A Back to School Plan was issued for the Kamsack Comprehensive Institute by the Good Spirit School Division on August 26 and it can be viewed in detail at the KCI website.
The plan says that facilities will ensure that heightened sanitary and hygienic practices are in place land and limits will be placed on mass gatherings. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is mandatory for students in grades 4 to 12 and students in Pre-kindergarten to Grade 3 are encouraged to wear PPE with exceptions to be determined on a case-bay-case basis.
The Division will purchase two reusable non-medical grade masks for each student and staff member, the Plan says. There are limits to school accessibility for parents and community groups and students and staff who are sick are to stay at home.
Following are the regulations for the KCI, which is a grades 5 to 12 facility.
Timetables
Reduce the number of staff members interacting with grade cohorts as much as possible – students stay in cohort classroom and teachers will move.
Interventions will work within the classroom in their cohort.
EA’s will stay with classroom cohorts as much as possible.
School will notify families that there will be staggered entry on September 8 to September 11 as follows: Surname A-J (September 8 and 10), and K-Z (September 9 and 11). Families are to be notified via school messenger and social media. Homeroom teachers will phone families and the administration will provide a script.
KCI will be open to staff from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., but that may change for extracurricular activities. There will be no weekend use.
The library will be used for distance learning.
Arrival and dismissal
Students arrive at 8:45 a.m. and promptly report to their Period 1 class, with no milling in the hallways). There will be encouragement for a staggered drop-off (3:15 p.m. for bus, 3:20 p.m. for town). Grades 5 and 6 exit from the junior playground doors; grades 7 and 8, the south junior doors, and grades 9 to 12, the main entrance.
The school encourages multiple entry and exit points; grades 5 to 8 will use south junior doors and grades 9 to 12 will use the main entrance.
Movement of students
Students must stay within classrooms as much as possible and avoid other areas of the school. Grades 5 to 9 will stay in homeroom configuration, while teachers will move to the class. (Room 10 will be 8B and the resource room has been moved to Room 9).
For recess, grades 5 to 9 teachers will determine a 10-minute break time between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. and between 1:40 p.m. and 2:20 p.m. and will supervise their cohorts; everybody goes outside.
Grades 10 to 12 will follow regular recess bell schedule, stay in classroom cohort or go outside for break.
For lunch, grades 5 to 9 students will have a staggered lunch in classroom, while grades 10 to 12 are encouraged to go home for lunch. Those who stay, will eat lunch in their cohort classroom. Either stay in room or go outside. There will be no microwave use.
Classroom configuration
Teachers will consider the number of materials, furniture, items on walls, etc., given the carrying capacity of the classroom. The room number is to be labeled on furniture for storage. Teachers will declutter their classroom prior to September 8 to support physical distancing.
Classrooms will be arranged with a front facing configuration. The arrangement of the classroom will support physical distancing as best as possible.
Interaction in smaller groups will be supported and large group activity limited. Individual learning activities will be balanced with small group interactions. Teachers must have a seating plan for students to follow.
Instruction
Full Saskatchewan curriculum will be delivered. Student-teacher contact time must be prioritized regardless of the delivery format. Differentiation of instruction will be necessary due to the supplemental learning that occurred. The focus will be on the teaching of outcomes, rather than the amount of time per subject (a cross-curricular approach is recommended).
The focus will be on efficient learning opportunities and approaches that are conducive to flexible groupings and interaction time with teachers. Teachers will continue to explore options for blended learning. Support and professional development from GSSD will be offered. A blended learning approach should be used. Multiple modes of delivery should be considered to accommodate all students (i.e., pencil/paper, technology, asynchronous, synchronous, etc.). Consider land-based learning whenever possible ensuring physical distancing from community members.
GSSD teachers will utilize a platform for online learning and communication with families depending on the grade level and context of the school. Subjects impacted by the physical environment will be delivered if the curriculum can be delivered using an approach that allows for flexible groupings and considers safety.
Assessment
Teachers will use their professional discretion to determine the appropriate assessment practices within the local context. Teachers will follow the GSSD assessment windows outlined in the department calendar, which will take into account that students were engaged in supplemental learning from March to June. GSSD will provide professional development on a variety of assessment methods that consider multiple modes of instruction. Provincial-level assessments will continue. High school final examinations will be suspended during the 2020-21 school year with the exception of Grade 12 Advanced Placement courses.
Reporting
Reporting will occur as per division processes.
Supplies and personal belongings
Mandatory supplies include a personal water bottle and non-medical grade masks. The division will provide two reusable masks per student. Families will be allowed to drop off materials between August 31 and September 4. Lockers will be assigned allowing for an empty one between students or supplies kept in classrooms that have cupboards.
Gym
Besides the school gymnasium, physical education can take place outdoors or in alternate spaces within the school and community, if it is safe to do so in multi-purpose rooms, classrooms, hallways, open spaces, and community facilities.
Learning outdoors should be encouraged as much as possible. Everyone must ensure that proper entry and exit procedures are in place that promotes physical distancing and sanitary actions.
Sharing of equipment is not recommended. Equipment used should be used on a rotational basis that includes proper cleaning and sanitization between student and classroom usage. Clear and standard procedures should be established as to how equipment is used and stored. No use of any equipment that has the potential to be shared among students. Staggered change times for the changing room.
Library
Due to the number of touch surfaces in a school library, students will not be permitted to self-select materials in the library space. Instead, schools can connect students with library materials: students may create request lists or use the Destiny system to place holds on resources which library technicians will deliver to classrooms. Teacher preps can be taken in library following social distancing. Circulation of materials can occur in classrooms using the online program or the Destiny app.
Tech devices, computer labs
Use of hand sanitizer or hand washing is required before and after using a device. Students should have a dedicated device when possible. They may bring a chromebook or laptop from home if they have one. If sharing devices is required, the impact will be minimized by assigning a consistent device to a group of students. Tech devices will be disinfected daily.
Cafeteria, common areas
The guidelines outlined in the Saskatchewan Re-Open plan is to be followed. Limited utilization of cafeteria and common areas based on the carrying capacity – tables and microwaves will be removed. Students eat lunch in cohort classroom and entrance to these areas are to be staggered. Delineation lines are to be utilized with physical distancing spots on the floor. Vending machines are closed as is the Sparty snack shop.
Transitions
The division will provide school administrators with consistent messaging to support all regular and substitute staff as well as students and their families regarding successful school re-entry, pedagogical approaches, any technical requirements, and hygiene practices and procedures needing to be followed.
Schools will conduct planning meetings for students transitioning to the next grade or school and should ensure all students and families are familiar with expectations regarding hygiene practices to be followed while accessing GSSD transportation, upon entering the building, in common spaces within the school, as well as in classrooms.
Student wellbeing
The focus is on minimizing physical contact. Expectations regarding physical distancing will be taught during staggered re-entry. GSSD counsellors will continue to offer mental health support for students experiencing anxiety with their return to school. Mental health supports will be provided for families and students to access from the GSSD website. Students in grades 5 to 12 will wear a mask.
Attendance
Student attendance is mandatory. Schools will monitor daily student attendance using existing protocols and teachers will take morning and afternoon attendance for elementary and period attendance for high school. Attendance should be taken within 10 minutes of class starting. If a student's absence is the result of student compromised immunity or anxiety stemming from COVID-19, the school shall work with the student and family to determine necessary accommodations.
Resources
All school division resources will be cataloged through the library system and circulated through Destiny (i.e., library resources, textbooks, kits, novel sets, and technology).
Isolation room
The two offices adjacent to outer guidance are the designated isolation rooms. The KCI has two designated isolation room people.
