Frequently Asked Questions
Posted 8/6/2020
Will there be daily screening, and when/where will it take place?
Faculty and staff have been screening each day when they arrive. This will continue and is the guidance provided by the state. Students will be screened when they arrive each day. Exactly where this will take place and exactly what that will look like in each building’s plan. The plan is going to be posted on 8/6/2020.
How will the bus be handled? How many students per bus?
Answered on 7/31/2020. Please watch video #14.
How many positive cases before the school is forced to go to virtual only? Is there a number or a percentage? How will you get accurate data for the accurate number?
These are good questions but we have to wait for guidance from the Arkansas Department of Health. We will use the data that we collect on a daily basis along with the data provided by the Arkansas Department of Health for all decisions that are made once additional guidance is provided.
If the situation arises where we have a staff member or student test positive, what action will be taken? Will we be notified?
Answered on 7/27/2020
If a student/teacher tests positive, when will they be allowed to return to school? Will they need a negative test to return to school?
ADH makes that decision. They will not come to school until they are released from ADH with a letter. Negative testing does not change the requirements for quarantine. If they are quarantined by the ADH or Lamar School District they will have to stay out of school for the entire 14 days or until ADH says otherwise.
Will the students sanitize desks/area before/ after each class?
Please watch video #19.
Is there a plan for kids with therapies?
Yes
What is the plan for "outside" people, or those who travel to different schools. ETS, subs, guest speakers, therapists? Allowed? Screened? Not allowed?
We will continue to follow the guidelines set and we will minimize the opportunities for any outside contact when possible.
Will students be able to social distance within the classrooms?
How will lunch look? Will all students go to the cafeteria? Will they eat in their classrooms?
The building plans will be posted on 8/6/2020.
How will recess look for elementary and middle school?
The building plans will be posted on 8/6/2020.
How will activity classes look for elementary and middle school?
Answered 7/27/2020
If students choose to learn virtually will they be eligible to participate in extracurricular activities?
Answered 7/27/2020
What will the exchange between class periods look like?
The building plans will be posted on 8/6/2020.
Will there be any online opportunities for parents in use of Google Classroom? If so, will there be any training on Google Classroom?
Information is on the website and answered on 7/27/2020.
Will blended learning only be used if school is out for disease or could it also be used in other scenarios like “snow days”?
Answered 7/27/2020
Will teachers be screened daily?
Answered above
What will be the lowest degree of a temperature that will place a student in isolation?
The Arkansas Department of Health guidelines has the temp set at 100.4 degrees. Our policy is to send students home with a temperature of 100 degrees. We will follow our.
Who determines if the temperature is Covid related or other illness?
Doctors
If a student has a temperature, will they have to provide a doctor’s note stating what illness they have before they can return to school, ie. strep, sinus infection, etc.?
We will continue to require the same information as we have in the past. We will not require someone to go to the doctor or to be tested for COVID to attend school. We will follow all ADH guidelines and State mandates.
What school supplies will be needed for virtual classes.
Each building has provided supply lists.
Will you further explain the attendance for students who choose to attend virtually?
Watch Video #11
Is the virtual curriculum the same as the blended curriculum?
The lessons will be the same. The teacher will be providing a video of the lesson they are presenting in class. Students must watch the videos to be able to complete the assignments.
Posted 7/31/2020
Will the school supply students with cloth masks?
Washable cloth masks will be available on the first day of school for students.
Are buses going to run when school starts?
Yes, we will be running our normal routes. All students will be required to have their mask on when they load the bus and must wear the mask the entire route. We will provide hand sanitizing stations on each bus and will follow ADH guidance on social distancing for a bus.
Will students be able to move from Virtual to Blended learning?
Students will be able to move from virtual learning to blended learning at any time during the nine weeks, however, they will not be able to move back to virtual learning until the end of the nine weeks. We will allow parents to change enrollment at the beginning of each 9 weeks. If we have to change to stage two or three the student would be moved to virtual but they would still be considered a blended learning student.
Will student be able to move from Blended Learning to Virtual Learning?
