2021-2022 Return to Schools

updated 1/3/2022    

Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Schools welcome students back to everyday school for in-person learning. An online option will not be available this school year. We will implement safety protocols to the largest extent possible but any student who attends school will incur some level of risk. We will decrease the likelihood of infection with hygiene such as hand washing and hand sanitizer being available, cleaning/sanitizing, and safety procedures, but being in a public place has a certain level of risk that cannot be eliminated. The district will continue to monitor the situation and may make changes accordingly. This may include, but is not limited to, requiring masks, requiring masks in specific situations or grade levels, requiring masks on a temporary basis, limiting group work, going to a hybrid schedule, etc. We ask for your patience and understanding throughout these times.

Masks

• Mask wearing at school:

• Grades K-12: Students, staff, and visitors are strongly encouraged to wear a mask while indoors, but not required. (updated 10/29/21)

• View Face Mask Research from ODH

• Due to a federal CDC order for public transportation, which includes school vehicles, face coverings will still be required for all students and staff, whether vaccinated or not, while on school transportation. 

• A mask exemption form for medical or disability reasons can be found HERE. Documentation is required.

Daily Self-Monitoring

• We encourage and recommend students, staff, and visitors to conduct a self-assessment at home prior to coming to school or school events and if you are sick, stay at home.

• Any student with a fever over 100.4F should stay home.

• Any student that has the symptoms of COVID-19 should stay home from school and should see their primary care provider to be assessed for COVID-19.

Communications when a student/staff member has been diagnosed with a COVID 19 and close contacts for the classroom setting.

• School districts will implement processes to comply with orders from the Ohio Department of Health regarding communications about COVID 19.

  • COVID-19 dashboard will be posted on our website with positive cases and number subjected to quarantine. This will be updated each school day.

• All parents or legal guardians of students, as well as school staff, must notify the school of a confirmed diagnosis within 24 hours.

• The district will work collaboratively with GCPH and communicate positive cases and close contact information to parents/guardians. 

• On December 30, 2021, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) released new quarantine recommendations for students and staff who have been exposed to COVID-19 within a K-12 school setting. In accordance with Greene County Public Health, these new ODH Mask to Stay and Test to Play recommendations will enable Bellbrook-Sugarcreek to keep the most students possible at school for in-person learning. These new ODH guidelines can be found HERE. If your child is unable to wear a mask or has a mask exemption, these new guidelines do not apply. It is a federal order to wear masks on public transportation, thus, masks will still be required on school buses. Mask to Stay and Test to Play applies regardless of masking or vaccination status and does not apply to out of school exposures. Additionally, if your child is determined to be a close contact, families have the option to follow traditional quarantine guidelines (quarantine at home and not participate in extra-curriculars). With the implementation of Mask to Stay and Test to Play, the Guidelines for Quarantine After Exposure in K-12 Classroom Settings chart released by ODH will no longer apply.

• On December 30, 2021, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) also released new guidelines for non-school exposures. Click HERE. 
  

Returning to School After Illness

• It has come to our attention that your child has been medically diagnosed as positive for COVID-19. Per Ohio Department of Health and Greene County Health protocols, your child should stay at home and isolate for the next 5 days regardless of symptoms or vaccination status. 

They must meet the following criteria to return to school:

24 hours with no fever (without using fever-reducing medication) AND

Other symptoms are better AND

Wear a mask for the next 5 days

• Students that only have a fever and no other symptoms and have not had any contact with an individual that has COVID-19 may return to school after they are fever-free for 24 hours without using any fever-reducing medications.  

• Any other illnesses should be handled in a routine manner according to district policies.

Vaccines

1. COVID-19 vaccines for those eligible (students, staff, and visitors) will be optional, leaving this decision up to each family.

   • ODH “strongly recommends vaccinations for staff and eligible students" and CDC states ”Vaccination is currently the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic.”  You may find the vaccination location nearest you by visiting https://gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov