Masks will be mandatory, with a few exceptions for medical reasons. Students must wear face coverings or masks that completely cover the nose and mouth while inside the school and on the bus. “Mask Breaks” will be provided during the day. Parents/guardians will be responsible for providing students with face coverings or masks. Schools will have backup cloth or paper masks available for students who forget them.

A practice of handwashing or use of hand sanitizer at regular intervals, will be a mandatory occurrence, and we will continue to educate our children (especially our youngest) on appropriate cleaning techniques. Hand sanitizer stations and portable sinks will be located throughout each building.

We will maintain physical distancing in our classroom setups. Mini-lessons, visual cues, and reminders will be provided to help students to distance appropriately.

Elementary students will be assigned modified cohorts when possible.

Regular classrooms at each building have been standardized to ensure physical distancing. All classes will be arranged in rows, facing forward. All unnecessary furniture is removed to allow for physical distancing. Students will be allowed to work in groups adhering to appropritate physical distancing and mask requirements.

When applicable, all students will have access to their cubby or locker.

Grades K-12 arrival and dismissal will be standard based on school schedules.

Students in all schools will eat breakfast and lunch using a cafeteria pick-up model. For breakfast, students will report directly to the cafeteria upon arrival at school, purchase their meal and eat in the cafeteria with physically distanced seating. At lunch, students will come to the cafeteria service line in their cohorts in small staggered waves. Where appropriate, plexiglas and spacing decals will be used in the serving line. Students will eat in physically distanced seating within their modified cohorts in the cafeteria and alternate spaces as much as possible. Weather permitting, schools with outside seating capability may be able to move some tables outside to improve social distance seating and reduce the number of students in the cafeteria.

Current guidance from the state is that we do not need to limit the number of students on our buses as long as all are wearing face coverings and community transmission is low. When boarding the bus, students will be encouraged to sit in the back row first, loading toward the front. Unloading the bus will be from front to back. Dismissal times will be staggered at each building to reduce congestion. Bus drivers will have a supply of face coverings for those students who have forgotten them.

Each classroom and or grade/level will have and assigned restroom identified for use.

Cleaning protocols in school have been enhanced to incorporate recommendations for COVID-19, and our custodians have been trained on cleaning in a pandemic.

Prior to the start of school staff will review information pertaining to:

• masks/face coverings that completely cover the nose and mouth
• physical distancing where possible
• frequent handwashing and use of hand sanitizer
• cough/sneeze etiquette
• enhanced cleaning/disinfection of surfaces
• procedures for sick students/staff members

As needed, students will be trained using age-appropriate videos on the various practices, with reminders and school announcements to reinforce this.

The latest district information regarding COVID-19 will be maintained on the Coventry Public Schools website including the following:

• The symptoms of COVID-19 include: fever (temperature greater than 100.5°f) or chills, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle/body aches, headache, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,congestion, runny nose, or a new loss of smell/taste.
• It is important for parents/guardians to actively monitor symptoms of their children and all household members each day prior to sending students to school. Should students be symptomatic, they should be kept home and their school nurse immediately notified.
• If a student or staff member has been exposed to someone with a known case of COVID-19, they should stay home from school and immediately notify the school nurse.
• Vaccinated students and staff who do not have any symptoms, do not need to quarantine from work, school, or away from other people if they are exposed to someone with COVID-19.
• If a student or staff member should test positive for COVID-19 they must remain home and contact the school nurse immediately.
• Parents/guardians must call the school nurse on the morning of their student’s absence indicating the reason prior to the start of each school day.
• Appropriate, proactive use of face coverings, physical distancing, and handwashing at school and other public areas is essential in reducing COVID-19 transmission in our community.
• COVID-19 and flu vaccinations are strongly encouraged especially during the pandemic.
• If a student presents with COVID-19 symptoms at school, the student will be isolated from other individuals. Parents/guardians will be contacted for dismissal and follow-up instructions.

Informational signs with COVID-19 symptoms and safety measures such as wearing a mask, physical distancing, and frequent handwashing will be posted throughout the school buildings.

It is critical students and staff members stay home when they are sick or have had contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19. They will be advised to seek advice from their health care provider and notify their school nurse for record keeping and contact tracing. If a student should become ill at school, the teacher must first call the nurse prior to sending the student to the health office. The student will be evaluated by the nurse then monitored in the designated isolation space if symptoms are suspicious of COVID-19. Parents/guardians of the student will be contacted by the nurse for immediate pick-up and consultation with their health care provider. Staff members will be dismissed and directed to consult their health care provider immediately.

Each school has identified an isolation area that may include outside options. Building principals will assign staff to monitor ill students who have been isolated. This monitor will be equipped with appropriate PPE. Any potential contacts will be noted in the event contact tracing must be conducted.

Per CDC guidance, an individual who tests positive must isolate from others during their 10 day infectious period. Isolation precautions can generally be discontinued 10 days after symptom onset (or positive test date if no symptoms are present) and resolution of fever for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing medication, and with improvement of other symptoms. Contacts will be instructed to follow the guidelines below. Household members may need additional instruction.

Parents/guardians and staff will be directed to notify the school nurse for the reason of any illness related absence. Nursing staff will follow-up (call, email, etc.) on each unaccounted student and staff absent in their building daily. All COVID-19 related absences and school dismissals (symptoms or confirmed cases) will be entered confidentially into the SNAP nursing program. A report will be generated and totals will be shared with district nurses, the superintendent and building administrators. Diagnosis of positive COVID-19 cases will be immediately communicated with Eastern Highland Health District officials to coordinate further action by the district. Coventry School District will notify families via email, phone blast, and our district website of any altered school schedules or temporary closures.