Category: Education

New rules on COVID-19 restrictions in schools to be discussed today at school board meeting

New rules concerning COVID-19 school restrictions in Wyandotte County, including relaxed quarantine procedures, will be discussed at a special Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Education meeting at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 8.

Kansas City, Kansas, school board President Randy Lopez said at the Jan. 5 town hall meeting that the school board will have a meeting with Unified Government Health Department officials on Friday afternoon. They will discuss the COVID-19 virus in Wyandotte County, as well as the new rules, at 3:30 p.m. Friday in the virtual board meeting through the school district’s website at www.kckps.org.

The Health Department has posted the new rules for schools on its website at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information. The goal is to keep more students in classrooms, according to Health Department information.

At the 5 p.m. Thursday Unified Government Commission meeting, Dr. Erin Corriveau, deputy medical officer for Wyandotte County, said that as time has gone by and as more research has been done, they have learned that it is safe to make some changes in their school health order.

The new school order includes more a relaxed quarantine procedure, she said.

For example, if there is a positive case in a classroom, the entire class does not have to be quarantined under the new order, she said. Just the people sitting on each side, front and back, will have to quarantine, she added.

There is more specific mask guidance for students and teachers, asking teachers to wear higher-grade masks, she said.

Also, for small children, they will be able to sit in small pods, together at the same table, appropriately spaced, Dr. Corriveau said. The new order says the individual students may be less than 6 feet apart, while the tables will have to be at least 6 feet apart. The students will be wearing masks.

Middle school students and high school students will be able to make a few classroom changes throughout the day, Dr. Corriveau said. Each student may go to up to four classrooms. Athletes are still encouraged to stay in the same single classroom cohort all the time, according to the information from the Health Department letter.

At this time the Health Department will let up a little on the rules and watch the situation very closely, she said. They will continue to have testing available, with tests on the spot for children who aren’t feeling well, she said.

The new school protocols are online at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/localhealthofficerschoolorder01042021.pdf.

A letter about the new school rules is online at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/schoolletter_01052021_english.pdf.

On another topic, Dr. Corriveau said the Health Department heard Monday evening from Wyandotte County bar owners and appreciate their comments. The Health Department was scheduled to talk with area health directors Friday about the rules concerning bars’ closing times. Some of the counties in Greater Kansas City have adopted the 10 p.m. closing time, including Wyandotte County, while other counties have not. Johnson County’s closing time was midnight, affecting the economic well-being of Wyandotte County businesses, according to the KCK bar owners.

KCK students named to dean’s list in Indiana

Two Kansas City, Kansas, students have been named to the dean’s list for the fall 2020 semester from the University of Evansville, in Indiana.

Margaret Wolf, who is majoring in biology, received dean’s list honors.

Also receiving dean’s list honors was Martha Wolf, who is majoring in actuarial science.

Those on the dean’s list must have a full academic load of 12 hours or more and earned a grade point average of 3.5 or above.

KCK schools to hold parent workshops on remote learning

Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools will hold two virtual Parents as Partners Workshops in January to address many of the questions parents have had about remote learning.

The administration is aware of the myriad of challenges students have faced in the remote learning environment and is doing as much as possible to provide resources to increase student achievement, according to a school district spokesman.

Beginning Thursday, Jan. 21, the district will host the first of two virtual workshops from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The district will conduct the second workshop in Spanish on Wednesday, Jan. 27.

Each workshop will consist of seven breakout sessions and parents will have a choice to attend at least two sessions during a one-hour period. The seven breakout sessions are 30 minutes and will cover:

Breakout 1: Special Education:
• Empowering Parents: Continuous Learning Plans during Remote Learning – Both Breakout Session

Breakout 2: Literacy Strategies to Practice at Home:
• Pre-K and Elementary – First Breakout
• Middle and High School – Second Breakout

Breakout 3: Use of Technology:
• Accessing Infinite Campus Parent Portal– K-12 – Both Breakout Session

Breakout 4: Diploma+
• Elementary and Middle School – First Breakout Session
• High School, Dual Credit/TEC Opportunities, Pathways and Scholarships – Second Breakout Session

Breakout 5: Health Services:
• COVID-19 Mitigation – Both Breakout Sessions

Breakout 6: Student Services:
• Family and Community Engagement, Social-Emotional Learning, Attendance and the Enough Is Enough initiative – Both Breakout Sessions

Breakout 7: Remote Learning Tips for Parents
• Elementary – First Breakout Session
• Middle and High School – Second Breakout

The school district is encouraging parents to register in advance of the workshops by visiting the district’s website at www.kckps.org, according to the spokesman. Participants will be required to select the breakout rooms of their choice.

“We are looking forward to providing our families with as much information as possible to reassure them that we are available to provide the support needed through what has become a challenging educational journey,” said Dr. Alicia Miguel, interim superintendent. “Even though our students are not physically present in our schools, we must all work together to create a safe and healthy environment that encourages parental involvement and academic achievement.”

KCKPS launched the Parents as Partners initiative last school year and scheduled eight sessions at different school campuses. The district was able to host six out of the eight sessions before schools closed in March. The Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Education approved the administration’s recommendation to extend remote learning through April 2021.

“We are committed, on a district-wide level, to build collaborative partnerships that empower parents as positive advocates and role models,” Dr. Miguel said. “This collaboration and partnership are needed more now than ever before as we make every effort to overcome the challenges that have come with remote learning.”

Students perform better academically when parents and schools work together to support their educational journey, according to the spokesman. The district is committed to ensuring parents and families have access to resources and pertinent information they need to help their child succeed academically while at home and in life, the spokesman stated.

Parents are encouraged to register for the Virtual Parents as Partners Workshops online at www.kckps.org. The district staff looks forward to sharing significant and valuable information with all KCKPS parents, the spokesman stated.

  • Information from Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools