In a letter to faculty, students, and families in the Auburn Enlarged City School District, Superintendent Jeff Pirozzolo outlined the phased reopening that officials will embark on over the next several weeks.
“These past few months have been challenging for our entire community as we navigate through the ever-changing guidelines for reopening our schools. As it is, the district’s options for instruction have been limited to a hybrid model (partial in-person learning/partial remote learning) and a full remote learning model,” Pirozzolo wrote. “The Auburn Enlarged City School District will be moving forward with a hybrid learning model, but we will be utilizing a phase-in plan to reopen our schools due to many factors.”
The decision was made after a survey showed that more than 1,000 students in the district would participate in fully-remote learning due to concerns regarding health and safety of returning to school.
“By implementing a phase-in reopening schedule, we will be able to monitor our screening process and solidify our health and safety precautions, making it much more likely for our reopening to be successful. A phase-in reopening will also allow students and staff to get more comfortable and familiarize themselves with a full remote learning model, which makes up the majority of the instructional model for the 2020-2021 school year,” Pirozzolo continued. “The hybrid model consists of 3 days a week of online instruction, and at any point, we need to be prepared to move into a full remote learning model if deemed necessary by New York State.”
Here’s how the district says the fall will go:
Sept. 8 & 9: Introductory Days
These days will be reserved for students in Grades K-12 on both the hybrid and remote learning models to come in and pick up equipment and meet their teachers during scheduled times.
Sept. 10 – 25: Phase 1
Students in preschool will attend school every day Monday through Friday in Phase 1, and start dates will be determined by individual sites. Students in 8:1 and 12:1 programs will attend school every day Monday through Thursday. Additionally, students in CTE, Compass, and day treatment programs will attend school according to their specific program’s schedule. All other students in Grades K-12 will participate in the full remote learning model.
Sept. 28: Phase 2
Elementary Level – Grades K-2 will attend school on an A/B schedule. Grades 3-6 will continue with the full remote learning model.
Junior High – Grade 7 will attend school on an A/B schedule. Grade 8 will continue with the full remote learning model.
High School – Grades 11 & 12 will attend school on an A/B schedule. Grades 9 & 10 will continue with the full remote learning model.
Oct. 13: Phase 3
All other students who have opted into the hybrid learning model will attend school on an A/B schedule.
“Parents who have requested a full remote learning model of instruction for their child(ren) will be able to request a transfer to the hybrid learning model once they feel comfortable with the health and safety guidelines the district has in place or if they feel the full remote learning model is not working for them. Transfers will be accommodated as long as space allows with the current health and safety guidelines in place,” Pirozzolo added.
Individual schools will also be communicating the details of learning schedules and other pertinent reopening information with families.
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