Keith Fall 2020 Re-Opening

KEITH FALL 2020
RE-OPENING OVERVIEW

We are excited to welcome you (back) to school this fall! Our entire team of faculty, staff and leadership has been working hard to meet local, state and federal safety protocols – but more importantly to ensure your scholar is safe during our return to school.

The benefit of Keith Country Day School is our size – we are designed to be a small school with individualized attention to our students – and this current situation allows us to be flexible for families and further help ensure the safety of all.

This fall, Keith will offer the traditional in-person, 5-days-a-week educational experience for our scholars. Additionally, we also will have a virtual learning option for those uncomfortable returning in person at this time. If you wish to have your student enroll in online learning, please contact Chris Doherty at chris.doherty@keithschool.net by August 1st (or when your contract is signed) so that appropriate technology can be confirmed. Regardless of the platform you choose – in-person or online – we are committed to upholding our rigorous academic standards and instruction.

We recognize the hard work and effort you have each put into your scholar’s continued education. This is more than a partnership; this is a relationship in which we must work together to lead our children through the expected and unexpected times in life while keeping their academic success at the forefront.

We look forward to the upcoming year and have high hopes for the 2020-21 school year will bring us hope, strength, and success.

Online Learning Enrollment

If you wish to have your student enroll in online learning, please contact Chris Doherty at chris.doherty@keithschool.net by August 1st (or when your contract is signed) so that appropriate technology can be confirmed.

+Student Learning & Communication
During the first few weeks of school, Keith will be administering placement exams to students in grades Pre-K3 through 4th grade to measure where students stand academically which will help inform instruction and ensure all get back/stay on track. Your child’s teacher will administer these exams during school hours in the classroom setting.  Students who are new to middle and upper school will take a math placement exam and complete a writing sample.

Communication with our families is a top priority and we want to partner with you to share any new guidelines provided to us and/or changes in the learning experience. As always, we welcome your insight and feedback as well to meet and address your needs and concerns throughout the year. Please know all communication is encouraged. While Keith received accolades on its approach to our change to virtual learning during the Spring semester, we know there is much more to be done and we welcome our partnership with you to do so.

In the coming year, you can expect communication from the school via bi-weekly e-newsletters, text messages, and updates from your student’s teachers.

If you have not received emails or text messages to date, please contact Chris Doherty at chris.doherty@keithschool.net or 815.988.5612 (cell) 815.399.8850 x 133 (office) to ensure we have your correct contact information.
+Well Being & Safety Protocols
We recognize that COVID-19 has greatly impacted the lives of students, families, faculty, and staff members. Keith Country Day School will continue to seek out ways to help all constituents with social and emotional support as they address issues such as grief, stress and traditional social interactions.

Please know that we also are following the guidance of the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education when making decisions about what the fall education experience will look like. Thus, to meet safety protocols, our day-to-day traditional classroom learning will look slightly different; following we’ve outlined specifics:

  • All students, faculty and staff are required to wear face masks inside at all times, with the exception of lunch. Face masks can be removed if the person is outside and distanced 6 feet away from others or if they are eating lunch.
  • Upon arrival of school each day, students’ temperatures will be taken and will be asked a serious of questions (e.g. do you have a cough, has anyone in your family had a fever). Because of this time commitment of this process, we ask that you partner with us to please have your child at school at least 10-15 minutes before school begins.
  • Until further notice, we regret that family members cannot enter our buildings and ask that students be dropped off in their respective circles and/or walked up to the building.
  • All meals will be box lunches and lower school students will eat at their desks; middle and upper school students will be allowed to eat in the commons while social distancing.
  • Water fountains will not be in operation so we ask your scholar to bring 1-2 personal water bottles to school as we cannot refill water containers.
  • Scholars, faculty and staff will be expected to continually wash their hands throughout the day. Additionally, hand sanitizers will be throughout the school and within each classroom for use. We highly recommend that each student also have their own personalized hand sanitizer for their desk/locker/backpack.
  • Each evening our maintenance/janitorial service members will disinfect the school facilities to help ensure a healthy learning environment for the day ahead.

We recognize that these extra precautions can be cumbersome, but our top goals are keeping our Keith family safe while maintaining our academic approach to prepare our children for lives of meaning and purpose through a high-quality education. Please know that we are receiving weekly updates on protocols and we’ll continue to update you of any changes from those described.

