Twin Cities International Schools (TCIS) - K-4 - Parent Zoom Meeting Friday January 22, 2022 Directors

Twin Cities International
  Schools (TCIS) – K-4
     Parent Zoom Meeting
    Friday January 22, 2022
            Directors

Parent Survey Results: Jan 4th – Jan 7th 2021

TCIS Overall Plan
● Hybrid option too difficult to manage with staffing and lots of feedback from families on logistics that would
  make that very hard to implement effectively.
● State and MDE want to see schools “making progress” toward returning to in-person learning
● Almost half of students had parents who selected the school choice knowing we would be planning an in-
  person return

● Jan 25th

     ○ K-2 students return to in-person learning if school model was selected, All K-4 new class assignments
       and new schedule begin, 60-70 students per grade level in three classrooms for in-person learning.
● Feb. 8th

     ○ 3rd -5th grade students return to in-person learning if school model was selected, 60-70 students per
       grade level in three classrooms for in-person grades 3 & 4 – all in-person content for grade 5.
● Feb. 22nd

     ○   6th grade students return to in-person learning if school model was selected, 60-70 students per grade
         level.

TCIS COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies
● Building-wide disinfecting occurred in mid-September, high-traffic areas were disinfected again in mid-
    December. The remaining building areas was disinfected again on Jan. 17 & 18th, 2021. This
    disinfectant spray typically lasts for 90 days.
●   UVC lamps are scheduled to be installed in the air-filtrations units throughout the building in mid-late
    February.
●   Medify-40 Air Purifiers with H13-HEPA filters were purchased for use in K-4 classrooms that will have
    student occupancy as well as the health offices
●   Plexiglass dividers have been purchased for small group work or one-on-one student work as well as
    large guards being installed at offices.
●   Smaller clear desk shields have been purchased for each student desk/table space.
●   Adequate PPE including gloves, student and adult face masks and face shields are readily available at
    TCIS.
●   TCIS will require staff interacting with students to wear both a face mask and face shield. Gloves are
    strongly encouraged and required during breakfast and lunch times. Staff not interacting with students
    but with other staff must at least wear a face mask or shield.

TCIS COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies
●   Hand Sanitizer and Disinfectant Wipes along with spray cleaners that meet the EPA List N
    are in adequate supply at TCIS.
●   Student screening protocols including temperature scans will be required prior to entrance
    into a classroom each day.
●   Visitors are limited in their access to the building beyond the front lobby and must
    participate in a health screening including temperature scan.
●   School employees can opt to test for COVID-19 once every 2 weeks at school through our
    Saliva Test Clinic.
●   TCIS strongly recommends staff maintain 6ft physical distancing between staff members and
    a minimum 3 ft physical distancing between students and staff/students (NEW GUIDANCE)

Parent Support – Face Masks
● Send at least one extra mask with your student each day – TCIS will provide each student with one
  cloth face mask on their first day of return to in-person learning.
● We will provide a second cloth mask in a few weeks.
● While we have some supply of disposable masks it is not in abundance. Students will be asked to
  change masks if theirs gets wet or overly dirty.
● Masks need to be washed nightly.
● Students must wear a mask on the school bus.
● We will work to incorporate safe mask breaks throughout the school day.
● Students who refuse to comply with masking expectations may be asked to
  move back to a Distance Learning instructional model after several attempts
  and parent intervention.

Parent Support – Self-Screening & MN Decision Tree

100.4

●   This plan to bring students back into the building only works with your best
    efforts.

●   We will work with you, but you have to work with us.

●   Please communicate with the school about illnesses and absences, as well
    as close contact quarantine orders for your household. We need 24 hours, if
    possible, to switch a class assignment.

●   If students are assigned to in-person and they must quarantine at home, they
    will be assigned to a Distance Learning (DL) class for those days.

     ○   They will access the assigned DL class through Clever on their
         Chromebook, then through their Google Classroom page. They will see
         another teacher’s class there on their first day of DL.

Additional Info -
● Transportation

    ○   Students need to wear a mask on the school bus at all times

    ○   Students need to follow directions from the driver on assigned seating

    ○   Students should only sit in the same seat as someone from their own household

● Meal Delivery

    ○   Meals will be delivered to students on DL on Friday Mornings between 7:45am and 12:00pm

    ○   Students will receive all 5 days of meals on Fridays

    ○   If you no longer want meal delivery, please call the school

    ○   Students participating with in-person learning will not have meal delivery

    ○   If your in-person student needs to quarantine, someone from the school will be in touch about
        meal options for those days

Additional Info Con’t -
● Health Needs

   ○   Students needing medication at school need to bring it back with Dr. orders to the health office
       as soon as possible

   ○   Students who exhibit COVID-19 Symptoms will be waiting in a separate room from the health
       office for parent pick up

   ○   Parents or Emergency Contact MUST be available to pick up their child within 45 minutes if the
       school calls for an illness due to the concerns around COVID-19. Please make sure all phone
       numbers are current with the school and voice mailboxes are not full.

● Behavior Support

   ○   We will have limited availability for students to “take a break” in other areas of the school if they
       cannot handle being in the classroom

   ○   After parent intervention and repeated behavior TCIS may ask to move a student to the DL
       instructional model if a student cannot manage in-person class/school behaviors

TCIS Travel Quarantine Policy
 ●   TCIS is asking families and staff members that travel during the COVID-19
     pandemic to follow the returning quarantine guidance:
 ●   For Travel between States within the continental United States:

      ○  Quarantine for a full 7 days after travel and consider getting tested 3–5 days
         after your trip. If you don’t get tested, we ask that you quarantine for 10
         days.
 ●   For International Travel:

      ○   Quarantine for a full 7 days after travel and get tested 3–5 days after your trip.
          If you don’t get tested, quarantine at home for 10 days

      ○   If you have questions about your travel, please contact the school.

TCIS Visitor Policy during COVID-19 & Student PU/Drop-Off
● TCIS will limit parents and non-essential visitors to the building during the pandemic
● Parents will be allowed to wait in the front lobby for students if they are picking up during the
    school day
●   Parents will not be allowed to walk students to classrooms in the mornings with the exception
    of Kindergarten students on the first day of in-person learning
●   Parents needing to talk to a teacher or EA need to make an appointment or schedule a phone
    or virtual meeting
●   Pick up students will not be allowed to come freely out to waiting cars in an effort to mitigate
    exposure of students for dismissal
●   Parents waiting in the parking lot should call the school main phone at 612-821-6470 and let
    them know the name of the student(s) and their grade levels. They will be called to the front
    lobby and will wait until buses have left the school to be dismissed to the parking lot for
    safety.
●   STUDENTS WILL NOT BE CALLED OUT OF CLASS EARLY JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE
    HERE. SCHOOL ENDS AT 2:30PM.
●   Your best plan is to arrive at school around 2:45-3:00pm for student pick up.

Appreciation – Thank You!!!
   On behalf of the administrative team, I want to take a moment to recognize that life is hard right
  now. We know that. It is hard for us as well. TCIS, along with every other school, has been put in a
nearly impossible situation to meet the needs of students, parents and employees during this pandemic.

   We have brainstormed countless scenarios for how best to implement this new directive from the
Governor as we prepare to transition into a new instructional model. These plans will never be perfect
  and we don't have all the answers, but we do have hope. Your commitment and dedication to your
children’s education and our school community are what gives us hope and confidence that we can and
                          will succeed. We are asking you to be on our team.

              We are making all decisions in the best interest of everyone in the building.

I hope that you, like me, can look at this as an opportunity as a fresh-start. To re-energize yourself, your
          children, and your participation and engagement; and begin a new chapter in 2021!

          Thank you for being a part of the TCIS family and continuing on this journey with us.