What will lunch look like at Holland? Are kids eating in classrooms or the cafeteria?

Lunches will be in cafeteria. We have 36 desks/chairs set up in the cafeteria, and all of them are six feet apart and facing in the same direction.  There are no grade levels with more than 36 students attending school during a specific hybrid cohort, so all students in a grade level will be accommodated.  Students will eat at these desks with their face coverings off. They will be asked to wear face coverings if they need to get out of their seat (i.e. – use the bathroom). The staff in the cafeteria will go around to each student to collect trash so that students do not have to move around the room when discarding trash. We realize that children have limited opportunities to interact with one another in this type of environment, and lunch should be an enjoyable experience for the children. Therefore, we will try to show videos/movies during lunch that are age-appropriate. Opportunities will also be provided for children to wash or sanitize their hands before and after lunch.

Do families have to pay for meals from the cafeteria?

Through a waiver program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, all CR students are eligible to receive a free lunch if they so desire.

How long will the free lunch program last?

The federal waiver expires on December 31, 2020, BUT it may end sooner if the government funding expires.

What happens after the free lunch program ends?

We will return to the traditional model of lunch service, where students pay for their meals based on approved eligibility status (paid, reduced or free).

Is all food purchased from the cafeteria free?

No.  A la carte items (e.g., snacks, ice cream and certain drinks) are NOT included as part of the free meal, and must be paid for the student’s lunch account.  A la carte purchases will be deducted from the account after purchased. 

To add funds to your child’s account for a la carte purchases, check their account balance or sign up for low balance notifications and auto-replenishment, please visit https://www2.mypaymentsplus.com/welcome

Does the free meal program apply to all days when CRSD is in session, including hybrid and virtual days?

Yes.  Students are eligible to receive a free meal whether they are a hybrid or 100% virtual student.

What food will be available from the cafeteria on hybrid instruction days?

Many of the same foods you have come to know and love (and perhaps even some new offerings)!  Our kitchen staff will be preparing a “boxed lunch” style meal if you choose to get your meal from the cafeteria.  We can offer both hot and cold meal options, and will even be able to offer a la carte items to supplement their meal (at an additional cost).

How will meals be served during hybrid instruction days?

Students will eat in the cafeteria and will enter the cafeteria line and be provided with her/his boxed lunch of their choosing. 

Does my student need to pre-order their food if they want to receive a meal from the cafeteria?

Yes.  A pre-ordering process already exists at Holland, and we will utilize a similar process so that students receive the requested meal.  If students wish to purchase a la carte items (e.g., snacks, ice cream and certain drinks), they will need to include their selections on their order form so that our kitchen staff can package it in time for lunch.

Will the individual desks and tables be cleaned in between lunch periods?

Yes.  Either CR or Chartwells staff members will wipe down each desk to prepare for the next student’s arrival.

How will snack time work in the classrooms?

Students will have their snacks in the classrooms with masks off. Teachers will establish classroom procedures for this within their own classrooms. We have sinks and soap in homerooms, which allows for frequent hand washing.

Are bathrooms being cleaned constantly throughout the day?

Yes. Bathrooms and other high traffic areas will be cleaned multiple times throughout the day.

Will classes be held outside to decrease indoor risk of spread?

Most classes will be indoors. We are unable to have classes outside at the same time we are having recess for another grade level. Most importantly, we are unable to hold classes outside because many of our students will be learning at home. We would not be able to transfer the necessary technology outdoors to stay connected with those students.

What will recess look like?

Recess will be outside. Students will be encouraged to wear their face covering ONLY if they are not six feet apart from other children. The children must bring their face covering with them to recess so that they have it for the cafeteria and their transition back to the classroom. Recess teachers will reinforce and monitor these expectations as best as possible. Having less than half of the children in the building at a time will help with monitoring because our numbers will be much smaller than a typical recess.

Playground equipment at elementary schools will remain open during the green phase. If Bucks County enters the yellow phase, playgrounds will once again be closed and posted. All playground equipment will be disinfected daily with Virex II-256.

Recess items like balls and jump ropes will not be used during this time. This will help to reduce the sharing of items.

What happens if my child has to use the bathroom?

Students will be allowed to use the bathroom as needed. If three students are in the bathroom already, a student would wait outside in the hall until someone leaves before they enter. Teachers will continuously remind and practice this new procedure with students daily.

Note: Kindergarten has a bathroom located in the classroom.

We have signs at every bathroom sink to remind children to wash their hands. Additionally, hand washing will be reinforced by each teacher.  We also have a sink in every homeroom, which allows kids to wash their hands more frequently.

Will my child's schedule change from virtual to hybrid?

Yes. During the virtual learning, everyone has a lunch break from 12:00-1:00 across the district. However, when we return to the buildings, we will need to stagger our (in-person) recess/lunch schedules. As a result, your child's schedule will be different from their virtual schedule. Your child's teacher will inform you of the new hybrid schedule during the week of September 29th.

Important Notice: On Wednesdays when everyone is home, students will follow the VIRTUAL schedule.

Will my child be able to keep items in school or have to bring them home each day?

