Health and Safety Plan

• Stakeholders involved in the development of the Marathon Reopening Plan: Administration, Faculty, Staff, Parents/Guardians, Community Members, BOE members, Cortland County Health Department, Family Health Network and district unions (MAA, MTA, MESA).
• Students and staff will be supplied with information through emails, mail, K-12 Alerts, the district website and social media with information about protecting themselves and others from COVID-19.  Staff that are present in the building will also be provided training on COVID-19 protocols. Signage will be posted in the building indicating proper procedures for hand hygiene, proper face covering wearing, social distancing and respiratory hygiene for school personnel and visitors.
• The school will display clear signage indicating protocols, safety measures, and information on hand hygiene, proper face covering wearing, and respiratory hygiene.
• The designated COVID-19 safety coordinator is the Ms. Hoyt (607) 849-1228.  The COVID-19 safety coordinator will be responsible for the continuous compliance with all aspects of the school’s reopening plan, as well as any phased-in reopening activities necessary to allow for operational issues to be resolved before activities return to normal or “new normal” levels.
• Hybrid Plan and In Person with Heightened Health and Safety Plan and Full In-Person ONLY - Day care will be offered to students in UPK-6th grade by the YWCA as long as the program meets district guidelines and protocols.  There are no before and aftercare programs for grades 7-12. Day care will not be offered on site during Full Remote Learning.

 

Daily Health and Temperature Screenings

 

• Visitors, guests, contractors, and vendors will complete a health screening survey remotely prior to entering the building if possible.  If remote screening can not be accessed, they will be screened using a paper questionnaire (see above).  Temperatures must be taken and be below 100°F along with no positive responses on the questionnaire to be admitted. Screenings for visitors, guests, contractors, and vendors will be done in the main office.
• Only visitors with official business will be allowed on campus during the Full Remote Learning Plan.
• Daily temperature screenings and survey questionnaires by employees completed remotely prior to entering the building. Any staff member with a fever of 100°F or greater, has a  positive response to the COVID questionnaire and/or has symptoms of possible COVID-19 virus should not be present in school.
• Daily temperature screening for all students completed remotely prior to entering the building/bus, and periodic survey questionnaires. Any student with a fever of 100°F or greater and/or symptoms of possible COVID-19 virus should not be present in school.  If screening is not completed remotely by employees and by parents/guardians, then the nurse will complete when persons enter the building.
•  As of 7/13/2020, the following are listed as the most common symptoms of COVID-19: Fever or chills (100°F or greater); Cough; Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; Fatigue; Muscle or body aches;  Headache; New loss of taste or smell;  Sore throat; Congestion or runny nose; Nausea or vomiting; and/or Diarrhea. Staff will also be educated to observe students or other staff members for signs of any type of illness such as: Flushed cheeks; rapid or difficulty breathing (without recent physical activity); fatigue, and/or irritability; and frequent use of the bathroom.
• The screening questionnaire will determine whether the individual has: knowingly been in close or proximate contact in the past 14 days with anyone who has tested positive through a diagnostic test for COVID-19 or who has or had symptoms of COVID-19; tested positive through a diagnostic test for COVID-19 in the past 14 days; and has experienced any symptoms of COVID-19, including a temperature of greater than 100.0°F in the past 14 days.
• District can “audit” by conducting random temperature checks by the school nurse.

 

Protocols for Taking Temperatures

 

• Wash your hands and put on a facemask, eye protection (goggles or disposable face shield that fully covers the front and sides of the face), and a single pair of disposable gloves; Take the person's temperature; if disposable or non-contact (temporal or infrared) thermometers are used and there was no physical contact with an individual, you do not need to change gloves before the next check.  If you use non-contact thermometers, clean them with an alcohol wipe (or isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab) between each person. You can reuse the same wipe if it remains wet;  After each screening, remove and discard gloves; and use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol or wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

 

Infection Control Strategies

 

• Staff will be trained on how  to observe for signs of illness in students, colleagues, and themselves.  People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of reported symptoms – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Symptoms can include:

 

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

This list does not include all possible symptoms and children and youth with SARS-CoV-2 infection may experience any, all, or none of these symptoms. (See Symptoms of Coronavirus for more information).

 

• When used consistently and correctly, important mitigation strategies, cloth face coverings are important to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Other important mitigation strategies include social distancing,washing hands, and regular cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces in schools and buses. CDC provides considerations for wearing cloth face coverings. The use of cloth face coverings is especially important when social distancing is difficult to maintain.

 

Use of Face Coverings:

 

• Ensure that students and staff are aware of the correct use of cloth face coverings, including wearing cloth face coverings over the nose and mouth and securely around the face.
• Ensure that students, teachers and staff are aware that they should wash or sanitize their hands (using a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol) before putting on a cloth face covering.
• Ensure that students, teachers, and staff are aware that they should not touch their cloth face coverings while wearing them and, if they do, they should wash their hands before and after with soap and water or sanitize hands (using a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol).
• Ensure teachers and staff are aware that they should wash or sanitize hands (using a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol) before and after helping a student put on or adjust a cloth face covering.
• Ensure that all students and staff are aware that cloth face coverings should not be worn if they are wet. A wet cloth face covering may make it difficult to breathe
• Ensure that all students and staff are aware that they should never share or swap cloth face coverings.
• Students’ cloth face coverings should be clearly identified with their names or initials, to avoid confusion or swapping. Students’ face coverings may also be labeled to indicate top/bottom and front/back.
• Cloth face coverings should be stored in a space designated for each student that is separate from others when not being worn (e.g., in individually labeled containers or bags, personal lockers, or cubbies).
• Cloth face coverings should be washed after every day of use and/or before being used again, or if visibly soiled.

 

More Strategies

 

• Hand sanitizing stations will be set up outside the main office, in the cafeteria, faculty lounge/copy rooms, hallways (HS) and building entrances. Parents/guardians can inform the school that they do not want their child to use alcohol based hand sanitizers by sending a written notice to the school. Schools must provide accommodations for students who cannot use hand sanitizer, to allow for their use of handwashing stations
• Staff and students should cover their mouths or noses with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and dispose of the tissue appropriately.  Staff and students will perform hand hygiene after sneezing, coughing and handling dirty tissues or other soiled material. 
• Shared objects - The district will put in place plans or measures to limit the sharing of objects, such as lockers, cubbies, laptops, notebooks, touchscreens, writing utensils, chalk and dry erase boards, musical instruments, tools, and toys, as well as the touching of shared surfaces, such as conference tables and desks; or require students, faculty, and staff to perform hand hygiene before and after contact.
• Water fountains - The district will close water drinking fountains (unless they are configured as a bottle refilling station) and encourage students, faculty, and staff to bring their own water bottles.

 

Students or staff (families) who have traveled to an area where NY State has issued a travel advisory.

 

 

• Asymptomatic travelers entering New York from another country, U.S. state, or territory are no longer required to test or quarantine as of April 10, 2021. Quarantine, consistent with the CDC recommendations, is still recommended for all travelers who are not fully vaccinated or have not recovered from laboratory confirmed COVID-19 during the previous 3 months. Symptomatic travelers must immediately self-isolate and contact the local health department or their healthcare providers to determine if they should seek COVID-19 testing. All travelers must complete the Traveler Health Form unless the traveler has left New York for less than 24 hours or is coming to New York from a contiguous state. Contiguous states to New York are Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont. 

 

Social Distancing, Face Coverings and PPE

 

