Update: Expanded In-Person Learning Starts 4/26
April 22, 2021Dear Oswego City School District families and community,
I am writing today to provide an update on our return to “in-person” learning. Earlier today, the district met with a variety of school community stakeholders to discuss our reopening plans. While doing so, stakeholders reviewed the update interim New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) guidance for return to “in person” learning, provided feedback on our new plan and shared strategies that will be of assistance as we continue to work our way through this pandemic. Please know, a copy of this plan has been placed on the district’s website on our COVID-19 webpage.
Responses from the school community stakeholder meetings included a shared desire to return students to school for five days per week. While we will maintain the schedule as outlined below through the remainder of this school year, please know that we are now working to bring students back five days per week in the fall. The CDC guidance will continually be reviewed to help us in the planning.
Because we have: completed this meeting, put into place all of the NYSDOH requirements and are now prepared to return our students for more “in person” learning, we are now moving forward with our plans which were shared with all of you earlier this week. Specifically, the following plans will begin this coming Monday, April 26, 2021:
Elementary Schools (grades Pre-K – 6)
- All Pre- K-3 students will continue to attend school for a minimum of four days per week for “in person” learning (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday).
- All 4-6 students will be returning to school for a minimum of four days per week of “in person” instruction (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday) beginning next Monday, April 26, 2021.
- Students who are not able to attend school “in person” will continue to receive their instruction live streamed and/or virtually – remotely from their assigned teacher.
- Elementary schedules will be extended by one hour each day.
- Due to transportation requirements, transportation to our elementary schools will be staggered. Accordingly, two of our elementary schools (Riley and Leighton) will begin their day at 8:35 a.m. and end at 2:30 p.m. The remaining schools (Fitzhugh, Minetto and Kingsford Park) will begin their day at 9:35 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m.
- On every Wednesday, students will receive a half day of live streamed learning in the morning and a half day of asynchronous learning in the afternoon. Students who require one-to-one support or small group instruction will be scheduled to receive this during the asynchronous block. Academic intervention support (for specific students), social emotional support, and/or counseling services will also be provided during this time.
- Due to NYSDOH Guidance that requires that we place students in cohorts, all secondary students will continue to attend school for “in person” learning for a minimum of two days a week.
- When students are not in school for “in person” learning they will continue to have all of their classes live streamed.
- All secondary schedules will be extended by approximately one hour each day (from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.).
- On every Wednesday, students will receive a half day of live streamed learning in the morning and a half day of asynchronous learning in the afternoon. Students who require one-to-one support or small group instruction will be scheduled to receive this during the asynchronous block. Academic intervention support (for specific students), social emotional support, and/or counseling services will also be provided during this time.
Should any parents and/or guardians have any questions or concerns, we encourage you to reach out directly to your child’s principal. Thank you again for your time and patience.
Looking forward to seeing our children start this next step on Monday,
Mathis Calvin III, Ed. D.
Superintendent of Schools
