OLP Daily Covid Procedures

All students and staff are to take or have their temperature taken before arriving at school. Individuals who show a temperature above 100.0.F or experiencing other symptoms of illness should stay home, in particular coughing, or shortness of breath. It is recommended also that if one member of your household exhibits symptoms then everyone should stay home until cleared by a doctor.

As always please call the school office at 614-267-4535 or email us at olp@cdeducation.org if your child is not coming to school.

• Please add to the school supply list a small container of personal hand sanitizer that students can keep with them throughout the day. It should contain 70% alcohol.
• We strongly encourage students who do not yet know how to tie their own shoes to wear shoes that do not require them to be re-tied during the day.

School buses for our children are expected to be in operation. Please contact your school district’s transportation office for details on routes, times, and pick-up and drop-off locations. Students are expected to wear masks at all times when riding on the bus.

Students arriving by bus will be dropped off on Dominion Blvd. and will proceed up the stairs. Depending on the time that the bus arrives they will be asked to go to the gym or directly to their classrooms.

Students arriving by car, bicycle or walking are expected to be wearing a mask once they leave the car or come onto school property. We ask that no student arrive at Our Lady of Peace before 7am.

The drop-off spot for cars will continue to be the driveway between the church and the school and students should enter the usual west door. The gym door will no longer be available for entrance in the morning.

Unfortunately, parents may not accompany their students into the building through the west door. If you feel the need to bring your child into the building to communicate with staff, drop off things or because of anxiety on the part of your child we ask that you park your car in the lot, and walk around to the front door where you will be greeted by a member of staff who can assist you and your child.

Students arriving before 7:40 will go to the gym where the use of masks remains mandatory and social distancing will be enforced through the use of signage. Please do not have your child arrive before 7am.

Students arriving after 7:40 will proceed directly to their classroom. Students will have been instructed during our first week of staggered start as to where their classroom will be as most are in different locations from last year.

Cell phones must be placed in backpacks from time time students arrive on campus through the end of the school day.

The day begins at 7:55. All doors will be locked. Students arriving after 7:55 will need to enter through the front doors on Dominion. Parents may not accompany their child to the classroom. We will do morning prayers, the Pledge of Allegiance and announcements including birthdays through the PA or other virtual means.

Lockers will not be in use. Students will keep materials in their book bags or desks used exclusively by them.

Classrooms have been moved to accommodate social distancing between students and to allow some grades to be all together. If you are familiar with our old classroom set-up the following is the new lay-out of rooms during this time:

• Kindergarten: Old Grade 1 Room & Old Grade 2 Room
• First Grade: Old Kindergarten Room
• Second Grade: Old 7th Grade Room
• Third Grade: Old 8th Grade Room
• Fourth Grade: 4th & 5th Grade Rooms & Cafeteria
• Fifth Grade: 4th & 5th Grade Room & Cafeteria
• Sixth Grade: Sixth Grade Room & Art Room
• Seventh Grade: Old 3rd Grade Room & SACC Room
• Eighth Grade: STEM Room & Music Room
• Mr. Thornton’s Math: Church basement

The drinking fountain water bottle dispensers will be on, but the mouth fountain will be turned off. We encourage students to bring a water bottle with their name clearly labeled on the outside.

Bathroom Breaks of course are allowed but we will have a system in place to identify how many students are in the bathroom and a routine will be established asking students to remain in a socially distanced line outside the bathroom when there are already two students inside.

Trashcans will be place outside bathroom doors so that students may use paper towels to open doors and then deposit them once they exit the bathroom.

Mask wearing is mandatory for all students and staff during the day except when eating or when involved in silent activity in the classroom such as silent reading, test taking or some other silent activity. The Home and School Association will be providing each student with one cloth mask for free, but families are expected to supply their students with additional masks. We will have some here for emergencies and mishaps.

Masks can be any style or color including gaiters and cloth. They should be 2 ply. If bandannas are used, the part covering the face and nose should be doubled. We will follow the dress down t-shirt rule for masks: no inappropriate logos or content as determined by the school principal. For the purpose of civility during this election year, please no politically themed masks. Please label reusable masks with your child’s name.

Breaks will be frequent throughout the day including chances for students to take off their masks during times of complete social distancing. Teachers will be taking students outside for quick breaks as well. We will have tents put up on the church lawn which teachers can schedule to sit outside for class and the use of outdoor classroom activities is encouraged. Unfortunately, masks will continue to be required when students are outside including at recess.

