During declared health emergencies, the District will implement policies and procedures consistent with applicable Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Florida Department of Health (FDOH) guidance. In addition, as applicable, the District will consult with and comply with applicable local health department protections. Requirements and procedures established by the District in response to an emergency affecting the health safety and welfare of our students and staff will take precedence over provisions of the Parent/Student Handbook when necessary and until the emergency has ended. Due to circumstances related to the COVID-19 public health emergency, Miami-Dade County Public Schools may need to alter or suspend select in-person operations to protect the health and safety of its students, employees, and their families. Please refer to http://reopening.dadeschools.net/index.html to find updated information regarding the District’s reopening plan. The following procedures and guidelines are applicable to student attendance in brick and mortar buildings during Stage II reopening.
Arrival Procedures During Stage II
Children, parents and visitors are always required to maintain the maximum amount of social distancing possible during arrival. No one should congregate in large groups. Two entrances in the front of the building will be utilized. Before school, students will be welcomed into the cafeteria and the outdoor covered patio where there will be areas supervised by security staff until the bell rings to go to class. Breakfast will be served in the cafeteria from 8:30 to 9:00 AM. Grab and go bags will be available for all students. Students and staff will wear mandatory IDs at all times.
Dismissal Procedures During Stage II
Curbside pickup parking and dismissal options will be made available for parents to call and pick up students without having to come into the office. Unsupervised students will be relocated to YMCA afterschool care room and referred for administrative follow-up. Three (3) points of exit have been identified. Dismissal procedures will be explained via training videos posted on social media outlets, as well as during the morning announcements by the principal.
Breakfast/Lunch During Stage II
Breakfast will be served in the cafeteria from 8:30 to 9:00 AM. Both breakfast and lunch will be served in grab and go bags. Starting January 2021, all meal accountability will be touchless (student ID scanning) and cashless.
Multiple areas have been identified for lunch and breakfast dining: Cafeteria, covered patio, outdoor picnic tables, as space permits. We have developed 4 waves of lunches averaging no more than 250 students per wave. Lunch times will be staggered. Cafeteria flow and social distancing seating has been labeled in all dining areas. Multiple hand sanitizing stations have been installed in all dining areas. Dining areas will be sanitized between lunches.
Before/After School Care During Stage II
YMCA Before School Available from 7:00 Am – 9:00 AM in a large oversized classroom with its own separate building entrance and exterior door. YMCA provides security and 3 staff members. Anyone interested in enrolling their child should contact the YMCA directly at 305-357-4000.
School Transitions
All MDCPS schools have put procedures in place to limit large group gatherings. Signage has been placed throughout every campus to remind students of the expectations to promote the safest learning environment possible. When transition between classrooms is necessary schools have developed a plan of either one way or two-lane hallways depending on school design and need. School staff will monitor transitions to ensure students are maintaining maximum social distancing and wearing face coverings. Parents should remind students of the need to comply with school procedures to ensure their safety as well as their classmates.
School custodial staff will perform routine environmental cleaning or regular cleaning for most surfaces. School site custodial procedures have been adjusted to increase the frequency of sanitizing high-touch areas with hospital-grade germicide throughout the day. Upon the end of each day, custodial teams will sanitize all areas of the campus in preparation for the next day of learning.
Duty to Report Symptoms
If anyone in the student’s household in is diagnosed with COVID-19, parents/guardians must report that exposure to the school(s). The school will consult with the public health department to assess what precautions should be taken, including but not limited to, asking your student to stay home from school for fourteen (14) days in order to protect the school community. This is a precaution, and the school will work with you to keep your student engaged and current on all schoolwork to the extent possible during the fourteen (14) day period.
Daily Pre-Arrival Health Screening
Before coming to school in the morning, students and parents should assess whether the student has any symptoms of COVID-19. At this time, those symptoms include: a fever over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit; cough; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; fatigue; muscle or body aches; headache; new loss of taste or smell; sore throat; congestion or runny nose; nausea or vomiting; or diarrhea. If a student develops any of these symptoms, the symptoms should be reported to the school and discussed prior to the student reporting to school.
While the District will not be taking temperature checks on-site at this time, the school will rely on the students, staff, and families to report accurate information for the safety of all the other families affected throughout the District.
All information provided will be kept confidential as required by law, except to the extent that it is necessary to advise or protect staff and other students from transmission of the virus.
If you have symptoms or are diagnosed with COVID-19, or a family member residing in your household tests positive for COVID-19, your student may be required to stay home until they can be tested or receive medical clearance indicating they do not have COVID-19 and can safely return to school.
Expectations of All Students at School
General:
1. Stay home if sick.
2. Sanitize hands with hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol upon entering the building.
3. Wash hands frequently or use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
4. Avoid touching face and eyes.
5. Wash/sanitize hands after touching or removing facial covering.
6. Limit use of shared objects, such as physical education equipment, playground equipment, art supplies, toys, and games. Shared objects will be cleaned after each use.
