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Activities, Athletics, and School Events

Activities, Athletics, and School Events

 

 

Below are a series of requirements, recommendations, and considerations for our schools to re-open their campuses for in-person instruction. These should be read in conjunction with all federal, state, and local regulations, as well as school reopening guidance from the State and federal level.

The requirements in this document are actions that our local school district feels are necessary from the guidance that the Governor and the Flathead County Health Department are requesting schools to follow as they resume in-person instruction. In accordance with Kalispell Public Schools’s Pandemic Operational Phases, only those items labeled “requirements” in this document must be in place at our schools to proceed with in-person instruction.

The recommendations in this document are additional measures that the school can take to protect the health and safety of students, staff and the community. Because of the uniqueness of our schools, not all recommendations can be implemented at all locations. Federal, state or local public health officials' recommendations are also considered and presented in this document.

The guidance in this document reflects the best judgment of Kalispell Public Schools as to the practices that schools should follow and takes into account local conditions and considerations.

1. Activities

Requirements
● Follow classroom and gathering in large area requirements and recommendations.
● A storage room plan (e.g., instrument closets), if applicable, will be set by the classroom teacher to reduce the number of students in the area at one time.
● For bus trips, buses must have no more than 50 riders to and from an event.
● Health screenings for all participants and coaches done prior to boarding the bus on away trips.
● Health screenings will be required for all participants and advisors/coaches prior to a home event.
● Face coverings required for all coaches during the events.
● Face coverings will be required for all riders on activity buses.
● Additional guidance will be provided by the MHSA for all activities.

Travel - Response to Illness 

  • If a participant becomes sick during travel, that person must not ride with the team but instead be transported by a parent, guardian, family member, or designated school official in another vehicle.  Ill participant and passenger(s) should be spaced apart as far as possible and all be masked. Take participant to parent or adult who has been cleared to transport participant. 

  • If a participant becomes sick during the contest.  Identify symptoms (refer to Identification to Assess Flowchart).  Place mask on patient if applicable.  Support personnel place appropriate PPE equipment on (e.g., gloves, mask).  Separate participant to a space away from others. Participant must not ride the team bus home but instead be transported by a parent, guardian, family member or designated school official in another vehicle.  Ill participant and passenger(s) should be spaced apart as far as possible and all be masked.

Considerations
● Consider whether activities can be conducted outdoors or virtually or while maintaining physical distance.

2. Athletics

Requirements 

● School Athletics will follow the guidance and operation mandates provided by the Montana High School Association.
● Locker room plan set by building AD to reduce the amount of athletes in the locker room at one time.
● Buses must have no more than 50 riders to and from an event.
● Health screenings for all athletes and coaches done prior to boarding the bus on away trips.
● Health screenings will be required for all participants and advisors/coaches 19 prior to a home event.
● Face coverings will be required for all riders on activity buses.
● While waiting on the sideline, bench or other designated area for play, all athletes will wear masks. For those just coming out of the field of play, masks will be required after they have sufficient time to recover.
● All team personnel (including but not limited to coaches, managers, and trainers) will wear masks when they are not exercising in a strenuous manner

Travel - Response to Illness 

  • If a participant becomes sick during travel, that person must not ride with the team but instead be transported by a parent, guardian, family member, or designated school official in another vehicle.  Ill participant and passenger(s) should be spaced apart as far as possible and all be masked. Take participant to parent or adult who has been cleared to transport participant. 

  • If a participant becomes sick during the contest.  Identify symptoms (refer to Identification to Assess Flowchart).  Place mask on patient if applicable.  Support personnel place appropriate PPE equipment on (e.g., gloves, mask).  Separate participant to a space away from others. Participant must not ride the team bus home but instead be transported by a parent, guardian, family member or designated school official in another vehicle.  Ill participant and passenger(s) should be spaced apart as far as possible and all be masked.

3. School Events

Requirements
● For elementary schools: ○ Field trips, assemblies and other gatherings may be permitted under the appropriate Phase of School Operations (Phase II - 50 or less on a bus, Phase III - Full bus capacity).
○ If not in phase III, students of different classrooms should not mix if feasible. If classrooms attend field trips together, classroom cohorts must remain at least 25 feet apart from each other.


● For middle school and high schools:
○ Field trips, assemblies and other gatherings may be permitted under the appropriate Phase of School Operations (Phase II - 50 or less on a bus, Phase III - Full bus capacity).
○ Field trips, assemblies and other gatherings may be permitted to the extent allowed under any applicable requirements for gatherings according to community regulations.


● All Schools:
○ Staff and leaders are expected to think differently about how they host events with care taken on how items are distributed to students.

Recommendations
● Maximize the number of school events that can be held outside.
● Events involving on-campus visitors interacting with staff or students should be minimized.

 

For more information about our plan to reopen schools, view the pandemic operational guidance overview.

If you have additional general questions, please contact us at hillm@sd5.k12.mt.us. If you have specific questions for a certain school, please contact the school's principal.