Health and Safety Guides Actively Being Updated 9-10-20)

Uvalde CISD is providing notice to parents, families, and the community regarding back-to-school plans and instruction through this initial document. As further required, one week prior to the start of school, a plan to mitigate COVID-19 will be disseminated to all families and posted on the district and school websites. Preliminary information is posted in this guidance and is subject to change based on state and local decisions. 

COVID-19 Response Team – Uvalde CISD has developed a COVID-19 Response Team to respond to concerns and communicate district decisions. Members of the team and email addresses are noted below: 

Michael A. Rodriguez Deputy Superintendent MRodriguez1037@uvaldecisd.net

Beth Reavis Assistant Superintendent ereavis1781@uvaldecisd.net

Ken Mueller Director of Student Services kmueller5338@uvaldecisd.net

Rodney Harrison Maintenance & Operations RHarrison3183@uvaldecisd.net

Traci Dillard District’s Head Nurse TDillard4627@uvaldecisd.net

Anne Marie Espinoza Communications amespinoza1075@uvaldecisd.net

Victor Baron Director of Special Education Vbaron4962@uvaldecisd.net

Health and Safety Guides Actively Being Updated 9-10-20

Uvalde CISD must identify and implement practices to prevent the virus from entering the school and mitigate or reduce the likely spread inside the school; therefore, district practices and guidelines have been established for various areas noted below:

Health and Safety Guides Actively Being Updated 9-10-20

UCISD COVID-19 GUIDANCE FOR PARENTS (ENG)

UCISD COVID-19 GUIDANCE FOR PARENTS (SPA)

• Social and Emotional Well-Being – Students’ social and emotional well-being are a top priority. Together, schools and families can support your child during this challenging time. With the endless COVID coverage, it is natural for your child to experience some changes in behavior and mood. Counselors and staff will continue to work closely with families and students to ease the stress. Keeping routines predictable, sharing COVID facts that are age-appropriate, making time to listen and share feelings, and reaching out to us for support are all important. We are here for you and your child(ren). 

 

• Face Coverings  – Schools are expected to comply with the Governor’s Executive Order for wearing face coverings where this is most developmentally appropriate. All adults are required to wear a face covering when in the building, classroom, and/or office with others. All staff members and students will be provided with one face covering at the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year.  Students and staff will be allowed to bring their own face covering. Exceptions to this requirement include lunch breaks with appropriate social distancing.

Students in Grades 3 and above will be required to wear face coverings throughout the school day. Exceptions to this requirement include during meals and other predetermined activities. For example, it may be impractical for students to wear face coverings while participating in some non-UIL athletic or other extracurricular activities. Schools may, for example, allow students who are actively exercising to remove face coverings, as long as students maintain at least six feet of distance from other students, teachers, and staff who are not wearing face coverings.

It is recommended that face coverings be rotated and thoroughly cleaned daily.  Sharing of face coverings with other family members is extremely risky and discouraged. 

• Handwashing/Sanitizing - Students and staff are required to use hand sanitizer when entering a bus, building, classroom, and/or office. Frequent handwashing and sanitizing will also be incorporated in daily schedules. Buses, classrooms, and other common areas within the school will be thoroughly disinfected daily and deep cleaning will be conducted on a regular schedule.

 

• Temperature Checks/Screening – Per Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, initial monitoring of symptoms begins at home. Individuals who are feeling ill, including symptoms like fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, abdominal pain, fatigue, muscle aches, or headache, should stay at home and consult with a medical professional regarding school participation.

 

• If a student begins to experience symptoms while at school, parents will be called to pick up their child.  While awaiting the parent, students will be monitored in an area away from others.  Each campus will have a separate area to isolate students away from the nurse’s office until they are picked up. A staff member utilizing social distancing and utilizing the proper PPE will monitor the student while they are isolated.  Parents will be notified by the district regarding the timeline and next steps for the student’s return to campus.  The student should remain home until cleared by the district to return to campus. Please see Parent Guidance for COVID-19.

  

• TEA Guidance is as follows for students:

“Parents must ensure they do not send a child to school on campus if the child has COVID-19 symptoms (as listed in this document) or is lab-confirmed with COVID-19, and instead should opt to receive remote instruction until the below conditions for re-entry are met. Parents may also opt to have their students receive remote instruction if their child has had close contact with an individual who is lab-confirmed with COVID-19 until the 14-day incubation period has passed. Student screening is accomplished by asking questions by phone or other electronic methods and/or in person. The screening questions should also be asked of a student’s parent if that parent will be dropping off or picking up their child from inside the school.”

 

• Teachers and staff are required to self-monitor. The self-screening should include teachers and staff taking their own temperature. Teachers and staff must report to their campus administrator and email covid@uvaldecisd.net if they have COVID-19 symptoms, are lab-confirmed with COVID-19, or have had close contact with an individual who is lab-confirmed with COVID-19.  They must remain off campus until they are cleared by HR to return to campus.

Nurses are staffed at each school. These individuals have been trained to support and assist with health and safety matters. 

 

• Social Distancing – Staff and students will maintain six feet of social distancing in indoor and outdoor settings, to the extent possible. Classrooms will be arranged to allow for six feet or what is feasible for the size of the classroom.  There may be classes where students will be placed less than six feet apart.  Transitions will be limited in the elementary campuses.  Students will be assigned to the classroom to minimize their interactions with others. 

 

• Personal Protective Equipment – The District will provide one face covering for each student and staff members.  We will provide additional as needed.  Students and staff will be allowed to bring their own. If individuals need assistance with this matter, the district will have a supply of face coverings to provide one face covering for each staff and student.

 

• Students with Health Conditions – Parents and families know their child’s needs. UCISD will work with parents to best meet those needs.  Both virtual and in-person options are available for students. 

 

• COVID-19 Cases – Uvalde CISD will take all safety precautions. If a student or staff member tests positive, the district will consult the Local Health Authority and TEA Guidance to determine next steps.  If the student/staff who tests positive has been in close contact with others on campus, those affected will be notified by phone or email.  Those who test positive will not be allowed to return to campus until cleared by the district.  During this time, students will switch to virtual learning until they can return to campus.

 

TEA Guidance on Individuals Confirmed or Suspected with COVID-19: 

Any individuals who themselves either: 

(a) are lab-confirmed to have COVID-19; or

(b) experience the symptoms of COVID-19 (listed below) must stay at home throughout the infection period, and cannot return to campus until the school system screens the individual to determine any of the below conditions for campus re-entry have been met: 

o In the case of an individual who was diagnosed with COVID-19, the individual may return to school when all three of the following criteria are met: 

• at least one full day (24 hours) have passed since recovery (resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications);

• ii. the individual has improvement in symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); and 

• at least ten days have passed since symptoms first appeared. 

o In the case of an individual who has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and who is not evaluated by a medical professional or tested for COVID-19, such individual is assumed to have COVID-19, and the individual may not return to the campus until the individual has completed the same three-step set of criteria listed above. 

o If the individual has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and wants to return to school before completing the above stay at home period, the individual must either (a) obtain a medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on an alternative diagnosis or (b) obtain an acute infection test (at a physician’s office, approved testing location, or other site) that comes back negative for COVID-19.

Health and Safety Guides Actively Being Updated 9-10-20

• Visitors, Drop-off, and Pick-Up –   All visitors will be expected to call the front office to set up a time to meet with campus personnel.  An administrator will determine if the visit can be scheduled to take place in the designated parking lot area or if an In-Person meeting will be allowed.  If a parent is needing to pick up a student then they must call the front office and a campus personnel will meet them in the designated parking lot area and bring the necessary documents to sign the student out.  Parents will still be required to show proper identification.   Parents will not be allowed to drop off their students at the classroom.

 

• There will be no items allowed to be dropped off at the front office to be given to the student.  If a parent feels that they need to drop off an item for their student they must first contact the front office to be given permission.  Items such as lunches, school supplies, and other items will not be allowed to be dropped off for students. 

 

• If visitors are approved to come onto campus then all visitors will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms (including temperature checks) before being allowed on campuses.  Sanitizing will occur after each parent meeting. The number of visitors in the school will be limited to ensure that students are safe; therefore, alternative meeting options may be scheduled, including virtual meetings. Each school will have procedures in place for daily drop-off and pick-up. This information will be communicated prior to the first day of school. 

 

Traditional face-to-face campus events such as Open House, Parent Nights, etc., have been temporarily suspended and will be conducted virtually. Once the COVID situation has flatlined, we will reevaluate how to proceed with these activities. Campuses will use other means to keep parents and families up-to-date and engaged in their child’s learning, including online platforms. 

 

• Classroom Configurations – Uvalde CISD will arrange student learning spaces as far apart, as feasible. In some instances, common areas may be used for instruction with similar distancing. 

 

• Restrooms and Water Fountains – Students’ physical needs are extremely important. Social distancing and hand washing will remain the priorities during restroom breaks.  Because water fountains have shared surfaces, these will be retrofitted with bottle filling spouts.  Students will be allowed to bring in a water bottle to use throughout the day.  Ensure the bottle has the student’s first & last name.  Further information will be communicated prior to the start of the school year. 

• Materials and Supplies – Students will be expected to use their own materials and supplies which will be kept in individually-assigned boxes. Sharing of materials will not be allowed. In instances where technology, books, calculators, etc., are used with multiple students, proper sanitation protocols will be enforced. 

For Pre-Kindergarten classrooms, nap mats will be spaced out according to physical distancing guidelines and will be sanitized daily. 

If a student chooses Virtual Learning then they will still be expected to purchase the items on the school supplies list.  Students may need their supplies to complete their lessons while receiving virtual instruction.  In addition, the district's hope is that all students will be able to return to face to face when the state allows.

 

• Backpacks and Other Personal Items – Students will be allowed to bring backpacks.  All supplies will be kept in the classroom to minimize contact. 

 

• Additional Instructors in Classrooms – In certain instances, additional staff members may be assigned to classrooms to instruct specific students. These individuals will sanitize prior to entering and exiting the classroom, and face coverings will be required as they interact with students using social distancing. 

 

• Class Transitions for Secondary Campuses – All secondary campuses will practice social distancing during transitions and while in class. Students will be expected to walk on the right side of the hallway and keep the practice of social distancing. 

• Field Trips – Campuses will refrain from scheduling field trips and other academic/social events until further notice.

• Classroom kits - Each classroom will have a kit which will include sanitation wipes and extra face coverings. 

Health and Safety Guides Actively Being Updated 9-10-20

• In-Person Instruction and Virtual Learning  – While Uvalde CISD is taking multiple precautions to protect both students and staff in school operations, we will offer parents the option for either In-Person or Virtual Learning. In both instances, students are expected to participate and remain engaged in high quality instruction. Each of these options is described below: 
• In-Person Instruction – Students attend school daily, as with the regular school year, and follow safety, sanitation, and social distancing expectations. 
• Virtual Learning – Students participate in classroom instruction via virtual learning and are expected to complete and submit assignments as communicated by the virtual learning teacher(s). This home-learning model is an extension of the classroom and includes the same high-level expectations for participation and assignments as in-person. 

In both models, the campuses must provide instruction in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for the required grade level/subject/course. Monitoring student learning and progress remains integral to the success of the students. This includes attendance, grades, formative/summative assessments, and other monitoring systems that help teachers know how students are making progress. 

