Fall 2021 Back-to-School Guide

Greetings Bremerton School District families!

We are looking forward to seeing first through 12th grade students next Wednesday, September 1, and our kindergarten students on Tuesday, September 7 (Remember - it is an early release day!).

We've made a few updates to this guide since it was first sent out:

• Bus schedules for elementary bus routes (only) have been adjusted slightly.

• Details on back-to-school activities for elementary schools and MVMS have been added.

• Details on arrival times for students and breakfast hours have been added.

• Information about Chromebook inventory for all devices scheduled in September was added (more details coming from your child's school).

• A link to the District’s Virtual Community Resource Fair added.

• Information on COVID vaccination requirements for school staff has been added.

Please take a moment to review this important information to help your student(s) get prepared for the new school year. While we are back at school full-time, things are still going to look a little different due to ongoing COVID-19 health and safety requirements for schools.

Thank you!

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It is time for our Annual Back-to-school Check-in process or ABCs (formerly known as the Annual Demographic Update). Please take a few moments to complete this important process. It should take about 15 minutes (or less!) to complete the process for each child in your household.

The ABC process must be completed for all students in the district - including both previously enrolled as well as newly registered students.

Please log-in to Skyward and complete this important process for your student(s) ASAP. Thank you!

Questions about this process? Need help with your Skyward log-in? Please call 360-473-1076 or click here.

Back-to-School Nights / Open Houses

All elementary schools will host a virtual back-to-school night/open house on Tuesday, August 31 from 4-5 p.m. Watch for a link from your child’s school!

Class assignments

On August 27 at 4 p.m., families are invited to log-into Skyward and find out their child(rens) classroom teacher(s). Need help accessing Skyward? Please contact your child’s school for assistance.

Visit the Mountain View Middle School website for details about 6th grade orientation and the outdoor open house for students in grades 7-8 on Monday, August 30.

Why don't kindergarten students attend the first week of school?

Our elementary schools participate in the Kindergarten Family Connections - also known as Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS) transition process.

Wednesday September 1st through September 3rd, kindergarten students and their guardians will be invited to the school to have an individual meeting with their kindergarten teacher. During this meeting, the teachers get to know more about your child. There will also be sometime for your child to see and learn specific routines of their classroom.

Kindergarten parents can expect to hear from their child's teacher around Friday, August 27th (after class lists are finalized).

• Elementary students should not arrive at school before 8:55 a.m. Free breakfast will be offered in every classroom.

• MVMS students should not arrive at school before 7:40 a.m. Free breakfast will be available in the cafeteria to all students.

• Unless enrolled in “0 hour,” BHS students should not arrive at school before 6:50 a.m. Free breakfast will be available in the commons/cafeteria to all students beginning at 7 a.m.
  

• RHS students should not arrive on campus prior to 7:30 a.m. Free breakfast will be available for all students.

All school meals (breakfast and lunch) will be FREE for all students for the 2021-22 school year.

Additional information about how and where meals will be served is being communicated from your child's school as it varies by school.

More information, including menus, is available on our website BremertonSchools.org/Meals. There is a "quick link" to this page on all District websites as well!

• Parents/guardians are required to complete a Network/Internet Acceptable Use Agreement form for students to use District technology. This form is a part of the Annual Back-to-school Check-in (or ABC) process in Skyward.

• Students who do not have Chromebooks will be assigned one early in the fall. Watch for information from your child's school.

• Schools and teachers will be communicating with students and families about Chromebooks and whether or not your student will be required to bring his/her Chromebook to school.

• We will be inventorying all Chromebooks and doing a “refresh” for students with older Chromebooks in September. Please watch for information from your child’s school about a date we will be asking all students to bring their Chromebooks to school for this important process.
  

We have updated our Tech Support for Families website for 2021-22 and invite you to check it out!

A link to the tech support webpage is on every school and the District website (look for the graphic like the one on the left), and can be accessed at BremertonSchools.org/TechHelp.

A link to our updated Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook is included in our Annual Back-to-school Check-in (or ABC) process.

