School Reopening FAQs

As per the latest Government notification dated 12/12/2020, schools in Pune will remain closed till 3^rd January 2021. The reopening plan has been made considering the reopening date to be soon after 3^rd January 2021.

1. On what date will the school reopen?
   We are scheduling to open the school from around January 7^th, 2021. Before that
   the school will complete certain procedures such as getting parents’ consent, getting the RT-PCR tests of teaching and non-teaching staff done etc.
   Post this a committee from the Education Department will inspect the school for its preparedness and issue permission to start the school.
   Though we are planning to start on 7^th January, there may be delays, depending on the time taken for permissions from the Department. We will notify the date well in time.
2. What safety measures will the school take to ensure safety in the pandemic situation?

   Following precautions will be taken to ensure safety of students and staff

   1. RT-PCR tests of teaching and non teaching staff of the school
   2. Awareness about self health monitoring among staff and students
   3. Complete cleaning and sanitization of the classrooms/ science laboratories, lab equipments and staff rooms every day / after use of one set of students (as applicable)
   4. Frequent cleaning and sanitization of wash rooms
   5. Temperature and Oxygen level check and hand sanitization of every individual at the school entrance
   6. Entry – Exit as well as Seating arrangement of students considering Social Distancing Norms
   7. Provision for Hand wash as well as Hand sanitization after visiting washroom
   8. Supervision and monitoring in the school premises to ensure social distancing of children.

   Also take a look at the videos to see the safety precautions we will be taking in school to ensure safety of our students.

   LINK OF THE VIDEOS:

   1. School Bus Sanitization ⇩
      https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MhiHfUF2hOWK8i3kXhvgopmjd6zrIRlT08FxStw5oJs/edit?usp=sharing
   2. Students Entry in the School ⇩
      https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ZcnpDpXsoN6dYURjTON3nmZ8hz4XIu3YZFqwEm4zwZc/edit?usp=sharing
   3. Class Sanitization ⇩
      https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1JqWEqc0AFQAYMtGX8CmpGfQxX8BeCswQesgarmzN0yg/edit?usp=sharing
   4. Classroom Exit ⇩
      https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1acSGiBXMC1qOV5l4DKQ6724lan4qSMfIGqngCOMpSf0/edit?usp=sharing
   5. Classroom Seating Arrangement ⇩
      https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I4TWBNLX4Cy5Oc4MKhlzQMHt3aSHkt-I/view?usp=sharing
3. Is my ward expected to take the RT-PCR test if I wish to attend the school?

   No. It’s not compulsory for your ward to take the RT-PCR test before attending school.

4. What will be the school schedule and timings?

   The school will reopen in phases. Please refer to the chart to see the tentative schedule and timings of the schools.

   	Standard	Schedule
   Phase 1	12	REGULAR ONLINE SCHOOL + In-school practicals 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm (Days – depend on the subjects chosen)
   Phase 2	10	In-school – MON, WED, FRI Batch 1: 9:00 am – 12:30 pm Batch 2: 11:00 am – 2:30 pm	TUE, THU Online schooling
   Phase 3	11	REGULAR ONLINE SCHOOL + In-school practicals 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm (Days – depend on the subjects chosen)
   Phase 4	9	In-school – TUE, THU Batch 1: 9:00 am – 12:30 am Batch 2: 11:00 am – 2:30 pm	MON, WED, FRI Online schooling

   *Batch size: Maximum 24 students per batch

   Once we get the consents, we will share a detailed schedule and plan.
   Please note that the school schedules may get revised depending on the variation of the number of students attending school. Revised schedules will be communicated to the students as and when it is revised, on a regular basis.

5. Can my ward carry tiffin?
   No. The government SOP strictly mentions that the students will not be allowed to carry tiffin boxes to school. Since the school duration is not more than three and a half hours, your ward could have food before and after school.
6. Will my ward be able to avail canteen facility?
   No. As the government SOP strictly mentions that there will be no lunch breaks for students and the canteen will not be functional.
7. Is Uniform Mandatory for attending school?
   Yes. It’s mandatory for the students to attend school in complete school uniform.
8. My ward’s uniform is worn out / isn’t fitting him / her any more. How can I get a new uniform?
   New uniforms can be ordered/ purchased from the uniform counter on all the days except for 1st January and Sundays during office hours. Please note that Uniforms once purchased can not be exchanged.
9. My ward wishes to continue with online schooling instead of attending offline school? Will his/ her schedule remain the same as its now?
   In order to strike balance between online and on campus teaching, we will be restructuring the timetable of online classes in terms of timing as well as frequency. The plan will be finalized once we know the exact number of students who will be attending offline school. Changed schedule will be communicated to the students in advance.
10. How would the seating arrangement in the class be?
    The students will be seated one student on a bench. So each class will accommodate not more than 24 students.
11. I had not availed of school transport for my ward before. Can I avail it now? What is the procedure for the same?
    There is a possibility that you can avail transport now, depending on the availability of seats on the buses serving your route. Please contact Mr Harish Bait on 7798982009/ harish@myshala.com and talk@myshala.com
12. Will it be safe for my ward to commute in the school bus? What care and precautions will be taken to ensure safety while commuting?
    1. Buses will be sanitized twice every day.
    2. Thermal screening and hand sanitization of every student will be done before boarding the bus.
    3. Students will not be allowed to board the bus without a mask.
    4. Seating in the bus will be one student per seat taking care of social distancing. This arrangement will be valid till there is further revision as recommended by the Government officials.
    5. There will be a lady attendant in the bus.
13. I had not given consent for attending school earlier, how can I send it now?