Student will not be allowed to change from blended to virtual during the 9 weeks that they selected blended learning. There are some situations (medical, etc.) that will be taken into consideration on a case-by-case basis to transition to virtual. This will be an administrative team decision and will only occur in extreme situations. Student moving back and forth from one learning classroom to another will create chaos for the teachers and will hinder the learning process. We hope everyone understand the need for strict and consistent guidelines.
Posted 7/27/2020
- What will the mask policy be?
- The policy will be based on ADH and DESE guidelines. This question is also addressed on FAQ 3,4,5 7/14/20
- Will students be able to social distance within the classrooms?
- We will follow the social distancing guidelines set up by ADH in the classroom and all other areas on campus.
- How will lunch look? Will all students go to the cafeteria? Will they eat in their classrooms?
- All building plans are currently being finalized and will be placed on the website upon completion.
- How will recess look for elementary and middle school?
- All building plans are currently being finalized and will be placed on the website upon completion.
- How will activity classes look for elementary and middle school?
- All building plans are currently being finalized and will be placed on the website upon completion.
- If the situation arises where we have a staff member or student test positive, what action will be taken?
- Arkansas Department of Health guidelines will be followed and ADH will be contacted.
- If students choose to learn virtually will they be eligible to participate in extracurricular activities?
- This information can be found on our webpage. https://www.lamarwarriors.org/498228_3
- What will the exchange between class periods look like?
- All building plans are currently being finalized and will be placed on the website upon completion.
- Will there be any online opportunities for parents in use of Google Classroom?
- We have added links to our website but the easiest way to learn about Google Classroom is to Google “How to use Google Classroom for parents”.
- Can you describe what exactly the blended learning scenario looks like?
- This can be found on the website under important terms and definitions on our website. https://www.lamarwarriors.org/497948_3
- Will blended learning only be used if school is out for disease or could it also be used in other scenarios like “snow days”?
a. Blended Learning is defined at the link provided in question 10. The definition does not address the use of Blended Learning or Virtual Learning for use as an alternate to missed days for bad weather. Blended Learning by definition, only addressed a type of learning created to support students and families during COVID-19.
Posted 7/14/2020
- What is an LMS?
- An LMS is a learning management system. It provides a way to create, manage and deliver, curriculum to a specific group of people. The system is designed mainly for teaching and learning.
- What does a virtual class look like?
- Virtual classes can be described many different ways. Lamar will describe our virtual classes as prerecorded videos of our curriculum provided by our teachers. These courses will not be conducted live; however, they will provide the same information as a live class, with less bandwidth usage. This is to provide better access to more of our students.
- Will students and teachers be given masks? How many? How often? Distribution?
- The requirement will be based strictly on the Arkansas State Department of Health guidelines. We hope to provide one cloth mask per person.
- If masks are required, how will they be enforced?
- The requirement will be based strictly on the Arkansas State Department of Health guidelines. The enforcement of any rule or policy is up to the building principal.
- If masks are just suggested, why are they not required?
- The requirement will be based strictly on the Arkansas State Department of Health guidelines. We are unable to answer why the Arkansas Department of Health does or does not require or mandate things.
- How will it be addressed if a student pretends to cough/sneeze on others?
- The enforcement of any rule or policy is up to the building principal.
- Will students have temperature checks? On buses? At school? If so, who will document it?
- The requirement will be based strictly on the Arkansas State Department of Health guidelines. If it is mandated it will be addressed.
- How will we know when a student had or was exposed to COVID? Will we require a doctor’s note or will we take their word on it?
- We will follow policy according to doctor’s notes, once again it will be up to the building principal to enforce rules and policies.
- Will teachers be tested for Covid? How often? Who will pay?
- Teachers will not be tested by the school, so how often is not up to us and who will pay, not us. We will not mandate teachers get tested.
- If masks are optional, will the school provide us daily with hospital grade PPE?
- The requirement will be based strictly on the Arkansas State Department of Health guidelines.
- - If teachers need to quarantine, will we teach from home or get a sub?
- The need for a sub will depend on what style of learning we are enjoying at that time. If we are teaching virtually only, the teacher could continue to provide the instruction without loss of time. This question, like many of the others, can’t be answered specifically because we don’t know what it will look like as we near the start of school.
