Every Ranger • Every Reason • Every Day

Ranger Restart 2021-22

Ranger Restart 21-22

We will begin the 2021-2022 school year with all students in attendance, five days a week on August 11, 2021. The following document is the Ranger Restart guidelines.

Click here to view the 2021-2022 Back to School letter.

However, we have to keep student and employee health and safety at the forefront of our decision-making by considering the current environment when making operation decisions throughout the school year. Please keep in mind that we all have to remain flexible as our operations can change due to the spread or containment of COVID-19.

The following document also serves as the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER Fund) document for Hamilton Local School.

TESTING

While we have been able to supply home COVID-19 tests over the past year, our supply is becoming limited. Please take advantage of the following promotion:

Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 4 free at-?home COVID-?19 tests. The tests are completely free. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days. Tests can be ordered from COVIDtests.gov

For more information visit COVIDtest.gov.

QUARANTINE INFORMATION

To view the current District Active COVID Case Report, click here: https://bit.ly/HLSDCovidCases

UPDATE: FEBRUARY 1, 2022

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) updated its recommendation regarding contact tracing for individual cases of COVID-19 and will instead focus on outbreak or cluster investigations. The district will still follow the ODH Mask to Stay Test to Play guidance if there is a known cluster or outbreak within school settings. Please see below for the “Mask to Stay, Test to Play” guidance.

UPDATE: DECEMBER 30, 2021

Based on updates from the CDC, the Ohio Department of Health, and Franklin County Public Health on December 30, 2021 - if your student has tested positive, they will need to quarantine for 5 days from the onset of symptoms or the positive test date, whichever is first. They are then allowed to return to school wearing a mask for another 5 days as long as they are fever-free for 24 hours and asymptomatic.

In-home exposures now only have to quarantine for 5 days instead of 10 and can come back to school on day 6, in a mask, if asymptomatic. The full statement regarding guidance can be found on FCPH’s website here: https://bit.ly/K12fcphGuidance

If your child needs to follow the “Mask to Stay, Test to Play” guidance due to a known cluster or outbreak within school settings, please see the information below.

MASK TO STAY

Close contacts in a school environment, regardless of vaccination or masking status, may remain in the classroom environment if they:

Wear a mask for 10 days after their last date of exposure.
Self-monitor, or parent-monitor, for symptoms of COVID-19.
Isolate and get tested if they start to experience symptoms associated with COVID-19 (regardless of level of severity).

Students and staff may discontinue these quarantine procedures after seven days if they meet two basic criteria: one – they don’t develop symptoms by day seven, and two – they test negative between days five through seven.

TEST TO PLAY

Asymptomatic close contacts in a school environment may continue to participate in extracurricular activities if they:

Wear a mask when able, after exposure has occurred. This includes wearing a mask during transportation, such as traveling on a team bus to and from games; while in locker rooms; while sitting or standing on the sidelines; and any time the mask will not interfere with breathing, the activity in which they are participating, or create a safety hazard.
Test on initial notification of exposure to COVID-19.
Test again between days five through seven following exposure to COVID-19. If they are negative at this time, they will test out of quarantine after day seven and can resume normal activities.
Tests can be PCR or Antigen tests, but not over the counter, according to new guidance.

Please contact Chelsea Snider, District Nurse, at the school at 614-491-8044 ex 1810 prior to returning to the building or if you develop symptoms during the quarantine period.

Need to report a quarantine situation? Fill out this form: https://forms.gle/m4724ATRoqaxPwkQ8

Need to report a positive COVID case? Fill out this form: https://forms.gle/kbxs2TWs5g3RxcnR6

If you are 16 years of age and older and have received the Pfizer vaccine in the last 6 months, or if you have received the Pfizer booster vaccine, you are now eligible to come to school in a mask for 10 days if you have been exposed in your home, or in a public or school setting. If you would like to voluntarily submit your proof of vaccination status to fall under these guidelines, please submit your vaccine status here: https://forms.gle/7MvtSF79tNxdwBXF6

You can also submit your vaccination status to Chelsea Snider at [email protected].

WHEN TO KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME

Check in with your child each morning.

DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL WITH ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:

Fever of 100.4° or higher
New or worsened cough
Shortness of breath
Loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Diarrhea or vomiting
New onset severe headache

For children with chronic medical conditions (such as allergies, asthma or migraine), symptoms should represent a change from their usual health status. Children without any of the symptoms listed above who have non-specific symptoms such as congestion, runny nose, fatigue or body aches should be kept at home if their caregiver suspects their child may have an infection.

HEALTH SAFETY

MASKS

Beginning Wednesday, November 3, the wearing of face masks will be recommended districtwide for all students, staff, and visitors while in indoor spaces, vaccinated or unvaccinated.
Effective February 25, 2022, the CDC does not require wearing masks on buses or vans operated by public, or private school systems. Beginning immediately, Hamilton Local Schools will not require masks on our busses.
If you need to request your student be exempt from the mask mandate due to the student being diagnosed with a physical or psychological disability that prevents them from wearing a mask or wearing a mask safely, please complete this form: 2021-22 Mask Exemption Form Medical.pdf
Exemption forms can be uploaded here: https://forms.gle/XXTzbAn2iXdEbn2M8

LIMITING EXPOSURE

We will be mindful of each area the students are in throughout the school day to limit the number of close contacts.

TEMPERATURE CHECKS & HANDWASHING

All HLS employees, students, and visitors are asked to take their temperature before coming to district buildings and grounds. Anyone with a fever over 100.4° must remain out of buildings and away from district grounds.
Handwashing and hand sanitizing will be promoted as a healthy habit.

CLASSROOM SUPPLIES; DRINKING FOUNTAINS & WATER BOTTLES

Classroom supplies can be shared. Your child should wash their hands or use hand sanitizer before, during, and after use of any shared materials.
Students should not share personal supplies, and keep it in their desks, cubbies, or personal backpacks.
Water fountains will be available, but students are still encouraged to bring their own water bottles to school.

RECESS

Recess sessions will be conducted as normal recess and allow students to interact and be active in a safe environment.

COVID INFECTION

We need to work together to minimize student and staff COVID transmission as there is no way to completely prevent the spread of a virus. We have daily cleaning procedures for all buildings and buses. Parents need to stress to their children the importance of practicing healthy habits.
HLSD will work with local health department officials in the investigation of those who are cases or contacts of that case.
Students quarantined at home can complete assignments. Our teachers will maintain Google Classrooms throughout the school year. Students who are out due to being sick or quarantined will have the total number of days they are out of school to complete any assignments.

CLEANING

BUILDING/CLASSROOM CLEANING

According to FCPH and CDC, cleaning once a day is usually enough to sufficiently remove potential viruses that may be on surfaces.
All classrooms will be cleaned and disinfected at the end of each school day.
Hand Sanitizer will be provided.
We have increased each building’s fresh air intake by 25%.

BUS CLEANING

All buses will be wiped down between each route.
Per federal mandate, masks are required for all public transportation including school bus transportation.

MEALS

BREAKFAST

Breakfast will be available in the morning.

LUNCH

Lunch will be held as normal, but we will be mindful of where the students are seated to limit the number of close contacts.
Lunch will continue to be free for the 2021-2022 school year, however each family still needs to complete the Free and Reduced Lunch Form.