Return to School

Enhanced cleaning and sanitization practices will occur with increased frequency to disinfect classrooms and common areas using disinfectants recommended by the EPA. Each classroom will be thoroughly cleaned before and after school each day. During school hours maintenance will continue routine cleaning with a focus on high traffic, high touch areas such as door handles, faucets and light switches. Teachers and staff members have been provided sanitation materials for their classrooms and/or work spaces.

Frequent hand washing and sanitizing will be accommodated and encouraged. Students will be provided a spray hand sanitizer bottle, and will be encouraged to maintain proper hand hygiene, such as before and when changing classes. Classrooms will be equipped with hand hygiene products and additional hand sanitizer stations will be placed throughout the building in high trafficked areas.

Students, teachers, staff members and guests entering the building are required to wear a face covering at all times. Face coverings must: cover your nose and mouth; be made of a tightly woven fabric material such as cotton: include two or more layers of fabric; and able to be laundered without altering the shape or integrity. Face coverings must not include messages or images that distract from the learning environment, this includes: offensive language, inappropriate symbols or political messaging. Teachers may wear a face shield, in lieu of a mask. 

To decrease the number of individuals in the cafeteria at any given time, we will implement four lunch periods. Tables in the Commons will be limited to four students with plexiglass dividers. Additional seating will be available in Brandt Park and at the end of Senior Hall.

Hand hygiene practices will be in place before and after mealtimes and common surfaces will be cleaned and disinfected between student groups. Additionally, steps are being taken to minimize lines and wait times when students receive school meals.

Seniors will not be allowed to have open campus lunch. Outside food deliveries after the school day begins will not be allowed. This will limit the number of guests in our front offices, and help us protect our employees. This will be reassessed regularly to determine if it is safe to then allow food deliveries. Student checkouts during lunch will take more time due to wellness checks, social distancing and reduced capacity in our front offices. Please consider this when making your plans.

Classrooms

Classroom desks and common seating areas (including tables) will be rearranged to maximize space between students. Desks also will face the same direction, rather than toward each other, to reduce transmission. Assigned seating will be implemented.

Hallways

Visual aids will be used when possible to illustrate traffic flow and appropriate spacing. One-way halls have been established to minimize face-to-face contact when changing classes. When oneway hallways are not possible, barriers will be provided where necessary, such as hallways with students moving in opposite directions and the Commons.

Lockers

Lockers will not be allocated to all students. If a student has a specific need for a locker, those requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Arrival + Dismissal 

Access into the school will be allowed from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Students will go directly to their first hour class when they enter the building. Any student in a school organized event, including tutorial, who needs access to the building before or after that time will be required to enter through the main entrance, and be supervised by faculty or staff. Before school care will be available on a case-by-case basis, and should be arranged with school administration.

School Schedule

School will start at 8:00 a.m. and end at 2:50 p.m., daily. There will be no special schedules, this includes Late Start, Assembly schedules and other special schedules – these have been placed on hold until further notice. WATER FOUNTAINS Water fountains will not be used for the foreseeable future in line with CDC guidelines. The water filling station in Senior Hall will be available to refill water bottles.

The changes in social interactions among students had a profound effect on the Irish community since the onset to COVID-19. During Distance Learning, we learned that some of our students were struggling with the loss of day-to-day personal contact with friends and teachers. Realizing this, our counseling staff was quick to respond.

There will be many challenges as we enter the school year, and our counselors are poised to address the needs of our students, as situations arise. Initiatives are being developed to help students cope with the numerous changes brought on by COVID-19.

TRAVELING BY AIR

Students and faculty traveling by air will be required to quarantine for five (5) days upon their return to Oklahoma City. Students and faculty can return after a 72 hour quarantine, if they receive a negative COVID-19 rapid test or a negative PCR test.

TRAVELING BY GROUND TRANSPORTATION

Students and faculty using ground transportation to travel out-of-state, will be required to quarantine for 72 hours upon their return to Oklahoma City. A COVID-19 test is not required to return to school.

EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES

Students and faculty who have contracted COVID-19 during the 2020-21 school year will not be required to quarantine if traveling during the break. Students and faculty who have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will not be required to quarantine if traveling during the break.

DOCUMENTATION

Students and faculty who have received their COVID-19 vaccinations, or have contracted COVID-19 during the 2020-21 school year, must share the documentation with Ms. Courtney Gougler. Documentation includes: COVID-19 vaccinations sheet and / or a note from your doctor indicating when you contracted COVID-19.

Families are expected to screen children for fever and/or other symptoms associated with COVID-19 prior to arrival at school each day. All students will participate in wellness screenings at school each morning. The school’s fever policy will continue to be enforced, and individuals with a temperature of 100.4 F or greater will not be permitted into the school. Teachers, administrators and visitors will be screened each day. BMCHS has hired a registered nurse who will be responsible for daily temperature checks, daily health questions, notifying parents whose students have not passed the first period health check, and monitoring current cases.