We ask that if your scholar or someone in your household is sick or has COVID-19 symptoms, please contact Julie Swift for Lower School (grades PreK – 4th) julie.swift@keithschool.net, 815.399.8850 x 114 or Chris Doherty for Middle/Upper School (grades 5th – 12th) chris.doherty@keithschool.net, 815.399.8823 immediately.

If there is a report of a COVID-19 case in our school community, we will inform all families as soon as possible and take the necessary steps as required by the health department, which may include deep cleaning and disinfecting the school facilities and/or moving to a whole school virtual learning for a period of time.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Will we open in August?

    Yes, we will be open and providing in-person instruction beginning August 17, 2020.

  • Will we still have our Back to School Ice Cream Social?

    The Back to School Ice Cream Social will look different than what originally planned. Please look for information regarding this event from your child’s teacher in a separate email.

  • It seems unrealistic to expect students to wear masks or stay 6 feet apart. How are you going to address this?

    As required by IDPH, except while eating and during band, face coverings must be worn at all times in school buildings, even when social distance is maintained. All individuals in a school building must wear a face-covering unless they have a medical contraindication, are under 2 years of age, have trouble breathing, or are unconscious, incapacitated, or unable to remove the face covering without assistance. We’re fortunate at Keith to already have a requirement of small class sizes which provides us with the room to distance our children in the classroom while ensuring all students receive their education.

  • My child may have missed important subject matter content last spring. What is the plan to make up for lost material?

    We are offering summer enrichment opportunities for students to get a refresher or a jumpstart on learning. This is the perfect opportunity to bridge the learning gap. In addition, our teachers will do beginning of the year assessments to check for gaps and address them accordingly.

  • My child doesn’t learn well online. How are you going to meet his/her needs if we are doing remote learning again?

    We will hold Google Meets sessions with classes and individuals. Additionally, students will be required to submit course work through Google Classroom and Seesaw. Assessments may be given during a live session when appropriate. Our faculty are always available to do one-on-one virtual meetings with students in order to address specific concerns. In addition, our Enrichment Specialist supports students through their social or emotional challenges. Our Spring semester online learning was met with very positive reviews from students and parents and should your family choose online learning for the fall semester, we will ensure an engaged working relationship with your scholar and our teachers.

  • I am a working parent. How can I be sure that school will resume this fall?

    We, like all schools across Illinois, are following the outlined protocols by our state guidelines and educational organizations. School will resume this fall in-person. However, our private school status and small size allow us to be more flexible with the options for our families. Therefore, if you are uncomfortable having your child return to school you may choose for your child to continue with  Learning for the fall semester.

  • Is it safe for my student to return to their school building?

    Yes, we are taking all necessary precautions to prepare for a safe return. We will follow the guidance of the IDPH and CDC. We will also monitor the safeness during the school year with proper protocol in place.

  • Why do we have to follow these precautions when there have not been many cases in our region?

    It’s always a priority of ours to keep the Keith Family safe. With so many unknowns about COVID-19, we would rather err on the side of caution and do what we can to keep everyone safe.

  • My child has anxiety about returning to school and having to wear a mask. What will the school do to support their mental health?

    It is okay and normal to feel anxiety around returning to school in an unfamiliar format. Our faculty and staff will receive professional development on supporting students as they return to school. We are prepared to support all children and staff members. It is recommended that students practice wearing their masks prior to coming to school. For additional information on how you can support and prepare your child at home visit https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/supporting-your-childs-mental-health-during-covid-19-school-return.

  • What will the grading policies be next year?

    The grading policies for the coming school year will remain as they have always been. If this needs to be re-evaluated due to changes during the school year, the Leadership Team will meet to discuss what those changes will look like.

  • What will happen if schools need to close again due to another coronavirus outbreak?

    The faculty and staff are prepared to transition to online learning if necessary or required. As a result of our previous experience and small school size, we anticipate a smooth and quick transition.

  • What are the school’s plans for sports and clubs?

    As the IHSA and IDPH work together to develop guidelines for competitions, we will use this as our guide on the decisions we make for our students.

  • Myself, my child or family member is high-risk. Can we opt for fully remote learning even if the school is providing in-person instruction?

    Yes, you have the option to choose remote learning only. If you choose this option, your student will need to stick solely to that option for the semester.

  • Will Fall Intersessions take place?

    Fall Intersession will not take place this year.

  • What about holiday breaks? Will we have to quarantine?

