School Election May 7
(*taken from the Butte School District’s Three Phased Reopening Plan)
Families/Students
Frequently Asked Questions:
The safety of our students, staff and the entire Butte community is our priority as we begin our phased approach to reopening schools. We have in collaboration with the Butte Silver Bow Health Department created a fact sheet that contains protocols and procedures consistent with the health guidelines:
Section 1: COVID-19
Q: What steps can I take to prepare myself against the transmission of COVID-19?
A. The power to protect our educational community from coronavirus lies with each and every one of us. Please practice the following hand-washing and respiratory hygiene habits to protect yourself and those around you:
• Wear a face covering
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
• Clean your hands by washing them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60%–95% alcohol immediately after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose. Soap and water should be used if hands are visibly dirty. Always wash hands before eating and after using the restroom.
• Stay home if you're sick.
Q. How do I screen my child prior to coming to school every day?
1. Check temperature: Is their temperature 100 degrees F or >?
If yes- stay home from school
2. Has their temperature been 100 degrees F or > in past 3 days (with or without the use of fever reducing medications including but not limited to (Tylenol, Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, Aleve, Advil, and generic equivalents)?
If yes stay home from school setting
3. Do you have any of the following symptoms?
· Fever (per above 100 or >
· Sore throat
· Cough- new or changes in a cough
· Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing
· Sneezing
· New Loss of taste
· New Loss of sense of smell
· Chills
· New rash on hands or feet
· Nausea
· Vomiting
· Diarrhea
If yes to any - stay home from school setting- consult your health care provider or the local health department for further advice – if work absence or return suggested –provide written documentation to school main office or school nurse
4. Is anyone in your immediate household able to answer Yes to any of the above questions?
If yes- refrain from school entry until consulting your health care provider, local health department or school nurses
5. Have you or a household member been asked to quarantine for COVID 19 testing, diagnosis, or treatment?
If yes- refrain from school entry until consulting your health care provider or local health department
6. Do you have any of the following symptoms?
· Headache/migraine
· Fatigue
· Body/Muscle aches
· Runny nose
· New dizziness
If yes to any of these symptoms – more information is required – refrain from school entry until consulting your health care provider or school nurse
If No to all of the above – entry to school setting is allowed- remember:
· Wear a face covering at all times when in the school setting and within 6 feet of other students or staff – avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth and your face covering
· Maintain social distancing of a minimum of 6 feet (the length of most pool foam noodles)
· Wash your hands or sanitize throughout your time in the building, especially before eating, after using the restroom, as soon as possible after coughing, sneezing or touching surfaces that may have been touched by others
· Cover your cough and sneezes by coughing into elbow or collar, sneezing into tissue and turning away from others when doing so then trash the tissue and wash or sanitize your hands
· No handshakes, high fives, hugs, etc. as these all violate 6 feet social distancing
Q: Will the District know if someone has COVID-19?
. The Health Department will communicate with Butte School District to ensure cases are tracked and appropriate district individuals can be notified in a confidential manner.
If you are notified by an agency or an individual not associated with the Butte-Silver Bow Health that you are a close contact, please contact the Butte-Silver Bow Health Department immediately. The Health Department will confirm that you are a close contact.
Q: What is a close contact?
A. A close contact is someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes, starting from two days before the onset of the illness. Close contacts of asymptomatic patients are identified as those who were close to the asymptomatic individual two days prior to a specimen collection that is positive, and until the time the patient is isolated.
A close contact can also be defined as:
· Someone who took care of a person at home who is sick with COVID-19
· Someone who had direct physical contact with the infected person (touching, hugging, kissing)
· Someone who shared eating or drinking utensils with the infected person
· Someone who is the recipient of respiratory droplets from the infected person, via sneezing or coughing
Once the Health Department is notified by the state that a person is confirmed as positive, we work with that individual on isolation measures. They also work with that person to identify his or her close contacts. They then work with those close contacts to quarantine and get tested. The identity of the person who tested positive is confidential and will not be released to others, not even those who are close contacts. When the Health Department reaches out to the close contact they just inform the person that they have been identified as a close contact by a patient but they do not release the name. The individual who is confirmed positive may share with others if they choose.
