Rich Schools to open August 24

LETTER TO PARENTS ABOUT REOPENING

Rich School District Students and Parents:
     Currently, we are planning to start school, with face to face instruction on August 24, 2020.  Our hope is to keep school “in the building” through a shared commitment from students, families, and staff by preventing the spread of COVID 19.  
     Together with the Bear River Health Department, we have developed guidance for the opening of school with all students having the opportunity to attend on a regular schedule.  However, we realize that this is a very fluid situation, and that changes in protocol can happen quickly.
     The following guidelines are intended to provide protection for students, employees, and the community.

Things we will do at school:
1.    Mitigate risk/spread by encouraging physical distancing, proper hand hygiene, sanitization, wearing masks, hallway flow adjustments, adjusting lunch time seating, recess modifications, and spacing of students.
2.    Monitor illness/symptoms in the student body and contact a student’s family immediately if a student exhibits symptoms.
3.    Monitor positive COVID 19 cases and its spread in Rich District, and follow up appropriately, as we would with any community health concern.  Rich District will follow the recommendations of the health department officials regarding school closures, modified school schedules, or in-school adjustments.
4.    Continue to refine our digital blended learning as needs arise.
5.    Modify our method of delivery, if necessary, to promote the health and well-being of students and staff.

Things parents and students can to.
1.     Keep your child home if they have a fever (100.4 or above), cough, cold or flu symptoms, and have them return only when these symptoms have subsided.
2.    Talk to your child about changes they may notice at school – masks, face shields, taking temperature, lunch changes, etc. -- reinforcing that these measures are in place to preserve their health and the health of those around them.
3.    Send your child to school wearing a clean mask and encourage them to wear it.  If your child does not have a face mask, one will be provided.
4.    Prepare, as much as possible, to adapt to change.  As conditions regarding the virus change, we will need to adjust as needed.
5.    Recognize you can choose the traditional face-to face school, a hybrid model (teachers will record instruction being taught in their classrooms and post it on Canvas daily for students at home), or an online option offered through SOEP.  Please communicate with administration if your child is not attending face to face instruction.

6.    Know that as a parent/guardian, you have the right to keep your child home at any time as you assess risk as it relates to your family.  

The information that follows will provide you more information relative to student safety.  Please read it thoroughly, and please know we are making every effort to provide a quality education experience for your child.

Please be aware there is no such thing as a “COVID-free zone”.  The more people congregate, no matter where that takes place, the more opportunity there is for the virus to spread.  COVID 19 exists everywhere in our society, at this point, no vaccine has been developed.  However, by following some best practices, we believe we can mitigate the spread of the virus, which will allow us to provide the best education we can for all students.