Some of the Wilton Public Schools Plan Reopening Plan Highlights. For Complete Plan, Click HERE.
1. In the majority of classrooms, given the directive to re-open for all students full-time, 6 feet of social distance is NOT achievable.
All classrooms and other instructional spaces will be studied and reconfigured as necessary to achieve social distancing to the greatest extent possible. Across the district, the average classroom size is approximately 900 square feet. With all students returning in person, most classrooms can achieve 3 feet of social distance between student work stations, and 6 feet of social distance between faculty and student work stations. Class sizes have been capped according to room occupancy maximums (with 3 feet of social distance between student work stations), and where necessary, additional class sections are being created.
2. Other spaces not currently utilized as instructional space will be studied by a team including a school-based administrator and lead custodian. Cafeterias are being considered to repurpose and proposals to create temporary classrooms are underway.
3. Plans are in development to provide auxiliary classroom space should a classroom need to be emptied temporarily.
4. Utilizing CDC videos and locally developed videos, students and teachers will be trained on how to maintain social distance in the classroom environment.
5. Signs and messages will be clearly posted throughout school buildings with a focus on stopping the spread. Foot traffic flow will be routed to promote social distancing, and entrances and exits will be segregated for students and staff as is feasible.
6. Prior to the return of students, online training will be provided for all staff on relevant safety protocols (i.e. donning and doffing PPE, handwashing, proper hygiene, social distancing, and masking face).
7. Online training will be provided for students, staff and substitutes on social distancing, cleaning protocols and hygiene practices using Schoology, our Learning Management System.
Temporarily Choosing Not to Participate
The Wilton Public Schools has developed a hybrid learning instructional model that will utilize Schoology as a learning management system and enable teachers to deliver instructional units through its platform. The platform, accompanied by plans to integrate live streaming into and out of the classroom, will enable students who are unable to participate in-person to engage in real-time.
1. The Director of Human Resources, Maria Coleman (colemanm@wiltonps.org), will act as the COVID-19 Liaison for the Wilton Public Schools.
2. The WPS will continue to use the existing lines of communication with families via School Messenger emails and regular updates to the COVID-19 section of the website.
3. All plans posted on our website can be translated automatically to any needed language.
4. The WPS will continue with current communication of weekly updates and adjust with more frequent messages as needed.
5. As in the case of weather-related closures, the WPS will utilize School Messenger to notify parents of cancellation of in-person classes.
Additionally, the district will post more broadly to the local media and town website as information is updated.
6. A more detailed, and family-focused version of this plan will be posted on the school and district main pages.
8. The district is currently receiving feedback from parents, staff and other community members through a dedicated email, input@wiltonps.org, through direct email communications to the Board of Education and district leaders, and through public comment at Board of Education meetings. School and grade-level specific parent meetings will take place once draft plans are finalized and published.
9. Since May, the district has operated nine separate re-entry committees tasked with contemplating various facets of reopening. These committees are comprised of district staff, parents, community members, and Board of Education members.
Daily Operations
1. Wilton students in grades PK-2 and 3-5 will be grouped into stable cohorts by classroom (approximately 18-20). In grades 6-8 students, and to a lesser extent, students will be grouped first by teams of approximately 100, and then in smaller classes within the team (20-24). Mathematics, World Languages, and some special education classes limit the district’s capacity to create stable cohorts at grades 6-8.
Cohorting of students in grades 9-12 is not feasible.
2. In-person school-based clubs and activities will be phased in after the start of the school year. Activities that can begin the year virtually will do so.
3. Non-school based activities will be restricted from school buildings at the start of the school year.
4. Wilton Continuing Education manages the district’s childcare operations and will provide a plan to implement mitigation strategies that is aligned to the district’s reopening plan.
Guidelines:
Safeguarding the health & safety of students and staff;
Allowing all students the opportunity to return into the classrooms full time starting in the fall;
Monitoring the school populations and, when necessary, potentially canceling classes in the future to appropriately contain COVID-19 spread;
Emphasizing equity, access, and support to the students and communities who are emerging from this historic disruption;
Fostering strong two-way communication with partners such as families, educators and staff; and
Factoring into decisions about reopening the challenges to the physical safety and social-emotional well- being of our students when they are not in school
Transportation
1. The WPS surveyed families the week of July 13th. Of 3,150 responses, 26% indicated they would require the use of school buses.
The other 74% indicated they could voluntarily transport their children to and from school.
2. Following CDC guidelines, all passengers will be required to wear masks.
3. Passengers will sit with family members.
4. Passengers will be spaced out to achieve social distancing. The district operates 38 buses. 31 of those have a maximum capacity of 71 and provide 25 seats. The remaining 7 have a maximum capacity of 83 and possess 29 seats.
5. Weather permitting, windows will be kept open to promote air circulation.
Read complete plan => https://www.wiltonps.org/about/reopening-2020-2021