Lynbrook, East Rockaway schools prep for fall

With Gov. Andrew Cuomo announcing on Aug. 7 that schools across the state were authorized to reopen this fall, Lynbrook and East Rockaway administrators have provided several learning options.

The state Covid-19 infection rate is now less than 1 percent, and must remain below 5 percent for schools to offer in-person instruction, according to  World Health Organization recommendations. Local elected officials and school superintendents have weighed reopening plans, and parents now must decide whether to send their children to school.

“I appreciate the governor giving us the opportunity to reopen,” Lynbrook Board of Education President William Belmont said. “Hopefully our plans will allow our students to remain safe and optimize their learning experiences.”

The Lynbrook district formed a task force, comprising more than 100 members, to determine how to reopen. The district submitted its plan to the State Education Department on July 31.

Students entering kindergarten through 12th grade will have two options. Students in kindergarten through fifth grade can choose between remote-only instruction or full in-person instruction. The Voyager Program, an advanced course of study available to high-scoring students, will be suspended for the school year.

Students entering middle and high school, in grades six through 12, will have the choice between remote-only and hybrid options. Remote students will join live-streamed classes, following their typical class schedule. For the hybrid option, students whose last names begin with the letters A to L will attend in person one day, and those with last names beginning with M to Z will attend the following day. On days that students are not in school, they will be expected to attend remote classes.

“Our school district’s primary goal is to support our students academically, socially, emotionally and, most importantly, to do so in a safe manner,” Superintendent Dr. Melissa Burak wrote in a letter to district parents.

Students will be pre-screened at home before they come to school. To enter a building, they must have their temperature checked, and it cannot exceed 100 degrees. All students and staff are also required to fill out a survey before each school day; those with a green pass will be allowed in the building, whereas those with a red pass will be asked to return home. Students who show symptoms of Covid-19 will be escorted by staff members to an isolation room, where the school nurse will assess them and contact their parents or guardians and request that they come and pick them up.

Hallways and stairwells will be one direction only, and social-distancing signs will be posted around the buildings, including information on covering one’s cough and sneeze. Time between classes in the middle and high schools will be increased to 10 minutes, requiring compacted lessons and curricula.

Classrooms will be configured to allow for social distancing, and seats will be adjusted to face one direction. Clear polycarbonate shielding is being installed on student, teacher, main office and greeter desks. Portable sinks are also being installed in key areas, and gymnasiums will be converted to cafeterias.

The East Rockaway School District also engaged more than 100 stakeholders from the school and community to develop plans for the reopening of schools. They have created a three-option model for students in all grades, including full in-person, hybrid and remote-only models.

Families in the community recently completed a survey about returning to school. Roughly 8 percent of families said they might not want their children to return in the fall, while 22 percent were unsure about their children returning to in-person learning, and 70 percent were confident about having their children go back to school.

Students who chose the remote-only model would take part in all classes via live-stream, following their regular class schedule. Classrooms in all schools will be outfitted with cameras to provide live- streaming. Remote students may switch to the hybrid model at the end of the first marking period. Should state officials close schools because of a Covid-19 spike, the district would be required to revert to a version of the remote-only model.

The East Rockaway School District will ensure that all teachers receive training and instructional tools needed to support students, assess their progress and provide regular feedback. Social distancing, wearing of face coverings and face shields, use of polycarbonate dividers, daily health checks of students by parents, frequent hand washing and use of sanitizing stations will be required.

“Emphasis, as always, is placed on attending to students’ individual emotional needs and providing a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all students,” Superintendent Lisa Ruiz wrote in a letter to district parents.

Staff will be trained in providing trauma-informed care for students who are most significantly affected by the pandemic and resulting school closure. A student/parent survey will be released soon to meet the needs of these students.

At the elementary level, students will eat lunch in classrooms. At the secondary level, students will eat in the cafeteria and in a classroom in the middle school wing. In accordance with SED guidelines, meals will be available for students on the hybrid or full-remote learning model.

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the over 100 administrators, faculty, staff and parents who provided input in the development of our plan,” Ruiz said. “We are creating something completely new in order to address the extraordinary situation the pandemic presents. Your support and ongoing two-way communication will help to ensure that our re-entry to school is safe and effective for everyone in our school community. I thank you for your patience and cooperation as we navigate these unprecedented circumstances.”