Lamar
Continuity of Service
(Ready for Learning)
Overview
October 15, 2022
We had a meeting on 3/29/2023 and discussed not making any changes to the plan at this time.
POC
The Lamar School District is currently using Miranda Kenner as the District Point of Contact.
This position is mainly for administrative advisement this year. Miranda monitors the DESE and ADH Zoom meetings and provides advice and support to administration as needed. Each building’s nurse is currently acting as the building POC since they monitor students and their health. The nurses work together with the building offices to monitor the students that are out due to COVID and provide support on recommendations from the CDC dealing with COVID. They monitor this just like they do all other communicable diseases. This has been our plan since the changes last school year prior to spring break.
Miranda Kenner helps students with medical & mental health resources through the Lamar Wellness Center which is available to everyone.
COVID (CDC Links are Located at the Bottom of the Page)
The Lamar School District is committed to providing a safe learning environment for all students while adhering as much as is practical and possible to the guidelines provided by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) concerning Covid-19. Covid-19 is still spreading in our community therefore families should watch for symptoms of infectious disease (fever of 100 degrees or higher, vomiting, diarrhea, ect.). Students should not attend school until they are 24 hours symptom free. Please see our handbook policy for infectious disease for more information or contact your childs school.
If your child tests positive for Covid-19 please follow the current CDC guidelines which state:
If you are positive WITH symptoms, isolate for 5 days with day 0 being the date that symptoms begin.
If you are positive with NO symptoms, isolate for 5 days with day 0 being the date you were tested. (If you develop symptoms within 10 days of when you were tested, the clock restarts at day 0 on the day of symptom onset.)
Students may return after day 5 as long as they have been fever free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medications.) The CDC does recommend wearing a mask through day 10.
There is no requirement for close contacts to quarantine at this time. However, it is recommended if someone in the home has tested positive, that close contacts wear a mask for 10 days.
Attendance
Students
Each building works with families to make sure students that are absent due to COVID receive the support needed. They are given excused absences and are allowed to make up any missed work according to policy.
Employees
All employees are given 15 days over the course of the year, according to policy, for them to use for positive COVID issues.
- Caring for someone with COVID
- Testing Positive for COVID
Learning Plans
Virtual Learning
We have provided Virtual learning for the past three years, however, the last two years have been a lot different from the first year. Three years ago we allowed students to choose and go back and forth. The last two years we have determined that face-to-face is the best for all involved in regards to getting an education. We have offered the virtual learning option through the Guy Fenter Coop and Virtual Arkansas, depending on the grade level of the student. Students can only choose to go virtual at the beginning of the year and must stay in virtual for the semester.
Face-to-Face Learning
This option is more like the traditional learning pre-COVID. We have made adjustments over the past three years working toward the least restrictive environment. We have also worked to provide families with more options to fit their needs that are less restrictive. We have continually followed the guidance and requirements handed down from federal and state agencies. The Lamar School Board over the past three years has made decisions based on the requirements hand down to us. We aren’t currently pushing any social distancing but do allow students to social distance if they so desire. Students are now working in groups more like they were before COVID.
Sanitization
We will fog areas as needed when communicable disease levels reach a high status. Each school provides access to hand sanitizers and masks for students to use for their safety and others. It is the responsibility of the student and parents to determine if they should be at school or need to stay home due to being sick. It is also the responsibility of the students and parents to determine if their child needs to wear a mask when at school due to recommendations provided from the CDC. The Lamar School District provides current information links on the school website to help parents find CDC recommendations to help them make the best decisions possible.
Health Care
The Lamar School District has, and will continue, to follow health guidelines and any changes directed by the state government & Arkansas Department of Health.
Nurses are always available to help with any health care questions or concerns from parents. They will monitor symptoms and contact parents as needed as with all situation while at school. School policy will be followed for communicable diseases for COVID and we will ask that parents keep their students home as directed by policy. Accommodations for students with a disability with respect to health and safety policies will be maintained. The Lamar School District provides COVID tests for employees to help maintain a safe environment allowing them to test as needed.
AMI Days
If it were to be determine that a school or the district were to be closed due to a communicable disease, we would utilize AMI days if possible. The decision to close will be determined by the Superintendent based on multiple criteria. Often the primary cause that would cause the school or district to close would be the number of adults in the building that can teach or monitor the students on the campus. We hope to minimize the use of AMI days for communicable diseases as we move forward. Lamar has been approved for an AMI waiver and the waiver will be followed at any point in the year that it is determined AMI Days are to be utilized.
