The administration of Bishop Fenwick High School holds the health and safety of its community as a top priority. The plan presented as follows comes with guidance from local, state and federal agencies as best practices for a safe return to schooling in the fall of 2020. It is our hope that the presented plan has the precautions necessary to provide the safest learning environment for our staff and students. Bishop Fenwick High School plans to maintain their previously approved school calendar for the beginning of the 2020-21 school year. Based on the fluid nature of the pandemic, circumstances will continue to be evaluated and procedures will be adjusted as guided by local, state and federal agencies.
Below are links to documents/resources utilized to create this plan in coordination with local, state and federal leadership.
CDC Considerations for Schools
Ohio Reset and Restart Education Planning Guide
The Warren County Health Department
Covid-19: Recommendations for Schools Reopening (SickKids) NFHS Performing Arts Aerosol Study
Common Agreement to Reopen Schools in Warren County
Communications when a student/staff member has been diagnosed with a Covid-19 positive case:
Bishop Fenwick High School will work with the Health Department for tracking, contact tracing, and communications.
It is the responsibility of the family to inform Bishop Fenwick High School’s nurse, Sue Ebding, when their student has been in close contact with a person with Covid-19 or has tested positive for Covid-19 themselves.
When the school is informed of a student/staff member confirmed Covid-19 case:
- – Fenwick will communicate with the Health Department and work in cooperation with the Health Department to communicate the situation and work in contact tracing. The school will take recommendations from the Health Department regarding quarantine or other actions following a confirmed case
- – A 14-day quarantine will be required of any student/staff member who tests positive with Covid-19 and anyone who is determined to have direct exposure to Covid-19 through living situations and direct contact
- – Fenwick families will be informed of positive Covid-19 cases with as much information able to be given
Student health issues that are NOT diagnosed as Covid-19:
Per usual, student/staff members should not attend school if they have a fever. The Center for Disease Control defines a fever as a temperature of 100.4 or greater. Students/staff members who develop a fever or symptoms should during the school day should report directly to the nurse without going to any other areas and will be required to go home immediately.
Return to school will be subject to the student being fever free (without medication) for a full 24 hours prior to returning to school improvement of all other related symptoms.
Students/Staff members exhibiting any of the following symptoms should not attend school until a physician can provide written confirmation that the symptoms are due to something other than Covid-19:
- Cough
- Body Aches
- Sore Throat
- Diarrhea
- Shortness of Breath
- Headache
- Congestion/Runny Nose
- Abnormal Fatigue
- (New) Loss of Taste/Smell
- Nausea/Vomiting
CDC: Self Check Your Symptoms Link
Returning to school after absence:
Any student/staff member who is out of school with a fever for any period of time should report to the nurse for check-in immediately upon their return to school (prior to reporting to lockers, classroom, or any other space in the building).
Return to school after planned absence:
More than ever, it is imperative that only travel which is necessary take place during the school year. The responsibility for maintaining a healthy community falls on the shoulders of all members. Travel during the academic year may endanger others in the community upon return. It is the responsibility of the family to inform school administration of travel outside the state of Ohio. A quarantine of up to 14 calendar days may be required before the student can return to learning in the classroom. The student will have access to classroom materials and presentations during this time as to minimize a gap in learning.
The Warren County Health Department will perform all contact tracing.
Purpose and Use of Face Covering
Families are expected to provide the *appropriate face coverings for their students and support the following of these protocol. The school will have supplies on hand when needed.
Students and staff will be required to wear a cloth face covering throughout the school day, with exception of when actively eating/drinking.
Cloth face coverings are meant to protect other people in case the wearer is unknowingly infected but does not have symptoms.
*Appropriate face coverings include cloth and paper masks styles such as those which have elastic around the ears, around the head, or gaiter/buff style which cover both the mouth and nose.
Daily Routine Before Arriving to School
Families should do health evaluations of students each day prior to school. This evaluation should include a temperature check as well as evaluation of other Covid-19 related symptoms. It is advised for families to keep a log of their temperature checks for possible tracing needs.
Items traveling from the home to the school should be disinfected as frequently as possible. This includes emptying backpacks and lunch bags daily to allow them to air out. Only items required for school should be transported to school and lockers should be emptied of any personal items, such as clothing, bags, water bottles, etc. on a daily basis.
School Entry
During school entry, students/staff members will wear an approved face covering.
