Ready/Return to Learn and Continuity of Learning Plan
CPS Families,
As we have learned, we still need to remain flexible, and follow our local data and the Barry Eaton District Health Department guidance with regard to our 2023-2024 Continuity of Learning Plan. Please note that our plan is in alliance with our neighboring districts as well. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions and answers but you can find more in the section below.
Will CPS have Face to Face or Virtual instruction?
All instruction will be Face to Face at Charlotte Public Schools.
What Safety Precautions will be implemented to keep our students healthy?
We will continue our expectations for cleaning, sanitizing, and hand washing, along with distancing when possible. We will encourage parents to screen their students daily for symptoms, and if they are ill, to keep them at home.
What about masks?
With our current local data, we will not be requiring masks for students inside of the buildings; however, students can wear masks if they choose. While we recommend wearing masks, this means masks will be optional for all staff, students, and visitors. There is a Federal health requirement for students to wear masks on buses, but students can take the mask off when they arrive at their destination.
We hope that this information helps you to be able to communicate expectations with your child as they come to school each day. Please check our website www.charlotteorioles.com for more information and frequent updates!
Go Orioles! Oriole Pride!
Dr. Mandy Stewart- CPS Superintendent
CPS Continuity of Learning Plan
Frequently Asked Questions
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Q. Will there be an online/virtual option?
A. Charlotte Public Schools will be offering 100% fully in-person instruction to all of our students for the 2021-2022 school year.
Q. What if COVID-19 cases increase again?
A. It is possible that the state may notice an increase in COVID-19 cases once again and provide different guidance to schools. CPS remains committed to being able to shift instructional methods as needed due to temporary changes in guidance from MDHHS or BEDHD.
Q. Are there going to be enough substitutes if a teacher has to go on prolonged leave because of COVID-19?
A. We are working to recruit more substitute teachers, as this is always a concern for public schools. Some of the reasons that we are following the recommended safety options is to keep our staff healthy and our schools open.
Q. How do I get more information?
Please continue to check our website, social media, and our Skylert communications for updates. We will do our best to keep the information rolling out to keep you informed.
Q. Can we elaborate some on face to face learning in the aspect of the emotional environment that will be. I am concerned that the environment of the school will seem cold and sterile.
A. School will look differently with continued increased hand washing, cleaning, and distancing when possible. However, we are still educators here for students. We are increasing our socio-emotional learning supports, working to find connections with students, and trying to be as “normal” as possible, especially after the year we just experienced.
Q. What if we have to move to virtual at some point, will the teachers be ready to teach virtually?
A. Yes, we continue to provide Professional Development learning around virtual coursework, so that we will be prepared if we have to be virtual due to quarantine or a change in direction from the State or local health department.
Q. Is this year going to result in multiple shutdowns? How do I prepare my student for constant change?
A. It may be that as we look at the data, there may be times when quarantine or state/local mandates will have schools/classes closed. We will have support available for parents to talk to their children if that becomes necessary, but having direct conversations about those possibilities with your children is a great start.
ELEMENTARY QUESTIONS
Q. Where will lunches be held? And will there be play time and recess?
A. Lunches will still be held in the lunchroom/cafeteria, with as much planned spacing and separating as possible. There will be playtimes and recess.
Q. Will younger children be in the lunchroom together as usual? Is that what is planned for them, rather than eating in the classroom to minimize their contact with more children?
A. Elementary children will be grouped into cohorts or pods (perhaps 2 second grade classrooms) as much possible and those cohorts/pods will do things like lunch and recess together instead of school wide or grade level groupings in order to mitigate exposure as much as possible.
HIGH SCHOOL QUESTIONS
Q. What about HS students who were enrolled in college courses through Eaton RESA?
A. Communication should be sent to each student via email and/or US mail directly from Eaton RESA if students are enrolled in the Eaton RESA CTE program. This will contain specific information about each program and the instruction method being used. If you do not receive this information, please visit their website at https://www.eatonresa.org/career-and-technical-education/ where you can find contact information and further guidance.
Q. What are the requirements for sports? What about other extra-curricular activities?
A. There are no mask or testing requirements for athletes. We will continue to follow local health department and MHSAA guidelines/requirements for these activities. We have been applying the same general guidelines to all extra-curricular activities in order to remain fair and consistent in our practices.
Q. Could you please tell me what the plan is for Project Success?
A. Students can participate in Project Success in the fully Face to Face model.
SCHOOL OF CHOICE QUESTIONS
Q. How many school of choice students will we take and will priority be given to families currently enrolled as school of choice?
