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FAQs

Lake Orion Community Schools created this page to address common questions from students, parents/guardians and community members regarding the January 19 Return to School process. New and updated responses are at the bottom.

If a question arises that is not answered on this page, please email communications@lok12.org.

-- LOCS Administration

Updated FAQ (January 7, 2020)

Q: What are the in-person return plans for each level?

A: For all levels

  • Breakfast and lunch will be provided on a “grab-and-go” basis to limit periods without masks while at school. This will take place at all levels.
  • We will limit students and staff from potential exposure at the elementary level with fewer staff members interacting with multiple classes. At the secondary level, we will move forward in a hybrid setting to reduce the class sizes and number of students in the building each day.

The plans for each LOCS level/program, which include bus transportation available for all in-person students:

  • Elementary School (shortened in-person/afternoon remote schedule)
    • Morning
      • The early start schools (Stadium Drive, Paint Creek, Webber) will attend in person from 8:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
      • The late start schools (Carpenter, Orion Oaks, Blanche Sims) will attend in person from 9 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
      • Students will be provided a grab-and-go lunch for that day and breakfast for the next day upon the midday dismissal
    • Afternoon (remote)
      • Specials courses and social-emotional lessons will be provided asynchronously (independent) 
      • Each Special Education student’s schedules will be determined by the IEP team and/or their Contingency Learning Plan
      • Before/after care will be available (SACC), beginning January 19 with an additional charge for the afternoon session, due to the increased time period; Registration must be completed through the Early Childhood office.
  • Middle School (hybrid schedule)
    • 7:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. - all classes
    • Green days (M/W/F) and White days (T/TH) in person week 1
    • White days (M/W/F) and Green days (T/TH) in person week 2
    • Asynchronous (independent) activities on alternate days
    • Students will be provided a grab-and-go lunch for that day and breakfast for the next day upon the midday dismissal
    • Each Special Education student’s schedules will be determined by the IEP team and/or their Contingency Learning Plan
  • Lake Orion High School (hybrid schedule)
    • 9:40 a.m. – 2:35 p.m. 
    • Same schedule as previous, Green and White days
    • Asynchronous (independent) activities on alternate days
    • Students will be provided a grab-and-go lunch for that day and breakfast for the next day upon dismissal
    • Each Special Education student’s schedules will be determined by the IEP team and/or their Contingency Learning Plan
  • Learning Options High School (late-start schedule)
    • 9:40 a.m. – 2:35 p.m. five days a week
    • Students will be provided a grab-and-go lunch for that day and breakfast for the next day upon dismissal
    • Each Special Education student’s schedules will be determined by the IEP team and/or their Contingency Learning Plan
  • Pine Tree Center (early dismissal schedule)
    • 8:45 – 1:45 p.m. five days a week
  • Early Childhood
    • Pre-K/childcare programs, Early Childhood Special Education will return in person as normal on January 19.

 

Q: Can in-person students switch to Dragon Virtual for the second semester?

A: Unfortunately, Dragon Virtual is only available to those students who signed up for the program during the October registration period. LOCS announced that students who committed to in-person learning at that time would remain on that track for the remainder of the school year, due to the staffing and planning challenges on the district’s end.

 

Q: What is the logic behind returning elementary students for split days (in-person mornings, remote afternoons)?

A: When LOCS shifted to remote learning a few weeks ago, we shared that the most significant challenge we were faced was trying to prevent spread within the schools. To accomplish this and return to in-person learning as the vast majority of our families have requested, we needed to limit the unmasked time as much as possible, which is why we are eliminating in-person lunches. That involves shortening the in-person instructional day to include the core classes in person and the specials in a remote setting.

The other primary issue is the specials teachers, who were moving class to class and building to building, interacting with multiple students. By making those elementary specials remote, students can still get the benefit, without multiple classes potentially being exposed to one staff member and forced to quarantine. After many discussions with the medical professionals in our county and our community, the LOCS Administration feels this is the most appropriate way to re-introduce our students into the in-person environment.

 

Q: How long will the current plan remain in place – for the duration of the school year?

A: As with all changes in the environment and as we have since March 2020, the LOCS Administration will make the appropriate evaluations as virus circumstances dictate. We will inform the community whenever new details are available to share.

 

Q: What is the breakdown of the middle school students for the Green and White day groups?

A: The middle school administrators will share the information about the students and their Green/White assignments in January along with other return to school information.

 

Q: Will the middle school students have all six classes each day?

A: Yes. On the in-person days and the remote asynchronous (independent) days there will be work for each of the classes.

 

Q: To clarify, the elementary students will not eat lunch at school?

A: Correct. Students who choose to receive a free grab and go lunch will be able to take that home to eat. Elementary students will be provided a short, socially distanced period each day to eat a snack they have brought from home. The goal remains to limit the maskless time as much as possible.

 

Q: How will individual students placed in quarantine (not as a full class group) complete their work?

A: Students who are in quarantine are asked to connect with their teacher and find out what options are available to complete work to maintain within each class. That process will continue once in-person learning resumes on January 19.

 

Q: How do I register my student for the School Age Child Care program?

