- School District of Clayton
- Overview
PK and Elementary Students to Transition to In-Person Learning
What You Need to Know - Sept. 21, 2020
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Elementary Responsive Learning students to begin gradual return to school on Oct. 5
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Middle and high school students will remain in remote learning for the balance of first quarter
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District launches COVID-19 data dashboard
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Playgrounds to reopen on Sept. 23
Based on the recent guidance from the St. Louis County Department of Health, the District will begin to transition pre-k and elementary students back to in-person instruction on Monday, Oct. 5. The move to in-person learning, which only applies to students who selected the Responsive Learning option for this school year, will be a phased return to school starting with kindergarteners and gradually adding additional grade levels over the next four weeks. A schedule of the phased return, which begins with an orientation for each grade level, is available on the Return to Learn website.
These Plans Could Change
While data is trending the right direction for now, things could change. Any plans for in-person learning will need to be fluid and could change on very short notice based on direction from public health officials or an outbreak of cases among students or staff. The District will do its best to provide as much notice as possible if there needs to be changes in the schedule once students return, but the District urges families to be flexible and have a plan in case school needs to transition back to remote learning.
Confirm Your Learning Option - Elementary Students
On Tuesday, Sept. 22, the District will be emailing parents/guardians of elementary families to ask them to confirm their learning option. We understand that not all elementary families may be comfortable with returning to in-person instruction. Families will have until Friday, Sept. 25 to request to change their learning option. Any request to continue learning at home (instead of returning to in-person instruction) will likely result in a student being assigned to a different teacher and/or a different class.
Learning Safely at School
The District has a number of safety and risk mitigation measures in place to ensure that learning at school is as safe as possible for students when they return. All students (and staff) will be required to wear a face covering while at school. The District engaged an architect over the summer to study the space in each of its schools and provide classroom layouts/capacity that will allow students and teachers to learn together while maximizing physical distancing in a classroom. Building principals will be communicating with their families about procedures specific to each school in the coming weeks. Details on other health and safety measures can be seen on the Return to Learn website.
COVID-19 Data Dashboard
The District has developed a dashboard to track COVID-19 data for students and staff. The dashboard will be updated weekly. The dashboard, which will be updated weekly on Friday mornings, will track total cases of COVID-19 among students and staff as well as the number of cases and number of individuals by group (PK-5, 6-8, 9-12 and District/department staff) who have been quarantined as a result of exposure. Federal privacy laws protect student and staff confidentiality, therefore personally identifiable information on any individuals testing positive or being asked to isolate or quarantine will not be shared.
Playgrounds to Open on Sept. 23
In accordance with recent guidance released by the St. Louis County Department of Health, the District will be reopening its playgrounds on Wednesday, Sept. 23. Playgrounds will be disinfected regularly with CDC approved cleansers. To ensure safe use of District playgrounds, please note the following:
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Do not use playgrounds if you are sick.
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Face coverings are required except on children at play.
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Maintain a minimum of 6 feet of social distancing from others. If the playground seems crowded, come back at another time.
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Limit time spent at playgrounds to ensure that other families have the opportunity to play.
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Wash or sanitize hands regularly.
The District thanks everyone for their support during this return to learn. It has been a difficult time for many but working together can make great things happen for all students.
Please stay well and remember the collective responsibility our community has to decrease the rate of infection by social distancing, washing hands and wearing face coverings.