Will my son still be able to participate in clubs, extracurricular activities, and sports? 

Yes! The development of an 8th period will create dedicated time for clubs, extracurricular activities, and sports to meet, plan, and succeed while also utilizing digital tools for those that cannot physically participate. 

Sports will continue to implement proactive measures as they condition during the school year. The CIF will announce plans for athletics later in July in regards to athletic contents. We will provide further updates as they develop.  

How will the campus respond if a member of the Bosco community tests positive? 

Any person testing positive for COVID-19 will be required to isolate from campus for 14 days and test negative at the end of that time period. No person will be allowed to return to school without medical clearance. The privacy of any individual testing positive will be maintained in accordance with HIPPA and FERPA requirements. The school’s COVID response team will interview the student and parents to initiate the contact tracing process. COVID updates will be posted on on our internal communications system through Schoology. 

What if a student or faculty member comes into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19?

Any person in close contact to the person who tested positive will be required to isolate from campus and will be allowed to return to school with medical clearance.

At which point will on campus instruction move to remote learning? How will the new quarter system schedule accommodate remote learning if we must switch to online learning?

St. John Bosco High School plans to offer on campus classes 5 days a week for the 2020-21 school year. Yet, we understand this plan is subject to change depending on county, state and/or federal guidelines. Following our successful online learning program in Spring 2020, we are absolutely prepared to educate our students without interruption, should we need to move to remote learning.  

The design of our return to school plan has been created with flexibility in mind, should we move to online or hybrid (online and in-person) learning. The quarter block system offers students 4 courses at a time which is a much more realistic workload to manage when remotely learning. Reducing class sizes and teacher caseloads (70 students) at a time will result in an increased amount of individualized attention for each student as compared to the previous years. This will increase student engagement, academic support, and lead to an overall better learning environment.  

In anticipation of the different needs of our families and a potential increase in on-campus absences, we are prepared to deliver instruction to students remotely using technology that will allow students to continue their college preparatory curriculum remotely. Synchronous and asynchronous learning will be available if deemed necessary. 

Schoology allows for SJB to concurrently educate students physically and remotely. Our faculty will be prepared to allow remote students to actively participate in and record in person or synchronous classes. 

If a partial or total closure of our campus occurs, we are prepared to follow CDC guidelines for a short term (2-5 days) closure of campus. If this occurs, we will continue to deliver content using our successful remote learning model we developed this year and return to campus promptly when we have assessed the situation and taken appropriate measures to ensure a safer environment.

How have teachers/faculty members been trained to follow the COVID-19 guidelines?

Faculty will have an extensive two-week training prior to school starting to review guidelines and protocols to return to on-campus instruction safely.

How have teachers been trained to account for the new quarter system? 

Faculty will have an extensive two-week training prior to school starting and ongoing professional development prior to plan for quality concurrent instruction for all students. 

How have counselors been trained to handle the new mental health challenges that may arise during these challenging times? 

The Academic Counseling staff will utilize the platform for online learning to increase their access and availability for all students and parents. Social and Emotional counselors will be available daily to assist students with mental health challenges that may arise during these uncertain times.

 

Will students, faculty, and staff be required to wear a face covering?

At this time, students, faculty, and staff will follow state guidelines regarding face coverings at all times while on campus. As of June 29, 2020 the State of California has mandated the use of face coverings for all persons except for those under the age of two, or with a licensed physician’s written permission. SJB must apply this mandate and include all students, staff and visitors. As a result of this mandate, SJB is seeking further clarity on use of face shields in lieu of face coverings from public health.

Is there a time when they don’t have to wear face coverings?

Only while eating/drinking or participating in supervised physical activities. If a student has written permission from a licensed physician stating the student is unable to wear a face covering, we will seek accommodations with the family to determine the best learning model for the student, in-person or distance.

How have campus sanitation practices evolved to mitigate the spread of COVID-19?

Bosco will have additional maintenance supervision to implement COVID cleaning protocol. Frequently touched surfaces throughout campus will be cleaned and disinfected by trained staff, regularly scheduled disinfection will be implemented for each classroom upon dismissal of class period. Frequently touched surfaces to be disinfected include, but are not limited to door handles, light switches, sink handles, bathroom surfaces, tables, desks, and chairs. All cleaning products are approved for use against COVID-19 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

How will wellness checks/temperature checks be administered? Should I expect to drop off my son early so that he is not late to class? 

