Communication/Family and Community Engagement
To help inform our reopening plan, the district sought feedback and input from stakeholders, including administrators, faculty, staff, students, parents/guardians of students, local health department officials and health care providers and employee unions. Engagement efforts included online surveys, virtual forums/meetings and one-on-one conversations.
The district remains committed to communicating all elements of this reopening plan to students, parents and guardians, staff and visitors. The plan is available to all stakeholders via the district website at https://www.gufs.org/, and will be updated throughout the school year, as necessary, to respond to local circumstances. Every effort has been made to ensure that the plan is accessible to all individuals in accordance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level A/AA. The plan can also be translated into other languages via the G-Translate feature on the district website.
As part of its planning for the reopening of schools and the new academic year, the district has developed a plan for communicating all necessary information to district staff, students, parents/guardians, visitors and education partners and vendors.
The district is committed to ensuring that all of its students and their families are taught and re-taught new expectations related to all public health policies and protocols. As part of this continuous training, the district will assess the best approach to communicating the information for each students’ age group and will provide frequent opportunities for students to review these policies and protocols. This targeted education will help ensure that all students and their families know what is expected of them as they successfully return to the school setting. These trainings will cover:
Hand hygiene: Video Tutorial
Proper face covering procedures (how to wear and remove): Video Tutorial
Social distancing: Ensure that social distancing (of at least 6ft. or a physical barrier) is maintained between individuals while in school facilities and on school grounds, including the cafeteria, unless safety or the core activity (e.g. moving equipment, traveling in common areas) requires a shorter distance or individuals are of the same household. Individuals must wear acceptable face coverings; excluding students who are unable to medically tolerate a face covering.
Respiratory hygiene: Use a daily screening questionnaire for faculty and staff reporting to school; and periodically use a questionnaire for students, particularly younger students, who may require the assistance of their parent/legal guardian to answer. The questionnaire should determine whether the individual has: a) Knowingly been in close or proximate contact in the past 14 days with anyone who has tested positive through a diagnostic test for COVID-19 or who has or had symptoms of COVID-19; b) Tested positive through a diagnostic test for COVID-19 in the past 14 days; c) Has experienced any symptoms of COVID-19, including a temperature of greater than 100.0°F, in the past 14 days; and/or d) Has traveled internationally or from a state with widespread community transmission of COVID-19 per the New York State Travel Advisory in the past 14 days. Any individual who screens positive for COVID-19 exposure or symptoms, or who 4 presents with temperature greater than 100.0°F, must not be allowed to enter the school if screened outside, must be immediately separated from other students and supervised until picked up.
The district will create and deploy signage throughout the district to address public health protections surrounding COVID-19. Signage will address protocols and recommendations in the following areas:
• Proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Acceptable face coverings and requirements related to their wear
• Hand washing
• Adherence to social distancing instructions
• Symptoms/prevention of COVID-19
In addition to signage, the district will encourage all students, faculty, staff and visitors through verbal and written communication to adhere to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and DOH guidance regarding the use of PPE through additional means such as trainings, emails and informational links on the district website.
The district is committed to creating a learning environment that protects student and staff health, safety and privacy. Our district will operate under a standard procedure for addressing situations in which an individual has tested positive for COVID-19 or appears symptomatic. These procedures are outlined in the Health & Safety section of our reopening plan.