Tuscan School COVID-19 Outdoor Lunch Plan

8/31/2021 1:37 pm

Tuscan School

COVID-19 Outdoor Lunch/Inclement Weather Plan

EFFECTIVE | AUGUST 28, 2021

The Tuscan School Outdoor Lunch Plan is designed to maintain student health and safety by avoiding large and unmasked gatherings in the cafeteria during the COVID-19 pandemic. To provide all Tuscan students with a safe outdoor lunch space, when weather permits, the Tuscan School Outdoor Lunch Plan maximizes the use of all available outdoor space to the greatest extent possible. The Tuscan Café and designated classrooms will only be used when absolutely necessary.

Student enrollment at Tuscan School is approximately 600. The daily recess/lunch program at Tuscan takes place from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, in six 55 minute overlapping time periods. One 25 minute lunch period is dedicated to each grade level of approximately 100 students.

We acknowledge parent concerns as maximal physical distancing, at Tuscan School is difficult with large groups of students. At all times, and especially during Recess/Lunch periods, our priority will be to maintain physical distancing to the greatest extent practicable to keep students safe, cohorted (by classroom) and supervised.

Weather permitting, outdoor lunch space will include Tuscan’s front lawn and any other available lawn space. To maintain physical distancing, to the greatest extent practicable, a towel or mat to sit on during lunch is a recommended school supply for all Tuscan students.

Tuscan’s staff parking lot will also be repurposed to serve as an outdoor lunch space. Currently available indoor Café tables along with desks and chairs will be moved to and from the Tuscan parking lot daily for outdoor lunch, weather permitting.

To ensure a safe, cohorted (by classroom) and supervised Recess/Lunch experience for Tuscan’s children, a minimum of 15 Lunch Monitors in addition to Recess/Lunch Parent Volunteers are required and will be assigned to keep watchful eyes on students, in multiple outdoor locations around Tuscan School.

Tuscan Recess/Lunch Student Supervision Protocols

Tuscan School Outdoor Lunch Seating/Location Chart will be developed and utilized daily to facilitate the
assignment and management of Lunch Monitors and Recess/Lunch Parent Volunteers.
Should parents wish to pick up their child(ren) for recess/lunch the full 55 minute Recess/Lunch period,
designated for the grade level, will be allotted. To ensure that learning time is not loss, parents are
expected to maintain an on-time schedule for their child’s recess/lunch time pick up and return to Tuscan
School. To closely supervise student pick up and their return, a digital Recess/Lunch Sign-out/Sign-in Sheet
will be established for timely communication between parents/teachers and administration. On days when Parents/Guardians plan to pick up their child(ren) for recess/lunch, the digital Recess/Lunch Sign-out/Sign-
in Sheet must be used for teacher notification by 10:00 am.

Inclement Weather Plan – Indoor Lunch (only used when absolutely necessary)

Tuscan Café – (3-4 classes)
- Lunch tables (21) currently available in the Tuscan Café can comfortably seat 12 students
  per table. To maintain physical distancing to the greatest extent practicable, 4 students
  will eat at each table with dividers.
  Individual desks with dividers and chairs arranged to maintain physical distancing to the
  greatest extent practicable.
Classrooms - (1-2 classes)
- Individual desks with dividers and chairs arranged to maintain physical distancing to the
  greatest extent practicable.

8/12/2021 6:22 am

The South Orange-Maplewood School District has released its initial plans for the Fall. Please see this link for details and a video message from Dr. Taylor. Key points are highlighted below:

We are planning for full-day, five-day a week in-person instruction, with normal pre-Covid school hours;
All students will be back for full-time, in-person instruction for the 2021-2022 school year (no cohorts will be in place);
Parents or guardians will not be able to opt children out of in-person instruction as allowed for the 2020-2021 school year;
All students and staff will be required to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status;
Because we cannot maintain a social distance of 3-6 feet (one strategy to mitigate virus transmission) and still offer full-day in-person instruction, we will prioritize other mitigating strategies, including masking and desk partitions where feasible;
Screening testing: Unless directed by the DOH, screening testing will not be mandated. COVID-19 testing site information will be posted on the district website, and available at COVID19.nj.gov. The District has investigated the availability of mobile testing units and home Covid test kits for voluntary use and will provide the community with updates if confirmed;
Parents/Guardians will be asked to e-sign the 2021-22 SY Parent Agreement Letter of Compliance with COVID-19 Guidelines, deadline, September 17 (a separate email will follow in the coming weeks); and
Schools will reopen on September 9th: Grades PreK-7/9 and September 10th: Grades 8/10-12.

A more detailed return to school guidebook will be provided to families before school reopens for the fall. Continue to enjoy the summer and be safe.

8/12/2021 6:18 am

The District’s Long Range Facilities Plan (LRFP) received preliminary approval from the Board of Education on November 19, 2018. The repairs, renovation, and new construction work of the Long Range Facilities Plan will address the health and safety issues in our facilities and expand our capacity to meet growing enrollment. The first bond sale closed during the summer of 2019; since this time, architects have been working on architectural designs for District facilities. During this time, numerous meetings were held during the school year to finalize designs. On June 22, 2020, the Board of Education authorized the administration to send the elementary school designs for code review. Code review is a process where building code officials examine the designs to ensure they follow all building codes. Once code review is completed the projects will be advertised for bid and contracts awarded.

The District submitted six elementary school construction plans to the state for approval and received approvals for four locations in March 2021. Approvals to bid additions and renovations were received for Clinton, Jefferson, Seth Boyden, and Tuscan elementary schools. On March 11, construction bids were advertised for Clinton Elementary and Jefferson Elementary schools. Subsequent bids for the remaining two schools will be advertised in the coming weeks. Construction plans for Marshall, South Mountain Elementary and South Mountain Annex are still in the approval process.

The work being undertaken through the Long Range Facilities Plan (LRFP) initiative while a separate track supports the work and decisions that will be made concerning the SOMSD Intentional Integration Initiative.

More information can be found here.

Tuscan specific construction update as of 7.19.21:

July Construction Activities