Holland Middle

It has been an amazing 7 days of school!   We continue to be impressed with our kids and their ability to follow our new safety protocols.  Kids are wearing masks, following our directional arrows, and adjusting to a new schedule.  With our first confirmed case of Covid-19 we have received  many questions from parents.   We have included many of those questions in a FAQ section at the bottom of this update.   

Please read through this weekly update and if you have any additional questions or concerns, please email the following staff members: 

Mr. Cassidy (ncassidy@hollandpublicschools.org ) safety protocols, general questions

Mrs. Bair (rbair@hollandpublicschools.org ) Online instruction, schedules

Mrs. Legg (klegg@hollandpublicschools.org ) Online instruction, schedules

Mrs. Ortega (aortega@hollandpublicschools.org ) Registration

Nurse Byl (ebyl@hollandpublicschools.org ) Medication or health related questions  

Calendar Items-  

Friday, 9/4-  No School

Monday, 9/7-  No School

Please continue to check the Holland Middle Webpage for updated calendar items.  

Carpool Line Etiquette- 

Please remember to only drop students off in the lane closest to the school.  It is often quicker to pull into the parking lot and drop them off and use the crosswalk.  The same can be said for picking up your student at the end of the day.   

Safety Protocols at HMS-

All students will sanitize hands upon entering classrooms.

Students will wipe down/sanitize desks prior to leaving class.

Students and staff will follow directional arrows to reduce congestion in the hallway.

Bathrooms will be closed during passing times and all classes will be given assigned bathroom break times.

Drinking fountains have been shut off.   Students can bring water bottles. 

Students will not be assigned lockers.

There will be a staggered dismissal to reduce crowds in the hallway.

Students will eat breakfast and lunch in their classrooms.  

ONLINE STUDENTS:  

All online students should have been in contact with their mentor by now.   Please continue to reach out to them for assistance on accessing Odessyware. 

Students should have received this document from their mentors this week: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/12wZxX7-D2ls6fcgc2jlgMdXc8iYEbp_tcAXxe-9HpjA/edit?usp=sharing

All future emails will be sent from icmessenger@hollandpublicschools.org or from your student’s mentor.  Their mentor is listed on their schedule as the teacher.  

Note from the Nurse’s Office-

  "For any health related questions, please contact our School Nurse, Emily Byl, at 616-494-2574 or ebyl@hollandpublicschools.org.

If parents would like to drop off medication prior to the start of school, we ask that you please count the amount of pills prior to dropping them off. The nurse will be available to receive medication or you can contact her for an alternative time.

Health related information is available on her school nurse website at https://sites.google.com/hollandpublicschools.org/emily-byl-bsn-rn."

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Covid-19-

Q1-  How will COVID-19 cases be reported to parents?

A1-   HPS has been following the lead of the Health Department in terms of notifications and letters send to parents.  As we move forward, Superintendent Davis will provide a weekly update on Fridays regarding any positive cases and the number of students and staff who need to quarantine as a result.  If your child is a student who needs to quarantine due to close contact with an individual who has tested positive, you will be notified as soon as possible. 

Q2-  How will students be notified if they have to quarantine?

A2-    If we receive notification of a student or staff member who has tested positive, we will immediately check seating charts in classrooms and buses and talk with teachers to identify students and staff who were within 6 feet of the person testing positive for 15 minutes or more.  Once we have identified the close contacts we will contact parents to come and get their child. A letter will be given to parents from HPS with details about quarantine and when they can return to school.   

Q3-  My child is a friend of someone identified as a close contact.  Do they need to quarantine?

A3-   Only students who were in direct contact (within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more) will need to quarantine.  A contact of a contact, does NOT need to quarantine.  

Q4-   If my child is on quarantine who will they keep up with instruction?

A4-  Teachers have been working with students to get them ready to access all of their classes through Google Classroom and will be posting their assignments in Google Classroom.    

Q5-  Is it possible to switch my student to online instruction?  

A5- As of Friday, September 3 we will no longer be taking requests for schedule or instructional preference changes. The initial deadline for make requests for instructional preference (online vs in-person was August 3rd).  We have been able to accommodate most requests, but will not be making any additional changes until 2nd semester.  

Q6-  If the school is forced to close due to Covid-19, how will my child receive instruction?  

A6-  For students who are receiving online instruction, nothing will change.   For students who are currently receiving in-person instruction, they will move to remote learning through google classroom.  While it will have some similarities to remote learning in the spring, it will be a more robust program and will follow traditional grading practices.   

Q7-   Are students still being held accountable for not attending school?  

A7-  While we know the Truancy office is likely to handle cases differently this year, the expectation is that students are in attendance everyday or participating in online instruction every day.  Attendance is still being monitored and students and parents will still be held accountable for not participating in their chosen instructional program.   Students who are not able to attend school due to Covide-19 (isolation or quarantine) will be asked to participate in instruction through Google Classroom if at all possible. 

Q8-  What is the cleaning protocol for classes where a student has been identified to have Covid-19?

A8-  Students sanitize their hands prior to entering every classroom.  They also wipe down their desk prior to leaving every class.   Common touchpoints (door knobs, counters, etc) are cleaned multiple times throughout the day. Any class identified as having a student who has potential symptoms is given extra attention in our cleaning schedule by our contracted cleaners.   

Q9-  If I have questions about something related to Covid 19 in the school who should I contact?

A9-   Please contact Mr. Cassidy at ncassidy@hollandpublicschools.org or Nurse Byl at ebyl@hollandpublicschools.org.