| School Board approves Re-Enter Plan
The school board held their July meeting Monday, July 20 and voted to approve a re-enter plan presented by superintendent Rene’ Forsmann. Forsmann said they are going to do all they can to get students in the buildings this fall yet keep them and the staff safe. The re-enter plan is located below and is also on the school website. Forsmann said she would also be meeting with the hospital and district health officials to work up a chart that would address “if this happens, then we’ll do that” trying to cover as many possible scenarios as possible. She said it is “a moving target” making it tough to come up with any kind of catch-all policy. The other big new to come out of Monday’s meeting is Teel Bruner’s resignation as an assistant football coach after serving the program for 15 years. His hiring as an assistant by new head coach Travis Mader in 2005 helped lead to the best era ever for Prairie football with 13 winning seasons in 15 years, 4 state championships and 10 state tournament appearances. This after 16 straight non-winning seasons for the program that had just 2 state appearances in their history since state playoffs began. Hot lunch rates were set with an increase of 10 cents per meal across the board. Bus rental, per diem and facility use rates all remain the same as last year. Another resignation accepted was that of Jr./Sr. High special education aide Aimee Uhlenkott, who is moving out of the district. An update to the immunization requirements policy was passed adding a meningococcal vaccine. Language was kept in allowing parents to opt out of having their children vaccinated. Extracurricular assignments were approved with a few spots that may yet need to be filled. In the facilities report Forsmann reported the Elementary School roof project should be finished by the end of the week. Jon Rehder said they would be doing prep work Wednesday for the high school parking lot resurfacing. The work on the high school restrooms has been completed. The heating/air conditioning unit for the Elementary music room is due in soon and will be installed once it arrives. Jack Duman has 10 Elementary School doors that he is repainting. They are looking into fixing the ventilation system at the high school shop. Tara Klapprich asked about having a second water bottle filling fountain at the Elementary School since you really shouldn’t be using regular drinking fountains at this time. In her Elementary Principal’s report Forsmann said things have been very quiet over the past month. Jake has been doing the summer work by himself this year. In her superintendent’s report she said she has asked staff and shields and masks for the fall and is getting a count. They are continuing to review state and local updates on the virus and what that means for re-opening and fall sports. Rehder said he has expressed some concern to the IHSAA about some of the scheduling. He had concerns about having 8 football teams at Middleton, which is in Canyon County, one of the major hotspots in the state, for the 8-Man Classic. Prairie is scheduled to play Oakley in the second of the 4 games on Saturday, August 29. He said he also had some concerns about the volleyball team which is scheduled to travel to New Plymouth that same weekend for a tournament. The Border Battle tournament in Pomeroy may also be in question. In his principal’s report, Rehder said Travis Mader has agreed to be the Jr. High Football head coach and Jeff Martin will be his assistant. Denise Mager will be returning to run the concessions with Reed Chapman as a student helper. The 3 items in the school shop that were up for bids have been purchased and were moved out of the shop on July 2. They received almost $4,400 in total for the 3 machines. Yearbooks are here and will be distributed at either registration or on the first day of school. Registration is set for August 24 from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There will be an athletic meeting starting at 6 p.m. that day in the high school gym. There will be notaries there to sign documents. St. Mary’s Clinics will be providing sports physicals for all 7th, 9th and 11th grade athletes the week of August 3. They will be doing them on August 3 at the Kamiah Clinic, August 4 at Nezperce and August 6 at Cottonwood. First practice day for fall sports will be August 10. The meeting adjourned at 8:04 p.m. The next regular meeting will be Monday, August 17 at 7 p.m. Cottonwood School District Re-entry Plans School Year 2020-2021 Elementary School Pandemic Operation Plan PPE Strategies ● Optional Masks ● Any person exhibiting mild symptoms must wear a mask until leaving campus ● Hand hygiene stations located at ○ Front entry ○ Gymnasium entry ○ Cafeteria entry ● Student, Staff or visitor that becomes sick, will be directed to the current sick room ○ Sick room will be cleaned daily Classroom ● Staff and students will be trained in handwashing, how to cough and sneeze into elbows ● Students and staff are welcome to have water bottles on their desks ● Alcohol/water solution spray bottles are in every room with clean rags ○ Solution will be fresh each day, rags washed each day ○ Daily cleaning of desks, sinks, devices Office Strategies And Other Non-Instructional Spaces ● Sanitize surface areas regularly and frequently. ● Hand sanitizer at each workstation ● Employee Break Room - Custodians routinely sanitize surface areas. ● Cafeteria ○ Offering regular hot menu served in the cafeteria ○ Students eat in cafeteria; stagger lunch times & increase serve times; ○ Use of touchless hand sanitizer at start of all service lines ○ Contactless point of sale (students scanning own cards) ○ Prepayment taken at the school office ● Restrooms - Staff use separate restrooms than children Visitors ● Doors locked during school hours Gatherings ● Implement strategies that discourage gathering for areas such as the bus lane, restrooms, recess, hallways, lunch, before & after school Communication Strategies to students, staff, parents ● Educate staff and families about good hygiene, symptoms of Covid-19 and when to stay home due to illness ● Regular communication with parents, students, and staff School Confirmed Case in School, Regardless of Community Transmission ● Initial short-term dismissal allows time for the local health officials to gain a better understanding of the COVID-19 situation impacting the school. This allows the local health officials to help the school determine appropriate next steps, including whether an extended dismissal duration is needed to stop or slow further spread of COVID-19. ● Local health officials’ recommendations for the scope and duration of school dismissals will be made on a case-by-case basis. ● During school dismissals, also cancel extracurricular group activities, school-based afterschool programs, and large events. ● During school dismissals, school facilities will be disinfected according to CDC and local public health officials’guidance. Secondary School Pandemic Operation Plan PPE Strategies ● Optional Masks ● Any person exhibiting mild symptoms must wear a mask until leaving campus ● Hand hygiene stations located at ○ Front entry ○ Gymnasium entry ○ Cafeteria entry ● Student, Staff or visitor that becomes sick, will be directed to the current sick room ○ Sick room will be cleaned daily Classroom ● Staff and students will be trained in handwashing, how to cough and sneeze into elbows ● Students and staff are welcome to have water bottles on their desks ● Alcohol/water solution spray bottles are in every room with clean rags ○ Solution will be fresh each day, rags washed each day ○ Daily cleaning of desks, sinks, devices Office Strategies And Other Non-Instructional Spaces ● Sanitize surface areas regularly and frequently. ● Hand sanitizer at each workstation ● Employee Break Room - Custodians routinely sanitize surface areas. ● Cafeteria ○ Offering regular hot menu served in the cafeteria ○ Students eat in cafeteria; stagger lunch times & increase serve times; ○ Use of touchless hand sanitizer at start of all service lines ○ Contactless point of sale (students scanning own cards) ○ Prepayment taken at the school office ○ Limit visitors to kitchen ● Restrooms - Staff use separate restrooms than children Visitors ● Doors locked during school hours Gatherings ● Implement strategies that discourage gathering for areas such as the bus lane, restrooms, recess, hallways, lunch, before & after school Co-Curricular and Extra-Curricular Events ● Follow established District & State guidelines Communication Strategies to students, staff, parents ● Educate staff and families about good hygiene, symptoms of Covid-19 and when to say home due to illness ● Regular communication with parents, students, and staff School Confirmed Case in School, Regardless of Community Transmission ● Initial short-term dismissal allows time for the local health officials to gain a better understanding of the COVID-19 situation impacting the school. This allows the local health officials to help the school determine appropriate next steps, including whether an extended dismissal duration is needed to stop or slow further spread of COVID-19. ● Local health officials’ recommendations for the scope and duration of school dismissals will be made on a case-by-case basis. ● During school dismissals, also cancel extracurricular group activities, school-based afterschool programs, and large events. ● During school dismissals, school facilities will be disinfected according to CDC and local public health officials’ guidance. Food Service Pandemic Operations Plan ● Standard operating procedures for food safety and sanitation ● Optional face masks in kitchens and work spaces ○ Student workers must wear masks ● Hygiene signs for facility and students ● Hands free hand sanitizer at start of service lines for customers Visitor Requirements ● Minimize visitors to only essential functions (custodial, delivery, supervisors) ● Prepayments accepted at school office. Meal Service Requirements ● Typical hot menus served in the usual meal service locations ● Use of contactless hand sanitizer at start of all service lines ● Kids eat in cafeteria ● Increase meal service times to minimize number of students in cafeteria Point of Sale Requirements - touchless system ● Elementary Considerations: ○ Students will scan their own cards ○ All cards collected and sanitized ● Secondary Considerations: ○ Students will scan their own cards PPE Requirements (kitchens) ● Standard operating procedures for food safety and sanitation ○ Students working in the kitchen will wear gloves and masks Transportation Pandemic Operation Plan PPE Requirements ● Establish and maintain hand hygiene stations at entry and exit to the transportation building ● Students use sanitation stations located on the school campus after exiting the bus and before boarding the bus ● Disinfectant spray available for all staff School Bus Requirements ● Avoid food on the bus ● Bus drivers/Supervisor to daily sanitize highly touched surfaces and passenger compartment ● Seating - seat siblings together ● Load the bus from the rear seats to front seats and unload front seats to rear seats, where possible Office Requirements ● Follow District standards for school custodial services cleaning and disinfecting ● Hand sanitizer at each workstation Visitor Requirements ● Encourage use of hand sanitizer Communication to students, staff, parents ● Encourage students to use soap & wash or sanitize hands in the morning before heading to the bus stop and again before loading the bus at school School Confirmed Case in School, Regardless of Community Transmission ● Initial short-term dismissal allows time for the local health officials to gain a better understanding of the COVID-19 situation impacting the school. This allows the local health officials to help the school determine appropriate next steps, including whether an extended dismissal duration is needed to stop or slow further spread of COVID-19. ● Local health officials’ recommendations for the scope and duration of school dismissals will be made on a case-by-case basis. ● During school dismissals, also cancel extracurricular group activities, school-based afterschool programs, and large events. ● During school dismissals, school facilities will be disinfected according to CDC and local public health officials’ guidance. There will be a chart addressing many what-if scenarios in next week’s update. |
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