GIANO SUMMER CAMP

WHAT WILL IT BE LIKE WHEN MY CHILD RETURNS TO SCHOOL?

Per Public Health guidelines, we are limited to a maximum of 14 students in a classroom and thus required to create and maintain a stable class list of students who will be attending in-person. Parents will also need to fill out and return the attached Parent/Guardian Safety Agreement prior to or on the first day students return to campus.

The safety of staff and students is our primary focus and the campus and classrooms will look very different.

REQUIRED USE OF FACE COVERINGS

• In accordance with the California and Los Angeles County Departments of Public Health’s Guidance for Face Coverings, students and staff must wear a face covering, which covers both their nose and mouth, at all times when on campus, including while waiting to enter campus, in the classroom, departing school and, if using District transportation, while on the bus. Face coverings must be appropriate for school and either be a surgical mask or full cloth face covering. Students will be provided a face covering if they do not have one and cloth face coverings should be washed daily.

More information about faceRowland USD 2020-2021 School Year Opening & Safety Plan

coverings at: https://covid19.lacounty.gov/face-coverings/

CLASSROOM AND CAMPUS

When on campus, students will notice the following changes to the campus:

• “Distancing Dots” will be placed on the ground in line areas to assist with

physical distancing on campus.

• When greeting both staff and friends, students should wave versus hugging

to maintain physical distancing.

• The number of students per classroom will be limited to 14.
• Student desks have plexiglass or plastic dividers.
• All student desks will be placed not less than 3 feet apart, while all of our

classrooms are currently set up with 6 feet distance between desks. 

• Students will be asked to keep their own school supplies for safety reasons, no sharing of equipment. Needed supplies will be provided for students.
• Students may bring a backpack, but can only carry their own items.
• Non-essential furniture has been removed from the classrooms allowing maximum space for students and staff. 
• Line-up and waiting procedures meeting physical distancing guidelines will be put into place.
• Routes will be designated for entry and exit.
• Food will not be allowed to be eaten on campus unless medically required. 
• Students can bring their own water bottles. The school will provide water filling stations.

DEVICES
Students will be required to bring their device (iPad or Chromebook) to school. Please remember to have the device charged and ready for use while in the classroom. Students will transport the device back and forth each day. Please bring the charger as well.

VISITOR POLICIES

While we greatly value the strong relationship between our school and our parents, during this time, parents and visitors are not permitted on campus. Parents should arrange to drop off and pick up students at the Main Gate. However, while we are not able to meet with you in person, we are here and available to help. Please continue to contact the school office by phone at (626) 965-2461 or email one of our team members directly.

MEDICATIONS AT SCHOOL

If your child requires medication while at school during the in-person time, including the need to carry medications with them, there are two forms that need to be signed by the doctor and the parent/guardian:

• Physician’s Authorization Form
• Self-Carry Authorization Form for Medication at School

Guidelines and more details can be found in the in the RUSD 2020-2021 District Annual Notification Handbook. If you have further questions, you can also contact your school nurse or health clerk.

BEFORE SENDING YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL

Prior to sending your child to school, parents must consider and evaluate the health of their child by asking the following questions:

Does your child have any of the following symptoms?

• Fever of 100.4 or more
• Chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty breathing

If your child has any of these symptoms currently or if they’ve had any of the symptoms above within the past 10 days, they are to remain at home and are not to attend school. For the health and safety of all, please do NOT send your  child to school if they are feeling ill or have any symptoms of any illness. If your child has been ill, they must be symptom free for 24 hours without the use of any fever reducing medication. If your child exhibits any of these symptoms while at school, they will be brought to the isolation area and you will be called to come and bring your child home from school.

Prior to entering campus, they will have their temperature checked with an FDA approved screening device which is non-invasive and very fast. When they arrive at their classroom, they will be provided with and expected to use hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer stations will be in every classroom and children will be expected to use the hand sanitizer each time they enter class.

