Round Top Elementary FLIGHT STATUS

Dear RTE Family,

In this edition of the RTE Parent Flight Plan, you will find details about RTE's Phase 3 Reopening plan. In this digital age, it is easy to overlook important details. Remember that the best thing you can do right now to stay connected is to read every school communication carefully, and respond as quickly as possible when necessary. Please review the Phase 3 reopening updates included in this newsletter, and contact the appropriate person for any unanswered questions:

• COMMUNICATION - Clarissa Bennett (Principal) cbennett@richland2.org
• ACADEMICS - Brandon Schirmer (Assistant Principal) bschirmer@richland2.org
  
• OPERATIONS - Erick Gaddis (Assistant Principal) jgaddis@richland2.org
  
• HEALTH/SAFETY - Kondi Sibande (School Nurse) ksibande@richland2.org

We thank you in advance for following the procedures outlined below, as they are essential to ensuring the safety of our students and staff. We are looking forward to seeing over 500 Aviators who will be returning to campus on Monday, March 22, 2021!

Sincerely,

Clarissa Bennett, RTE Pilot

Each day we assist over 300 car riders during arrival and dismissal. RTE's most important concern is the safety of all children. To ensure safe and smooth movement of traffic while on campus, please assist with the following:

Morning Arrival:

• Arrive at 8:00 AM. **Must wait for 8:00 bell to leave car** - wait for adult supervision before allowing students to exit vehicles.
• Observe the 10 mph speed limit.
• Do not stop your car on the X near the parking lot entrance.
• Follow the blue line, closest to the curb. (two lanes of traffic).
• Pull up as far as possible before stopping to unload so that other parents can do the same. This helps us to unload more cars, moving the car rider line more quickly.
• Students may only exit from the passenger side of the vehicle. If needed, park in a Visitor space.
  
• No parking permitted along the curb. If stopping/parking is needed, park in a Visitor space.
• Students arriving at 8:30 AM or later must be signed in by an adult in the front office.

Afternoon Dismissal:

• Have child's name visible on the dashboard until your child is in the car.
• Follow the blue line, closest to the curb. (two lanes of traffic).
• Pull up as far as possible before stopping to unload/ pick up so that other parents can do the same. This helps us to load more cars, moving the car rider line more quickly.
• Children are instructed to stand in designated spaces to look for their cars.
• Adults on duty will direct students to the area on the sidewalk they should go to for pick up.
• Students will only be loaded on the passenger side of the car. If you must load from the driver side, park in a Visitor space.
• If you must come into the building, park in a Visitor parking space.
• Students remaining after 3:10 PM will need to be signed out in the front office.

Morning Arrival:

• Arrive at 7:30 AM.
• Seated at assigned tables in the Multi-Purpose Room.
• May participate in Fun Run on designated days (assigned by grade level).

Bus Loading/ Unloading Procedures:

1. AM Route Students at the first bus stop will be seated in the back. As the driver picks up additional students, they will fill up towards the front. This is to limit students passing each other.
2. PM Route Students scheduled for the last bus stop will be seated at the back of the bus, while the driver seats students assigned to earlier stops towards the front. This is to limit students passing each other.

Note:

• PreK and Kindergarten students will be seated in the first two rows.
• No more than 2 students per seat.
• Buses will be cleaned between routes.
• Deep cleaning scheduled each morning and afternoon.

Review the RTE Bus Route Schedule to view your student's bus stop and anticipated pick up/ drop off times.

In Person Learners:

• Students attending school in person are expected to report to campus daily, unless there is the need for an excused absence.
• Temporary eLearning requests require principal approval. Note: only unique/ special circumstances will be approved.
• If students are absent for any reason (excused or unexcused), makeup work will be provided when they return to school.

eLearners:

• eLearning students are required to follow their teacher's class schedule to participate in all daily educational activities.
• eLearning students are expected to attend daily virtual Google Meets for direct instruction to be counted 'present' for attendance.
• In the event of absences, eLearning students may reconcile attendance by submitting Daily Participation Activities (DPAs) to their teachers if received by 11:59 PM on Sunday of each week.

Reminders:

1. Teachers will continue to take attendance each morning for all students.
   
2. Letters for absences should be sent to kigreene@richland2.org (Kimberly Greene, Receptionist).
3. State guidelines allow for 10 days of excused or unexcused absences.
4. Teachers will provide options to make up missed work for excused absences.

All students will be offered FREE breakfast and lunch daily for the remainder of the school year.

Note:

• 1 breakfast option daily
• 2 lunch options daily (1 hot and 1 cold)
• Meals will be delivered and eaten in classrooms at student desks.
• Students may opt to bring their own lunch from home.
• Breakfast and Lunch Menus are updated monthly.

Students should bring a water bottle daily. Water fountains will be transformed into water bottle filling stations. Students can also fill their water bottle from classroom sinks, which use the same water supply as hallway water fountains.

Every grade level is scheduled for 30 minutes daily. This has been divided into two 15 minute recess breaks to allow for movement and mask breaks.

Note:

• Students may take a mask break.
• Grade levels will utilize 3 designated play areas.
• Each play area will be used by a limited number of students to allow for social distancing.
• Grade levels will exit/enter the building through assigned doors to reduce hallway congestion.

Students may not be on campus before their assigned arrival times. As a reminder, Bus Riders are scheduled to arrive at 7:30 AM and Car Riders at 8:00 AM.

Note:

• Register at Boys & Girls Club of the Midlands for before and after school care.
• BGC Early Bird drop off time is from 7:00 AM - 7:30 AM.
• No after school clubs (i.e Haney Golf, Tumbletree, etc.) are scheduled during Phase 3.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Classrooms have been provided with the following:

1. Masks for students and adults
2. Cleaning/ disinfecting supplies
3. Desk guards
4. Hand sanitizer stations (also located in the hallways)

Our Service Solutions custodial staff is scheduled in shifts throughout each day to ensure continuous cleaning during the school day and after dismissal.

Note:

• Custodial staff will be spot cleaning high volume areas throughout the school throughout the day.

• Custodial staff will complete full cleaning of each classroom daily after dismissal.

• Custodial staff will be using Electrostatic Cleaning on top of regular cleaning in classrooms daily.

• Teachers have professional cleaning supplies to do spot cleaning throughout the day.

• Hand Sanitzer stations have been installed in all classrooms.

• Soap and paper towel dispensers are checked and restocked throughout the day.

• Community/ hallway restrooms will be checked hourly by custodial staff.

Anyone entering the building is required to wear face masks. If a student forgets theirs at home, a mask will be provided. Wearing masks will limit the spread of germs, especially when coughing, sneezing, and talking. Face masks are the newest school uniform accessory!

Note: Students will be offered face masks breaks throughout the school day, much like the brain breaks that have long been a part of our daily routine.

Download the Richland 2 Student Daily Screening Checklist for your reference.

Keep student your student at home if s/he has any one (1) of the following symptoms:

• Fever
• Shortness of breath
• Loss of taste or smell
• New or worsening cough

Other symptoms to consider:

• Sore throat
• Muscle or body aches
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Congestion or Runny Nose
• Nausea, Vomiting, of Diarrhea

Remember: Many COVID-19 cases show no symptoms at all, and a person is able to spread the virus up to two (2) days before they have any symptoms. Staying healthy means staying IN school!

On any given day, students may experience illness or injury. The RTE Health Room is monitored by Kondi Sibande (Registered Nurse) and Anita Dubuque (Health Room Assistant, also a Registered Nurse).

Health Room Visits:

1. The teacher will contact the Nurse.
2. An adult will escort the student from class to the Health Room.
3. The Nurse will assess the student and provide treatment.
4. *If the student requires isolation due to illness, the student will be monitored in a private area of the Health Room and parents will be contacted.

Prescribed medications are being accepted for school administration, such as: Epi pens, Auvi-Q, Inhalers, and medications sor seizures, ADHD, etc. No supplemental, over the counter medications, please.

Medications administered at school require the following:

• Medication Permission Form signed by your child's pediatrician.
• Must notify the nurse to schedule delivery to school.
• Medication must be delivered by an adult (not sent with students in their back packs).

Medications must be brought in the following way:

1. Zip lock bag with child's name, grade and teacher name written on the bag.
2. Medication Permission Form folded inside. (Md and Parent signatures)
3. Medication labeled with prescription and unopened.
4. Note: Medications that need to be counted, will be done so with the nurse prior to the parent leaving the atrium. Please plan your time accordingly.

