A Series for Staff and Families on the District's Plans to Resume In-Person Instruction

COHORTS: One of the best ways to reduce the possibility of transmission is to keep staff and students in cohorts or small groups. Why a cohort?

1) Limiting physical contact only to those in a cohort decreases opportunities for being exposed to the virus while giving the opportunity for social interaction between individuals within the cohort.

2) Keeping the same people in the same small group, rather than mixing and mingling, helps reduce the chance you or someone else will get COVID-19.

3) If someone does get sick, it is also easier to trace a person’s close contacts when cohort members are known.

The District is establishing cohorts of one teacher, 10 students (may be more depending on size of classroom) and, in some cases, one additional adult. The group will be kept together for instruction, meals and recess.

MEAL DISTRIBUTION: SLPS families (and other community members) will continue to be able to pick up 7-day meal kits on Mondays at these locations. When a Monday falls on a holiday, service moves to the next day, Tuesday.

Please note, the linked flyer was recently updated to include charter schools that also are supplying meals to families. However, their schedules are not the same as the SLPS sites. Be sure to double-check distribution times and details.

ATHLETICS: Our calendar has been adjusted in response to COVID-19 and concerns of transmission during sports. Here is a summary of the changes.

Fall sports will be played in the spring, using an alternate fall schedule established by the PHL.
Winter sports (basketball, cheerleading and wrestling) are scheduled to begin Monday, November 2 for all high schools. Practices will be held 4:30-6:45pm Monday through Friday at these locations.
Transportation home will be provided. Buses will leave practice locations at 7pm.
Families should contact their student’s school to find out when their winter sports information meeting will take place, what documents are needed to participate, and specific try-out information
According to City of St. Louis Department of Health guidelines, all participants will be required to be tested for COVID-19 throughout the season. The first test will take place on Saturday, October 24 from 9am to noon at Vashon High School. Testing will be at no cost to our student-athlete families. Click HERE for a flyer.
Parents/guardians must sign a COVID-19 testing waiver, provided by Affinia Health Care.
Contact your school's athletic director for additional information. If further clarification is needed, contact the PHL Office, 314-345-4418.

BELL TIMES: The school schedule will change in the following ways:

Students will go directly from their buses to their classrooms to eat breakfast and begin instruction.
The school day will end an hour early.

SCHOOL PROTOCOL: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we work together, the way we learn, and even the way we dress for school!

The one thing that hasn’t changed is that your safety and the safety of all staff and students always comes first. Here are a few things to remember as we learn to navigate our new environment:

♦ BE WELL: Stay home if you are not feeling well.

♦ WEAR MASK: Everyone in school, regardless of age, must wear a mask.

♦ STOP AND SCREEN: Before starting your day, your temperature will be taken with a touchless thermometer, and you will be asked a series of COVID-related questions, such as: Are you symptomatic? Having trouble breathing? Been close to someone who has tested positive?

♦ KEEP DISTANCE: Keep a safe distance from others at all times.

♦ WASH HANDS: Wash your hands frequently and for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitizer, if you are not near a restroom.

TEACHER ASSIGNMENT: In the vast majority of cases, students will continue to receive instruction from their assigned classroom teacher.

Teachers who usually split their time between two schools will be assigned to one school only. As a result, some students may have a different teacher for that specific subject or still receive instruction from the teacher virtually.

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR SLPS FAMILIES ...

YOUR STUDENT MEANS THE WORLD TO US: We know the past seven months have been hard. They have been really hard for us, too, both personally and professionally. But our commitment to your student remains the same. Your child's academic and social development is our passion and our life's work. Please continue to have patience with us, as we follow the advice of medical experts, weigh the pros and cons of our decisions, consider the needs of thousands of families and develop new strategies for keeping students engaged and excited about learning. We can't wait for the day we can all gather together side-by-side on the rug for storytime, but until then, be safe, wear a mask, wash your hands, socially distance, and we look forward to successful Quarter 2. Thank you for your support.

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