• All employees will be provided with one cloth face coverings purchased by the district. Employees can choose to wear their own or the district provided face coverings.  The district will also purchase a 12 week supply of disposable face masks for employee use when they do not have their cloth face coverings. In addition, the district will purchase the recommended amount of gloves, gowns, eye protection, face shields and N-95 masks as outlined in the “Recovering, Rebuilding, and Renewing: The Spirit of New York Schools: document issued on July 16, 2020.
• Students will be provided with one cloth face covering.  Parents/students can choose to wear their own face covering.  Face coverings must be worn on the bus and in school buildings, with the exception of students and staff with a medical or special needs exemption (exceptions must be approved by the building principal or direct supervisor and must be on file with the appropriate documentation.)
• Full Remote Plan - Staff deemed essential should report to work. This will include administrators, secretaries, cafeteria workers, bus drivers and mechanics, teacher assistants, teacher aides, nurses, technology staff and teachers. Staff will be allowed to work from home if duties and assignments can be completed remotely and has been deemed appropriate by their immediate supervisor. All employees and visitors will be required to maintain 6’ social distancing whenever possible.  When social distancing can not be maintained, face coverings must be worn.  Spaces which do not allow for proper social distancing (i.e. elevators, staff lounges, copy rooms) should have no more than one person in the space at a time.
• Hybrid Plan - Staff deemed essential should report to work Monday-Friday.  This will include administrators, secretaries, cafeteria workers, bus drivers and mechanics, teacher assistants, teacher aides, nurses, technology staff and teachers. Students will return to school (UPK-5) with smaller class sizes.  Students in grade 6-8 will report to school on Mondays and Wednesdays.  Students in grades 9-12 will report for in-person learning on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Friday will be a remote learning day for all 6th-12th graders. On days grade 6 students are not in the building (Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday), teachers will deliver instruction through remote learning.  Starting the week of January 4, 2021, Grades 9-12 will attend school at the Junior/Senior High School in person on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.  Starting the week of February 22, 2021, Grade 6 will attend school at Appleby in person on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday;  Grade 7 will attend school at the Junior/Senior High School in person on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday; Grade 8 will attend school at the Junior/Senior High School in person on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
• In Person with Heightened Health and Safety Protocols - Staff and students report to school Monday-Friday.  When social distancing cannot be maintained, face coverings must be worn.  Face coverings must be worn on school busses and in school buildings at all times, except when eating.
• Social distancing - Six feet is always the required distancing between adults (teachers, staff, visitors) and between students and adults. Six feet of distance is required when eating meals or snacks, or drinking, or other times masks must be removed. This may mean that meals cannot be eaten in classrooms that have been converted to three feet of physical distance during instruction time. Individuals participating in activities that require projecting the voice (e.g., singing) or playing a wind instrument must be six feet apart and there must be six feet of distance between the performers and the audience during performances and concerts. Six feet of physical distance must be maintained in common areas and outside of classrooms (e.g. lobbies, auditoriums, gymnasiums, cafeterias, and hallways), where possible.

 

Cleaning

 

• The school will follow the CDC Reopening Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfection with specific guidance for schools along with the Cleaning and Disinfection Decision Tool to aid in determining what level of cleaning and/or disinfection is necessary. School wide cleaning will include classrooms, restrooms, cafeterias, libraries, playgrounds, and busses.  Each classroom will have a check off sheet indicating the room has been disinfected on a daily basis.  Cleaning supplies will also be provided to each classroom.

 

Vulnerable Populations/Accommodations

 

• Staff who were at a high risk of contracting COVID-19 or live with a person who is at high risk of contracting COVID-19 were asked to make an appointment with the superintendent at least three weeks prior to the beginning of school.  She reviewed the circumstances with each employee privately and explained the options the employee has, allowing them to then make an informed decision about returning to in-person work.
• Parents were be mailed a survey to determine which students will be not be returning to in-person learning based on the following: students/and or household members are age 65 or older; pregnant individuals; individuals with underlying health conditions including, but not limited to: chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma serious heart conditions; immunocompromised; severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 or higher); diabetes; chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis; liver disease; sickle cell anemia; children who are medically complex, who have neurologic, genetic, metabolic conditions, or who have congenital heart disease are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 than other children. The district followed up with those families that did not return the survey. A remote option was available to all families with medical concerns and those that were concerned about safety due to COVID 19. Students learning remotely will be provided with synchronous and asynchronous classwork.  Students will follow the same schedule as those that are learning in-person.

 

Safety Drills

• Full Remote Plan - No drills will occur when students are not present in the building.

• Hybrid Plan and In Person with Heightened Health and Safety Protocols - The school will conduct 8 evacuation and 4 lockdown drills each school year. Steps will be taken to minimize the risk of spreading infection while conducting drills. Modifications may include: Conducting drills on a “staggered” schedule, where classrooms evacuate separately rather than all at once, and appropriate distance is kept between students to the evacuation site; conducting drills when in hybrid mode when there are 50% less students; Conduct lockdown drill in classroom setting while maintaining social distancing and using masks; and Conduct lockdown drill in classroom without “hiding”/ “sheltering” but provide an overview of how to shelter or hide in the [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] classroom.
• School bus safety drills will be conducted three times a year. If we are on a hybrid schedule, students in grades 9-12 will have their drills on an alternate day.