COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
SLSD
from A1
County-wide, the positiv-
ity rate must also be equal
or below 5 percent and there
must be 10 or fewer new cas-
es per 100,000 people over a
seven-day period.
There are exceptions for
students under certain cat-
egories such as English-lan-
guage learners, special ed-
ucation students and those
without internet access. Un-
der these exception metrics,
there must be a 5 percent
or less positivity rate and
fewer than 30 new cases per
100,000.
For Lane County schools,
the biggest issue is the state
metric. Though the current
county case rate is trending
down with the positivity rate
between 1 and 2, the state
positivity rate remains too
high for any school to open
for general on-site opera-
tions.
‘Return to Learning’
During Monday’s presen-
tation, McCasline provid-
ed insight into what SLSD’s
“Return to Learning” blue-
print would look like.
Ultimately, the district
aims to employ a hybrid
model, which means a com-
bination of in-person and
online work.
“So, we’re going to start
with everyone online. But as
soon as we can and are able,
we’re going to bring students
back to where they’ll be in
that hybrid model,” said Mc-
Casline.
Beginning Sept. 1, teach-
ers will engage in outreach
by connecting with families
in preparation for the up-
coming online curriculum.
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On Sept. 21, online classes
begin.
When conditions are sat-
isfactory, the hybrid model
will see students return in
cohorts (very small groups)
with two days of in-school
learning and three days on-
line.
In preparing students for
the online model, about 800
Chromebooks have been
checked out to families with
another 500 requests to be
filled.
The district also has access
to more than 100 hotspots,
which will allow access for
families with limited inter-
net connectivity.
There is likely to be an on-
line-only option for students
as well. In a survey conduct-
ed by the district, 385 stu-
dents out of about 1,500 re-
spondents said that they are
interested in the online-only
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option. Families are still be-
ing contacted as part of the
survey.
McCasline also spoke of
the district’s approach to hy-
giene.
“In all of our buildings,
there will be daily cleaning
and disinfection,” said Mc-
Casline, but noted that some
areas would be disinfected
several times a day, especial-
ly between contact by differ-
ent student cohorts.
On buses, disinfection
is planned between routes
while keeping the vehicles
well-ventilated with open
windows.
Offices and secretary
desks will be equipped with
plexiglass as a secondary
protection measure.
Face coverings are to be
required for all staff and stu-
dents, ages 5 and over, and
recommended for those ages
2 to 5. Medical-grade per-
sonal protection equipment
will be provided as necessary
and for students, multiple
face coverings will be avail-
able.
“We’ve had some offers
from the community mem-
bers to make child and
young adult masks that we
could then wash nightly and
have available for students as
they get on the bus or come
into the building,” said Mc-
Casline. “That would allow
us to clean them every night
and have a fresh, sanitized
mask for everyone, every-
day, that aren’t just the paper
masks.”
| AUGUST 13, 2020 | 9A
Training will be provid-
ed by Lane County Public
Health to bus drivers and
staff working at entrances
of the buildings in order to
identify potentially infected
entrants.
Additionally, students will
have assigned entrances to
limit contact with others and
an electronic tracing log sys-
tem will keep track of those
who enter the school.
In terms of personal hy-
giene, staff and students
are encouraged to use hand
sanitizer provided around
campuses and six-foot so-
cial distancing will also be
expected.
“We will be patient and
understanding because it is
totally against where they
are in their growth and de-
velopment,” said McCasline.
He also noted there is a
space limitation of one stu-
dent per 35 square feet in
any one area and capacity
limits will be posted outside
rooms.
To whatever extent possi-
ble, students will be restrict-
ed from prolonged contact
with as few people as possi-
ble by staying in cohorts.
Visitors will also be heav-
ily regulated and no volun-
teers are allowed.
In the case of a suspected
infection or the presence of
COVID-related symptoms,
there is an isolation room
and the school nurse will as-
sess the person in question
with medical-grade PPE to
determine the next course of
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action.
With a confirmed case,
the district will follow the
lead of LCPH and notify
families, McCasline said.
Educators then dove into
the nuts and bolts of the new
education model.
Teacher Sandra Little pre-
sented a how-to booklet for
Google Classroom, which
will inform students and
families on how to engage
classwork, upload home-
work and contact teachers.
Next, Al Kennedy High
School educator Aimee Coo-
per presented a tech guide
for staff and administrators
which aims to facilitate mak-
ing distance learning pro-
ductive and comprehensive.
Librarian Janet Rust then
presented an online curricu-
lum template, giving insight
into how classes may look
this fall.
“Basically, the classwork is
what we’re focusing on and
how to present it in a way
that’s consistent through-
out,” she said, adding that it
would be a notable improve-
ment from the kind of con-
fusion that occurred in the
spring.
SLSD Special Education
Director Chad Hamilton
spoke to social/emotional
needs.
“[They are] very difficult
when you’re distancing from
one another, but it is definite-
ly very high on our teachers’
minds as a very big need and
as a result we’ve prioritized
it,” he said. “In order to meet
social/emotional needs, we
need to see students and be
with students.”
Hamilton pointed out that
bringing English-language
learners, special education
students and kindergarten-
ers back to school as soon
as metrics allow was an im-
portant step.
He also presented plans
for educating students on
topics such as empathy in-
struction.
More details of the plans
are to be revealed to families
in the days and weeks to fol-
low.
“We’re going to expect
feedback and we’re going to
build in some opportuni-
ties for feedback,” said Mc-
Casline.
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