• This page was last updated: November 2, 2020

    Return to School - October 27, 2020

    On Tuesday, September 29, 2020, the OCS Board of Education decided to move forward with a proposal for Exceptional Children (EC) self-contained and Preschool students to school October 27.  All OCS families have the option to keep their children home with a 100% remote learning option.

    Students in grades kindergarten through 12 will continue completely online until the start of the second semester in January 2021.

    All OCS staff members will return to school buildings and offices by December 7, 2020.

     

    apple October 2020 Calendar

    "NEW" red label for new information

    Hope 4 NC Hotline info in English and Spanish

     

    Click HERE for Information from OCS about Cloth Masks/Face Coverings

    "NEW" red label for new information

    Mask Breaks in OCS 

    (Updated 11-2-20)

    OCS Procedures for Breakfast & Lunch/Food & Beverage Consumption

    (Updated 11-2-20)

     

    Guidance on PPE for Staff and Students with Special Needs:

    As we prepare to welcome our youngest and most vulnerable learners back to school (i.e., preschoolers and students with special needs), it is important to know what science tells us about topics such as face coverings for special populations. As a proud partner of the ABC Science Collaborative, it is our goal to ensure that we follow guidelines based upon both science/real data from health experts, and also best practices and solutions learned from other districts who are already having successes with their schools being open under Plan B. Please watch this webinar from the ABC Science Collaborative for answers to many questions as we prepare for our preschool and EC students to return. 

     

    A Snapshot of the Plan B Instructional Model: **Information graphic coming soon!

     

    Ensuring Health and Safety:

    Over the past two months, we’ve closely monitored the school districts that returned to in-person instruction under Plan B at the beginning of the school year. Schools that are diligent about the 3 Ws--wearing a mask, washing hands frequently, and waiting--aren’t experiencing dangerous COVID-19 outbreaks.  

    By focusing on safety protocols, including masks for every OCS team member and student, along with the proper social distancing measures, we can help ensure that the OCS family--from students to staff--remains safe and healthy. Please know that wearing a mask will be absolutely mandatory for students and staff.  

     

    Resources for Students & Families to Review: 

     

    What does "exposure" to COVID-19 really mean? (Information is based upon new insight from the CDC.)

    Exposure to COVID-19, or being in close contact, is defined as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative, total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period, starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the infected person is isolated. 15 minutes or more cumulatively within one day could be considered exposure (e.g. 5 minutes in at arrival, 5 minutes at lunch, and 5 minutes at dismissal). Any person who has had close contact to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 should quarantine for 14 days after the last close contact. If no symptoms develop nor do they have a positive COVID-19 test, they may return to school after the 14-day quarantine. Please see our Reference Guide for Suspected, Presumptive, or Confirmed cases of COVID-19 for more information.

    Factors which are considered when defining close contact include:

    • proximity (closer distance likely increases exposure risk)
    • the duration of exposure (longer exposure time likely increases exposure risk)
    • whether the infected person has symptoms (the period around onset of symptoms is associated with the highest level of viral shedding)
    • if the infected person was likely to generate respiratory aerosols (e.g., was coughing, singing, shouting), and 
    • other environmental factors (crowing, adequacy of ventilation, whether exposure was indoors or outdoors)

    The infected individual’s identity is not discussed with contacts, even if asked. This process assists in identifying potential infected people who have been exposed to illness.