NLR ELEMENTARY CAMPUS

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Back to School

NLR Fall 2021 Back-to-School Info

CAC is a special place because of the community we share, and while some things may be a little different this year, our commitment to creating a loving space for students hasn’t changed. In fact, we are working in new and creative ways to ensure that our time together each day is even more focused and meaningful.

We are excited to welcome students back to campus on Wednesday, Aug. 18! Below you will find the reopening guide for the NLR campus. This guide is not intended to be exhaustive, but to provide families with basic information and answers to most questions related to the start of school.

Additional detailed information will be provided prior to the start of school when appropriate.

Click on the icons below to view each section.

Health & Safety

Health and safety protocols have been put in place for the wellbeing of CAC students, faculty, staff, administration and families. One of the most important factors in limiting a COVID-19 outbreak within a community is the early detection of the virus. Thus, the daily monitoring of all COVID-19 symptoms among students and staff is considered best practice by both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Arkansas Department of Health (ADH). By following the protocols outlined below, the CAC community can reduce unnecessary exposure to the virus and promote care for one another.

Health and Wellness Screening Pledge

Prior to the first day of school, all CAC parents and guardians will be required to sign and submit a Health and Wellness Screening Pledge. By signing this pledge, parents and guardians will agree to perform a brief screening of their student(s) daily before sending them to campus. The screening may include taking the student’s temperature, checking for common COVID-19 symptoms and monitoring their student’s contact with COVID-19 positive cases. We believe the cooperation and diligent commitment of our families can help significantly reduce unnecessary risks on our campus.

Hand Washing/Sanitization

All members of the CAC community are encouraged to frequently wash their hands with soap and water. Hand sanitizer will be available in each classroom and teachers will instruct students in proper hand washing techniques. 

Face coverings

When physical distancing is not possible, we attempt to adhere to best practices to mitigate the risk of infection of our students and staff and reduce the potential for disruptions to the educational process by close contact quarantine requirements.

Early Childhood (PreK-3, PreK-4)

• Per Department of Human Services recommendations, preschool students are not required to wear masks. 
• CAC requires wearing masks when feasible during arrival and departure times.
• Teachers may also have students wear masks for very limited age-appropriate periods inside when physical distancing is not feasible and as a health/hygiene precaution.
• Parents should provide a Ziploc bag with the student’s name written in permanent marker on the outside of the bag. Student face coverings will be placed in the bag when not in use.
• Parents are asked to provide a spare face covering in a labeled Ziploc bag.
• All face coverings should be clearly labeled with the child’s name or initials.
• Parents may attach their child’s mask to a lanyard to promote mask retention. Teachers may opt to remove masks and lanyards if they become a distraction or safety/health concern.
• Students and staff will be allowed to wear an approved face covering of their choice. 
• Students may be exempted from wearing a face covering due to documented health concerns.

Grades K-5

Students must wear face coverings at all times indoors except for the following:

• Students may remove face covering when seated at their desks;
• Students may remove face coverings for eating and drinking;
• Students may remove face coverings when appropriate physical distancing measures are in place as determined by a CAC staff member;
• Students may remove face coverings on a case-by-case basis for specific instructional needs, including physical education activities, as determined by a teacher, in which case the teacher will require appropriate mitigation measures;
• Students may remove face coverings while participating in athletic activities where a six foot distance is not achievable, but a mask is inhibitory to the activity or active exercise; 

• Parents/students should provide a Ziploc bag with the student’s name written in permanent marker on the outside of the bag. Student face coverings will be placed in the bag when not in use.
• Parents/students are asked to provide a spare face covering in a labeled Ziploc bag to be stored in their classroom.
• All face coverings should be clearly labeled with the child’s name or initials.
• Parents/students may attach their child’s mask to a lanyard to promote mask retention. Teachers may opt to remove masks and lanyards if they become a distraction or safety/health concern.
• Students and staff will be allowed to wear an approved face covering of their choice.
• Students may be exempted from wearing a face covering due to documented health concerns.

Cleaning and Disinfecting

In addition to regularly scheduled daily janitorial service, frequently touched surfaces and objects will be cleaned throughout the school day (e.g. tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets and sinks).

EPA-approved products for use against COVID-19 will be utilized in consultation with specialists.

Academics

Handbook

View the 2021-22 Elementary Handbook here.

Google Classroom

Google Classroom will serve as a learning hub for students. All students will be added to a Google Classroom for each of their class periods. All lesson plans, assignments, due dates and assessments will be included in a student’s specific Google classroom section. Similar to RenWeb, parents will have the opportunity to view all posts made on Google Classroom by the teacher on a daily or weekly basis. Parents will also be able to view missing assignments. Parents will receive an invite from ‘Guardian/Classroom Summaries’ prior to classes starting if they would like to receive notifications regarding their student’s classes.

Classroom Materials

• Emphasis will be placed on limiting community use of educational items and allocating materials on an individual basis.
• Shared items will be sanitized between uses.

Classrooms 

All classrooms are organized to abide by current ADH social distancing guidelines with student desks placed six feet apart. 

Cohorts 

Elementary students will be grouped in the following cohorts for activities outside of the classroom (i.r., recess, after school care, etc.). 

• PreK-3 & PreK-4
• Kindergarten & 1st Grade
• 2nd & 3rd Grade
• 4th & 5th Grade 

Student contact will be limited to their cohort, teacher, and assistant throughout the school day. 

