July 31, 2020

Dear Falls City School Families,

Falls City Public Schools and Falls City Sacred Heart School have developed our “Return to School Plan to Keep School Safe”.  The plan is a blueprint for our schools in the Falls City community.  Plans for each school building have been developed by school committees and administrators working through the many details needed for schools to operate safely beginning on August 13, 2020.  In planning, our first priority is the safety of our students, employees, and our community.  Our plans take into account these ever-changing times to continue educating our students, if and when circumstances change, throughout the year related to COVID-19.

Plans were developed with input from parents, employees, school board members, community stakeholders, administrators, ESU 4 leaders, the NDE, the SEDHD and health care professionals.  As stated in our letter on July 14, we are working on three scenarios.  A Risk Dial, updated weekly, by the Southeast District Health Department will be used to help local school leaders determine what scenario they are in at that current time.  Our “Return to School Plan to Keep School Safe” is based on the following:  

1. No/Low Spread Plan (GREEN/YELLOW) - School buildings are open with 100% of students and staff, with restrictions. The school district will initiate preventative practices and additional proactive safety protocols. Wearing a face covering, practicing social distancing, avoiding large gatherings, and vigilant hand hygiene is our best defense in slowing the spread of this virus.

2. Moderate Spread Plan (ORANGE) - School buildings are open, but use may be minimal, altered, or staggered. Such use may be based on social distancing directives from the Governor’s Directive Health Measure or SEDHD requiring us to limit class sizes, the number of people in groups, etc.

3. Substantial Spread Plan (RED) - School buildings are closed. The closure may be short-term or extended and will likely be based on district health declarations or by the NDE. This may be enacted if the Governor’s Directive Health Measure closed schools again due to health concerns. (If we have outbreaks of COVID-19 in specific schools, we may enact individual school closures instead of district-wide closures.)

As new data, recommendations, and practices emerge, the local “Return to School” plan will be revised and updated to reflect changing conditions and needs.  We know our plan may change before we even start school.  We need to be ready to pivot as things change in our community or as guidelines change.  Parts of our plan will be difficult.  Difficult for our students and difficult for our teachers and staff.  We will be doing most of the usual things but in different ways.  We must be willing to work through the difficulties.  We must develop a culture in our schools where many of our actions are designed to protect our teachers and staff, our students and in turn protect our parents, grandparents and the rest of the community.

We are planning for all students to be in attendance on August 13.  The goal of our schools is to educate with our students and teachers in our buildings like education is meant to be.  Our best chance of achieving this goal is for everyone to do their part.  If parents and students do not want to return to remote learning, we must do everything we can to keep our schools safe and our community safe.  Our “Return to School” plans will help us do this.

Falls City Public Schools’ and Falls City Sacred Heart’s plans can be found on their school websites.  Specific details and guidelines for how school will look beginning August 13 are in our plans.

Thank you for your support!

Tim Heckenlively, Superintendent

Falls City Public Schools

Doug Goltz, Superintendent

Falls City Sacred Heart

Falls City Public Schools Return to School plan can be found in the links below: 

Return to School Plan to Keep Kids Safe - Overview

Return to School Plan to Keep Kids Safe - Comprehensive Plan

Public Health Recommendations for School Screening, Exclusion, and Re-admittance of Ill Students and Staff for COVID-19

KINDERGARTEN SUPPLIES:

1 Big Eraser
4 Boxes of Only Crayola crayons (boxes of 24 each)
1 Box Classic Crayola (only washable markers)
1 Bottles of only Elmer’s white glue
6 Glue Sticks
1 - 3 pak Kleenex box for girls and 1 Roll Paper Towels and 1 Zip/slider quart sized baggies for boys
1 School box 
1 pair of school scissors
1 Book bag 
1 Spiral Notebooks (wide margin) *1 of red
2 Pocket Folders 
2 1-inch Ring Binders 
Headphones are purchased through the school for $5.00

1ST GRADE SUPPLIES:

