Blue River Career Programs
COVID-19
Re-entry Plan
Fall, 2020
Blue River Career Programs administrator, staff, and Governing Board are committed to providing a safe and effective learning environment at all times. Given the current pandemic situation, this necessitates that we establish a safety protocol to mitigate the potential of infections. No physical environment is immune to possible contamination or spread of the COVID-19 Virus. However this Re-entry plan outlines the steps we have taken and will take to ensure to the best of our ability and resource, that students will be able to return to our building August 5, 2020 to begin another successful year at BRCP. There are a lot of unknowns regarding the virus and the spread of the virus in our communities, including our schools. As such, we will continue to stay abreast of the latest developments and recommendations by local, state, and national health officials. New recommendations or a change in the status of the virus could result in changes to the protocols of this re-entry plan. Changes will be communicated through the Director’s newsletter and on our website www.brcp.net .
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we navigate through these trying times in education. Remember that all that is being done here at BRCP is with student, staff, and community safety in mind.
If you have any questions, please call the BRCP office at 317 392-4191 or contact us through our website.
Thank you.
Steve Shaw, Director
Blue River Career Programs
Acknowledgements
The BRCP re-entry plan was developed with consideration of our sending schools and their re-entry plans. We have made every effort to incorporate common practices among the sending school plans into the BRCP plan for familiarity by students resulting in greater compliance with required and recommended practices.
We are grateful to the following people who provided input into the protocol outlined in this plan:
Angie Stieneker, BRCP Student Services Coordinator
Sandy Hensley, Corporation Treasurer
Jody Tompkins, Administrative Assistant
Doug Adams, Custodian
Pete Wethington, Facility Coordinator
Chef Jodi Traub, Culinary Arts instructor
Sergeant Keith England, Criminal Justice instructor/Parent
Representatives of the Shelby County Health Department
Representatives of Major Health Partners
Superintendents of Shelby County schools
We appreciate the review of the plan by BRCP Governing Board Members:
Travis Beck, Southwestern Consolidated Schools
Vince Sanders, Northwestern Consolidated Schools
Mark Nigh, Shelby Eastern Schools
David Finkel, Shelbyville Central Schools
Denny Harrold, School Attorney
Blue River Career Programs Campus Protocol:
Academic Programming
- The academic class schedule times will remain the same as last year. Classes will meet in person 5 days per week. Due to the nature of the hands on lab based programming at BRCP, students will need to attend face to face sessions in order to gain the benefit of career and technical education programming. Blended learning will take place in classrooms during regularly scheduled class time. Distance learning will only become the norm if an alternate schedule is needed due to a school closure resulting from the pandemic.
- If schools are closed due to the pandemic, eLearning utilizing the Google Classroom platform will be utilized for 100% of the instruction.
- If sending schools go to an alternate schedule to reduce the number of students in the building, we will schedule for two alternate groups of students to be in the building on alternate days. Each group will be on site two days per week, with their two alternate days learning taking place through eLearning on the Google Classroom platform. Fridays will be for teacher preparation and staff training. Instructors will be on site all 5 days under the alternate plan. Arrangements will need to be coordinated with all four sending school corporations in Shelby County.
- Each student in the Automotive, Collision Repair, Diesel Tech, Construction Trades, Welding, and Culinary Arts programs will be issued a face shield due to the working conditions in labs and proximity of Culinary students to food in the kitchen. All students should wear the masks issued to them by their sending schools while at BRCP. Disposable masks will be available for those who do not have their washable mask with them.
- Students will be encouraged to wear masks in classroom settings, where it is not possible to maintain social distancing of 6 feet.
- If a classroom instructor requires students to wear masks due to the instructor being classified as “at risk” by the CDC, then students are to comply with the requirement.
- Textbooks will not be shared by students. Each student will use the individual textbook they were issued or utilize online curriculum.
Building/Facility Environment
- Arrival Times and student dismissal times will be staggered to allow for reduced congestion and student physical interaction.
- BRCP staff will signal for bus drivers to release students from busses upon arrival to BRCP by individual bus to reduce building congestion upon arrival of students.
- Student drivers will enter the building when signaled by the staff monitor assigned to the student entrance.
- Hand Sanitizer will be available in all classrooms.
- Students are required to wear face masks in hallways, restrooms, and during transient times.
- Bathrooms will be cleaned throughout the day.
- Custodians will be trained in the cleaning and sanitizing procedures used specifically related to the COVID-19 virus.
- Disinfecting foggers will be used in large areas and classrooms after classes when students are not present. Non-hazardous disinfectant will be used.
- Instructors will be trained on the use of cleaning products that they may need to use in given situations throughout the day. Cleaning supplies will be made available to them.
- Directional flow of building traffic will be posted throughout the building to facilitate social distancing, as well as can be managed, in the hallways.
- Students will be assigned seats in a classroom, with all seats facing in the same direction.
- Use of our facilities by non-school groups will be very limited and will primarily be restricted to the conference room. Adult education classes will continue and will include those classes offered by Ivy Tech in our building in the evening in student classrooms. Adult participants will be restricted from the high school student body. Use of social distancing, masks, and sanitizers will follow the protocol established for students & staff members.
- All visitors to the building will be required to register and provide contact information.
- Deliveries for small items typically used in the Automotive and other programs will be made to the front office. Office staff will contact the instructor to pick up the items that have been dropped off. Individuals making deliveries will no longer be allowed in student areas.
- Visitors such as guest speakers will have a touchless temperature check prior to going into student areas and be required to sign the Visitor Intake Form verifying no symptoms of COVID-19 or recent contact with individuals with confirmed COVID-19. Visitors to classrooms will be limited to those supporting education functions.
Office Environment
- Students will not be reciting the pledge over the intercom. The pledge will be recited by office staff.
- Office Staff will use PPE and CDC safety protocol when interacting with colleagues and students.
- Technology staff will be required to wear masks while in the hallway, working with students, or working in close proximity of staff members designated by CDC as “at risk”.
- The office will be thoroughly cleaned each day.
- Student access to the office will be limited. Students entering the office from classroom areas will be required to wear masks.
- If visitors to the office conduct business at the administrative assistant’s desk, they will need to remain outside the plexi-glass barrier around the desk.
Social, Emotional and Behavioral
- All breakroom furniture will be removed to prevent social gathering of students.
- All vending machines will be turned off.
- All water fountains will be turned off. Water will be made available through a touchless dispenser to students to be used in their individual containers.
- Students may bring bottled water to their classroom.
- Students are to use hand sanitizer upon entering and leaving the classroom.
- Students will remain in their classroom during their 20 minute break, with the exception that bathroom breaks should be taken during this time, with masks being worn outside the classroom. The number of students in the restroom will be limited.
- IDOE mandated drills will be practiced as in the past. These include tornado, fire, and lockdown drills.
- Field trips will be limited and approved on an individual basis. Non-essential or non-program related field trips will not be approved.
- Parents/Guardians will be required to sign a field trip acknowledgement and waiver related to the potential for students to contract COVID-19 or have exposure to individuals who may be carriers of the virus.
- All employees are required to sign a confirmation statement that they have not exhibited any symptoms or been in contact within 14 days prior to the start of school, with any individual with a confirmed case of COVID-19.
Watch for symptoms
Students, parents, BRCP staff, visitors, and contracted employees/vendors are required to self- screen daily prior to entering the BRCP facility.
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
This list does not include all possible symptoms. CDC will continue to update this list as we learn more about COVID-19.
Protocol for individuals with COVID-19 symptoms on campus:
- Staff and students with a fever of 100.4 degrees Farenheit or greater and/or symptoms associated with COVID-19 and/or unexplained respiratory symptoms will be asked to wear a mask and will be sent home.
- Staff and students with a fever of 100.4 degrees Farenheit or greater and symptoms associated with COVID-19 will be encouraged to seek medical attention for further evaluation.
- Staff and students may also be sent home with other symptoms that may be associated with COVID-19.
- Staff and students will remain at home for 72 hours post fever without the use of fever reducing medications or if they are approved to do so in writing by their healthcare provider.