SOCIAL DISTANCING ON CAMPUS

One of the challenges we expect is maintaining social distancing between children. Parent/guardian assistance is needed to help remind and reinforce this behavior. We know that students will be excited to see their friends and staff and should be reminded to greet others with a wave to maintain social distancing. We ask that you please talk with your child about social distancing and ensure they are ready to remain 6 feet apart from their friends when walking on campus, in lines, or on the playground. Your help with this is very important.

HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS

Rowland Unified School District has taken numerous proactive measures to help mitigate COVID-19 infection at our schools. Our goal is to have a safe return to in-person instruction and provide our students and staff the best opportunity to be successful in a secure environment.

TEMPERATURE SCREENING

The Rowland Unified School District has procured the only FDA approved infrared thermal screening camera systems to screen the skin temperatures of students as they enter the school site. If the need should arise for a student to be isolated due to a high temperature reading, each site will have an isolation area near the entrance. Students will be rescreened and assessed for illness prior to further action being taken.

WALKING ON CAMPUS

In the hallways and walkways, staff has applied floor decals that show students the proper path of travel and where to stand if they need to be in line. 

IN OUR CLASSROOMS

• Each classroom has been provided a touch free hand sanitizing station that is battery operated.
• Before entering the classroom, students will use hand sanitizer. Each classroom is also equipped with sanitizing wipes.
• Each classroom has 14 student desks/seats, arranged to allow a minimum of six feet of separation between students from both side to side and front to back. 
• Student desks have been outfitted with see-through desk shields. 
• Entrance and exit doors have been marked within the rooms to denote the proper entrance/exit path. 

DAILY CLEANING

Daily cleaning of our campuses will continue to be a high priority. Student classrooms will be disinfected with surface wipe down daily and during the day before use by an additional group of students. During the day, high-touch areas such as doorknobs, handrails, countertops, and dispensers will be disinfected on a two-hour rotating schedule. 

RESTROOMS AND DRINKING FOUNTAINS

School sites have taken additional steps to provide a safer experience while on campus.  Student restrooms have been configured to allow for appropriate social distancing. Drinking fountains have been removed or disabled and where possible, drinking fountains have been replaced with "touch-free" bottle filling stations.  In some areas, additional sinks for hand washing have been installed where drinking fountains were removed. These sinks are also touch free and can be utilized throughout the day for more frequent hand washing. 

IMPROVED AIR QUALITY

Air quality on our school sites has also been addressed. All of the District's air conditioning units have been outfitted with filters that have a MERV rating of 11.  In addition, any air conditioning unit that can support a MERV 13 without retrofit will have the upgraded filter installed. All air conditioners have been adjusted to provide the maximum amount of natural air to pass through the system.  Classroom doors that open to the exterior will remain open during the day to allow additional natural air in the classroom, along with windows.

Along with the filter upgrade to MERV 11 and MERV 13 where possible, the District is nearing completion of the Districtwide installation of Bi-Polar Deionization Modules on all existing air conditioning units. The Bi-Polar Deionization Modules are installed on the supply side of each air conditioning unit in a post filter location.  Bi-Polar ionization works by introducing positive and negative ions into the air. The installation of Bi-Polar Deionization Modules will significantly aid in "sanitizing" the conditioned air introduced into the buildings, including all classrooms and office spaces.  Bi-Polar Deionization technology has been around for several decades and has been successfully utilized in the air conditioning systems of hospitals and laboratories.

ENTRANCE AND EXIT GUIDELINES

For the safety of students and to allow for proper screening and monitoring, students will enter and exit campus from the front gate, only. The back gates, at Wellford Dr. and Gemini St., will be closed.

All students will enter and exit campus from the front of the school, on Giano Avenue.  If there is a line to enter campus, students will line up six feet apart. Upon entering campus, students will pass through a temperature scanner and proceed directly to class. Classrooms will be open for students to enter ten minutes prior to the start of class. Staff members will be present in the mall area to direct students and remind them to maintain appropriate social distancing.

When dismissed from class, students will immediately exit campus, through the front gates. Staff members will be present in the mall area to direct students and remind them to maintain appropriate social distancing.

