Cherokee Middle School Families,
We want to take this opportunity to share the steps Cherokee Middle School is taking out of an abundance of caution to keep our students and staff safe upon returning for the 2023-21 school year.
Please understand this is a preliminary plan and it could change at any time. Your safety and your concerns are of the utmost importance to us. Please be sure to email us directly with your feedback, concerns or questions. We understand this working document will not ever appease everyone, but will follow the guidelines from our District and our State. Our goal is to ensure as normal an experience in returning to school as possible while diligently working to mitigate the spread of all respiratory viruses and aligning our practices with the guidance given to us by Roane County Schools.
This information is to help families make informed decisions concerning returning to school. We have worked to address as many concerns as we can, and understand there are probably many other concerns that we have not addressed that you would like to know more about. If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email Ms. Elizabeth Rose, ecrose@roaneschools.com
PPE Items Purchased for Cherokee Middle School:
Mobile Hand Sanitizer Stations throughout the school
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Hand sanitizers with pump in every classroom and shared spaces
Tissues will be available in every classroom and shared space
Face Shields will be provided for teachers/staff that want to use them
“No Touch” Thermometers (1 thermometer per 40 students)
Disposable mask for each school (children size & adult size)
Cloth masks will be available for every student
Cloth masks will be available for every faculty/staff
Sanitizing Spray with bottles will be purchased for teachers
Back-pack sanitizing sprayer will be used in large areas and classrooms
Social Distance signs and reminders will be placed throughout the building
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Hand washing and hand sanitizing will be encouraged throughout the day and often.
Water fountains will not be available to use.
Students will be allowed to use the water bottle filling stations throughout the building. There is a water bottle filling station in every hallway.
Students supplies that are needed for everyday use and NOT to be shared:
*Every student will be issued a Chromebook*
Face covering
Refillable water bottle
Headphones
Backpack
Notebook paper
Pencils and cap erasers
Pen (red, black or blue)
Highlighter
Other personal items such as colored pencils, glue sticks, markers, etc. according to grade level supply list.
Preliminary Plan for the 2023-21 School Year for Cherokee Middle School:
1. Limiting visitors to building:
While we love our families and enjoy seeing you and talking, during these unpredictable times we must adhere to more strict safety precautions:
Visitors will not be allowed in the building without appointments, answering the COVID screening questions, temperature check and wearing a mask.
IEP and Parent/Teacher Conferences are encouraged to take place over the phone or virtual.
Parents will not be allowed to enter the office to drop off items for students. Parents can buzz the office door, state what they are dropping off and for whom. A cart will be placed outside the door. Items will be carted to students for pick up.
Parents who are checking out students will have to ring the outside bell, and you will be questioned by the office staff as to who you are picking up. Parents/guardians MUST wear a mask inside the office foyer, show your identification and sign the “check out” sheet. Parents must wait outside for their student and not in the office foyer.
There will be tempered glass barriers located in the main office for the safety of visitors and office staff.
2. Masks
At this time, masks are strongly recommended for students and staff. In addition, any visitor that does come into the building will be required to wear a mask.
All students, faculty and staff are required to wear a mask when moving throughout the building and during transition times.
It is highly recommended and encouraged that students wear masks in the classroom during class, but can not be made mandatory while in class.
Teachers are not permitted to mandate masks in their individual classrooms, but can give incentives to students that do so.
No face masks will be left at the school. Students will be responsible for bringing their mask each day. Face masks need to be washed often.
The school system will have available masks for students and these will be distributed as needed. Students are encouraged to bring/wear their own mask. The gator style mask that can be worn around the neck and pulled up over the mouth and nose is encouraged. This style is easy for students to keep up with and can be washed.
Faculty and staff will provide their own mask, according to their own preference for comfort.
Plastic face shields will be made available for faculty and staff to use at their discretion.
3. Arrival to School:
Arrival begins at 7:45 am - 8:20 am.
Students must be in their homeroom at 8:20 am.
Teachers on “Bus Duty” will be at their assigned stations at 7:45 am.
All Faculty and Staff will be in their classrooms/locations at 8:10 am.
There will be two entry points into our building for students. Car riders will enter through the double doors in the front foyer and Bus riders will enter in the double doors next to the band room.
According to the RCS Covid-19 policy, parents are to check their child's temperature each morning prior to sending them to school. CMS will also check temperatures with a quick check scan thermometer upon entry, or when students are in their homeroom and periodic checks throughout the school day. Students with a temperature of 100.4 or higher will be sent to the nurse who will follow the protocols in place.
