• COVID Plan- July 7, 2022 Update

    COVID Highlights

    • All students will attend in-person every school day and schools will be at full capacity, as in a normal school year.
    • Parents and staff must maintain COVID illness protocol to ensure continuous in-person operations.
    • Visitors will be welcomed into buildings.
    • The standard school day hours will be 7:35AM-2:35PM (elems) and 8:40AM-3:40PM (middles/NHS).
    • There will be a 40-minute delayed start at all schools every Wednesday.
    • The COVID vaccine is not required but is available and recommended for students and staff ages 5 and above. 
    • School staff who are required to isolate may need to use sick days to cover their time away from work.
    • Clubs will operate in person.
    • Field trips will operate as possible based on venue/location.
    • School lunch choices will be expanded.
    • Water fountains will be open.
    • Students K-12 and Early Childhood will have (5) scheduled eLearning from home days.
    • Students may share school or art supplies, sanitizing hands before and after use. 

     

    Academic Support

    We know some parents have concerns about academic loss and we want to assure you that our teachers are professionals and they will meet students where they are in their learning. 

    Teachers will be assessing, instructing and challenging academic growth, as appropriate for each student, and will provide additional academic support, if needed.  

     

    Attendance 

    We’ve reviewed our overall attendance policies for staff and students, and have eliminated any attendance recognitions that could encourage attending school when not feeling well.

    No consequences will be assigned if students are absent due to illness. 

    Levels of absenteeism among student and staff populations will be monitored daily.

    Parents should continue to follow their school attendance reporting procedures if their child will be absent.  

    Student handbook language on this subject reads: 

    Note that all expectations and procedures related to absences and makeup work will be applied with reasonable consideration given to the effects of COVID-19 on students and their families.

      

    Cafeteria

    Water fountains will be open, but water bottles are still recommended and can be filled at fountains. 

    In our cafeterias, utensils and most food selections will be pre-wrapped. 

    Meal options will be increased over last school year (back to normal), but a-la-carte choices may be limited and there will be no self-serve food bars. 

    As always, students can also bring their lunch from home. 

    No cash or checks will be accepted in lunch lines. Cash and checks will still be accepted in the office for prepayments and prepaid deposits can also be made online at K12PaymentCenter.com.

    Students will check out using keypads, with assistance as needed. 

    Cafeteria tables and serving lines will be cleaned between each lunch period.

    Free/reduced meal applications will be available on our website later this summer. Paper applications will also be available at any school or at the Educational Services Center. Even with free meals this year, families are encouraged to complete these forms, if applicable, to receive reduced curricular and programming fees.  

    For more food service information including menus, please visit our website. 

     

    Calendar/Schedule

    You can find school calendars on our website. 

      

    Class Schedules/Classroom Assignments

    All students will attend in-person every school day and schools will be at full capacity, as in a normal school year.

    If your student has documented personal medical issues that prohibit their ability to attend school in-person, you may contact your principal to discuss services we provide in support of students with significant medical needs. 

    Schools will share specific classroom assignments, schedules, locker assignments, and return to school information in late July. 

     

    Classroom Practices

    Students may share school or art supplies and will be asked to sanitize hands before and after shared supply use.

    Classrooms will continue to keep doors closed and locked while students are present in the classroom for the safety and security of students and staff.

    Hand sanitizer will be available in classrooms and students will have the opportunity to clean hands as they enter/exit classrooms. 

    Practices will be designed appropriately for students with disabilities.  

     

    Cleaning

    We will continue to use enhanced cleaning practices and provide extra hand washing materials and cleaning supplies. 

    Proper handwashing techniques and other health and safety procedures like respiratory etiquette will be taught and reinforced. Hand sanitizer will be available when hand washing is not possible.

    In addition to our regular facility cleaning, we’ll continue to disinfect more often in common areas like hallways, cafeterias, water fountains, bathrooms, playgrounds and buses, as well as high-touch surfaces like door handles and desks. We’ll also be using electrostatic disinfectants as needed in buildings and buses for intense after-hours cleaning. 

    Soft furniture has been removed wherever possible and teachers will work with students to regularly clean their own workspaces. 

    We’re already meeting the Indiana State Department of Health’s recommended environmental steps to reduce indoor COVID transmission through humidity, air-conditioning, air filters, etc.

     

    Closing Schools

    As we were able to be open every day in past school years and do not anticipate needing to close schools due to COVID. If we were to have significant absenteeism or COVID spread, we would follow our absenteeism policies and any direction from state or local health departments. This could include moving a classroom(s), school, or schools to online learning for a period of time.        

     

    COVID-19/Illness 

    Anyone experiencing any symptoms of illness may be excluded from school buildings and events.  

