HCISD HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR
CONTENTS 04
ACADEMIC CALENDAR
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SUPERINTENDENT’S LETTER
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INSTRUCTIONAL METHOD
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DISTRICT SAFETY PROTOCOLS
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HEALTH SERVICES
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SCHOOL FACILITIES
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CHILD NUTRITION
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STUDENT TRANSPORTATION
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EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Updated 01-10-2022
2021-2022 ACADEMIC CALENDAR
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SUPERINTENDENT’S LETTER Dear Families, From the moment a student walks through our doors, we are excited and eager to help them along their educational journey. I want to share some important information with you about the health and safety protocols in your child’s school -and every school -this school year. While we continue to carefully monitor a constantly changing health landscape, one thing remains steadfast: our commitment to the health and safety of our students, teachers, and staff. This priority is the foundation of all policies during the 2021-2022 school year. We have collectively learned a lot since March 2020 - both about the virus and our ability to react and respond to it in real time. In close collaboration and guidance from our local health authorities, the Texas Education Agency and the Centers for Disease Control, we have developed strict protocols that address prevention, precaution, and response to one or more of our students or employees having a confirmed case of COVID-19.
DR. ALICIA NOYOLA Superintendent of Schools
The HCISD Health and Safety Protocols book outlines the strategies our district will implement to reduce the spread of COVID-19 amongst students and staff. Safe schools require a commitment to health and safety each and every day at school and at home. A safe return to in-person instruction will require a commitment to health and safety each and every day at school and at home. Please take the time to familiarize yourself and your student(s) with the safety protocols that will need to be followed. If you have any questions regarding your student and school, please contact their teacher or principal. As always, thank you for your trust and support and for choosing to be part of the HCISD family. Be well and be safe,
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INSTRUCTIONAL METHOD
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For the 2021-2022 school year, HCISD will be returning to school in a traditional, 100% face-to-face format.
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Virtual learning is an available option in accordance with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) guidelines.
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All instruction, aside from virtual learning, will be delivered in a traditional classroom setting with safety protocols in place.
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Regardless of instructional format, attendance will be required Monday-Friday.
DISTRICT SAFETY PROTOCOLS • HCISD will prioritize student and staff well-being, health, and safety by continued implementation of the following protocols: - Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting The district will continue with the daily cleaning of all facilities with special attention to specific high touch areas. Daily cleaning will include the safest and most effective products.
The district will continue to monitor CDC guidelines and recommendations to ensure we implement the safest and most current practices for the cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting of all facilities.
- The wearing of masks is a highly recommended practice for all unless a temporary mask mandate is issued.
- Social distancing practices will be implemented to the greatest extent possible.
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HEALTH SERVICES
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Campus nurses continue to play a critical role in ensuring the health and safety of our school community.
- They will continue to educate our students and staff about: - Proper handwashing techniques - Social distancing best practices - Symptom identification and monitoring
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- They will also continue to abide by and ensure essential safety protocols, including: - Health screenings - Hand sanitation - Sanitation of frequently touched surfaces - Social distancing practices •
HCISD parents and family members also play a crucial role in keeping our students safe. Prior to sending students to school, screen them for fever or other symptoms. If they, or anyone in their household, is exhibiting any symptoms, please keep them home. Symptoms include: - Cough, sore throat, fever or chills, diarrhea, muscle or body aches, headache, fatigue, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, new loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, temperature of 100° F or higher • Campus nurses will address any illness by screening students for symptoms. The nurse will: - Call the parent - Monitor fever and/or other symptoms - Provide the parent with a medical referral, as appropriate - Any individuals who: • Are test-confirmed to have COVID-19 must complete a 5-day isolation period. Individuals may return on day 6 if asymptomatic (no symptoms) • If symptoms persist beyond day 5, individuals must remain in isolation until: * Individuals have resolution of all symptoms, or * Individuals have completed 10 days of isolation, are fever-free, and have an improvement of symptoms.
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HEALTH SERVICES
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COVID-19 Case Notifications Consistent with school notifications requirements for other communicable diseases, and consistent with legal confidentiality requirements, schools will immediately notify all teachers, staff, and families if a test-confirmed COVID-19 case is identified among any individual who was physically present in the school facility. The notification cannot include names or identifying details since we are bound by privacy requirements. Upon receipt of information that an individual was physically present on school premises and is test-confirmed to have COVID-19, the school will notify the school community and submit required reports to local and state health authorities. COVID-19 Case Exposure If a test-confirmed COVID-19 case is identified and that individual was physically present in the school building or on school premises, at school related events or extracurricular activities, contact tracing to assess exposure of individuals that were near the positive case will be immediately conducted by the campus. Who needs to be quarantined (per the CDC)? For those persons exposed to someone with COVID-19 (considered a close contact*) – QUARANTINE period: a. For people who are unvaccinated or are more than six months out from their second mRNA dose (or more than 2 months after the J&J vaccine) and have not received a booster vaccine, quarantine may end after day 5**, followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days.
b. No quarantine is needed for individuals who have received their booster shot. However, these persons should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure.
c. It is recommended that all exposed persons receive a COVID test at day 5 after exposure. If symptoms occur, individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19.
d. *Close contact definition in K-12 schools remains the same: In the K-12 indoor classroom setting, the close contact definition excludes students who were within 3 to 6 feet of an infected student (laboratory-confirmed) if both the infected student and the exposed student(s) correctly and consistently wore well-fitting masks the entire time.
e. **The last day of exposure to the COVID positive person is Day Zero of quarantine.
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SCHOOL FACILITIES
• Maintaining a safe and clean learning environment for our students and staff will continue to be the top priority. We have implemented several practices to ensure a safe environment.
Installation and maintenance of numerous hand sanitizing stations throughout campus facilities and classrooms.
Desk shields will be provided for all students at the elementary level.
Desk shields will be optional and available for all students at the secondary level.
Water filling stations have been installed throughout the schools and will be available for student usage.
All school facilities will be completely cleaned and disinfected every day.
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CHILD NUTRITION
• HCISD will continue to ensure we can safely provide meals in a safe and clean environment.
- During the Day School meals will be provided through a mix of delivery services, including the cafeterias and classrooms.
Social distancing, to the greatest extent possible, will be observed.
No sharing of food will be allowed to limit exposure.
- Food Deliveries Food deliveries by parents will be allowed as in years past. Students will not be allowed to share delivered food. - Packed Lunches Students will be allowed to bring packed lunches. Students will not be allowed to share packed lunches.
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STUDENT TRANSPORTATION
• The HCISD Transportation Department will be ready to resume services. The following are examples of safety measures we are taking to ensure safety. - School buses will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized daily, between routes, and at the end of the day using sanitizing products with residual technologies • While Riding the Bus - Every school bus has hand sanitizing dispensers.
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- Students will be encouraged to sanitize their hands when entering and exiting the school bus.
- Students will sit as far apart as possible given the number of students.
- Masks will be highly recommended for all vaccinated and non-vaccinated students.
- Windows on the school bus will remain open while students are on board.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
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HCISD will allow all extracurricular activities during the 2021-2022 school year.
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Safety guidelines will align with those of HCISD, the University Interscholastic League (UIL), the Texas Education Agency (TEA), and local and state health officials.
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Detailed protocols for each activity will be posted on the HCISD Departments of Athletics and Fine Arts webpages.
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