2 Box of 24 crayons, please no more than 24.
2 1 inch 3 Ring Binder
2 Large boxes of Kleenex
1 sm. bottle of Elmer’s School Glue
1 pair of school scissors
1 pkg. #2 pencils(yellow only-Please no decorative pencils-24 in a pack)
2 Large Erasers
4 Glue Sticks
1 Wide Ruled Notebooks
1 Pocket Folder
Book Bag
1 box quart size Ziploc slider bags (30 please)
Pencil box-small
Headphones for computer with 3.5 mm jack, put in plastic bag with student’s name on it (No Earbuds)

2ND GRADE SUPPLIES:

2 Crayons ( a box of at least 24)
24 Pencils (# 2 lead)
2 large erasers
1 pair of school scissors
4 glue sticks
1 box Kleenex ( 150 count or larger)
2 spiral notebooks ( 10 1/2 x 8 )
1 Pencil box ( for holding supplies)
Small set of inexpensive headphones (3.5 mm jack) for use with technology (send in a Ziploc bag)
No Trapper Keepers, or folders please
Please label all items, except the tissue boxes, with your child’s last name. Parents should also keep in mind that these items may need to be replenished throughout the year. Purchasing two of these items may be a good idea, especially with the before school sales.

3RD GRADE SUPPLIES:

5 spiral notebooks
Box of pencils
Crayons (no more than48)
3 large boxes of Kleenex
2 pocket folders, 1 for music
1 small bottle of Elmer's glue
1 box colored pencils (for art)
1 school supply box (9" x 6") to put pencils and crayons in
Headphones in Ziploc bag and labeled for computer use
**No trapper keepers or 3 ring binders

4TH GRADE SUPPLIES:
1 pack of notebook paper (wide ruled)
3 pencils in their desk at all times
2 red pens/pencils for checking
Eraser
Pencil top erasers (optional)
Crayons
1 colored pencil set
2 large boxes of Kleenex
6 pocket folders for homework paper, 1 for music
2 spiral one subject notebooks 
1 plastic pencil box
Magic markers (optional)
Headphones in Ziploc bag and labeled for computer use
1 scissors
1 bottle of Elmer's glue
2 highlighters
4 low odor dry erase markers

5TH GRADE SUPPLIES:

1 box of pencils
2 big pink erasers
Lined notebook paper (wide ruled)
2 red checking pens
Crayons (2 - 24 pack OR 1 - 48 pack)
Colored pencils
1 large box of Kleenex
Markers
Water colors
4 pocket folders, 1 for music
4 spiral notebooks
1 highlighter
2 dry erase markers
1 Scissors
1 small bottle of Elmer's glue
Headphones in Ziploc bag and labeled for computer use
1 package of 3x5 lined index cards
1 pencil bag

SIXTH GRADE SUPPLIES:

Trapper keeper with six folder/compartments (or purchase 6 folders to put in trapper) for keeping worksheets and assignments for class separate and organized.

Many of the following items could be kept in the trapper keeper:
Wide lined notebook paper
Box of eight or more colored pencils
Pack of red checking pens or pencils
Number two pencils
Erasers
Bag to carry pens, pencils, etc. (may be contained in trapper-keeper)
Hand held pencil sharpener for colored pencils
Inexpensive headphones for computer usage in a Ziploc bag with student name
1 pack 3x5 note cards (may be spiral bound - used for vocabulary)
1-2 highlighters
4 pack dry erase markers

7th & 8th GRADE SUPPLIES: 

Six folders or trapper keeper with six compartments for keeping worksheets and assignments for classes separate.

Many of the following items could be kept in the trapper keeper:
Loose leaf wide lined notebook paper
Six inch ruler (optional)
Red checking pen or pencil
Four spiral, 70 page or more side bound notebooks (wide ruled)
Number 2 pencils
Blue or black ink pens
Eraser
Bag to carry pens, pencils, etc. (may be contained in trapper keeper) Box of 12 or more colored pencils