Reopening Plan Update-September 18, 2020
The Dallas County R-I School District is continuing to watch our active number of COVID-19 cases in the county and district.  On September 16th we moved our instructional model to the hybrid or orange phase.  We will continue to monitor the active cases as we proceed with our orange phase next week.  If the active number of cases is not reduced the district may have to consider moving into the red phase of our reopening plan.  In the red phase there would be no in-person instruction with students and all activities would be put on hold. 

Orange Phase Reminders
Tomorrow, Thursday, September 17 begins the Orange Phase for students and staff. Students whose primary guardian’s last name begins with L-Z will attend Thursdays and Fridays. Students whose primary guardian’s last name begins with A-K will attend Mondays and Tuesdays. Wednesdays will be AMI-X days. In addition to this Alternative Fixed Blended Learning model, all students and staff will be required to wear face coverings at school.

Three breakfasts and lunches will be sent home with students whose parents completed the parent survey last week and indicated they wanted meals.  The meals will be sent with students on Tuesdays and Fridays. Milk can be picked up on Fridays at the HS cafeteria south (back) door from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Social distancing and face coverings are required. Parents need to bring their student’s ID or lunch PIN number. If the parent doesn’t have either of these, the number can be looked up for them. All meals are being served free of charge through December 31, 2020 through the USDA summer meals program.

Bus route times may vary slightly but families will be contacted by their bus driver if route times will change more than 15 minutes. There will be no double routing of buses.

If your child is unable to connect with the teacher when utilizing virtual learning, the parent may contact the child’s school office.

Before and after school programming will be provided as normal on your children’s seated days, including 6 p.m. transportation.

Thank you for your patience during this difficult time as we make adjustments for the safety of your children. We will remain in the orange phase until active cases decline or increase in our county and school district. 

Miles for Smiles
Miles for Smiles Dental Clinic will be at our school October 22nd through November 6th.  It is a mobile dental clinic that provides onsite dental services to eligible school children, in an eleven county area of southwest Missouri.

This program is available to students that fall into one of these categories of dental coverage:

• Private Dental Insurance 
• Medicare and Medicaid
• Uninsured or underinsured, sliding scale fee upon request
• Private Pay

 Students who qualify will be given an initial exam and dental treatment will be provided as determined by the examining dentist. Details of the exam and care given will be available for parents to keep for their records.

If you are interested in this program for your student, the form is available on the district web page at bisonpride.org under Departments, then select Health Services; or you can call 417-345/5702 and request a form to be sent home with your child. Make sure you complete all information, front and back, which includes a consent agreement and statement that must be filled out and signed by the parent/ guardian.  The form is in a return mailer format and is postage paid.  If your child was recently seen by Miles for Smiles, a new consent form still needs to be filled out because it will be a new school year. 

Appointments are limited. Priority is given to students who have the greatest dental need, as well as those who return the completed paperwork promptly.

Sincerely, School Nurse

(If you would like a copy of Patient Rights and Responsibilities it is available on request at the school health offices.)

Reopening Plan Transition
As we monitor the active COVID cases in our school district and county, we feel it is necessary to transition into the Orange phase of our Reopening Plan. School will continue to operate under the Yellow phase with students attending school Friday and Monday, September 11 and 14. School will be closed for seated and virtual learning Tuesday, September 15. Students will not physically attend school on Wednesday, September 16. It will be an Alternative Methods of Instruction Extended (AMI-X) day.  Teachers will be available by email and phone. Each Wednesday, students will participate in AMI-X during the Orange phase. School will reopen in the Orange phase Thursday, September 17 as a B Day, with students attending Thursday and Friday, whose primary guardian’s last name begins with the letters L-Z. Monday and Tuesday, September 21-22 will be A Days with students attending whose primary guardian’s last name begins with letters A-K. Students at BHS and BPMS may still participate in activities with mask and social distancing guidelines. More information about the Reopening Plan is attached to the email sent along with this message.

Please complete a survey in the parent portal from a web browser as it will not work in the mobile app. The survey will allow parents to request meals be sent home with their students on Tuesdays and Fridays. Milk will not be sent home with students but parents may pick up milk at the BHS south cafeteria door on Fridays, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. beginning September 18. You will also review your child’s attendance days and method of instruction which was selected during the back to school registration process of virtual instruction or physical materials instruction.  PARENT PORTAL

Finally, we ask parents to help reinforce to their students that wearing a mask is required on the school bus. Please be sure your child has their mask on when it’s time to board the bus and they must wear it at all times on the bus. This requirement is for student safety. If students are not wearing their masks, they may not be allowed to board the bus or be addressed as a discipline issue. Thank you in advance for helping the bus drivers enforce this requirement.
DCR1 REOPENING PLAN    ORANGE LEVEL AMI-X PLAN

USDA Extends Summer Meals Program
USDA has extended the summer meals program from August 31 through December 31, 2020. All students will be able to eat breakfast and lunch free of charge, as long as USDA funds are still available.  Starting January 1, our school will return to full pay, reduced, and free meals program, based on eligibility, unless a new waiver is issued.