Please review our Working Health Plan for information on Phase III.

Wearing a face covering is required of all students and staff. Any student or staff member who does not comply with this regulation will not be allowed on campus.

• There will be communication prior to opening to include social distancing protocol. Parents will be encouraged to support distancing at bus stops.
• Bus riders will sit one per seat, with one student by the window and the next student by the aisle. There will be a driver and bus monitor on each bus to ensure distancing and the wearing of face coverings.
• Class desks will be arranged to allow for 3 ft space between students per Virginia Department of Health guidelines (page 5).
• Plexiglass partitions will be installed for office staff.
• There will be limited use of the cafeteria for food distribution. Students will eat in a classroom.
• Upon arrival at school: Grades PK-4
• Where warranted, markers will be placed 6 ft apart from bus/car loop, on route to bathrooms, clinic and office.
• Staff will monitor halls throughout the day to ensure distancing.
• Upon dismissal, teachers will walk with students to the bus/car loop.
• Upon arrival at school: Grades 5-8
• Markers will be placed 6 ft apart from bus/car loop to class line-up
• Staff will monitor halls throughout the day to ensure distancing.
• Upon arrival at school: Grades 9-12
• Signage will encourage social distancing
• The principal will confer with the teacher the need for masks when the space between teacher and student is >6 ft. within the classroom.
• Staff will have a strong presence at entry and dismissal to ensure distancing.
  
  

We are currently planning to do a daily health screening for students and staff, however, the CDC does not recommend this action. Below is our current plan for daily health screenings. 

PARENTS:  Parents will be asked to conduct a daily health assessment of their children. If unable, older siblings may perform the screening. The following directions will be given:

• Take their temperature and keep them home if they are 100.4 or higher.
• Ask if they have a sore throat, coughing or if it is hard to breathe.
• Do they have flushed cheeks, seem tired or extra fussy?
• Does anyone in the home show signs or tested positive for COVID-19?
• Did they come in contact with someone showing signs or tested positive for COVID-19?

Upon arrival at school, staff will conduct an on-site health screening.

STAFF: Each day prior to starting any onsite work, each Winchester Public Schools employee is required to self-certify that they are asymptomatic, had no close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19, have not been advised they have been exposed to COVID-19, and have not traveled outside the country or been exposed to someone traveling outside the country in the last 30 days.  If they begin to exhibit symptoms or answer yes to any of these questions they are to  immediately halt any work where they are in contact with others, notify their principal/supervisor, and vacate the premises.

Breakfast will be served as grab-and-go. Individual schools will set up pick up points at various locations depending on the best location for their particular layout.

Lunch will be served in the classroom. Meals will be delivered by teams from each school directly to the classroom. Meal counts will need to be taken each morning to deliver the correct number of meals. There will limited choice in the meal. Ala carte menu items will be sold during the meal hour (i.e. chips, ice cream, etc.). Students will need to provide exact change in bills.

STUDENTS: Students will be required to wash/sanitize their hands upon entry to the building, prior to eating, after recess and other activities outside the classroom.

In addition, each classroom will have hand sanitizer stations and teachers will ask students to use hand sanitizer on regular intervals.

STAFF: Wash your hands often.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

The safety of our students are of pinnacle importance; therefore, field trips will not be allowed for the time being.

WPS has been planning diligently to ensure we are prepared for whatever comes our way with regard to health restrictions or state/county mandates. There are many unknowns and we simply cannot predict what the new school year will bring. We will adhere to all city, state, and federal health orders issued regarding school closures should they occur again. Regardless, we will be better prepared to provide a high-quality education to all students.

No.

We can accommodate approximately 26 students on a bus.

The Virginia Department of Health has allowed us to put one child per seat, maintaining 3 feet of distance between students, as long as all students wear face covering and remain in their seat for the duration of their time on the bus. Siblings that live together are allowed to ride together in the same seat. Bus monitors will be assigned to every bus to assist students in maintaining their face covering and ensure as much distance as possible.

Students will maintain 3 feet of social distance on the bus by sitting one per seat, with one student by the window and the next student by the aisle. Face coverings will be worn at all times and each bus will have a monitor to enforce face coverings. Below are examples of the transportation capacity.

This sketch is of a 77 passenger bus with 13 rows, including a maximum of 26 passengers.

Yes. After the each bus run, bus drivers will wipe down all seat cushions, seat backs, seat tops and hand railings on the bus, and any high touch points. 

No. Students will have assigned seats each day. The Virginia Department of Health will conduct contact tracing in coordination with our dedicated COVID-19 nurse. Any student within 6 feet of a confirmed case for more than 15 minutes will be required to quarantine according to VDH guidelines. 

Under these guidelines, students within 3 - 4 seats of a confirmed case will be required to quarantine.

At this time, our local Department of Health has the responsibility for contact tracing. However, WPS has established direct lines of communication with our local department in order to expedite the process.

Additionally, our school nurses have completed Contact Tracing training in order to be prepared for a possible expansion in their role.

In accordance with state and local laws and regulations, school administrators will notify local health officials, staff, and families immediately of any case of COVID-19 while maintaining confidentiality in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

School staff will inform those who have had close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 to stay home and self-monitor for symptoms, and follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop.

The Winchester Public Schools' will work directly with the Virginia Department of Health to conduct appropriate contact tracing and determine next steps. The response to an individual case will depend largely on the circumstances surrounding the case and contact(s) the individual had within the school setting.

Yes. A letter will be sent stating there has been a confirmed case of COVID-19 at a school and whether or not there has been a possible exposure and steps being taken to mitigate the risk. The communication will also outline WPS’s cooperation with the Department of Health’s contact tracing protocol.

Families will be notified by one of a few ways:

• Building administrator
• School nurse

Sick staff members or students should not return until they have met CDC’s criteria to discontinue home isolation.

No. Our school nurses will work closely with families to access community resources. Our employee insurance will pay for testing for staff with no out-of-pocket cost.

Decisions about closure of a section of the school or the entire school will depend on the number of ill persons who have been sent home for a period of isolation and the number of exposed contacts who have been identified and placed into quarantine.  The extent of the school facility and teaching staff affected by these factors will be a factor in determining whether educational services can continue to be provided. 

If school building closure is recommended, the recommended time frame for suspension of school operations is 14 days. After 14 days have passed, the school building could reopen for children and staff who have no signs or symptoms of COVID-19 and who have not had recent close contact with someone with COVID-19.

Students and staff will be asked to provide their own face coverings, however, if they do not have a face covering, a disposible face covering will be provided for them.

Staff will also have access to transparent face coverings for working with young children as they learn to read and as they work with English Language Learners.

Plexiglass will be installed in appropriate places like offices and bathrooms.

Portable plexiglass dividers will be provided in the classroom.

Yes, hand sanitizer will be available in every classroom. It will also be available throughout each building in the hallways and common spaces.

No. Current guidance is to suspend the use of lockers at this time.

No, water fountains have been turned off and will remain closed until further notice. 

However, we will install over 30 water bottle filling stations across all of our schools. Students are encouraged to bring a water bottle, filled, from home each day.

We will follow ASHRAE  (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) recommendations regarding HVAC Settings and air flow. We are setting our HVAC systems to accept maximum air flow into the building from the outside. The lowest rated filter we will be using is a MERV 13 and we will follow ASHRAE recommendations on filter changes during a pandemic. Also, each morning we will flush all inside air to the outside 2 hours prior to employee/student report times. Visit the ASHRAE website for more information.      

Student Chromebooks should be wiped down regularly using disinfectant. Since the devices are assigned to each student, the school will not be cleaning the devices during the school day, so please be sure to do this upon returning home.