If you have any questions please email Nurse Sibande ksibande@richland2.org.

Teachers in Kindergarten through Fourth grade will provide instruction for Classroom Community students at the same time as students as eLearning students. eLearning students' faces will be projected through the Google Meet so that students in the classroom can see their classmates. All students will participate in the same lessons/educational activities at the same time.

Our 5th grade students will not be a part of Dual Modality instruction at this time. Moving forward, as additional 5th grade students return to RTE, these classes will become dual modality.

All Richland School District 2 elementary families were offered Class Community (face to face) and eLearning Model options for Phase 3. Parents may make requests by contacting the school registrar Shirley Mastromichalis, at extension 26101 or smastrom@richland2.org.

Requests for Learning Model changes must meet the deadlines below:

View the RTE Master Schedule for each grade level's assigned times for lunch, recess, and related arts.

NOTE:

1. eLearning students are required to follow the Class Community schedule, including lunch and recess breaks.
2. The staggered arrival and dismissal schedule has been intentionally planned to assist in ensuring social distancing during hallway transitions.

Phase 2 Changes:

• 7:30 AM Bus Rider arrival
• 8:00 AM Car Rider arrival ***Cars may not unload before the 8 AM bell rings***
• 8:30 AM Instruction begins
• Varying lunch schedule (30 minutes)
• Varying recess schedule (30 minutes)
• 2:45 PM Bus Dismissal
• 2:50 PM Car Rider Dismissal

Early dismissal is scheduled for 11:30 AM every Friday to allow for teacher planning time. There will be no asynchronous/ eLearning provided for the afternoon of these early dismissal days.

Related Arts will return to operating on weekly rotation schedule. Homerooms will interact with the same Related Arts teacher throughout the week (instead of seeing a different teacher each day). Additionally, some Related Arts classes/ offerings will change.

Grade Level Related Arts Classes:

• Kindergarten: Art, Music, P.E., Dance, Media Center
• 1st Grade: Art, Music, P.E., Dance, Guidance
• 2nd Grade: Art, Music, P.E., Dance, Guidance
• 3rd Grade: Art, Try it Out Technology, P.E., Dance, Student Success Hour
• 4th Grade: Art, Try it Out Technology, P.E., Dance, Student Success Hour
• 5th Grade: Art, Try it Out Technology, P.E., Dance, Student Success Hour

Classroom Community students will need to bring all items on the School Supply List. Please place items in a bag with your child's name clearly labeled. Students will not share class/ table group supplies during Phase 3. eLearning students should continue to have these supplies available to them at home.

If assistance is needed with purchasing school supplies please contact our school Social Worker, Bettina Henderson. bhenderson@richland2.org

In order to have access to learning daily, students will be required to bring Chromebooks to school everyday. However, during Phase 3, Chromebook use will be decreased while increasing the use of paper/ pencil activities.

Reminders:

1. Charge devices every night.
2. Transport in district issued technology back pack.

Technical Issues? Complete the Student Technology Work Order for help.

Teachers will present one lesson and the same learning activities to the Classroom Community and eLearning students simultaneously. Students will continue to be responsible for Daily Participation Activities (classwork). Limited homework will be assigned, as determined by the teacher.

Teachers may choose to provide additional learning supplies/ materials to enhance or support student learning. eLearning materials can be picked up from the school, on Fridays of each week between the hours of 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM in the front office atrium. Parents will be notified the week before any materials are to be provided.

Students attending school in person will be pulled from their class to attend classes. Teachers may choose to provide additional learning supplies/ materials to enhance or support student learning. Parents of eLearning students can pick up these materials from the school, as scheduled by grade level teams. Parents will be notified the week before any materials are to be provided.

Students who are eligible for extra support in reading and/or math will continue receiving Response to Intervention (RtI) , ESOL, and/or Special Education services during Phase 3.

• eLearning students will continue to meet virtually.
• Students attending school in person may be served individually in or near the classroom, or pulled out for small group instruction, depending on the instructional needs of each student.
• Note: The amount of time and subject area(s) for Service Delivery Plans are based on beginning of the year assessments, or an IEP Team decision for students in Special Education.

Email: rte-info@richland2.org
Website: richland2.org/rte
Location: 449 Rimer Pond Road, Blythewood, SC, USA
Phone: (803) 691-8676
Twitter: @RTEFlightStatus