Fall 2020-2021 Reopening FAQ

Q: How will families know which instructional strategy their students will be in if they are enrolled in the In-Person Learning Model? 
SMSD is working closely with the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment to monitor health data and make decisions about when In-Person Learning is safe to conduct. Student and staff safety is a top priority when conducting In-Person Learning. Please understand that the mode in which In-Person Learning operates (all students in class, hybrid: students attending class on two assigned days during the week with the other days remote, or remote only) is subject to change during the semester based on health indicators. We will provide a minimum 14-day notice when moving from one mode of instruction to another, except in situations requiring immediate action. 

Q:  How will students enrolled in CAA/CTC work in both models? Will students still be bussed from all the schools?
Yes, all in-person students enrolled in CAA and CTC courses will continue to participate in the programs at the CAA and the CTC; bus services will be provided.  

Additionally, if these courses are not offered in the remote learning program, then remote students will be allowed to participate on-site for these courses; however, these students will be responsible for their own transportation.

Q: How many students will be in a classroom? 
SMSD will follow established class size guidelines. Hybrid classroom student numbers will be based on square footage in a classroom and capacity, based on 3-6 feet of social distancing between students.


Q: Will students attend specials? (Gym? Art? Music Class?) 
Yes, students will still have elementary special courses in both in-person and remote programs.  At this time, we are still working on how this course content will be instructionally delivered.  

Q: In a hybrid model, will siblings be able to attend school on the same day? 
Yes, siblings will be able to attend on the same day. In Pre-K-12th grade, students will be assigned based on the last name of the oldest student in the family. 

Q: If a student enrolls in the In-Person Model, can the family choose to keep their child home at times or is In-Person attendance required? 
State law requires student attendance. In SMSD, attendance is governed by Policy JBD. 

Q: Will middle and high school students be assigned to just one teacher or will they move from class to class? 
Middle School and High School students will continue to move from class to class.  Each building is working to establish additional safety protocols for passing periods.

Q: How will lunch be handled during In-Person Learning?  
Please see the Food Services section of the FAQ. 

Q: How will recess be handled? What will recess look like? 
Students and staff will follow safety protocol and guidelines during recess. More details about how recess will be handled can be found starting on page 10 of the SMSD Elementary Reopening plan. 

Q: If we choose In-Person Learning, but we follow a hybrid model, what will the students be required to do for the 3 days they are at home? 
Possible lessons and opportunities for students learning remotely in a hybrid setting includes a variety of instruction options. Some examples might include (and are not limited to) online whole class meetings, independent projects, virtual guest speakers or virtual field trips, or choice boards. A sample schedule for elementary students learning in a hybrid model can be found on page 64 and 65 of this Reopening Plan document. 

Q: Will you be allowing volunteers into the school? 
There will be no volunteers allowed in the schools at this time in an In-Person or Hybrid Learning model, as outlined in the district reopening plans.

Q: Are all kids dismissed at passing and end of the day together?  
We will have a dismissal process in place to allow us to maintain social distancing. That process will be specific to individual buildings, and will be developed as staff return to their buildings.

Q: Will dividers be installed in classrooms to separate students? Will plexiglass be installed between student desks?
No, we are unable to do this at this time.

Q: Will students on a SIT plan qualify for In-Person learning? (like student with IEP would receive)
Students that have a Student Intervention Team (SIT)  plan receive intervention and support based on the learning need or behavior need. Shawnee Mission will continue to provide that support if the data determines that it is needed. The intervention could be provided for students in In-Person Learning or Remote Learning. 

Q: Will a remote teacher be the same all day? 
Elementary- Students of families selecting Remote Learning will be assigned a Remote Learning teacher and will remain with that class for 2020-21 school year.  

Middle School and High School- Students will enroll in a full schedule and will have multiple classroom teachers through the remote learning day.

Q: Will students be enrolled in their home school? 
Yes. Students will remain enrolled in their home school. Their records will remain with the home school entity. Report cards and transcripts will continue to be associated with the student's home school. And students will continue to receive communications from their home school. Students enrolling in remote learning will receive a course schedule that is cross-enrolled into the remote learning program.

Q: Will students in remote learning have flexibility in their instruction time or will they be required to attend remote learning from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.? 

Q: What will a typical schedule be like for a student enrolled in Remote Learning? 

●    PreK School typical schedule

●    Elementary school typical schedule 

●    Middle school typical schedule

●    High School typical schedule

Q: Will students be able to meet one-on-one or contact their teacher for more help if they need it? 
Teachers will be available to meet with individual and/or small groups of students during the week. 

Q: Will the district provide technology for Remote Learning? 
Yes, students Pre-K-6 will be issued an iPad, and 7-12 will be issued a MacBook.

Q: Will there be elementary specials in Remote Learning? 
Elementary students will receive instruction from art, music, physical education teachers and librarians in the Remote Learning program. 

Q: What gating criteria is the district following? 
A: You may view the Gating Criteria by clicking here. 

Q: If I choose Remote Learning will we still have access to a social worker?
Yes. 

Q: How will Remote Learning students’ wellbeing be followed up on and checked on? 
Students enrolled in Remote Learning will be assigned to Shawnee Mission School District educators who will have regular contact with students online. That frequent, scheduled contact is an essential part of Remote Learning and will be one potential opportunity to address student wellbeing. 

Q: Will students still participate in Mathletics/Battle of the Brains/Elementary Clubs?
Elementary clubs will not be held in person during the first semester.  Per the elementary reopening plan (bottom of page 5), any clubs or activities will be virtual until further notice.

Q: Are all courses available in the remote learning model for middle and high school students?
There are some classes that are only available in the In-Person learning model because of the required equipment, hardware or software, or in-person participation and collaboration requirements. A list of middle and high school classes not available in the remote learning model may be viewed here.  While these classes are not available remotely, counselors and administrators will work with students to find other options that will help satisfy their personalized learning plans. 

September 9, 2020
Athletic and Activities Update: Richard Kramer, director of athletics and activities, shared guidance and protocols for the Shawnee Mission School District that outline precautions to minimize risk. He noted to the Board that students and coaches practiced and followed these protocols in the summer, during the time JCDHE guidelines allowed for participation. The time to practice and implement COVID-19 mitigating measures earlier this year, he said, will allow participants to resume participation and effectively implement mitigation measures.

Dr. Areola also stated that JCDHE would be updating gating criteria soon. In light of this guidance, Board of Education members authorized Dr. Fulton to immediately resume extracurricular activities and athletics in a manner consistent with guidelines issued by JCDHE, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Kansas State High School Activities Association, the Sunflower League, and school administration designated to address COVID-19. The Board of Education approved the authorization, following a 5-2 vote. 

Q: What criteria did SMSD use to determine how to proceed with athletics, performing arts and all other extracurricular activities?
The district used criteria developed by the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment – See Positive Test by Date and New Case Reported Each Day. These two data point are used to determine reopening of schools criteria.

Q: What is the SMSD Athletic gating criteria?
The SMSD Athletic gating criteria may be viewed here. 

Q: What standards govern the gating criteria established by the JCDHE?
The percentage of test results that are positive, and the average number of cases per day, as reported by the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment

Q: What governing entity determines how sports are categorized into low, moderate and high risk and what criteria was used?
We follow the criteria from the National Federation of High School Sports (NFHS)

Q: Are the gating conditions applied to each individual school or district wide?
The gating conditions apply to school districts and not individual buildings.

Q: What criteria are they using to determine participation in fall athletics? 
We are following the Reopening of Schools Criteria created by the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment (JCDHE).

Q: What is the role of the Kansas State High School Athletic Association (KSHSAA) and is it consistent for all school districts within the state of Kansas?
KSHSAA does not determine if a school district will participate in activities and athletics, they merely define the start dates for Fall, Winter and Spring Sports. The Executive Board of Directors of KSHSAA determined that the Fall season would begin August 17th. Several counties in Kansas are not experiencing issues with COVID-19 like we are in Johnson County. KSHSAA allows school districts to use their local health department guidelines to determine if a school district will participate in activities and athletics. KSHSAA also uses information from the National Federation of High Schools, the governing body of high school sports, to determine what activities and athletics are considered as high, moderate or low risk.  

Q: Once the call is made with regards to allowing athletics, performing arts and other extracurricular activities to occur, can the decision be changed if the gating criteria improves?
Yes. The Reopening of Schools Criteria are designed to allow movement between color zones using the two analytic data points: the percentage of test results that are positive, and the average number of cases per day. There are benchmarks for each color zone that must be met before movement will be allowed. 