All students are expected to be in the building, having been to their locker and in their seat prior to the 8:25am bell to start the day. Classrooms will be unlocked for students to take their seat at 7:50am each morning. Students in grades 9-10 are asked to arrive by 8:00am and students in grades 11-12 should arrive by 8:15am.
Upon entry, unless reporting to the Nurse to report symptoms or get a return-to-school temperature check, students should obtain the necessary materials from their locker for the day and report directly to their first period classroom where they will sit in their assigned seat.
Hallway and Common Spaces
The hallways of Bishop Fenwick High School will be marked with one-way traffic indicators on the floor. This traffic pattern is to minimize direct contact between students/staff members while moving throughout the school.
Students/staff members/visitors will wear an approved face covering when in the hallway, restroom, or any other common place such as the cafeteria (when not actively eating) and offices.
Lockers
Lockers will be assigned differently for the 2020-21 school year to help spread out the crowd in the locker bays at different times of the day. Lockers will be assigned with a rotation to ensure two student lockers from the same grade level are not directly connected.
Students will access their locker upon school entry to gather their items for the day.
Students WILL be permitted, for this time period, to utilize an over should bag/backpack (no rolling carts or bags) for carrying materials for the day so as to limit travel to lockers throughout the day. It is expected that students will minimize what they carry on a daily basis to just those items required for class!
At the end of the day, students will be dismissed in a sequence that allows smaller groups to access their locker and exit the building.
In the Classroom
This document, and other communication, informs the families of the safety protocols in place but any student/staff member who attends school will incur some level of risk. The school will decrease the likelihood of infection with hygiene, cleaning, and safety procedures, but being in public has a certain level of risk that cannot be eliminated.
Classroom occupancy will be limited when feasible. Resources/furniture not needed in the classroom will be removed to allow for more space.
When feasible, students will be spaced a minimum of 3-4 feet from each other in the classroom, with all desks facing the same direction.
Cell phone caddies will not be used. All cell phones must be kept in the backpack, purse or pocket at all times or it will be confiscated and returned at the end of the day.
Staff members and students will wear approved face coverings at all times in the classroom.
Group collaboration will be limited so as to keep distance and common facing. When necessary, collaboration will be done with students/staff members wearing approved face coverings.
Students/staff members will not share instruments/resources except for when necessary. If necessary, sanitation of resources will take place.
Students will be permitted to carry a water bottle with them throughout the day. Water refill stations will be available to limit physical contact with traditional water fountains. Only water is permitted during the school day.
It is encouraged for windows to be open as possible during the day and teachers will be encouraged to use outdoor spaces as classrooms when possible without disturbance to other classes.
*Any concerns with wearing an approved face covering for health purposes should be addressed to the school nurse, Sue Ebding, who will confer with school administration.
Performing Arts Classrooms and Activities
Performing arts classrooms and activities pose concerns not necessarily in play in other areas of the school. These classes will be instructed in a manner that best implements suggestions from national and state level organizations. Below is a link to the recommendations from the Ohio Alliance for Art Education regarding in person instruction. More information from a Colorado University research study will be available at the end of July to assist in finalizing protocol and procedures.
Arts Education Recommendations
Cafeteria/Lunch
Aramark, the provider for lunch service at Fenwick, will offer food service with logistics determined by their company in compliance with Health Department standards. More information will be provided by Aramark.
A fourth lunch period has been added to the daily schedule to allow for smaller groupings.
Cafeteria seating will be set up in two locations: 1) the cafeteria 2) the gymnasium.
Seating in both eating locations will be set up with students physically distanced, all facing the same direction.
Students will be assigned a lunch time and eating location (cafeteria or gym).
Students/Staff members are not required to wear a face covering when actively eating. The covering should be worn when moving about the area prior to being seated, when having finished and when in conversation.
While lunch is typically a more social activity in the day, the current circumstances require spacing and limited movement. Students should be seated during lunch unless buying food, throwing away trash, or otherwise given permission by the staff member in the location.
Hand Hygiene and Respiratory Etiquette
Frequent hand washing should be done with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Hand sanitizer will be available in classrooms and other spaces for use by students/staff when washing of hands is not possible.
Students/staff members are encouraged to carry tissues with them to be used for covering coughs, sneezes, etc. over the top of the face covering for an additional layer of protection and should be appropriately disposed of in the trash receptacle.
Cleaning and Disinfection
Cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched surfaces, such as desks/table tops and door knobs, will be done regularly, between uses as much as possible.
Students/Staff members will have the added responsibility of helping with cleaning and disinfection of used spaces and resources.
