ECS To Reopen Its Doors To Students This Fall
ECS To Reopen Its Doors To Students This Fall
Citing consistently low COVID-19 infection rates, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on August 7th schools may reopen their doors to students for in-person instruction. The announcement came after the state recorded its lowest levels of hospitalizations, positive results and deaths since the pandemic began in March.
Schools were required to submit reopening plans to the New York State Department of Health, which will be reviewed against stringent reopening guidelines. New York’s 10 regions have achieved under a 1.0% positivity rate, putting it well below the 5% recommended reopening threshold set forward by the World Health Organization.
While COVID-19 continues its unprecedented warpath across major swaths of the United States, New York’s ability to contain the virus is in stark contrast to the pandemic’s onset, when New York City became the American epicenter. A combination of state-mandated procedures, such as strict economic reopening guidelines and limited out-of-state travel, have helped contain the virus’ spread.
In lieu of a massive, statewide reopening plan, Cuomo put the onus on superintendents and local health departments to develop plans that would best fit their districts. Ellicottville Central, which hosts students from Pre-K through 12th grade, developed three separate models. At the timing of this publication, students in Pre-K through 6th grade will attend in-person while students 7th - 12th will go off a hybrid learning model.
Schools must also conduct three to five public meetings with parents before August 21st. Ellicottville Central will offer three community meetings for students, parents and staff. The meetings will be similar, so attending all three isn’t necessary — but ECS superintendent Bob Miller stressed that everyone is welcome to do so. The meetings will take place on Monday, August 17th at 6:00pm, Tuesday, August 18th at 6:00pm and Wednesday, August 19th at 10:00am. All meetings will be streamed virtually and you can find the links on the District website.
“We received 70 staff surveys and over 200 parent/student surveys while developing these plans,” Miller said. “We worked with committees to get down to the very specifics and get into as much detail as possible. My number one priority is the safety of our students, teachers and families.”
Miller, who was Ellicottville’s principal before this tenure as superintendent began, has never faced a crisis like the one presented in front of him. He joins the 749 school districts across New York tasked with developing — and implementing — an education plan no one ever dreamed of having to build.
Since the Governor’s announcement, it has been all hands on deck for the school’s staff. Ordering new COVID-19 related signage, barriers for desks and personal protective equipment will create the safest possible environment for students attending in the fall.
Teachers have been busy designing lessons and activities to deliver instruction in ways that are very different than what they have traditionally used.
The plans go as follows. Each elementary classroom will be designed with the utilization of clear plastic barriers. Middle and High School students must follow strict 6-foot social distancing guidelines, while all students will be required to wear masks all day — including while on the bus. Mask breaks will be provided throughout the day.
Students in Pre-K through 6th grade will go off of the in-person plan. Busses will stagger pickup and drop-off times: Group 1 arrives at 8:00am and departs at 1:45pm, while Group 2 arrives at 9:00am and departs at 2:45pm.
“Remote learning is hard for little kids, so this puts them all here,” Miller said. “They get to see their teachers.”
Teachers or staff will instruct children learning remotely, utilizing virtual instruction whenever possible.
Students in grades 7-12 will adopt a hybrid learning model, separated into two groups: A & B. The A cohort will attend on Mondays and Tuesdays, while B will attend Thursdays and Fridays. On Wednesdays, most students in grades 7-12 will engage in remote learning; some students will attend in-person classes for additional, individualized assistance as needed. A block scheduling model will be adopted to limit the number of potential interactions between students.
“Students will be able to upload and download assignments on their computers,” Miller said, citing the 1-to-1 technology program that issues every student in grades 7-12 a personal laptop computer. “That way, they’ll have work to do on their days at home.”
Teachers may be asked to prerecord instructional videos, hold 1-on-1 video conferencing lessons or other forms of remote learning while students remain home. For those who don’t have Internet access, they will have the opportunity to pull into the bus loop in front of the school to utilize the District’s Wi-Fi, which is strong enough to reach vehicles. In addition, part of the remote learning plan allows for the use of thumb-drives with assignments pre-loaded.
Staggered bus runs — two in the morning, two in the afternoon — gets kids spread out and to the school safely, without having to worry about coming close to each other. High school students will stay in the same classroom for two hour blocks with a lunch break in the middle. Each room will be disinfected before a new group of students can use it. Depending on arrival time, each student will have an advisory period at the beginning or end of their instructional day; these advisory periods will allow staff to help students with organization of work, time to upload/download assignments and an opportunity to ask a trusted adult for assistance.
At this time, all extracurricular activities and sports are being postponed. Tentatively, the NYSPHSAA has notified schools it anticipates fall sports may resume on September 21st; however, this decision isn’t final and can change at any time.
“There are so many factors at play here,” Miller said. “One emergency day in March turned into three months of no school until the end of the year was adjusted. The parents have to feel comfortable with our plan before sending their children back to school. That is my number one job — keeping everyone safe.”
For more information and the full Ellicottville Central School reopening plan, visit ellicottvillecentral.com.
