Click on the links below for the questions specific to:
- Dates/Times and Uniforms
- Safety Protocols
- School Day Happenings
- Devices
- More
- FAQ for Families of Students Remaining in Remote Learning
Dates/Times and Uniforms
Q. When do students return?
A. The following students will return Monday, April 5:
-
- District-wide Special Education programs, PreK-12, including School for Exceptional Studies and SES Annex
- Grades PreK-5.
- The following students will return Wednesday, April 28:
- Grades 6-8
- ENLACE, International High School, High School Learning Center, RISE
- All other Lawrence High School students will return to campus the week of May 3 (please note this date could change)
Q. What will school hours be when students return?
A. School day hours will remain the same for all students, whether learning in person or remotely:
- Pre-kindergarten - kindergarten: AM 8:00am -10:30am / PM 12:00pm-2:30pm
- Grades 1-8: 8:00am-1:30pm
- Grades 9-12: 8:30am-2:30pm
Q. Will students need to wear uniforms to school
A. Uniforms will be optional for all LPS students for the remainder of the year. Schools will provide additional guidelines for suggested dress, but school uniforms will not be required.
For those who wish to wear a uniform, a list of some retailers still selling school uniforms can be found below. Note every school has their own uniform; for more information or questions, please contact your school directly.
| Retailers Still Selling School Uniforms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Children's Place | Rockingham Mall, (603) 894-5538 Northshore Mall; (978) 531-1347 |
50% off happening week of March 15; can buy online and pick up in store |
| La Moda | 407 Essex St Lawrence; (978) 685-8703 | In store only |
| Walmart | Online | In store availability varies |
| OLD NAVY | 90 Pleasant Valley St, Methuen | Sale happening the week of March 15 |
| Target | Online | In store availability varies |
| JC Penny | Online | Sale happening the week of March 15 |
Health & Safety Protocols
Q. What social distancing guidelines will schools be using?
A. All classrooms will adhere to at least 3’ distancing, which has been determined by medical experts, based in part on data from Massachusetts schools, to be safe in a school setting when proper protocols are in place. Please note this is a minimum recommended distance; where possible more space between students may be maintained.
Q. Are facemasks required?
A. Face coverings and masks will be required for all students, educators, staff and visitors in our school buildings. Students should plan to come to school with their own mask. If available, they should pack a back-up; schools will also have a supply for students who lose or damage theirs.
Q. How will drop off and pick up be managed, given the large number of people coming and going?
A. Each school will have their own routine, which they will discuss with families, but will entail staff members monitoring social distancing and mask-wearing, providing direction, and sometimes escorting students to classes.
Q. Is ventilation suitable in our schools?
A. LPS had external engineers analyze every school, and they have confirmed that our schools are safe for learning. All classrooms have ventilation systems to support air circulation and, with nicer weather, open windows will add another layer of air circulation.
Q. What cleaning protocols will be in place?
A. The entire building will be cleaned each day after students and staff leave the building. Deep cleaning in a school building will happen weekly.
Q. What if there is a positive case identified in the school?
A. Close contacts will be informed directly and asked to quarantine and the classroom will be notified. If there are multiple classrooms or cohorts with positive cases and there is determined to be a likelihood of in-school transmission, the school community would be notified and informed of any additional measures. These may include closing part of or the entire school for a short time (for instance 1-3 days) for an extensive cleaning or other facility mitigation, or closing the school partially or fully for the longer duration of a 14-day quarantine period.
Q. When may a student who has been absent with an illness return to school?
A. If a student is out for an illness, the family needs to contact the school nurse. The nurse will discuss symptoms and provide guidance, which includes: If the child has COVID like symptoms they will need to have a negative test OR an alternative diagnosis from a provider for example strep throat, not a note saying was seen in the MD office can return to school Or the student must isolate for 10 days.