7. Bring personal water bottles with water. Water fountains will be turned off and hydration stations will be made available for refills.
8. Follow all directions provided by teachers or administrators for the safety of the school community. It is especially important that students stay in the classrooms and spaces
Face Coverings and Social Distancing:
1. All persons must maximize physical distancing to the extent possible under the circumstances.
2. All persons must wear facial coverings that cover both the mouth and nose when on school board property, at a school board activity, or riding a bus or in other approved transportation. Students and children over 2 years of age are expected to come to school each day with their personal face coverings. However, quality facial coverings will be available for distribution to students in case of emergency or to reduce stigma where necessary. Students are responsible for their own personal property and face coverings should be stored appropriately. If your child needs a face covering, please contact your child’s principal.
3. Facial coverings must be made from a minimum of double layer cloth and be snug fitting to cover both the nose and mouth. Facial coverings should not include any type of exhalation valves or vents or masks designed as a costume.
4. It is recommended to have two face coverings available each day in case one face covering becomes unfit for use. Under no circumstances should student share or swap facial coverings. To learn more about appropriate face covering use and the types of face coverings recommended for use in schools, please review pages 28 and 29 of the District’s Reopening Guide Reopening Guide-English
5. All student facial coverings must meet the requirements of the Code of Student Conduct and Policy 5511, Dress Code and School Uniform. Face coverings are apparel/accessory and must not include obscene, profane, drug-related, gang-related, or inflammatory messages or pictorial graphics. Face coverings which include inappropriate language that could be perceived as offensive, derogatory, threatening, or intimidating are strictly prohibited. Repeated display of such face coverings will constitute disciplinary measures as outlined in the Code of Student Conduct.
6. Refusal to wear a face covering after directed to comply by an authority figure will constitute defiance of school personnel and/or disruptive behavior pursuant to the Code of Student Conduct. Continuous refusal to comply may result in a student being assigned to online or remote learning. Developmental ages and intellectual, developmental, and behavioral disabilities must be duly considered by the principal, as appropriate.
7. Students participating in extracurricular activities, such as athletics, musical or theatrical performances, where the wearing of facial coverings is not practicable or may create a health risk, will be directed by their teacher, coach, or advisor as to when facial coverings may be removed during the activity such as swimming or high intensity activities where breathing may be more difficult. However, students must continue to follow maximum social distancing and all other safety procedures in place for the activity and must resume wearing the facial covering when directed to do so.
8. Exemptions from the use of facial coverings must be requested directly to the school principal. Supporting documentation for the any exemption will be required. Students who have difficulty breathing, or sensory issues arising from a documented medical or psychological issue, or students who have communication issues and may require the teacher or service provider to see their mouth, may request an exemption from the Principal. If appropriate, they may be asked to wear a clear facial covering or face shield. Face shields must wrap around the sides of the wearer’s face and extend below the chin. Documentation from a medical provider must be on file and reviewed by staff before a student will be excused from this facial covering requirement.
Facial coverings should not be required for anyone who is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the facial covering without assistance.
Student Illness at School
If a student becomes ill or exhibits symptoms of COVID-19 while at school, the student will be separated from other students and staff to the designated space identified as the school’s Isolation Room. While in the Isolation Room, the student will be monitored by school staff. Students must be picked up by a parent/guardian after initial illness identification. The District will contact parents/guardians and, if needed, the student’s emergency contacts. Parents/guardians and/or emergency contacts will be informed of the importance of the student being picked up for the safety of the student and others.
Return to School
1. Students presenting with general illness symptoms that are non-COVID related will need to remain home until they are symptom-free without the use of medication for 24 hours.
2. Students presenting with COVID-like symptoms, but no known COVID contact, are required to remain home until they receive a negative COVID test OR are fever-free without the use of medication for 24 hours AND have improved symptoms.
3. Students presenting with COVID-like symptoms, and have a known COVID contact, are required to remain home until they are cleared from isolation or quarantine by a medical professional AND they are fever free without the use of medication for 24 hours AND have improved symptoms.
Parents and other Visitors
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, visitor access will be limited and restricted to the main office. Visitors are not permitted to enter any District buildings under the following conditions:
1. The individual has any of the following symptoms: a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher; shortness of breath; cough; loss of taste or smell; muscle aches; weakness; chills; nausea; vomiting; or any other symptoms of COVID-19;
2. The individual has tested positive for COVID-19;
3. The individual has been exposed to someone with symptoms of COVID-19;
4. The individual has been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
Any visitors that are permitted to enter District buildings will be subject to screening, must wear a face covering and adhere to all District guidelines contained at MDCPS Reopening Website, CDC, FDOH, and local health department guidelines.