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RICHLAND R-IV DISTRICT OPERATIONS
2020-2021 School Year

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As of July 24, 2020


The Richland  R-V School District will operate in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines using the following three phases during the 2020-21 school year. The district will be in only one phase at a time and the phase will be determined by the conditions of the pandemic in conjunction with state and local guidelines. Phase numbering mirrors that of the Waynesville School District for consistency in serving our WCC students.   At this time we plan on being in phase 3 with students in the classroom on August 24.

We ask that parents/guardians and students assist us by self-monitoring their symptoms before coming to school.  Take students' temperatures at home before sending them to school.  Temperatures of 100.4 degrees or above are problematic.   There will be thermometers at school but checking at home reduces the chances of a “bottleneck” forming at school. 

Other possible symptoms:

Cough; chills; muscle pain; shortness of breath or difficulty of breathing; sore throat; recent loss of taste or smell.   Analyze these symptoms to verify if they are associated with another illness or condition.   If you have a fever or are experiencing any of these other symptoms (if they aren’t connected with other illnesses or conditions) please do not come to school and notify your appropriate building that you will be out. 

Phase 3 Seated Classes:  Schools are open, with precautions.

  • All students will be in the seated classroom, five days a week. 

  • In the event of a confirmed case of COVID-19, it is possible that one or more classrooms may be temporarily closed while others remain open. 

  • Attendance will be taken in person and all students will be held accountable for their performance. 

  • Transportation to and from school will be provided with restrictions and in accordance with health department guidelines. If possible students and families are encouraged to provide their own transportation to and from school. 

  • Pick up and drop off procedures may be changed to allow for meeting health guidelines.

  • The district will meet or exceed state and local COVID-19 sanitation guidelines. 

  • Regular health checks, such as temperature, respiratory symptoms screening, etc. may be enacted on a daily basis. 

  • Social distancing will be encouraged. 

  • Use of masks may be required in certain circumstances. 

  • Handwashing, respiratory etiquette, and other precautionary measures will be taught and implemented. 

  • All students will minimize their time in crowded areas and staggered times may be used. 

  • Guidelines for admitting visitors to the building may become more stringent.

  • Breakfast and lunch may need to be eaten in classrooms and or in groups of fewer than 50, depending upon state and local guidelines.

Phase 2 Blended Learning: Schools are open, but under social distancing restrictions.

  • Students in grades PK-6 will be seated in the classroom in our buildings; however, to maintain social distancing, students will be divided into two groups and will attend school in person two days a week. This schedule option may need to be adapted to meet the needs of students,

    • On days that students in grades PK-6 are at home, students will be required to login and participate in online activities.

  • A limited number of students with unique learning needs or situations in grades 7-12 will be invited to attend school in person where they will remain in one classroom all day. All other students in grades 7-12 will participate in online learning as outlined in Phase 1. This schedule option may need to be adapted to meet the needs of students,

  • Students without the internet will use written packets.

  • In the event of a confirmed case of COVID-19, it is possible that one or more classrooms may be temporarily closed while others remain open. 

  • Attendance will be taken in person and online and all students will be held accountable for their performance. 

  • Teachers will use a limited number of technology platforms to provide direct instruction. 

    • The district will provide parent training and resources for the approved platforms. 

  • The district will meet or exceed state and local COVID-19 sanitation guidelines.

  • Handwashing, respiratory etiquette and social distancing will be taught and implemented. 

  • Regular health checks, such as temperature, respiratory symptoms screening, etc. may be enacted on a daily basis. 

  • Use of masks may be required in certain circumstances. 

  • Transportation to and from school will be provided with restrictions and in accordance with health department guidelines. If possible, students and families are encouraged to provide their own transportation to and from school. 

  • If a parent experiences issues managing multiple students in the online environment or accessing the internet, the parent should contact their child(ren)’s school.

  • Pick up and drop off procedures may be changed to allow for meeting health guidelines.

  • Breakfast and lunch may need to be eaten in classrooms and or in groups of fewer than 50, depending upon state and local guidelines. 

Phase 1 Online Learning: All school buildings are closed to students, but learning will continue.

  • Online learning will occur for all students in grades PK-12. 

  • All courses will be taught by Richland R-iV teachers. 

  • Students will have a minimum of two days to complete an assignment.

  • Students without access to the internet will use written packets. 

  • Students will be expected to: 

    • Log in, be in attendance and participate in online learning and individual practice according to the schedule set up by their school. 

    • Spend more time learning online to align with the state’s new online learning expectations as compared to the district’s expectations from March-May 2020. 

  • Teachers will use a limited number of technology platforms to provide direct instruction.

  • A building-level schedule will be developed to avoid overlapping of online instructional sessions. 

  • The district will provide parent training and resources for the approved platforms. 

  • If a parent experiences issues managing multiple students in the online environment or accessing the internet, the parent should contact their child(ren)’s school.

Individual Virtual Students

  • Arrangements will be made for students whose parents have decided that their child(ren) will not be returning to seated courses.  Please contact your child’s school for more information to arrange virtual education.

  

WCC Students

  • Students will follow the Waynesville School District’s phase level guidelines. 

Beginning July 24th, updated information may be found at: richlandbears.us If you have questions, please send them to COVIDquestions@richlandbears.us after July 24th


Other Guidelines

We must have current, working phone numbers and emergency contact numbers for all students in case of any issues.   If students need to be taken home from school and we cannot contact a parent/guardian or emergency contact, we may need to contact local authorities or DFS.

We ask that students wear masks when on the bus, entering and leaving the building and in the hallways, as these are situations where it is most difficult to social distance.   In the classrooms, masks are recommended, but optional.   We strongly suggest that any bus riders that can find alternative ways to schools do so.  This will allow us to social distance as much as possible. On the bus, we will fill the buses from back to front and have families sit together. Students should wait until they are dismissed from the bus to stand up and exit to avoid bottleneck situations.

Visitors to the school buildings need to be limited as much as possible and we ask that they wear masks while on campus.

We will continue to monitor the situation and recommendations as they adapt and change.