New School Year Preparations

As we continue to look ahead to reopening school on August 12th, we wanted to update our NCA family on what school will look like for this new school year. Administration has been working diligently to develop a comprehensive plan that caters to our families safety and social well-being. We are blessed to have adequate classroom facilities which allows us to effectively adapt to CDC compliance guidelines in our decision-making. First and foremost, we are concerned with the safety of our students and families. We are doing everything within our power to provide a safe environment for our students. We also know that the majority of our parents need to be at work to provide for their families. With these thoughts in mind, we have developed a hybrid model that will allow our families the flexibility to choose what works best for them. Before we go into what the hybrid model will look like, let’s talk about what a normal day will look like for those students who will be on campus.

Arrival

Students that arrive between 7:00am to 7:30am will be located in the cafeteria and will follow social distancing guidelines. Students will be required to wear face masks as they wait for school to start. (Note: We normally have a small amount of students that arrive during this timeframe and will be able to have them sit at a much greater distance than the normal social distancing guidelines)

Students that arrive after 7:30am will go directly to their classroom. Students will be required to wear a face mask as they arrive on the school campus. If parents escort their child(ren) onto campus, they too will be required to wear a face mask.

Temperature Checks

Temperature checks will be taken immediately before school starts within each classroom. Any student that has a temperature of 100.4 or higher will be taken to the school office. Parents will be notified and will need to pick up their child immediately. We encourage parents to take morning temperature checks of their child(ren) before they leave for school.

“Class Bubble”

Our goal throughout the day will be to limit the use of any shared spaces. We are developing a schedule for each class that will limit the exposure to other classes. We anticipate that students will remain in their classroom for the majority of the day when school opens. We are looking at schedules that ensure students get extra time for recess and other physical activity throughout the day.

Lunch

Each class will eat lunch in their classroom. Scheduled time slots will be allotted for each class to head to the cafeteria for any lunch purchases needed to limit exposure.

Training

The first week of school will be devoted to training each and every student the proper safety measures and procedures to create a safe environment for everyone on campus. Students will also be trained on the hybrid learning model so they are equipped with all the resources needed to maintain a consistent educational experience both on campus and at home.

End of School Day

We encourage parents to use the following pick up times for students:

K-1st Grade: 2:30pm

2nd-3rd Grade: 2:40pm

4th-5th Grade: 2:50pm

6th Grade: 2:55pm

7th Grade: 3:00pm

8th Grade: 3:05pm

Elementary students will stay in their classrooms until 3:30pm. If they are not picked up by 3:30pm, they will be escorted to aftercare. Parents, please communicate with the school if you plan on keeping your child(ren) in aftercare on a regular basis. Middle school students will be released at the allotted times and will need to leave campus in a timely manner. Middle school students that will be staying for aftercare will need to stay in their classrooms until 3:30pm. Parents, please communicate with the school if you plan on keeping your child(ren) in aftercare on a regular basis. All who are authorized to pick up a student will need to wear a face mask on campus.

Hybrid Learning Model

Our goal with the hybrid learning model is to concurrently teach those students that will physically be on campus as well as those students that will be distance learning. Our definition of a hybrid learning model is utilizing a traditional learning format (on campus learning) in combination with a distance learning platform provided by Google (more specific details will follow).

For those parents that have the ability to work from home and choose to keep their child(ren) home will have that option on a week to week basis. Parents will have the option from one week to the next to either bring their child(ren) into school or keep them home without the student falling behind in their studies. For those parents that will be keeping their child(ren) home, communication will be key. Parents will need to be in constant communication with their students' teacher so that everything runs smoothly. We have invested financially in new technology and training for all teachers to facilitate this hybrid learning model. Parents and students will be given access to training videos in addition to staff support which will assist them in the process of maximizing their educational experience. 

Teachers will take attendance and will know (with proper communication from the parents by close of business the Friday prior to the following week) if they have to follow a hybrid learning model for that day. Below is the process each teacher will go through on a daily basis in regard to the activation of a hybrid learning model:

• If all students are present for that grade level, the teacher will teach a normal on-campus learning experience.

• If all students are not present (and parents have properly communicated to the teacher that their child will be learning virtually), the teacher will teach a hybrid learning model.

• In the event a parent has communicated to the teacher that their child will not be there for that day AND that the child will not be able to attend the live sessions, the teacher will have the ability to record the live sessions for the student to watch at a later time.

The NCA administration is currently working on a FAQ section that will answer a lot of questions most parents are asking around the nation as the new school year is getting closer. Below is an example of some of the questions being answered.

Frequently Asked Questions

What safety precautions does the school have in place for the upcoming school year?

What happens if a student is sick?

What happens if a student tests  positive for COVID-19?

What happens if a family member of a student tests positive for COVID-19?

What happens if a teacher is sick?

What happens if a teacher tests positive for COVID-19?

Should you have any additional questions that are not covered in this document, please submit them through our Eagle Pipeline (Eagle Pipeline link is located on the top right corner of our school website above the family login button).

We are committed to providing a quality Christian education that is safe for all of our families for the 2020-2021 school year. More information to come!

-Northwest Christian Academy Administration

Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”