PICK-UP AND DROP OFF

Parents dropping off students by car must do so at the roundabout, in front of the school. Please do not use the parking lot to drop off students. 

NUTRITION SERVICES

Nutrition services will be providing meals to students daily, upon dismissal. As a safety precaution, there is no eating permitted on campus or in the classrooms. Students will “grab and go” their meals.  

If more information is needed regarding meal distribution, please contact Nutrition Services Department at (626) 854-8312 or visit our webpage at rowlandnutrition.org

TRANSPORTATION

In preparation for students returning to campus, the Transportation Department has taken several steps for student and staff safety. Each bus is equipped with infrared thermometers at the bus entrance to verify students' temperature before entering the bus.  Each bus is equipped with a personal protection equipment tote bag. In the event a student does not have a face covering, one will be provided.  Students will be assigned a seat on the bus to allow for maximum physical distancing.  Physical distancing must also be practiced when both getting on and off the bus. Each bus will be cleaned and sanitized at the end of each route.

Unfortunately, due to the capacity on our school buses with physical distancing, during this time transportation services are very limited and only available for students with an Individualized Education Plan.  The transportation office will be in contact with families that qualify for transportation services. 

If more information is needed regarding transportation, please contact Transportation Department at (626) 965-5719.

QUARANTINE, ISOLATION AND CONTACT TRACING

The health and safety of our students, staff, and families are of the utmost importance. To prevent COVID-19, staff and students will be expected to:

• Wash your hands often for at least 20 seconds, especially after you’ve been in a public space, after using the restroom, blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not regularly available, use hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer will be available in all classrooms.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Practice physical distancing by staying at least 6 feet from other people.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a face cover.
• Stay home if feeling ill or experiencing any symptoms that may be associated with COVID-19

If your child travels outside of Los Angeles County, it is required that they follow the LA County Department of Public Health requirements for quarantining. Anyone who is not fully vaccinated, must quarantine for 10 days if traveling out of California or more than 120 miles from home.

Rowland Unified has and will continue to work diligently to ensure a safe and healthy environment. We comply with the requirements of Public Health guidance. Should a student or staff member have symptoms of COVID-19 or test positive for COVID-19 it is imperative that they not report to school.

STUDENTS THAT PRESENT SYMPTOMS WHILE AT SCHOOL

• Students will go to a designated isolation area until they can be picked up by a parent or guardian.
• Note: Parents should be prepared to pick up their student(s) immediately in the instance they develop COVID-19 symptoms while at school. It is imperative that current contact information is available at the school and in the Aeries student information sections.
• The District’s COVID Response Team will be contacted and coordinate with Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) regarding suspected and confirmed cases.

IF YOUR CHILD OR SOMEONE IN YOUR HOME HAS COVID

Children who have been exposed to someone with COVID in their home are to stay home and not report to school. If your child has been exposed in the home, please contact the school so we can help provide information on available COVID testing.

IN THE EVENT OF A COVID EXPOSURE AT SCHOOL

If someone on campus tests positive for COVID, we are required to inform the Public Health Department within one business day. In order to determine who may have come into close contact, as defined by the Public Health Department, we will conduct contact tracing to determine who may have been in close contact with the person who has tested positive. Notification will be provided to those in close contact and, as required by Public Health, those students in close contact will be informed to quarantine at home. Additionally, we are developing a dashboard, which will be on our District webpage, to inform parents and the community if there has been a positive case.

Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 may not return to school until they have met all criteria established by the Department of Public Health. This includes remaining at home for a minimum of 10 days since the date of the positive test or onset of symptoms, and a minimum of 24 hours with no fever and no use of fever-reducing medication, so long as all other symptoms have improved. For persons who never developed symptoms, isolation can be discontinued 10 days after the date of testing positive. 

For more information about quarantine and isolation requirements, please click on the following websites:

http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/ncorona2019/covidisolation/

http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/ncorona2019/covidquarantine/

OPTIONS FOR COVID-TESTING

Information on free COVID-19 testing across Los Angeles County is available on this website;

https://covid19.lacounty.gov/testing/