Q: How will the public understand the daily status of the gating criteria for the county? 
Once the JCDHE meets with local school districts the week of August 17^th, SMSD will provide a dashboard on the SMSD website notifying our patrons what color zone we are in for school activities.  Zones are defined in the Reopening of Schools Criteria.  

Q: Has the KSHSAA considered moving fall seasons to the spring?
There have been discussions with the KSHSAA concerning redefining seasons and start dates. This is currently a continuing conversation between the Sunflower League, Eastern Kansas League and KSHSAA.

Q: Can the district ‘opt out’ of the gating criteria for sports? 
The district will follow the gating criteria from the JCDHE. There is concern that those involved with sports will come to school and infect other children as well as SMSD staff. There are nearly 28,000 children in SMSD to take into consideration, as well as thousands of SMSD staff members. 

Q: Can student athletes be put in a “bubble” in order to participate in sports?  For example, require these students to learn remotely? 
The selection of a learning model is a family decision. The district has set up options so that student academic and social-emotional needs are met. We understand that some students learn better in-person and, to the extent health conditions allow, it is important students have that option. Limiting students to only a remote only option when an in-person is available could hinder their academic success. 

Q: How will middle school sports be impacted?
Middle schools in the Shawnee Mission School District have agreed to postpone all athletics and activities for the first semester. All activities will begin Monday, January 11, 2021. This action is designed to allow current mitigation practices, including wearing face masks, social distancing and hand washing, to continue to flatten the pandemic curve, so that middle school activities can begin in earnest in the second semester. During this postponement, all student/athletes and performing arts students will be expected to continue mitigation practices, including avoiding social gatherings, so that athletics and activities can resume second semester, following Johnson County Department of Health and Environment guidelines. Moving all sports to January will still allow all sports to be competed, and gives the best chance to get all sports in. 

Q: Will students enrolled in remote learning be able to participate in athletics? 
Yes, remote learning students will be allowed to participate.

Q: Will remote learners be able to participate in band? 
Yes, but with limitations such as virtual only. The exact design of this option is still under development.

Q: Are free meals being provided to SMSD students?
Yes, the food service department is pleased to announce that we will be offering FREE meals to all SMSD students regardless if they are learning remote, hybrid or in person. This includes breakfast and lunch meals. 

Meals are funded entirely by USDA as part of their Summer Meals Program extension. These free meals will continue through the 2020-21 school year. We encourage families to continue to apply for free and reduced meals here. Qualifying may allow for other support through the district so it is important to continue to apply for free and reduced meals.

• Meals will be available for pick up at all 47 SMSD schools.
• Pick up on Fridays from 6:30 - 7:45 a.m.
• No advance ordering is needed. (The online digital ordering system has been disabled.)
• Available only for students enrolled in SMSD.
• May pick up meals for all of your students at your most convenient location.
• At pick up, the student(s) SMSD ID number(s) will need to be presented. Please have this ready in advance.  (Student ID may be found in Skyward.)
• Pick up will be just inside the doors of school. Pease wear a mask and follow social distancing.

During remote learning each week’s pick up will include 7 breakfast and 7 lunches for each student.

Menus are available on the district web page by clicking here and are subject to change due to availability. All entrées and sides need to be taken home and refrigerated or frozen until ready to heat or consume.

Each breakfast meal includes these components:  fruit, grain, and milk
Each lunch meal includes these components:  protein, fruit/vegetable, grain, and milk

When the district is able to move to the hybrid model, the students will receive their in-person meals at no cost during the two days they are in school. Meals may be picked up on Friday for the other 5 days of the week. Any extra ala carte purchases the students make while in-person learning will require money to be on their food service account.

Meals are prepared by District Food Services staff and distributed following food safety and sanitary practices.

Please contact the Food Service office with questions at (913)993-9710 or foodservices@smsd.org.

The school breakfast & lunch menus, digital pre-order information and other nutrition information are available on the food services page of the website. 

Q: How will breakfast and lunch be served for students attending In-Person Learning? 
Goal: to provide meal service with minimal contact, lessening opportunities for contamination and exposure wherever possible.

• Lunches must be served between 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM.
• Breakfast must be offered at or near the beginning of the school day. 
• The students will come to the cafeteria for breakfast and lunch.  They will verbally tell the food service employees what entrée they prefer and then the student will pick up their side dishes that are individually packaged from the salad bar. 
• The student will be provided wrapped spork kit and individual condiments.  
• All meals will be served on a disposable compostable tray.  
• At middle and high schools each station/serving area will have all entrée and side dish options available to avoid cross-traffic and ensure social distancing. 
• Food service would appreciate an adult staff person to act as “gatekeeper” allowing only a specific number of students into the serving area at one time and to ensure 6’ social distancing.
• Students should take the first item they touch when selecting milk/juice and items from the salad bar.
• Students should wash hands / use hand sanitizer prior to entering the cafeteria.

Cashier Stations

• Cashiers will have acrylic barriers.  This year during COVID-19, food service will NOT have students use the PIN pads to enter their ID number in the cafeteria line. Elementary students must come to the cafeteria in their classroom groups. This will enable the food service staff to identify the student without the student entering their ID number in the PIN pad. Middle and high school students must come to the cafeteria with their ID badge. The student will scan their ID badge on the scanner. The PIN pad will not be utilized. A student can give their name or ID number to the cashier and the cashier can pull up their food service account.  
• Parents will be encouraged to pre-pay on their child’s account online thus reducing money that would be given through the breakfast and lunch lines.  
• If money is given during breakfast/lunch it will be placed on the counter by the student and the cashier will pick it up from the counter. Thus, no hand to hand contact.

More details are provided in the District Operational Plan for Reopening Schools. 

Q: Will breakfast and lunch be served/provided to students enrolled in Remote Learning?
Click here for more information about school meals for Remote Learning.

Q: Will my child still be able to bring a sack lunch?
Yes, students are allowed to bring sack lunches just as they have in the past.

Q: What cleaning and sanitizing practices will be followed in Shawnee Mission school buildings?
Custodial teams follow well-established cleaning procedures as outlined by the district in maintaining healthy and clean environments. With the COVID-19 pandemic, additional steps will be taken to address the frequency, equipment, materials, and products identified for use in Shawnee Mission facilities. Protocols for custodial staff are outlined in the District Operation Plan for Reopening Schools. 

Shawnee Mission School District custodial staff will prioritize building disinfection throughout the school day.  High frequency touch points such as door handles, hand rails, receptions desks, product dispensers and restroom fixtures will be disinfected on a rotation that will be repeated multiple times each day.  Additionally, CDC approved disinfectant will be made available for teacher use in each classroom.

At the conclusion of each school day, custodial staff will disinfect all building surfaces using an atomizing mister.  This equipment provides the ability to thoroughly treat soft and hard surfaces without leaving behind any harmful residues.

For more details: District Operational Plan for Reopening Schools.

Q: How often will the schools be sanitized? 
Shawnee Mission School District custodial staff will prioritize building disinfection throughout the school day.  High frequency touch points such as door handles, hand rails, receptions desks, product dispensers and restroom fixtures will be disinfected on a rotation that will be repeated multiple times each day.  Additionally, CDC approved disinfectant will be made available for teacher use in each classroom.

At the conclusion of each school day, custodial staff will disinfect all building surfaces using an atomizing mister.  This equipment provides the ability to thoroughly treat soft and hard surfaces without leaving behind any harmful residues.

For more details: District Operational Plan for Reopening Schools.

Q: How will Shawnee Mission address air quality in buildings? 
Shawnee Mission will: 

• Increase capacity of outside air dampers to 30% wide open wherever possible. This will allow an increase of fresh air to enter buildings. 
• Increase the cubic foot per minute (CFM) on all capable equipment. This will introduce more outside air into classrooms, increasing circulation. 
• Upgrade air filters from MERV-8 (Minimum Efficiency Report Value) to MERV-11. This will increase filtration and improve air quality. 
• Upgrade air filters from MERV-8 to MERV-13 in specifically identified locations where equipment is capable of this type of filtration. 
   

For more detailed information about Air Quality measures: 2020-2021 District Operational Plan for Reopening Schools 

Q: What filtration systems will be in place in Shawnee Mission school buildings? 
In working with Children’s Mercy, Trane and 2 independent Engineers, The Shawnee Mission School District is utilizing these recommendations for Air Quality Control.  

We will be replacing all filters District wide from a MERV-8 to a MERV-11. 

If possible, because of supply and demand, we will be replacing filters in Nurse’s office, Isolation rooms, Gym’s/Cafeteria’s and with the possibility of Choir/Band/Orchestra rooms (Only if equipment can handle this type of filter and if the supplier can deliver) to a MERV-13 filter. These same locations will have an occupied schedule to run continuous M-F or 24/5 for complete air turnover and filtration.  Complete building occupancy schedules will be in place at a minimum of 2 hours before student arrival.  All building exhaust fans will be running 24/5. 

All capable HVAC units will have Outside Air Dampers programmed to have a minimum open position of at least 30% open, when feasible.  This will allow us to have sufficient outdoor air to each classroom and it will be filtered through the HVAC units to supply the conditioned air.  The 30% outside air damper position will vary with humidity and certain outside air conditions.  If conditions dictate units will be placed back into automatic damper mode.

Q: Will this school year look like it did when we went remote in Spring 2020? 
The learning experience is designed to be different in Fall of 2020 than it was in the spring. Feedback and input provided by thousands of students, families, staff, and community members since this spring have informed the planning of the 2020-2021 school year. Some notable differences: There will be assessments, grades, attendance, and students will have regular instruction with Shawnee Mission School District teachers/support staff. 

Q: Do I need to buy school supplies? What school supplies do we need for each learning model?  
Continue to watch your school websites and watch for communication from your principal regarding school supplies. This applies to both In-Person and Remote learning.

Q: When is the first day of school? 
School begins for students in grades 1-6, 7, 9 and 12 on September 8, 2020. Click here for the newly approved calendar for the 2020-2021 school year. This calendar was revised with multiple changes and we encourage everyone to review it closely. These changes were needed so we could meet the state requirements to reach 1,116 hours of instruction time for each student. 

Q: Will Remote Learning follow the same curriculum as In-Person Learning so that if my child does Remote Learning the first semester, they will not be confused if they go in person the second?
Yes, all students will learn based on the same curriculum.

Q: How do students get their school provided supplies (like textbooks)? 
Continue to watch your school websites, and watch for communication from your principal. Individual school communities will determine plans for making sure these supplies are provided. 

Q: What options are there for childcare? 
Before and after school care programs will continue to be available for Pre-K and elementary students at select sites.

Q: What do we do if we have a student that struggles to keep up in class, but does not have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) in place?  Will there be any additional supports, curriculum modifications, etc?  
In each learning model, students will be connected with a licensed Shawnee Mission School District teacher who has been provided training to address modifications and supports regardless of whether students have an IEP or not. Our objective is to provide a personalized education plan for students who have selected Remote Learning and In-Person Learning.

Q: Will there be any back-to-school events or meet-the-teacher events?
This is being organized at the individual building level, so reach out to your principal to know what is being planned.

Q: How will standardized testing work this year? How will we know that students are still learning at their level and actively being challenged?
Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA)  Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)  and Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) assessments will be administered remotely.  We anticipate beginning testing within the first two weeks of school.  Students will also still be responsible for other standardized tests, including state assessments.  

Q: Why am I not getting the district emails? 
Families are encouraged to make sure their contact information and preferences are up-to-date in Skyward. 

Q: How is the school district addressing the problems with Virtual Private Network? (VPN)? 
The school district has purchased and will provide a cloud-based system called Lightspeed for student content filtering, which will replace the VPN.  

Q: Will the district provide technology for students who are enrolled in Remote Learning? 
A technology device will be provided to every Shawnee Mission School District student. Research and investigation continues into providing WiFi access for students without access at home.

Q: What is Canvas? 
Canvas is a new Learning Management system that will be used by students, teachers, and families. In the 2020-2021 school year it will become a central hub for content and course management, learning and parent communication. A key goal in providing this resource is to provide a simplified, more connected learning experience for everyone in the Shawnee Mission School District. 

Q: Will younger students receive iPads? 
Yes, students in Pre-Kindergarten through sixth grade will be issued an iPad, and students in grades 7-12 will be issued a MacBook whether they are enrolled in In-Person Learning or Remote Learning.

Q: Will help be provided to families who do not have internet access? 
If you are in need of a hot spot, please contact your school's office staff. 

Before Coming to School
Q: How is SMSD making sure students aren’t coming to school sick?
A: SMSD is asking that a Daily COVID-19 Assessment be completed prior to coming to school. We have purchased digital thermometers for our in-person families ensuring they have the tools they need to complete the assessment. SMSD will not be conducting mass temperature screenings or COVID screenings.