• Requesting an Instructional Model Change -

Unless otherwise noted by the campus administrator, once a commitment to the instructional model has been communicated by the parent/family, a request to change the learning model must be submitted through Skyward Family Access two weeks prior to the end of nine weeks. These transitions must be approved and processed by the school and will only be allowed to take place at the end of the 9 Weeks unless approved by the campus administrator to take place during the grading period.   

 

For Parent/Guardians:

• Log on to your Skyward Family Access Account (if you require assistance with your account, please contact your student’s campus)

• Click the “Online Forms” tab.

• Locate and click the form titled “Learning Model Change”

• Click “Fill Out Form”

• Click “Add”

• Select the UCISD Learning Model you are requesting.

• Select the date you would like for the first day of the new model.

• Click complete to have the form submitted to the campus for the student.

For Campus:

• Once parent/guardian completes the form, it will be stored in the student’s profile.

• An email alert will be sent to the campus designee(s) that a new form has been submitted (with information on which child, etc.).

Attendance in both models is mandatory. Virtual instruction in grades PK-2 will be delivered through asynchronous instruction that does not require having the instructor and student engaged at the same time. In this method, students learn from instruction that is not necessarily being delivered in-person or in real time. This type of instruction may include various forms of digital and online learning, such as prerecorded video lessons or game-based learning tasks that students complete on their own, and pre-assigned work and formative assessments made available to students on paper. In addition, there will be some time spent in synchronous learning, live with the teacher. 

The instructional methods that must address the required curriculum, per TEC, §28.002.  Virtual instruction in grades 3-12 will be delivered through synchronous instruction that requires students to be logged on in real-time classes conducted by a teacher through the Google Platform.  Students are responsible for the same content and assignments as those students physically in the classroom.  In addition, at times there will be asynchronous instruction.

Attendance – Attendance will be taken each day for both in-person and virtual learning to ensure that students are actively engaged. During virtual instruction, students are expected to participate and fully engage as communicated by the teacher to receive attendance credit. The Uvalde CISD Virtual Learning Agreement further details expectations for attendance and academic credit. 

In addition, per Texas Education Code (TEC), §25.092, students must attend 90% of the days a course is offered  in order to be awarded credit for the course and/or to be promoted to the next grade. This requirement remains in force during the 2020-21 school year. This requirement applies to both in-person and virtual instruction.

• Grading – State law requires each district to adopt its own grading policies. This policy must require a classroom teacher to assign a grade that reflects the student’s relative mastery of an assignment. Uvalde CISD grading policies are published annually in the Grading Procedures Handbook. Progress reports and report cards, along with parent conferences, will be used to communicate each student’s progress and performance. 

State and Local Testing – All students are expected to follow state and local testing requirements, whether participating in in-person or virtual instruction.

Health and Safety Guides Actively Being Updated 9-10-20

• Meals – Uvalde CISD must comply with child nutrition guidelines. 

Breakfast and Lunch at Elementary Schools – Pre-Kindergarten through 6th Grade – Meals will be served in both classrooms and/or the cafeteria. There will not be the sale of additional snack items at the Elementary campuses, until further notice.

Breakfast and Lunch at Secondary Schools – Junior High, High School, and Crossroads Academy – Grab and Go meals will be provided as students enter the schools and students will eat in designated areas adhering to social distancing. 

Meals for Virtual Learning Students - Meals will be provided for the week for students who select the Virtual Learning Instruction Model. Parents who pick up meals for their child(ren) will be asked to provide child identification such as; a paper class schedule, Skyward family access display screen on a phone, or other form of student identification. 

 

• Transportation – 

Seating arrangements will be established to comply with TEA’s social distancing requirements for school transportation. Students must ride in their assigned seats. Students will be required to use hand sanitizer upon boarding the bus. Hand sanitizer dispensers will be placed at the entry of the buses. Family members will be allowed to sit together if they are on the same route. Buses will be disinfected after each route. We have disinfectant misters and disinfectant wipes to use between each route. Drivers will wear a face covering and students in Grades 3 and above will also be required to wear a face covering as well. 

