Oak Ridge High School

Oak Ridge High School family,

The last few months have created significant hurdles for our school district as we have navigated the unprecedented challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Oak Ridge High School continues to be committed to the safety and well-being of our students and staff. Every day, families across Oak Ridge entrust our schools with their children, and we do not take that responsibility lightly. Safety is always our first priority, and that focus has guided Oak Ridge High School’s protocols related to reopening five days a week.

Our School Reopening Plan prioritizes what is best for our students and provides options for families so they can make choices about the most appropriate platform for their child’s learning. The plan also provides options for our employees who may need special accommodations to teach while also guarding their health. Developing this plan was a challenging task, and we are proud of the great work done by those involved and thank them for dedicating their time to this vital effort. We are confident this plan will provide a safe and effective learning environment for all our students and their families.

We look forward to seeing our students learning again, whether it’s in a classroom or assisted by technology while learning at home. We are providing two instructional options this school year. The first option is a face-to-face classroom opportunity with the safety protocols listed below. The second option is a distance learning option called ConnectOR. In ConnectOR, students will take all their classes remotely from home on a platform called APEX. We have published the ORHS ConnectOR Planning Guide on our school website under the Academics and Curriculum tabs. We hope you will find this to be a helpful resource as you begin making the difficult decision of which of these two options will best fit your family’s needs this school year. Students not enrolled in ConnectOR will be returning on February 22, five days a week.

Thank you for your support of our staff, schools, and children during this challenging time. To limit COVID-19’s impact on our schools, we must focus on the fundamentals of health and safety and mitigate risk for students, staff, and families during the 2020-2021 school year. Please know we are committed to the continued educational development of all our students regardless of the option that you choose.

All students will be required to wear a face covering to enter the building. Face coverings include masks and neck gaiters. All face coverings should cover the nose and mouth.

• There will be three entrances for students before school: the main entrance on the Turnpike side of the building, the bus loop entrance on Providence road, and the Wildcat Arena lobby entrance.

• All entrances will open at 7:00 a.m. Students will NOT be admitted to the building prior to 7:00 a.m.

• The entrances will be open from 7:00-7:50.

• All students and staff will be temperature checked each morning as they enter the building.

• If a student is found to have a temperature of 100.4 or greater, they will report directly to our sick clinic to be further assessed by our nurse. A parent/guardian will be contacted to pick up the student if they are confirmed to have a temperature over 100.4.

• Upon entering the building, students should practice social distancing as they are able.

• Students can report to the cafeteria to get breakfast and are then encouraged to make their way to their first period classrooms.

Student assemblies/pep-rallies will be limited unless social distancing can be assured.

• Signs will be posted to encourage hand washing and correct hand washing procedures.
• Restrooms will be disinfected throughout the school day.

• Meals will be prepackaged for students with a limited amount of options provided.

• Tables will be spread apart as much as space allows, including picnic tables outside. Students are encouraged to practice social distancing as much as possible while in the cafeteria.

• Hand sanitizer will be provided throughout the cafeteria.

• Students who choose to proceed through the food line will be expected to utilize hand sanitizer prior to entering the food line and upon exiting the food line.

Lunch/Food Court Procedures

Oak Ridge High School is putting in additional safeguards in an effort to reduce and minimize risk to our students and staff during lunch. To better accommodate the increased numbers, we are taking the following steps to provide a safe environment:

• Continued reduced capacity seating at each table

• Installation of 15 additional tables in the food court

• Installation of tables in the B-Gym for students

• Spread out overflow seating in the B-Gym area

• Students will continue to be asked to throw their trash away in trashcans as well as wiping down their tables when they are finished eating.

• Classroom desks will be separated from one another as much as possible based on the size of the classroom and number of students in the room.
• Face coverings are required at all times.
• Teachers will have access to cleaning supplies in their rooms that they can use to clean areas as necessary or between classes if they are able.
• Technology will be encouraged to facilitate student-to-student collaboration; however, collaborative work will be allowed with face coverings.

Oak Ridge High School will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized daily in accordance with the Oak Ridge Schools reopening plan.

• Students who are not participating in a supervised after school activity should exit the building by 3:20 p.m.
• Face coverings are required until students get off the bus or leave campus if they are not socially distanced.

• Students should avoid stopping and congregating in the halls during class changes.
• Students are encouraged to proceed directly to their next destination during class changes.

• Face coverings are required to be utilized correctly to board the bus and to enter the school building.

• Should a student not have a face covering, a disposable mask will be provided; however, continual inability to secure and wear a face covering will result in a discipline referral for non- compliance/insubordination.

• Visitors to the school building will be limited.
• Masks and temperature checks will be mandatory for all visitors.
• Parents will be encouraged to utilize Zoom or phone calls to conference with teachers when appropriate.
• Parents are encouraged to call ahead and schedule times to meet with staff so that we can limit traffic in the building.

• There will be both a “Well” and a “Sick” clinic for students this year.
• The well clinic will be in the same location that the clinic has been in the past. This clinic would be utilized for routine distribution of medication or sprained ankle, etc.
• The sick clinic will be utilized for students exhibiting a fever, nausea, vomiting, or other illness symptoms.

• All water fountains will be turned off
• Water bottle filling stations will be available for students to fill water bottles.
• Students are encouraged to bring as much water as they think they will need throughout the day if possible to limit crowding around bottle filling stations.

For up to date information regarding COVID, please visit the ORS website.

https://www.ortn.edu/information-regarding-coronavirus/