    You can send a request for a consent form to reopening@myshala.com whenever you are ready to send your child to school. However, the school will review and if needed, revise plans only on every Thursday. So even if you send a consent form on Tuesday, you will have to wait till next Monday to send your child to school.
    However, the school will review plans only on Thursdays of every week and implement the changes from the subsequent Monday.
    Please note that these buffer days are required for the school to make logistical arrangements like transport (if required), classroom arrangements, teacher schedules etc.
    
    It’s MANDATORY to send a consent form if your ward has to attend school.

14. What all things is my ward expected to carry to school and what he/ she shouldn’t be carrying?

    Things students MUST carry – Mask, personal sanitizer, own stationary (Notebooks, textbooks and Geometry box – as no exchange of material is allowed), own water bottle
    Things which are OPTIONAL – Face shield, wet wipes, gloves
    Things NOT ALLOWED in the school – Mobile phones, any other electronic device, eatables

15. What is the school’s plan for medical emergencies?
    

    The school will respond sensitively as usual, based on the kind of medical emergency. We also have a support committee which will be available in school to take immediate and appropriate action.

16. Is my ward expected to attend school for the entire duration as mentioned in the schedule or can he/she attend only for a certain time and specific classes like practicals?

    Students who give consent and come to school need to attend the entire school. Students will not be allowed to enter the school late or exit the premises early, except under compelling reasons/ circumstances.

17. What is the school’s plan for online teaching, along with offline school?

    We will continue to give online support to the students who are unable to attend school in person. The frequency, modality and timing of the online classes may later be revised depending on the subject / teacher schedules.

18. Will my ward be allowed to attend the school only for writing exams?

    We will take a call on this later when the schedule of exams is announced, depending on the prevailing conditions. You will have to fill in a separate consent form for the same at the time.

19. Will my ward be able to write exams from home, in case he/she is unable to attend the school?

    Yes certainly. He/ She may write the examination papers under parental supervision.
    However, you will have to submit the hardcopy of the answer sheet in school, before the assigned submission date.

20. Will there be co-academic classes in the school? (PE/Art etc)

    No. The SOP document states only academic classes of crucial subjects are to be conducted in school.

21. What if my ward/ other close family member turns COVID positive after starting to attend the school?

    Quarantine the concerned person and let the school authorities know of it immediately. DO NOT WAIT FOR SCHOOL HOURS TO INFORM THE AUTHORITIES.
    Send an email to reopening@myshala.com and the respective the class teacher and harish@myshala.com (If availing of school transport) with subject `Health Emergency’.

22. If a student from my ward’s classroom turns positive a few days after reopening the school, what care/ precautions are we expected to take?

    If your ward’s close contact tests positive, closely monitor your child’s health. And you may take a call on sending your child to school and inform the school authorities about the leave of absence.

23. My ward is studying in Std 12. I do not wish to send him/ her even for the practicals. Will that be okay?

    We recommend that the child performs practicals in school, for effective learning. The practice will also make them more comfortable for the final board practical exams. However, we will not compel you to send your ward to school.

24. What is the procedure for communicating pre planned leave of absence for my ward, if s/he has given consent to attend school?

    Kindly write a note to the class teacher on the Millennium App stating the date and reason for absence.

25. What are the next steps before my ward starts attending school?

    Step 1: You will receive consent form through an email. Download the note and print it. After signing the consent note, please upload it in the Google form which needs to be submitted by the assigned date.

    Step 2: You will receive a detailed mail mentioning the weekly schedule, the days when your ward is expected to attend school and the protocol to be followed while at school etc.

26. I have already sent a consent request for my ward, however I have not received the consent form to be signed and sent back. What should I do?
    If you have not received a consent form for your ward, following could be the reasons –
    1. You have not mentioned the name, Ref No. Class and Division for your child in the mail which you have sent to reopening@myshala.com, In that case, write a fresh mail to reopening@myshala.com as per the format given below.
    2. Your request for consent was received late hence the student can not be accommodated this week. However the student will be able to join the school from next week.
    3. For reopening from 11^th January, the consents received till 11 am on 9^th January only have been considered. (Please refer to FAQ Q No 13 for later enquiries)
    4. Your mail does not have attachment of the necessary signed consent form
    5. Request mail was sent to a different email id and not reopening@myshala.com
27. In what format should I send an e-mail to reopening@myshala.com to avoid confusion/miscommunication?
    Your email to reopening should be in the following format
    Subject of e mail- Consent for attending school for (Student’s Ref No, Name and Class)
    I (Your name) Mother/ Father/ Guardian of (Students name, Ref No) studying in (Mention Std and Division) hereby request you to send me a customised consent form for my ward.
    I wish to/ do not wish to avail school transport. (Not applicable to classes 11 and 12)

Dear parents/ students,
After having read through the above QAs, if you have any further questions, kindly fill in the google form to communicate your queries to us. We will try our best to address them and may also include them in the above section.

Link for google form to post queries –

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdbpoU8XfEtGncDECNT7ACDy2qofW9UrqsC07zimnv4fOnQPg/viewform