Children will be required to bring all of their items home after school each day. In addition, students will be keeping all of their items in their backpacks at their seat instead of using a cubby.

Can my child wear a face shield instead of a mask?

While in school, students and staff members will be required to wear face coverings. The term “face coverings” is used in the district’s Health and Safety plan and it refers to masks or shields. Holland has extra masks for students if one is needed. In addition, each child will be provided a shield on the first day. The shield should be brought home from school each day, as we have just one to provide to each student. We will also be reminding children not to share any masks or shields. It would be ideal for students to label their shields with their first and last names.

How do mask breaks work within the classroom?

Teachers will handle mask breaks within their classroom and what works for their students. This will not be a one-size fits all approach. However, district protocol dictates that mask break should be no longer than ten minutes in which children will be seated and at least six feet apart. Most often, the younger kids will need more opportunities for breaks until they build up stamina. Teachers will adjust accordingly to the needs of the kids.

Tips for Mask-Endurance –

As any parent knows, there are many protective things children find uncomfortable or simply don’t want to do. Many children dislike car seats and seatbelts, yet we know car seats and seatbelts save lives. Here are some tips for mask training:

1. Start now so that your children can build up comfort wearing a mask for long periods.
2. Begin in a comfortable setting that is low risk (such as watching a movie or playing a computer/video game inside your home).
3. Set a timer so that you can see how long your children are able to tolerate the mask. Then, slowly increase their mask time each sitting.
4. Practice self-soothing behaviors to manage any anxious feelings that might be experienced. It’s normal for kids to feel like they're having trouble breathing when there’s a piece of cloth covering the mouth and nose.
5. Offer rewards (praise goes a long way!) and continue to provide encouragement.
6. As children become more comfortable sitting with the mask, try to engage them in conversation. Teach them how to speak louder and articulate their words more clearly, so that others can understand them.

What will cleaning look like during the day?

When students change classrooms in between class periods, the teacher will spray Viking Pure System product (safe for student use) on each desk and chair. Each student will be provided with a multi-fold paper towel to wipe down his or her desk and chair upon entry to the classroom. In addition, there will be a cleaning and disinfecting of all high-touch surfaces once daily during the day (door handles, light switches, etc.).

Does my child have to bring in their personal device to school?

Students are not required to bring their personal devices to school. At HES, we have Chromebooks available for each student. However, the district is waiting to receive newly purchased Chromebooks so that each child in CR will have a device. Until that time, we may have to loan Chromebooks to another school if there is a student who is in need of a device. Currently, we haven't loaned any Chromebooks to other schools, therefore, any child who does not bring a device to school will be provided one from the classroom cart. The Chromebook will be cleaned prior to being provided to a child. If we do not have a device to provide due to loaning to other schools, materials will be provided to children so that they can engage in learning (i.e. paper/pencil, etc.).

In addition, if a child needs to charge a device during the day, there will be “charging desks” in each room that are proximal to power strips. These desks and the accompanying chairs will be wiped down between uses by different children.

Will my child receive homework?

Homework is considered independent practice of skills/concepts taught. Therefore, homework would be included as part of the asynchronous work students are already doing throughout the day.

How will my child fill up their water bottle?

Students may fill up their water bottle from the sink in the classroom.

Can I visit or volunteer at HES this year?

We value our parents and our volunteers. However, until further notice, only essential visitors will be allowed in the school building. All essential visitors will be required to follow the same safety guidelines as all other school personnel and will comply with screening and monitoring procedures. Visitors may access the lobby to drop off or pick up an item, but they will not be permitted to move beyond that area (unless entering the office to sign in/out a student).

My child is 100% Virtual, so does that mean s/he follows the Hybrid schedule?

Yes. Starting on September 29th everyone will follow the hybrid schedule. Your child's homeroom teacher will communicate the new hybrid schedule prior to the 29th. However, on Wednesdays everyone will follow the virtual schedule.

To what extent will the in-person group of students be on video for at-home viewing? Is the camera going to face the class or will the teacher workstation be set up without students in view?

The camera will face the teacher or the Smartboard. It’s rare that the camera will be facing the class. If there is a need for collaboration with virtual and in-person students, this would be done through an all-virtual format such as Google Meet or Zoom.

How will fire drills be affected by social distancing?

Fire drills will continue to take place at school; however, they will not be done simultaneously with all students and staff members. Instead, teachers will independently conduct a fire drill on a specific scheduled day.

Will there still be a Halloween parade and parties?

Unfortunately, it will not be possible to facilitate these wonderful activities this year for the children. However, the staff and I will think about ways that children can still enjoy Halloween activities which we know are so important to children.

Will arrival and dismissal procedures be any different at HES?

No – we’ll be keeping these procedures the same aside from a few modifications. For car riders in the morning, the staff will continue to monitor the drop-off but we won’t be touching car handles or student items while we remain socially distant. Of course, if children are in need, we will certainly assist them. For the car-riders in the afternoon, we will no longer have the children waiting in a large group to be called to their car. Instead, we will communicate through Google tools from the car-rider line to the classroom when a family vehicle has pulled up. When the children see their names appear on the Smartboard in their respective homeroom, they will proceed to the car-rider line. We expect that there will be more families electing to drive their children to and from school. However, there will be less than half the children in school each day.

