High School

Hybrid Model

Below is an OVERVIEW of Westport's plan to reopen the high school. Please see the FULL REOPENING PLAN for more detailed information.

Instructional Model

Transportation

Schedule

Food Services

Special Education

Technology

Health & Safety

Co-Curriculur

Instructional Model

Cohorts
- Cohort 1: A-K
- Cohort 2: L-Z
A/B period rotation
4 classes each day
80 minute classes
All students participate in remote learning on Wednesdays with Connections
Allows 30 minutes at the end of each full day for teachers to support and connect with remote learners

TEMPORARY SUPPORT OPTION: Families may temporarily choose not to participate in the return to school and can access remote learning at home due to personal and family health and safety concerns. (link further information)

Schedule

Special Education and Related Services

Special education and related services will be provided to all eligible students pursuant to each student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and consistent with public health and safety requirements. In our High School hybrid model, many IEP services may be delivered within your child’s scheduled school day. In other instances within this model the delivery of services may vary from the manner in which they are described within the IEP. In these instances, case managers will collaborate with parents and communicate the differences in implementation using an IEP Implementation Plan. Each school will prioritize the delivery of in-person services and will utilize a blend of in-person and virtual supports to implement the services within each student’s IEP.

Health & Safety

Healthy Hygiene Practices

Hand Washing

Washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and if not available the use of an alcohol based sanitizer with at least 60 % alcohol is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of infection. Hand washing with soap and water will be encouraged. Hand washing and hand sanitizing will be required;

Prior to entering school
Before and after recess
Before and after lunch
Before and after entering the health office
After using the bathroom

Additional hand sanitizer stations or bottles will be placed;

At school entry points
In every classroom
Outside the health office

Mask Wearing

Students must wear face coverings or masks that completely cover the nose and mouth while inside the school and on the bus, with exceptions only for those students for whom it is not safe to do so due to medical conditions.
“Mask Breaks” will be provided during the day.
Breakaway lanyards will be given to students and used for storage when mask breaks, lunch or other times when masks are not being utilized.
Parents will be responsible for providing students with face coverings or masks. Schools will have backup disposable masks available for students who forget them.

For detailed information regarding acceptable PPE, please see page 15 of the full plan.

Use of shared materials will be limited whenever possible.

Facilities Modifications

Removal and safe storage of excess furniture
Installation of additional water bottle filling stations
Installation of touchless paper towel dispensers in restrooms
Installation of plexiglass dividers where physical distancing and face coverings are not possible
High visibility signage throughout (social distancing, mask wearing, hand sanitizing)

Physical And Social Distancing Strategies

Classroom and Hallways

Cohort groups allow for no more than 14 students in a classroom at a time.
Each classroom has been evaluated to determine maximum capacity to allow for physical distancing, optimally 6 feet when feasible.
Desks will be arranged in a way that minimizes face to face contact.
While teaching, teachers should maximize space between students.
Hallways will be marked to direct foot traffic. Passing time should be staggered.

Lunch

Lunch will be served in the school cafeteria.
The number of students in the lunchroom will not exceed state guidelines.
Students will take-off masks during eating portion of lunch.
Hands should be washed before and after lunch.
Sanitation for school kitchens will follow safety protocols as determined by the public health department.

Guidance for Possible Signs/Symptoms/Exposure to COVID-19

When a student or staff person has or develops: possible signs and symptoms of COVID-19; a diagnosis of COVID-19; or exposure to a person diagnosed with COVID-19, Westport will use the recommended course of action described in the Interim Guidance for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios in Connecticut School Districts document from the Connecticut State Department of Education.

COVID TREE FOR SYMPTOMS Revised per Addendum 5.pdf

Isolation & Caring For Students & Staff Who Are Sick At School

In order to decrease transmission of illness in the health office and school setting the use of an area for isolation will be utilized. The CDC defines the term “isolation” as “separation of sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick.”

For more detailed Healthy & Safety information, including Facilities and Operations procedures (cleaning, ventilation and facilities modifications), please see the full plan.

Case Protocols and Notification

In the event of a positive case of COVID-19, it is likely that with collaboration with the Westport/Weston Health District students and staff of a specific, classroom, cohort or the school may be dismissed for 2-5 days to get a better understanding of the extent of the transmission, taking into account community transmission rates. The scope of the closure whether a single classroom, school or all schools, and the length of the closure will be determined on a case by case basis.

See pages 16 - 20 of the full plan.

Guidance for Decision-Making Regarding the Use of In-Person, Hybrid, or Remote Learning Models

Westport will use the recommended course of action described in the Interim Guidance for Decision-Making Regarding the Use of In-Person, Hybrid (Blended), or Remote Learning Models in Connecticut Schools during COVID-19 document from the Connecticut State Department of Education.

See pages 8 - 10 of the full plan.

Transportation

Parents are encouraged to drive their children to school each day.
Students may only ride their assigned buses.
Students will be expected to ride the same bus to school in the morning and the same bus to home in the afternoon every day.
Passengers will be required to wear a face mask or cloth face covering that completely covers the nose and mouth during transit. The rider’s face covering must be in place prior to boarding the bus and must be kept in place until they are completely off the bus.
A supply of masks and hand sanitizer will be kept on all buses.
Students should not change seats while on the bus.
Arrival and departure procedures for parent transportation will be developed to plan vehicle flow and eliminate the need for parents/guardians to enter the building. This may include staggered arrival and departure times.
Passenger density will be significantly reduced when in a hybrid model. Bus passengers will be spaced with family members sitting together and non-family members should be spaced 6 feet apart utilizing alternating diagonal seating to the extent possible.
Students should load into the bus from the back row to the front (where the first passengers onto the bus sit in the back row) and then unload the bus in a controlled manner upon arrival at the school from front to back by seat. This will reduce the number of people passengers pass by as they get on the bus and will prevent crowding in the center aisle when the bus arrives for unloading.

Food Services

On-site Meal Service (for students while in school):

Appropriate meal distribution method(s) are being examined at each level based on social distancing, physical location, student traffic, space, and staffing.

Off-site Meal Service (for days students are remote learning or for unanticipated school closures):

Model(s) of meal service delivery options are under consideration (i.e., Parent/student Pick-up on Remote Learning Days; Dismissal Time Distribution, and School Bus/School Vehicle Delivery).

Technology

Students in grades 9-12 are expected to continue to provide their own device.

Students who qualify for free and reduced lunch or heating assistance from the Town of Westport can be loaned a school Chromebook if needed.

If families do not have access to Wifi at home, families can contact a guidance counselor or school principal and the district can provide a cellular hotspot for access to educational resources.

Co-Curricular

For information regarding co-curriculur activities, please see pages 50 - 55 of the full plan.

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