Check here for School updates related to the Covid-19 Pandemic

 

EGSC BACK TO SCHOOL PLAN 2023-24

As of June 24, 2023, local school boards of public K-12 education institutions will be responsible for implementing whatever measures and restrictions deemed necessary and prudent to address the impact and spread of Covid-19 for their buildings, facilities, and grounds, including transportation. EGSC will implement the following guidelines addressing the local impact and spread of Covid-19 effective June 24, 2023.  We recommend you follow CDC guidance that the Indiana Departments of Health and Education may issue.  Please note that changes to this guidance may occur due to future guidance and requirements from the Governor, CDC, Indiana State Department of Health, and Gibson County Health Department. 

 

Masks and Contact Tracing

Masks will not be required for students or staff unless there is a significant increase in positive Covid-19 cases within a specific school building.  

• Students and staff may wear masks if desired, but they are not required now. 

• Determine contact tracing requirements with the Indiana State Health Department and the Gibson  County Health Department (see below).

• Follow IDOE attendance guidelines for students who are absent due to a Covid-19-related reason.

School Day

• All students will attend in-person instruction 5 days per week.

• Virtual learning will only be available to students during quarantine due to COVID-19. • Virtual learning IS NOT available for general illness, vacations, etc. 

• Virtual options will be considered on a limited basis for students severely compromised with a doctor’s statement and past success with this mode of instruction.

• Students attending virtually due to COVID-19 must log into Google Classroom or work on planned assignments. All assignments and videos will sometimes be available in Google Classroom or distributed to younger students.

• Students will be responsible for completing all assignments and assessments the teacher assigns.

• Students needing technical support should contact the building principal.  

 Practicing Prevention

• Students/staff should self-assess for COVID-19 symptoms daily. • STAY HOME IF YOU ARE SICK.  Students and employees should remain home if someone in the household has COVID-19 symptoms or is being tested for COVID-19. 

• Teach and reinforce suitable hygiene measures such as handwashing, covering coughs, and face coverings/masks.

• Provide hand soap, hand sanitizer, paper towels, and no-touch trash cans in all restrooms, classrooms, and frequently trafficked areas.

• Post signage to communicate how to stop the spread.  Include Covid-19 symptoms, preventative measures (including staying home when sick), good hygiene, and specific protocols.

• Clean/disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily and share objects after each use.

• Ensure all water filling stations and features are safe and add to the number of available stations.

• Encourage use of Filling Stations

• Ensure ventilation systems operate correctly and make improvements.

• Student seating should remain to keep safe when feasible. 

Transporting Students

 

• Implement standard operating procedures while taking preventative measures such as:

  • Bus drivers will ask students to sit in assigned seats to allow for tracing if necessary.

  • No guest riders unless pre-approved.

  • Inspecting buses before students return and as a part of the regular rotation.

  • Increased cleaning and disinfecting of frequently touched surfaces on buses.

  • Airing out buses when not in use.

Entering School Buildings

 

• Implement standard operating procedures while taking preventative measures such as:

  • Provide hand sanitizer for students and staff.

  • Limit unnecessary congregations of students and staff.

  • Post signage to communicate how to stop the spread.  Include Covid-19 symptoms, preventative measures (including staying home when sick), good hygiene, and specific protocols.

  • Continue established Covid-19 protocol for students/staff who feel ill/experience symptoms when they come to school.

  • Limit visitors and volunteers when students are present—screen before interactions with students or staff.
     

Serving Meals

 

• Implement standard operating procedures while taking preventative measures such as:

• Encourage student hand washing before and after meal service.

• Providing hand sanitizer for students and staff.

• Conducting cleaning of cafeterias and high-touch surfaces throughout the school day.

 

Transitioning

 

• Implementing standard operating procedures while taking preventative measures such as:

  • Encourage students to avoid congregating during passing periods or by lockers.

  • We are conducting cleaning of hallways and high-touch surfaces throughout the school day.

  • Providing hand sanitizer for students and staff at entrances to classrooms.

Conducting Large Group Gatherings

 

• Implement standard operating procedures while taking preventative measures such as:

  • Providing hand sanitizer for students and staff.

  • Limiting unnecessary congregations of students and staff.

  • Follow any Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA), Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA), or other extra-curricular/co-curricular governing bodies' guidelines for performances and practices.

  • Submit plans to the local health department for recurring and special events when requested.

Supporting Teaching and Learning

 

• Implement standard operating procedures while taking preventative measures such as:

  
  

  • Providing hand sanitizer for students and staff.

  • Conducting cleaning of classrooms and high-touch surfaces daily.

• Establish an academic baseline:

  
  

  • Use formative assessments.  (ie IREADY, Dibels, ESGI, Study Island, etc.)

  • Conduct meetings with teachers to analyze data and see where students are academically.

• Discuss the shared experience

  
  

  • Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Resources

• Targeted interventions and supports:

  • Provide additional instructional support to:

    • Students at risk of not graduating on time.
      

    • Students with disabilities. (recovery services)

    • Students who had poor attendance in the 2020-2021 school year due to Covid-19-related reasons.

    • Other  Students identified as being behind academically as indicated by assessments or teacher recommendations.  

• Desks will be separated as much as possible.  

Vaccinations

 

• Follow Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) guidance if Covid-19 becomes a required or recommended vaccine.  

• Currently, the Covid-19 vaccine is not listed as required or recommended.  Should that change, religious and medical exemptions will be followed as with all other vaccines.  

• Provide parents/guardians with ISDH Covid-19 vaccination information for district students when age group becomes available.  Please call the nurse for this information.

• Covid-19 vaccinations are not part of the required immunizations for school attendance.  We recommend that those of age get vaccinated, as this will keep them from getting caught up in contact tracing. 

 

Protecting Vulnerable Populations

 

• All federal, state, and local guidelines and adherence to FERPA and HIPAA requirements will be followed.  In addition, adherence to state and federal employment law, extended leave allowances, and an Employee Assistance Program offerings to all staff members.

 Illness

• The school nurse will assess anyone exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms during school.

• The school nurse will use medical judgment to communicate the next steps to parents. 

• Strict social distancing (6ft) will be required for ill students/staff. 

• Contact the school nurse with any questions regarding student illness. 

School Exclusion and Return
 

• State statute gives public school districts the authority to exclude students with contagious diseases such as COVID-19 or are liable to transmit it after exposure (IC 20-34-3-9). In addition, the local health department has the authority to exclude students from school and may order students and others to isolate or quarantine (IC 16-41-9-1.6). 

• EGSC will monitor CDC guidelines about student/staff illness, exclusion, and quarantine. 

• Students/staff exhibiting fever, 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, or diarrhea will be excluded from school attendance until one of the following:

  • Documentation of an alternative diagnosis (Not COVID-19) is acquired from a healthcare provider, and symptoms have improved. 

  • Be fever free for 24 hours without the use of any medication

  • Diarrhea – be 24 hours free from diarrhea 

  • Vomiting – 24 hours free from Vomiting

  • Negative COVID-19 test is provided. 

• Students/staff testing positive for COVID-19 will be required to quarantine for six days starting from the onset of symptoms or the date of the positive COVID-19 test draw. 

• Close Contacts

  • A close contact is anyone within 3 feet(6 feet if unmasked) of a confirmed positive COVID-19 person for 15 minutes or more. These individuals are required to quarantine for six days per the CDC/ISDH.

• Students/staff identified as having close contact with a confirmed positive COVID-19 person will be required to quarantine. 

• Students/staff may return to school on Day 6 with a negative test result OR on Day 8 without a COVID-19 test. Individuals must remain symptom-free through day 10 of exposure. 

• Students/staff who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are not required to quarantine as long as they remain symptom-free. 

• Students/staff who have documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past three months will not be required to quarantine as long as they remain symptom-free.

• Students/staff who show proof of antibodies for COVID-19 through lab testing are not required to quarantine as long as they remain symptom-free.

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the building principal office or the EGSC Administrative Office.

EGSC: 812-749-4755
WMIS: 812-795-2292
WMMS: 812-749-4519
WMHS 812-749-4757