Five Town CSD and Camden-Rockport school boards to hold joint meeting, discuss draft pandemic safety plan
ROCKPORT — Wednesday afternoon/evening, Aug. 24, the two school boards overseeing Camden Hills Regional High School and the Camden-Rockport elementary and middle schools will convene in the high school cafeteria to discuss matters of joint concern, including the possible approval of a plan that is to be a continued response to the pandemic caused by COVID-19.
The afternoon/evening begins with separate board workshops, followed by a joint meeting. The discussion about the plan falls after 7:15 p.m. and can be watched here: youtube.com/watch?v=sXH8psNh0XI
While the early part of the workshops will address board goals and academic agenda items, the latter part of the joint meeting concerns remote participation of board meetings and the Five Town CSD/MSAD 28 2021-22 School Year Plan.
“This plan is subject to change as conditions change,” the draft, dated Aug. 17, said. “The School Boards approved this document on XXX. The School Boards recognize the unprecedented times in which schools operate and the fluidity of our public health scenario, deputizing the Superintendent to make changes to this document without board approval based on emerging legal or health guidance.”
The plan outlines safety measures for 2021-2022, which are already in place. The schools allow themselves room to change the protocol, if the COVID-19 landscape changes.
“This year I hope that school feels pretty ‘normal’ to students and staff except that we will be wearing masks,” the plan said. “Behind the scenes, we have done a thorough study of our ventilation and are making improvements this summer. In addition, we trust our community not to send sick children to school, and we will all continue good hand washing hygiene. We plan to offer a full slate of fall sports and extra- curricular activities. We expect to host events for parents again.”
Masks will be required indoors for all staff and students, regardless of vaccination status. The only exceptions include the following
While eating or drinking. During meals, students will be masked until they begin eating and will mask back up as soon as they finish eating. Teachers will schedule regular “face mask breaks”. When they do so, students and staff should try to remain 6 feet apart from one another if indoors (ideally it will be outside).
When adults are in their own office or classroom, by themselves.
Masks will not be required outdoors but are certainly optional.
Masks will be required in all district buses and vans.
Face coverings should cover your nose and mouth and fit snugly against the sides of the face.
Cloth face coverings should have multiple layers of cloth. For additional information about face coverings, review U.S. CDC guidance on how to make cloth face coverings, wear and remove masks/face coverings, and wash cloth face coverings.
Face coverings should not have ventilators or other holes and must otherwise comply with school appropriate dress codes.
Safe processes for swapping out masks that become damp or soiled during the day will be used.
Cloth masks should be washed daily.
Additional safety precautions may be used for school nurses when a nurse is tending to a sick person. These precautions may include eye protection, an N95 mask or a surgical mask, and/or gown.
Five Town CSD and SAD 28 hired to have a ventilation inspection of every room in our buildings and the schools are working over the summer to address any issues in order to optimize the strong systems that are in place, the plan said.
Staff are encouraged to keep windows and doors open while weather permits.
Schools will encourage the use of outdoor play and outdoor spaces for instruction, breaks and eating breakfast/lunch.
Windows on busses will be down as much as possible.
Vaccinations
a. Under the DHHS Declaration of Public Health Emergency, Maine schools are required to collect vaccination status of all employees and report de-identified rate information to Maine public health officials monthly.
“We will comply with this mandate,” the plan said.
