As Catholic educators, the most important thing we can offer our students and families is a safe return to campus for live, in-person teaching. Our CKS Reopening Team and administration has worked throughout the summer to develop plans that provide the most effective teaching and learning strategies, as well as flexibility and compliance with the most current health and safety guidelines.
We are prepared and confident that we can offer the exceptional Catholic education that is the foundation of the CKS experience. Our teachers have continued professional development over the summer to help our students thrive; our reimagined campus has been designed to keep our students and staff safe and healthy; and our reopening plan has taken the diverse needs of our families to heart to help students flourish when they safely return to school.
The CKS Reopening Team focused on these guiding principles to reopen our campus:
- Catholic Values
- Culture of Healthy Habits
- Flexible Teaching & Learning Strategies
- Mitigation Strategies
- Personal Responsibility
- Reimagined Campus
The CKS Reopening Plan includes three phases, named for Salesian saints, to ensure our students receive the critical in-person instruction they deserve in the safest way possible: (1) Savio: most restrictive (2) Mazzarello: less restrictive (3) Bosco: least restrictive. Plans will continue to evolve and information will be updated here based on the most current health and safety guidelines.
A Culture of Healthy Habits
Our goal is to embrace a healthy culture founded on our Catholic faith and based on one of the greatest commandments, “to love your neighbor as yourself” by creating practices and routines that will protect our staff and students.
Campus Health & Safety Measures
Personal Responsibility
It is the responsibility of all parents to regularly monitor their children and themselves for illness.
- Students should stay home if exhibiting concerning signs or symptoms of illness including fever, cough, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing OR symptoms such as chills, rigors, muscle aches, headaches, sore throat, new loss of smell or taste, vomiting, diarrhea, or runny nose
- Students will be sent home if exhibiting any of the above symptoms at school
- Parents will be asked to complete a screening form prior to students starting school and regularly throughout the school year
Current Reopening Phase: Savio
CKS is focused on reimagining our campus and community in the landscape of a global pandemic, and with the most current information and best practices from our local, diocesan, national and medical experts.
Campus
AFTERCARE
- Application-based; application coming soon
- There will be a limited number of need-based spots (pre-registered only; no drop-ins)
- Assigned indoor spaces by family with adequate physical distancing between groups
- All students will remain in the cafeteria except when play occurs outdoors
ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL
- Arrival
- There will be no drop-offs before 7:30 am
- All students must wear a face covering upon exiting the car
- Students report directly to homeroom upon drop-off
- Dismissal
- Dismissal will occur from classrooms using Vo’Sri (new dismissal system app; more info coming soon)
- The oldest sibling will meet the youngest sibling to go to carline of the oldest sibling
- ALL Aftercare students will remain in classrooms until respective carlines are concluded
- Dismissal times:
- 2:30 — EC4-1st grade
- 3:00 — 2nd-8th grade
CLASSROOM SET-UP
- Classrooms will be set up with adequate physical distance between desks and students
- Classrooms will include signage that students should wash hands or use hand-sanitizer upon entry
- Students will use individual supplies in all classes
- Outdoor spaces will be used when appropriate for instruction
CLINIC
- A separate clinic for triage of students exhibiting COVID-like symptoms has been established
- There are updated protocols for possible COVID exposure or symptoms (i.e. use of personal protection equipment)
- Current CDC and health protocols will be followed in working with our families to support decisions made by their healthcare professionals
RECESS / PLAYGROUND
- Classes will be divided into smaller groups and follow a schedule for use of the playgrounds and other outdoor areas
- Playground equipment and all outdoor and indoor seating will be sanitized by staff after each use with CDC-approved disinfectant
- Structured activities will be emphasized during recess and PE to help students maintain adequate physical distance
ROUTINES / MOVEMENT
- Students in EC4 through 8th grade will be grouped by homeroom for contact tracing purposes
- Students will be separated into smaller cohorts using designated spaces in the school
- There will be minimal movement during core instruction – teachers will change classes, not students
- Students will move to recess, lunch, PE, and outdoor breaks
- Students will eat snack and lunch in designated outdoor areas with adequate physical distance (in classroom during inclement weather)
- Students may bring lunch or order one boxed Grab & Go lunch option or boxed salad/soup option; there will be no soup/salad bar, snacks, a la carte items, cash transactions, or lunch from outside vendors
- Water fountains will be turned off except for touchless bottle refill stations
- Students will not use lockers/cubbies; students will be using personal backpacks to transport materials throughout the day
- Students will not change for PE
Community
AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS & ACTIVITIES
- All after school clubs and activities will be postponed during the Savio phase
EXTRACURRICULAR ATHLETICS
- CKS will follow Diocesan guidelines for extracurricular sports and activities which we anticipate will come after Labor Day
- The Diocese of St. Petersburg is considering changing the order of the seasons to start with those sports that require less physical contact
MORNING ASSEMBLY
- Morning assembly will be live streamed to classrooms every morning except Wednesday (school mass day) to encourage and promote community
SCHOOL MASS
- School mass in the church will be limited to two different grade levels each week with adequate physical distancing between students
- No parents or outside visitors will be allowed in the church
- Mass will be live streamed for the students in classrooms and available for families to view
VOLUNTEERS / VISITORS
- There will be no visitors allowed on campus except in the School Office to drop off medication or prescription items only
- There will be no volunteers allowed on campus and no family volunteer hour requirements this school year
Learning Plans
CKS is committed to live, in-person teaching in August. The Flexible Learning Instructional Plan has been designed to temporarily continue instruction from home due to COVID related absences. Distance Learning would only occur with state, Diocesan, or local mandates enforcing school closures with NO in-person teaching due to safety reasons.
