Reopening Barre Schools

Letter from the Superintendent

July 31, 2020

Dear students and families,

I am writing to announce our plan to return students to school this fall. Your principals, teachers, administrators and I have been working on our plan to reopen schools since June. We are using guidance from the Agency of Education and the Vermont Department of Health as we make these decisions. With the number of students we have in each of our buildings and the social distancing requirements we must follow, we have decided to reopen schools with a Hybrid Model and a Virtual Learning Model. Your teachers, principals and I recognize that we need to return to full in-person operations as soon as possible. We stand ready to adjust our plans as health guidance and other factors hopefully change in our favor.

I ask that you take the time to review the Reopening Barre Unified Union School District Plan presented in this guide to help you make the choice that is best for your child(ren). We greatly appreciate your understanding and collaboration. Please don't hesitate to contact me or your school’s principal with any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

David Wells
Superintendent

Option #1: Hybrid Model
Option #2: Full-time Virtual Learning

Option #1: Hybrid Model

To start the school year, the Barre Unified Union School District will open in a hybrid learning model that includes both in-person and remote learning.

Students will be broken into one of two groups with each attending in-person classes two days a week and learning remotely three days a week.
The district is making every effort to group families together whenever possible.
Students across all grades will be learning remotely on Wednesdays. We will use this day to offer individualized support to students, allow our faculty and staff to engage in professional planning and learning as needed, and to allow our custodial team the flexibility to provide a mid-week clean of our buildings with fewer people inside.
A mailing has been sent out to preschool families offering a placement into one of two sessions. This mailing also describes this program and associated deadlines.

Please be aware that the following group assignments are preliminary and are subject to change based on additional unforeseen guidance from the Vermont Agency of Education, Vermont Department of Health or as necessary to best support the health and safety of our students and employees and the operational needs of our district.

For Students in Grades K-8 at BCEMS & BTMES

Students with last names starting with the letters A - K will be assigned to Group A and will attend school in-person on Monday and Tuesday (hours 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM) and will engage in remote learning on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Students with last names starting with the letters L - Z will be assigned to Group B and will attend school in-person on Thursday and Friday (hours 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM) and engage in remote learning on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
If you would like to request a waiver for your student to be re-assigned to the other group, please indicate this request on the BUUSD Reopening Choice Form. We will honor these requests to the greatest extent possible, but cannot guarantee enrollment in a particular group.

For SHS Students in Grades 9-12

Students with last names starting with the letters A - K will attend school in-person on Monday and Thursday (Classes from 8:15 AM to 11:25 AM) and will engage in remote learning on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Students will be assigned to specific groups on these days related to their course of studies.
Students with last names starting with the letters L - Z will attend school in-person on Tuesday and Friday (Classes from 8:15 AM to 11:25 AM) and will engage in remote learning on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Students will be assigned to specific groups on these days related to their course of studies.
If you would like to request a waiver for your student to be re-assigned to the other group, please indicate this request on the BUUSD Reopening Choice Form. We will honor these requests to the greatest extent possible, but cannot guarantee enrollment in a particular group.

For CVCC Students

Students attending the Central VT Career Center will participate in in-person sessions:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:22 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. with Wednesdays being slated for remote learning, additional planning time and full building cleaning.
We are able to have all students participate each day due to being able to meet social distancing requirements.
We ask that no students drive (parking will not be available on campus until further notice) and only ride the busses or get dropped off by parents in order to be pre-screened and allow for a quicker entry into the building and into classes. Please plan to enter the main CVCC Entrance. Any student who drives themselves will need to go through the screening process each morning upon arrival.
Our fully remote option is available to families who wish to participate, please call 476-6237, ext. 1138 for more information or email Penny Chamberlin at pchamcvcc@buusd.org. This option will be supervised by our Online Teaching Specialist and STEM Educator in collaboration with Program Instructors. Every CVCC student will be provided a Chromebook for their use during remote learning sessions.
See our website at cvtcc.org for additional information and please read this document in its entirety to understand our opening of school protocols.

Arrival and Transportation

Before entering our school buildings or riding the bus all students and staff will have their temperature taken. Any individuals determined to have a fever will be sent home immediately. Parents/caregivers must plan for this scenario and be available to pick up their child if required.
We are encouraging families who can transport their children to do so. This will allow for better distancing on the bus for those families who rely on district transportation. We are evaluating the traffic flow at all of our buildings to better handle the increased car traffic.
Students riding the bus will be required to wear a facial covering. They will use hand sanitizer before boarding and will be assigned a seat. All buses will be cleaned and disinfected before and after every route.
To protect students’ safety and provide for more orderly temperature taking, students will enter and exit each building through assigned entry points.