Restrooms will be cleaned after each transition period of the school day with hand soap and hand sanitizer stations checked throughout the day.
Bishop Fenwick High School works closely with TDG, our facilities company, to develop increased, routine cleaning and disinfection.
Gatherings, Visitors, and Field Trips
Group gathers and meetings, such as working on group projects, club meetings, etc., will be done via virtual events when possible. When meeting in person, promoting social distancing and limiting group size to the extent possible will be priority.
Fenwick will limit any nonessential visitors, volunteers, and activities involving external groups or organizations as possible. Fenwick will pursue virtual activities and events in lieu of field trips, student assemblies, etc. when feasible.
Athletic participation and events will be convened in ways that minimize the risk of transmission of Covid-19 in coordination with the restrictions from OHSAA and local, state and federal guidance.
As encouraged by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, we will not be holding All School Mass upon our return to school. Faith formation will continue with new approaches to students cultivating their relationship with Christ, especially focused on different creative and interactive prayer opportunities. When possible, class mass involving a smaller group of students will be held in person in the gymnasium following the protocol from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati for weekly parish masses.
Daily Schedule
All students are expected to have been in the building, to their locker and in their seat prior to the 8:25am bell to start the day. Classrooms will be unlocked for students to take their seat at 7:50am each morning. Students in grades 9-10 are asked to arrive by 8:00am and students in grades 11-12 should arrive by 8:15am.
Students will be permitted to carry one over shoulder backpack/bookbag to class so that they can carry all of their items for the entire day. Bags will need to be hung on the back of chairs or kept under the desk in the classroom in order to avoid safety hazards.
Each class will end with a bell to indicate a 2-minute disinfection period in which the teacher will facilitate disinfection of common areas such as desks and chairs.
Following the 2-minute disinfection period, a bell will ring to start the transition period. Students will be given 8 minutes to move to their next classroom. Trips to lockers are not permitted during this time. Hallway traffic flow will be one-way at all times—the added transition time allows students to travel a longer distance to their next class.
At the end of the day, students will be dismissed in a staggered fashion to minimize the congestion in locker bays. At dismissal, students are asked to get their items from their locker and exit the building immediately rather than socializing in the building. Face coverings must be worn in the building and should not be removed until students are in their personal car for the ride home or are no longer in an area with others.
Students needing to stay after school for rides or activities will be required to remain in the cafeteria while waiting. All students should sit one person per 6 foot table section, and all facing the main gymnasium. Face coverings will be worn. Students involved in after school activities should report directly to the activity and follow the protocol in place.
A fourth lunch period has been added to the schedule to allow for better distancing.
The school will operate on only these two schedules to begin the 2020-21 school year. There will not be the usual 90-Minute Delay schedules each month. Instead of faculty meetings which usually take place during these delay starts, the faculty and staff will receive a monthly update/information bulletin from the administration.
After School
To help with maintaining social distancing, we ask that students are not on campus after school unless required to do so. Students are encouraged to use outdoor spaces when possible while waiting for rides. Students with activities later in the evening are asked to leave campus and return when possible. For disinfecting purpose, it is essential to have everyone out of the building as soon as possible after the 3:00 bell.
Hall Pass
The e-hall pass system will be fully utilized for scheduled passes as well as passes to the restroom, locker, etc. The system will assist in contact tracing as needed.
Outside of scheduled passes from the office or counselors, only one student will be permitted to be out of each classroom at a given time—no exceptions.
When out of class on a hall pass, students will follow the one-way traffic flow at all times and should go straight to their destination and back to class without additional stops.
Face coverings are required to be worn at any time in the hallway and restroom.
Absence Policies
Absence policies for the school will remain in effect but will be addressed in individual situations based on the circumstances surrounding. It is re-emphasized that self-evaluation of health and staying home when showing symptoms of illness are the priority in making sure the virus is not spread throughout the community!
Excused absences should be limited as much as possible to those with advance planning and requested in advance with the excused absence request form.
Continued Learning for Quarantined Students
Students who are not able to attend school due Covid-19 symptoms (home with a fever, quarantined due to contact with a person who has tested positive, positive test) will be able to continue their education remotely.
Teachers will be provided a second Surface Pro (used and returned by previous graduating classes) to set up in their classroom and record lessons when a student is absent. These lessons will be recorded and posted, possibly creating a 24-hour delay in information, but it will allow students to keep up with the work missed so as to be on track upon their return to the classroom.