Starting at 7:15am, all staff, students, and visitors will have their temperatures checked with a no-touch thermometer prior to entering campus. School will start at 8:15am to allow for screening. We anticipate there being no more than a 5 minute wait to be screened. Per health department guidelines, anyone with a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher will need to isolate from campus. 

All faculty, staff, and students will be asked to if they answer yes to any of the following:

• Have you or anyone in your household currently have or had any of the following symptoms in the last 14 days: sore throat, cough, chills, body aches for unknown reasons, shortness of breath for unknown reasons, loss of smell, loss of taste, fever at or greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit?
• Have you or anyone in your household tested positive for COVID-19?
• To the best of your knowledge have you been in close proximity to any individual who tested positive or has been exposed or acquired COVID-19?

What if someone develops symptoms on campus? 

Any students, faculty, or staff exhibiting symptoms will be required to wait in an isolation area outside until they can be transported home or to a healthcare facility, as soon as practical.

If a teacher tests positive for COVID-19 are they required to quarantine for 14 days? Is their sick leave covered, paid? Will all of their students be required to self isolate?

Teachers who are unable to work due testing positive for COVID-19 will use their sick and medical leave. Asymptomatic teachers who are quarantined and can work from home will not be required to take sick leave. 

Teachers will teach at most 80 students at a time during the school year to limit both student and teachers exposure to others. We will conduct contact tracing in consultation with public health officials and isolate any students or staff that have been in close contact with any person who has tested positive. The contact tracing process will help determine the extent of the amount of isolation required. 

What if someone who lives in the same house as a teacher tests positive? Does that teacher now need to take 14 days off of work to quarantine? Is that time off covered? Paid?

The teacher will be instructed to self-quarantine until medically clear to return.Teachers who are unable to work due to illness will use their sick and medical leave. Asymptomatic teachers who are quarantined and can work from home will not be required to take sick leave. 

 Any individual testing positive for COVID-19 will be instructed to self-quarantine as required by Health Officer Order of May 1, 2020, until such time as it has been determined that the individual screening positive for COVID-19 symptoms is negative for COVID-19.

Where will you find a substitute teacher who will work in a classroom full of exposed, possibly infected students?

St. John Bosco will provide in house subbing and contract out when necessary. If the school's contact tracing procedures determine that students need to isolate, we will do so.

What if a teacher is diagnosed with COVID-19? Do all the kids in each class now have to quarantine and get tested?

For COVID-19, a close contact is defined as any individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to positive specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.

We will conduct contact tracing in consultation with public health officials and isolate any students or staff that have been in close contact with any person who has tested positive. The contact tracing process will help determine the extent of the amount of isolation required. 

What if a student in your son's class tests positive? What if your son tests positive? Does every other student and teacher they have been around quarantine? Are all parents and teachers notified who is infected and when?

See close contact definition. We will contact trace, notify, & isolate those that are affected. There will be regular updates to parents via Schoology with current information regarding the school's status. Due to HIPAA regulations we are not able to share the identities of individuals who test positive without authorization. 

What is this stress going to do to our teachers? How does it affect their health and well-being? How does it affect their ability to teach? How does it affect the quality of education they are able to provide? What is it going to do to our kids? What are the long-term effects of consistently being stressed out?

Working during COVID-19 in the world today has affected us all and will continue to affect all whose jobs primarily take place outside of their home. We are working on identifying sources for socio-emotional and spiritual guidance for staff and students who need it during this difficult time. 

How will distance guidelines be achieved during the school day?

Assigned entrance and traffic flow: 5 Entrances to campus will open in the morning. 

How will desks and student seating be spread out to meet social distancing guidelines?

Desks will be spaced 6ft apart in class to the greatest extent possible. Class sizes will range from 15-20 students. If six feet is not possible, then the minimum distance must be no less than four feet. Classrooms with less than six feet between desks will use other mitigation techniques such as partitions or screens between desks. Teachers and staff/deans and coaches will reinforce standards for students maintaining social distance and reduce shared materials as much as possible.

Additional functions of the classroom environment will include:

• Markings (i.e., masking or painters tape) on classroom floors to promote distancing
• Desk arrangements to minimize contact (i.e., configuration of desks in a checkerboard style and facing the same direction)
• Increased ventilation (i.e., opening windows and doors)
• Students will be dismissed for lunch and break using a staggered approach and will have designated areas to allow social interaction while providing social distancing and space to reduce transmission.