How do I register/enroll my child for the upcoming year?
All Union Elementary School District schools use our online enrollment site. Once you have completed the enrollment process, the school will contact you to come in to complete the process. Please visit enroll at: http://unionesd.org/enrollment/registration/enroll
If you have any difficulties or need assistance, you can contact the school directly at:
Dos Rios (623) 474-7000
Hurley Ranch (623) 478-5100
Union Elementary (623) 478-5000
All school offices are open Monday through Friday. We highly recommend and encourage wearing a mask, as we are following CDC Guidelines to prevent Covid-19 spread.
If my child attended last year and did not withdraw, do I need to enroll again?
No. Your child remained enrolled.
Will Union Elementary be offering multiple models of learning for the 2021-2022 school year?
No. We will be offering one model: In-Person. This model will be seven hours per day, five days per week. Students that require isolation or quarantining will be able to stream with their classroom during the time they are at home.
How will special education services (resource and therapies) be provided?
Union Elementary School District will continue to provide students with a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in accordance with each Individual Education Plan (IEP) and appropriate CDC guidance. IEP teams will meet to review and discuss any supports and services an individual student may need based upon the student’s present levels of performance in any area of development (academic, social, physical, behavioral).
When will we review the books and supplies our students will use for this year?
We will be reviewing materials on July 29th and July 30th, during a scheduled meet the teacher conference. Teachers will be calling to set up your time, where they will review all the plans for helping you support your child.
Can we establish a protocol for students at home?
Union Elementary School District will provide one learning model to support students with a supportive model for students that require time to quarantine, streaming. This model is designed to ensure we can transition from either model in a seamless manner, depending on the spread of Covid-19. The school day and curriculum are designed to provide a consistent and predictable routine for students and their families during very uncertain times. For students that require streaming, we will create a day as similar as possible to the In-Person model. We encourage students and families to follow a daily schedule that would include dressing for school, eating breakfast prior to the school day starting, and engaging in learning in an area designated for instruction.
Ideally, this space should be free from distractions and equipped with the supplies the child needs for the day. We also encourage parents to set expectations for what activities their children can engage in during classroom breaks and lunch to mirror what students would normally do in a school setting. Talk to your child’s teacher if you need suggestions about how to structure this time.
Are uniforms still required?
Uniforms are required for In-Person instruction and are highly recommended for streaming. For maintaining a healthy routine, we encourage families to follow as normal of a schedule and expectations for instruction as possible. This will support a healthy daily routine and set them up for a positive return to school.
What support will be provided to parents/students that have issues during streaming?
Our IT department has created a parent ticketing system. Please visit the Union ESD website in the parent resources portal there is a section to communicate the technology issue you are facing which can also be found at http://unionesd.org/community/parent_resources/support
Will students be rotating between classes/classrooms?
No. We will be implementing CDC guidance to practice grouping students in “cohorts”. Cohorts are groups of students who do not mix or mingle with other groups. For PreK-6 this means that students will remain with the students in their homeroom class throughout the full seven-hour day. They will have structured breaks, have meals, and stay in the class with the same individuals throughout the day. Specials will push into their classroom. Students in grades 7 and 8 will remain with their homeroom, and teachers will rotate into their classroom or have all subject streamed into their classroom. Either way, students will remain with their homeroom for the full seven-hours per day.
How many students will be in a classroom cohort?
We have set a recommendation for an In-Person class size of 25 students, when feasible. All classrooms will have desks, be spaced at least 3 feet apart, and facing forward.
Twenty Five (25) students in the In-Person classes are too high to maintain social distancing guidelines, how is this following CDC Guidelines?
CDC guidelines are designed to be implemented where feasible. The guidelines recommend three feet apart, where feasible in classrooms. Where not feasible, they recommend implementing other safety guidelines including; desks spaced as far apart as possible, individual desks, individual supplies/materials, desks facing forward, universal masking, and cohorts of students. We will be implementing the recommendations as communicated by the CDC guidelines. CDC Guidelines are monitored by the district and updated as the guidance changes to ensure the safety of our students and staff.
What is the restroom protocol?
Principals will create campus-specific protocols prior to their first day of In-Person instruction. Staff will be trained on these protocols. Restroom capacity has been set to the number of stalls for all multi-occupant restrooms and will be monitored through Ehall pass. Signage has been installed to reinforce social distancing and handwashing expectations. Floor signage supports social distancing when students are waiting to wash their hands. Students will be expected to wash or sanitize hands once they re-enter the classroom to further ensure that handwashing/sanitizing expectations are followed.
Will everyone, including students be required to wear a mask, and can my child bring their own?