During School
Q: What happens when there is a positive case of COVID in my student’s classroom?
A: All students in that classroom will be notified of a positive case in their classroom with appropriate guidance given for quarantine if necessary, or low risk exposure notification.

Q: How is my child’s health going to be kept private?
A: Personally identifiable information will not be revealed when reporting cases of COVID.

Q: What is quarantine?
A: Quarantine is when a person is asked to stay home for 14 days due to exposure to a positive case of COVID.

Q: What is isolation?
A: Isolation is when a person is asked to stay home for 10 days due to having the signs/symptoms of COVID, testing positive for COVID, or being exposed to a positive case of COVID and subsequently developing symptoms. A doctor’s note with a diagnosis of something other than COVID and/or a negative test can eliminate the need to isolate.

Q: What is low risk exposure to COVID?
A: Low risk exposure may occur when all parties are appropriately masked and 6 feet of personal distance is observed.

Q: What is high risk exposure to COVID?
A: High risk exposure is when people are not masked, within 6 feet of each other, for 10 minutes or more.

Q:  What if a student gets sick at school?
A: The student will be evaluated by the nurse. If the student is showing signs/symptoms of COVID that cannot be attributed to another cause, he/she will be placed in the CARE Room until a parent/guardian can pick them up per JCDHE protocols. Students with COVID symptoms will be asked to stay home for 10 days. Students may return prior to the 10 days with a doctor’s note and/or a negative COVID test.

Q: How will spacing in the halls, lunchroom, bathroom, recess, and classroom be observed?
A: Principals and teachers have planned for 3-6 feet of personal distance to be observed. Best practice is 6 feet but when that is not possible 3 feet is allowed. When masks properly worn there will be no need for quarantine if someone tests positive.

Q: What is cohorting?
A: Cohorting is where small groups of the same students are assigned to sit together, eat lunch together, play at recess together, etc. Cohorts minimize the number of students who would need to quarantine when a student tests positive.

Q: How can students socially distance while waiting to wash hands, etc.
A: Teachers can limit the number of students in and out of bathrooms to avoid overcrowding. Markers on the floor remind students to stay 6 feet apart.

Q: How often are students washing their hands/using hand sanitizer during the day?
A: Each time students transition to a new environment they should wash their hands for 20 seconds with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, they should use hand sanitizer.

Q: How many cases in a class, school, or district would occur before closing?
A: Closures would be determined by Johnson County Department of Health.

Q: Who do I call if I have questions or concerns about COVID?
A: Contact your building principal and/or building nurse with COVID questions/concerns.

Masks
Q: What type of mask should students wear?
A: Students should wear a mask that is comfortable, covers their nose and mouth, and does not fall down. The mask should fit snug to their face and can be made of any tightly woven fabric. Masks should meet school dress code rules. Gators and bandanas are acceptable, but masks with valves are not.

Q: What happens if I forget my mask or soil it during the day?
A: Students will be provided a surgical mask should they need one.

Q: What if my student can’t/won’t wear a mask?
A: Students will be allowed to build mask tolerance over time and mask breaks outdoors will be allowed. Students who can’t mask due to a medical condition may complete a mask exemption form to be kept on file with the school nurse.

Bus
Q: Do bus drivers have to wear a mask?
A: Bus drivers are required to wear a mask while loading and unloading the bus, but not while driving. Drivers are encouraged to leave the first seat or two open to ensure 6 feet of distance.

Staying Well
Q: What can I do to keep my child well during COVID?
A: Avoid gatherings where people are not socially distanced and are not wearing masks. Wear a mask and observe 6 feet of social distance. Wash hands, avoid touching eyes, nose, mouth. Clean/disinfect frequently touched surfaces. Encourage hydration, eat healthy, get plenty of sleep, and exercise.

How should families who have students with IEPs choose a Learning Model?  
Please see a FAQ provided for Special Education here.
 

How will students social distance on a bus? 
A number of outside organizations were consulted and recommendations were researched and reviewed in developing the safest plan possible for moving forward with student transportation during the COVID-19 Pandemic. References include the National Association of Pupil Transportation, the Centers for Disease Control, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Kansas Department of Education, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment. 

In an effort to transport students in the safest way possible, a number of measures will be followed for transportation of students by bus and passenger vehicles in the Shawnee Mission School District. An outline of the protocol may be found on page 16 of the District Operational Plan for Reopening Schools. These guidelines will be further modified as additional information and recommendations are published.