Buckeye Local School District

Dear Buckeye Families,

We would first like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding during this time. We look forward to welcoming our students back for the 2020-21 school year.

First and foremost, our plan is grounded in the public health science and data provided by the state Department of Health, the Governor and Ohio Department of Education. The Ashtabula County Health Department, CDC, and collaboration with other Ashtabula County School Districts through the Ashtabula County ESC provides us with expertise and the opportunity to vet our plans with others.

Our district is unique compared to other districts in our county as we are operating in old buildings that do not have air. The BLSD has taken this into consideration when planning the restart of the school year. Our first priority is for the safety of the students and staff. With this in mind, along with guidance from some of the agencies listed above we have decided to start the 2020-2021 school year remote until the buildings cool down. Starting in late September we hope to bring students back for in person instruction using a staggered start.

BLSD is committed to supporting learning environments that protect student and staff health and safety. To do this, we will follow updated guidance from the Department of Health, the Office of the Governor, and the Department of Education as it develops throughout the school year and will communicate any changing requirements for operating our schools with our constituents.

We realize that some parents may not want to have their child return to school in the fall because of the risks posed by the Covid 19 virus. Our opening plan includes a full-time online learning program to meet their needs.

Our district may be required to close based on decisions by a health authority or in response to a student or staff member being diagnosed with a case of COVID 19.

We have in our plan processes to meet the needs of our students with disabilities. Implementing student IEP plans, maintaining special services, holding IEP meetings and supporting the needs of students is integral to implementing temporary remote learning.

The coronavirus remains with us, and our schools will likely not return to normalcy until there is a vaccine or a cure. Parents, teachers, staff, and students will need to be flexible and open to the need to change plans and further adapt operations quickly and with little advance notice. This plan recognizes that we may be required to deliver education in a variety of ways and settings at different times throughout the school year. Everyone has a role to play in education. Now more than ever, we will have to work together to meet the needs and interests of a diverse constituency.

We have two learning options for students this year

A remote start beginning on September 10th.

In late September we hope to bring students back for in person instruction using a staggered start. Kindergarten-second grade will start in person on September 28th, Third-fifth grade students will start in person on October 5th, and secondary (6th-12th) will start in person learning at the start of the second grading period (November 3rd). (See page 5 for specific in person daily start dates for each grade band).

We realize that the end of last school year was very difficult for parents, students, and teachers. With the quick transition to online schooling at the beginning of the pandemic parents had to support their children with instruction. Administration realizes this and has been working together all summer on a plan that will alleviate this frustration for students and parents. We have researched the latest technology strategies to implement and have developed a framework that will make online instruction run more smoothly for all.

We have planned out numerous days of professional development for the teaching staff so they will be fully prepared before the online start date of September 10th. We will also be setting up individual appointment times for each student to meet their teacher, pick up chromebooks, and get necessary information needed to start online instruction. These individual appointments will take place on September 8th, & 9th with online instruction starting for all students on September 10th. There will be more information about individual appointments sent out at a later date.

BLSD online program

will allow students to continue their education at home using a curriculum that can be accessed online. THIS IS A SELF-GUIDED PLATFORM. Students using this option remain a Buckeye student. In addition to the curriculum, which can be accessed anytime, students and parents will receive support from Buckeye teachers. Enrollment in this option is required. Parents need to visit the BUCKEYE LOCAL SCHOOLS WEBSITE to sign up. Parents and students can return to in person schooling at the semester break if circumstances change and they want to return. Students will be provided a district-issued Chromebook to access classes. Internet access at home is required for this remote learning option.

• K-2 students who opt-out of any in-person learning for the 2020-21 SY will be placed on Edgenuity, which is a digital learning academy. The teachers of these students will serve as the teachers of record.
• Students in grades 3-12 who opt-out of any in-person learning for the 2020-21 SY will be placed on Ace Digital, which is a digital learning academy. The teachers of these students will serve as the teachers of record.

August 27th, 28th, 31st & September 1st, 2nd, 3rd, & 4th

Teachers report for professional development and planning

September 8th & 9th (plus evening appointments)

1st-12th grade individual meet the teacher appointments

September 8th, 9th, & 10th

Individual Kindergarten Screening Appointments

September 10th

1st-12th Start Online Instruction

September 11th

Kindergarten Start Online Instruction

September 28th

K-2 Start in Person Instruction

October 5th

Grades 3rd-5th Start in Person Instruction

November 3rd

Grades 6th-12th Start in Person Instruction

Remote Framework

• All BLSD students will be assigned a chromebook for use.
• GoogleClassroom will be used as the students' learning management system (LMS), to communicate with students/parents:All BLSD teachers will use the following within the remote learning.
• Google Calendar will be used to communicate dates/deadlines for meetings, lessons and activities.(Calendar syncs with Classroom).
• Zoom will be used for class discussion with the whole class and small groups.
• Instructions for Assignments/Projects will be posted in google classroom.
• Videos for student absorption of content using Screencastify and/or Flipgrid.
• Posting of teachers recorded Zoom meetings for students who were not present, and to provide families with additional support.
• Space for virtual discussion between teachers, students, and their parents (Asking/answering questions and sharing resources).
• There will be Friday office hours.
• Participation and completion of assignments will be tracked and monitored. Attendance will be taken daily. Students will be held to the Ohio Department of Education attendance expectations.
• Students will be graded on a traditional grading scale (A-F).