For everyone entering campus it will be highly recommended and encouraged to wear a mask. We will provide masks for our students, staff and visitors in need. Students and staff can wear their personal masks as long as they are school-appropriate and adhere to dress code policy.
Will students be required to wear masks?
Per updated guidance from the Maricopa County Public Health Department, students, staff, and visitors will be highly recommended and encouraged to wear masks when on school grounds or within school buildings. This will include parking lots and outdoor spaces if there are large crowds.
How will you support students with wearing a face mask?
First, we ask parents to begin preparing each child to wear a face mask. Start in small amounts of time and work your way up. At schools, students will be provided direct instruction on how to follow the masking expectations. We will teach proper mask-wearing procedures. Through PBIS students will be taught that we are Being Safe, Responsible, and Respectful in helping slow the spread of germs by wearing our masks.
In case of emergency, how will multiple classes safely and swiftly exit and congregate?
Each campus has an emergency plan that we will continue to use. We will follow guidance from state and local officials. Training for those procedures will take place in smaller groups, and with their cohorts; for example, per July 10, 2020, guidance from Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management: “To promote social distancing during fire drills, the Arizona State Fire Marshal’s Office recommends that schools be creative in how they perform the drills. For example, classes staggering their evacuation DURING THE DRILL ONLY to minimize the number of students congregating in the hallway and outside assembly areas. Students may also be required to space apart during the fire drill. At the beginning of a drill, an announcement may be made by school administrators to distinguish the drill from an actual fire alarm activation. Other instructions regarding social distancing practices during the drill may be given.
PLEASE NOTE: In the event of an unplanned fire alarm, all building occupants must evacuate immediately. Social distancing requirements do not apply to normal fire alarm activations.”
Will teachers and staff be tested regularly?
Staff will have the ability to participate in diagnostic and screening testing, the process is listed below, similar to students.
- Rapid Diagnostic testing is available on an opt-in basis for all symptomatic staff, students, and immediate household members. If a staff member or child is symptomatic with COVID-like illness, parents may contact each school’s health office to set up same-day test. Test results will be given in 15-20 minutes. Rapid Diagnostic testing is a fast and easy COVID 19 diagnostic test. A trained staff member, such as a member of the school health office uses a nasal swab to run a few times around the inside of each nostril and in 15 minutes, the test provides a positive or negative result for COVID 19 antigens.
- Pooled screening testing will be available on an opt in basis to staff and students on a weekly basis to determine if there are positive cases of COVID-19 in schools. Depending on results, follow up diagnostic testing may be conducted. Pooled testing is a fast easy, non-invasive nasal swab that may be self-administered. Once completed staff and students will place the nasal swab in unmarked non-personally identifiable container with up to 24 other swabs. The container is then tested for COVID 19 antigens. If positive, everyone in the pool is retested with a follow up diagnostic test to determine which individual is positive to allow for proper care and follow up contact tracing.
These resources will provide us with updated information that allows us to monitor and respond accordingly to COVID in our community. Sick employees and students are required to stay home. Additionally, staff and parents are expected to screen daily before heading to school.
How will students with no insurance be tested if needed?
Union ESD provides free COVID diagnostic testing for students and families, please contact your school’s front office or nurse to schedule testing if you or a family member is exhibiting a COVID symptom.
How will students access water during the school day?
Students and staff are encouraged to bring personal water bottles to school each day. Bottles can be filled in classrooms with sinks. Additionally, we will have water bottle refilling stations at each campus.
How does a parent screen their child?
See screening protocol, Appendix A of the Back to School Plan. We will also publish this on our website www.unionesd.org and will update as information changes from public health.
How will children be screened at school?
At designated entry points staff will ask students upon arrival if they are feeling ill and visually scan for signs of illness. Staff will be trained on how to perform a visual screening. Visual screenings will be done at all district access points including the school bus. Staff will be asked to monitor students throughout the day using the information shared in the visual screening training provided. Students will be trained to self-report if they begin feeling ill.
How will we line up for arrival and dismissal for In-Person learning?
School sites will design and communicate specific entry and exit plans. These plans will be communicated at your July 29th or 30th meet the teacher meeting.
Can you only drop off students in the car line or can you walk your child to the entry gates?
Parents will be asked to drop off in the car line if they drive their child to school. If you walk or bike to school, you will be asked to leave them at the gate. Each site will determine where the drop-off location is for the modes of arrival/departure.
What happens if my children walk home together?
Each school will have an entry and exit plan specific to their campus. Students will have a designated place to meet before exiting campus. In no case will students pick up their siblings at the classroom.