Mattie Lively Elementary School

Partnership with local health department provides dedicated events for employees, substitutes & Cedarwood

Participants to receive the one-dose

Johnson & Johnson vaccine for free

On March 8, access to three available COVID-19 vaccines (Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Johnson & Johnson) expanded in Georgia, to include teachers and school district employees.  In response Bulloch County Schools is partnering with the Bulloch County Health Department and other local providers to host voluntary, dedicated vaccination clinics for its employees for free. 

The first two clinics are drive-through events on March 12 and March 19, from 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., at the Health Department, located at 1 West Altman Street in Statesboro.  A third clinic is tentatively scheduled for March 26. All participants will receive the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

All school district employees, substitutes, and other temporary employees, who are interested in receiving the vaccine are eligible to participate. The school district’s clinics also extend to the faculty and staff of Cedarwood, which is a Georgia Network for Educational and Therapeutic Support alternative education center that serves students from Bulloch, Jenkins, and Evans counties.  

These initial clinics are in addition to employees’ independent choices of multiple local and area providers. The school district is planning additional clinics based on employee demand for the vaccine. Some employees have also already been vaccinated due to earlier eligibility.  

An appointment is required to receive a vaccine. Bulloch County Schools is providing all employees with an online link via both their school district email account and website to schedule their preferred day and time to receive a vaccine at one of the two clinics. 

If an employee is already on a waiting list to receive a COVID-19 vaccine from another local or area provider, they may honor those appointments.  They do not have to participate in the school district’s clinics.

Each of Bulloch County Schools’ clinics will be able to accommodate up to 200 employees, for a total of 400 employees for the first two clinics. The school district is purposefully spacing out these and future clinics and scheduling them on Fridays, to allow employees a rest period after the vaccine in case they experience any side effects.  A mass event for all employees at once is not feasible due to the possibility of mass employee absences if side effects occur and a resulting disruption to school operations.

The initial clinics are made possible through the school district’s partnership with the Georgia Department of Public Health, the Southeast Health District Department of Public Health and the Bulloch County Health Department. An initial supply of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines, reserved just for our employees, arrived on March 5 at our local health department. According to medical professionals the Johnson & Johnson vaccine may provide immunity within two weeks of vaccination, compared to the six-weeks to immunity with other vaccines. 

 
“While there is no requirement for school district employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, it is one more important way that we can help keep them safe, mitigate the spread of COVID-19, and help prevent possible quarantines if they are directly exposed to someone with the virus,” said Charles Wilson, superintendent of schools.

The school district has provided employees information from the Georgia Department of Public Health that explains the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, guidelines about how those who are vaccinated can prevent quarantine based on certain criteria, and a consent form that must be signed and brought with them to their appointment. The Centers for Disease Control’s website has also been referenced to employees as a credible source for information and frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccines.

“School districts across the state have been asked to work with their local healthcare providers to organize clinics for educators,” said Wilson. “Each district will be unique in how they work with their local partners to host clinics, so while you may see or hear details about other school districts’ clinics, please note that each is organized to best fit their local needs and there will be similarities and differences.  What is important is to know what we are doing in Bulloch County.”

Access Bulloch County Schools' real-time report of confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 and quarantines here.

This website provides data for Bulloch County Schools' confirmed positive COVID-19 cases, clusters, and direct exposures that result in quarantine as reported by the school district's medical personnel and administrators using robust and secure protocol developed in partnership with the Department of Public Health. This website is updated in real time as cases are reported. While our school district medical personnel collect, monitor, and report other health data to the Department of Public Health, this online report will focus on confirmed cases, clusters, and quarantines/exposures.

• Case: A reported case is an employee or student in either the school district's virtual or on-campus learning programs, who has received a confirmed positive diagnosis of COVID-19.  A reported case does not mean that the individual was physically in or on school property (building, athletic facilities or bus) on the day the case was reported.
• Quarantines/Exposures: A healthy student or employee who has direct exposure to a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 on or in school district property (building, athletic facilities or bus) or they are the family member of a student or employee who has a confirmed positive case. Direct exposure means that the person was in contact with a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 within less than six feet for 15 minutes or more. A direct exposure does not mean that the person will become ill. The person is quarantined and monitored for 7, 10, or 14 days to see if symptoms arise. (revised CDC quarantine guidelines updated 12/4/2020)
• COVID-19 Clusters:  A cluster exists and is reported to the Department of Public Health if there are two or more people who were on or in school district property who developed COVID-19 symptoms or had a confirmed positive test within 14 days of each other, and who had been in direct close contact with each other. This is reported in order to monitor a potential outbreak or spread in a specific area.
• Isolations: Isolation separates people who are sick for any reason from people who are not. COVID-19 has a wide range of symptoms, some of which mirror other common illnesses. Based on our protocols developed with the Department of Public Health, some students and employees may stay home or be sent home to isolate for up to 10 days if they are sick. An isolated person can return to school if they receive an alternate, non-COVID diagnosis from a healthcare provider and have a negative COVID-19 test. An isolated person must also be symptom-free and fever free for 24 hours without the aid of fever-reducing drugs to return to work or school.

