Commitments and Resources

Safety

• Commitment to Safety
  • The Task Force action teams have outlined a proposal to support the physical and emotional safety of our students and staff. Guidance has been provided by local medical professionals and the Brown County Department of Health.  
  • Regardless of which plan is implemented at different points of the school year, safety protocols will be in place to limit the possible spread of Coronavirus.
  • Please review the draft plan for details including but not limited to: social distancing, face coverings, hand hygiene, cleaning, and sanitizing.

Equity

• Ensuring access and equity for all students.
  • Ensuring equitable access to opportunity is a critical component of each of the reopening plans under consideration for the 2020-21 school year.
  • We realize each student has unique learning needs. Each plan will offer opportunities to ensure each student receives what they need to succeed.
  • HSSD is committed to providing equitable resources and appropriate social, emotional and learning supports for each student.

Communication

• Communicating consistently, clearly and concisely with staff, families, and community partners. 
  • In addition to providing just-in-time updates on the district website, HSSD will continue to share information and opportunities for engagement via email and text message throughout the school reopening planning process in July and August.
  • Our spring digital learning surveys indicated 95% of parents who visited the HSSD website found the information to be a helpful resource.
  • For updates, we encourage stakeholders to routinely visit www.hssdschools.org/covid19.

Adaptability

• The HSSD Task Force is responsible for plans and protocols to reopen our schools.
  • We are prepared to adapt learning plans to an unpredictable community health environment throughout the year. 
  • We must be adaptable. The environment is changing and will continue to change; our planning and mindset regarding change need to be flexible as well.

Board of Education Policy 

• Honoring Board of Education Executive Limitations Policies.
  • Board of Education Vice President Garry Sievert is a participant on the Task Force, acting as a liaison.
  • Superintendent Damian LaCroix and administrative leaders have provided COVID-19 updates at each Board of Education meeting since March.
  • The next update will occur at the August 10 Board of Education meeting.
  • Board of Education policies and executive limitations reflect important values to inform actions.

Asymptomatic COVID-19

An individual infected with COVID-19 who does not exhibit symptoms during the course of infection.

Contact Tracing

A strategy used by health departments to prevent the spread of infectious disease. It involves identifying people who have an infectious disease and people who they came in contact with and working with them to interrupt disease spread.

Deep Cleaning

Cleaning of high-touch surfaces and classrooms daily.

High-Risk Individuals

Students or staff who have underlying conditions that may increase the severity of contracting COVID-19.

Risk Mitigation

Strategies used to lessen and slow the spread of infectious diseases such as adequate handwashing, self-care, and cough etiquette.

Social Distancing

This practice involves keeping a distance from people when practicable to avoid exposure to water droplets expelled during breathing or speaking.

Self-Quarantine

Staff and students experiencing symptoms, suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should stay home and contact their health provider for direction on when it is safe to return to HSSD facilities.

Synchronous/Asynchronous Learning

Synchronous: learning occurs in real time, in person, or remotely.
Asynchronous: learning occurs on a flexible schedule.

HSSD Website

• Visit the dedicated COVID-19 Response website for current updates at www.hssdschools.org/covid19.

Thoughtexchange

• More than 87,000 ratings of 1,900 comments were provided in our Thoughtexchange in response to the HSSD reopen plan first draft from July 2-12.

Video Messages

• Periodic video messages from Superintendent LaCroix will provide highlights of progress.

Parent and Student Focus Groups

• A parent focus group and two student focus groups (grades 5-8, and 9-12) met June 29, June 30, and July 28 to provide feedback on the planning process and plan content.

Surveys

• View June family and staff survey results here.
• Provide feedback and questions regarding the HSSD Reopening plan here.

Email and Text Messages 

• Families will receive email messages from the SchoolMessenger alert system.
• Opt in to receive text messages from HSSD by texting “Yes” to 68453.

Communications Archive

• View the latest update and the archive of communications regarding reopening HSSD schools.