If someone is associated with a confirmed case of COVID-19, that person would not need to worry about being a close contact, unless they are contacted by the Health Department and informed that they are a close contact. Secondary contacts and more remote contacts would not be contacted by the department and therefore do not need to take any action nor quarantine. They would continue to proceed as normal.
If you are notified by an agency or an individual not associated with the Butte-Silver Bow Health that you are a close contact, please contact the Butte-Silver Bow Health Department immediately. The Health Department will confirm that you are a close contact.
Q: What if someone in my in-person class tests positive for COVID-19?
A. Butte School District instructs anyone with symptoms to contact their health care provider or Southwest Montana Community Health Center. If someone tests positive to COVID-19, the Butte Silver Bow Health Department will contact the patient with additional information.
In the event that one or more individuals become sick, and sufficient personnel is not available to continue with in person learning the class or cohort may need to move to a remote learning environment. All stakeholders will be notified as soon as possible in the event that we need to move to a remote learning environment.
The Health Department will contact anyone that is considered to have been in close contact with the individual who tests positive. A close contact is someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes, starting from two days before the onset of the illness. Close contacts of asymptomatic patients are identified as those who were close to the asymptomatic individual two days prior to a specimen collection that is positive, and until the time the patient is isolated.
Once the Health Department is notified by the state that a student is confirmed as positive, they work with that student on isolation measures.
If a student is associated with a confirmed case of COVID-19, that student would not need to worry about being a close contact, unless they are contacted by the Health Department and informed that they are a close contact. Secondary contacts and more remote contacts would not be contacted by the department.
If you are notified by an agency or an individual not associated with the Butte-Silver Bow Health that you are a close contact, please contact the Butte-Silver Bow Health Department immediately. The Health Department will confirm that you are a close contact.
Q: Will face coverings be required for all students?
A. Face coverings are required for grades K-12. Students will be provided one cloth mask at no cost and disposable masks will be available in the event that a student forgets their mask. Parents are welcome to purchase their own masks for their students.
CDC guidelines for the use and care of face masks should be followed and are accessible here: www.cdc.gov
The following individuals should not use cloth face masks:
· Children 2 years of age and under; and
· Anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the cover without assistance.
A multi-ply tightly woven cotton cloth or multi-ply disposable face covering is recommended. When worn, the covering must extend from the bridge of the nose to below the chin. Reusable cloth face coverings are acceptable, as are disposable paper masks. Cloth face coverings should:
• Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
• Be secured with ties or ear loops
• Include multiple layers of fabric
• Allow for breathing without restriction
• Be able to be laundered and machine-dried without damage or change to shape
• The face-covering must not have an exhalation valve
• Daily laundering of cloth face coverings is STRONGLY recommended
Q: What if I don't wear a face covering in class?
A. Butte School District is asking all students to be responsible and wear their masks for the health and safety of others. Anyone who fails to abide by this directive may be asked or directed to leave the school.
Q: What is a reasonable accommodation to a face mask?
A. If an accommodation is approved, a student may wear a full-face shield instead of a face mask. The Butte School District has some face shields available for students upon request.
Q. How can I learn more about the safety and cleaning measures in place for in-person learning environments?
Regular cleaning practices are being enhanced by physical facilities, including frequent cleaning and sanitization of high-touch areas such as door handles, railings and increasing cleaning staff.
• A modified daily schedule has been implemented in order to properly clean and disinfect schools.
• Cleaner, hand sanitizer, and disposable wiping cloths are available for offices, classrooms, and common spaces.
• Traffic flow is being adjusted to reduce close contact.
• Plexiglass barriers added throughout each facility.
• Physical distancing markers are placed around all buildings.
• Interior doors will be propped open during operational hours to reduce touchable areas.
• All buses will be equipped with disinfecting wipes or spray.
