We are all in this together!  

Creating safe and healthy spaces for our students and employees to learn and work is our top priority. Lake Washington School District partners with Seattle/King County Public Health to make a range of decisions for our school community. 

This partnership includes close communication and consultation to ensure the health of students, families, and staff. 

How to stay well: 

Here are some of the steps we all can take to keep each other safe:  

• Wash your hands regularly (for at least 20 seconds each time).   
• Watch your distance (maintain appropriate physical distance).  
• Wear your mask.   
• Stay home if you are sick.   
• Employees should check themselves and their families for illness prior to coming to work.  
• Families should check their students and other family members for illness before coming to schools.   
• If there is any concern that you or someone in your immediate household is sick or exhibiting COVID possible symptoms, stay home.  

COVID-19 symptoms: 

• According to the Center for Disease Control, CDC, symptoms of COVID-19 include  
• Fever of 104 degrees Fahrenheit or above. 
• Cough 
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing         
• Chills 
• Fatigue 
• Muscle pain or body aches 
• Headache 
• Lost sense of taste or smell                                     
• Sore throat 
• Congestion or runny nose                                     
• Nausea or vomiting                                               
• Diarrhea 
• And or other signs of new illness that are unrelated to a documented pre-existing condition 

If you, or someone in your immediate family, has tested positive for COVID-19, is awaiting a COVID-19 test result, or has had direct contact with a positive case of COVID-19, please report it.  

• Employees should report a positive result to their building’s COVID-19 Supervisor immediately.  
• Families and students should report a positive result to the school nurse or school administrator immediately.

Hand washing 

Washing your hands is one of the best ways to protect yourself and others from getting sick. To prevent the spread of germs, the Centers for Disease Control recommends washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol to clean hands. Hand sanitizer does not replace good handwashing practices. 

Students and staff will be required to wash or sanitize hands upon entering the building and will be asked to wash and/or sanitize hands frequently throughout the day. 

It’s important to follow these five steps each time you wash your hands: 

1. Wet your hands with running water, turn off the tap and apply soap. 
2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. 
3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice. 
4. Rinse your hands well under running water. 
5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

Transportation 

The safety of Lake Washington students and drivers is a top priority. To keep our community healthy while riding the bus, the following guidelines have been developed in cooperation with the state Superintendent of Public Instruction and King County Department of Health.

Masks:                           

• Drivers and students should always wear a mask on the bus. 
• Students should wear their masks and maintain appropriate physical distancing while waiting at the bus stop. 
• Eating and drinking on the bus is not allowed.

Loading and seating:

• Students should sit one student per seat as much as possible to maximize physical distancing.  
• Students will load and fill seats from the back of the bus to the front of the bus.   
• When entering, leave some space between you and the student in front of you.  
• Siblings or others who live in the same household should sit together in the same seat.

Unloading:

• At the school, the driver will remind students to remain seated. Students will exit the bus from front to back. Again, keep space between you and the student in front of you.

Bus Windows:

• It’s important for parents and students to remember that some windows on the bus will be open to increase ventilation. Even in the best weather, we have chilly mornings here in the Pacific Northwest. Please ensure that your student wears a jacket and other clothing to keep them warm.

Safety first:

• Our drivers follow strict guidelines to ensure safe operation.   
• In addition to wearing a mask, all drivers complete a temperature check and attestation process each day before driving. 
• LWSD uses an electrostatic spray to sanitize buses at the end of the day. In between routes, drivers clean high-contact surfaces like handrails.  

Parent responsibilities:
Before your student leaves for the bus stop, it’s important to check their temperature and evaluate them for any symptoms of illness. The Daily Student Attestation should be complete before a student leaves for the bus. If they have a fever or other symptoms, please keep your student home from school.

Thank you for partnering with us to ensure students know what to expect. We look forward to seeing your student on the bus.

Face coverings 

Wear a face covering to help protect you from COVID-19 and prevent the spread of the virus to others.

All employees, students and building visitors shall wear protective face coverings.  

This includes:                                                         

• In the Classroom                               
• Cafeteria or Commons                        
• Gym   
• Playground   
• Outside or Open Spaces                    
• And on the Bus   

As you enter our campuses, please follow the instructions on the signage to help protect you and the health of others. They are used as a reminder to enforce face coverings, personal hygiene, and transmission prevention practices.  

The District will provide cloth and disposable face coverings to all employees and students.    

• Staff received a five-pack of reusable cloth face coverings.    
• Students will receive a two-pack of reusable cloth face coverings.   

Students and staff can also wear their own face coverings. Just make sure that they meet Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines:   

• Fabric that covers over your mouth and nose.   
• Fit snuggly, but comfortably and against the side of your face. 
• Be secured with ties or ear loops.   
• Include multiple layers of fabric.   
• Allow for breathing without restriction.   
• Be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape

Physical distancing 

All schools in Lake Washington School District are working hard to create safe physical spaces for students and staff. The specifics of physical distancing will look different from school-to-school, but this video shows some details that will be consistent from school-to-school.  

