RSU 39 will have four full-time nurses in the district. Our experienced and professional nursing staff will be the team that will determine if a student’s symptoms at school require a parent or guardian to take a child home. District staff will use the following flowchart to guide our work with both students and staff of our learning community: Student Self-checker (Click Here)
Protecting Vulnerable Individuals
The CDC has defined certain students and staff who need extra precautions against infection. As prescribed in the governor’s phase guidance, RSU 39 will provide a full-time online option for students and teachers. This option is available for students and teachers who need extra precautions due to medical risk and others who are concerned about potential risk. Flexible telework assignments are available for non-teaching staff, including those with higher health risk. The screening, health, and safety measures that follow will offer further precautions for vulnerable students and staff.
Health Screening
RSU 39 will implement daily health screening practices for students, staff, and visitors. A public information campaign will be utilized to reinforce the importance of staying home for any individual who is sick. Staff will be required to complete daily self-reporting to verify they are asymptomatic when reporting to the worksite.
Responding to Illness
RSU 39 developed protocols using guidance from CDC for students and staff. Each case is handled individually. When a student is found to be symptomatic during the school day, they will be moved to an isolation room for monitoring until they can be safely picked up by parent or guardian. At an individual student level, RSU 39 will actively monitor absences for both in-person and online instruction. Absences reported to be due to personal or family COVID-19 infection will assist schools in providing appropriate resources and support for the student and family during the absence and in supporting a smooth transition back to instruction when it is safe for the student to return. At a community level, RSU 39 will regularly communicate and monitor developments with local health department authorities regarding cases, exposures, hospitalizations, and any other relevant metrics that may require a change in school operations.
Closure Decisions
Decisions about closure of a classroom or one of our schools will be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the number of impacted individuals, extent of social distancing in place while infectious individuals were present, extent of interactions and exposure within the space, and potential risk to others in and outside of the class or school. When contact tracing indicates a significant risk with the identified classroom or school, district leaders will transition all affected students to the “temporary online for all” level on the in-person delivery continuum. No specific metrics are defined for these closure decisions, as leaders must weigh the nuances of each situation using the outlined criteria and make the best judgment for the safety of the school community.
The CDC has highlighted specific mitigating strategies to reduce risk of COVID-19 infection and transmission.
Hygiene Practices
Routine healthy hygiene practices are a foundational measure to protect against COVID-19 and other illnesses. CDC hand washing guidelines indicate that students should wash hands for at least 20 seconds after blowing their nose, coughing, or sneezing; before eating, touching or removing face mask or covering, and upon entering classrooms. If soap and water are not readily available, sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol will be provided. RSU 39 will supply hand sanitizer for use by students and staff.
All students must practice proper hand-washing guidelines and use hand sanitizer upon entering the school, their classroom, before and after donning or removing a face covering, and throughout the day. Hands should be washed with soap and water for at least 20 seconds when visibly soiled, before and after eating, and after coughing/sneezing and using the restroom.
All students must practice proper CDC infection control measures:
If coughing or sneezing, students must cover their mouth and nose with a tissue, or the inside of their elbow, and immediately discard the tissue.
Avoid touching their eyes, nose, or mouth.
Avoid touching any surfaces unnecessarily.
Refrain from physical contact, including hugs and hand-shakes.
Restroom procedures will be established at Caribou Community School to limit the number of students in the hallway and restrooms at one time.
Students should only bring to school what is absolutely essential for each day.
Classrooms will be reconfigured to allow physical distance.
Sharing of items (electronic devices, toys, books, and other games or learning aids) will be discouraged.
Each child’s belongings will be separated from others’ and in individually labeled containers, cubbies, or areas.
Curriculum nights, open houses, and back-to-school events can be facilitated virtually.
See CDC’s informational video on how to Stop the spread of germs.
Links below:
(Borrowed from Biddeford’s Student Handbook)
Face Coverings and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Face coverings are optional while inside RSU 39 facilities and while using RSU 39 provided transportation.
Face coverings will be required days 6-10 of COVID infection for any student/staff returning to school. Face coverings may be cloth or disposable and will be provided for individuals who are unable to provide their own. Exceptions to this requirement include: While individuals are eating, drinking, or outdoors. Individuals with a documented health condition, a communication or impairment, or disability that prevents them from wearing a face covering during day 6-10 of infection will be school excused.
Additional protective equipment including face shields, gloves, and gowns will be provided, as appropriate, for settings that require close human contact, such as for staff providing certain supports for students with disabilities. Plexi-glass shields have been mounted in main offices and reception areas of schools and central offices.
Face shields worn in place of a face-covering must extend below the chin and back to the ears.
INFORMATIONAL VIDEOS:
HOW TO WEAR A CLOTH FACE COVERING
CLOTH FACE COVERINGS (Do’s and Dont’s)
Physical Distancing
RSU 39 staff will employ social distancing strategies to increase spacing between individuals, including adjusted seating arrangements for school buses and classrooms and posted signs to remind staff and students of 3-foot social distancing. Specific practices will be customized for each school and may include designating building entrances by grade level, mapping traffic patterns through the school, and scheduling student and staff groupings to be as static as possible.
INFORMATIONAL VIDEOS: