Riverwood International

Charter School Reopening Plan

Fall 2020

A Message from Principal Smith

“Resilience is knowing that you are the only one that has the power and the responsibility to pick yourself up.” – Mary Holloway

Greetings Riverwood Family,

The turbulent times surrounding us are fueling feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, and frustration. These emotions should be recognized

and honored, but they should also fuel our RESILIENCE. As I have stated repeatedly, working together, we will drive our own success.

Together we will grow our collective resilience and grit and will emerge as empowered students, teachers, staff, and community.

Reopening Riverwood is no small feat, but if we work as #ONERiverwood, I believe there is nothing we cannot achieve.

I want to thank the members of the Riverwood Leadership Team, Parent Booster Presidents and the members of our “Return to

Riverwood” Re-opening Committee, which includes administrators, staff, and parents. Your support, input, and guidance have been

extremely vital in helping us craft a plan that will aid in our students and staff returning safely to school. This is the first draft of our

Riverwood Reopening Plan for Fall 2020. We will be updating it over the coming weeks as we gather more information.

Please note that this ‘big picture’ plan could change at any moment based on decisions by Superintendent Looney and Fulton County

Schools (FCS). Much of this material is what has been directed by FCS; I encourage you to read it carefully and share it with your student

as you make decisions about this fall. FCS plans to share additional details about student health, safety, and reporting guidelines in the

next couple of weeks.

Should you have questions/suggestions about this document, please email them to info@riverwoodics.org. My team will be gathering

questions to answer in a FAQ document and collecting ideas on a spreadsheet to be reviewed by the “Return to Riverwood” Planning

Committee.

Thank you and continue to stay well.

We are #ONERiverwood,

Kindra Smith

In-Person Riverwood Plan

2020-2021

Face Coverings

• Although masks are not mandated by FCS for students, a commitment to wearing masks full time while on campus is encouraged for all students and parents.

• Per FCS, all teachers and staff will be required to wear masks while on campus.

• We encourage parents to provide their students with a mask to wear every day. Parents will ensure that masks do not include images or statements that would be disruptive to the learning process.

• We encourage families to obtain reusable/washable face coverings for their student(s); however, disposable masks will be provided for any student who requests one during the day.

• Masks are required to be worn on all Fulton County school buses during transport.

School & Bus Sanitation

• Teachers and staff will ensure classrooms and the building will remain clean throughout the day.

• School certified and support staff will be responsible for cleaning common contact surfaces such as desks and tables/counters during scheduled intervals throughout the day.

• Staff will receive training on daily cleaning requirements and expectations within their classrooms.

• All cleaning supplies will be provided by Fulton County Schools to ensure a constant supply of cleaning materials.

• School buses will be disinfected at the end of morning and afternoon routes.

• Drivers will clean contact surfaces between service tiers using approved chemicals and paper towels. A garbage can will be available on each bus for the disposal of paper products and will be emptied at the end of each bus service.

Student & Staff Health

• Riverwood will promote frequent handwashing breaks and reminders. Signage will be posted throughout the school to remind students, staff, and visitors about handwashing norms, including washing for a minimum of 20 seconds.

• Hand sanitizing units will be available for student and teacher use throughout the building and classrooms. Bathrooms will be routinely stocked with soap and paper towels (air dryers will be removed).

• No water fountains will be in use during the school day. Water bottle fill stations will be available for students to fill their water bottles with a lid that closes to prevent spills throughout the building.

• A safe room (separate from the clinic, which is across from the Counseling Office) will be established for students who become ill during the day. Students will be held in the safe room until they are picked up by a parent or guardian. Students should be picked up within 30 minutes from the initial call from the school.

Social Distancing

• Fulton County Schools will provide training and requirements for social distancing in common areas including, classrooms, break rooms, copy rooms, etc.

• Students will be assigned seating for morning and afternoon bus routes. Seats will be adjusted to comply with social distance requirements and to allow the rear to front-loading for AM runs, and front to rear unloading for PM runs.

• Visitors to the building will be limited. All visitors will be restricted to the front office area and must wear a mask to enter the building.

• For the first semester (August – December 2020), we will unfortunately not be able to have parent volunteers working in the front office.

• No meetings for outside groups should be scheduled to take place at Riverwood.

Fall Instruction/Schedule

Calendar/Schedule

Riverwood will follow a regular A/B calendar and bell schedule.

Bell Schedule – This schedule is being finalized to include additional lunch blocks to reduce the number of students in the cafeteria or commons at one time. It will not affect the overall in-class instruction time.

A/B Calendar – The final A/B calendar will be finalized later.

Late Arrival Days

• Fulton County Schools has scheduled district-wide late arrival days for the purpose of providing teachers and staff time to work in their professional learning communities to plan for high quality instruction.

