Fall Reopening Plan 2020 - revised 8-10-20

Small School, Big Education.

Fall Reopening Plan – Revised August 10, 2020

Overview • Our primary focus is always to ensure the health and safety of our students, staff, and school community.

• Our small class sizes, extensive indoor and outdoor classroom and activity spaces, and overall resources means that we will be able to physically reopen in full on August 24 - unless closed by government direction. Should the latter action occur, we will revert to online courses for the prescribed amount of time.

• In tandem with our plan to reopen our campus, we are also planning for a possible return to remote online learning. Such planning includes implementing a full, remote academic and enrichment program with a focus on increased online facetime for students and faculty during the academic day.

• Unlike larger schools with up to 30 students per class, Lake Tahoe School’s average class size of 12-15 students means that we will not have to offer a hybrid of in-person and online courses by dividing grades and offering classes on alternate days. LTS will offer a full daily schedule of academic and enrichment classes – with appropriate modifications as further outlined in this proposed plan.

General Policies and Procedures • We are working closely with our school attorney to review and implement legal policies related to the crisis. Also, we are working regularly with our insurance broker for advice and liability information.

• Our principal sources of health and safety information are the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Washoe County Health Department, and the State of Nevada Governor’s Office – including the recent Nevada Department of Education’s Nevada’s Path Forward: A Framework for a Safe, Efficient, and Equitable Return to School Buildings. We are also utilizing National Association of Independent School (NAIS) and Northwest Association of Independent School (NWAIS) recommendations, and closely following Washoe County School District directives and the actions of peer schools around the country.

Planning Modification & Facility Zoning for Physical Distancing • Drop-off and pickup times for students will be staggered or modified by location to allow for maximum separation.

• Parents and visitors will not be allowed beyond the main office or the PreK or Kindergarten check-in areas during the school day.

• Hallway traffic usage and locker area access will be monitored during transition time between classes to provide for less large-scale interaction. Transitions themselves will be limited – Enrichment teachers may travel to classes in some grades while the students remain in their classrooms.

• Larger gatherings such as assemblies and weekly meetings will be suspended. In the case of weekly assembly, we will use the school’s intercom system or Zoom connections.

• In classrooms, individual desks will be separated using the 6’ recommendation wherever possible. Teacher desks and formerly shared use spaces and equipment will be designated for single-person usage.

Planning Modification & Facility Zoning for Physical Distancing • Additional classroom space will be created or repurposed utilizing the Flex Room, Rainbow Reading Room, former PE area, the extra science lab, library, and the Cafeteria outside of lunches. Current PE classes will break up larger numbers using the newly-installed divider curtain in the APAC to keep numbers manageable.

• In larger grades/classes, schedules for enrichment courses will be modified to accommodate smaller numbers in the classroom.

• Whenever possible, teachers will hold classes outdoors around the campus. Outdoor seats and equipment will be purchased to facilitate this move. Recess and after lunch playtime will utilize a rotation system of all three playfields to break up larger groups of students.

• Classrooms that utilize shared supplies or manipulatives – art, music, MakerSpace, etc. -will move from shared use to individual kits for required tools or projects. Restrictions will also be in place for shared equipment in all classrooms.

Planning Modification & Facility Zoning for Physical Distancing • Lunch use of the Lower and Middle cafeteria will be staggered by time and location to allow for social distancing. We have purchased additional lunchroom tables for the cafeteria to facilitate this separation.

Classes will be encouraged to eat their meals outside as well, weather permitting. Café Day meal options will likely continue.

• Wherever appropriate and necessary, we will utilize signage to identify where people should walk and designate how far apart they should be. Recent discussions have focused on specifically designated paths and outdoor access to minimize movement within the main building during transitions.

• After school programs will be limited in the fall to fewer student offerings – with Homework Clubs as a possible exception. Athletic offerings are determined by Tah-Neva League and Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) recommendations. As of this draft, fall sports such as Cross Country and Girls Basketball will take place. However, attendance at school events – athletic and otherwise - by parents will be limited.

Personal Protection • Plans are in development to take student temperatures upon check-in each day.

• Teachers will be required to establish regular handwashing times throughout the day for their students.

We are maximizing locations for indoor and outdoor hand sanitizer stations. We are also creating a new sink area in the PreK area this summer to facilitate this new need.

• All drinking fountains on campus will be closed. In their place, we will be adding bottle fillers to the current machines. Students will be required to bring their own water bottles from home.

• Lake Tahoe School will be following the directive of Governor Sisolak and most all public and private schools in our area and require that masks or face shields be worn by all faculty, staff, and students in grades 1-8. This policy covers all indoor interactions and public spaces including occupied classrooms, hallways, stairwells, and individual conferences or meetings. The requirement also extends to all visitors to campus – including parents, vendors, contractors, etc. For the full policy, please click here.

• We are exploring providing COVID-19 testing for all staff before school and possibly at other points during the school year.

• Our HVAC system has an ultraviolet light component that kills germs - including COVID-19 - as the air recirculates and we are updating the system this summer. Also, we have purchased portable UV cleaning systems to use in classrooms and the APAC. These units will be used during transitions in empty classrooms during the day and after-hours as well.

Transportation • We will be significantly reducing our fall field trip and retreat schedules. Individual parent transportation will be encouraged for those field trips that do go on as scheduled. Bus transportation that does occur will be limited in terms of seating to ensure students sit far enough apart.

Supplies and Equipment • As mentioned above, we are stockpiling masks, gloves, hand sanitizers, cleaning equipment, chemicals, and dispensers. We are also identifying new suppliers and monitoring and tracking all orders to ensure our stock- piles are sufficient for reopening and to help us through possible school closures in the future.

Health and Hygiene • Dealing with reported COVID-19 cases among our school community is also a concern. Depending on contact issues, it is likely that the school may be subject to periodic closings for cleaning. Washoe County and CDC guidelines offer direction in this area, and in consultation with our school attorney, we will be developing a school-based policy for such an occurrence.

• We are redesigning, enlarging, and resupplying our designated sick room in the Main Office area to better isolate and comfort our ill students.

Cleaning and Sanitation • There are now varying levels of cleaning, sanitizing, disinfection, and sterilization to be implemented for different situations. Our maintenance team, in conjunction with the faculty and following legal requirements, will be determining the new timing and procedures that will be needed.

• We are also exploring putting proper signage in place and helping students understand the new rules and follow directions.

Communication • Communicating our new procedures and expectations will be essential. We have already completed three virtual Town Hall meetings and will likely do more as school reopening looms. We are also creating a COVID-19 landing page on our website for reopening policies, procedures, and updates and to provide general reopening information.

Pre-Kindergarten Program • During the most recent school closing, the State of Nevada allowed daycare and PreK facilities to remain open. Should the State of Nevada mandate school closures again in the 2020-2021 school year, we would likely work to keep our PreK program open. To do so will be to assume approval from the State and continued enrollment of sufficient size to maintain an active and productive program.

No one can definitively know what shape the pandemic will take in the coming months nor its continued impact on schools and education. As school leaders and community members, we are all doing our best to prepare now for what we think might work best under these circumstances. It is our hope that Lake Tahoe School’s thoughtfully prepared response and positive efforts to protect our community will enable our students to continue to be successful learners in the coming school year.

Please continue checking our website and school-wide communications for further updates.