QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Health Q & As

Q: How has the school determined that it is safe to return to school in August? A: The school administration has been in close communication with school agencies such as the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Council of Independent Schools, as well as closely monitoring recommendations from a variety of governmental agencies and medical experts. Additionally, the global statistics show that this virus is much less likely to be transmitted to and between students and when virus transmission does occur the illness is minimal in people under the age of 24. Finally, over 20 countries around the world have successfully opened schools for several months now. SCS has the advantage of learning from those school’s plans and we can modify our plans based on the successes and failures of those global school reopenings. Based on this data, we are confident that our reopening plan is a great opportunity to offer an exceptional education to our students while maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment.

Q: Will the school be taking temperatures at school? A: SCS is asking that parents take the temperature of each student prior to arriving at school each morning, in addition to completing a general health screening of their child. We hope that this will greatly reduce the volume of sick children on campus. Student temperatures may be checked at any time by an authorized school employee in the school office or the health clinic. If a child is sent home with a temperature of a hundred degrees or greater or other COVID related symptoms, the school will follow the recommendations of the child’s doctor and the county health department. If a child has a fever or other symptoms that are unrelated to COVID, the school will follow the normal 72-hour return to school policy and may require a doctor’s note.

Q: What happens if a child or adult tests positive for COVID-19 in any classroom? A: The student/employee will be required to stay home for at least 10 days from when the symptoms started. The specific date of return to school will be determined by the medical professionals involved in the case. Additionally, the school will notify the county health department of positive tests in our school community and will follow the health departments requirements, which includes determining if any contacts in the setting need to self-isolate at home for 14 days and if additional contact testing is recommended.

Q: Is it possible that the school will return to remote learning? A: While this is not our desire, there may be times where sections of the school will need to transition to a short-term virtual learning setup based on the health conditions of a specific school section or grade level. The school would only fully transition to a long-term virtual model, if mandated by a state or federal executive order.

Q: Are students required to have up-to-date immunizations? A: The SCS immunization guidelines have not changed. We will continue to follow the guidelines provided by the State of Florida.

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Q: My child has an underlying health condition; how will the school accommodate him/her? A: Our teachers and administrators will work closely with the student and their family to create a unique learning plan for the student. This may allow for modified class expectations, the ability to learn from home, creative attendance requirements, etc. These plans will be created on a case-by-case basis.

Q: What is the health screening process for faculty and staff? A: All faculty and staff members are required to perform daily health screenings at home before coming to school. The guidelines can be found on page 11. Employees will also attend specific school reopening training prior to the beginning of the school year.

Daily School Q & As

Q: Is the school planning to change any of the dates from the published 2020-21 School Calendar? A: No. It is the school’s intention to begin the year as scheduled on August 11th and continue with all regularly planned events and holiday vacations.

Q: How will morning arrival operate? A: Students will be dropped off at the regular carpool locations. Pre-kindergarten and lower elementary arrival procedures may have different parent drop-off plans that will be communicated by the teacher. Teachers will greet students at the door and conduct an informal health screening as the students enter the classroom. The students will be reminded about the importance of appropriate distancing and regular hand washing.

Q: How will afternoon departure operate? A: Students who drive themselves will be dismissed to the student parking areas, distancing themselves appropriately, for their departure from campus. Students being picked up from school will report to the specified student pick-up areas with the assistance of the adults on duty. While waiting for rides, the students will distance themselves appropriately. If the specific drop-off areas make appropriate distancing difficult, then face coverings will be required.

Q: Are parents allowed on campus? A: Parents will only be allowed in the school administrative offices and face coverings must be worn upon entering the building. Meetings with teachers must be scheduled in advance with specific locations and established protocols. Until further notice, parents and visitors will not be able to enter campus during regular school hours without a preapproved purpose. Virtual meetings between parents, employees, or vendors will be encouraged.

Q: How will the school enforce appropriate distancing and the use of face coverings? A: Enforcement will occur through a combination of visual reminders posted around campus, self-discipline, and reminders from faculty and staff. Safety guidelines will be routinely shared with students via in-class reminders and with

technology. The school will have class discussions about the nature of community building and the shared

responsibility of helping each other stay healthy. The school will emphasize caring for others. The practice of healthy school day routines will

assist all of us in navigating this difficult time.

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Q: Will faculty and staff be required to wear face coverings? A: Faculty and staff are always encouraged to wear face coverings but will only be required to wear face coverings when appropriate distancing cannot safely occur.

Q: How will restroom protocol work? A: The Facilities Team and other employees will be cleaning restrooms and other hard surface/high traffic areas a regular basis. New hand washing signage will be posted in all restrooms. Hand sanitizer stations will be placed throughout the campus to assist in improved cleanliness. If there are teacher concerns about appropriate distancing during class restroom breaks, then face coverings will be required.

