L’Anse Creuse administrators detail sanitization for schools
District selected both virtual and in-person learning Aug. 10
School supplies for the L’Anse Creuse Public Schools staff in the 20202021 school year will include N95 masks, gloves and face shields, but the Board of Education has pressed for more details regarding school sanitization on Tuesday.
The school board approved a plan involving virtual and in-person school options on Aug. 10. On that date, administrators outlined plans for in-person instruction. A few of the items included:
• Masks must be worn by all school staff. Masks must be worn by all students grades 6-12 in classrooms. Masks must be worn by all students while they are on a bus, in a hallway or in common areas. Medical exceptions will be acknowledged.
• Macomb County Health Department guidelines will be followed. Students are discouraged from sharing personal items.
• Masks are recommended but not required in classrooms for preschool through fifth grade. Masks are required for preschool through fifth graders upon arrival, dismissal and in common areas.
• Seating will be with all desks facing the same direction and maximum distance between.
• Elementary school and early childhood students will remain in classrooms all day except for lunch, PE and recess. Specials teachers will come to the classrooms.
• Students will sanitize multiple times per day. Locker use will be limited for grades 6-12.
Superintendent Erik Edoff confirmed on Aug. 10 that school will begin on Sept. 8, and gave an extensive list of the PPE available, including N95 masks for staff. Administrators also held an extensive discussion regarding Macomb County Health Department sanitization requirements for buildings and buses on that date.
On Aug. 17, the board held a virtual committee of the whole meeting.
During the meeting, parents expressed their concerns, including some concerns about cleaning protocols for in-person education. Teachers also expressed concerns about their health safety in in-person classrooms. Trustee Mary Hilton asked several questions regarding specific protocols for sanitization procedures for buildings and janitorial processes.
Edoff said the district has added responsibilities to the head custodian and maintenance. Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Greg Dixon said many of the procedures are familiar to janitorial staff as they have been through Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) training in the past. He also said that all cleaning procedures are based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.
“There are several documents that were created in order to remind people what needed to be done in every single room. And then the protocol that they follow is, there is a checklist that is initiated by the employee who has disinfected and cleaned the room that is posted, with the time and day that it was last disinfected or cleaned,” Dixon said.
PPE and other equipment has been disseminated and training has been done building by building, according to Dixon. He also shared online during the meeting a visual chart of the enhanced cleaning and sanitization procedures currently established, then detailed specific disinfection of items such as door handles and desktops, and availability of soap and hand sanitizer.
“As far as the inspection and making sure that it does happen, that occurs primarily through our head custodians who are visually inspecting what is going on and working closely with their building level administrators to monitor who goes into the building, which rooms have been accessed and which rooms need to be cleaned again,” Dixon said.
The district initially got sanitizing spray misting machines to combat SARS, and Edoff said more have been ordered to provide for spraying a neutral ionizing solution for all surfaces.
“As far as specifically with the procedures for the lunchroom, those are not in custodial procedures. They work in tandem with, but those are with the employees of the cafeteria that are responsible for sanitizing tables between lunches,” Edoff said.
Building administrators have developed a consensus around limiting locker use to reduce touchpoints, according to Edoff. However, he also confirmed that carrying backpacks around in school is against current dress codes and the matter of locker use and backpack use could come before the school board for potential policy adjustments.
“At this point, we have purchased all the cleaning supplies that are in the budget from last year and we have not had to add to that because of all that we have been given by the county,” Edoff said. “So we have added all the extra, we have cleaning supplies through the month of October that are above and beyond what we ordered for last year as part of the normal budget.”
Edoff further said that the district has a commitment from the county receive a supply of adult and student masks, cleaning supplies per classroom, cleaning solutions for custodial use in disinfection, gloves and face shields, through December.
Edoff said the week of Aug. 17 would be a sign-up period for the virtual program. The program is designed to create smaller classes, so teachers can create more social distancing in in-person classrooms. The district must determine the level of interest in the virtual program in order to determine what social distancing will look like in classrooms, Edoff said.
“I am fully aware, fully aware, that there will be situations where that could be challenging and we must address that. It is not okay to open schools if we cannot create social distancing in classrooms as we have stated is our goal. It is not. We must do something different then,” Edoff said.
Edoff also said he has worked with the teacher’s union on a near daily basis, has had almost daily conversations with other local superintendents and contacts the health department twice per week. Teachers have been involved on operational procedures for classrooms, arrival and dismissal.
Edoff also mentioned the district website at lcps.org has updated Return to School FAQ, the district’s Return to School plan and other details about virtual and in-person learning options. Individual district buildings are also providing details that flesh out the district’s return to school plan, and will provide specifics for parents.
Also on Aug. 17, the board heard a presentation regarding school social work and counseling services to address student mental health. Staff such as secondary level social worker Kimberly Criner and elementary level social worker Megan Marginet attended a virtual conference focused on trauma and resiliency training, as well as specific information to COVID-19. The presentation indicated that childhood trauma numbers have been amplified by COVID-19, whether this is from children being ill from the disease, the death of loved ones or economic and social hardships related to it.
“We have an increase in childhood trauma. We have an increase in children’s exposure to prolonged stress and perhaps more trauma,” Marginet said.
The prolonged stress can lead to difficulty with problem solving skills, maintaining focus, and physical complaints, impacting students’ ability to perform academically, according to the presentation. Marginet said that the district has made proactive implementation strides to address increases in mental health needs in schools, such as restorative practice training with staff over several years.
“They have been looking at how to build empathy, how to improve relationships, how to build a sense of community and problem solve,” Marginet said.
Three trained social workers have become certified trauma practitioners in the field of education, trauma informed training has been available for staff, and three special education staff members are trained and certified to education on non-violent crisis intervention. Marginet said that all building administrators and support staff are trained in Crisis Prevention Institution methods, Macomb Family Services resources are available in some buildings, and professional development is available for staff regarding mental health.