BCSC Families –

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost every aspect of our lives. As we prepare to welcome students back to school on July 30th, there are many changes in procedures in response to guidelines from health officials. The plan for re-opening Hendricks County public schools was approved by the Hendricks County Health Officer.

CLICK HERE for the joint message from the county schools and the safety measures all six county school corporations are taking to keep students safe as they return to school.

EDUCATION OPTIONS

While we believe that the most effective instruction for your child happens in a classroom with our highly qualified teachers, there will be an online option available for those who are not willing to attend in-person. A minimum number of students is required in each grade level to offer this option. (more below)

OPTION #1: IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION + SAFETY MEASURES

The 2020-2021 school year at BCSC will begin on July 30th, as previously scheduled. (The Early Childhood Center opens Monday, August 3rd). BCSC will assume your student(s) will be returning as normal unless you complete the formal request for the At Home Learning option by July 10, 2020 (below) or withdraw from BCSC.

All schools will follow the regular calendar and schedule. Additional safety measures will be in place to minimize exposure. Students and staff must have a mask and will be required to wear them in certain situations, like the bus, serving lines, and clinics. There will no longer be shared school supplies. Enhanced cleaning procedures will be in place to disinfect high-touch surfaces. Additional hand sanitizer stations are set and strategic procedures will be in place to require students to wash their hands. Classrooms will be reorganized to maximize available space. Schedules will be adjusted in some cases to keep a greater separation of students. Visitors in schools will be significantly limited. School clinics will have a separate space to treat symptomatic students. Students and staff who are sick must be fever free without the use of fever-reducing medication for at least 72 hours to return to school.

BACK TO SCHOOL PREPARATIONS:

Elementary (K-5):

• Class lists will be posted in your PowerSchool parent account on Friday, July 24th
• New student tours will be offered on July 23rd by appointment. A signup will be shared in the coming weeks. Masks must be worn by students and parents during the tours.
• For Meet the Teacher Night, parents will participate via Zoom on July 27th (for Kindergarten only) and July 28th (for 1st – 5th grade). Zoom login information will shared prior to the event.
• Students will return to school on Thursday, July 30th.

Middle School (6, 7, 8):

• Registration for 6th grade students will occur on July 23rd. Appointments for registration will be required. An email asking parents to make appointments will be shared by the building principal.
• Students in 7th and 8th grade will not complete registration in person. 7th and 8th grade students will be able to look up their class schedule on PowerSchool on Thursday, July 23rd.
• Locker assignments will occur on the first day of school. School pictures and the distribution of lanyards will occur during the first few days of the school year.
• Students will return to school on July 30th.

High School:

• Freshman Bootcamp will continue as scheduled on July 23rd. 9th grade students with last names beginning with A – L will meet from 9am – 12pm. 9th grade students with last names beginning with M – Z will meet from 1pm – 4pm.
• Registration for students in 10th – 12th grade will take place on either July 24th or July 27th. Registration is scheduled on those days from 9am – 3pm.
• Masks are required for students for Freshman Bootcamp and BHS Registration and these are student-only events.
• Students will return to school on Thursday, July 30th.

BECC:

• Class lists will be posted in your PowerSchool parent account on Friday, July 24th
• For Meet the Teacher Night, parents will participate via Zoom on July 29th (Login information will shared prior to the event) Information about the Zoom meetings will be shared with parents via email by the principal.
• Students will return to school on Monday, August 3rd.

Harris:

• New BHS students attending will be notified in July and new student orientation meetings will be scheduled July 27 & 28 and will be attended by student and one parent. Masks will be required.
• Students will return to school on Thursday, July 30th.

ALPHA:

• ALPHA’s Back to School Open House is July 22nd and families will schedule their visit between 4pm and 6pm. Masks are required and there will be more communication to follow.
• Students will return to school on Thursday, July 30th.

OPTION #2: PARENT CHOICE AT HOME LEARNING

Families must declare their intention to use the online option by July 10, 2020 following the link below. At the end of each quarter, families will be asked to review and again request if they want the instruction to continue for their student online. A minimum number of students is required in each grade level to offer this option. CLICK HERE to read more about Parent Choice At Home Learning.

CLICK HERE to formally request At Home Learning for your student. Please complete a separate request for each student in your family.

RESPONSIVE MEASURES

The BCSC Health Services Supervisors, Jennifer Wright, RN and Stephanie Zehner, RN will work in conjunction with the Hendricks County Health Department in response to confirmed cases of COVID-19. Their service to our schools is made possible by our partnership with Hendricks Regional Health (HRH) and both have been heavily involved in HRH’s response since the start of the pandemic.

SECOND WAVE

If the number of cases of COVID-19 reaches a level where state and local officials determine that school cannot meet in person, At Home Learning will resume with changes from the previous version. BCSC has already expanded the use of Schoology to include all middle school students with the option to include elementary students if needed. Schoology is a platform that allows for the delivery of course work, the collection of materials, and the ability to administer tests. This all happens within one program without the need to check in several places for the assigned work. A schedule that allows for direct instruction of core classes to students while at home would be put in place to eliminate the overlap of classes. Technology gaps will be identified with computers available on loan from BCSC.

CLICK HERE to read more about Second Wave At Home Learning.

We understand that this document can’t answer every question about re-opening, however, we hope it gives you the framework necessary to make the best decision for your family – a return to school, or online learning.

Sincerely,

Jim Snapp
Superintendent

The link to the original letter is found here – https://www.smore.com/pc50n

Joint message from the all Hendricks county school districts letter

Parent Choice At-Home Learning Letter