• The scheduled days for the 2020-2021 school year are:

❑ September 21❑ October 26❑ November 16❑ December 7❑ February 22❑ March 22❑ May 17

• More details will be forthcoming regarding the schedule for these days.

Before School Begins

July – August 17

Before School Begins

Riverwood Mailer – The traditional Riverwood Mailer will be mailed to families prior to the start of school. The mailer will include relevant details for parents to sign up for PTSA, Riverwood Foundation, Riverwood Athletic Association, Performing Arts Booster Association (PABA), Band and Orchestra Booster (BOB). This packet will be mailed by the end of July. The mailer will also be posted on the Riverwood website with printable copies of all forms.

Raider Rally – Raider Rally as an in-person event, will not take place this year. Raider Rally will be held virtually this year on August 13. PTSA plans to host an event prior to the start of school for Seniors to receive their parking passes and other special senior gifts via a curbside pick-up. Stay tuned for more information regarding date and times.

Student Schedules – Schedules will be re-sent via email to students and parents the week of August 3. General changes to schedules will not be allowed. Counselors will be available via email to assist with missing or incorrect classes on schedules beginning August 10. If your student took a summer school class via Fulton Virtual, please contact your counselor to arrange for credit and scheduling.

Start of Schools Specifics

August 17, 2020

Start of School Specifics

Arrival – Due to construction, buses will drop off and pick up students in the front of the school.

➢ Carpool drop off and pick up will take place in the first row of the upper parking lot. (See map on next slide)

➢ The top three rows in the main parking lot are reserved for Seniors with a parking pass. All other cars will be booted.

➢ There will be spaces marked on the second row for visitors. Staff parking is clearly labeled and not available for students or visitors.

➢ Riverwood will be open for students to enter the front doors of the building on both ends beginning at 7:50.

➢ We will make all doors to the front of the school available for entry in order to promote social distancing.

➢ Upon entering the building, students will go to their first-period class or to the cafeteria for breakfast.

➢ Students can eat in the cafeteria while adhering to the social distancing rules. We will mark where students can sit on the seats. There will be several pre-wrapped “Grab and Go” options for breakfast. These options will include both hot and cold selections.

Start of School Specifics

Yellow = bus flow only

Orange = carpool flow

Light blue = parent drop-off & Staff parking

Start of School Specifics cont’d

Transitions – Students will be released from class on a slightly staggered schedule. Students will move to their next class without gathering in the hallways.

Classrooms – Teachers will work with custodial staff to space out desks and tables in classrooms to improve social distancing.

Media Center/MakerSpace — The media center/makerspace will be available for only a few students at a time. Students will not be allowed to have lunch or gather in the media center throughout the day.

Education Support - Riverwood is committed to delivering high quality Special Education, ESOL and 504 support and services to deserving students. Parents should contact their child’s 504 coordinator or their case manager with any questions or concerns that may arise throughout the year.

Start of School Specifics cont’d

Lunch — Additional lunch blocks will be added to ensure fewer students in the cafeteria or commons area at one time. ➢ Additional tables and seating will be available outside for students to promote social distancing

during this time. ➢ There will be several pre-wrapped “Grab and Go” options for lunch. These options will include

both hot and cold selections with a variety of sides to choose from each day. ➢ Parents are encouraged to pre-pay for meals online to minimize the amount of cash that is handled

each day. Click the link to access the flyer for directions on how to set up your student’s account. https://nutrition.fultonschools.org/PDF/Meals%20Flyer_2016%20ND2.pdf

Clinic — The Riverwood Clinic will be available for students to pick up medication and seek basic first aid as needed. A safe room (separate from the clinic) will be established for students who become ill/fever during the day. Students will be held in the safe room until they are picked up by a parent or guardian. Students should be picked up within 30 minutes from the initial call from the school.

Lockers — Locker rentals in the new building and gym will be limited.

Start of School Specifics cont’d

Athletics and Arts — Guidance for competitions and performances will be updated regularly with guidance based on the Georgia Health Department and GHSA guidelines. FCS will provide these guidelines and may be more but not less restrictive than GHSA recommendations.

Clubs and Academic Help Sessions – We are still determining how clubs and before/after school help sessions will operate once school opens. Details on this will be provided at a later date.

Riverwood Construction — Construction activities will be on-going throughout the school year. Access to the Auditorium will be restricted until January 2022. ➢ Band, Chorus, Orchestra and Drama have been relocated to the 700 hall near the tournament gym.➢ Walking routes will be clearly labeled for students to access the classroom around the construction

activities. ➢ Safety fences and barriers have been installed to create a safe learning environment for our

students.

