of all) of all students or staff members in the class is not recommended. Only those that develop symptoms require testing for COVID-19.

Simply put, we will notify parents every time in the event of a positive case in the classroom and/or building. There is no plan to quarantine a class or building, but only those that were within 6ft for 15+ minutes. This is the recommendation and this is our intention.

Q. For the middle school and high school we discussed in the meeting that they would likely use the gym and the lunchroom. Is that still the case?

  • Yes, we will divide them in half between the gym and cafeteria
 
Q. Will breakfast be provided for my student?
 
A. Yes and no. Beginning the week of 10/26, breakfast will not be served at school but provided through the food distribution program. There are exceptions for ASD and Crowley students.
Q. Will there be more allowed absences due to Coronavirus? If they are quarantined that is usually two weeks.

  • The state of Michigan has provided a waiver to the traditional attendance system and has allowed school districts to count attendance in other ways. LPPS has no intention of punishing a student due to their potential exposure to Covid-19
Q. I read there will be no visitors allowed in the school. Do you think they will have an option for a drop box in case parents need to turn in things to the office or principals or if they need to bring things to their kids.

  • Each building will have a process for these types of things depending on the layout of their entrance.

Q: What additional if any PPE will be provided to ASD staff? 


  • Staff will have full PPE available to them in accordance with the recommendations of the Wayne County Health Department.  We will provide face shields, face masks (KN95, and disposable masks will be available), gowns, gloves, goggles.
 
 

Q:  Will students with IEPs still receive special education programs and services if they attend school virtually?
  • Yes. Programs and services will be provided in accordance with the student’s IEP. 
Q. Will sports and extracurricular activities be offered and if so, will they be available to online students?

  • Based on the guidance from the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) and other extracurricular groups we are offering athletics. Some extracurricular activities may not be available.
Q. Will masks be required on buses?

A. Yes. All students and staff who ride a bus must wear a mask. Some exceptions may be made due to documented medical reasons.
 

Q. Will there be hand sanitizers or disinfectants on the bus?

  • There will be hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes on each bus for students to use.
 

Q. How will bus riding and dismissal work for face to face students?

  • Buses will continue to pick up students each day. Face coverings will be required. Hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes will be on each bus. At the end of the day we will develop a strategy to limit groups of students congregating together waiting for buses.