November 17, 2020
Dear Families,
As part of New York City’s ongoing effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, and ensure the health and safety of our community, COVID-19 testing of staff and students will be conducted in our school once a month from now through the end of the school year. We have been notified that the testing provider will be at our school within the next week. Please note that only New York City public school students from grades 1-12 are eligible to be tested.
As the September 29, 2020 letter co-signed by NYC Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza, Executive Director Ted Long of New York City Test + Trace Corps, and Dr. Dave Chokshi, Commissioner of NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene stated, the test is easy, quick, and safe. A “short swab” (similar to a Q-tip) will be inserted into the front part of the nose for five to ten seconds. Later this school year, it is possible that tests will be administered by collecting a small amount of saliva (spit).
Only students and school-based staff members with signed and submitted consent forms are eligible to be tested (schools.nyc.gov/covidtesting). Your child will not be tested if they are uncomfortable or become distressed at any point during the process. If that happens, we will work with you to address any potential concerns so that your child is comfortable participating in future testing.
If your child is tested at school, information about the testing process, and when and how you will receive the results, will be sent home with your child. The majority of all testing results will be available within 48 hours. If your child tests positive for COVID-19, the testing provider will notify you via a telephone call, and NYC Test & Trace Corps will call to provide your family with resources and support.
If any member of the school community tests positive during this testing process, our school community will continue to follow the guidelines outlined on the Health & Safety section of the website (schools.nyc.gov/RTShealthsafety).
We deeply appreciate your partnership and your commitment to keeping your school community safe and healthy.
Sincerely,
Allison O’Donnell
Principal
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11/11/20
Family Letter in Yellow Zone Schools – 11.11.20
Dear PS/IS 48 Community,
As the year has gotten underway, we are seeing how being back in the school building has done so much good for so many of your children. It has been amazing to witness your children reconnect with their peers and teachers.
I wanted to share an important update on COVID-19 testing in our school. As you may be aware, the State launched a cluster action initiative to mitigate higher than average COVID-19 transmission in communities around the state. Per the State’s zone designations, our school is determined to be located in a geographic area identified as a “precautionary zone” (“yellow zone”) as announced by the State on Wednesday, November 11. Schools in these zones are safe to be open while COVID-19 transmission rates are being carefully monitored in these areas. You can find a map of the yellow zone, as well as other specially designated zones, here.
Because our school is located in a precautionary/yellow zone, our school will have mandatory weekly COVID-19 testing for a random sample of students and staff as required by the State for schools located in these zones. The transmission data for COVID-19 in the area around our school will continue to be closely monitored; should any change in operating status be needed, we will let you know immediately.
Keeping our building open depends on random COVID-19 testing of our students and staff, which means that we need a consent form from you providing permission for your child to be tested for COVID-19. Even if you have already provided a consent form, please see the information below to ensure we have an updated form on file, which is necessary for our school. Like so much during this pandemic, the need for testing, and permission to test, is so different from what we are used to. I can reassure you that completing the consent form is in the best interest of your children and our school community.
To ensure our compliance with State requirements, we need to ensure we have the most recent consent form for your child. Even if you have already sent it in, if it was before October 15, we need a new one that reflects Yellow Zone weekly testing. So I am asking you to please submit an updated consent form for your child. We need this if your child is currently participating in blended learning, or if you are opting into blended learning for the remainder of the school year.
Here is important information, and how to submit consent:
• The test is quick and safe. More than 60,000 students have already been tested across the city. The testing process entails swabbing (similar to a Q-tip) the anterior nasal area/frontal part of the nose. The swab length may vary but only a small portion is inserted into the front part of the nose for five to ten seconds.
• All testing-related data, info, and results are confidential and protected by strict City, State, and federal laws. COVID-19 tests will not be used to collect any DNA or other genetic information about you and/or your child.
• A sample of students, with consent forms on file, and staff will be tested each week. So if your child is selected one week, they may or may not also be tested the following week.
• Even after we receive your consent, your child will not be tested if they are uncomfortable or become distressed at any point during the process. If that happens, we will work with you to address any potential concerns so that your child is comfortable participating in future testing.
• If your child is tested at school, information about the testing process, and when and how you will receive the results, will be sent home with your child. Most testing results will be available within 48 hours.
There are two easy methods to provide your consent right away:
• Online: Fill out the form online using a New York City Schools Account (NYCSA). Go to mystudent.nyc. Below you can find instructions on how to create a NYCSA account.
• Paper Form: Fill out and return the paper form to school. We have included the updated consent form with this letter. Your school can print and provide this form to you, or you can print it at home and send in with your child on their next in-person blended learning day. A printable PDF file is available in ten languages at schools.nyc.gov/covidtesting.
You can find additional information under Frequently Asked Questions at schools.nyc.gov/covidtesting and also call the NYC Test and Trace Corps.’ hotline at 212-
COVID.
Thank you for your partnership and your continuing commitment to keeping our school community safe and healthy. We are here for you.
Sincerely,
Allison O’Donnell
Principal
HOW TO CREATE A NYCSA ACCOUNT
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.
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10/30/2020
Dear Families,
Chancellor Carranza recently shared more information and guidance on the blended learning opt-in window for families.
The Department of Education aimed to develop an opt-in process that would:
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Honor our commitment to families that they would have an opportunity to opt into blended/in-person learning in November
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Acknowledge that some schools may need time and support to develop solutions to accommodate students who want to return to in-person learning
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Promote the stability and continuity needed to maximize learning
To best meet these objectives, the process outlined below will be the only opt-in window for families this school year, through the last day of the 2020-2021 school year.
From Monday, November 2 - Sunday, November 15 families will have the opportunity to Opt-In to Blended Learning. Families requesting to change from 100% remote to blended learning should complete and submit the Learning Preference survey during this window.
If you have not done so already, we also ask that you complete our internal survey PS/IS 48 Survey This will help us with our planning.
Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Allison O’Donnell
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October 27, 2020
Dear Families,
As part of New York City’s ongoing effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, and ensure the health and safety of our community, COVID-19 testing of staff and students will be conducted in our school once a month from now through the end of the school year. We have been notified that the testing provider will be at our school
within the next week. Please note that only New York City public school students from grades 1-12 are eligible to be tested.
As the September 29, 2020 letter co-signed by NYC Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza, Executive Director Ted Long of New York City Test + Trace Corps, and Dr. Dave Chokshi, Commissioner of NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene stated, the test is easy, quick, and safe. A “short swab” (similar to a Q-tip) will be
inserted into the front part of the nose for five to ten seconds. Later this school year, it is possible that tests will be administered by collecting a small amount of saliva (spit).
Only students and school-based staff members with signed and submitted consent forms are eligible to be tested (schools.nyc.gov/covidtesting). Your child will not be tested if they are uncomfortable or become distressed at any point during the process. If that happens, we will work with you to address any potential
concerns so that your child is comfortable participating in future testing.
If your child is tested at school, information about the testing process, and when and how you will receive the results, will be sent home with your child. The majority of all testing results will be available within 48 hours. If your child tests positive for COVID-19, the testing provider will notify you via a telephone call, and NYC Test & Trace Corps will call to provide your family with resources and support.
If any member of the school community tests positive during this testing process, our school community will continue to follow the guidelines outlined on the Health & Safety section of the website (schools.nyc.gov/RTShealthsafety).
We deeply appreciate your partnership and your commitment to keeping your school community safe and healthy.
Sincerely,
Allison O’Donnell
Principal
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October 26th, 2020
Dear Families,
Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year! While this year will look different than any year we have ever known, we are sure it will be great. Whether remote or brick and mortar, the classroom is a better place when your child is there.
As we transition to a blended learning environment, we are excited to share our school’s Every Student, Every Day Attendance Policy and Plan. This policy and plan will hopefully provide you with the information and guidance you need to help you help your child attend and stay in school.
OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY’S ATTENDANCE GOAL
Attendance matters. Missing a day of school means missing hours of instructional time. Research shows that students who attend regularly achieve greater success in school and in life. This continues to be true—even in a remote or blended learning environment. Our school’s collective goal for attendance remains the same. Whether remote or in person, we want every child attending school every day or at least 95% of the school year.
ATTENDANCE TAKING
Our school will take attendance daily. Students who are learning remotely will complete their daily attendance assignments each morning at 8:00
am on Google Classroom. Remote and blended remote students are expected to attend all live interactions with our teaching staff. The child must attend AT LEAST one synchronous activity per day to be considered present for the day. However, failure to attend all scheduled live meetings will impact student grades negatively.
The definition of “present” is as follows:
In Person: Student is physically present in the classroom/school learning environment for instruction during the scheduled school day.
Remote: Student is virtually present for synchronous and asynchronous instruction. (While all efforts should be made for schools to deliver synchronous instruction to students, there may be cases where this is not possible).
The definition of “absent” is as follows:
In-Person: Student is not physically present in the classroom school learning environment for instruction during the scheduled school day.
Remote: Not virtually present for synchronous or asynchronous instruction as described above and as per NYCDOE’s academic guidance.
ABSENCES
If you know your child is going to miss school on a certain day or will be missing school for an extended period of time, please notify the school in advance by sending an email to our attendance coordinator Diane Barone at DBarone@ps48r.org and your child’s classroom teacher.
If your child is absent, we will follow up that day with a positive phone call, text, or email home. This follow up helps us to ensure that your child is safe and healthy and that your family has what it needs to help your child overcome the barriers to attending school - whether remotely or in person.
While every single absence is equal to missed instructional time and considered absent, we nonetheless mark absences as excused and unexcused. Please provide us with information on the reason for your child’s absence.
In-person students can work remotely if the child is not feeling well and would potentially fail the morning health screening, but are feeling well enough to log on virtually.
Any unexcused absences such as vacations, the child will be marked absent and MAY NOT participate remotely.
LATENESS
Even if a student is late, he/she is still marked as present. If you know that your child is going to be late on a certain day—whether remotely or in-person—please email the classroom teacher and attendance coordinator Diane Barone at Dbarone@ps48r.org.
LEAVING EARLY
Students learn from the school building only one or two times per week. Therefore, we ask that all students remain in school for the entire instructional day.
COMMUNICATION WITH FAMILIES
Our school uses the following methods to communicate with families about attendance:
● Outreach from the classroom or homeroom teacher via phone call or email message
● A phone call from school aide
● A phone call from the guidance counselor
● If your child has 10 absences of any kind, a letter will be sent home alerting the parent that the child has reached this threshold.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding attendance please contact us at 718-447-8323.
Sincerely,
Allison O’Donnell
Principal
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October 10th, 2020
Dear Blended Families,
I can’t thank you enough for your continued support and dedication! We had a successful reopening. It is very rewarding to see your beautiful children back in the school building. The children are following all of the health and safety protocols and are working hard in the classrooms.
Due to the fact that many of our families have opted for remote only learning there are instances where classes and/or teachers need to be adjusted. This is to ensure that all students are able to receive academic rigor to the fullest capacity. We understand that this can be upsetting for the children but please know that your child will continue to see his/her former teacher in some capacity through the blended remote learning environment.
I thank you for your patience as we navigate through the intricacies of the blended learning program. We are working to improve our blended remote program and we anticipate that programs will be more consistent and organized beginning next week
Please see some updates below:
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Starting on Tuesday, October 13, 2020- ALL students can report to school at 8:25 on their assigned cohort day. We will no longer have staggered arrival times.
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Fourth-grade students will now enter through the early childhood yard on Venice Avenue each morning.
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Siblings will be permitted to enter the building through the same door. Please go to the door of the youngest child. For example, if you have a 7th, 4th, and 3rd grader, all three siblings will enter through the 3rd-grade students’ entrance.
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All children must come to school with their completed health screening and show it to the staff at the door either on a phone, tablet, or have a printed copy of the screening. Now that we are used to the routines, it is an expectation that everyone complies with this important health and safety policy.
