Nyssa Public Schools
NEWS RELEASE
October 11, 2020
Media Contact: Superintendent Darren Johnson, 541-372-2275
Limited In-Person Instruction Opens to Kindergartners
(Nyssa, Ore.) - On Monday, October 12, 2020 the Nyssa School District, after close consultation with Oregon Department of Education, and the Malheur County Health Department, will welcome kindergartners to school facilities for two 
hours per day for Limited In-Person Instruction as defined by Oregon Department of Education (ODE) guidelines. Kindergartners will return to school in maximum cohort sizes of 10 students per cohort.
Since opening to Limited In-Person Instruction to special education students and some other students in mid-September, the district has maintained stringent protocols, including the enforcement of Oregon Department of Education and Oregon Health Authority health and safety guidelines; the hiring of a full-time district nurse to support district health protocols, communication with staff, parents, and county health authorities, and a commitment to provide critical health education to district staff. Nyssa School District will implement stricter than required protocols for Limited In-Person Instruction, including daily temperature screening for all students as they enter the buildings.
Statement from Superintendent Darren Johnson: “Our teachers and staff in all grades and subject areas have worked diligently to make online learning meaningful and powerful, and we appreciate these efforts. We also recognize the importance of providing learning strategies and human connections that are vital to a student’s development and that can only occur in person, especially for our most vulnerable students. We have worked closely with the Oregon Department of Education and the Malheur County Health Department to ensure our community and staff that we are following all protocols for keeping staff and students safe.”
In spite of the clear necessity to come to the aid of young students struggling with online instruction, the decision to bring kindergarten students to school was postponed
until Nyssa School District could ensure that the district was prepared to follow all safety protocols set forth by ODE and the Health Department. The process began several weeks ago with the development of individual protocols for each of the following situations:
Transportation pick-up and seating
School arrival
Parent drop-off
Pathway to classroom
Classroom set-up
Social distancing during instruction
Dismissal
Transportation loading
Parent pick-up
Protocols are now in place to provide the safest possible reentry to in-person instruction, according to district administration, Sarah Poe Director of the Malheur County Health Department, and Colt Gill State Superintendent of Public Education.
For clarification of school COVID case numbers please see the updated Malheur County press release on 10/9/2020. ( https://malheurhealth.org/ )
The district has also posted these safety measures on our “Ready Safe Learners Blueprint,” which is located on the district website ( www.nyssa.k12.or.us )