The Newton County School District finalized its procedures for returning to school during a special called meeting on Thursday, just four days before school reopened on Monday.
The plan calls for all students to be screened for fever before entering classrooms and buildings daily. All staff and students are required to wear face masks throughout the school day.
At the elementary school, teachers and teacher assistants are responsible for screening students before entering each classroom and set up outside each classroom with a station to include thermometers, gloves, disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, garbage can and clipboard with form documentation.
Students with no fever will be allowed to enter while those with a fever will be asked to stand/sit to the side. The teacher or teacher assistant will call the office and an administrator will come to the student and escort him/her to the designated area and parents/guardians will be contacted.
Each building will have the same procedure
At the middle and high school, students will be screened, and all staff and students will be required to wear masks.
Teachers and staff will have the same equipment on site to test students for fever.
Those without fevers will be able to enter while those with a fever will have their parent or guardian contacted to come take the student home.
Students will be required to use hand sanitizer before exiting the classroom and upon reentering the classroom
Students will be directed to stay on the right side of the hallway, to keep personal distance from other students and not to meet in small groups in the hallway.
No students will be allowed to sit and eat in the cafeteria dining area until further notice with the exception of students going and returning from Newton County Career and Technical Center.
Breakfast will be delivered to all classrooms by cafeteria staff on each campus by 7:30 am. The number of meals will be determined by the homeroom roster for each class.
Lunch will be served through the line and will be picked by students and taken back to the classroom for the lunch period on each campus.
Teachers will bag up garbage after each meal and sit the bag(s) outside the classroom. The garbage will be picked up by staff.
All students riding the bus on the morning route will be required to get on the bus with a mask. Masks will be provided by NCSD for students without a mask.
No open containers of food or drink will be allowed on the bus due to COVID-19 transmission.
All buses will be cleaned at the end of each route, both morning and afternoon.
All staff and students will be required to wear face masks throughout the school day. NCSD will provide masks as needed for students and staff.
NCSD staff and students will be asked to provide their own masks.
Parents/Guardians will be required to call the school office and notify office staff of the intended check-out. Office staff will locate the student and escort the student to the vehicle. Parents/Guardians will not be allowed to enter campus buildings and/or classrooms.
Parents/Guardians will be required to call the school office and notify office staff of the check-in when bringing students after the first bell rings. Students will be met outside to be screened and escorted to class.
Staff and/or students who present with a positive COVID-19 test will be required to quarantine a minimum of 14 days and 72 hours symptom free.
A letter from the Mississippi Department of Health will be sent home with students for further information.
Staff and/or students with close contact exposure as defined by Mississippi State Department of Health will quarantine for 10 days.
A letter from the Mississippi Department of Health will be sent home with students for further information.
Students and/or staff presenting with fever must be fever free for a FULL 24 hours before returning to school without the aid of fever reducing medication.
Students and/or staff presenting with fever must have a note from a physician to be cleared to come back to school.
All classrooms and offices will be cleaned by a contract cleaning company after the school day has ended. This will include basic cleaning and disinfecting.
Teachers will spray all desks and chairs in classrooms with a disinfecting cleaner at the end of the school day.
All sports and/or activities will be introduced/continued in accordance with the Mississippi High School Athletics Association regulations and guidance of Mississippi Department of Education, Centers for Disease Control and Mississippi State Department of Health.
Distance learning will be provided for students unable to attend on-campus learning activities.
Students receiving services through special education under IDEA will be served according to the IEP.
IEPs for special needs students will be reviewed and amended as necessary in order to meet the needs of individual students.
Additional recommendations are available on the school district’s website.
