Reopening Plan | 08.28

REOPENING PLAN 2020-2021 As of July 28, 2020 Academically Excellent | Globally Minded | Distinctively Christian

OVERVIEW FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL Dear Southwest Christian School Families, By the Grace of God, and under His provision, Southwest Christian School plans to reopen for in-person instruction on August 12. We made this decision after much research, prayer, and preparation, so that we can best serve our students and their families. We will also augment our in- person program with an opportunity for teacher-led remote learning for those who cannot return physically to campus at this time, or who choose not to do so. This approach allows families to decide how their children should engage in our community, one that does not shy away from its mission to graduate young adults equipped as Christian leaders in the world. SCS has prepared for the coming school year by consulting with, and learning from, a wide array of sources, including medical and educational experts locally and nationally. In addition to advice from professionals within our community, we’ve drawn on resources and guidelines from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Tarrant County Health Department, the Texas Education Agency (TEA), and Texas Private School Association (TPSA). We collaborated and conferred weekly with leaders of local independent schools, and reviewed daily posts shared through the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) heads of school blog. Seven administrators participated in Baylor University’s Virtual Learning Academy workshop. School leaders also gleaned insights from other training, including Independent School Management’s Countdown to Reopening. Our staff has also benefited from regular review of health data and input from medical professionals on and off campus. The Texas Attorney General’s declaration that schools like ours are exempt from closure orders from local officials recognizes that the state cannot unreasonably impede our ability to conduct our Christian ministry. Yet having the liberty to open places a heavy responsibility on our shoulders: to provide an excellent Christ-centered education while we safeguard to the best of our ability the health and safety of our students and families. SCS has therefore made a tremendous investment in transforming our campuses and practices, as well as hiring and equipping an exceptional faculty and staff. As you will see in the following pages, professional educators and staff members at SCS are prepared to work with our amazing students to help put into practice the recommended protocols. Many of these were in place this summer, as we had up to 200 campers on both campuses for several weeks with great success. Along with a host of experts, we believe in the benefits of in-person schooling— carefully and prayerfully structured. We have strived to mitigate the risks in order to provide each student with the benefit of an exceptional Christ-centered education. In the days ahead, we will provide much more detail than can be presented in this overview. Please be on the look out for Dr. Richards’ upcoming videos “Classroom Setup Details” and “Close Contact Protocols,” as well as pre-orientation packets from each campus. Also rest assured, SCS will regularly and carefully review our policies and procedures to adjust to new information, challenges, and opportunities. As we step forward into our next half century of service, we are eager to see what the Lord has in store for us all in the year ahead! God bless, Brian E.M. Johnson President and Head of School

PREPARING AND SUPPORTING OUR FACULTY AND STAFF • SCS has focused on hiring, training, supporting, and equipping a committed community of teachers, coaches, and mentors. • We also have adjusted policies and procedures to decrease the risk to our students, faculty, and staff. SCS will continually evaluate how to best safeguard the health of our teachers, some of whom are in vulnerable categories. • We adapted human resource protocols to meet or exceed the regulations relating to the pandemic. • We’ve increased staff for in-person instruction to provide for class size reduction. • We added staff to support individual learners who will be at home by choice or quarantine. Additional teachers will serve as a resource to the assigned classroom teachers. • We continue to provide training for teachers in flipped classroom instruction, enhancing assessment, and using our available technology. • Many of our meetings are being conducted online, including our summer in-service training. • We increased the number of permanent \"super subs” to ensure smooth transition when there are teacher absences. • We have coordinated for local, rapid COVID-19 testing (including rapid response) for our faculty, at the school’s expense, whenever needed. (Note, SCS students and immediate families will be able to use the same service at a discounted rate because of their relationship to the school, as highlighted later.) • Faculty and staff have been asked to limit or avoid travel for 14 days before the start of school. HEALTH AND PREVENTION