Health and Safety Guides Actively Being Updated 9-10-20

Requirements 

Do not allow electives and extracurricular activities in which physical distancing (at least six feet) and face covering use as needed, cannot be maintained at all times. 

If social distancing can not be maintained, do not allow aerosol generating activities, including in-person choir, band, and vocal cheerleading activities (cheers and chants) due to increased risk of disease transmission.

Considerations  

Consider whether elective and extracurricular activities can be conducted outdoors or virtually (e.g., remote broadcasting of musical and theatrical practice and performances) or while maintaining stable classroom cohorts

• Band/Mariachi – Students participating in these programs are required to have their own instrument. The district is looking at options for non-wind instruments such as guitars, violins, etc.  Social Distancing Protocols established by U.I.L. will be followed for band and mariachi, including marching, competitions, etc. 

Specific program guidelines will be provided by program instructors before the start of the 20-21 school year.

• P.E. – Details will be developed by individual campuses for P.E. programs to align with the TEKS course expectations and U.I.L. COVID guidelines for athletics based on scheduling and social-distancing requirements.  

Specific program guidelines will be provided by program instructors before the start of the 20-21 school year.

• CTE Courses – CTE courses include hands-on experiences. Social distancing and sanitation requirements will be further defined and communicated prior to the beginning of school.

 

• Other Electives: Choir, Dance, Cheer, etc. – Each course will be reviewed individually to ensure that social distancing and sanitation requirements are established and communicated prior to the beginning of school.  Specific program guidelines will be provided by program instructors before the start of the 20-21 school year.

 

• Dual Credit/Early College High School - Students participating in Dual Credit/Early College courses will follow the guidelines put forth by the Uvalde High School and the SWTJC while on their campuses respectively. 
  • courses that include hands-on experiences may be further defined and communicated prior to the beginning of school.

Health and Safety Guides Actively Being Updated 9-10-20

• Program Participation and Services – Students currently participating in special program services, e.g., special education, 504, Bilingual/ESL, etc., will continue to receive services whether through in-person or virtual learning. Parent meetings will primarily be held using virtual meeting platforms. As a secondary option face-to-face meeting may be requested.

• Evaluations and Testing – District protocols have been established to evaluate students who have been referred for special programs. Social distancing and/or personal protective equipment (PPE) will be used, as appropriate. 

• New Hope - This program will continue following the guidelines of the State’s Health & Human Services Child Care Licensing Division & UCISD best practices.

Health and Safety Guides Actively Being Updated 9-10-20

• Extracurricular Programs – Each program will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine implementation guidelines. Program sponsors will provide information to students and parents/families as information is available. 

• After-School Program – The ACE after-school program will be available on Monday, August 24th for in-person students only. Pre-registration will be required. This program will follow the same sanitation and social distancing requirements established during the regular instructional day. 

• District Care for Employees - District Care for district employees will be provided, details will be distributed to district employees.

Health and Safety Guides Actively Being Updated 9-10-20

Uvalde CISD must identify and implement responsive actions to address the situation if there are lab-confirmed cases in a school. 

Required Actions if Individuals with Lab-Confirmed Cases Have Been in a School 

1. If an individual who has been in a school is lab-confirmed to have COVID-19, the school must notify its local health department, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations, including confidentiality requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). 
2. Schools must close off areas that are heavily used by the individual with the lab-confirmed case (student, teacher, or staff) until the non-porous surfaces in those areas can be disinfected, unless more than 3 days have already passed since that person was on campus.
3. Consistent with school notification requirements for other communicable diseases, and consistent with legal confidentiality requirements, schools must notify all teachers, staff, and families of all students in a school if a lab-confirmed COVID-19 case is identified among students, teachers or staff who participate in any on campus activities.

Health and Safety Guides Actively Being Updated