• Wisconsin DPI Education Forward plan
• WI Department of Health COVID activity level dashboard
• Brown County Department of Health
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• American Academy of Pediatrics
• HSSD 2020-21 Planning Survey from June 10-18
• Thoughtexchange ratings from July 2-12
• Student and Parent Focus Groups
• Input from local medical experts: Bellin, Prevea, Advocate Aurora
• Brown County superintendents and business leaders in the Greater Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Partners in Education

HSSD 2020-21 Planning Survey Results

Our HSSD 2020-21 Planning Survey indicated that 75% of parents and staff who responded would support having students attend schools if they are open. Further, fewer than 1% of parents and staff indicated they are not comfortable sending students to school.* 

While Plan A is our decision for younger students, Plan B is the starting point for Lineville Intermediate School, Bay View Middle School, and Bay Port High School for the start of the 2020-21 school year. See rationale in the Sample Student Schedules accordion below.

*We will provide a fully at-home digital option, Plan C, to accommodate any family or student who would prefer it.

View the survey report summary here.

ThoughtExchange Results

View the ThoughtExchange ratings from July 2-12. 

COVID-19 Response Map

• Wash your hands often.
• Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, especially after you cough or sneeze.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or do so into your elbow.
• If you feel sick, stay home from school and limit contact with others. Contact your primary care provider as needed.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

Addressing Grief

Resource for communicating with your child about grief and loss. 

If you keep checking your phone and talking about coronavirus (COVID-19), chances are your child(ren) have noticed. Some children may have a lot of questions or some may be quieter than normal. Either way, discussing coronavirus (COVID-19) can help calm their fears and answer their questions. 

Choose the Right Time to Talk

Choose a time when you and your child can focus on the discussion without distractions. Is there a time each day when you check in with your child (in the car, during dinner, etc.) and ask how their day is going? Use this time to have a calm, child-led discussion about coronavirus (COVID-19).

Let Your Child Guide the Conversation

Be prepared for kids to ask questions, but don't offer information before they ask. It is better to have a series of shorter talks over time than to overwhelm your child with information.

Find Out What Your Child Already Knows

Ask questions geared to your child's age level. This allows you to learn how much your child knows and if he/she has heard wrong information. 

1. For older kids, you might ask, "Are people in school talking about coronavirus? What are they saying?"
2. For younger children, you could say, "Have you heard grownups talking about a new sickness that's going around?”

Offer Comfort and Honesty

• Focus on helping your children feel safe, but be truthful. Don't offer more detail than your children are interested in.
• If your children ask about something and you don't know the answer, say so. Use the question as a chance to find out together. Check the CDC website for up-to-date information about COVID-19. 
• Speak calmly and reassuringly. Kids pick up on it when parents worry. 
• Give kids the space to share their fears. It is natural for kids to worry. Let your child know that kids don't seem to get as sick as adults.
• Let them know they can always come to you for answers or to talk about what scares them.
• Know when they need guidance. Be aware of how your kids get news and information, especially older kids who go online.
• Point them to age-appropriate content so they don't end up finding news shows or outlets that scare them or have incorrect information.

Help Kids Feel in Control

• Discuss Best Hygiene Practices (listed above).
• Watch the news with your child in order to give context to news stories. If they ask, share that deaths related to this virus are rare, especially in children.
• Children often worry about others more than themselves. Allow them to Skype with their grandparents and relatives to keep them connected. 
• Let your children know that it is ok to feel stressed out at times. Recognizing these feelings and knowing that stressful times pass and life gets back to normal can help children build resilience.

Keep the Conversation Going

• Continue to check in with your children. Use talking about coronavirus (COVID-19) as a way to help kids learn about their bodies, like how the immune system fights off disease.
• Talk about current events with your kids. Ask questions: What do you think about these events? How do you think these things happen? Such questions also encourage conversation about non-news topics.

Adapted From kidshealth.org.

