August 13, 2020
To Parents of Students of the Oconto Falls Public Schools,
On Friday, July 31, 2020, Governor Evers declared a Public Health Emergency and issued an Emergency Order requiring individuals to wear face coverings when indoors, except in a private residence. The following is a link to that Emergency Order. The Oconto Falls School Board also indicated they would support students and staff wearing face coverings at the board meeting on 7/29/2020.
Effective immediately and until further notice, all staff, students and others entering the school buildings are required to wear a face mask/face covering if both of the following apply:
- The individual is indoors or in an enclosed space
- Another person or persons who are not members of the individual’s household or living units are present in the same room or enclosed space
The face covering needs to be covering your nose and mouth. Acceptable face coverings include:
- Cloth face covering / mask
- Surgical masks
- Neck Gaiters/Balaclava
Masks should be conservative in nature and be in good taste. Masks that have inappropriate pictures, words or symbols should not be worn.
Instructors/staff will be expected to wear face coverings in the classroom during instruction. Staff and students will be afforded opportunities to take breaks during which time they will be able to remove their masks. We will need to implement breaks throughout the day for both staff and students. Examples include at lunch time when eating, outside breaks, snack breaks, etc. Staff and families will receive more information at the building level as to how breaks will be implemented.
We have received enough white cotton masks to provide each student with at least one, or two if you choose. Please contact the office of the building in which your student attends, if you need a cloth mask. Your student will need a mask on before entering the bus or school each day.
We anticipate that a majority of students will be able to tolerate wearing a face covering, with the planned breaks. We will also provide additional accommodations for those that require additional support. We will make arrangements for staff and students who require more frequent breaks to support their tolerance of face coverings. Students unable to wear a face covering due to a medical condition, will need parents to complete the following Student Face Covering Exception Request Form. These forms are returned to building principals for review and you will be contacted regarding the next step in this process. Once that process is completed, it is likely that a decision will be made regarding an alternative mask or alternative program option for students who are unable to wear a face covering. At any point during this process, families can enroll their child in the virtual school (Acellus) option that we are offering as a school district.
Sincerely,
Dean Hess