Enrichment Classes

We will resume a normal school schedule including Library, Music, Art, and P.E. as well as rotating grades in the cafeteria for lunch. Students will be spaced six feet apart in the cafeteria. We will utilize outdoor eating areas when possible.

Temporary Remote Learning

CAC will work with students who must quarantine to provide temporary remote learning. If a student is required to quarantine, they will easily transition from the physical classroom to our online environment.

Spiritual Life

Chapel 

We will have Chapel in our classrooms for the first few weeks of school. Our goal is to return to a school-wide Chapel as soon as possible. We look forward to welcoming parents back to Chapel as soon as we are able to do so.

Food Service

• Students may bring a packed lunch to school or order online from Little Bites food service. Information regarding Little Bites Catering will be passed out at Meet the Teacher. 
• Students will have the option to order Marco’s Pizza on Thursdays. More information will be provided in weekly communications. 
• Students will rotate between using the cafeteria and classroom to eat lunch to both reduce the use of spaces shared by the entire school and allow for proper cleaning between uses. Cohorts will rotate use of picnic tables to enjoy time outside. 
• Birthdays – You may send in donuts or a prepackaged treat for the class. Email the office if you have any questions. 

Lunch Visitation

• To limit outside interaction, there will be no visitors allowed on campus at any point during the school year for lunch.
• No outside lunch orders or lunch drop-offs are permitted excluding school ordering services (Little Bites and Marco’s Pizza).

Transportation

All school buses used for transporting students will be sanitized prior to transporting children and at the end of the school day. Social distancing will be practiced at all times. ADH and CDC recommendations and guidelines will be followed.

All drivers, staff and students are required to wear masks while on the bus. 

Transportation Sign-up

Parents who plan to utilize the CAC shuttle service must have signed-up their student previously by clicking here. No student will be allowed on a CAC shuttle bus without previously signing-up. Bus capacity will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis.

Campus Activity

Restrooms 

School community restrooms will be sanitized throughout the day and immediately following group use.

Gymnastics 

Gymnastics will not be offered during the fall semester. We will reevaluate in the Spring. 

Recess 

Students will have recess each day with their cohort. Exercise and time outside are important for students’ physical wellbeing and we are committed to continuing to provide this much-needed outlet during the school day. Our goal is to provide a morning and afternoon recess for students to enjoy. 

• No physical contact sports (i.e., football, soccer, basketball, tag, etc.) – jumprope, kickball, hopscotch, knockout, shooting basketball will be allowed 
• Classroom playground equipment will be disinfected daily
• Indoor recess will be in the classrooms or in the gym
• Students will wash and/or sanitize hands upon returning to class

Visitors

Entrance to the facility will be limited to students, staff, and officials with legal authority to enter the facility. 

Checking Students Out During School Hours 

To check out a student during school hours, call the School Office (phone number will be listed on the entrance door for convenience) and a staff member will bring the student to you. Students will only be released to those with permission to pick up in RenWeb. Please have a photo I.D. ready if you are checking a student out of school. 

The support of our parents is one of the keys to CAC’s success. We will need your support in new and unique ways this year. We appreciate your understanding as we limit the number of people in our building each day.

Morning Drop Off — 7:45-8 a.m.  

• Please note that students may not enter the building before 7:45 unless they are registered for Before School Care. Instruction for building entry for students registered for Before School Care will be sent separately. 

• Morning drop-off will take place along the sidewalk outside the main school entrance.
• To reduce the number of individuals entering the facility, students will use entrances based on their cohort.
  • PK-3 and PK-4 
    • Students will use the exterior cafeteria door.
    • Parents will need to walk their PK-3 and PK-4 child to the door to sign in with a staff member. Parents must wear a mask while outside of their vehicle.
    • PK-3 and PK-4 students will stay in the cafeteria with their teachers until 8:10, and then they will walk as a class to their classrooms.
  • Kindergarten-5th grade students will use the main school entrance and walk directly to their classroom.
• All students should wear mask when entering, exiting and traveling through the building.

Dismissal — Staggered Time Slots by Grade Level 

Dismissal will take place at the North Entrance (CAC School Entrance) for all students (Preschool-5th Grade) 

To prevent congestion students will be dismissed directly from their classrooms to the pick up line and will be assisted by staff to their vehicles. 

Afternoon dismissal will be staggered. 

• PreK students will begin dismissal at 2:45 p.m. 
• Kindergarten-1st grade students will be dismissed at 2:50 p.m. 
• Siblings will be dismissed at the older sibling’s designated time.
• Please arrive during the appropriate time slot to help us prevent traffic congestion.

Meet the Teacher/Parent Orientation

Teachers will host ten-minute, individual Meet the Teacher sessions with each student and their family. 

During these ten minute sessions, students and parents will have the opportunity to: 

• Meet the teacher
• Tour the classroom 
• Ask any questions you may have about the start of the year
• Drop off school supplies if you didn’t preorder them
• Shake off any first day jitters 
• Take a picture of your child and their teacher 

The introductory teacher email – coming August 10  – will include information on how to sign up for a time slot. 

Meet the Teacher/Supply Drop Off is scheduled for the following dates and times: 

• Monday, August 16 (11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.) 
• Tuesday, August 17 (8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.)