The District will identify time periods during which a family may request to transition between remote and hybrid learning models. Families that choose to engage their students in a fully remote learning model are asked to commit to this decision for at least one-quarter (term) of the school year.

Families will have the opportunity to submit a request to change their learning model no less than 10 school days prior to the designated quarter end times listed below. All requests to make changes to a child’s learning model (from fully remote to the District model currently in practice, or vice versa) must be submitted in writing to the school principal per the timeline below:

Initial Full Remote Family Choice Deadline: Friday, August 21, 2020

Term 1 Change Deadline: Friday, October 30, 2020

Term 2 Change Deadline: Friday, January 8, 2021

Term 3 Change Deadline: Friday, March 12, 2021

Now that we have most of the student preferences in hand, principals will be communicating specific student cohort information by the end of this week (8/25/20). 

Depending upon a student’s specific needs, these cohorts could be two days or four days per week. 

Wednesdays will be a remote learning day for all students, and will allow for deep cleaning of all buildings.

This cohort information will allow parents to finalize plans for which days of the week their children will eventually phase into in-school instruction. 

Face Coverings/Masks are the single most important risk management measure to contain the spread of COVID-19. The following requirements will be in effect throughout all schools.

All students (PreK - Grade 12) and all staff will wear masks as much as possible throughout the day. Masks are REQUIRED when in hallways or bathrooms or in proximity to students from other classes and in circumstances when physical distancing cannot be maintained.

The only exceptions are for those students or staff for whom it is not safe to do so due to age, medical conditions, or other considerations. A doctor’s note documenting a medical condition or disability reason will be required.

● APPROVED STYLES: Masks can be disposable or reusable and will need to: fully cover the nose and mouth and secure under the chin, be made with at least 2 layers of breathable material, fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face, and be secured with ties or earloops.

Due to variabilities in materials and snugness, neck gaiters or bandanas will not be allowed. Face shields may be worn in combination with a mask, but not in lieu of one.

If a staff member or student does not have an appropriate face mask they will be provided with a face mask by the school district.   Tens of thousands of student and adult masks have been ordered by the District and available to teachers and students as needed.

ENFORCEMENT OF MASK POLICY:  ● Students and staff will receive direct instruction on the correct way to properly use masks. The school community will be reminded frequently of these routines and expectations; signage in multiple languages will be used to support and reinforce practices that help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

Masks are to be worn at all times unless otherwise directed by faculty or staff. In the event that a student removes their mask or does not wear their mask without permission, we will follow a philosophy of restorative justice and supporting positive behavior. The process to be implemented will be as follows: ● Educator gives verbal redirection in classroom setting ● Educator conferences with student in hallway and reviews the expectations and how refusing to comply causes harm to members of the community ● Counselor/nurse conferences with student ● Principal conferences with student ● Parent called and given option to have their child learn remotely in lieu of suspension.

MASK BREAKS:   Time will be provided throughout the day for “mask breaks” where students and staff do not have to wear masks. Ideally, these breaks will occur outside or in a classroom with the windows open where 6 foot physical distancing can be maintained.

ALTERNATIVE MASKS : When necessary and appropriate, DPS will provide students and staff with clear face covering masks that facilitate lip reading. There may be circumstances when the use of additional clear face shields or other adaptive PPE are indicated. Those circumstances will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

● Additional safety precautions are required for school nurses and any staff supporting students with disabilities when physical distancing protocols cannot be maintained. These precautions may include eye protection (face shield or goggles) and a face covering. Additional precautions may be deemed necessary by the District, based on the type of 10 tasks being performed. The PPE needs of these individuals will be determined on a case by case basis and any and all appropriate supplies will be provided by the District. 

The regular cleaning and disinfecting of “high touch” surfaces is a critical aspect of minimizing surface transmission. “High touch” surfaces include:

● Door surfaces, door knobs, push bars, and handles

● Stair rails, handrails, and push plates for automatic openers

● Countertops

● Light switches

● Push buttons in shared spaces (copy machines, elevators, etc.)

