OCSD Board approves instructional calendar updates, sets first day of school

At its Aug. 18 meeting, the Oswego City School District Board of Education approved instructional calendar changes to begin the school year Sept. 14 with a week of virtual instruction for all followed by the planned reopening a week later.

The week of Sept. 14-18 will be entirely virtual for all students, the district leadership team announced, to ensure that all needed supplies and PPE have been secured and to provide additional time for staff development and completion of remote technology equipment upgrades.

“There will be no in-person instruction during these dates,” said Incoming Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mathis Calvin III and Superintendent Dr. Dean Goewey in a release. “However, all students will still receive instruction these days in a remote manner to begin the academic year.”

All pre-K through sixth-grade students plus a select group of seventh through 12^th grade students with severe disabilities (in a 12:1:1 classroom) and English Language Learners who have opted for the “in-person” model will begin “in-person” dates Monday, Sept. 21.

During the week of Sept. 8-11, OCSD staff will be participating in professional development and preparing for the school year to begin per the approved calendar.
Three calendar dates were also changed to full days of school. The previously scheduled vacation day on Dec. 23, 2020 has been changed along with two former professional development days, Nov. 6, 2020 and Feb. 5, 2021, to regular instruction days. Staff and students will attend on these dates.

The superintendents said the district’s printed month-by-month calendar will be distributed in mid-September with the above changes reflected.

“We thank our entire community for their understanding and patience as we continue to plan for this upcoming school year,” said Dr. Calvin and Dr. Goewey in the release.