New protocols established for return to school
By Lynsi Musselman
The back-to-school rush is here for students and parents as they shop for supplies and clothes, or prepare a space to learn from a distance.
Teachers and administrators are also preparing for students to return to the classroom, both virtually and in person.
Albany Independent School District teachers returned to their posts this week, and students will begin the school year on Wednesday, Aug.19.
Nancy Smith
Elementary School
NSES principal John Gallagher said there will be no “Meet the Teacher” night this year. Instead the homeroom teachers will contact each student to notify them of whose class they are in.
During calls from the homeroom teacher, students and parents will have the opportunity to ask questions and receive additional information about the upcoming school year.
“Pre-K, kindergarten, and other students new to AISD will receive a phone call as well as a time to come to school to meet their teacher in person and see the classroom,” Gallagher said.
He explained that once the first day of school gets here, parents will only be able to walk students up to the front doors or drop them off in the drive through, as well as pick them up at the door or in the circle pick up line.
“There will be a ‘welcome back’ sign posted at the front of the school for parents to take the obligatory first day of school picture,” Gallagher added.
He said visitors will not be allowed on campus this year in order to maintain a safe environment.
This includes visitors to the cafeteria during lunch.
“We have spread the lunch schedules out this semester, with only two grades eating in the cafeteria at one time,” Gallagher reported. “Lunch schedules will be posted on the school website and handed out the first week of school.”
Gallagher added that parents can occasionally drop a lunch off in the office in an emergency situation, or can come to the office to check-in or check-out a student if arriving or leaving campus during school hours.
Albany Jr./Sr. High
AISD secondary campus principal Glen Hill has posted a ‘procedures orientation’ on the Jr./Sr. High Facebook page to help students and parents navigate what to expect for the start of school.
A new feature at the secondary school is a buzzer system on the main doors to the high school and junior high.
The buzzer system includes a door bell and camera allowing for two-way communication.
Hill said these doors will be unlocked during passing periods but locked once classes begin to better secure the campus.
“If a student arrives after class starts or visitors come to campus, they will need to buzz the office to be let inside the building.” Hill said.
He added there will be a WIN period, standing for “Whatever I Want,” scheduled in after lunch.
“The WIN period will be a time for students to get help on benchmarks and an opportunity to grow and hopefully fill in the gap from the spring,” Hill said.
The principal added this period will also be for reviewing hygiene practices.
The school will have COVID-19 information signage posted at entrances and frequented areas as well to help educate students on how to prevent illnesses.
A new lunch schedule will be posted on the secondary school’s Facebook page.
“If weather permits, students can eat outside to make social distancing easier,” Hill added. “If students forget their lunches, they may leave school or eat in the cafeteria. We are asking that no lunches be dropped off this year.”
Morning drop off also looks a little different.
“Parents can drop off junior high students behind the building, before the speed bump,” Hill said.
In past years, all students had to be dropped off in front of the high school building, but so that junior high students do not have to go through the high school buildings, parents are now allowed to take them to a spot beside the tennis courts.
“High school students should be dropped off in the circle drive,” said Hill, who emphasized that the circle drive is for buses only during pick up from 2:45 to 4:00 p.m.
Hill is working on another video to post on Facebook this week for the secondary school, showing teachers and classrooms, and answering any questions students and families might have.
The principal encourages students and families to “like” the school’s Facebook page to see current announcements.
“Once school begins, I will also use Remind as a main communication platform,” Hill said.
District Precautions
Students are asked to screen themselves or be screened by parents daily before coming to school.
COVID symptoms can range from fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
Students who need to be quarantined will be able to remote learn while away from school.
School will be broadcast live from Google Meets for all remote learners, with a strict attendance policy.
“We will do everything we can to help our remote learners have a successful year,” Hill said.
Both campuses encourage in-person students to bring an individual refillable water bottle to school.
There will be a touchless water fountain for use and all old water fountains will not be used.
A nurse will be on both campuses daily this year, making it easier to monitor the health of all students.
Isolation rooms will be set up for suspected COVID-19 cases, and masks will be given to the students when brought to the office.
AISD has released a back-to-school plan for in-person and remote learning that can be found on the AISD website, albanyisd.net, that explains specific plans for returning to school.
School Supplies
School supply lists can be found on the school’s website and various places in town.
“We do not want families to worry about getting supplies that cannot be found, such as Clorox wipes and paper towels,” Gallagher said. “Get what you can and we will fill in the rest.”
Gallagher added that students at NSES will keep the supplies they buy, instead of having the supplies put into a shared system.
