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COVID-19 Information

For Blended Learning for 2020-21 School Year

Families who chose all remote learning for their students have another opportunity to transition to blended learning this school year. If your child is currently learning remotely every day, they can learn in person in the school building at least part of the week for the last months of the school year.

Beginning Wednesday, March 24, you can opt your child in to in-person learning by selecting blended learning in the survey. You can also call 311. You have until Friday, April 9, to select this option.

Please read on to learn more about our commitment to health and safety, and expectations for blended learning. Additional updates regarding start dates for students who select blended learning during this opt-in window will be posted on this page

 

Blended Learning Expectations

As of December 7, 2020 citywide expectations apply for students to maintain in-person seats. Students attending school in person must attend school on their scheduled in-person days at least one time in the first week of school, and if your child is unable to attend you must contact your child’s school to provide notice and an acceptable reason.

All excused absences are acceptable, and exceptions are wider than a typical excused absence, and include but are not limited to:

  • Quarantine/COVID-related absence
  • Quarantine from out-of-state travel – though not an accommodation for the travel itself
  • Your family is looking after a sick relative, or caring for a sibling
  • Your child is not expected for in-person activities, but prefers 'blended' in order to maintain transportation benefits necessary for attending in-person shared instructional sessions

Schools will attempt to contact you if your child has been absent and they have not heard from you. If your child’s school cannot reach you to confirm your learning preference, your child will be transitioned to full remote learning.

 

Mandatory In-School COVID-19 Testing

In order for your child to return to in-person learning, you must submit the consent form for in-school COVID-19 testing. Any student in grade 1 or higher returning to school buildings must submit a consent form for COVID-19 testing in school by their first day back in school buildings. Mandatory in-school testing will happen weekly for a random selection of staff and students in all reopened school buildings. Given the ongoing fight against a citywide resurgence of COVID-19, this mandatory weekly testing for COVID-19 is a crucial part of our plan to keep all schools safe.

  • 3-K, Pre-K, and Kindergarten students are excluded from random testing.

If you have already submitted consent, we encourage you to do so again to ensure your student has the latest form on file. There are two easy ways to submit:

  • New York City Schools Account (NYCSA)
    • If you already have a NYCSA account linked to your student(s): Log in, click your student’s name, click “Manage Account,” and then when a dropdown menu appears, click “Consent Forms.” Read the page, and then choose the consent option at the end for your student.
    • If you do not already have a NYCSA account: You can create one right away!
      • If you have an account creation code from your school, you can create a full account in approximately five minutes, and then provide consent as described above.
      • If you do not have an account creation code from your school, you can still provide your consent right away by clicking “Manage Consent” under “COVID-19 Testing” and filling out your and your child’s information to provide consent.
  • Print and sign the form and bring it to your child’s school on the first day they are back in the school building.
    • A printable PDF file is available in ten languages at on our COVID Testing page.
 

Exceptions

Exemptions will only be granted in certain limited cases:

  • For students who need a medical exemption, due to a health condition that would make it unsafe to undergo testing (e.g., facial trauma, nasal surgery), you will be able to submit a separate form for consideration. This form must be signed by a physician and you must submit medical documentation from a health care provider.
  • For students with disabilities who cannot be safely tested in school due to the nature of their disability, you will be able to submit a separate request for an exemption.
    • The exemption forms are available in ten languages on the COVID Testing page. 
 

Health and Safety

The health and safety of all of our students continues to be our first priority in the wake of the evolving situation around the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in New York City.

It’s important we come together as a city and support one another as neighbors and New Yorkers during this time. COVID-19 is not more likely found in any one race or nationality, and we must each model inclusion and actively work to combat bias in our workplaces and communities.

 

Important Precautions

It is critical that all New Yorkers continue to practice general viral infection prevention measures including:

  • Wash your hands with soap and water often.
  • Wear a face covering, indoors and outdoors.
  • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or sleeve when sneezing or coughing.
  • Do not touch your face with unwashed hands.
  • Keep six feet of physical distance between yourself and others.
  • Do not shake hands. Instead, wave or elbow bump.
  • Monitor your health more closely than usual for cold or flu symptoms. 
  • Get your flu shot .
  • Reduce overcrowding by walking or biking to work, if possible.
  • If the train is too packed, wait for the next one. 
 

If You Feel Sick

Stay home and call your doctor if you have symptoms like coughing, shortness of breath, fever, sore throat.

  • If you do not feel better in 24-48 hours, contact your doctor.
  • Do not go to school or to work until you have been fever-free for at least 72 hours without the use of fever reducing drugs like Tylenol or ibuprofen.
  • If you need help getting medical care, call 311.
 

For More Information

 

Positive Cases in Schools:

Following guidance from the CDC and our own public health experts, as of Monday, April 12, 2021 we are updating our COVID-19 school building closure policies. These changes will provide stability to school communities while keeping health and safety front and center.

A school site will only close if there are 4 or more cases from 4 different classrooms within 7 days, with exposure traced to the school.

Visit Health and Safety to learn more about how we are ensuring our buildings are safe for students and staff, school-based COVID-19 testing, vaccine access, and more.

 

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

Please see the Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children page for information and letters to families.

 

Reopening School Buildings

Please read the Letter from the Chancellor about the Re-opening Plan.

On Thursday, November 19, all school buildings temporarily closed for teaching and learning, and all New York City public school students transitioned to fully remote learning.

  • The return dates below apply to students in blended learning, including those who selected blended learning during the recent opt-in period.
  • If you have recently traveled outside of New York City to a place on the State’s travel advisory list, you will have to follow the recommendations for quarantine before resuming in person learning. 

 

Middle School (Grades 6–8)

Students in these grades in District 1–32 schools enrolled in blended learning returned to in-person learning beginning on Thursday, February 25, 2021. This includes students in grades 6–8 who participate in District 75 Inclusion Programs in their assigned community district schools.