School reopening FAQs 5 to 8

As per the latest Government notification dated 18/01/2021, schools are directed to reopen classes 5 to 8 after 1^st February 2021.

1. What is the exact date of reopening?
   We are scheduling to open the school from around February 8^th, 2021. Before that the school will complete certain procedures such as getting parents’ consent, getting the RT-PCR tests of teachers teaching classes 5^th to 8^th 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 8^th February, 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 (SpO2) check and hand sanitization of every student
   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
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	Days in school	School Timing
   Phase 1	7 and 8	Monday, Wednesday, Friday	11 am to 1:30 pm
   Phase 2	5 and 6	Tuesday, Thursday	11 am to 1:30 pm

   Classroom occupancy: Maximum 24 students in a classroom
   Once we get the consents, we will share a more detailed mail before students start attending the school.
   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 (including commutation time) 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. How would the seating arrangement in the class be?
   The students will be seated one student on a bench specifically allotted to him / her only. So each class will accommodate not more than 24 students.
8. 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
9. 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.
10. I want to wait for a week or so before sending my ward to school? How do I get a consent form a week after the school starts?
    You need to update your willingness to attend school by re-submitting the survey form saying `Yes’ for attending school. The responses of the survey will be reviewed frequently for sending customized consent form to the parents.
11. 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
12. 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.
13. Is my ward expected to attend school for the entire duration as mentioned in the schedule or can he/she attends 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.
14. 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 will be revised depending on the subject / teacher schedules. Since the students in school will be more engaged in hands on activities, in-school classes will not be broadcasted online.
15. What are the next steps before my ward starts attending school?
    Step 1: You will receive link to a survey form through an email.
    Step 2: If your response to attending school is `Yes’, you will receive a customized consent form over e-mail. You will be required to sign, scan and send the consent to the school.
    Step 3: 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.
16. 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.
17. 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.
18. Will there be co-academic classes in the school? (PE/Art etc)
    The SOP document states only academic classes of crucial subjects are to be conducted in school. However, we plan to either integrate Art activities in the academic classes or have co-academic classes occasionally spaced to break monotony of subject content.
19. 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’.
20. 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.
21. 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.

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