Buffalo Early Learning Center COVID-19 Playbook

Buffalo Early Learning Center COVID Playbook ​(updated as of 10/28/2020)

Our goal is to provide a safe learning environment for all students that mitigates the risks during the COVID pandemic. North Platte Public Schools has developed a playbook that addresses the daily operations of our schools. At Buffalo Early Learning Center, we have highlighted areas that are unique to Buffalo to assist parents in understanding the expectations and routines unique to Buffalo Early Learning Center. Students will be taught expectations the first day and continue throughout the school year. Students will learn proper social distancing, washing hands, masks/face coverings and sanitizing. For more in-depth plans in regards to COVID, access the ​District Return to School Plan​. Since the routines, procedures, and structure for delivery of academics in preschool is different than elementary, we have tried to include most of what parents will need in this playbook. If you do not find it here, please see the district plan.

Topic Start of the Day

Green Building back to school as normal.

Yellow Since this is a preschool only building this year, there are new procedures for drop off. For the safety of students, we have established procedures so that parents and students are not crossing N. Buffalo Bill Avenue. Please note these changes and follow the procedures below. There will no longer be a crossing guard on Buffalo.

7:15 - 7:30 am All preschool parents can drop off students in the drive thru lane in the parking lot on the North Side of the building. Parents must check in their child on the i-pad or from their smartphone. Screening questions will be asked daily on the ap as a part of this process. Paras will begin welcoming students at 7:15 am. From 7:15 to 7:30 am students will wait in the lounge area in front of the office. Students from each classroom will be sent to a different section of the lobby so that students will not be mixed with students from other classrooms. Students will be asked to put on a mask when in the lobby. At 7:30 am, paras will walk the students to their classroom and welcome new arrivals to the classroom.

7:30 - 7:45 am - Parents need to drop off their child at the entrance closest to their classroom and check the student in on i-pad or from their smartphone.

Screening questions will be asked daily on the ap as a part of this process.

Depending on the class your child attends, these are the locations for drop off: ● Mrs. Henline’s Class - students will be dropped off in the drop off lane through the parking lot on the North side of the building. ● Mrs. Altig & Mrs. Chromy’s Classes - Parents need to park in the cul de sac on West 15th street and walk their child through the playground to the classroom door. There will be a sign on the door marking which classroom is which. A staff member will greet you at the door and welcome your child to the classroom. Please social distance from other families and stagger your arrival. masks/face coverings are required while dropping off your child.

Students arriving after 8:00 am must check into the office located by the main entrance on the North side of the building. Parents must wear a mask when entering the building to drop off their child.

Head Start arrival and departure times will be different than Bullpup preschool times to avoid congestion.

Orange

Red

The same drop off procedures will be followed as in orange.

As we get to higher levels of orange, we may consider having students from Mrs. Altig and Mrs. Chromy’s classrooms go directly into their classrooms instead of being dropped off at the lobby. If this is changed, parents will be notified of this change. masks/face coverings will be required when dropping off students in Mrs. Altig and Mrs. Chromy’s classrooms.

If NPPS, WCDHD, and NDE determine that in-person learning is not safe due to the spread of the coronavirus, classroom, schools, and/ or the district may resort to remote learning as a safe alternative. If this situation occurs, the following will be implemented.

Each preschool classroom will have enough i-pads on hand so that one can be sent home with each student if that class or school has to go to remote learning

While in remote learning , the preschool teacher will teach a group zoom session Student temperatures one time daily. This same may be taken once lesson will be recorded and daily as we get to shared with parents if their higher levels of orange. Child’s child cannot attend at that temperature must be time. The live session will below 100. not be recorded but the same content that was covered during the live session will be recorded and sent out.

Activities will be sent daily for the student to do at

home via See-saw and send back to the teacher.

Hands-on manipulatives will be supplied to families in a bag to add to hands-on activities Big Day for the Pre-K resources and activities will be shared with parents via See-Saw. Breakfast

Breakfast Breakfast will be served in the preschool classroom. Due to Covid, we will not in the serve meals family style because of shared utensils. Staff will serve students at Classroom the table and they will still have to request what they want. served family style

End of the Day

Dismiss in the same way but no masks/face coverings encourage d or required

Restrooms

Same as yellow

Remote Learning

Students will be dismissed at 3:00 pm from the door closest to their classroom. Same as yellow.

Parents will sign out their child via their smartphone or the school’s i-pad. If there is a change in who will be picking up your child, please notify the teacher through the app that is used for signing students in and out. ● Mrs. Henline’s class - Parents will line up in the North parking lot.

Students will be brought out and dismissed into the vehicle of the person picking them up. Parents will not need to leave their vehicles except to buckle in their child.. ● Mrs. Altig & Mrs. Chromy’s Classes - Parents need to park in the cul de sac on West 15th street and walk through the playground to pick up their child at the door to the classroom. Please stagger yourselves from each other when coming to the door and practice social distancing. masks/face coverings are required while picking up your child.

Remote Learning

Classes will be assigned specific restrooms so that we are limiting students Same as yellow being mixed with students from other classrooms. The following restrooms will be designated to these classes in the building: ● Mrs. Henline’s room will utilize the restrooms across from the office in the Hallway. ● Mrs. Altig & Mrs. Chromy’s Classes will utilize the restrooms in their classrooms. ● The Head Start classes will utilize the restrooms in their hallway.

