750 E. 400 S.     Springville, UT 84663     |     (801) 489-2830     Fax (801) 489-2834

Principal Beckert’s Back to School Message

Submitted by liz.porter on

August 17, 2020
Dear Parents,

It was so great having staff members in the school yesterday for their first day back! We are so excited to start the year. We have an amazing staff who are ready to use all their expertise to provide excellent instruction and to help students be healthy. Our meetings yesterday were focused on protocols and procedures put into place in response to COVID-19. I appreciate the input of the staff members and the information from the newly revised COVID-19 School Manual from the Utah Department of Health in creating our reopening plan.

Classrooms:

  • Students will be asked to wear masks in the classroom.

  • Shields have been provided by the school for both teachers and students if they need a break from their masks.

  • Desks are distanced as much as possible.

  • Teachers will have a set seating arrangement to decrease contact with multiple students.

  • Desks and touch points will be disinfected periodically throughout the day.

  • Hand sanitizer dispensers will be placed in every classroom.

  • Students will be allowed to have water bottles at their desks. (drinking fountains will not be available for use)

Restroom:

  • Students should wear their masks in the bathroom.

  • Students are encouraged to wash their hands thoroughly. 

  • Bathrooms will be disinfected periodically throughout the day.

Cafeteria:

  • Students will sanitize their hands before entering the cafeteria.

  • There will be assigned seating in the cafeteria.

  • Students will come in from the playground and be distanced 6 ft. apart until they sit down to eat. Students will be distanced about 3 ft apart on the benches while eating.

  • Students will have approximately 15 minutes to eat their lunch and will then be dismissed to their classes.

  • Students will not be required to wear a mask in the lunchroom.

Recess and Playground:

  • Morning and afternoon recess schedules have been adjusted to decrease the amount of students out on the playground at one time.

  • Classroom and playground equipment will be sanitized after use.

  • Students will not be required to wear their masks during recesses.

These are just some of the ways we will try to help students and staff members stay healthy. If you would like to discuss these protocols or any other specifics please give me a call. I am happy to talk things through with you. 

I also wanted to communicate with you the state’s standards used for determining when a classroom or a school will be closed due to COVID-19 cases. These standards are in the COVID-19 School Manual. It states that 3 confirmed positive cases in a classroom within a two week period will close a classroom. Also, 15 confirmed positive cases per school within a two week period will close a school. Hopefully we will not have any closures, but I just wanted to make you aware. 

We are having an open house on August 18th from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. To decrease the number of people in the building at one time, the schedule will be as follows: 

If your last name starts with

  • A to D: 1:00-1:30

  • E to H: 1:30-2:00

  • I to L: 2:00-2:30

  • M to P: 2:30-3:00

  • Q to T: 3:00-3:30

  • U to Z: 3:30-4:00

Please, if possible, leave siblings who are not Brookside students at home. We recognize that this may not be possible and we understand if you need to bring them. And, of course, please make sure everyone is wearing a mask. Thank you!

The first day of school for 1st through 6th grade will be on August 19th. We ask that parents drop students off that day and not enter the building. There will be posters hanging outside the front of school if you would like to take a “first day of school” picture with your student. If you would like to take a picture of your student with their teacher, please do this during the Open House. Thank you so much for helping us keep the school clean for our students on the first day. 

I am sorry for the “novel” of an email, but I wanted to let you know the work that is being done and the preparations that are being made. We are excited to welcome students back to school and look forward to a great year!

Thank you,

Dana Beckert

Attributions
Principal Beckert