COVID-19 Protocols

All Savannah R3 campuses are committed to the district goal to remain open. To accomplish this, all sites have adopted several mitigation strategies to help top the spread. Each strategy adds an additional layer of protection for our students and staff.

Parents and Guardians are asked to do their part to help slow the spread and keep sick kids home.

Mitigation will include but is not limited to:

• SR3 has initiated a district wide mask mandate - Students will be required to wear a mask in the hallways and in classrooms where social distancing is not possible

• Seating charts will be utilized at lunch. Additional tables will be added if needed to accommodate distanced seating

• SR3 will follow CDC/MDHHS recommendations to notify parents of direct contacts of positive COVID cases that they are on a symptom watch for 14 days

• SR3 will follow CDC/MDHHS recommendations to quarantine/isolate positive COVID cases for 10 days from the onset of their symptoms

• Continued regular cleaning and disinfecting of our buildings

• Teachers and Staff will be required to wear a mask at all times

• All students will be required to wear a face coving on the bus

• All SR3 classrooms will be required to utilize and keep a record of their seating chart for contact tracing

• All campus water fountains will be converted into water bottle filling stations. Use of the water fountain will be disabled.

Elementary (K-5)

• Students will be kept in classroom cohorts and the cohorts will not mix

• Fabric masks required for students who attend SACC

• Students will remain with their cohort for recess

• Students may eat lunch in their classroom

It is the expectation that all staff and students of SavannahR3 undergo a health screening at home each day before coming to school or boarding district transportation. This screening will not be sent home daily but parents are asked to sign and return the bottom portion of this document as their written acknowledgment of this agreement.

If a student or staff member experiences one or more of these symptoms, they will need to stay home from school.

• New, persistent cough (for those with chronic allergic/asthmatic cough, a change in their cough from baseline)

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• New loss of taste or smell

• Vomiting or Diarrhea

• Fever of 100.4℉ or higher. We encourage you to monitor temperatures at home on a daily basis.

• Sore throat

• Unexplained fatigue, muscle soreness, or body aches

If your student has been in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days, please keep your student home from school and contact the school for details on when your student can return to school.

If your student arrives at school and experiences any of the above symptoms, be aware that the district staff will contact you to follow up for further investigation.

It is imperative that the staff member or student stay home from school if not feeling well.

Before sending a student on district transportation or coming to school; if you are unsure if the individual should be at school, call the school nurse for guidance. Students will not be penalized for their attendance if there is a concern from the parent or guardian on whether a student should be at school or not. After talking with the school nurse, a decision can be made on what is in the best interest of the individual and the school community.

If you are waiting for COVID-19 test results due to illness or exposure, OR have had any symptoms within the last 48 hours that cannot be explained by previously known health conditions, stay home from school.

If you are waiting for COVID-19 test results related to an upcoming procedure or planned testing, please contact your school for instructions on when you are able to return to school.

SR3 follows the guidelines outlined by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MO DHSS), Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Children’s Mercy Hospital, and Andrew County Health Department (ACHD) when determining if a student or staff member is able to be at school.

When an individual tests positive for COVID-19 Savannah R3 will, in partnership with the Andrew County Health Department, conduct extensive contact tracing and notify individuals of known or possible exposure to be placed in a 14-day quarantine, unless both parties were properly wearing a mask. In the event that both the positive student and the close contact were properly wearing a face mask, the close contacts will be asked to symptom watch for 14 days but may remain at school as long as they are symptom free.

Bring your Chromebook home!

Students and teachers will be expected to participate in distance learning and instruction during their quarantine.

Addressing rumors and privacy:

Please note that SR3 will send notifications for positive COVID-19 cases only, we will not send campus-wide notifications for each quarantine case or for absences in general. You may hear from your child about a student or staff member who is ill or absent, but that does not mean they have COVID-19. Please talk to your student about respecting people's privacy about health-related information and do not assume all illnesses or all absences are a diagnosis of Coronavirus. SR3 will send an official notification if the confirmed case is in your child's classroom.

Elementary (K-5)

In the event that an individual student is quarantined while the rest of their class remains in-person, the student or parent should contact the classroom teacher. Canvas will be available for all 2nd - 5th-grade students and will be utilized to keep up with work/assignments and supplemental materials. The classroom teacher will continue to check in with your child and monitor their progress. K-1 students may choose to take paper packets home.

In the event that an entire elementary classroom is quarantined, each student will be sent home with his/her district device and any classroom workbooks or learning materials. Families can anticipate communication to come from their child’s regular classroom teacher regarding a schedule for distance learning. Online learning will start the following day. Families or students who are having trouble getting online or accessing the distance learning material are encouraged to reach out to their teacher or building administrator for other options.

Secondary (6-12)

In the event that a secondary student is quarantined, online learning via Canvas will start the next day. Each classroom teacher will utilize Canvas to keep up with work/assignments and supplemental materials. The classroom teacher will continue to check in with your child and monitor their progress. Families or students who are having trouble getting online or accessing the distance learning material are encouraged to reach out to their teacher or building administrator for other options.

K-12 Virtual Learners

In-person quarantines or closures have no impact on virtual learning students or teachers.

Yes, in the event that we are forced to close all of our campuses the district will continue to provide daily instruction to our students via distance learning. More information will be available as needed.