Student Expectations

• Attend and participate in live sessions.
• Complete work independently as assigned.
• Communicate with teacher(s) regularly.

Parents/Caregivers Expectations

• Monitor your child's progress and attendance.
• Ensure your child follows the schedule assigned by his/her teacher.
• If your child for some reason cannot complete the activities/ lessons for the day, email your child's teacher stating the reason why.

Teacher Expectations

• Support students with the remote platform and completion of assignments.
• Provide timely feedback on assignments and assessments.
• Create lessons that are live and/or recorded.
• Align lessons with standards.
• Post all assignments and communication in the Google Classroom.
• Utilize the following communication tool at each level to communicate to parents: K-5 Class Dojo, 6-8 Classtag, 9-12 Edgewood App.
• Conduct Zoom meetings on a regular basis with students and/or parents to check in.

Parents & Caregivers

• Conduct a student wellness check including temperature prior to sending a student to school. Students with temperatures over 100°F must be kept home.
• If you have multiple students in school and anyone in your household has COVID-19 Symptoms you must keep all your children at home.
• Provide a mask for your student to wear on the bus and while at school in required settings.
• There will be no parent / grandparent lunch visits this year.
• Parents whose children purchase lunch or breakfast must set up their payment account online. There will be no cash payments this year.
• Parents will only be permitted in the building for an emergency situation.
• Parents must conduct a personal health screening prior to coming to a school building. Do not come to the school if you are running a fever higher than 100°F or showing other symptoms. Required in-person school office visits will follow appropriate physical distancing protocols. and require a mask for the entire visit.
• Ensure your contact information is up to date in the event the nurse / administrator needs to contact parent / caregiver during the school day.
• Ensure there are multiple, pre-arranged methods of getting a student home from school should they become ill or exhibit symptoms.
• Parents dropping off or picking up students must remain in or at their car. There will be no congregating at or around the school doors or in the parking lot.

Students

• Maintain appropriate physical distances as posted or instructed while in school.
• Wear a mask while riding a school bus. (required).
• Wear a mask when entering, exiting, or moving around the building. (required).
• Follow directional signs and social distancing prompts when in the halls of the school
• Report immediately to your classroom, upon arrival to school.

Employees

• Must conduct a personal health screening prior to coming to a school building. Do not come to the school if you are running a fever higher than 100°F or showing other symptoms.
• Must wear a mask except when alone in a room or office.

THE CDC, Ohio Department of Health, Governor's Office, Federal Coronavirus Task Force and Medical Groups all have endorsed the use of masks as integral to minimizing the spread of COVID-19

We have adopted the following use of mask protocols.

Teachers, Administrators, and Support Staff are required to wear masks except when they are in an office or room alone.

Students are encouraged to wear masks anytime it makes them feel safe, including in areas where they are not required.

• Students are required to wear a mask on the school bus.
• Students are requiredto wear masks when walking in the halls or in line with their classmates
• Students are requiredto wear masks when working one on one with teachers or aides.
• Students are requiredto wear masks in the main office, nurse's office, or clinic.
• All students in grades K-12 are required to wear masks.
• Parents, guardians, and visitors are required to wear a mask before entering a school building. All guests must wear a mask in the school office and at any scheduled meetings.

Hand Washing / Sanitizing: Frequent hand washing is a key strategy to the prevention of the spread and becoming infected with Covid 19. There will be hand sanitizing stations throughout each building. Frequent hand sanitizing will be a part of every staff member and student's day. Students are permitted to carry their own hand sanitizer if they wish for use before, during or after school.

Parents are encouraged when possible to transport their own children.

If parents choose to self transport their child once we start in person learning, it will need to be for the entire year.

We will not be offering bus passes to different locations (friend's house, grandparents, babysitter, every other week, etc…) This is due to the pre arranged number of students and assigned seating that we will need to put in place due to COVID regulations.

Students must have a face mask to be permitted on the bus.

Seating will be assigned.

Riders from the same family will be seated together.

Upon arrival at school students will be immediately dismissed to their classroom. If upon arrival another bus is unloading the bus driver will wait to dismiss students until the first bus is empty and students have entered the building.

Students will be picked up and dropped off at their house.

Buses will be disinfected and cleaned between rides and after the last ride of the day. Once grade bands start returning to school for in person learning, bus routes will be staggered to accommodate social distancing on the bus.

Failure to adhere to protocols above will result in loss of ridership privileges.

