COVID Policy

2020-2021 COVID-19 Plan

The 2019-2020 school year was unprecedented. With the onset and rapid spread of COVID-19, we found ourselves moving to an online model of teaching. While our staff and families were flexible and made the best of the situation, there is no question that it was less than ideal. As we move into the beginning of the new school year, there are still many unknowns and uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus. On July 30, 2020, the state of Minnesota released the “Safe Learning Plan for 2020-2021.” We will be following this plan as it applies to our school situation. This document laid out a process for determining whether schools will be able to meet in-person, use a hybrid in-person/online model, or meet fully online. This document provides our plan for deciding the proper learning model and how this will be implemented. 

Please note that this will be an “organic” plan. We will be closely monitoring the situation, adjusting and modifying the plan as things change or as new information becomes available.

Plan Goals:

  • Prioritize the safety of students and staff
  • Prioritize in-person learning, especially for younger learners
  • Consider infectiousness and transmission risk among different ages
  • Support planning, while permitting flexibility for the school
  • Take into account disease prevalence at a local level (Safe Learning Plan, page 1)

Determining a Safe Learning Model

Our school will be consulting with the Minnesota Conference of SDA Education Department (hereafter referred to as Conference Education Department), our local school district, and local health department as we determine a safe learning model. Which learning model we are using may change as the numbers in our county change. The three potential learning models are described below:

Scenario 1: In-person learning for all students. In this planning scenario, schools should create as much space between students and teachers as is feasible during the day; but will not be held strictly to enforcing 6 feet of social distancing during primary instructional time in the classroom. Activities and extracurricular programming should continue to follow the COVID-19 Prevention Guidance for Youth, Student, and Child Care Programs. This scenario may be implemented if state COVID-19 metrics continue to stabilize and/or improve. (Safe Learning Plan, page 9)

Scenario 2: Hybrid model with strict social distancing and capacity limits. In this planning scenario, schools must limit the overall number of people in school facilities to 50% maximum occupancy. Sufficient social distancing with at least 6 feet between people must occur at all times. If distancing cannot be achieved in a space, the number of occupants must be reduced. Schools must also limit the overall number of people on transportation vehicles to 50% maximum occupancy. Schools must include plans for contactless pick-up and/or delivery of school materials for days that students and staff are not in the school building. This scenario may be implemented if COVID-19 metrics worsen at the local, regional, or statewide level. Scenario 2 may also be implemented within a school if they experience clusters of cases within a classroom or the school. (Safe Learning Plan, page 10) 

Scenario 3: Distance learning only. This scenario may be implemented if local, regional, or statewide COVID-19 metrics worsen significantly enough to require the suspension of in-person learning (Safe Learning Plan, page 10). Online learning for 14 days will be implemented immediately, if a staff member, teacher, or student has tested positive for COVID 19.

 

Number of cases per 10,000 over 14 days, by county of residence

Learning Model

0-9

In-person learning for all students grades 1 - 8

10-19

In-person learning for all students grades 1 - 8

20-49

In-person learning for all students grades 1 - 8

30-49

In-person learning for all students grades 1 - 8

50+

Distance (online) learning for all students

(Adapted from Safe Learning Plan, page 6)

(Safe Learning Plan, page 7)

COVID-19 Program Coordinator

Mr. Carlson will be the COVID-19 Program Coordinator at Stone Ridge SDA Christian School; 115 East Orange Street, Duluth, MN 55811. 

Social Distancing and Minimizing Exposure

  1. Desks at SRCS will be spaced at 6-foot intervals. 
  2. All occupants will be required to travel down the hall, one person at a time.
  3. As far as possible, Recess activities will be limited to those that maintain a 6-foot distance. 

Masking Policy

The Conference Education Department has specified that all schools will abide by the requirements of Executive Order 20-81 regarding the use of face coverings. Cloth masks or face shields will be required of all school occupants.

Hygiene Practices

  1. Students and parents will receive instruction on proper handwashing. 
  2. Frequent, routine handwashing will be implemented and will always take place at the following times: upon arrival, before/after mealtimes, after restroom usage, before dismissal and as needed 
  3. All school rooms have functioning sink with soap dispensers, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes. 
  4. Hands free sanitizer dispensers will be available at the school entrances.
  5. Teachers and staff will perform daily whole-school and classroom sanitizing of high frequency touch areas i.e., desks, chairs, lights, counters tops, doorknobs, handrails, sinks, electronic devices etc. 
  6. Students will have their own classroom supplies at their desk and not share supplies. (When sharing is necessary, supplies will be disinfected in between student use) 
  7. Students, staff, and parents will be provided with instruction for proper mask etiquette, disposal of tissues, and sanitation of face shields. 
  8. To help improve air quality and kill airborne viruses an air purifier will be used in Mr. Carlson’s Classroom.