● Faucets, toilets, sinks, and handles

● Paper towel, toilet paper, soap, and hand sanitizer dispensers

● Water coolers and fountains

11 DPS custodians will clean and disinfect all “high touch” surfaces in all school common areas on a regular daily schedule that at a minimum includes two comprehensive cleaning sessions during the school day (beginning at 9:00 AM and 12:00 noon), and another session again after the end of the school day (after 3:00 PM).

In addition, all bathroom floors will be wet-mopped at these times, and bathrooms will have cleaning logs updated daily with custodial initials and cleaning times to monitor this schedule.

Every Wednesday and Saturday, DPS custodians will conduct a “deep cleaning” of every building. This “deep cleaning” will include a “high touch” surface cleaning as described above, and will also include cleaning of all student desks. After these surfaces are all cleaned, all surfaces will be thoroughly disinfected using Victory Electro-Static sprayers and Bioesque disinfectant.

• This process will also be used on a daily basis for tables and chairs in those schools that have cafeterias and use them for student lunches.

Custodial staff will be using appropriate cleaning and disinfecting products proven effective against viruses, including COVID-19. Standard custodial cleaners and disinfectants include Re-juv-nal and QT-Plus from Hillyard Products - a leading manufacturer of cleaning and hygiene solutions.

These products will be enhanced by the regular school wide use of Victory Electro-Static Sprayers. The district has purchased 24 of these sprayers and they will be used to efficiently disinfect all surfaces in the entire school using Bioesque Disinfectant. Each building custodian will have their own sprayer and an ample supply of disinfectant to effectively maintain a safe environment.

In addition to “high touch”surface cleaning and “deep cleaning” on Wednesdays and Saturdays, faculty and staff will be provided with appropriate disinfecting solutions (Bioesque Disinfectant) to clean and disinfect individual classroom materials. Faculty and staff will be responsible for the regular cleaning and disinfecting of computer keyboards and equipment, telephones, remote controls, and any shared student materials.

Finally, when age-appropriate, students will also have a responsibility to assist in maintaining a clean and safe environment. Students will be expected to adhere to hand washing and sanitizing procedures identified above (with support and direction from faculty and staff), and will also be expected to clean their desk/table tops at the start of each school day and immediately after lunch if classrooms are used for this purpose. Each classroom will be provided with 75% alcohol multi-purpose disinfecting wipes to perform this task each day. These wipes are essentially hand sanitizer in a wipe, thus allowing for students to sanitize their hands and desktop simultaneously.

Prior to entering school for the first time, all faculty, staff, and student caregivers will be required to complete an attestation that they or their child(ren) do not display any COVID-19 symptoms and have not travelled outside of Massachusetts except to or from a lower-risk state as designated by the MA Department of Public Health.

To protect all students and staff, any symptoms of COVID-19 displayed by a member of the school community will be treated as a possible suspected case until determined otherwise. When a child becomes ill at school, families will be notified. To assure everyone’s safety, the family will be required to pick up the child as soon as possible.

If staff or students have any of these symptoms, they must get a test for active COVID-19 infection prior to returning to school.

Each school has unique needs based on the age and grade level of students, size and layout of the school, and programs offered. To accommodate these situations, each school will create a building-specific plan to address the following, where applicable:

● Entry and dismissal procedures

● Early dismissal procedures

● Recess schedule and protocols, including appropriate activities and supervision of students

● Hallway passing schedule, expectations, and traffic flow patterns ● Student bathroom protocols

● Lunch routines

● Visits to the nurse’s office

● After school routines, including increased supervision of students

**(8/25/20):  Schools are finalizing these detailed plans - please check back here for posted information by school, when available.

Signage in multiple languages will be provided for each school to facilitate reinforcement of procedures and protocols.

The District will determine any special or unique needs for students with disabilities related to planned district or schoolwide procedures and protocols related to the following: ● While on school grounds ● While leaving school ● While on a school bus