Paris Independent Schools

Fall Re-Entry Frequently Asked Questions Cont.

The week of July 27th, three additional Town Hall Zoom Meetings were held with Paris Independent Staff, Parents, and Community Members to discuss re-entry to school in the fall.

We have compiled a list of the topics that were discussed and the responses to those comments, questions, and concerns as of July 28th, 2020. As many of you know, the situation continues to change daily, as do our responses. We will continue to do our best to keep everyone informed in the coming months as we receive new information.

This FAQ is in addition to the first FAQ that was posted July 10th which is located on our website by following this link: https://bit.ly/3hWGeSB

Thank you!

Parent and Student FAQ

General Questions

1. How quickly will families be notified if someone in the district tests positive for COVID-19?

   1. Bourbon County Health Department will be notified immediately of any positive COVID-19 cases within the Paris Independent School District. Contact tracing will begin within minutes. Because of the procedures we have in place, we will provide Bourbon County Health Department with a list of any person who has been within 6 feet of the positive case for more than 15 minutes. If a period of quarantine or testing is needed, the Health Department will help with those processes. 

2. What are the current details concerning sports and extracurriculars?

   1. We continue to follow the guidance provided by KHSAA and KMEA regarding practices. We continue to wear masks, conduct temperature checks, sanitize equipment, and keep track of attendance for contact tracing purposes.

   2. KMEA has already canceled competitions. Mr. Masters is looking at creative ways to perform within provided safety guidelines.

3. What are the details concerning Field Trips? Will Greyhound Academy students be eligible to attend field trips?

   1. Field trips will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.  Greyhound Academy students will be eligible to participate.

4. Who will receive a Chromebook from the district? 

   1. Every student K-12*, whether in person or in Greyhound Academy, will receive a Chromebook from the district.

   2. * Paris Independent made a commitment to purchase Chromebooks for every student K-12. In June, the district ordered devices to cover K-2. Due to COVID-19, shipping is taking longer than normal, and it is possible we will not receive these devices before August 26th. If we do not receive these devices in time, K-2 will begin with an alternative plan until the Chromebooks arrive.

5.  Will there be a cap on new enrollment to keep our class sizes small?

   1. We continue to monitor our enrollment numbers daily. We will not allow our enrollment numbers to grow to a point that is unsafe for our students or staff.

6.  When will we receive information about class schedules and supply lists?

   1. At PHS, students may schedule a meeting with Ms. Householder in order to discuss their schedules.

   2. At PMS, schedules are currently being updated and they will be communicated to families when they are finished.

   3. At PES, information will be communicated to families soon.

7. When will Chromebooks be given out?

   1. A schedule will be released soon for Chromebook distribution.

8.  Will my child’s IEP plan be updated at the beginning of the school year?

   1. You will be notified when ARC meetings are scheduled and they will be scheduled based upon IDEA laws.

9.  What is the standard operating procedure for a child who says they don’t feel good?

   1. Students will be escorted to the office or nurse and their temperature will be checked and parents will be notified.

10.  What type of face mask will my child be required to bring to school?

    1. Any 2-ply fabric or disposable face mask that covers the nose and mouth and adheres to the dress code (no explicit text or images) will be acceptable.

11.  Will children be able to wear lanyards to hold their masks?

    1. Each school will establish guidelines for lanyards and communicate that information to parents soon.  

12.  Will student drop-off be the same as it has in the past?

    1. PHS drop-off will be similar, but there will be slight differences in the location that students enter the building in order to ensure accurate temperature checks.

    2. PMS drop-off will be similar, but there will be slight differences in the location that students enter the building in order to ensure accurate temperature checks.

    3. PES drop-off will continue at the High Street entrance and temperatures will be conducted upon arrival.

13.  At what temperature will students and staff be sent home?

    1. A temperature higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

14.  How will substitute teachers be handled?

    1. Substitute teachers will be temperature checked and wellness checked every day just like any other person who enters our buildings.

Greyhound Academy

15. How is the Greyhound Academy different from NTI or Homebound?

    1. Greyhound Academy will provide students with direct contact with a certified teacher every single school day. Greyhound Academy will follow the same pace as Direct In-person instruction that is occurring in our schools each day. Students will have access to their work at all hours of the day, and will be required to complete a daily check-in at a specified time with a certified teacher. While students may work on their platform at any time, teachers will only be available during specified work hours. We are excited about the flexibility that this program will offer for our students who are learning from home.

    2. NTI is the official title of state-approved distance/virtual learning; Greyhound Academy is specifically designed for Paris Independent students. Homebound is a term used for students that receive services while confined to home, usually due to a medical condition.

16. What are the hours for Greyhound Academy?

    1. There will be specific times during the day when staff will be available to students, but our online platforms will be available all day and provide students and families flexibility for creating a structure and scheduling time to complete assignments.

17. Will Greyhound Academy students be required to be “in class” at the same time as their in-person counterparts?

    1. Greyhound Academy students will have access to their learning platforms all day long, so they may complete their daily assignments at a time convenient to the student and their family.

    2. Students will be required to complete a check-in with a certified teacher every day. Students will have a specific time to check in with their teacher.

18. How often will Greyhound Academy students have access to a teacher?

    1. Greyhound Academy students will check in with a certified teacher at least once a day every day of the week. 

19. If my child is usually pulled out of their classroom for extra help and we choose Greyhound Academy, will that help still be available to them?

    1. Yes, whether in-person or online, students will receive one-on-one help from a teacher or interventionist. Students who need extra help will have access to a teacher, even if they are learning from home.

20.  If we choose Greyhound Academy, should we buy a laptop to use at home?

    1. Because our district is One-to-One K-12, every student K-12 at Paris Schools will be provided with a Chromebook*, whether in-person or in Greyhound Academy. However, if a student prefers to use a device that they have at home (laptops and desktops will work best, tablets like iPads can make using Summit Learning and Google Classroom difficult), they are more than welcome to use their own device.

    2. *Paris Independent made a commitment to purchase Chromebooks for every student K-12. In June, the district ordered devices to cover K-2. Due to COVID-19, shipping is taking longer than normal, and it is possible we will not receive these devices before August 26th. If we do not receive these devices in time, K-2 will begin with an alternative plan until the Chromebooks arrive.

    3. Our preschool teacher and director will communicate preschool technology support plans.

Paris Elementary School

1. When and how will my child’s classroom and teacher be communicated to me?

   1. We will not publicly post students' classrooms and teachers this year. Parents will receive a postcard with the name of their child’s homeroom teacher in the mail.

Paris Middle School

2. What is the plan for 6th grade orientation?

   1. Our current plan is to bring small groups of students (5-10) into the building August 10th-14th. Each group will be scheduled in a 2 hour session which will include a brief tour of the school and an introduction to Summit Learning and Google Classroom. We will also ensure that all of our 6th grade students correctly enter their class codes and log into their online classrooms before school begins. We will spend time becoming familiar with the Summit Learning and Google Classroom platforms so that they will know where to find important information.

3. When will I receive my child’s Middle School schedule?

   1. We are in the process of inputting our student schedules. We will communicate the schedules to parents when they are complete.

Paris High School

4. Will class offerings be affected? Will my students graduate on time?

   1. Our current schedule does not have us limiting our class offerings in any way. We will ensure that all eligible students graduate on time.

5.  When will dual credit courses with the University of Kentucky begin?

   1. They will begin August 26th.

6.  What are the current details about the Vocational School?

   1. At this time Vocational School class offerings will be available to our students.  In the event that changes, alternative plans will be shared.