Remote Learning

Students will be required to wear masks/face coverings when in the larger restrooms where there is more than one student in the restroom at a time.

Classroom Routines and Physical arrangement

Classes as normal

Much of the learning and interaction that happens during the preschool day is hands-on and interactive. Playing with toys and interacting with others is key to how students in preschool learn. Preschool students do not spend a lot of time at desks. Therefore, the classroom routines and design will remain relatively the same as in the past. Instead, we will increase our hand-washing and sanitizing as described in that section of this document. Students will participate in large and small group as well as spending time rotating from center to center. Students will be required to wear masks/face coverings to the extent possible for 4-year-olds.

Planned mask breaks will be given when students are spaced out and can take their mask/face covering off for a few minutes to take a break.

Same as yellow

Remote Learning

More tables will be added to the preschool classroom to spread students out during meal time.

The number of students and the amount of toys at each center will be Since there is a possibility that we could go to remote learning for a short time at limited. any point during the year or for a longer period if the community is in red, students will be taught right away how to utilize the i-pads. Students will be taught how to access zoom, See-Saw, and Big Day for the Pre-K in order to be prepared if we go into remote learning.

Extra tables may be added to the room to spread children out while eating.

Masks will be taken off and stored during nap/rest time.

Lunch

Lunch in Lunch for preschool students will be served in the classroom in the same the manner as breakfast. classroom served family style

Lunch in the classrooms.

Remote Learning

Outside Food

Outside No lunch deliveries will be allowed in the buildings. Birthday treats and snacks food will must be pre packaged (store bought- not homemade). These items must be be allowed. brought to the school prior to the beginning of the school day.

Same as yellow.

Remote Learning

Recess/ Playground

Recess as normal.

Students from different classes may

The buffalo playground will have 3 different designated areas on the Recess will continue as Remote Learning playground. Students from each class will be designated to play in a certain area yellow for the day to keep classes separate on the playground. Equipment will be sanitized between use.

This year at Buffalo, we are in the process of adding an Outdoor classroom and this will be one of the areas the students will play in during recess. In an

interact with each other on the playground .

outdoor classroom, students will be given the choice to choose an area to play in that day. These areas will be utilized similarly to how centers are utilized in the classroom. Some of these areas included in this section will be a music and movement area, a block area, a messy area, and a climbing area. Classes will be encouraged to use the outdoor classroom so students are learning while outdoors during this pandemic.

Students will be required to wear masks/face coverings when on the move to recess, but will not have to wear them while outside playing.

Transitions/ Hallways

Passing Students will be required to wear masks/face coverings while in common areas, Same as yellow without such as hallways and restrooms. limitations

Drinking fountain Open and sanitized.

Drinking fountains will be closed. Students are asked/ encouraged to bring water bottles.

Same as yellow

Specials

Classes as normal

Students wash their hands before going to Music. Students are required to wear masks/face coverings in music class to the extent possible for ​4-year-olds with planned mask/face covering breaks if needed when students are properly socially distanced.

Music will continue to Remote Learning be taught in the Music Room. If we move into higher levels of orange, we may consider keeping the students in their preschool classrooms and having the music teacher travel to them.

Any musical items touched by students will be sanitized before the next class.

Disinfecting & Signage

Students will continue to practice good hygiene/sa nitation.

Students will be taught about social distancing and keeping hands to themselves as well as proper hygiene and handwashing. They will be taught about proper mask wearing. Social stories and visuals will be utilized to reinforce these concepts to the preschool students.

Same as yellow except Remote Learning Toys or items that have been shared by students may be sanitized periodically throughout the day and flat surfaces used

Students will be encouraged to wash/sanitize hands on a more regular basis. â– After sharing items â– In between centers

Remote Learning

â– When leaving and entering the classroom â– Before and after eating

will be sanitized more frequently.

Toys or items that have been shared by students will be sanitized daily and flat surfaces used will be sanitized more frequently throughout the day.

Nurse

Continued There will be no nurse on duty at Buffalo Early Learning Center, but one will be Same as yellow support on call as needed. Teachers must call ahead when a student is being brought to the office. If a student has a fever, their parent will be called, and they will be kept in a separate area until their parent can come and get them.

masks/face coverings

optional

Students will be required to wear masks/face coverings to the extent possible for 4 year olds. Planned mask breaks will be given when students are spaced out and can take their masks/face coverings off for a few minutes to take a break. Masks will be taken off and stored during nap/rest time as well as during outdoor time.

Same as yellow.

Remote Learning

Remote Learning

Visitors and Field Visitors will No visitors at this time. There will also not be field trips at this time. Virtual Trips be allowed field trips will be encouraged. and field trips will be held as usual

No visitors or field trips Remote Learning

Class Cancellation

Class continued as normal

Due to a shortage of substitute teachers for the 2020-2021 school year, North Platte Public Schools may have to ask a class to stay home. Families will be notified as soon as possible if this occurrence takes place.

Same as yellow.

Remote Learning

Communication

Communic ation with parents as normal

Communication concerning the pandemic will primarily come from District Same as yellow.

Administration. Please refer to the district webpage for current guidance. There will be communication specific to the Buffalo that will be shared as necessary concerning COVID through email or school messenger calls. At all times, student and staff confidentiality will be honored.

Remote Learning