District

COVID-19 INFORMATION AND UPDATES

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PARENTS

1/19/21

This week I wanted to give clarification on time requirements for quarantining and how families can choose the virtual option for their student(s). Quarantine and isolation guidance has changed some. Both the quarantine and Isolation will be 10 days from exposure or symptoms. If a person is considered a close contact, the earliest they could be tested is on day 6 after exposure. If the test is negative, they can return to school by day 7 (if symptom free for 24 hours). Rapid tests are currently unavailable. We have to continue monitoring for symptoms until day 14 whether they come back day 7 or day 10.

If a family would like to choose the distance learning option for their student(s), they must notify the school (Mr. Zopp) AND plan on being in the distance learning mode for the next 30 days. Distance or virtual learning modes are not something that students can flow in and out of regularly. If they choose that option, they must stay in it for 30 days. If a student is going to be gone for one or more days during in person learning, the parent or guardian should contact the school and their absence will be marked as excused. The student is still able to log into teachers virtual classes and is encouraged to do so as long as they make arrangements with the teacher.

At the end of this week, we will be halfway through the 2020-21 school year. Friday January 22nd marks the end of the first semester and the following Monday marks the start of the second semester. For our students, this means getting missing work turned in and putting the final touches on semester grades. For our teachers, it means working with students to get projects and work turned in. It also means looking at academic data to see how our students are performing. We have started the discussion on how to mitigate the adverse effects Covid has had on our students’ education. There are three basic mechanisms we will be using to help negate the "Covid Slide."

Raise our expectations for students and staff and implement more robust supports for students inside their regular education classroom.
Create an effective after school program, as we have had in the past, focusing on academic enrichment.
Structure a summer school program that meets the needs of all of our students and helps to fill in the educational gaps that may have been created due to Covid.

We will be working in all three of these areas throughout the rest of the school year. As the second semester winds down, we will be reaching out to our families to gauge their interest in participating in both our summer school program for the summer of 2021 and our after school program being developed for the 2021-22 school year. As caregivers, please seriously consider your child's participation in these programs. More information on the structure, logistics, and timeframe of summer school will come out as we get a little closer to signing students up. Please feel free to contact Mr. Zopp with any questions you may have. azopp@winterwarriors.org.

Mr. Zopp

COVID-19 Protocol - Sending Students Home

Symptoms of COVID-19:

New or worsening cough
Any trouble breathing
Loss of taste or smell
Fever
Chills
Fatigue
Headache
Muscle or body aches
Sore throat
Congestion
Runny nose
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea

Note: A stomachache is not a symptom of COVID-19 but may be a sign of the flu.

Symptom Scenario 1:
The child has ONE of the following symptoms: New or worsening cough, any trouble breathing, or loss of taste or smell
OR The child has TWO or more symptoms from the list above. The following will take place....

Student is sent home. Siblings may stay in school as long as they are symptom free.
A COVID-19 test is requested

If they get tested and it is negative, they can come back to school with test results after being symptom free for 24 hours without the use of medications.

If they get tested and it is positive, they must isolate for a minimum of 10 days. The health department will determine when it is safe for the student to return to
school.

If they choose not to get tested, we consider it as a positive test and they must stay home for 10 days.

Symptom Scenario 2:
Student has one symptom from the list above NOT including a cough, any trouble breathing, or the loss of taste or smell:

Student is sent home but siblings are allowed to stay if they are symptom free.
The student must remain home until they are symptom-free with no medication for 24 hours.
If a student sent home develops a second symptom the parent should call the school and the student should remain home. A negative COVID-19 test or 10 days of isolation are required before return to school.

Close contact: If you are determined to be a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, you will need to quarantine for 14 days. This is due to the incubation period of the virus, which is 2-14 days.

Doctor’s notes - We take doctor’s notes under advisement but our District policy supersedes the doctor’s recommendations.

Allergies- Even if the symptoms are allergy related we would still follow the COVID-19

Returning to School During COVID-19

UPDATE: September 4, 2020

Please review the following procedures put in place as the students begin in the Green Plan (in-person learning). Procedures were placed with focus on the health and safety of our students, staff, and families.

Returning to School During COVID-19

Parents, please prescreen your children in the morning prior to getting on the bus. Notify the school as soon as possible of any bus pick-up/drop-off location changes.

On the Bus

Students will be required to sit with their family units. Students will have assigned seats on the bus to allow for as much social distancing as possible and will need to wear accepted masks/face coverings at all times.

Arrival

Please be mindful of social distancing while exiting the bus and entering the building with masks/face coverings on.

All high school drivers should park in the high school parking lot and enter through the high school entryway doors.
All Students will get their temperature checked as they enter the building. Staff will assist elementary students to their classrooms.
Students will be provided with two reusable cloth masks on the first day, however, students are allowed to bring their own mask/face covering if they would like.

After the first day, students are required to come to school/get on the bus with their masks/face coverings on and they are considered part of the dress code. Inappropriate masks/face coverings will not be accepted. If your child forgot their mask/face covering, a disposable one will be provided for them. Neck gaiters are not acceptable face coverings.

Parents may drop their children off no earlier than 7:30 a.m. Due to safety concerns related to Covid-19, we are not currently allowing visitors/parents into the building. Parents should either drop their children off in the District Office Parking Lot or escort them to the front doors where they will be greeted by staff.

MS and HS students are required to report directly to their 1st hour class.

Dismissal

Elementary: Starts to get released at 3:15. Release times will stagger with 4K leaving the building first and 4th/5th released at 3:20. Each class will exit the building with their teacher and the teachers will be in charge of getting bus riders and walkers to the appropriate place at that time. All elementary teachers release kids if parents/guardians(who are designated to pick up) are visible! Also, per district policy, the school needs to be contacted if the child is being picked up by another adult or has a bus pass for somewhere else.
Middle School gets released at 3:25. Both bus riders and pickups/walkers will be released at the same time.
High School bus riders are released at 3:20, and Drivers/walkers released at 3:25.

Please call the District Office at 715-266-6701 if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your continued patience and flexibility.

DISTANCE LEARNING - SCHOOL MEALS NOTICE

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION REGARDING SCHOOL MEALS DURING COVID-19 GREEN, YELLOW AND RED PLANS...

SCHOOL RE-OPENING PLAN

Re-opening Plan for Winter School District 2020-2021

This document was created to give guidance to students, parents, and teachers regarding the opening school. It was created following the recommendations from the CDC and the Sawyer County Health Department.

The school district has developed a three-phase plan to bring students back in person while maintaining a high level of safety.

Green Phase - We would be in the green phase if we have plenty of safety and cleaning supplies and there is no immediate threat to our staff or students from Covid19.
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday all students will come back to school in person.
- Wednesday will be a distance learning day for all students.
- The length of the school year and the school day will stay the same.
Yellow Phase - We would be in the yellow phase if our safety or cleaning supplies are running low or there is a strong threat to our students or staff from Covid19.
- Students are split into Cohort A and Cohort B.
- Cohort A - In-person learning Monday and Tuesday, distance learning on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
- Cohort B - In-person learning Thursday and Friday, distance learning on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
Red Phase - Safety or cleaning supplies have run out or there is a definite threat to our students or staff from Covid19.
- All students will transition to distance learning.
- We hope to be in this plan for no more than 2 weeks at a time.

There will be a committee that meets weekly to reassess the current data and determines what phase of our plan we should be in. The committee will also decide how long we should remain in each phase.

Our goal is to get our kiddos back in school full time as soon as possible. We will continue to discuss what parameters will allow us to do this.

Safety Precautions for In-person Learning

Students, parents, and staff will pre-screen before loading the school bus or coming to school.
- 3-5 questions to ask your student in the morning about how they feel
- If possible, temperature checks at home
Temperatures will be taken as students enter the school.
We will work to keep students in smaller cohorts and keep those cohorts, to the best of our ability, from intermingling.
Masks will be required at all times and are considered part of the dress code for staff and students
Reusable masks will be provided by the school. Parents are welcome to purchase masks for their children.
Drinking fountains are being converted into bottle filling stations. Students are encouraged to bring their own water bottles. If they don’t have one, cups will be provided.
Social distancing will be practiced in the classroom and in the hallways.
Polycarbonate partitions are being set up as an additional level of safety in our early elementary, science classrooms, and computer stations.
Additional sanitizing.
- Increased hand washing and hand sanitizing.
- Disinfecting/sanitizing classrooms at the end of each day.
- Increased cleaning to take place on Wednesday while no students in the building.
- Additional hand sanitizers will be placed at the entrance to classrooms
If a student comes to school ill or becomes ill, parents will be notified and the student will need to be picked up immediately. Ill students will be isolated while waiting.
Parents are encouraged to transport their student(s) to and from school. If they ride the bus they will be required to wear masks and have socially distanced assigned seats.

This reopening plan is the best guidance we can give at this time. The situation is very fluid and things change daily and weekly. There are still policies and procedures being discussed and as decisions are made, that information will be provided to the public. We appreciate your patience and are looking forward to re-engaging face to face with students and parents. If you have questions you can contact Dr. Andy Grimm at 715-266-3301 ext 2250 or email your questions to covid19@winterwarriors.org. Your questions will be answered as soon as possible.