    If your child is ill, teachers will provide missed school work per our normal procedures. 

    Please continue to monitor health conditions and keep your student home if they’re exhibiting multiple symptoms of illness. School staff should also ensure they are healthy before coming to school/work. 

    Noblesville Schools will observe the 100-degree temperature as the fever threshold for illness. Please contact the school nurse with concerns or questions about your student’s current health symptoms. 

    Parents should continue to follow their school attendance reporting procedures if their child will be absent.  

    Daily health screening guidance for parents from IDOH. 

    Schools will not conduct COVID-19 tests. Testing Sites in Noblesville. PCR tests are recommended, however home tests will be accepted. 

    Suspected COVID

    Suspected COVID symptoms include: 

    • Fever (low grade, less than 100 degrees)
    • Nasal congestion
    • Sneezing
    • Body aches
    • Sore throat
    • Headache

    If a student or staff member exhibits more than one potential COVID-19 symptom, they should stay home and reach out to their medical provider for direction. Students should have improved symptoms and be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school.

    Contact the school nurse to ask questions. 

     

    Confirmed COVID

    If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID, they will not be able to return to school until all of the following conditions are met (1) out of school for at least 5 days, (2) symptoms significantly improved/resolved, (3) fever-free (without fever-reducing medicine) for 24 hours. (4) masked upon return to school for days 6-10 (including during extracurriculars, recess, PE, athletics, etc.) and will be given an alternate lunch location. If these guidelines cannot be followed, individuals will need to quarantine for a full 10 days. 

    Contact the school nurse to provide documentation and/or ask questions.

     

    Extracurricular Activities

    We will continue athletics and performing arts, with guidance from the Indiana High School Athletic Association and the Indiana State School Music Association.  

    Clubs and extracurricular activities will return to in-person meetings.

     

    Field Trips

    Field trips have returned, depending on venue/location guidelines. 

     

    Funding

    Noblesville Schools received Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) federal funding to assist with COVID management. To learn more, go here. 

     

    Immunizations

    Scheduled immunizations are required every year and students must have required immunizations, unless they have an exemption on file. 

    Please note that students entering kindergarten, 6th and 12th grades require new immunizations and all grades now require a two-vaccine immunization series for Hepatitis A.  

    The COVID vaccine is not required, but is encouraged for students and staff ages 5 and above. 

    Go here for more information on immunizations. 

     

    Masks

    Noblesville Schools is mask optional at school, on buses and during extracurricular activities.

     

    Mental Health/Counseling

    We recognize the importance of providing students and staff with extra emotional support as they return to school this year. Parents and students can expect to see special welcome activities, extra time for building relationships and establishing new routines, and focus on coping strategies. 

    Our counselors, social workers, and psychologists are ready to assist students and staff in need of support. We provide individual and small group mental health supports. Additionally, school-based mental health professionals through Community Health Network are available. 

    Parents with questions regarding their student’s emotional well-being, should contact their school’s counselor or social worker. 

    Additional information related to basic needs are available from the school counselor or social worker.  

     

    Miller Explorers (ME)

    Noblesville Schools’ Miller Explorers before/after school care is offered onsite at all seven elementary schools and will follow the same health and safety protocols as our schools. 

    You can register for morning care, afternoon care or both. For more information and to enroll, visit Miller Explorers. 

     

    Restrooms

    Restrooms will be cleaned and disinfected frequently throughout the day. 

    Students will be asked to use proper handwashing techniques and will wash their hands after recess and before lunch. 

    Restrooms will have CDC posters to promote proper washing techniques. 

     

    School Supplies

    Elementary & middle school supply list information is posted on the front page of your school’s website. 

    NHS does not maintain a school supply list. NHS students should plan to bring their iPads, a notebook, and a pencil on the first day and will get more information on required items from teachers.  

    If you need assistance in obtaining school supplies, please contact your school counselor.

     

    Technology

    Schools will issue (or in many cases have already issued) iPads to students for the new 2021-2022 school year. 

    All students with a district issued iPad will be enrolled in our device protection program, MillerCare+. 

    This link provides options for students in need of assistance with internet access.

    We encourage regular cleaning of iPads. Learn more about how to clean Apple products at https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204172

      

    Transportation

    Masks are optional on buses for students and drivers. 

    Buses will be cleaned between routes and at the end of the day, and students will wash their hands after entering school.

    Contact transportation@nobl.k12.in.us with questions regarding bus service. 

     

    Visitors/Volunteers

    Visitors and volunteers are welcome in our buildings, per school procedures. 

    Please be sure your background check status is current and approved. For more information on our background check/visitor process, please go here. 

     

    Note: This plan is designed to meet criteria for the Return to In-Person Instruction Plan, as required by the US Department of Education as a part of ESSER III funding.