When dropping off students in the morning, parents will pull up to the designated door or drop off area, allow their student(s) out of their vehicle and instruct them to enter the building and report to their room / first period. If a student is tardy, parents are to call the office and the secretary will meet the student at the door. After a temperature/health assessment screening, the student will be allowed to enter. Secretaries will log the child as signed in without having the parents physically sign the form. No notes will be accepted at this time. Please scan or photograph all notes and email them to the building secretary.

If a student must be picked up during the school day. Parents will call to notify the office and students will be called down to the office and then escorted to the door for parents to pick up. Secretaries will log the child as signed out without having the parents physically sign the form. Other than students that are sick and waiting to go home in the nurse's clinic or isolation room, there will be no students waiting in the office to be picked up.

Students who leave for an appointment during the school day will not return to school until the next school day.

Students who are picked up at the end of school will be called to the parking lot to meet their parents / caregivers to allow for proper distancing in the halls and at the exits.

Car riders will be dismissed from their classrooms.

There will be no lunch visits this year.

All required meetings will take place via teleconference / phone when possible.

When in person meetings are necessary, participants will follow appropriate physical distancing protocols and face masks must be worn when entering and exiting the building, in the halls around the building and in the meeting itself.

When possible schedule meetings in larger spaces i.e. the library, cafeteria, large classroom, music room, etc.

The maintenance staff must be given notice when a meeting has taken place so the area can be properly disinfected.

All visitors and meeting participants must be wearing a mask to be admitted into the office.

During the Remote Instruction Time Frame

Bagged lunches will be provided to students in a similar fashion as last spring. Only students enrolled in Buckeye Local Schools will receive lunches. More details on dates, times and location for pick up are TBD. More information about the lunch pick up will be communicated within the next couple weeks.

During in Person Instruction

Breakfast will be served in bags. Students report to their classroom upon arrival at school and breakfast will be brought to the rooms.

Lunch will be served in bags. Paid lunches will be from a student account only. No cash or check transactions will take place in the cafeteria. Parents whose children purchase lunch or breakfast must set up their payment account online. Lunch will also be served in the classrooms.

There is absolutely no sharing of food items between students.

Recess will be permitted. Kingsville and Ridgeview Elementary school will develop a schedule that has no more than two classes on the playground at any one time.

Playground equipment may not be accessible.

The focus of recess will be relaxation and physical activity. Walking, exercise, talking with friends and non-contact games should be deployed.

Students who are engaged in activities that allow for social distancing are not required to wear a mask outdoors.

When engaged in small group discussions or games where students are near each other will require wearing a mask.

Drinking Fountains will not be available for use.

There will be multiple bottle fillers in each building.

Parents may provide a bottle of water for their child in the book bag or lunch container.

Limit of two students in the restroom at a time.

Frequent disinfecting of restrooms will be scheduled.

Students will have a chromebook assigned to them. There will be no sharing of chromebooks.

Chromebooks need to be charged nightly.

Student seating 6 feet apart in classrooms

A cleaning schedule based on room use i.e. scheduled lunch, recess (elementary) prep period, etc., will be created for the custodian to wipe desktops, door hardware, and countertops daily.

Minimize materials / equipment not being used in the open. Placing them in cupboards or on top of shelves reduces the number of surfaces that are subject to being touched or getting in the way because of distancing seating.

Minimize items posted in classrooms. Except for emergency information and current instructional materials or guidelines do not post anything on walls or cork boards.

Do not post student work in hallways.

To the extent possible minimize materials and supplies stored on the teacher desk.

Only the classroom teacher uses the phone in the classroom.

Students in grades 3 and up will wear masks when moving around the room.

Masks are not required while working independently.

Masks are required when working with a partner or small group instruction.

Eliminate shared materials.

Keep classroom doors open to maintain airflow and reduce the number of touches to door handles.

The use of fans of any type are prohibited during the school day.

Edgenuity K-2nd & Ace Digital 3rd-12th

Realizing that some parents may not want to have their child return to school in the fall because of the risks posed by the Covid 19 virus, our reopening plan includes a full-time remote learning program to meet their needs.

Our Remote Program will allow students to continue their education at home using a curriculum that can be accessed online. THIS IS A SELF-GUIDED PLATFORM. Students using this option remain a Buckeye Student. In addition to the curriculum, which can be accessed anytime, Buckeye teachers will be the teacher of record.

Enrollment in this option is required. Parents need to visit the Buckeye Schools Homepage to sign up. Parents and students can return to in person schooling at the semester break if circumstances change and they want to return. Students will be provided a school district Chromebook to use to access classes. Internet Access at home is needed.

What can parents do to make the best of this option?

• Establish a daily routine and daily expectations for your child.
• Help your child plan the week's activities and work.
• Check-in with your child regarding their work and engage them in a discussion of their work.
• Help your child create an environment that is conducive to learning and free of distractions.
• Support opportunities for your child to exercise or be outdoors or be involved in the arts.
• Establish guidelines for your child's screen time.
• Reach out to your child's teacher, advisor or guidance counselor with concerns, questions, and for support.
• Be a supportive partner with your child's teacher(s)