Dismissal — Riverwood will slightly stagger dismissal at the end of the school day and efficiently direct students to their bus, car, or after school activity.

Start of School Specifics cont’d

Fall Grade Level Meetings — Grade level class meetings that are traditionally held during the first few weeks of school for students and parents will be held virtually. Dates and times will be published closer to the start of school. This will be an opportunity for students and parents to dial into their class meeting via Zoom where school administration, staff and parent groups will share important information for the beginning of year.

Parent/Teacher Conferences — Parent conferences should be held virtually with teachers and staff on an “as need” basis. All staff email addresses can be found on the Riverwood website. www.riverwoodics.org

Learning Recovery — Teachers will embed the Spring 2020 prioritized standards into the 20/21 School Year in order to ensure that learning gaps are addressed. Teachers will also use district tools and resources to diagnose students’ academic gaps, if any.

SEL Instruction — Along with the teaching and learning curriculum, whether in-person or online, ReStart Social Emotional Lessons (SEL) will be implemented for all students during the first six weeks of school. Additional SEL support will be offered to the students on-going throughout the year.

TeleSchool Remote Learning Plan(if required)

TeleSchool

• TeleSchool – Should we have to close school due to COVID, Riverwood would immediately utilize the TeleSchool Remote teaching schedule on the next slide. Please refer to the FCS School Closure Decision Matrix to review how those decisions will be made here.

• With the goal of providing a higher quality TeleSchool experience, students will follow their AB schedule according to the times on the next slide.

• Teachers will expect for all students to dial into their assigned classes virtually via TEAMS.

• The teacher will teach LIVE each day according to the next slide.

• Live Face to Face Instructional blocks will be 60 minutes per class. Teachers have been engaging in trainings since the end of school to support a stronger TeleSchool experience using the TEAMS platform.

• Attendance will be taken at the start of each class.

TeleSchool cont’d

A-DAY1st 8:30-9:302nd 9:45-10:453rd 11:00-12:00Lunch 12:00-1:004th 1:00-2:00Office Hours 2:15-3:15 (Time for teachers and students to hold one on one or small group work)Teacher Planning 3:15-4:00 (Time for teachers to plan for teaching and learning)

B-DAY1st 8:30-9:302nd 9:45-10:453rd 11:00-12:00Lunch 12:00-1:004th 1:00-2:00Office Hours 2:15-3:15 (Time for teachers and students to hold one on one or small group work)Teacher Planning 3:15-4:00 (Time for teachers to plan for teaching and learning)

Full-Time Virtual Learning Option

Full-Time Virtual

• Parents may seek to not send their students back to Riverwood and enroll their students in an exclusive remote option. To accommodate this anticipated demand, Fulton County is offering Full-Time Fulton Virtual, a virtual schooling option for students in all grades 1 through 12, which reflects FCS’ commitment to serving the needs of our community.

• For more information on this option, click here: https://www.fultonschools.org/cms/lib/GA50000114/Centricity/Domain/267/FCSVirtualLearning2020.pdf

High School❑ Students in grades 9-12 will be enrolled in their home school (Riverwood) while their secondary

school/program will be Full-Time Fulton Virtual. The expanded full-time Fulton Virtual delivery model, curriculum, instructional expectations, etc. will not be altered. This includes services such as transportation, athletics, extra-curriculars, etc. There will be virtual club offerings.

❑ After the first semester if students choose to return to Face-to-Face or TeleSchool (whichever model the District is employing), the counseling staff will coordinate a re-entry plan for the student.

Full-Time Virtual cont’d

Programming Specifics❑ The District will provide all teachers additional professional development. The FVS platformswill be limited to Teams, I-Ready, Illuminate, Class Link and Safari Montage. The Learning Management System and digital content will be provided by Edgenuity.

Instructional Expectations❑ Students will use the Fulton Virtual Instructional Model for core courses and electives. Itallows for synchronous lessons but flexibility for asynchronous learning and anticipates 82hours of instruction. Students will enroll in six (6) Fulton Virtual courses for the semester❑ The FVS curriculum will include: ELA (9th Grade Lit, 10th Grade Lit, 11th Grade Lit), Math(Algebra 1, Geometry, Trigonometry), Social Studies (Government, World History, USHistory), and Science (Biology, Physical Science, Physics).❑ FVS does not offer AP or Honors courses. Dual enrollment opportunities will be provided forCTAE electives and college courses to replace AP classes. GAVS is an opportunity for students who wish to take AP.

Questions?

Should you have questions/suggestions about this document, please email them to info@riverwoodics.org. My team will be gathering questions to answer in a FAQ document and collecting ideas on a spreadsheet to be reviewed by the “Return to Riverwood” Planning Committee.