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NPS families,
As we have promised all summer and throughout our back-to-school planning process, our goal is to keep you updated as our plan grows and more information becomes available. We know this has been a trying time for everyone, including our teachers and staff. We also understand that everyone brings a different perspective and we will continue to do our best to provide options for families. To that end, we are preparing for school to begin Aug. 17 and have several important updates to share.
First, the Oklahoma State Department of Education has released new guidance for schools that relies on the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s (OSDH) Covid-19 Alert System. The alert system, which is updated weekly by OSDH, assigns each county in the state a color, which is determined by the number of positive Covid-19 cases per capita. The alert system — and how it applies to Norman Public Schools — is outlined below. Click here to view the current status of each county.
Green
Schools will offer in-person, blended and virtual instruction
Face coverings are required
Extracurricular activities are allowed with safeguards in place
Yellow
Schools will offer in-person, blended and virtual instruction
Face coverings are required
Non-essential visitors will be limited
Extracurricular activities are allowed with safeguards in place
Orange (Level 1)
Schools will offer a modified in-person schedule, blended and virtual instruction.
Alternative schedules will be employed for in-person instruction to reduce the number of students in school buildings. More detailed information will be provided soon.
Full-time virtual students and teachers would not be impacted by the alternative schedule.
Face coverings are required
Non-essential visitors will be limited
Extracurricular activities are allowed with safeguards in place
Orange (Level 2)
All instruction will be delivered virtually
To the extent possible, extracurricular activities may be allowed with safeguards in place
Red
All instruction will be delivered virtually
Extracurricular activities are not allowed
COVID-19 Exposures and Diagnoses
The Norman Public School District will closely follow guidance from the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s Covid-19 Alert System. We will continue to offer in-person, blended and virtual instruction when the alert system shows that Cleveland County is green or yellow status and will offer a modified, in-person schedule for Orange Level 1 in addition to blended and virtual instruction options.
Specific to Norman Public Schools, when there is a positive case at a school, students and teacher(s) who are in that specific classroom will be notified and required to quarantine for 14 days and will transition to virtual, remote learning (provided by their teacher or a substitute) during that time. For example, if an elementary school student or teacher tests positive, individuals in that specific class will transition to virtual learning during the quarantine period. For middle and high school students, this would apply to each class in which that student and/or teacher participated.
Individuals who have tested positive for Covid-19 may return to school after it has been 10 days since their symptoms first appeared and they are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication. Those who were in close contact to someone who has tested positive for Covid-19 may return 14 days after the initial exposure.
Enhanced Cleaning and Sanitization
In addition to enhanced, daily cleaning and sanitization protocols, all classrooms will be equipped with touchless thermometers, hand sanitizer and disinfecting cleaning supplies. Additionally, front offices will feature plexiglass barriers and equipment commonly used in hospitals such as portable, ultraviolet disinfection devices and electrostatic sprayers will be employed in school buildings. Additional sanitizing stations and bottle fillers will be available at each site and every school will have a full-time health assistant or school nurse on staff. When possible, HVAC systems are being adjusted to allow for and increase additional air flow within buildings.
As a reminder, students, teachers and staff are required to wear face coverings and encouraged to bring their own. The district also will provide face coverings for all teachers, students and staff members who do not otherwise have one. In certain circumstances, teachers may be provided with clear-view face coverings in classrooms with students who are younger or have special needs.
Learning Option Selection
To help us prepare for the start of school, we encourage all families — especially those who plan to choose a virtual option for their child — to complete enrollment as soon as possible, as this information is critical for us to appropriately staff the in-person, blended and virtual learning options. This year, the entire enrollment process may be completed online. For enrollment processes and information, visit www.normanpublicschools.org/enroll.
What will happen the first week of school?
When school begins, teachers will spend time connecting with students — both those who have enrolled in-person, blended and virtually — to get to know them, build relationships and gain a better understanding of their unique academic, social, emotional and individual learning needs. Time also will be spent to orient and familiarize students with various learning platforms and their individual accounts. This is critical to ensure our teachers can deliver appropriate and consistent academic content if and when schools are required to close to reduce the spread of Covid-19.
When will parents know students’ schedules?
Our hope is that parents will receive information on specific enrollment from your child’s school after August 10 but prior to the first day of school. We will strive for our typical timeline with regard to availability of student schedules and class rosters. This is why it is incredibly important that families complete the enrollment process as soon as possible.
Will classes be live-streamed for blended or virtual students?
There is no expectation for teachers to post “live-streaming” videos from their in-person learning classrooms to be viewed by students who are virtually learning simultaneously. There are multiple reasons why this would not be a best practice everyday. However, there may be a time and place for virtual students to participate in a class activity or discussion via live-streaming, but we must be conscious of screen time and student engagement. There are also potential concerns about FERPA in certain situations.
How does this plan impact students with special needs?
Families of students with special needs will be contacted directly by Special Services staff and/or their special education teachers. Their learning options are being discussed and finalized collaboratively based on their individualized education programs and their desire to be in-person or virtual learners this school year.
We understand that families may have additional questions. Our desire is to do everything possible to ensure school can begin with in-person instruction. And, we are constantly working to provide as much detail as possible so families can effectively prepare for the coming school year. Please remember that all information related to our back-to-school plan is posted and kept current at www.normanpublicschools.org/backtoschool and that the NPS Student Services Office or the principal at your child’s school may also be contacted with questions. We appreciate your patience during this time as we work to find solutions during this challenging time and we will continue to provide additional information as it becomes available.
Sincerely,
Dr. Nick Migliorino
Superintendent
Norman Public Schools
Norman Public Schools
Values: Integrity | Inclusiveness | Collaboration | Optimism
Email: normanpublicschools@norman.k12.ok.us
Website: normanpublicschools.org
Location: 131 South Flood Avenue, Norman, OK, United States
Facebook: facebook.com/normanpublicschools
Twitter: @NormanSchools