A. Schools of choice spots are currently unlimited through August 20, 2021. Students currently enrolled under schools of choice are automatically renewed from year to year unless they chose to unenroll at CPS. However, if we see an uptick in SOC enrollments, we will look into hiring more staff to accommodate.
MASK QUESTIONS
Q. Will masks be required?
With our current local data, we will not be requiring masks for students inside of the buildings; however, students can wear masks if they choose. While we recommend wearing masks, this means masks will be optional for all staff, students, and visitors.
There is a Federal health requirement for students to wear masks on buses, but students can take the mask off when they arrive at their destination.
In addition, masks are required for those that are close contacts to positive individuals if they would like to return to school instead of staying in quarantine.
SAFETY PROTOCOL QUESTIONS
Q. Outside of new air filtration, handwashing stations, and voluntary mask wearing, are there any additional precautions being taken for students?
A. We will continue the enhanced surface cleaning in our schools, along with the use of our electrostatic sprayers. We will continuing to encourage students to wash their hands often, utilize hand sanitizer and cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze.
Q. Are parents allowed in the school?
A. As long as COVID-19 cases remain at the current lower levels we will allow limited parent and volunteer access to the building. Parents and volunteers will be asked to self monitor for symptoms of illness and requested to not enter if they are ill. We value our volunteers and parent engagement and are looking forward to welcoming you back into our buildings as much as possible.
Q. If a student has a fever at school are they going to be isolated away from other students and staff while they wait to get picked up?
A. In some circumstances, yes. Our goal is to ensure that all staff and students stay as healthy as possible which may mean that an ill student needs to be isolated from others until a guardian is able to pick them up.
Q. Are parents/guardians still required to screen their child(ren) before sending them to school?
A. Yes, we continue to encourage parents to screen their child daily for symptoms and if they are ill we ask that they remain home until their symptoms subside.
Q. When you say you have improved the air system for sanitization, will there be sanitization being sprayed while kids are in the building?
A. The Air system is a filter/cleaner, but it does not spray anything into the air.
Q. What are going to be your daily cleaning procedures for classrooms and common areas?
A. Cleaning will occur every four hours in common areas (before school, mid day and after school) and classroom desks will be cleaned in between class movement.
TRANSPORTATION QUESTIONS
Q. Are students required to wear a mask when on a school bus?
A. Yes, all students and student athletes must wear a face mask when entering the bus, riding on the bus, and exiting the bus. This is regardless of vaccination status per federal requirements.
Q. Does the district have enough bus drivers in case bus drivers have to go on leave because of COVID-19?
A. We are always recruiting bus drivers, and this is a concern, which is why we need our parents supportive of our safety procedures, to keep everyone healthy.
Q. How often are busses being cleaned?
A. We have increased cleaning our busses, with a recommended spray cleaning system.
QUARANTINE/ISOLATION QUESTIONS
Q. If a student has to quarantine/isolate are they going to transition to online learning?
A. Yes, all teachers will be relying heavily on Google Classroom and SeeSaw to communicate information to students and parents. However, this is not the same as Distanced Learning. Students will be responsible for their own work and instruction just like any other absence.
Q. If someone gets sick in a class will the whole class have to quarantine?
A. Per MDHHS guidelines, not necessarily. They consider the amount of time spent in close contact and various other factors to make those decisions. Effective, February 7, 2022, as long as a close contact is asymptomatic, we are not requiring them to quarantine so long as they agree to mask while at school or participating in CPS activities.
Q. If someone in the building gets sick will the whole building have to quarantine?
A. Not necessarily. We will be working closely with the health department to do contact tracing.
Q. If students are home due to quarantine, how many negative tests will they have to have in order to return to face to face?
A. We encourage parents to seek clarification from their doctor or the BEDHD for specific guidance at the time of quarantine as each case may be different. We only require a negative facility/lab test for home exposures if the student wishes to shorten their quarantine to 5 days.
Q. If my child has been vaccinated will they need to quarantine for a close contact?
A. If you choose to vaccinate your child, and you share that proof with us, you will not be required to quarantine per the current health department policy so long as the child remains asymptomatic.
Q. If my child was recently diagnosed with COVID-19 will they need to quarantine if they have a future close contact?
A. We will continue to track those students who have been positive within the past 90 day window, as they also would not be required to quarantine under current health department policy. Proof of the positive test must be on file with the school and must be from a facility/lab. Home tests are not accepted. Please make sure that the school is notified immediately if your child has recently tested positive.
Hand Washing, Health Screening and Resources