Addressing Learning Loss
Summer School Programs
The Lamar School District has offered summer school programs over the past two summers to help students that have struggled due to COVID meet the requirements to advance to the next grade by addressing the loss of learning due to COVID. The Lamar School District will offer summer school at the end of this school year that will provide some course recovery for students at specific grade levels that need additional time to meet the requirements of specific courses. This will not look the same as it has the past two summers. The focus during summer school in 2023 will be on specific learning loss and not on credit recovery.
After School Tutoring
Students are provided opportunities after school two days each week in all grades to access additional help. The additional support helps student in areas where they have had a loss of learning which bridging that gap helps the students in the courses that they are currently in and struggling with.
RTI
The program is used to help students in many areas and address learning. Some of the areas that are now being seen are due to loss of learning from the effect of COVID. This program has been in place for many years but is now also helping to meet the needs of those students that have learning deficits due to lost learning related to COVID.
High School
Middle School Specific Learning
Covid
The Middle School is following District guidelines for Covid protocol. Please refer do district policy for this.
Attendance
We feel that attendance is very important for students to learn at a high level. To aid with attendance, Parents of students that are absent will receive a phone call if they haven’t called to report why their student is absent. This service is done by our ISD Para Professional. This communication will keep everyone informed of absence and if work needs to be gathered to send home.
Virtual Learning
At this time we are offering virtual at the beginning of the year and at semester. The student must complete a semester of work before they can come back face to face. If the parents wish, the student may come back and be in an ALE setting, but will still complete the said semester as virtual.
Face to Face Learning
Data proves that face to face learning is the best for students in our group. We follow and comply with guidance that is given by state and federal agencies. At this time we are not enforcing social distancing and wearing of masks. Teachers and students are given the option to social distance and whether they chose to wear a mask.
Sanitation
We will continue to fog hallways and classrooms to stop bacteria and germs. Water fountains are cleaned and sanitized twice a day. Classrooms are cleaned and sanitized daily. Hand sanitizer is available by all restrooms, different places in halls, and all classrooms. Lunchroom tables are cleaned and sanitized after each grade leaves cafeteria.
Health Care
A Nurse is always available to help with any health care questions or concerns from parents. They will monitor symptoms and contact parents as needed as with all situation while at school. School policy will be followed for communicable diseases for COVID and we will ask that parents keep their students home as directed by policy. Accommodations for students with a disability with respect to health and safety policies will be maintained.
AMI
We have AMI days available for use which could be for weather or an outbreak of a communicable disease. These are determined at the discretion of the Superintendent based on different criteria.
After school Tutoring
Tutoring is provided to all our students on Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30 – 4:30. There are teachers that stay and provide help to these students. Students should bring work that they do not understand or cannot complete. Snacks are provided to students to eliminate hunger issues.
Summer Programs
We will offer summer remediation to students that wish to attend. This will be a camp type atmosphere with remediation and learning activities. We will offer math, literacy, and science, each will be a week long for a half day. Breakfast and lunch will be provided and bus transportation if needed will be available.
RTI
We have a team of three Para Professionals, two full time and one part time. They will pullout identified students as Tier III, by a battery of tests, and give services for remediation. They will use Barton, Sonday, and Heggerty depending on the deficiency(s) of the student. All Tier II students will receive services in a regular classroom setting.
Elementary
Summer school: We were able to have 60 students with several of those that would have failed, had they not attended.
Tutoring: We averaged over 50 students where they were able to get instruction in areas that they were behind in.
RTI(Response To Intervention): We are able to see over a 100 students that receive academic interventions in literacy. There are over 50 that receive math interventions.
Volunteers: We have been able to add parent volunteers back into the school.
Grandparent Day: We were able to see so many grandparents that had not been able to come visit us over the past couple of years.
Music programs for each grade: Mrs. Young will be doing Music programs starting in November with 3rd grade doing a Veterans Day Celebration.
Parent communication & resources
Lamar School District can provide information about options and resources available to students and their families through the school and community.
Ready for Learning Committee
CDC Operational Guidance for K-12 Schools and Early Care
Lamar Information
CDC Data Tracker Community Level
CDC Isolation and Precautions for People with COVID-19
COVID Pages
Ready for Learning Pages 2020-2023
ESEER Pages
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