Cleaning and Materials Handling

  1. All door handles, light switches, tables, and microwaves will be cleaned, daily, with a disinfectant, after school hours. 
  2. Bathrooms will be completely cleaned and sanitized/disinfected with bleach daily, after school hours. 
  3. All tables, desks, seating areas, chairs, handrails, and other high-touch surfaces will be wiped down with a disinfectant that kills 99% of viruses.
  4. These cleaning materials will be stored in the hall closet out of reach of the students. 

Cleaning and Materials Handling of playground Equipment

Guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that outdoor areas like playgrounds in schools and parks generally require normal routine cleaning, but do not require disinfection. Our staff will focus cleaning efforts on plastic or metal high-touch surfaces where hands frequently make direct contact like grab bars and railings between groups of children. (It is not practical to disinfect entire large playground structures, or wooden surfaces and is not proven to reduce risk of COVID- 19 to the public.)

Our staff at SRCS will:

  1. Cleaning playground equipment such as rubber balls, jump ropes, etc. before and after every use.
  2. Educate children about how to care for equipment when they start and end play. 
  3. Label containers for clean, unused playground equipment and for equipment that needs to be cleaned. 

Monitoring and Excluding for Illness

Parents MUST inform Mr. Carlson if their family has had any exposure (or have suspicions of exposure) to COVID 19 as soon as possible.

Dropoff Procedure: Parents will not drive away until all clear sign is given 

  1. Student temperature will be taken; with a temperature of 100.4 and over parents will be asked take their child home.
  2. The following health questions will be asked:

 Have you been around anyone who has COVID? Are you feeling sick today?
 Have you thrown up or had diarrhea lately? Do you have any new fever, chills, cough, sore throat, problems breathing, body aches, head ache or loss of taste or smell?

  • One student at a time will enter the classroom with masks, for their temperature checks 
  • Student will immediately go to a sink and wash their hands for 20 seconds 
  • Temperature checks will be performed twice daily, at arrival and departure, and as needed 
  • A sick room space will be provided in the adjacent classroom for students who begin to show any symptoms of illness. 
  • Parents will need to pick up students immediately after school. 

Handling Suspected or Confirmed Positive Case of COVID-19

Parents MUST inform Mr. Carlson if their family has had any exposure (or have suspicions of exposure) to COVID 19 as soon as possible.

St. Louis County Public Health: 314-615-0600
MN Department Health Disease Control: 651-201-5414 Health.schools.covid19@statemn.us
St. Louis Health Department: 314-615-9700 

Mr. Carlson is the COVID 19 Program Coordinator 

Families will contact him as soon as a student of SRCS test positive for COVID 19 

  • The whole school will move immediately to online learning if a student or staff member test positive for COVID 19 due to the high interconnectivity between grades, staff, and family connections 
  • After 14 days without incident , any new positive test, or new symptoms SRCS will resume in- person 

Online Learning Option

  • Mr. Carlson will offer an online option using pacing contracts 
  • Learning materials will be provided on a non-contact basis
  • Parents are strongly encouraged to provide headphones (with mics) for their students. 

Field trips

Field trips will be suspended until further notice.

Volunteers

Volunteers will be permitted on campus but must follow the same protocol as students.

Guests on Campus

Guests will be permitted on campus but must follow the same protocols as student to enter the school.

References:

Stay Safe MN 2020-2021 Planning Guide for schools

https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/schools/k12planguide.pdf

Stay Safe MN Safe Learning Plan for 2020-2021: A Localized, Data-Driven Approach

    https://mn.gov/covid19/assets/safe-learning-plan_tcm1148-442202.pdf

Safe Learning Plan for the 2020-21 School Year Website

    https://mn.gov/covid19/for-minnesotans/safe-learning-plan/overview.jsp

 

EMERGENCY NUMBERS AND CONTACT INFORMATION:

Phone numbers for Mr. Carlson are (218-387-2553 and 218-722-7535) e-mail contacts are (rudy.carlson@k12.mnsda.com) (stoneridgesda@gmail.com)  (cudyrarlson@gmail.com)... 

 

Phone number for Mrs. Carlson are (218-213-4356 and 218-722-7535) e-mail contact is (rudykay@charter.net). 

 

Phone number for Sara Taffe, school board chairperson, is (218-316-0381) email contact is (sollice1979@gmail.com).

 

Phone number for the Minnesota Conference is (1-763-424-8923)

Phone numbers for James C. Davis, Jr., Education Superintendent Minnesota Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, (C: 269.425.5025) (F: 763.425.9576); e-mail contact is (james.davis@mnsda.org)