Pine Tree Center Update (Sept. 18)
Dear PTC Families and Students,
The PTC staff is very excited to start seeing students live next week whether in-person or remote. As a follow up to the email you received from your caseload teacher, I wanted to send you some information for students participating in our hybrid in-person option.
Transportation and Clear to Go
- All parents and students need to download the Clear to Go app before the in-person learning option starts on September 22. You will receive a parent invite from Clear to Go by Monday. Directions can be found at:
- https://www.lakeorionschools.org/return-to-school/health-self-screener
- Open this in a new window if prompted
- The transportation department is working hard to create all of the routes for students, they will call you as soon as they have all of the information completed for the most accurate times of pick up and drop off. You will have the information before the first day of in-person learning.
Students that take a Lake Orion Community School bus:
- The parent/student should show the “green badge” indicating they are symptom-free on the Clear to Go app before entering the bus.
- Once the driver or aide sees the pass the student can enter the bus.
- A parent/guardian must wait at the bus stop until the bus departs, in the event a student in not permitted to board due to COVID-19 symptoms.
- All students will use the hand sanitizer provided on the bus when entering.
- Students will sit alone in a seat.
- Students will wear their mask when getting on the bus, during the bus ride and when exiting the bus unless:
- a medical exception is provided
- student is unable to remove his/her own mask independently
- We understand that some students will need to continually practice wearing their mask and the driver and aide will provide help and prompting or prompts during the ride to and from school.
- If the student becomes ill while at school, they will need to be picked up by a parent/guardian and are not allowed to ride the bus home.
Students that utilize out of district busing, private transportation, or parent drop off:
- The parent/student should complete the Clear to Go app before your student is picked up by out of district bussing, private transportation, or before you drop your student off at PTC.
- If you receive the “green badge” indicating they are symptom-free on the Clear to Go app, your student is ready to be transported.
- Once a student arrives at PTC and a PTC staff member sees the pass the student can enter the building.
- All students will use the hand sanitizer station at the entrance of each classroom upon entry.
- Students will wear their mask when getting on the bus, during the bus ride and when exiting the bus unless:
- a medical exception is provided
- student is unable to remove his/her own mask independently
- If the student becomes ill while at school, they will need to be picked up by a parent/guardian and are not allowed to ride the bus or private transportation home.
For a more detailed Enter/Exit Protocol, please see the attachment:
Positive Test Procedures and Protocols
- COVID-19 symptoms are: cough, fatigue, fever/chills, headache, temperature of 100.4 or higher, nausea/vomiting, loss of taste/smell, shortness of breath, sore throat.
- Two Isolated waiting rooms are designated at PTC for symptomatic students.
- Any symptomatic student will need to be picked up by an adult listed on the emergency card.
- Any student who tests positive for COVID-19 must remain home, based on the protocols below.
- Any individual with a fever cannot return to PTC until they are 72 hours fever-free without fever-reducing medication.
- LOCS requires all positive COVID-19 tests from student/staff to be reported to school administration by families to initiate contact tracing. Doctor documentation is required.
- Those with "close contact" with a positive individual should also remain out of school for the same 14-day period and monitor symptoms. This includes all family members.
- The CDC defines "close contact" as: Someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from 48 hours before illness onset.
- PTC will transition students to remote learning for the duration of the quarantine.
- A classroom, bus route or individual group or activity could be closed due to exposure under LOCS protocols.
- If a classroom is required to quarantine, students will move to remote learning until allowed to return to school.
- Should the Oakland County Health Division establish a county-wide school protocol, LOCS will defer to that process, as recommended by the state Return to School roadmap.
- Students will not be penalized for staying home due to illness and are encouraged to remain home when feeling sick, even if not symptomatic.
- LOCS staff members are subject to the same protocols as contained in the Preparedness and Workplace Plan and Policy.
Below you will find PTC’s protocol for COVID.
PTC Return to School Health & Safety Plan
The following provides details on cleaning, health, and safety at PTC for the hybrid in-person learning option:
PTC Return to School Health and Safety Plan
We cannot wait to see the students.
Jillian Knapp
PTC Supervisor