- Will there be barriers between desks?
- We are not planning on setting up barriers at this time. We will plan to work at maintaining six feet between students. We will adjust to make sure we can meet the ADH requirements.
- Will class sizes be reduced?
- This is an option just like the previous question that could be considered.
- We do not have enough direction concerning the start of school at this time to make a decision on this topic.
- Can we create and implement rules that will make us feel safer? I.e. - we all need to get a pump of sanitizer as we walk in and put on our masks?
- The requirement will be based strictly on the Arkansas State Department of Health guidelines. Everyone will have the opportunity to meet their own needs.
- How often will bathrooms be cleaned?
- Bathrooms will be cleaned according to Arkansas State Department of Health guidelines. We will meet or exceed their guidelines to make sure our students and personnel are safe.
- How will we monitor how many students are in the bathrooms during class time or between classes?
- We will have all follow our rules and policies concerning students being out of the classroom. We will also have to monitor the halls during breaks and will probably have someone stationed at the bathroom to count students entering and leaving. Each building principal has been working on a plan specific to their building and the procedures they will need to follow.
- Will we have one way hallways?
- Each building principal has been working on a plan specific to their building and the procedures they will need to follow.
- Will the bell schedule be modified to limit the number of students in the halls?
- Each building principal has been working on a plan specific to their building and the procedures they will need to follow.
- How will we clean Chromebooks and desks?
- The technology department will provide guidance when the time comes of how to best clean the Chromebooks. Custodial staff will provide the needed resources and guidance for teachers to clean their desks as needed according to ADH guidelines.
- Will teachers receive cleaning supplies to sanitize after each class?
- Custodial staff will provide the needed resources and guidance for teachers to clean their desks as needed according to ADH guidelines.
- How often will they need to be cleaned?
- Custodial staff will provide the needed resources and guidance for teachers to clean their desks as needed according to ADH guidelines.
- Are students allowed to share items? (Things like calculators, novels, goggles, aprons, sewing equipment)
- Again, we will follow Arkansas Department of Health Guidelines; however, we will not have them share items unless they have cleaned it before use. Custodial staff will provide the needed resources and guidance for teachers to clean their desks as needed according to ADH guidelines
- Are filters being changed in HVAC systems at the appropriate times?
- Maintenance personnel do a fantastic job of following their campus and building preventative maintenance schedules. This is a non-issue.
- Regarding ventilation: Will filters in ventilation systems be upgraded to the most advanced type for filtering particles? Will UV filters be installed in HVAC systems?
- Our buildings meet the requirement. If there is a change in the requirements we will adjust those requirements at that time.
- Why are we not using Lincoln Learning for our LMS?
- Lincoln Learning course content is accessed from the Buzz Learning Management System (LMS) or can be uploaded onto a school’s own licensed LMS if compatible.
- Our curriculum is designed to meet the needs of our students, however, we may choose to make Lincoln Learning available to teachers to use as a resource. The content is compatible with Googleclassroom.
- Will students be assigned individual chromebooks at the beginning of the year, along with a charger to keep up with? Will these be taken from class to class and home?
- We are not planning to assign chromebooks at the onset of school. We don’t want to have devices out before we need them. We will have them ready to go out and will have a checkout system in place.
- Why can’t we provide mobile hotspots for kids who do not have internet access?
- We are providing mobile hot spots at specified locations. We will continue to provide hot spot locations throughout the district. We can’t reach all of our students with hot spots but we can reach as many as possible with additional locations.
- Will more custodial staff be hired?
- The requirement will be based strictly on the Arkansas State Department of Health guidelines and state mandates.
- Right now bus drivers have to clean their own bus. Will the buses be cleaned by a third party to ensure they all get properly cleaned and sanitized?
- Bus drivers are asked to sweep their own bus, however, they are not asked to sanitize their buses. Mr. Pelts and I work together to make sure the buses are sanitized and ready for students. We have had several discussions related to the sanitizing of our buses. We have several plans to help with this but as mentioned above, the requirement will be based strictly on the Arkansas State Department of Health guidelines and state mandates.