Isolation numbers are not included in this online data because their COVID-19 status is unknown, and they may receive an alternate diagnosis from a medical provider. If an isolated person receives a confirmed positive COVID-19 diagnosis, then this online report will reflect that data.

• Students and Employees*:  The data reflects students and employees in both the school district's virtual learning and traditional on-campus learning programs because even those in the virtual program may be in or on school property.  College interns, student teachers, Statesboro-Bulloch County Parks & Recreation Department Afterschool personnel, and contracted services personnel who serve on our campuses are included in the data of this report as well.

• All schools practice deep cleaning measures throughout the day, and areas where a COVID-19 person has been will receive immediate deep cleaning.
• Only students whose parents were contacted are quarantined. Other students may remain and return to school.

How is COVID-19 related absence information monitored?

• School nurses will collect information on students and employees that are out for isolation or quarantine due to reasons related to COVID-19 so that the school district can adequately monitor their absence and their return to school or work. 
• The school district will actively communicate with the Department of Public Health when school or district personnel become aware of a confirmed case of COVID-19 that affects an employee or student who has been in or on school district property. School nurses have the necessary contact information to do this. 
• The Department of Public Health will handle  contact tracing for contacts outside the school environment related to a confirmed case. 

How will parents whose child has been exposed to a COVID-19 positive person be notified and what are their next steps?

• School nurses will monitor employees' and students' isolation and quarantine/exposure periods   
• During the quarantine/exposure 14-day period, school nurses and Department of Public Health will monitor persons for any COVID-19 symptoms. Person will also receive daily follow up communication the Department of Public Health. .
• At no time will any individual health information about other students or employees be shared with anyone.  The privacy of individual student health information is protected by the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act, and individual school district employee health information is protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

How will the public be informed of confirmed COVID-19 positive cases?

• The school district’s Public Relations Department will maintain an area on the district website that provides up-to-date information about confirmed positive COVID-19 cases and any resulting quarantines/exposures.
• This information will be site specific, but will not include any specific information related to the individual(s) involved.   

How will students who are absent due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis or voluntary quarantine receive instruction or make up work?

• As a student is well and able, the school district’s distance learning option is activated for them, and the student will receive instruction and assignments at home from their Bulloch County Schools teachers via Google Classroom and Google Meet.
• Once a child can return after a quarantine period, face-to-face learning can resume.

How should families conduct daily self-checks to help stop the spread of COVID-19?

Before you go to work or school, follow these steps that were sent home with students and made available on our website

Face-to-Face or Virtual for 2021-2022?
Look for a preliminary interest survey on March 5; Respond by March 10

Bulloch County Schools will survey all families, who have a rising K-12 student, about their expected interest in either face-to-face or virtual learning for the 2021-2022 school year.  On Friday, March 5, families can check their email or text messages for a link to a simple, two-question survey, and they can expect to receive the survey by 12 noon.

Families are asked to respond to the survey by midnight on March 10.

Survey links are unique to each student. If a family has more than one student, they can make specific choices for each child.  

Please note that this is not a survey to register a child for face-to-face or virtual learning. This is a preliminary interest survey only to assist with the school district’s planning and staffing needs for the upcoming school year.

Bulloch County Schools' leaders understand that families may be undecided, and that their plans may change before the school district’s learning program application period in April. For now, families should just note their expected choice.

If a family does not receive a survey link by 12 noon on March 5, they may contact their child’s school for assistance.

Report COVID-19 related absences online - Employees and parents of students may report their COVID-19 related absences by contacting your school/office or using this online form. 

Schools reopened for the second semester for all students on January 6 . Please protect yourself and others by remembering to do a daily self-check health screening each day before work or school. For your convenience, please refer to the attached Bulloch County Schools' COVID-19 Prevention and Notification Protocols flyer and the Stop the Spread Self-Check flyer, which guides families about how to report COVID-19 related symptoms or absences to your school for proper public health practices.

