Announcing Full Return to In-Person Learning Grades K-12
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Community Members,
I want to provide you with an update on the progress that has been made since my Feb. 9 communication regarding the District's commitment to increase in-person learning time at our schools. As you will note below, after working through extensive planning considerations, we now are confident we can safely bring Gr K-12 students back to school for full time in-person instruction beginning Thursday, April 8th. Significant progress has been made over the past weeks, and I am indebted to our District and school leaders for their continued hard work and commitment.
Schedule/Calendar Modifications As we look forward to the March 8th parent virtual forum (which, as per below, I am expanding to include parents of all students grades K-12), I am announcing the following timeline/calendar adjustments:
Learning Models
Weighing the options for remote learning, administrators and teachers strongly believe that the quality of our learning model is the highest priority. We are committed to maintaining the current remote learning model organizing classrooms in am/pm pods. To accomplish this, we will reconstitute school and grade-level pods into district learning pod(s) for each grade K - 5. Therefore, students continuing as remote learners for the remainder of the school year will be assigned a new teacher and join a district-wide grade-level remote class.
Elementary Full In-Person Learning Model
We know the timing of orchestrating a transition to full time in-person learning during the last quarter of the school year is not optimal for students and teachers. To ensure the least amount of disruption, students returning to full time in-person learning will continue with their current teacher and class as we hope to accommodate all students in elementary classrooms.
Middle and high school students committing to the full remote option will participate in the instructional day by logging on and joining classes via live stream for all classes. Students learning full time in person will follow the regular middle and high school schedule, including lunch.
*Please note: To prepare for this transition, in the coming days we will ask parents who wish to choose a full remote option for their children for the remainder of the school year to firmly commit in writing to this model.
Overarching Priorities Health and safety
Meeting staffing needs
Attending to students' social-emotional well-being and growth Maintaining the highest academic standards with clear limitations based on current health and safety restrictions
Why Now?
Additional Details Being Finalized
Parent Virtual Forum: 6 pm Monday, March 8 Additional details will be provided during Monday evening's virtual forum. We are broadening our audience for this forum to include parents of students in all grades K-12. The forum will be streamed here: https://youtu.be/aRLRlQW5clw If you wish to ask a question during the meeting, you may join the Zoom by using this link here.
As a means for collecting additional questions as they arise, we are attaching HERE a Google form, which will enable you to submit questions at any time. Questions will be monitored, and we will share out to the community on a regular basis answers to questions routinely asked.
Thank you, and let's all take a moment today to celebrate our 100th day of school!
Dr. Robert I. Shaps Superintendent of Schools 1000 W. Boston Post Rd. • Mamaroneck, NY 10543 • (914) 220-3000 |