MES COVID Update - July 27, 2021
Thank you for partnering with us to keep our MES families safe. In order to ensure the safest possible physical environment for students and staff at MES
We are following all district guidance regarding protocols to reduce the spread of Covid-19. We will begin school with these measures in place and immediately make any changes as outlined by the district that are necessary due to a change in the state mandates.
Face coverings are optional for all students. Therefore we will not supply masks as we did last year. The school nurse will have a supply of masks that will be used for symptomatic students while they are waiting to be picked up.
A detailed cleaning schedule will be followed by custodial staff that provides for cleaning of high-touch surfaces in classrooms and common areas multiple times throughout the day. Restrooms will be deep-cleaned twice per day and checked at regular intervals throughout the day. Drinking fountains will remain closed and students will be allowed to bring water bottles from home.
We will continue to use multiple routes for entrance and exit to the building to maximize distancing to the greatest extent possible.
Each classroom will be supplied with hand sanitizer and teachers will implement procedures where students get hand sanitizer upon entering and exiting the classroom. Hand sanitizer stations will also be maintained at entrances and in common areas like the cafeteria, office, MPR, and gym.
PK and K will eat breakfast in the cafeteria like last year and other grades will eat breakfast in the classrooms. Lunch will be served for all grades levels in the cafeteria to allow students opportunity to change settings and to allow for time for custodial staff to effectively clean and sanitize classrooms. Lunch shifts will be staggered and shifts will rotate sides of the cafeteria to allow for time to clean tables thoroughly between shifts. Students will sit on only one side of tables and face the same direction, with a seat between students to allow for sufficient spacing.
We will continue to follow procedures implemented last year to use contact tracing to identify close contacts to any confirmed positive cases.
Students exhibiting symptoms will be sent to the school nurse as soon as possible. The nurse will determine if students should be sent home, and the duration of the time needed away from school.
We will continue to limit nonessential visitors and volunteers on campus.
We will continue to encourage families to keep students home when they are sick.
Teachers will create learning environments in their classrooms which provide the greatest social distancing possible while maintaining academic grouping opportunities that best facilitate student learning.
Class transition protocols will remain in place that provide transitions occurring with safe distances between students from different classes by using single file lines and monitoring of students.
Place Covid-19 informational signs in highly visible locations - main entrance, foyer, office - that describe how to stop the spread of germs and promote everyday protective measures
Any assemblies will be designed such that students can sit at safe distances from one another and enter and exit safely.