HEALTH AND PREVENTION HEALTH AND PREVENTION PROTOCOLS This overview contains a great deal of information. In an effort, to avoid overwhelming families, we have broken down essential details into digestible portions. Families will soon receive a handbook via email outlining specific processes as to how you and the school should respond to infection or quarantine among students, staff, or close contacts. HEALTH ASSESSMENT AND PARENT SUPPORT: • TEA and other organizations do not recommend that school officials check temperatures of every student coming onto campus, so we place the responsibility of that daily wellness check on every family. Still, we may spot check students’ temperatures during lunch or at some point during the school day. • We will regularly communicate the importance of staying home and monitoring symptoms that have a possibility of being COVID-19-related. The spread will be minimal if infected people stay home. • SCS will provide every teacher (and most staff) with handheld, non-contact thermometers to use as we check temperatures and monitor students at various points. • SCS students and immediate families will be able to use the same service as our faculty and staff for rapid testing at a discounted rate. CAMPUS VISITORS: • Parents and visitors will not be allowed in the buildings during the school day except by appointment. • All visitors, at all times, will be screened for symptoms, including a temperature check and a brief questionnaire. • While on campus, all visitors will adhere to our health precautions, and areas they visit will receive increased attention in our sanitation protocols. FOOT TRAFFIC AND PASSING PERIODS: • In addition to providing signage indicating foot-traffic patterns in hallways and on the Boardwalk, class release times will be adjusted slightly to decrease congestion during passing periods. • Students and teachers will discuss ways to reduce the use of student lockers to prevent hallway congestion. • Academic schedules have been adjusted to increase the use of cohorts and limit close contact. • Since classrooms have been assigned based on numbers of students in each course on the Lakeside Campus, teachers will change classrooms, such that, at times, students may not have to leave the room for their next classes. • On the Chisholm Trail Campus, several “specials,” such as library, art, world language and sometimes computer, will come to classrooms, in order to limit travel for each cohort. • The revision of the Lakeside Campus to an \"A Day/B Day\" schedule further reduces the number of passing periods per day.

DINING: HEALTH AND PREVENTION • All students are encouraged to bring their own food with them to campus. Meals will be—at least initially—consumed in the classrooms. There will likely be opportunities for students to eat in outdoor areas as well. • Chisholm Trail Campus students in Grade 3 and below who order food through the school's vendor will have their meals delivered to the classroom. Students in Grades 4 - 6, who order food through the school's vendor, will retrieve their meals from the cafeteria, maintaining social distancing in route and in line. • Those students ordering food on the Lakeside Campus will have their orders delivered to one of three locations, identified by the student’s schedule. These delivery locations are near the entrances to the Snelson, Drury, and Hawkins buildings. SOCIAL DISTANCING AND CONTACT TRACING: • Prior to the start of the school year, teachers, students, and families will have both written and video information outlining the school’s protocols, particularly around establishing and tracking “close contacts.” • All students and staff will have extensive training on social distancing, sanitizing, and procedures for students feeling ill that will take place before the start of school and during orientations. • Students and teachers will have regular reminders regarding recommended precautions being implemented by the school to protect the health of all members of the school community. In fact, to ensure everyone fully understands his or her responsibilities under our protocols and feels comfortable with the learning environment, SCS will use August 12, 13, and 14 as a “rolling start.” We will sequence start times and bring successively larger groups of students to campus for instruction and practice. More information to follow. MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT: • Southwest Christian School offers a comprehensive school counseling program using a Christ- centered worldview to address the emotional needs of students. • SCS school counselors are available to assist students, families, and staff with a wide range of personal concerns including social-emotional, behavioral, mental health, and family. • The SCS school counseling department follows the Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs. The four components of the school counseling program are Responsive Services, Guidance Curriculum, Individual Planning, and System Support. Please refer to the back page for contacts.

HEALTH AND PREVENTION HEALTH AND PREVENTION FACE COVERINGS FACE COVERINGS OVERVIEW: • As of July 28, given the local and statewide recommendations: 1. All students will wear face coverings as they enter any school building and during transition, indoors or outdoors, between classes or locations. 2. Pre-K - 3: Once established in class, students may remove their masks, if they can maintain a safe distance away from others who are not in transition, when directed by the teacher. 3. Grades 4 - 12: Students will be required to wear face coverings while indoors unless they are eating or actively exercising. 4. Exception for Lakeside Campus: students in class and in the gymnasium or Black Box Theatre who can maintain social distancing and are supervised by a teacher (i.e. P.E. or acting class) are considered to be actively exercising, even when they are awaiting a specific period of movement. That is, while receiving instruction, they may remove the face covering if they can maintain social distance, AND have the expressed permission of the teacher. • Outdoors, students may remove their face coverings when they are able to maintain a social distancing environment, as directed by a supervising teacher, coach, or staff member. • We classify teacher-directed brain breaks, or activities and recess, as actively exercising. In fact, we anticipate allowing students to remove masks while in outdoor classes provided they maintain a socially distanced environment. • The school will regularly review and adjust any protocol based on new information and recommendations locally and nationally. • Face coverings must cover the nose and mouth. You are free to choose any masks, neck gaiters, or other coverings provided those coverings are not a distraction or deemed inappropriate in the final determination of SCS faculty and staff. SCS branded face coverings are only available through SCS PTO.