A link to this important resource is also available on every school and the District website (look for the graphic like the one on the left), and can be accessed at www.BremertonSchools.org/handbook.

Over the past 18 months, the District has installed new fencing and gates around our schools as a part of a safety and security plan developed prior to the COVID-19 school closure. Renovations were also done at most of our schools to provide for a single-point of entry. The safety improvements are funded by a one-year capital levy that was approved by voters in February 2019 for collection in 2020.

Closed campuses during the school day

For the safety and security of students and staff, our campuses are closed and gates are locked during the school day. Therefore, access to the school is through the main entrance only. Gates are unlocked after school hours so community members can access playgrounds.

Learn more about community use of our facilities outside of school hours here.

Please see guidelines for visiting a school facility below.

Because we are unable to hold our annual Back-to-Schol Fair that includes a community resource fair, we invited community organizations to submit information for a Virtual Community Resource Fair. Check out the information at BremertonSchools.org/CommunityResources.

The Peninsula Community Health Services clinic at Mountain View Middle School provides services to Bremerton School District students (Preschool - 12th grade) and staff. PCHS can bill most insurance companies. Learn more at BremertonSchools.org/Clinic.

Notify school staff if your student requires medication during school hours. Follow school protocols for medication at school. Unless otherwise instructed, if your student’s illness requires antibiotics, the student must have been on antibiotics for 24 hours before returning to school. Antibiotics are not effective for viral illnesses such as COVID-19.

If your child is sick - even with mild symptoms - please keep your child home from school and notify your child’s school that your student is ill.

Chronic illnesses

If your student’s symptoms are related to a chronic condition, contact the school and follow school policies for chronic condition management.

Other serious illnesses

Please contact your health care provider immediately about serious illness, including any fever of 100.4°F or higher.

To help protect all students, please notify the school if your child is diagnosed with any of these diseases:

• Chickenpox
• COVID-19
• Diphtheria
• E. coli diarrhea
• Hepatitis
• Measles
• Mumps
• Pertussis
• Rubella
• Salmonella
• Scabies
• Shigellosis
• Tuberculosis
• another disease as requested

The school will protect your private information as required by law. RCW 70.02, Washington’s Health Care Information Access and Disclosure Act.

If a student is already in the building and has a fever of 100.4°F or begins to show symptoms of COVID-19, the child’s parent/guardian or emergency contact(s) will be notified immediately. The child will wait in the “Temporary Observation Room” until the student can be picked up and taken home.

If your child is out for an extended illness or due to quarantine, please contact your child’s teacher or principal for support and answers to your questions

With a responsibility to open our schools full-time to students, the Bremerton School District will ensure a safe environment for all staff and students by following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Washington Department of Health (WaDOH) and the Kitsap Public Health District (KPHD). All health and safety protocols meet the requirements in the K-12 COVID-19 Requirements for Summer 2021 and the 2021-22 School Year.

COVID-19 vaccinations are strongly encouraged, but not required, by the Bremerton School District for students.

On August 18, 2021, Governor Inslee announced a directive (Proclamation 21-14.1) requiring all employees working for public and private K–12 schools to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or obtain a religious or medical exemption by October 18, 2021. Learn more here.

A person is considered fully vaccinated if it has been two weeks since their final dose of a two-dose series vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) or two weeks since receiving a one-dose vaccine (J&J/Janssen).

All school personnel, volunteers, visitors, and students* must wear cloth face coverings or an acceptable alternative (such as a disposable surgical mask) at school when indoors regardless of vaccination status.

• Masks must completely cover the mouth and nose and fit securely on the sides of the face and under the chin.

• Gaiters, bandanas and face shields are not permitted because they do not meet this requirement.

Masks not required during outdoor recess

The District will not require masks during outdoor recess. The District will support anyone wishing to wear a mask outdoors.

*Exceptions may be made for masks on a case-by-case basis or in accordance with a student's IEP or 504 plan.

The District will make every effort to practice physical distancing of at least three feet between students in classroom settings, and to the degree possible in common areas while allowing for full-time, in person learning for all students.

