Puyallup School District shares plans for K-1 reopening next month
The Puyallup School District has shared plans for bringing back the youngest learners to the classroom next month.
The state recently updated recommendations to school districts on in-person learning, but the district had already announced its plans to bring back kindergarten and first grade students on Jan. 12.
Puyallup announced on Dec. 11 it would start the phased process to return to school beginning with the youngest students because previous requirements allowed even counties with the highest rate of COVID-19 case counts to bring back small groups of students, district communications director, Sarah Gillispie, told The Puyallup Herald on Dec. 21.
Gillispie said the updated state recommendations have helped to define “small group” for returning class sizes, and new metrics help the district plan when to bring older students back.
The state’s revised guidelines have relaxed metrics for school districts. In-person learning for elementary students is recommended for counties where new cases of the coronavirus have dropped below a daily average of 350 cases per 100,000 residents.
Pierce County’s 14-day case rate per 100,000 was 560.2 as of Dec. 21.
Gov. Jay Inslee said in a Dec. 16 press conference that the recommendations are not enforceable orders and that each district would make the final decision on how and when to reopen schools.
Puyallup, along with most other districts in Pierce County, brought back small groups of students, like those in special education classrooms or living without a home, in October.
Since reopening schools to these 850 students, Puyallup staff and students have reported 64 COVID-19 positive test results.
The K-1 hybrid students will add an additional 2,400 kids or so, rotating between a two-day per week onsite schedule, Gillispie said.
Puyallup School District is not participating in the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s rapid testing program.
An estimated 75 percent of kindergarten and first grade students are expected to participate in the hybrid plan, Gillispie said. The other 25 percent of Puyallup School District students will continue with distanced learning at the online academy.
Kindergarten and first grade students will attend school two days a week in an alternating “hybrid” plan. Classes will be divided into two groups with no more than 15 students.
While one group attends in-person learning on Tuesdays and Thursdays, another group will attend class online. The groups will switch on Wednesdays and Fridays. Monday will be online for all students as teachers plan out the week.
Schedule
Before getting to school, parents must submit an “attestation form” on the health of each student every day.
The form asks the name of the student, which building they will be in, if they have any symptoms, if they have been around anyone who has tested positive in the last 14 days and if any medical official recommends that they quarantine.
If “yes” is selected on any of the questions, students are asked to stay home.
All students and staff will be required to wear face masks.
“There are a variety of other personal protective equipment based on type of jobs and level of comfort and those who want additional options, for example: offering face shields to wear in conjunction with cloth masks,” Gillispie said.
The young students will not be allowed in the school until 10 minutes prior to the bell, Gillispie said.
Once inside the school, they are expected to follow six-foot distancing signage to the classroom. Students will be given a pump of hand sanitizer before entering the classroom. Teachers will check students’ temperatures before class begins.
For the majority of the day, students will remain in their classrooms. Seats will be kept six feet apart, and masks will continue to be required.
Lunch will be eaten in the classroom. Meals need to be packed for students and will not be provided at schools. School lunches will be available for pickup once a week.
Extracurricular activities like music and physical education also will occur in the classroom.
“Classrooms will become that sole cohort of students. We want to minimize movement and exposure to other students,” Gillispie said.
Cleaning and hand-washing will occur multiple times throughout the day, she said.
The district also has added an “isolation space” for students who develop COVID-19 symptoms during the day while they wait for parent pickup.
Recess will be 30 minutes, and equipment will be assigned to each group of students. The playground will be wiped down after every recess period.
Whether children should wear face masks at recess have yet to be determined, and district families can tune into a virtual town hall on Jan. 7 to share their thoughts.
Positive cases
An employee or student with a confirmed case of the coronavirus can return to school when at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared and at least 24 hours have passed since the fever has resolved and symptoms have improved.
Those with confirmed cases who are asymptomatic may return 10 days after the date of the COVID-19 test.
Gillispie said families can refer to the school district playbook on returning to school for greater detail, but there could be updates as more information becomes available.