CAMPUS READINESS CAMPUS READINESS BUILDINGS AND HALLWAYS: • We've increased airflow by modifying the run times of HVAC units at each campus. • We've improved indoor air quality through needlepoint bipolar ionization on all 84 HVAC units. Bipolar ionization technology emits charged particles that attach to and deactivate harmful substances like bacteria, allergens, mold, and viruses. • We've increased cleaning and sanitizing before, during, and after the school day. • We've positioned hand sanitizer dispensers by the doors at all classrooms, restrooms, and community spaces. • Signage will facilitate queuing at six-foot social distances in areas where students may briefly have to wait in lines. • Floor markings have been installed to direct foot traffic flow, and help students maintain a safe distance apart. • We've adjusted the bell schedule for passing periods during the academic day to limit the risk of congestion in hallways. • Water fountains have been disabled, now using only the bottle filling function. PERSONAL PROTECTION OVERVIEW: • In addition to health and safety training for students and employees, SCS will provide PPE for employees and ensure appropriate face coverings or other PPE are worn by visitors as directed. • Plexiglass shields have been installed in various locations where social distancing is difficult, so we can maintain an additional level of protection for employees, students, and visitors.

LEARNING SPACES LEARNING SPACES INDOOR AND OUTDOOR PREPARING FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING IN CLASSROOMS: • Every classroom has been measured and marked to provide for appropriate social distancing. • Furniture has been moved, removed, or changed where necessary. • Some larger spaces have been repurposed to add or increase the utilization of classrooms. • Sanitizing materials have been purchased for every classroom space, including hand sanitizer and dispensers near the entrances. • Each classroom is equipped with medical-grade wipes so all students (where developmentally appropriate) can wipe down their work surface and sanitize their hands before classes begin, as well as before and after eating. • Classrooms will be disinfected each evening with Brutab 6S, mixed appropriately and sprayed on all high-touch and non-porous surfaces, applied with an electrostatic sprayer for total coverage. • Door handles, restrooms, and other high-touch surfaces will be sanitized regularly throughout the school day. • Classroom technology has been secured to supplement in-class instruction. OUTDOOR SPACES: • Outdoor classroom spaces have been defined for class use, brain breaks, etc. • Shade structures and tents will be added to increase the use of outdoor areas. • The Boardwalk on the Lakeside Campus will be completed, providing an additional wide, outdoor area for students to use when traveling between classrooms. • Teachers, coaches, and students will be trained and encouraged to use outdoor options for instruction, recreation, and relaxation, when feasible.

ATHLETICS, CO-CURRICULAR, ATHLETICS, CO-CURRICULAR, AND CHAPEL AND CHAPEL ATHLETICS AND CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: • As announced previously and under the direction of TAPPS, we anticipate having athletic competitions this fall, with a shortened season. Until we have further stipulations from TAPPS regarding safety precautions, the previously-noted protocols regarding face coverings apply to our athletic periods, and before and after school athletic training and practices. • While those in teacher-led remote learning cannot participate in co-curricular sports and ensemble productions, we are planning community-building activities that will include those learning remotely. • Elementary students, grades Pre-K - 6, will have physical education two times per week with their cohort group. Recess will occur daily along with brain breaks, when teachers and students are encouraged to go outside in their cohort group for enjoyment, active learning, extension activities, etc. CHAPEL: • At this time, chapels will be conducted virtually. • On the Chisholm Trail Campus, chapel will occur every Wednesday in homeroom classes. Every classroom, in Kindergarten - Grade 6 is assigned a scripture to study and present, record as a video, and share with all classrooms. Special announcements, praise, and worship time will be incorporated into these weekly chapels. Pre-K will not have a group chapel for the time being; however, students will continue their Bible curriculum with daily Bible lessons. • On the Lakeside Campus, virtual chapels will include area speakers, praise band, small group discussions, and senior speeches. • Chapels will be streamed into each classroom, which will allow teachers and students the opportunity to reflect and discuss the topic and biblical truths covered.

TEACHER-LED REMOTE LEARNING TEACHER-LED REMOTE LEARNING TEACHER-LED REMOTE LEARNING OPTION: • SCS has developed a program for teacher-led remote learning to support students required to learn from home for medical reasons, but families may proactively choose this option as well. • We strongly encourage in-person learning, as our school is designed around the intellectual, developmental, and social-emotional benefits of in-person interaction; however, we will strive to offer an excellent Christian education with many of the elements of our school and community to those who are learning remotely. • We hope students who do not face a period of quarantine, underlying health concerns, or family circumstances requiring their learning remotely, will attend in-person, but we know that some families face particularly challenging decisions. • Families will receive additional information from SCS, so they may indicate their choice prior to the start of school. • For those choosing teacher-led remote learning, a three-week trial period will commence at the beginning of school through September 4, at which point students may return to in-person classes or continue with remote learning. • At any point, a student who has elected remote learning may transition to in-person instruction. • After the first nine weeks, students may only transition to remote learning for documented health reasons. • Whatever the reason one has to learn remotely — because of illness, quarantine, or heightened concerns — SCS wants to support and love every student the Lord has brought to our community. Of the roughly $750,000 in new funding for pandemic response measures, the school has directed more than $300,000 to support improvements to our remote learning environment.

THE EAGLE’S EYE: TEACHER-LED REMOTE LEARNING • Our \"Eagle's Eye\" video and audio system will allow students to log-in remotely to view—and to actively participate with—their teacher and class in real time. Since we may have a number of students unable to attend in-person classes, we have upgraded technology to interface with the Zoom platform to improve audio, video, and interactivity so that students at home can participate in their classes remotely. • This system is a high-definition, wide-angle camera with premier conferencing technology that will allow the teacher to be easily heard and seen. • We've also purchased iPads for each teacher and Apple TVs for each Lakeside Campus classroom, freeing up the teachers' laptops to run Zoom for our students learning remotely. • This summer, our teachers prepared for “flipped” classes, a form of direct instruction in which content can be delivered at home, enabling class time to become a dynamic place for the students to practice, debate, and engage the material. • Teachers are planning to provide blocks of teacher-led instruction at specific points in their class period so both in-person and remote learners will have time to work through assignments, reflect, and engage in deeper learning. These approaches can prove effective in teacher-led remote learning, as well as in-person instruction, or a hybrid class in which some students are in person while others participate remotely.

TEACHER-LED REMOTE LEARNING NETWORKED EDUCATION SUPPORT TEAM — N.E.S.T.: • Each student designated as a remote learner for an extended period will be assigned a Networked Education Support Team (N.E.S.T.) teacher. These “Nesties” will be assigned by grade level to augment the work of classroom teachers, deans, counselors, and others to help each child learning remotely. • N.E.S.T. is designed to help students who we expect to be out for 10 days or more, those navigating teacher-led remote learning, alternative or modified assignments, remote assessment, etc. • Students who are only briefly or intermittently absent will continue to work with their classroom teachers, deans, counselors, etc., as needed to complete required work. Of course, absent students—those supported by N.E.S.T. and others—are encouraged to participate in class remotely through the Eagle’s Eye, if possible. • If a student is sent home, and it is determined the student will need to remain home for an extended period, then the student will be assigned a N.E.S.T. teacher in addition to his or her classroom teacher automatically through our health and academic counseling professionals. For example, if the school nurse determines that a student exhibits COVID-related symptoms, she would follow our health protocols to limit the risk of spread. Then, she would contact our N.E.S.T. coordinator, who would reach out to the family to determine if a N.E.S.T. teacher should be assigned. • However, if a student must remain home for an extended period for other reasons (i.e. family choice, doctor’s order, or exposure while away from school), then the family will be responsible for alerting the school through our registrar’s office (Lakeside Campus) or Assistant Principal (Chisholm Trail Campus) in order to ensure that a NEST teacher is assigned. • Families of students electing to enroll their children in the remote learning environment at the beginning of the year (N.E.S.T. by choice) will need to alert the school of their intention through a school survey. Those students will receive information from the appropriate office and be assigned a class schedule and a NEST teacher. • Students who are required to quarantine because of their illness or that of a close contact will be placed with the N.E.S.T. temporarily and may return to in-person learning when cleared to do so. Details regarding return-to-campus will be provided in a separate procedural guidelines. ATTENDANCE WHILE IN THE N.E.S.T. PROGRAM: • Attendance protocols remain substantially the same as in past years in terms of daily attendance, except that students will be considered to have attended class if they were in person or if they participated online. • The Networked Education Support Team can recommend exceptions to the principal regarding attendance protocol, if doing so would address individual circumstances and enhance the teacher-led remote learning experience for the student.

CONTACTS: ADMINISTRATION President and Head of School | Brian Johnson, M.Ed. [email protected] Associate Head of School | Craig Smith [email protected] Associate Head of School | Joey Richards, Ed.D. [email protected] CHISHOLM TRAIL CAMPUS LAKESIDE CAMPUS Principal | Justin Kirk, M.Ed. High School Principal | Somer Yocom, Ed.D. [email protected] [email protected] Assistant Principal | Ashley Howard, M.Ed. Middle School Principal | Coby Bird, M.Ed. [email protected] [email protected] Guidance Counselor | Stephanie Mills Guidance Counselor | Nicole Caylor, M.Ed. [email protected] [email protected] Nurse | Sara Stokes, RN Nurse | Carrie Auten, LVN [email protected] [email protected] southwestchristian.org