Other Resources

• Talking to Your Kids about the Coronavirus - National Association of School Psychologist
• Talking to Kids - NY Times
• Talking to your Tweens and Teens - NY Times

• "This Can Be Our Finest Hour - But We Need All of You"

• Fight Germs: Wash Your Hands
• Cover Your Coughs and Sneezes
• HSSD How-To: How to Correctly Wear a Mask

• Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) General Information
  • Wisconsin DHS Outbreak Information
• Infographic that explains the difference between seasonal and pandemic flu

• Education Forward: Safely and Successfully Reopening Wisconsin Schools
• DPI Waiver Resolution
• DPI Webpage for COVID-19

Will families be notified if there are students or staff who have tested positive for COVID-19?

HSSD is working with other Brown County School Districts, Brown County Health Department, and health care providers to develop a consistent, county-wide communication and classroom/ school/district closure protocol in the event of COVID-19 spread. We will provide updates as they become available.

How will recess, breakfast, and lunch work?

Recess will still take place with accommodations for social distancing. Breakfast is available and will be served in classrooms. Lunch schedules will be adjusted to allow for smaller groups and social distancing. Lunch will be served in the regular serving areas of each school.

Will students be able to have breaks throughout the day from their face coverings?

In addition to lunch, we plan to make reasonable and safe accommodations for face covering breaks for students throughout the day in accordance with guidelines from Brown County Health and our local health care partners.

What if my question is not addressed in this document?

Contact your building Principal.

Will families be notified if there are students or staff who have tested positive for COVID-19?

HSSD is working with other Brown County School Districts, Brown County Health Department and local health care providers to develop a consistent, county-wide communication and classroom/school/district closure protocol in the event of COVID-19 spread. We will provide updates as they become available.

What are child care options for Lineville students?

We are working on child care options for students on days when they are not attending school in person. Should you have a specific request, please contact the Lineville main office. 

Will electives such as choir and band be offered?

Yes. Activities during in-person days for elective courses may be modified to meet safety requirements, but we intend to offer our full slate of electives for students.

Will students be able to have breaks throughout the day from their face coverings?

In addition to lunch, we plan to make reasonable and safe accommodations for face covering breaks for students throughout the day in accordance with guidelines from Brown County Health and our local health care partners.

What if my question is not addressed in this document?

Contact Lineville Principal Phil Hart.

Will electives such as choir and band be offered?

Yes. Activities during in-person days for elective courses may be modified to meet safety requirements, but we intend to offer our full slate of electives for students.

Will students be able to have breaks throughout the day from their face coverings?

In addition to lunch, we do plan to make reasonable and safe accommodations for face covering breaks for students throughout the day in accordance with guidelines from Brown County Health and our local health care partners.

Will families be notified if there are students or staff who have tested positive for COVID-19?

HSSD is working with other Brown County School Districts, Brown County Health Department and local health care providers to develop a consistent, county-wide communication and classroom/school/district closure protocol in the event of COVID-19 spread. We will provide updates as they become available.

What if my question is not addressed in this document?

Contact Bay View Principal Steve Meyers.

Will any elective courses be cancelled?

No. Activities during in-person days for elective courses may be modified to meet safety requirements, but we intend to offer our full slate of electives for students.

Will families be notified if there are students or staff who have tested positive for COVID-19?

HSSD is working with other Brown County School Districts, Brown County Health Department and local health care providers to develop a consistent, county-wide communication and classroom/school/district closure protocol in the event of COVID-19 spread. We will provide updates as they become available.

What about AP/IB class schedules?

Students in AP and IB courses will attend those classes in both A/B sessions of the block schedule, with one week in between sessions. 

Will students be able to have breaks throughout the day from their face coverings?

In addition to lunch, we plan to make reasonable and safe accommodations for face covering breaks for students throughout the day in accordance with guidelines from Brown County Health and our local health care partners.

Will students be required to attend in-person during their Independent Learning blocks on in-person days?

Juniors and seniors will be allowed to leave campus during Independent Learning blocks. 

What if my question is not addressed in this document?

Contact Bay Port Principal Mike Frieder.