    It is recommended that anyone who travels via public transportation (ie. airplane, bus, train, etc.) quarantine for 14 days upon their return. Additionally, anyone who travels to a state who is experiencing a surge in new COVID-19 cases, as identified by the Department of Public Health will need to quarantine for 14 days. As of July 30, 2020 these states include; Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin. This is expected to change, therefore, we will continue to update this list as the Department of Public Health releases additional guidance and recommendations.

  • If a child is noted to be symptomatic/tests positive, etc, what is the protocol? What will the notification protocol be for other families? Will quarantine be implemented for all classmates?

    The WCHD will guide us through this process of quarantine recommendations as well as communication with families. They will do the contact tracing and work with us to identify who needs to be quarantined.

  • Will middle school and upper school students have lockers?

    Currently, there are no locker assignments as it was recommended that they not use lockers because of spacing and congregating in the halls. If this changes, we will develop another plan.

  • Will homework / assignments be distributed the same regardless of remote or in-person platform?

    Yes, it will be the same. However, in the case of labs etc. or use of specific art materials the classroom teacher will develop an alternative assignment that is comparable.

  • MS / US — How will the transitions of classes be managed?

    Transitions will occur between classes as usual. However, we will have designated stairwells for traveling up or down. Additionally, hallways will be marked with arrows to direct traffic in one direction. Each classroom is equipped with wipes and sanitizer. Students will sanitize on the way in and out.

  • Will there be a meet-the-teacher set up by each grade?

    Meet-the-teacher night will be held virtually. All parents and students will receive a video via email during the week of August 10th. Additionally, your child’s teacher will reach out to you to schedule an in-person meeting.

  • Will temperature checks & health screenings be done every morning?

    Yes, temperature checks and questioning will be done each morning by staff members.

    For Lower School we will conduct these checks in the circle before the parents or caregiver drives away. Students will then walk up the hill and sanitize their hands before entering the building. They will also wash their hands with soap and water throughout the day in the classrooms.

    For Upper School, Middle School students will enter at the top entrance by the middle school lockers. A staff member will stand outside of the door to take temperatures and screen students. High School students will enter by the gym on the lower level. Again, a staff member will be standing outside of those doors doing temp checks and screenings.

  • If a child is presented with symptoms—where will they be placed? Who will be supervising?

    If a student has symptoms, they will be placed in our nursing station, which will be in the former advancement center next to the playground. There is a door that leads outside that is connected to that room so the student does not come in contact with other students in the intermediate building. One staff member will be dedicated to the nursing station.

  • Will the remote learning be streamed simultaneously with the in-person class, or will there be a separate class for remote learners?

    We are planning to stream the classes simultaneously.

  • How will classes such as PE, band, choir, drama be conducted? Will these classes still be included on both / either platform?

    These classes will be available on both platforms. Students will likely need to send in videos and/or recordings as necessary. Also, certain classes will require independent work offline, just like we would do at school.

  • What cleaning procedures will there be for shared materials (Art, Labs, many of the lower school subjects)?

    All students will have their own sets of crayons, markers, paint brushes, etc. For any shared materials they will be disinfected after each use and between classes.

  • What will be the protocol for lunch? Will there be a microwave to heat up foods? Do they have access to the refrigerator? Does everything need to be disposable or are reusable containers still okay?

    Reusable containers are fine to use. However, students will not have access to a microwave or refrigerator.

  • For middle & upper school, I’m assuming kids can still use the common’s microwave, correct?

    No. We have to limit shared items as much as possible. Additionally, they will need to bring their own water bottles. They can refill their water bottle, but cannot drink from the water fountain.

  • How will students be allowed to eat—obviously masks off, but like will there be spacing of tables and of seating at the tables, etc?

    Yes, students will be encouraged to eat outside when possible. Additionally, we will mark areas in which students can eat 6ft apart.

  • Will there be particular cleaning protocols for shared areas, specifically bathrooms?

    Yes. Commonly used spaces will be cleaned at minimum every two hours. Class desks will be wiped down after each class period (every 40 min).

  • Will there be hand sanitizing stations throughout the common areas?

    Yes, we will have plenty of hand sanitizer.

  • Will students still have lockers side by side?

    We have not assigned lockers at this point. If students are able to use lockers they will likely not be side by side.

  • Will there be fresh-air breaks (removing masks for some fresh air) even when it gets cooler outside?

    Yes, we are encouraging teachers to teach and bring students outside as much as possible. Additionally, KPA is looking into setting up an outdoor classroom for us, with adequate spacing so students can remove their masks.