Back to School Plan
Welcome to Verden Schools
Return to Learn Plan
2020-2021
Traditional Option:
This option will be for regular attendance and classroom instruction. We have outlined below a few adjustments that will need to be made in order to maintain a healthy and safe environment for our students. All items are subject to change based on information from the State Department of Education, CDC, or local health care agencies.
Before School/Arrival
- Buses will run routes as normal
- All parents who can are strongly encouraged to transport their students to and from school.
- Hand Sanitizer will be on the bus and required before boarding
- Siblings will be allowed to sit together.
- Students will be assigned seats and will maintain that seat daily.
- Buses will be disinfected after every trip.
- Students who are eating breakfast will go to the cafeteria
- All 8th graders and HS students will eat breakfast in the classroom at the high school after 1st hour.
- Middle school students will eat at tables in the gym lobby.
- Students not eating breakfast: Elementary students will go to their classroom, middle school students will go to the gym.
- Temperatures will be taken for all students before they enter the buildings.
- Any temperature above 100 degrees: students will be moved to a waiting room, and parents will be contacted to take them home.
- Hand Sanitizer stations will be located at each door and the entrance to each classroom.
Cafeteria:
- Breakfast: Only students eating will be in the cafeteria.
- Students will be separated by class at a safe distance
- All tables and seats will be sanitized after use.
- Lunch will be limited by class to maintain distance between students.
- Students will be assigned a seat in the cafeteria.
- Salad Bar will not be self-serve. Items will be served on the line or pre-packaged to grab and go.
- All condiments will be served from the cafeteria staff.
- All tables and seats will be disinfected after each class leaves the cafeteria.
- All servers will wear gloves and a mask.
Recess:
- Recess times will be staggered to limit the number of classes and students on the playground at one time.
- No outside toys/equipment will be allowed at school or on the playground.
Physical Education:
- P.E. will be held outdoors as much as possible.
- Classes will be separated into different areas to limit contact with students from a different class.
- Any equipment used during class will be disinfected after each class period.
- Students will bring water bottles with them and students will not be allowed to use water fountains.
Classrooms:
- Masks will be encouraged but not mandatory
- Students will be social distanced as much as class size and activities will allow.
- Students in all grades will be assigned a seat.
- Each student will have individual supplies. (i.e. crayons, scissors, etc.)
- Hand sanitizer will be available in all classrooms and used at assigned times throughout the day.
- Teachers will disinfect desks, chairs, and equipment once during the day at elementary and after each period/class change at the middle school and high school.
- All high touch surfaces will be disinfected daily.
Visitors:
- All visitors will be screened and temperature taken before entering the building.
- Visitors will be limited to essential business only. (i.e. IEP meetings)
- Parents picking up students during the day will wait outside the door and their child will come out.
- Dismissal at the end of the day parents will need to wait in their vehicle to eliminate congregating at the entrance.
Students/Teacher Illness:
- Any student or teacher who enters with a fever or develops a fever during the day will be taken to a designated waiting room until picked up by a parent.
- If they have symptoms related to COVID-19 they will need to be symptom free for 10 days, fever free for 72 hours without medication, or produce a letter from a licensed physician/ health department of a negative test.
- Any student or teacher who had close contact with an individual who tests positive, which is defined as within 6 feet for 15 minutes or longer, will have to self-quarantine for 14 calendar days from last contact.
Confirmed Case Outbreak:
- In the event Verden Public Schools or the town of Verden experiences an outbreak of confirmed COVID-19 cases, additional steps and precautions will be implemented. These precautions can range anywhere from meals in classrooms, mandatory face masks while outside the classroom, to school closure/virtual instruction for all students. These decisions are not made lightly and all options will be considered. The health and safety of our students and community will continue to be our top priority. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we navigate through these unprecedented times.
Virtual Option:
- Available for students in grades K-12.
- This fully online option is for those families that have high risk members or have someone in their household who has contracted Covid-19.
- A Curriculum Management System will be used for online instruction and will be supervised by a certified teacher.
-
- K-5 Odysseyware
- 6-12 Edgenuity
- Contact with students and parents by phone, email, messaging.
- Assignments, tests, and lessons will have to be completed daily and in a timely manner to meet attendance requirements.
- Daily attendance requirements will still apply to virtual students.
- Technology and the internet will be provided as needed and where available.
- Students can participate in athletics and extracurricular activities.
- This option will require a pre-enrollment meeting with the site principal.
- You must email your interest no later than July 23rd to the building principal.
MOBILE ACCESS
We are excited to tell you that the new web site is adaptable for viewing on all mobile devices and that you have a choice on your viewing preference.
The next time you view our website on a tablet or smartphone, our web site will automatically detect your mobile device, display the mobile view and will remember it each time you return. If you change your mind, look for the Full Site/Mobile link on the footer of the web site to toggle back and forth.
In addition to view choices, the mobile view offers additional features. You can learn about them and some interesting facts about mobile access by clicking here.
ALSO, be sure to visit the calendar component of the web site. Sign up for weekly or monthly reminders for the events and activities you are interested in. Click here for more details, including instructions for clipping events.
So, take a look now, and then keep checking in with us from time to time; hopefully you'll notice the changes, the new features, etc. Thanks for visiting and come back again soon.