Flexible Learning INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN (FLIP)
FLIP aligns with on-campus learning as students follow their school schedule from home. This will include live teaching and recordings, individual and small group feedback, communication from classroom teachers, and school counselor support. FLIP is required for students who must be out temporarily due to COVID-19 related illness. Parents with COVID-19 related concerns can request enrollment in FLIP; however, administrative approval is required and continued enrollment in FLIP will be reviewed every 14 days. The FLIP Enrollment Form is available by request from school administration.
As students transition to FLIP, an orientation to the program will be provided by school staff. Microsoft TEAMS, a digital learning environment, will be implemented throughout the school. It will be used as an instructional management hub and will include online curriculum resources with log-in and navigation information, assignments, turn-in capabilities, schedules, meeting links, and opportunities to collaborate and communicate.
This program will be coordinated by administration and supported by CKS school counselors and teaching staff.
Distance Learning
Based on last year's distance learning experience, the following enhancements would be made:
- Microsoft TEAMS as instructional management hub
- Streamlined turn-in process for assignments
- Live teaching/recordings
- Individual and small group feedback
- Teacher/family check-ins
- Social/emotional support through school counselors
- Progress monitoring through diagnostic assessments
FAQ
- How do you decide when to move from one phase to another?
- What do the other phases look like?
- Will you require testing and temperature checks for students and staff?
- Why are students required to wear a face covering?
- What are the requirements for face coverings?
- How will the school handle COVID and non-COVID related illnesses or exposure?
How do you decide when to move from one phase to another?
Movement between phases should be dictated by rates of COVID spread in the community and school. Factors to consider include: COVID infection rate in school zip codes as found on the Florida Department of Health website, school absentee rates, government directives, and Diocese of St. Petersburg directives. Families will be notified before moving to the next phase.
What do the other phases look like?
The three phases are:
- Savio: most restrictive
- Mazzarello: less restrictive
- Bosco: least restrictive
Each phase is flexible and individual protocols within each phase can be revised based on additional guidance from government authorities, health officials, or Diocesan mandates. We will reopen in the Savio phase in August (see details above).
While clinic procedures, health and hygiene measures, safety protocols, and Flexible Learning options will remain consistent throughout the school year, campus activity may change as each new phase is entered.
Mazzarello is highlighted by the following:
- Students will continue to be grouped by homeroom but will switch classes (where applicable) for co-curriculars and classroom instruction
- Morning assembly will be resumed outside for students by grade levels, with a live-stream for students in the classroom
- Additional grades will attend school mass based on current physical distancing guidelines
- Lunch and recess will occur by grade level rather than by homeroom
- CKS extra-curricular activities will resume
- Pre-approved visitors to the school will be allowed on campus
During the Bosco phase, campus activity will resume at a pre-COVID operation.
Will you require testing and temperature checks for students and staff?
Based on medical recommendations, we are not requiring testing for students and staff at this time.
Temperature checks alone are insufficient for assessing COVID-19 illnesses for staff or students. At this time, temperature checks will not be required for entry to campus by students and staff. However, school staff will perform temperature checks to monitor students who may be exhibiting COVID-like symptoms and send to the nurse for further evaluation.
Why are students required to wear a face covering?
Medical professionals continue to recommend that face coverings may offer some protection because they decrease droplet spread. Student face coverings will be required when adequate physical distancing cannot be maintained or ensured. This is one of many mitigation tools we have implemented to help minimize the risk of transmission of respiratory illness which would affect children, families, and educators.
What are the requirements for face coverings?
CKS parents will be responsible for providing, cleaning, and maintaining face coverings (two-layer cloth masks or disposable masks only) for their child(ren) daily. If a student's face covering is lost or damaged during the school day, CKS will provide a disposable mask.
GUIDELINES
Face coverings must:
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Fully cover the nose and mouth and secure under the chin
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Fit snugly but comfortably against the sides of the face
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Be secured with ties or ear loops
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Should be practiced at home to ensure student comfort
While CKS will not require a uniform face covering, they all must be an acceptable design that is not considered distracting, scary or offensive as deemed by the administration. Buffs and neck gaiters are currently not approved.
Due to the nature of teaching and learning in EC4 and Kindergarten, face shields may be used as an alternative.
COMPLIANCE
Face covering requirements, like any other established school policy, will be clearly communicated to and practiced with our students with supports in place to ensure compliance. The age of the child will be considered to determine whether the child needs more assistance or is choosing not to comply. In cases where students are choosing not to comply, consequences will be administered and parent contact made.
STORAGE
Students should have a Ziploc or paper bag with their name to store face coverings when not in use.
How will the school handle COVID and non-COVID related illnesses or exposure?
*Office of Catholic Schools and Centers (OCSC)
CKS staff decisions will follow a similar decision tree. All communication will follow the HIPAA Guidelines for privacy. These decision trees are based on recommendations from the Diocese of St. Petersburg and are fluid and subject to change as the CDC releases more information. These may not cover every scenario and families will work with administration for other scenarios.