- Students will be allowed to return to BRCP only after being cleared by their sending school for return to their sending school and BRCP.
*All positive COVID – 19 cases involving students who have been on the BRCP campus will be reported by the BRCP Director to the Shelby County Health Department, Indiana Department of Education, BRCP Governing Board, the student’s instructor, and sending school administrators. BRCP administration will cooperate with the Shelby County Health Department in contact tracing and will assist in informing cooperative schools as needed of potential exposure of their students to the COVID – 19 virus while attending BRCP.
Parents who call in to report a student is ill and will not be attending school will be asked questions regarding symptoms that may be related to COVID – 19. All requirements and protections related to HIPPA will be followed.
Quarantine If You Might Be Sick
Stay home if you might have been exposed to COVID-19
Quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others. Quarantine helps prevent spread of disease that can occur before a person knows they are sick or if they are infected with the virus without feeling symptoms. People in quarantine should stay home, separate themselves from others, monitor their health, and follow directions from their state or local health department.
What’s the difference between quarantine and isolation?
Quarantine keeps someone who might have been exposed to the virus away from others.
Isolation separates people who are infected with the virus away from people who are not infected.
Who needs to quarantine?
Anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19. This includes people who previously had COVID-19 and people who have taken a serologic (antibody) test and have antibodies to the virus.
What counts as close contact?
You were within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes
You provided care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19
You had direct physical contact with the person (touched, hugged, or kissed them)
You shared eating or drinking utensils
They sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on you.
Steps to take
Stay home and monitor your health.
Stay home for 14 days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19.
Watch for fever (100.4◦F), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19.
If possible, stay away others, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from
COVID-19.
When to start and end quarantine
You should stay home for 14 days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19.
For all of the following scenarios, even if you test negative for COVID-19 or feel healthy, you should stay home (quarantine) since symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure to the virus.
See scenarios below to determine when you can end quarantine and be around others.
Scenario 1: Close contact with someone who has COVID-19—will not have further close contact.
I had close contact with someone who has COVID-19 and will not have further contact or interactions with the person while they are sick (e.g., co-worker, neighbor, or friend).
Your last day of quarantine is 14 days from the date you had close contact.
Date of last close contact with person who has COVID-19 + 14 days= end of quarantine.
Scenario 2: Close contact with someone who has COVID-19—live with the person but can avoid further close contact.
I live with someone who has COVID-19 (e.g., roommate, partner, family member), and that person has isolated by staying in a separate bedroom. I have had no close contact with the person since they isolated.
Your last day of quarantine is 14 days from when the person with COVID-19 began home isolation.
Date person with COVID-19 began home isolation + 14 days = end of quarantine
Scenario 3. Under quarantine and had additional close contact with someone who has COVID-19.
I live with someone who has COVID-19 and started my 14-day quarantine period because we had close contact. What if I ended up having close contact with the person who is sick during my quarantine? What if another household member gets sick with COVID-19? Do I need to restart my quarantine?
Yes. You will have to restart your quarantine from the last day you had close contact with anyone in your house who has COVID-19. Any time a new household member gets sick with COVID-19 and you had close contact, you will need to restart your quarantine.
Date of additional close contact with person who has COVID-19 + 14 days = end of quarantine.
Scenario 4: Live with someone who has COVID-19 and cannot avoid continued close contact.
I live in a household where I cannot avoid close contact with the person who has COVID-19. I am providing direct care to the person who is sick, don’t have a separate bedroom to isolate the person who is sick, or live in close quarters where I am unable to keep a physical distance of 6 feet.
You should avoid contact with others outside the home while the person is sick, and quarantine for 14 days after the person who has COVID-19 meets the criteria to end home isolation.
Date the person with COVID-19 ends home isolation + 14 days = end of quarantine.
Content source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases
This Re-entry plan outlines initial steps to be taken for the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year. As the COVID-19 situation develops and more information and guidelines become available from the CDC and other authorities, the practical application of these initial steps may change or additional precautions and mitigation factors may be added.