Temporary Instructional Facilities (TIFs or Trailers)
- Received quote on three options from company in Grand Rapids
- Did not solve staffing situation
- Could only hold about 11-12 students due to spacing, same as our spaces Many leases required 12 month minimum leases
- Cost to ship was several thousand dollars for each unit
- Where to place them on our footprint
- Bathrooms, handicap access, and utilities for each TIF?
- Reduce courtyard use during breaks/lunch
- Furniture for these spaces
ISD Building Space
- Entry of “guests” into their building, not allowed under protocols
- Liability insurance
- Priority of space with their own school programs
- No guarantee space would continue throughout pandemic
- Cost to lease space
Heat the Greenhouse
- Heat the greenhouse and turn it into a more traditional classroom space Cost and loss of revenue from plant sales
- Loss of greenhouse as learning space for students for environmental/outdoor learning
Lunch
- With all students on campus at same time, lunch must take place outside If inclement weather, rotate 1/2 inside and 1/2 outside (which was done one day during five day per week instruction and still leaves one group outside in the inclement weather) Since students remove masks during this time, spacing inside or eating outside is a requirement
- Not enough staffing to have multiple lunch periods in the schedule, so all students need to eat at same time
- Even in hybrid students will be monitored for spacing inside for safety and may be split between two buildings to prevent any outside in inclement weather
Tent (with heater)
- How is it heated and utility access?
- Size of tent required and location on the footprint
- Safety and security overnight
- Cost of tent since it would be a “permanent” structure, from professional company Security of furniture and other items needed for a more permanent tent, how are those secured during day, evenings, and weekends?
Tent (temporary)
- The two temporary tents we had up during five day per week instruction and in hybrid have been affected by weather (wind/rain)
- One tent lost its top and one tent collapsed
- No heat
- What furniture do we have or would need to buy to utilize for outdoor purposes and what do we do with after the pandemic?
- Technology protection in cold or wet conditions
- Both tents we used were donated
Furniture
- All rooms have tables which is more conducive to project-based learning We replaced the Library with laptop desks to maximize space in that room for 11-12 students Laptop desks are not conducive to project-based learning
- Laptop desks will be repurposed afterwards for outdoor learning
- Cost of replacing furniture
- What to do with current furniture?
- If furniture is replaced, where to store current furniture temporarily?
- Tables and furniture were moved between rooms to maximize space
- During the summer, Robert measured out Social Studies room with multiple configurations to maximize space which was used to guide our Preparedness Plan released in July
Maximizing Learning Spaces
- Maple North was utilized as a classroom instead of an indoor back-up for outdoor classes Without Maple North available outdoor classes met in all types of weather Pool in Spruce was used as a classroom which proved very difficult for sound between Science and Math, as well as extremely difficult for our hearing impaired staff/students
Outdoor Learning
- Students were spending upwards of four or more hours outside per day in some cases For the most part, September weather was favorable, but we did have both hot and cold days, along with rain
- Academic-based classes were forced to meet outside (Literature, Speech, Current Events, and Health)
Locker Room
- Students carried backpacks all day during five day per week instruction
- During class changes, Brain Break and Lunch, students were limited to about 30 students at a time in the Locker Room in Spruce
Security
Building Access
- To minimize indoor student contact inside, exterior doors were used in five day per week instruction; windows/doors to be kept open to improve air circulation
- Due to the open nature of our campus, security was an issue and required constant monitoring In hybrid, exterior doors are able to be locked regularly
- Installation of Ring Video Doorbells at both the main entrance and student entrance to locker room area
- The Ring Video Doorbells protected health/safety of Jill and Torre at front desk and provided a general layer of security for the building
Radios
- School purchased radios for all staff members since at most times, all staff members were on duty each period during five day per week instruction
Administrators
- With Robert and Sarah teaching 13 classes per week not including 5 days of council, an administrator was not always immediately available in an emergency situation The school created an emergency back-up system, which pulled Jill and Torre from their posts
Health and Safety
Drinking Fountains
- Closed in both buildings
- Students required to bring refillable water bottles to school and use sinks Received a donation from a local law office of refillable water bottles for students that forget their water bottles at home
Bathrooms
- Occupancy limit of three in each bathroom in Spruce
Daily Cleaning Regimen
- Increased custodial services from 3 nights per week to 5 nights per week Robert and Sarah do a daily clean of common surfaces (door handles, fixtures, etc…) Teachers wipe down tables after each period
- Robert restocks teacher classrooms with supplies on Fridays
Isolation Room
- Due to space, the front vestibule is used as our isolation room until a student can be picked-up Room is sanitized and disinfected (wiped down and sprayed) after student is picked-up Limited use of front entry
Masks
- Required in both Phase 4 and Phase 5 for students inside and outside at Greenspire With our open learning spaces, this was done to maximize faculty/staff and student safety
Hybrid
- Could prevent a total school shutdown due to contact tracing or a positive case (two groups) Allows for building to be cleaned in between both hybrid groups
Windows
- Keeping all windows and doors open to improve air circulation (weather permitting)
Class Sizes & Scheduling
Class Size Phase 5
- Recommended from the state to provide spacing in between students in classrooms Tables that once sat 4 students now sat 2 students in each room
- Greenspire targeted a 3-4 feet separation between students
- Classroom configurations were changed to maximize space
- 10 pods of 11-12 students were created
Class Size Phase 4
- Required six feet social distancing between students in classrooms and at other times Tables that once sat 4 students or 2 students in Phase 5, would now seat 1 student Fully remote or hybrid would be the only option for Greenspire at this point This format would require 20 pods of 5-6 students
Learning Environment
- As of June 30, 2020, schools in Phase 5 were open for “in-person instruction” As of June 30, 2020, schools in Phase 4 could operate with five day per week instruction, hybrid or fully remote learning environments
- Students could also elect to attend fully remote due to health concerns or specific family needs
- As of August 20, 2020, language was clarified that permitted schools to operate in a manner that fit their own individual needs such as five day per week instruction, hybrid or fully remote learning environments, no matter the phase
Schedules
- After August 20th, the school had six schedules created
- Phase 5 In-person five day per week
- Phase 5 Fully remote five day per week
- Phase 5 Hybrid In-Person
- Phase 5 Fully remote hybrid
- Phase 4 Hybrid In-Person
- Phase 4 Fully remote hybrid
- The school expected about 15% of its students to choose fully remote learning, which is what happened as of the first day of school
- Five day per week instruction required the elimination of traditional council, advisories, and electives
- Robert, Sarah, and Susan covered all duties (before/after school, Brain Break, Lunch) Outdoor classes (PE, Stewardship, Nature Trail) were double pods of 22-24 students since they took place outside, however with that number of students, they were unable to meet inside due to inclement weather
- Teachers prep time was Brain Break and Lunch, however some had to teach their fully remote learning courses during these times
- Teachers were not available to respond to fully remote learners during school day and could only respond before or after school
- Common teacher planning time was discontinued in five day per week instruction and resumed in hybrid format
Before and After School
- Students gather in courtyard outside before and after school
2nd Quarter Schedules
- Increase instructional time while in-person during a hybrid format
- Attempt to increase pre-recorded/remote live instruction for hybrid students Increase all school activities, electives, and events
Budget
Per Pupil Funding
- Funding model was not finalized by the start of the school year which complicated expenses going into the start of the 2020-2021 school year
- Schools were told to expect a $600-$1,000 cut per pupil
- The budget was not finalized before the start of school (signed end of September) and maintained current funding amounts
- ESSER Funds are additional money for schools to pay for COVID-19 related expenses Application for ESSER Funds were not due until end of September
- Schools have been instructed that future budget cuts are expected either later this academic year or next year and to prepare accordingly
Staffing
- Substitute teacher concerns in five day per week model
- Volunteers and parents are not able to enter the school building due to protocols Volunteers and parents would require a teacher with them if working with a specific class
- If funds become available to hire an additional staff member, the immediate need is in one specific area
Greenspire Student Support Council (SSC) 