At this time, appropriate physical distancing is defined as three feet in the classroom, and six feet in common areas. 

Classroom set up: 

• Desks will be set up to facilitate appropriate physical distancing.  
• We will limit the use of shared materials.  
• Instruction will be redesigned to minimize interactions within the three-foot zone.   

Arrival at school: 

• Families will receive school-specific information about arrival and dismissal procedures.   
• Parents/guardians who drive students to school will have a designated drop off/pick up area and should remain in their cars. 
• Designated entry and exit points will be used to ensure physical distancing.  

Meals: 

Thanks to continued funding from the USDA, free lunches will be offered during the school day in a grab-and-go style at our schools.  

Each school will set the schedule and ensure that safety guidelines around meals are being followed, including keeping appropriate physical distancing between students.  

In general, students will follow these safety guidelines while eating: 

• Students should sit with appropriate physical distancing. 
• Students can remove their masks to take bites of food, but it is recommended that the mask covers their face while chewing. 
• Students should wash their hands or use hand sanitizer prior to returning to the classroom.   
• Schools will have additional masks should a student damage or misplace their mask.                                                                       

Hallways: 

• Signage encourages students to maintain appropriate physical distancing in hallways and common spaces.  
• Transition times will be staggered to limit the number of students in hallways at any given time.   
• Signs around buildings also reinforce handwashing, physical distancing, and face coverings.   
• Hand sanitizer stations have been installed throughout buildings.  

Bathrooms: 

• Bathroom capacity will be limited and students should wait outside when capacity is reached.   

Hand washing: 

• Students and staff will be required to wash or sanitize hands upon entering the building and will be asked to wash and/or sanitize hands frequently throughout the day.  

Sanitation: 

• We have implemented enhanced daily sanitization of high touch areas such as door handles, faucets, and railings.  
• We are providing hand sanitizer stations throughout the school.
• In the event of an active COVID-19 case in one of our buildings, we will utilize electrostatic sprayers for deeper cleaning. (Electrostatic spray uses a solution that is combined with air and atomized by an electrode inside the sprayer. The spray contains positively charged particles that can aggressively adhere to surfaces and objects.)  

Ventilation: 

• The flow of fresh air will be maximized throughout every building.   
• All air filters throughout the District were replaced prior to occupancy and have a minimum rating of MERV-10.  

Visitors: 

• Visitors are limited to those deemed essential.   
• Parents and guardians are not permitted on campus during in-person learning.   
• Drop-off of items is limited to critical items only, such as medication.   
• Drop-off of items deemed non-critical are prohibited (instruments, homework, projects, etc.).

Response protocols for positive cases & suspected cases 

Lake Washington School District has a plan that provides district administrators with tools to respond to confirmed cases of COVID-19 in District facilities.

The purpose of the plan is to protect the health and well-being of students, staff, and families. We are also dedicated to mitigating and minimizing the spread of Coronavirus.

If students or staff are diagnosed with COVID-19, the COVID-19 Supervisor from that building must be notified.  

COVID-19 Supervisor Responsibilities

Once notified, the COVID-19 Supervisor will take the following steps:   

1. Complete the COVID-19 Positive Case Intake Form with employee or family. 
2. Alert the building COVID-19 Safety Team. This includes reaching out to: the medical coordinator, who will review and complete all proper documentation; the custodial coordinator, to ensure our cleaning protocols are activated; and to the signage coordinator, to make sure areas are marked off for cleaning and to post any signs that are needed.   
3. Alert the Emergency Coordination Center Coordinator to help support the school throughout the response.  
4. Alert the appropriate Director of Elementary or Secondary Education who will provide building operational support  
5. Participate in a Consultation Meeting to evaluate operational and/or instructional impacts.  

In addition to confirmed cases, LWSD staff should inform their COVID-19 Supervisor of any suspected cases. A suspected case of COVID-19 is defined as a person who shows symptoms of COVID-19 and has not been tested or is waiting for test results. If a suspected case of COVID-19 is reported by someone or a rumor of a suspected case/exposure is reported, the COVID-19 Supervisor will talk with the individual directly to get the facts.

If the suspected case report is accurate, the COVID-19 Supervisor will follow the Checklist for Managing Students/Staff with Symptoms of COVID-19. If the suspected case report is not accurate, the COVID-19 Supervisor will relay that information to the parties who reported the suspected case.

Anyone who has symptoms and has not been tested should remain at home and away from others. The school nurse or building administrator can provide guidance on when this person can return to school or work.

Anyone who has symptoms and has been tested for COVID-19 and received a negative result will need to contact their school nurse or building administrator to determine when this person can return to school or work.