Q: How will standardized testing work this year? A: SCS plans to administer a modified ASPIRE test for all students in grades 3-11 during the first quarter of the school year to determine learning gaps that may have occurred due to the nature of a disrupted previous spring semester. The full ASPIRE test will be given in the spring which will allow for excellent student growth data. Additionally, student in grades 8-12 will be involved in taking other standardized tests such as the PSAT and the SAT. Students will be able to take the PSAT and SAT on campus this year on dates which will be published shortly.

Q: How will lunches work? A: Elementary students will eat lunch in their classrooms or at specified outdoor locations. MS/HS students will eat lunch in two sections – one outside of the gymnasium and the other in the upstairs breezeway area of the two-story classroom building. Specific eating area assignments will be determined by the principals. The SCS food service program will be offering lunches and snacks again this year although selections may be limited to enhance student health and safety. Appropriate distancing and hand sanitizing will be required for MS/HS students who are using school microwaves or purchasing food items.

Q: Will student community service requirements still be enforced? A: Yes. Service to others is a core part of the SCS mission. Days of service and individual service requirements will still be a part of the SCS experience. Principals may modify the number of required hours, the allowance of new service opportunities and the deadlines for the completion of service hours.

Q: Will the school have capacity limits at group gatherings such as chapel or athletic events? A: Assemblies and especially chapel are an important part of the fulfilling the mission of SCS. The school will work to create as much student distancing as possible in the gymnasium, but this may be difficult depending on the numbers of students involved. If appropriate distancing is going to be difficult, then face coverings may be required. SCS will follow the recommendations of the Florida Department of Education and the FHSAA in determining procedures for hosting indoor athletic contests which may include the limiting of guests in the gym and the mandatory use of face coverings.

Q: Are there any changes to the fall athletics programs or calendar? A: The starting date for the fall sports season has not yet been finalized. The SCS Athletic Department will publish this information, when it is available. The SCS athletic teams have been working together all summer, following the SCS Athletic Department safe workout plans and the administration is excited to share that we have not had any COVID related issues involving our student-athletes.

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Q: What are the extra safety precautions being put in place for athletic teams? A: SCS plans to conduct our sports programming in the safest way possible. Students are asked to attest to a health screening as they enter the playing area and are asked to wash their hands prior to participation. The teams will play in small groups whenever possible and appropriate distancing will occur as allowed by the specific activity. The playing area and equipment being used will be cleaned on a regular basis. Any athletes experiencing any sort of COVID related symptom will be removed from the playing area immediately. Athletes are encouraged to wash their practice/game uniforms immediately following each use, shower immediately following a practice/game, and only drink from a new disposable cup or from their own water bottle.

Q: Are there any plans for SCS athletics or alternative scenarios if the current middle or high school seasons are altered? A: SCS believes that athletic competition is an essential part of our educational training as it teaches many life skills and gives opportunities for physical health, spiritual growth, and training in the areas of leadership and service. As a result, SCS will make every effort to offer all regular sports programs and will create alternative schedules whenever possible should our typical sports season be changed in a way that is beyond our control.

Q: What are the extra safety precautions being put in place for the performing arts? A: Choir will utilize larger spaces and potential outdoor areas to allow for greater distance between students. Classes involving musical instruments will typically use instruments that are issued to specific students and will not be shared. When instruments must be shared between students then a specific cleaning process will be used that enhances student safety and does not damage the instruments between each use. Art classes will minimize the use of shared equipment/supplies and enhanced cleaning processes will be used between groups.

Q: What will the PE program look like? A: Traditional PE classes will be scheduled with appropriate distancing and the health of the students as our top priority. Class activities may be modified to focus on individual fitness and activities that can be done as individuals or in small groups. PE classes will be held outside as weather permits.

Q: Will students still take field trips? A: Field trips are a valuable way to integrate classroom learning in a real world and practical setting. Thus, they are an important part of the educational process at SCS. This year, all field trips will be closely analyzed by the school administration to determine if the trip can be safely managed. Field trips may be left intact, modified, delayed to a later date, or canceled based solely upon the determination of the school administration. If parents are uncomfortable sending their child on a particular field trip, then an alternative learning activity will be assigned in lieu of participating on the trip.

Q: How will safety and emergency drills be handled in a physically distanced format? A: The school will follow the existing safety and emergency protocols found in the Crisis Response manual. As a result of physical distancing requirements, the students will wear face coverings and some drills may be held in a shortened format, or may be replaced with a class discussion or video format. The faculty and staff will be trained for an actual emergency response during the August In-Service Training Days.

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With one mind and one voice… -Romans 15:6