Children riding the buses in the afternoon will be called down by grade level at dismissal. These students will enter their buses and move to the back of the bus. We’ll stagger the grade levels to eliminate groups of students from waiting to enter the buses. School buses will be cleaned and disinfected upon return to the bus depot after all morning runs are completed and again after all afternoon runs are completed, in accordance with the CRSD Health and Safety Plan.

The procedures for walkers will remain the same, although we will encourage non-family members to remain six feet apart as they walk.

Will I be able to get into the school if my child needs to be dismissed early?

Parents who need to pick up a child before dismissal will go to the main office door and ring the doorbell. They will enter the office to sign out their child and then wait in the lobby for the child to be dismissed. Similarly, if a child comes to school after the arrival time, parents will come to the main office to sign in their child in school.

Can you re-explain the Specials Rainbow Rotation?

To ensure that all students have an opportunity to interact with all of our special area classes/teachers (especially when we go hybrid) the district created this Rainbow Rotation Schedule. A rotating schedule allows students to experience all four specials at some point within a five-color rotation. Your classroom teachers will also remind parents/students which COLOR day it is in Google Classroom and their Website.

What if my child in hybrid is unable to attend on her in-person day but she completes work virtually? Will she be marked absent?

Children who are scheduled to attend in-person instruction at HES on their designated cohort day will not be marked absent if they attend and participate in virtual activities from home. It would be optimal to reach out to your child’s teacher to provide information that your child will be completing virtual learning that day.

Are all of the hallways one-way at Holland?

Some of the halls at school are one way to limit the contact between students and staff members. The one-way protocol will be used in the part of the building where classrooms are located, and there are arrows on the floor to remind children of the direction (clockwise) they should walk. The main hallway, however, can’t be used in this manner, and the students and staff will be required to walk on the right side of the hall. Tables are currently in the middle of the halls that provide a median and allows for traffic moving in opposite direction to be at least six feet apart.

The concern with the one-way halls is with regard to when there is a need to get to a location quickly – such as a fire drill or bathroom emergency. We will inform the children that the one-way hall will help keep people safe, but it will be permissible to walk the opposite way if there is an urgent situation.

The one-way hall also requires our students in primary grades to walk in the fifth-sixth grade hallway. This should not be an issue as we employ a buddy system when our youngest students walk the halls, and the children will still be using the bathrooms in their grade-level halls.

My child will need his violin tuned by the teacher. How will this work?

Instrument tuning will take place on two separate days at HES – Tuesdays and Thursdays.

• Tuesday Tuning – This is for all students in school on Monday and Tuesday or Virtual students who do not have lessons on Monday or Tuesday. Instruments should be dropped off in the school lobby on Monday or no later than Tuesday at 9:30am, and the instruments will be ready for pick-up by Noon on Tuesday.
• Thursday Tuning - This is for all students in school on Thursday and Friday or Virtual students who do not have lessons on Thursday. Instruments should be dropped off in the school lobby on Wednesday or no later than Thursday at 9:30am, and the instruments will be ready for pick-up by Noon on Thursday.

For both tuning days, all instruments must have a nametag with the student’s name printed in a bold color and large font. Students may bring their instrument to school and drop it off in the lobby. If parents come to the school, they should ring the doorbell of the main entrance and announce that they’re dropping off or picking up an instrument for tuning. The instruments should be placed or picked up under the table in the lobby (sign will be present). Kindly refrain from entering the office at this time

How will virtual students check out library books?

The procedures for checking out library books has been modified. Here is the revised protocol:

Hybrid Students: When they are in the library, they will be able to check out books. The books will be facing out and standing up on all available shelving. The librarian will switch books out based on which class is in the library at that time. Books will be selected based on grade-level grouping: there will be a set up for fifth/sixth, third/fourth and first, second and kindergarten. When the students leave the library, the librarian will restock the holes in the collection or if it is a grade-level grouping switch out the books and wipe down the tables and chairs. Students who are home on hybrid during library will have the option of putting books on hold or creating wish lists via Destiny. Books placed on hold will be pulled by the library assistant and checked out to the students. The librarian will deliver the books to the classroom and either place the books on the students’ desks or place in a designated area by the classroom teacher.  Students in hybrid will have the option of only checking out books when they are in hybrid. This will present a challenge with the new colored days schedule as sometimes it is ten days between library and other days it is three. The schedule will take some getting used to and we know that we’ll need to be flexible if there is ever a slow turn around.

Virtual Students: They will have the opportunity to check out books. They will put books on hold via Destiny. In order to help families out, students will be able to check out more books for a longer period. Families would not be expected to return books every week or every other week. When books are ready to be given to the families, the library staff will wrap the books in plastic bags and label the bag with the student’s name. Then, bags will be placed on a book cart in the lobby of the school. Families can come to the lobby between the hours of 8:00am and 6:00pm, but we ask that families refrain from coming to school during the arrival and dismissal times. The times to avoid are 8:45-9:15 and 3:15-4:00.