The self-check information and absence reporting is also available as an online tool.  If any students or employees received a positive COVID-19 test or were exposed to a confirmed positive case during the winter break, and are unsure if they may return, parents may contact their school nurse and employees may contact their supervisor to discuss proper public health protocols. For any non-COVID-19 related absences, please follow the school district's regular student absence policies in the Bulloch County Schools Student Handbook.

Nine-Week Grading Terms for 2020-2021

• August 17 - October 5, 2020 - First Nine Weeks*
• October 6 - December 18, 2020 - Second Nine Weeks
• January 6 - March 18, 2021 - Third Nine Weeks
• March 19 - May 26, 2021 - Fourth Nine Weeks

*The first nine weeks is shortened for the 2020-2021 school year.

For Elementary School Students

At the end of each nine weeks, progress reports are available in Infinite Campus Parent Portal. The grades on these reports are a snapshot of a student’s progress at the end of each nine weeks. At the end of the second and third nine weeks, an updated snapshot will be posted to Infinite Campus. These grades are not averaged together for a final grade until the end of the year but are reflective of a rolling gradebook. 

A rolling gradebook is ongoing documentation of student progress and provides multiple opportunities for students to show mastery.  A student’s final grade is a calculation of all assignments and assessments throughout the year, regardless of the nine weeks in which the work is completed.  Since the progress report is a snapshot of where the student is at that current time, it likely will change quickly as students complete more assignments, make up missing work, and complete remediation and reassessment of standards that were not mastered.  For courses located in the SchoolsPLP platform, login with your student to view the most up-to-date grades at any time. 

Please note that in an effort to accurately report student progress, zeros have been used as a placeholder for assignments that are missing, incomplete, or never attempted. The rolling gradebook allows zeros to be replaced as the student completes the assignment.

Kindergarten students will not have grades reported in Infinite Campus but instead will receive a standards mastery report card. For the first nine weeks progress report, students in grades 1-5, will only receive a snapshot grade for English Language Arts and Math. Students in grades 3-5 will also receive snapshot grades in Science and Social Studies at the end of the second nine weeks. 

Please follow up with your student’s teacher or virtual program coordinator with any questions or concerns you may have.

For Middle School Students

At the end of each nine weeks, progress reports are available in Infinite Campus Parent Portal. The grades on these reports are a snapshot of a student’s progress at the end of each nine weeks. At the end of the second and third nine weeks, an updated snapshot will be posted to Infinite Campus. These grades are not averaged together for a final grade until the end of the year but are reflective of a rolling gradebook. 

A rolling gradebook is ongoing documentation of student progress and provides multiple opportunities for students to show mastery.  A student’s final grade is a calculation of all assignments and assessments throughout the year, regardless of the nine weeks in which the work is completed.  Since the progress report is a snapshot of where the student is at that current time, it likely will change quickly as students complete more assignments, make up missing work, and complete remediation and reassessment of standards that were not mastered.  We encourage you to check the Edgenuity Family Portal for the most up-to-date grades at any time. For courses located in the SchoolsPLP platform, login with your student to view the most up-to-date grades at any time. 

Please note that in an effort to accurately report student progress, zeros have been used as a placeholder for assignments that are missing, incomplete, or never attempted. The rolling gradebook allows zeros to be replaced as the student completes the assignment.

For the first nine weeks progress report, middle school students will only receive snapshot grades for English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Grades for electives/connections courses will be reported at the end of the second nine weeks.

Edgenuity Family Portal

View your middle school student’s most up-to-date progress in the Edgenuity Family Portal. To set up an account, follow these steps:

• An activation code specific to your student is needed to set up a parent account.
• To request an activation code for Edgenuity Family Portal, please complete a help ticket and one will be sent to you.
• Once logged in to the Edgenuity Family Portal, refer to your student’s “Actual Grade” for the most up-to-date grade that reflects the student’s mastery and progress towards course completion.

Please follow up with your student’s teacher or virtual program coordinator with any questions or concerns you may have.

For High School Students

At the end of each nine weeks, progress reports are available in Infinite Campus Parent Portal. The grades on these reports are a snapshot of a student’s progress at the end of each nine weeks. At the end of the second and third nine weeks, an updated snapshot will be posted to Infinite Campus. These grades are not averaged together for a final grade until the end of the year but are reflective of a rolling gradebook. 

A rolling gradebook is ongoing documentation of student progress and provides multiple opportunities for students to show mastery.  A student’s final grade is a calculation of all assignments and assessments throughout the year, regardless of the nine weeks in which the work is completed.  Since the progress report is a snapshot of where the student is at that current time, it likely will change quickly as students complete more assignments, make up missing work, and complete remediation and reassessment of standards that were not mastered.  We encourage you to check the Edgenuity Family Portal for the most up-to-date grades at any time. For courses located in the SchoolsPLP platform, login with your student to view the most up-to-date grades at any time. 

