The ConVal reopening committees released the variety of reopening measures they were considering in advance of the district announcing its detailed plan for fall classes at the start of August. The 50 page reopening framework document details the range of options and considerations the district’s seven reopening committees have considered, and the eventual back to school plan will draw on those options, Superintendent Kimberly Rizzo Saunders said. The district plans to release a detailed reopening plan during the first week of August, which guides stakeholders through a whole day at school and explains, in detail, what classes, bus rides, and staff activities look like under the plan’s COVID-19 prevention protocol, she said.
The framework document includes considerations and recommendations for each of three scenarios: all remote learning, a “hybrid” combination of remote and on-site instruction, and fully on-site instruction with safety precautions in place. The district could jump between scenarios in any order depending on public health guidance and the progression of COVID-19 in New Hampshire as well as locally, according to the document.
Notable highlights from the wellness committee include creating an isolation room for students determined to be ill at school, separating well children seeking regularly administered medications from potentially sick children, and reimagining recess to provide social opportunities without increasing the risk of virus transmission.
Many instruction committee recommendations include modifications to the all-remote learning scenario. Ideas include providing limited access to campus for specific elements of a class or course, face-to-face instruction for small groups of students having difficulty with all-remote instruction, which would be facilitated by a school professional other than a classroom teacher, improving the attendance policy, and developing programs for students in greater need of “learning recovery,” including summer learning, extended day, and after school programs. The committee also discussed what to do in case of extreme staff shortages, where students might need to be reassigned.
In the high school, the committee is considering options to retain upperclassmen with few remaining required credits, including devising ways to count certain elective credits towards related core subjects.
The operations committee considered serving lunch in cafeterias with physical distancing and other restrictions under the hybrid instruction option, and intended to continue offering lunches to remote students as feasible. Student cohorts could be kept together throughout every day to minimize mixing, and classroom resources, student supplies, and belongings are recommended to be kept separate, minimizing sharing. Athletics, school plays and other assemblies would be suspended if remote learning continues. Contact tracing within the constraints of privacy and CDC protocols is under consideration.
In the event of continued remote learning, the technology committee is considering more mobile hotspot purchases and outreach to improve families’ home networks. More outdoor WiFi is a possibility under the hybrid schooling module, as is improving the capacity to stream classroom lessons. Expanded use of student personal phones is up for consideration in order to minimize shared tools, like printers and telephones if school resumes in person.
The facilities committee wrote that the personal protective equipment expectations for faculty and students is to be determined, but hybrid or in-person learning could involve temperature or other screening on arrival, based on public health guidance. Traffic patterns in hallways could be changed to aid in keeping recommended physical distances. The committee considered upgrading all HVAC filters to improve indoor air quality, and determined it would cost $81,000 to install i-Wave ionization technology in all school buildings.