SC education leaders outline face covering guidelines for K-12 public schools - iOnGreenville: Your Guide to Greenville South Carolina

I WILL LOOK AT THAT COMING UP. GEOFF: MORE THAN 170,000 AMERICANS WITH COVID-19 HAVE DIED. DANA: WORLDWIDE CORONAVIRUS DEATHS TOP 775,000. U.S. HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE CONFIRMED MORE THAN 5.4 MILLION CASES, 26 MILLION AROUND THE WORLD. GEOFF: SOUTH CAROLINA REPORTED THE LOWEST NUMBER OF NEW CASES IN MORE THAN TWO MONTHS, 537. TESTING DROPPED FROM SATURDAY BUT 11% OF TESTS REPORTED SUNDAY , THE LOWEST PERCENT IN TWO WEEKS. DANA: SPARTANBURG COUNTY TIED FOR THIRD IN THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF NEW CASES OF 29. DHEC REPORTED NINE MORE DEATHS. 2300 47 PEOPLE HAVE DIED. GEORGE IS REPORTING MORE THAN 237,000 CASES. JUST OVER 4700 PEOPLE HAVE DIED. GEOFF: TODAY MARKS A BUSY DAY FOR SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE CAROLINAS AND GEORGIA. DANA: STUDENTS RETURN TO CAMPUS TODAY IN ALL SEVEN SPARTANBURG COUNTY DISTRICTS. LET’S GET A CHECK ON WHAT THINGS WILL LOOK LIKE AT THE SCHOOLS. NOLAN BLAIR IS LIVE WITH A LOOK AT THE SAFETY CHANGES. NOLAN: GOOD MORNING. THE PARKING LOT IS CERTAINLY PICKING UP HERE AT ABNER CREEK ACADEMY WITH TEACHERS AND STAFF GETTING IN TO SCHOOL HERE ON THE FIRST BIG DAY OF SCHOOL FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR. FRIDAY, I GOT A LOOK INSIDE SOME CLASSROOMS IN SPARTANBURG SCHOOL DISTRICT. DESKS AND CHAIRS HAVE DISTANCE BETWEEN THEM. SOME DESKS HAVE SHIELDS. THIS IS AT BYRNES FRESHMAN ACADEMY, WHERE EACH STUDENT WILL BE GETTING A FACE COVERING. YOU CAN SEE SOME DESKS HAVE X’S ON THEM TO CREATE DISTANCE. THIS CLASSROOM ONLY HAS ONE DESK PER TABLE. TO WRAP THINGS UP, ALL SEVEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS WILL BE IN A HYBRID MODEL, WHICH MEANS SOME STUDENTS WILL BE IN CLASS WILL OTHERS WILL TAKE A FULL ONLINE CLASSROOM OPTION. AGAIN, THINGS PICKING UP HERE AT ABNER CREEK ACADEMY AT THE FIRST BIG DAY OF SCHOOL IS NEARBY. NOLAN BLAIR, WYFF NEWS 4. DANA: SEVERAL COUNTIES START SCHOOL TODAY INCLUDING ABBEVILLE , COUNTY, BUNCOMBE AND HENDERSON COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. GEORGIA STUDENTS IN HART AND ELBERT COUNTIES ALSO RETURN BACK TODAY. GREENVILLE COUNTY SCHOOLS BEGIN A WEEK FROM TODAY, BUT STATE REQUIRED LEAP DAYS WILL BE THIS WEEK. GRADES FOR KING –4K-8 ARE NOT REQUIRED. GEOFF: NOW A CONVENTION LIKE NO OTHER. DEMOCRATS WILL NOMINATE JOE BIDEN AND KAMALA HARRIS. MILWAUKEE WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED BUT IT IS ALL VIRTUAL. DANA: MATT SMITH TAKES US INSIDE THE CONVENTION CENTER. MATT: THE NERVE CENTER FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION IS HERE. TODAY, A FIRST LOOK INSIDE THE THIRD FLOOR CONTROL ROOM AT THE WISCONSIN CENTER, A FAR CRY FROM THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT WERE ONCE EXPECTED TO FILL THE ARENA AT NEARBY FISERV FORUM. >> I THINK EVERY BIT AT THE CONVENTION IS A WORK IN PROGRESS UNTIL WE HIT LIVE. EVEN THEN, STILL A LITTLE BIT. MATT: SUNDAY FEATURED REHEARSALS AND TROUBLESHOOTING, INSURING HUNDREDS OF FEEDS WORK. THE CONVENTION’S PRIMETIME PROGRAMMING WILL FEATURE LIVE SPEECHES AND TAPED SEGMENTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY BROADCAST FROM MILWAUKEE. >> IT WILL BE A DIFFERENCE IN WHAT PEOPLE ARE USED TO SEEING BUT ALSO EXCITING. MATT: THE RECENT SECURITY IS STILL NEEDED, TO PROTECT THE VIRTUAL HUB. >> OUR COUNTRY HEARS FROM US AND PARTICIPATES IN THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS AS WE CARRY ON TOWARD NOVEMBER AT THE ELECTION. THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE OF WHAT HAPPENS HERE IS NOT. MATT: THE FLOOR BELOW, A SMALL STATE FOR MEMBERS OF WISCONSIN’S DELEGATION TO SPEAK AND THE TRADITIONAL ROLL CALL WILL ORIGINATE. SPEECHES WILL BEGIN MONDAY NIGHT AND WILL INCLUDE SENATOR TAMMY BALDWIN AND GOVERNOR TONY EVERS. NONE OF THE PRIMETIME ADDRESSES WILL ORIGINATE FROM A WALKING, INCLUDING FROM FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN. — FROM THE WALKIE, INCLUDING FROM FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN — MILWAUKEE, INCLUDING BIDEN. GEOFF: HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI IS CALLING THE HOUSE BACK INTO SESSION TO TALK ABOUT THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE AND THE UPCOMING ELECTION. SHE WANTS A BILL PROHIBITING THE POSTAL SERVICE FROM CHANGING ITS OPERATIONS. MORE STATES ARE SEEING GROWING INTEREST FOR MAIL-IN VOTING. THE SESSION COULD START SATURDAY. DANA: WALMART IS EXTENDING STORE HOURS. THEY WILL PUSH CLOSING FROM 8:30 P.M. TO 10:00 AND WALMART BELIEVES EXPANDING HOURS WILL BE MORE CONVENIENT FOR CUSTOMERS. THE COMPANY HAS HIRED 200,000 NEW EMPLOYEES TO MEET DEMAND. GEOFF: WYFF NEWS 4 AND THE GREENVILLE NEWS ARE TEAMING UP FOR A SUMMER EDITION OF THE HOLIDAY SUNSHINE FUND. DANA: IT IS A WAY TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY DURING THIS COVID-19 CRISIS. WE HAVE $22,895, AND THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS YOU CAN DONATE. CHECK THE ADDRESS ON YOUR SCREEN, PAYABLE TO HOLIDAY SUNSHINE FUND. GEOFF: LOOKING LIVE IN CLEMSON, THE SHARONE WRIGHT BENEFIT GOLF TOURNAMENT STARTS THIS MORNING AT THE WALKER COURSE. SEVERAL FORMER FOOTBALL, BASEBALL, AND BASKETBALL STARS WILL BE THERE. THE EVENT IS NAMED AFTER BASKETBALL PLAYER SHARONE WRIGHT, WHO HAS STRUGGLED WITH SOME HEALTH PROBLEMS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. SO A LOT OF GUYS GETTING TOGETHER ON THE COURSE TODAY. DANA: LOCAL RODEO ATHLETES ARE HEADING TO THE JUNIOR NATIONAL RODEO COMPETITION IN TEXAS AFTER SUNDAY’S QUALIFIER. FIVE ATHLETES UNDER THE AGE OF 19 WILL HEAD TO THAT EVENT. RILEY OWENS QUALIFIED FOR TWO EVENTS IN THE NATIONAL RODEO. SHE FOUND OUT MOMENTS BEFORE SHE TALKED WITH OUR CREW AND IS KEEPING HER FOCUS ON THE TOURNAMENT. >> I PRACTICE EVERY DAY. I TRY MY HARDEST TO DO MY BEST.