Bus Arrival:
Students that arrive by bus between 7:45 and 8:10 will enter through the doors next to the band room. Students will receive temperature checks, have the opportunity to grab a “to-go” breakfast and will report to their designated places. 6th grade students will go to the cafeteria, 7th grade students will be distanced on the right side of the gym and the 8th grade students will be distanced on the left side of the gym.
All bus riding students that enter the building after 8:10 am will have their temperature checked, obtain a “to-go” breakfast and report to their homeroom.
Bus riders that arrived early (between 7:45 am - 8:10 am) will be dismissed by class to their homeroom at 8:15 am.
Car Riders:
Student drop off begins at 7:45 am. Parents are to follow the one lane of traffic, (closest to the building) and pull up to the white line. A faculty member will be outside to instruct where cars are to pull up before unloading students.
Students that arrive by car between 7:45 and 8:10 will enter through the double doors in the front foyer. Students will receive temperature checks, have the opportunity to grab a “to-go” breakfast and will report to their designated places. 6th grade students will go to the cafeteria, 7th grade students will be distanced in the bleachers on the right side of the gym and the 8th grade students will be distanced in the bleachers on the left side of the gym.
All car riding students that enter the building after 8:10 am will have their temperature checked, obtain a “to-go” breakfast and report to their homeroom.
ALL students are to be in their homeroom by 8:20 am. Morning announcements will be made at 8:20 am.
4. Dismissal from School:
Car Riders will be dismissed at 3:22 pm from their homerooms. Students are to wear masks and report to the outside waiting area under the awning.
Parents will form two lanes of traffic for student pick up. Faculty/admin will direct the process for students entering cars and directing the flow of cars.
Students are to social distance as they stand quietly and watch for their car.
Car rider pick up line begins at 3:20 pm and is usually over by 4:00 pm. Parents need to pick up their child by 4:00 pm.
Walkers:
Students that walk home from school will be dismissed at 3:25 pm.
Bus Dismissal:
Students are to remain in their homeroom until their bus is called on the intercom. Students will not be reporting to the cafeteria. Team/Grade level teachers will work out a plan for supervising the 2nd round of bus riders.
All students riding a bus will need to wear their face masks.
5. Breakfast:
A “To-Go” breakfast will be made available to every student upon entering the building every morning. Students will have the opportunity to eat their breakfast in their designated location each morning. This location depends upon their grade level and the time they arrive at school . (See Arrival above)
Students will not have to punch a keypad to enter their meal number, but will need to know their 4 digit number verbally to obtain a meal.
6. Lunch:
Students may choose to bring their own lunch from home or receive a pre-packaged lunch from the cafeteria.
Students will not have to punch a keypad to enter their meal number, but will need to know their 4 digit number verbally to obtain a meal.
Students will be encouraged to wear their masks as they travel to and from the cafeteria.
Students will be spaced accordingly in the cafeteria and will be seated by their cohort.
Outside spaces will be utilized during lunch, weather permitting.
Cafeteria will be sprayed between each class use and tables will be sanitized.
7. Lockers:
6th grade students will have a locker in their homeroom.
7th and 8th grade students lockers assignments will be spaced to maintain social distancing.
Expectations/locker procedures will be clearly posted. We will focus on procedures, distancing and locker etiquette in our School Wide Positive Behaviour Supports.
The outside of all lockers will be disinfected daily.
Grade level teams will work together to create cohort visits to their lockers in order to maintain social distancing.
8. Hallways/Open Spaces:
Expectations will be clearly posted and communicated.
These areas will be marked with directional walking lanes with arrows, social distance spacing dots and additional wall signage.
Students are expected to wear their masks when moving throughout the school building.
Grade levels will have staggered times to change classes to reduce the number of students in the hallways.
9. Restrooms:
Expectations will be clearly communicated and posted.
Social distance markings will be placed in the restroom and outside of the restroom as students have to wait due to restroom capacity.
No more than 4 students are permitted in the restroom at a time.
Restrooms will be disinfected throughout the day.
Students are expected to wear their masks.
10. Water Fountains:
All water fountains will be turned off or covered.
Water bottle filling stations are open and available in each hallway to fill student water bottles.
No glass/breakable containers will be permitted.
11. Classrooms:
All students will travel to their 4 core classes (RLA, Math, Science, Social Studies) with their assigned cohort.
Students will attend their related arts classes (PE, Library, STEM, Guidance) with their assigned cohort.
Only Band students will be pulled from their regular class cohort to participate in band. Band students will participate in related arts classes as a cohort.
Classrooms will be arranged with as much distance between students as possible.
Teachers will remove all communal items/supplies and require all students to use their own supplies.
Teachers will have hand sanitizer available at all times and go over hand washing procedures frequently.
Students will be asked to wipe down their seating area, use hand sanitizer, and put on a mask before changing classes.
Classrooms with flexible seating options will be limited to surfaces that have the ability to be disinfected on a regular basis. No cloth seats, bean bags, carpet tiles or carpets/rugs.
Classroom procedures will include specific directions for traffic flow including entry and exit of the classroom.
At this time, paired and group work within the classroom setting will be limited.
12. Related Arts Classes
All students in related arts classes will travel with their cohort.
P.E. will not be dressing out for class until further notice. Students will be encouraged to dress appropriately the day they participate in physical education.
Library books will be disinfected upon check out and when returned.
Keyboards in the computer lab will be disinfected after each class.
Students must obtain their own earbuds for use in computer lab and chromebook use.
Band students will be practicing social distancing, utilizing the bandroom, cafeteria, and outdoor areas as much as possible.
Students will be responsible for sanitizing their band instruments after each use.
Band students will participate in other Related Arts classes as a cohort during their Focus time.
13. New Clinic Procedures
Cherokee Middle School will have a well room and an isolation room.
A mask will be required to enter the nurse’s office.
Isolation Area:
Will be used for any students showing signs/symptoms of sickness.
An isolation area will be used to house students that are ill and/or who are identified with a fever during daily checks (100.4).
The area will be disinfected/sanitized when unoccupied and at the end of each day.
Students will remain in the isolation area until a parent arrives.
Well Area:
Students will visit this area to take daily medications, receive first aid, and other clinic needs.
This well area will only be occupied by physically well students.
Covid Guidelines
Any potential exposure will be handled following our county, state, and CDC guidelines. These guidelines can be found on our district website.
If a teacher/student within the cohort group for a student tests positive for Covid-19, notification will be made in accordance with the HIPPA and FERPA regulations and measures in line with the CDC and local health department guidance will be adhered to. If a student needs to be out for an extended period of time, the student will be moved to the virtual/remote learning option.
14. Chromebook Rollout
Students opting to return to school will receive their chromebook during the first week of school.
Students opting “remote” learning will receive their chromebook similarly to the way we collected items in the spring with a set date to be announced soon.
15. Open House/Orientations
At this time, these events will take place virtually.
16. Remote Learning Option
Remote learning is a choice in which our students can receive instruction delivered by CMS teachers.
Students in grades 6 - 8 are required to have 7 hours of instruction each day. This does not mean that they will be in front of the computer for 7 hours. The county has given us some specific guidelines and schedules for times for each discipline taught.
A recommended Middle School (6th - 8th) Day for remote learners my look something like this:
RLA Instruction and independent work 1.5 hours
Math Instruction and independent work 1.5 hours
Science 1 hour
Social Studies 1 hour
Intervention/Enrichment 30 minutes
Physical Education 30 minutes
Specials (Art, Music, Band, Technology) 30 minutes
Brain Breaks for Physical Activity 30 minutes
Students will be accountable for logging in each day to their 4 core classes and following the remote lessons provided by their teachers. Students will be accountable for all work that is assigned. The work will be assessed and recorded to show student improvement and mastery of the standards. Teachers will contact students, give feedback, and stay in close contact with students and parents.
The methods of instruction could include videos from a variety of sources, teacher videos of teachers in the classroom teaching content, or even Zoom or Google Meets for help when needed.
This will be accessed through an online platform or downloaded to a thumb drive if necessary when internet access is not available.
Most of the curriculum and resources are available online, assignments will be turned in online, and students will be expected to attend/view/ the teachers planned instruction daily.
As a last resort, we would provide work packets, but we believe that would not be the best situation for learning. The major difference between what we did in the spring and now is that the work and assignments are not optional.
The instruction and resources would be directly from Cherokee Middle School.
Devices will be provided as needed.
Additional information regarding remote learning is available on the Roane County Schools website.
If you have not already done so, please complete the Google Form survey sent out electronically and shared through social media. CMS needs to know which learning option your child will be selecting: in-person at CMS, remote learning provided by CMS or selecting another alternative mode of instruction not affiliated with Roane County Schools.
Please understand that we are doing everything possible to ensure the safety of our students, faculty and staff. Procedures might change in relation to new information that we receive or updated guidance from health officials or the Department of Education. Do not hesitate to contact Ms. Rose via email if you have any questions.