Travel will be limited by students throughout the day with the following exceptions:

• On Wednesdays grades K-2 will attend Mass at 8:30. On Thursday, grades 3-5 will attend Mass at 8:30 and on Fridays, grades 6-8. Parents are welcome to attend Mass and children are allowed to sit with their parents at Mass in an area separate from the classes.
• Middle school students who have Mr. Thornton for advanced math or algebra will go to a room in the church basement for their class. The procedures for that will be covered during the week of the 31st.
• Students will be going to physical education classes, outside whenever possible, or in the gym. Students in grades 4 & 5 can wear their gym uniforms in place of their regular uniform on Mondays and Fridays and students in grades 6-8 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The whole class will be together for gym.
• Recess will be held throughout the day. Classes will not share playground equipment but will each have their own. For now, the playground structure will be closed. Students will be asked to wash hands frequently throughout the day and always before and after recess.

Students will remain in their classrooms for much of the day and special teachers and middle school teachers will travel to the students. Again, teachers will give students opportunities to stretch, to go outside to take their masks off throughout the day.

Students who show symptoms of illness during the school day will be placed in an isolation area and assessed by our nurse or school personnel. If it is determined that they are sick or show symptoms parents or other emergency contact will be notified and they need to be picked up as soon as possible. If a child with a sibling exhibits fever, shortness of breath or cough, siblings will need to be picked up as well and remain at home until a determination can be made that is safe to return to school.

Field trips are not planned for at least the first semester of the school year.

Band classes will not be offered at this time.

Visitors are not allowed in the school building past the front office at this time. A limited number of parent volunteers will be gratefully permitted but will be under the same guidelines as staff members.

Absent students will continue to work under the direction of teachers as we have in the past including the sharing of materials for use at home. Our teachers will do everything that they can to ensure that students home sick can be kept up to speed according to what they are able to do!

While we understand that these restrictions will be difficult at times for all of us, it is done in the interest of the health and safety of all of us. Our teachers and staff will do everything that they can to continue to offer an educational environment of learning and joy rooted in the Gospel values.

Prepared lunches will continue to be served by our cafeteria staff to the classrooms. Lunch can be ordered on-line or that morning by students. Payment can be made on-line or handed in during the school day. Students will eat at their desks or outside when practical. The lunch schedule is as follows:

• 10:50 Grades 6,7 and 1/2 of Grade 8
• 11:25 Grades 1,2,3 & 5
• 12:00 Grades K, 4 and 1/2 of Grade 8.

Lunches will be $3.50 in cost and students qualifying for reduced lunch will have a cost of $1.50. The menu will be posted on-line.

Microwaves will not be available at this time.

Birthday treats are not allowed at this time.

Students will be asked to help keep their personal areas clean with appropriate cleaning materials. Common areas and bathrooms will be cleaned frequently throughout the day. Common areas of multiple use, door handles and such will also be cleaned frequently. The entire building will be thoroughly cleaned each evening.

The following procedures will be in place for the end of the school day.

After Care children will be taken to the gym beginning at 2:30 until the entire building is dismissed.

Bus students will leave by the front door of Dominion Blvd. to enter their buses.

Parents in cars are asked to park in the lot. At 2:35 the lot will be closed and parents will not be able to enter or leave the lot until all students are in their cars.

The Playground structure is closed and parents are asked not to allow their children to play on the equipment after school.

Kindergarten students will be dismissed at 2:35 through the west door by the church. For the children’s safety please do not leave the parking lot until the final signal is given sometime after 2:40.

Grades 1,2 & 3 will be dismissed at 2:35 through the blue awning door in the back. For the children’s safety please do not leave the parking lot until the final signal is given sometime after 2:40.

Grades 4-8 will be dismissed at 2:40 through the west door by the church. For the children’s safety please do not leave the parking lot until the final signal is given sometime after 2:40.

If you arrive after 2:35 please park outside the parking lot or wait in your car until the lot is re-opened sometime after 2:40. We will watch your children until they are safely picked up.

The school will be transitioning from the SchoolSpeak program to a new platform called Digital Academy before the beginning of school. Until that time, we will continue to use SchoolSpeak. The advantage of making this switch is that this platform allows for a lot more on-line resources for parents, students and teachers either with live classrooms or if we have to teach from home again.