SC education leaders outline face covering guidelines for K-12 public schools

The South Carolina Department of Education has made guidelines regarding face coverings in public K-12 schools as they begin to reopen this fall during the COVID-19 pandemic.RELATED ARTICLE: FULL LIST: School reopening plans While wearing a mask is required, there are some exceptions. Below is an outline of where face masks are required to be worn and who may be excluded from those requirements.School Buses and FacilitiesStudents and staff who ride school buses are required to wear face coverings while boarding, riding, and exiting school buses. Staff members, including bus drivers, are required to wear face coverings while boarding, riding, driving and exiting school buses.Students boarding buses without a face mask will be asked to put one on. If they do not have a mask one will be provided for them.Students and staff in must also wear a face covering upon entering a school building, moving through hallways, during carpool/bus drop-off or pickup and when social distancing is not possible or optimal. Student face coverings may be removed upon teacher or administrator direction while in the classroom or during special activities outside the classroom.Students who should NOT be required to wear face coverings:Those younger than two years old;Those who have trouble breathing;Those unable to remove the covering without assistance; and/orThose with special healthcare or educational needs as determined by an Individualized Education Program (IEP), 504 Accommodations Plan, or an individual student healthcare plan, or by a medical doctorStaff members, including bus drivers, who have trouble breathing and/or those with special health care needs as noted by a medical doctor should NOT be required to wear face coverings.Additional ConsiderationsThe SCDE recognizes that face coverings may be challenging for some students, teachers, and staff, including younger students, those with severe asthma or other breathing difficulties and those with special educational or healthcare needs, including intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental health conditions and sensory concerns or tactile sensitivity.In these instances, parents, guardians, caregivers, teachers, and school administrators should consider adaptations and alternatives whenever possible. The use of clear face coverings that cover the nose and wrap securely around the face by some teachers and staff may be an option.Clear face coverings should be determined not to cause any breathing difficulties or over heating for the wearer. Teachers and staff who may consider using clear face coverings include:Those who interact with students or staff who are deaf or hard of hearing, per the Individuals with Disabilities Education ActTeachers of young students learning to readTeachers of English learnersTeachers of students with disabilities, as applicableIt is important to note that clear face coverings are not face shields. The CDC does NOT recommend use of face shields for normal everyday activities or as a substitute for cloth face coverings. The following are scenarios in which face shield usage is permitted:Face shields may be used to supplement cloth face coverings in those who desire further protection.If clear face coverings are not able to be obtained, face shields may be used in place of cloth face coverings in the examples above.If a teacher is maintaining greater than six feet of distance between themselves and anyone else while in a fixed location (e.g., their desk or the front of the room), a face shield alone may be used, but the teacher should have a cloth face covering within arm’s reach to be able to put on quickly if necessary.Copyright 2020 WIS. All rights reserved.

The South Carolina Department of Education has made guidelines regarding face coverings in public K-12 schools as they begin to reopen this fall during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RELATED ARTICLE: FULL LIST: School reopening plans

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