A: Please contact the LOCS Early Childhood Department for SACC registration details. The fee schedule is also posted.

 

Q: Why is the middle school program moving to the hybrid/alternate day format?

A: The thought process behind the middle school hybrid is to reduce the in-person class sizes each day to enhance social distancing and limit the number of people in the building. This can best be accomplished by having the students attend in-person alternate days.

 

Q: What is the time schedule for the in-person classes?

A: Below are the in-person times shared with families in December.

  • Elementary School (shortened in-person/afternoon remote schedule)
    • The early start schools (Stadium Drive, Paint Creek, Webber) will attend in person from 8:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
    • The late start schools (Carpenter, Orion Oaks, Blanche Sims) will attend in person from 9 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
  • Middle School (hybrid schedule)
    • 7:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. - all classes
  • Lake Orion High School (hybrid schedule)
    • 9:40 a.m. – 2:35 p.m. 
  • Learning Options High School (late-start schedule)
    • 9:40 a.m. – 2:35 p.m. five days a week
  • Pine Tree Center (early dismissal schedule)
    • 8:45 – 1:45 p.m. five days a week
  • Early Childhood
    • Pre-K/childcare programs, Early Childhood Special Education will return in person as normal on January 19.

 

  • What is the plan for if a student or staff member gets sick during the school day?
    • The LOCS protocols for COVID-19 will be followed. If a student gets sick, they will be kept in a separate space until a parent comes to pick them up. A staff member will leave the building. If the student/staff member tests positive for COVID-19, it will be a 14-day isolation before returning to school and families of the other students in the class will be notified so they can quarantine. The protocols are listed on our COVID-19 protocols page.
  • What about kids that sneeze or cough a lot due to allergies or a common cold? Will they need to stay home until symptoms disappear?
    • If a student shows symptoms of COVID-19, he/she will be sent home and asked to return when the symptoms have subsided or the family presents a negative COVID-19 test. A remote learning program will be provided for the student until returning to school.
  • What does remote look like for a child who has allergies or consistently can't pass the clear to go app due to other illness that isn't covid related - simple cold/allergies/ear infection - things that certainly mimic the symptoms? 
    • We understand that the COVID-19 symptoms are also symptoms of many other illnesses. Letting administration know the circumstance will be necessary and a doctor’s note may be required.
  • What does screening look like?
    • Students and staff will complete the "Clear to Go" app each morning, prior to arriving at an LOCS facility/boarding a bus, to ensure the individual is symptom-free.
  • The Clear to Go App is not working on all phones. Will this issue be fixed? 
    • The app is not yet loaded with the LOCS student information. It will be loaded by the beginning of in-person learning.
  • If you can't get the Clear to Go app to work or if your child doesn't have a cell phone and/or parents don't have one how do we show clearance to be allowed to go to school?
    • Schools will have an alternate method for students to complete the health screening if the student or their parents cannot produce the green badge on a cell phone. Alternate options could include filling out a form each day answering the questions.
  • How do I know if my student is too sick to attend school?
    • The Clear To Go app asks questions regarding the CDC-guided symptoms of COVID-19. If any of those symptoms appear, the student is asked to remain home until the symptoms clear for at least 24 hours.
  • Will LOCS conduct individual temperature checks for students and staff members?
    • The current state Roadmap does not mandate temperature checks in school, but an elevated temperature (100.4 degrees and above) is considered a symptom of COVID-19. That is why students and staff are asked to take their own temperature daily to appropriately answer that question in the Clear to Go app before arriving at an LOCS facility.
    • The Roadmap states, "Families are encouraged to check their child’s temperature at home every morning using oral, tympanic, or temporal scanners; students with a temperature of 100.4 or greater should stay home and consider coronavirus testing if symptoms of COVID-19 are present."
  • As we approach cold and flu season, what does that look like for a child who is in-person? Will he/she have to stay home until the symptoms resolve completely? With younger children the span of these cold symptoms can be weeks, what would happen to my child during that time? 
    • This will be handled the same as we typically do.  
  • Also, would a negative COVID test be required before my child would be allowed to attend in-person again? 
    • No. LOCS is not requiring a test.
  • What if my child is driven to school by another family? How will you know the app questions have been answered?  Do we have to submit a paper form each day? 
    • That app will have to be completed in the morning prior to leaving the parents and the school will have a record on site of the completion.
  • Can my child use her own smart phone to show the Clear to Go "results" when entering the school? 
    • Yes, the student will be tied to a Clear to Go account on the app, so each phone will have its own app.
  • Will the Clear to Go app allow me to complete a form for each child in my household and then switch back and forth on the "results" screen to show to the different schools/buses upon arrival? 
    • We are working to make the app efficient for family use.
  • Why you can't go above and beyond what's recommended for masks and temperature taking? 
    • This is not logistically logical nor efficient.
  • What has LOCS done w/ the HVAC system in order to safely accommodate students - knowing that these systems play a critical role in the safety of the building - particularly as we head into winter months?
    • LOCS HVAC systems are set to change the air in a room about 8 times an hour. We will be using MERV 13 rated filters. This level of filter removes the virus from the air.