Assessments will be done via electronic modes determined by the teacher. It is expected that students and teachers work together to complete these assessments in a timely manner.
If illness creates issues with this environment of learning, the school counselor will work with the family and teachers to determine the best way for the student to maintain and then return when healthy.
Coping and Resiliency
It is encouraged that all students/staff take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories about Covid-19, including social media, to avoid feelings over being overwhelmed or distressed.
Healthy activities of exercise, sleep, relaxation and a healthy diet are key to both physical and mental well being. National Distress Hotline: 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746
Student and Parent/Guardian Expectations
Conduct a student wellness check including temperature prior to sending the student to school EACH DAY. Students with a temperature over 100F should stay home. Contact the school office and inform them of the absence and reasoning.
Provide an approved face covering/mask for your student to wear, to be worn throughout the school day.
Parental/Family support of these policies are key to the success of maintain the safest environment possible for students.
Maintain maximum physical distance possible whenever possible on campus or at school sponsored events.
Maintain healthy habits of distancing, face covering, hand washing, surface disinfection, and limited contact with others outside of school hours to limit the chance of bringing the virus into the Fenwick community.
Students will be responsible for cleaning of desks, chairs, and supplies after use. This should be done with care and not haste.
Provide students with a water bottle with their name on it for daily use as traditional water fountains will not be available (water refill stations will).
Clean student water bottles and other personal belongings which travel to and from school on a regular basis. Items left around the school will be discarded during disinfection of the building each day.
Follow all signage and guidelines given, including one-way traffic, maintaining distance, cleansing of surfaces, etc.
Visits to school by parents/guardians/siblings/other should be limited to those absolutely necessary. If picking up a student, please call the office to inform them you have arrived. Your student will be sent out the front main entry when released.
Report any symptoms to the school nurse, Mrs. Ebding, as soon as they are noticed during the school day.
Faculty and Staff Expectations
Ensure classroom setup of desks provides maximum physical distancing for students. Desks should all be facing the same direction. Make sure your classroom is open and available, with your presence, no later than 7:45am each school day.
Work with TDG to remove/store extra furniture/resources not needed in the classroom to allow for more spacing.
Ensure students follow protocol of maintaining distance and limiting contact.
Provide reminders, issue warnings, contact parents/guardians, and report repeated expectation violators to the office.
Wear a self-provided mask or face shield at all times when in the presence of students and fellow staff members, except for when actively eating.
Keep the classroom door open to maximize airflow and reduce the number of touches to door handles. Keep the door in the locked position for quick lockdown if needed.
Do not, at any time, allow students into your room who are not assigned to that space.
Use supplies provided to spray and wipe desks, chairs, and any common materials needed before new students transition into the room.
Supervise hallways and common areas to ensure students are reporting immediately to class and not congregating in hallways or common areas. Provide reminders, warnings, contact parents/guardians, and report repeated violators of policies related to one way traffic flow, social distancing, and face coverings.
Supervise implementation of locker use and dismissal to minimize congestion in the building. When possible, provide virtual options for group meetings outside of the classroom.
Have provided device set up and ready to record each class lesson. Record each lesson, including question and answer sessions, and post a link in a folder in Portals within 24 hours of the class. The only exception is if a class has 100% attendance on a given day.
Assist in supervision of e-hall pass system, including scheduled passes as well as individual requested passes. Use Portals as the resource for all assignments, links to resources, etc.
Use Microsoft Office 365 Suite for platforms related with student work and submission whenever possible. Grade work in a timely manner and provide feedback to students on assignments.
When a student is quarantined, maintain contact with student to ensure continuation of learning, including assessment methods while learning remotely.
Lab courses will be under the same protocols as other classrooms with limits to shared materials. Teachers and students may utilize virtual labs. Teachers should assign labs that can be completed independently or as a group with members keeping proper distance.
Staff Illness
If a member of the teaching staff must remain home due to Covid-19 symptoms, contact with someone who tested positive, or a positive test:
- – A sub will be provided for your classroom
- – When feasible, connect via Microsoft Teams to your classroom from home to provide live instruction during the class period. The sub willbe in the room as a proctor to facilitate set up and classroom management*
- – When not feasible to perform a live lesson from home, permitted to use any available personal or sick leave time*Teaching live lessons remotely during time of quarantine due to Covid-19 symptoms will result in no loss of sick time or pay
Staff members who only have a fever and no other symptoms and have not had any contact with an individual that has a known confirmed case of Covid-19 may return to school after they are fever free for 24 hours without using medication.