Please note that in an effort to accurately report student progress, zeros have been used as a placeholder for assignments that are missing, incomplete, or never attempted. The rolling gradebook allows zeros to be replaced as the student completes the assignment.

For the first nine weeks progress report, high school students will only receive snapshot grades for English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies courses and Spanish I and Spanish II. Grades for all elective courses will be reported at the end of the second nine weeks.

Edgenuity Family Portal 

View your middle school student’s most up-to-date progress in the Edgenuity Family Portal. To set up an account, follow these steps:

• An activation code specific to your student is needed to set up a parent account.
• To request an activation code for Edgenuity Family Portal, please complete a help ticket and one will be sent to you.
• Once logged in to the Edgenuity Family Portal, refer to your student’s “Actual Grade” for the most up-to-date grade that reflects the student’s mastery and progress towards course completion.

Please follow up with your student’s teacher or virtual program coordinator with any questions or concerns you may have.

Visit our Virtual Learning Program Website for orientation information, virtual teacher websites, technology help, and resources. 

Bulloch County Schools' School Nutrition Department will provide meal service to all families whose children are the following:

• Enrolled in the school district's virtual learning program for grades Pre-K - 12.
• Enrolled in the school district's traditional learning program, but are temporarily at home due to a 10-day isolation or 14-or-more-day quarantine due to COVID-19 symptoms or direct exposure to a confirmed positive case.

How to Order? 

Parents/Guardians must complete this online meal service pre-order form by each Thursday to be able to pick up meals on the following Monday. The online form is available on each district and school website and social media. It was also emailed to all virtual program  and distance learning parents and students. Keep the link to use each week.

What Does a Meal Box Cost?

• Breakfast is free for all students.
• Lunches:
  • Temporarily there is no cost due to a USDA waiver that may end December 18, 2020 or earlier. When the waiver ends, these are the costs:
    • $11.25 per week for Pre-K -5th grade students who qualify for full-priced meals  

    • $12.50 per week for 6th - 12th grade students who qualify for full-priced meals. 

    • $2.00 per week for Pre-K - 12th grade students who qualify for reduced-priced meals. 

    • Free, no cost for Pre-K - 12th grade students who qualify for free meals.  

How Do You Pay for Meals?

Temporarily there is no cost due to a USDA waiver that extends through the end of the school year.  After that time, the school district uses MySchoolBucks to provide parents/guardians a convenient online website and mobile application from which to manage a meal payment account and make payments online. You can also make a payment by cash or check at curbside when you pick up your meals.

What Do You Receive?

This service provides a one-week supply of five breakfasts and five lunches for each child in grades Pre-Kindergarten - 12th. The first two week's menus are attached below. Thereafter, the meal menus will be the same as those served in the traditional program, and the menus are posted on the school district's website and printed in the local newspaper.

Who Can Pick Up? Meals may be picked up by a parent, guardian, caregiver, or the student if he or she is old enough to drive.

What Time to Pick Up? There are two available time frames to choose from for meal pickup: 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. or 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Where Do I Pick Up Meals? 

• Meal boxes are for curbside pick up only on Mondays when school is in session or an alternate day when holidays occur.
• The pick up locations are outside each of the school district's nine elementary schools. 
  • Families with children in middle and high school, will go to their home's zoned elementary school to pick up meals. 
  • School Nutrition staff will set up outside the elementary schools during the two time frames.
  • They will place a box of food for each child inside the family's or student's vehicle.
  • Participants are asked to remain in their vehicle.

What if I miss my pick up time? 

Due to the perishable nature of the food and our school nutrition personnel's schedules for on-campus meals, the school district is unable to accommodate any alternate pick up times for those who do not come to pick up their pre-orders. Please ensure that you are able to pick up your order at either of the assigned times prior to placing an order.

How does my child qualify for free or reduced-priced meals?

• If your child was a student in our school district last year, and he or she qualified for either free or reduced-priced meals last year, your family's application is still valid for your child to continue to receive free or reduced-priced meals through September 29, 2020. 
• To either apply to qualify for free/reduced-priced meals as a new student or to renew your previous year's application, a parent or guardian must complete a 2020-2021 Free & Reduced-Price Meal Application.
• Our school district will provide a printed application to all students or you can complete the application online via this link. 
• A completed form must be received and processed prior to September 29, for returning students to continue to receive this benefit.