Q. What happens if a student displays Covid-19 symptoms at school?
A. A student who displays one or more symptoms that are consistent with the Covid-19 illness will be seen by the nurse and, if a parent has provided permission, will be tested for Covid-19 with a Abbott BinaxNOW. This is a rapid antigen test and will provide initial information possible infection. Regardless of the outcome of the rapid test, out of an abundance of caution and per MA Department of Public Health requirements, the student will be sent home and parents will be provided, both orally and in writing, the requirements for a return to school, which include:
If the BInaxNOW test is negative :
- Proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test result OR a signed doctor’s note indicating an alternate diagnosis and that COVID-19 is not suspected
- The student is fever free for 24 hours without use of fever-reducing medication
- Symptoms need to be resolving
If a COVID-19 test was recommended but not done, and no alternate diagnosis is indicated OR your child was not seen by a doctor, the student will need all of the following before returning to school:
- To remain home for at least 10 days since the onset of symptoms
- Be fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications
- Symptoms need to be resolving
If your child is COVID-19 positive, all of the following must be completed prior to returning to school:
- Your child must remain home for at least 10 days since the onset of symptoms
- Be fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications
- Symptoms need to be resolving
Q: What should I do if someone else in our home has Covid-19 symptoms ?
A: If someone in the household is positive please notify the school nurse. Additionally, the child must stay home and quarantine for a minimum of 14 days. The quarantine may be longer depending on how well the family can isolate from the positive person. If the household member has symptoms and is awaiting a test result the child should stay home until the test results are obtained.
Q: If we have traveled out of state, when would my child be able to return to school?
A: If your family has been traveling or intends to, please notify the school nurse. All travelers entering Massachusetts, including returning residents, are advised to quarantine for 10 days upon their arrival. Travelers in the following categories are exempt from this quarantine advisory:
- Anyone who has been out of the State for fewer than 24 hours
- Travelers who have received a negative COVID-19 result (this must be a PCR test or BinaxNOW antigen test) on a test administered not more than 72 hours prior to their arrival in Massachusetts
- Travelers returning to Massachusetts who test upon their return, as long as they quarantine until receiving a negative test result.
- Travelers who are fully vaccinated (i.e. who have received two doses of either the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines OR who have received a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, 14 days or more ago) and who do not have symptoms.
Any student who travels must be cleared by the school nurse before returning to school.
Q: Where can I find updated information on COVID-19 cases in schools?
Massachusetts school districts, including LPS, report all positive COVID-19 cases among in-person students and staff on a weekly basis to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. These reports, featuring statewide and district-by-district data, can be found at Coronavirus/COVID-19: Positive COVID-19 Cases in Schools (mass.edu).
School Day Happenings
Q. Will my child have the same teacher s/he had during remote learning?
A. Our goal is to enable students to stay with their current educators and peers. Every effort is being made to facilitate that priority. Based on available staffing, there may be limited exceptions to this scenario.
Q. Will students still receive breakfast and lunch at school?
A. Yes! Students who attend in person, full day will be able to access both free breakfast and lunch during the school day. PK and Kindergarten students on the half day schedule will, for AM sessions, eat breakfast at school and take home a lunch; PM students will eat lunch at school and take home a breakfast for the next day. Your school will share specifics on where and how students will access meals.
Q. What happens with transitions from classroom to classroom (for lunch, specials, etc.)?
A. Schools will limit transitions. Teachers will mainly rotate into classrooms for subjects or to provide services. Students will be closely monitored if they leave the classroom for lunch or to go outside for recess or mask breaks.
Devices
Q. When my student returns, should they return their Chromebook/Ipad and/or hotspot if they have one?
A. Individual schools will share with you plans for returning or keeping your Chromebook or Ipad. However, if your student has a hotspot, s/he need to return it. We are changing vendors for hotspots and all these should be returned to the school when your student returns. If one is needed in the future, we will make every effort to provide a new one at that time.
More
Q. What if we change our mind and want to move back to remote learning?
A. We have indicated that your survey responses are binding, which helps us with planning. However, we know that circumstances change. We will make every effort to accommodate a request to shift if needed. The change in preference should be for the remainder of the year. Please contact your school directly.
Q. What will happen to the P-EBT benefit we were receiving for our student(s)?
A. The P-EBT benefit was generated by the federal government to supplement meals not received in school during the pandemic, and therefore under federal guidelines the P-EBT benefit will be discontinued for returning students. The March benefit will be the last scheduled benefit for those returning on April 5; and an April benefit will be the last one scheduled for students returning on April 28 or the week of May 3.