Physical distancing will be maximized for all students when masks cannot be worn, such as when eating lunch. (Masks may be removed while eating but must be worn when not seated or moving around any common space.)

Physical distancing will be maximized during high-risk activities when increased exhalation or aerosolization occurs, such as PE or exercise, singing or playing instruments, and cheering or shouting. These activities will be moved outdoors or to large, well-ventilated spaces whenever possible.

According to WaDOH and OSPI guidance, physical distancing recommendations may not prevent a school from offering full-time, in person learning to all students/families in the fall.

• Daily health assessment forms / temperature screenings are no longer required.

• Class sizes and learning spaces have been modified to the extent possible to allow for social distancing.

• Schools will work to manage movement and limit transmission opportunities within the school building.

• Signage with social distancing and mask requirements will be displayed prominently throughout schools.

• We will continue increased daily cleaning and disinfecting in all of our schools (more information on our cleaning protocols is available at www.BremertonSchools.org/COVID-19).

• Our custodial staff will disinfect high touch areas frequently with Environmental Protection Agency-rated cleaners.

• We’ve increased air ventilation and the incorporation of outside air in all of our buildings.

• Each school has a designated Temporary Observation Room (TOR) for children who begin showing symptoms of illness at school and are awaiting pick-up.

• A site-specific COVID-19 supervisor has been designated by the District at each school, and at other work sites, to monitor the health of employees and to enforce the District’s safety protocols.

Teachers, staff and students should consistently use proper handwashing and respiratory etiquette while at school and on school buses. Staff and students should:

• Frequently wash hands or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available.

• Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth.

The District will provide approved alcohol-based hand sanitizers for all school facilities.

Students encouraged to bring refillable water bottles from home.

Drinking fountains are turned off in our schools but water bottle filling stations will be available. Students are encouraged to bring refillable water bottles from home.`

If your student does not have access to a reusable water bottle, please contact your child's school.

BSD will take steps to ensure possible exposure to COVID-19 is identified and communicated to the appropriate parties as quickly as possible.

Families must report any suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 when calling into the school to report an absence.

The school nurse will reach out to families to ensure compliance with Washington State Department of Health guidelines regarding how long to stay home from school.

Please arrive at your bus stop at least 5 minutes before your scheduled bus stop time.

• Everyone must wear a cloth face covering or disposable mask while on the bus. **
• Students will be asked to sanitize their hands upon entering the bus (hand sanitizer will be provided). **
• Riders will be kept as far apart as possible.
• Students may have assigned seating.
• Windows will be open in order to maximize ventilation.
• Transportation staff will sanitize the bus throughout the day.

Additional school bus rules and student responsibilities are outlined in the Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook.

**Exceptions may be made for masks on a case-by-case basis or in accordance with a student's IEP or 504 plan.

Parents/guardians no longer need appointments to visit their child’s school.

• All visitors must complete a verbal health screening prior to entering any District facility. Learn more here.

• If the parent/guardian is experiencing any symptoms of illness, they cannot enter the school facility.

• Before entering the school, visitors must have their ID scanned by the Bremerton School District's visitor management system Raptor. Learn more here.

• All visitors must wear cloth face covering when in school buildings regardless of vaccination status. Please review mask criteria above.

Families and staff planning to travel should follow the CDC travel advisory guidance.

Prior to travel, families must notify their student's principal of any planned International travel or planned travel to any location identified where a COVID-19 variant has been circulating. They must also notify them when they return.

All coaches, students and spectators must follow current Washington State Department of Health and WIAA guidance for sports.

All teachers and students participating in extra curricular activities must follow all Bremerton School District COVID Health and Safety protocols.

Information about sports and curricular activities (including before/after school programs) will be communicated by your student's school, the club/activity advisor, or coach.

Email: communications@bremertonschools.org
Website: www.BremertonSchools.org
Location: 134 Marion Avenue North, Bremerton, WA, USA
Phone: 360-473-1000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BremertonSchools