Facial Coverings and Distancing

The AOE is requiring all students, staff, to wear facial coverings. We recommend that families use this summer to try out some different styles of facial coverings so they can begin to identify which works best for their child. Facial coverings will be available for those who have not brought their own.
For grades PK-8, Facial coverings may be removed when eating, drinking, and outside so long as students and staff are able to maintain 6 feet of physical distance.
Individually-packed student meals for grades PK-8 will be served in classrooms.
For high school students, individually-packed student meals will be available to take home at dismissal time.
Classroom seating will be adapted to accommodate physical distancing to the best extent possible.
There will not be any indoor assemblies that bring students together in a large group.

Hygiene and Cleaning

Students and staff will be frequently reminded about the importance of proper handwashing. We will place hand sanitizer units throughout our buildings and ensure all of our bathrooms are properly stocked with soap and paper towels. Signage will be placed throughout the buildings to reinforce good hygiene practices.
The entire building will undergo enhanced cleaning and disinfection on a regular basis. Frequently-touched surfaces will be cleaned often.

Classrooms

Classroom seating will be configured with maximum allowable space between students and whenever possible, desks and tables will face the same direction.
Employees will modify instructional plans to reduce student contact, sharing of materials or equipment and maintain appropriate social distancing to the greatest extent possible.

Personal Items

The borrowing and sharing of any items will be restricted.
The use of personal reusable water bottles will be encouraged.

Outdoor Time (K-8)

Facial coverings will not be required outside, as long as 6 feet of distance can be maintained at all times.
Playground equipment will remain closed and shared equipment such as balls and jump ropes will not be used.
Students will be prompted to wash their hands before and after recess.

Visitors and Field Trips

In an effort to strictly limit the number of visitors into our buildings, we will not be allowing classroom volunteers or visitors.
There will be no field trips.

Public Use of School Buildings

All school buildings will be open to employees, students, service providers, and essential vendors ONLY. The buildings will remain closed to the public.

What Learning Will Look Like on the 3 Remote Days

What makes these remote days different from this past spring is students are connecting with their teacher(s) and receiving direct instruction in person two days a week. This will allow for more focused and intentional follow up and continued learning on the key content areas and skills taught during their in person days.
These three remote learning days will be primarily asynchronous, meaning the lessons are available for students to access on their own time and at their own pace, since the teacher will be engaged in-person instruction with the other half of their class.
Remote learning lessons will include both offline learning opportunities (eg. books and paper) and digital instruction such as pre-recorded videos and online activities.
Students will be expected to use common digital platforms (such as Google Classroom or Seesaw) to access much of their remote learning.
To facilitate both in-person instruction and remote learning concurrently, teachers will use most of Wednesday, the fully remote day, to plan. However, they will be available to answer questions or to support students as needed and may lead some optional synchronous or “live” activities

Option #2: Full-time Virtual Learning

August 9th - Virtual Learning Sign-up Deadline

As parents and caregivers, you have a choice when it comes to your child’s education. For families with additional health concerns, or those not yet comfortable in sending their children to school in person, the district is preparing to offer a full-time remote learning option, also known as virtual learning.

For your student to enroll in this option, we ask that our families be aware and willing to commit to the following.

Participating in virtual schooling will require significant parent or caregiver oversight, especially for students in younger grades.
Students enrolled in virtual learning will continue to receive special education services online through the district.
Attendance, grading, and workload requirements will be consistent with in-person classes.
Dates will be set for supply pickup so that students can receive any technology, textbooks or other supplies necessary to engage in virtual learning.
School meals will be available for pick up at the school with the possibility of some delivery service. More information on meals will be available soon.

Grades K-8 Virtual Learning Information

Virtual learning will be facilitated by BUUSD.
Daily attendance is required and will be noted through participation in an online classroom activity.
Students enrolled in virtual learning will be provided similar content and have the same amount of school work as those attending school in person.
Virtual learning will be taught by a small team of BUUSD teachers. Details will be determined after we know how many students register and from what grades.
Based on how many families elect to receive virtual learning, classes may be grouped across grade levels and across Barre City and Barre Town Schools.
Learning will be mostly asynchronous, meaning lessons will be set ahead of time and/or prerecorded. Students and families would manage their own schedule for learning. There will be synchronous or “live” opportunities for teachers and students to interact. Teachers will have a daily presence through Google Meet.
Although families will set their own learning schedules, the time commitment of virtual learning will mirror a typical school day using a balance of offline (books and paper) and digital instruction.
Daily and weekly social-emotional learning lessons will be embedded in the curriculum to support the unique needs students are facing during this pandemic.
As with students learning in-person, students enrolled in virtual learning will be assessed using BUUSD assessment and grading practices.
A full year commitment to virtual learning is strongly encouraged, with only extenuating circumstances being considered for unenrolling.

Grades 9-12 Virtual Learning Information

We will accommodate students and families that select full virtual learning. Because of the nature of our courses, content areas and licensures, we anticipate accommodating students to the best of our ability through regularly scheduled courses and curriculum. As we get more demands, we might adjust groupings (for example, if enough students need remote English, they are clustered and assigned to a “class”). There may be some courses that students may not be able to access in the full virtual option.
Students will continue to be connected to Spaulding High School (SHS) and they will maintain access and contact with their SHS teachers, guidance counselor, and/or case manager.
Students are expected to stay on pace with how their teacher has outlined the learning tasks, regardless of being fully virtual or hybrid.
Teachers will clearly communicate around learning tasks and due dates.
Teachers are available during scheduled office hours and by appointment. Students are encouraged to contact their teacher when there is a need of any kind. Teachers regularly are in communication with students and their parents.

CVCC Virtual Learning Information

CVCC’s STEM Educator and Online Teaching Specialist will be leading our virtual option.
Students will be expected to attend online sessions 2X per week and work the balance of the week on content and projects approved by CVCC Faculty. A journal/log and E- Portfolio entries will also be required.
All students will be required to complete an online safety course/content and pass those assessments before starting on projects.
Students need to understand that this virtual option will not be the same experience as attending in person instruction at the Center.
If a student would like to return to CVCC for face to face instruction, they will need to notify the Director, Penny Chamberlin and School Counseling Coordinator, Stefanie Seng to create a plan. Call 802-476-6237 for more information.

Support Services

For students who are eligible for special education, case managers will be reaching out to families in late August to collaborate on updating IEP's as necessary.
Special Education Evaluations that were unable to be completed due to school closure will be completed as quickly as possible once school resumes.
At this time all IEP, evaluation, and team meetings will continue to be held virtually.
If a family is unable to meet virtually, the team will determine alternative meeting arrangements and modalities.
Students who have underlying chronic medical conditions will have their individual needs assessed by a collaborative team including the school nurse.
BUUSD employees working with students who require instruction or related services that involve hands-on work or other interventions in close proximity may wear personal protective equipment (PPE) in order to keep themselves and the students safe. This could include gowns, gloves, face shields, and other necessary PPE.

Health & Safety

When someone is sick

Any individual who shows any signs or symptoms of illness must stay home.
Parents are encouraged to contact their school nurse if their child is home ill with any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19. Individuals should not return to school unless they are fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication and have consulted with their school nurse.
Students and employees with any of the following new symptoms, unrelated to chronic conditions, of COVID-19 must remain home:
- Cough
- Fatigue
- Fever or chills
- Headache
- Known close contact with a person who has been diagnosed with COVID-19
- Measured temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or greater
- Nausea or vomiting
- New loss of taste or smell
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- or Sore throat.
Any student or employee who begins to exhibit COVID-19 like symptoms must report to the school nurse immediately.
Isolation rooms have been identified in all schools for individuals demonstrating COVID-19 symptoms.
The school nurse will assess the student and call a family member when it is appropriate to request that the child be picked up immediately.
If a student or employee has symptoms of COVID-19 and has had a test, they should rest at home and not come to school until they receive their results.

Cases of COVID-19

If someone tests positive for COVID-19

Any individual who tests positive for COVID-19 or who shows any signs or symptoms of illness must stay home to recover and protect others from getting sick.
The Vermont Department of Health (VDH) is notified whenever someone tests positive for COVID-19 in Vermont. The VDH will call their school or workplace to follow up with next steps.
The school nurse and/or school administration will contact any individuals who test positive for COVID-19 to advise them on necessary steps and procedures to be followed before their return to school.
The state does not require complete school closure due to a positive COVID-19 test. However, entire classrooms, building wings, and/or bus routes may be impacted. Decisions about closures will be made based on guidance from the AOE.
- All areas used by an ill person will be closed off and not used until after cleaning and disinfecting.
- When necessary and deemed appropriate, the district will communicate with staff and families to provide general information about the situation. However, information released will be limited as it is critical to maintain confidentiality.

Quarantine Situations

If an individual student is required to quarantine, they will be provided the option to transition into remote learning, if physically able, and those days will not be counted as absences.
If a classroom or multiple classrooms are required to quarantine due to a positive test, impacted students will transition into remote learning during the quarantine period. If a student is physically able to participate, those days will not be counted as absences.

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