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Please stand on the pawprints and remain 6 feet apart while waiting to enter the building.
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Dismissal times and exits will remain the same for now.
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We have plans for the children to enjoy outdoor activities each day. Please dress your child in appropriate outdoor clothing.
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Please join us at our virtual PTA Meeting on October 21 at 6:30 PM. Meeting link to follow.
Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Allison O’Donnell
Principal
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September 28, 2020
Dear Families,
Thank you for your continued patience and understanding as we prepare for school reopening. We are excited to see our beautiful children both in person and in our virtual classrooms this week.
Here are a few reminders for this week:
ALL STUDENTS:
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We understand that there was some confusing information that came from Operoo this weekend. This is the system that we will use for blue cards and other school information. We are working to rectify the situation and will be updating you tomorrow.
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All student Google passwords have been changed to their student ID number (OSIS) number. Students should not change their passwords. All passwords will be reset weekly to ensure that students are using their student ID to log in.
BLENDED STUDENTS:
September 29 - 1st Day in Person Learning for Group C
September 30 - 1st Day in Person Learning for Group A
October 1- 1st Day in Person Learning for Group B
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Official school hours are 8:30am - 2:00pm. We have staggered arrival and dismissal procedures in order to ensure a safe entry and exit. We hope to update these times closer to official school hours, once students are used to the routines and learn to adhere to all protocols.
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Please review the attached arrival and dismissal procedures located in our Family Handbook
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We remind you of the importance of the following general safety rules for arrival and dismissal:
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Students should only cross the street at the corner of Venice Ave and Targee St and Richmond Road and Spring Street.
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Never cross in the middle of the street.
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Please do not double or triple park.
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Please do not block driveways.
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Please respect our neighbors. Do not stand on our neighbors’ properties during arrival and dismissal.
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All students, including students who are taking the school bus, must have a completed health screening. See the attached: Health Screening Link
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Watch our morning arrival video to help you better prepare for our morning routines. PS/IS 48 Morning Routines
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All students and staff are required to wear a mask.
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When blended students are learning from home most of their day will consist of asynchronous learning meaning they will be working on lessons independently. However, students will have the opportunity to meet up with staff members at different points of the day for live lessons, office hours, or small group instruction. In certain grades, we are still finalizing the blended virtual program due to staffing issues. We hope to have this rectified shortly.
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When learning from home, please log on to Google Classroom each morning by 8:30am to complete your attendance assignment.
REMOTE STUDENTS:
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Students must log onto their Google Classroom each morning by 8:30am to complete their attendance assignments.
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Schedules and teacher assignments are still being finalized and there may be slight changes to student programs this week.
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Students are expected to attend all live instruction with their teachers. However, students must be present for AT LEAST one live meeting per day to be considered present for the day.
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Please note, as we enter the month of October the amount of synchronous (live) instruction will increase slightly as per NYC Department of Education guidelines.
While the start of this school year is much different than years past, one thing remains constant… We love your children! Our staff has been working diligently to create the safest and most effective educational program for your children. While we expect that there may be bumps in the road, we are confident that together we will figure this out! Thank you for your continued partnership.
Sincerely,
Allison O’Donnell
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September 17, 2020
Please use the link below to view the Parent Handbook:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pEjWvtn3gFaZm8A4l2LXF_Rs1knLF7Hz/view?usp=sharing
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September 11, 2020
Dear Families,
Thank you for your continued patience as we prepare for our school reopening. We recognize that this is a stressful time for families and we are doing our best to get information to you as soon as we possibly can.
On Monday, students will receive their class number and tentative teacher assignment for the upcoming school year on their PS/IS 48 Google email address. This email will also include a link to next week’s Google Meet sessions for students on September 16, 17, 18. All students will be expected to virtually join their teachers and classmates during their scheduled time. This meeting will last for one hour. During this time, students will learn about expectations for the upcoming school year and reconnect with the PS/IS 48 family.
PreK and Kindergarten students will receive this information via their parent’s email address that we have on file.
Information about our arrival and dismissal plans will be sent early next week.
If you have requested a device, Mrs. Hionas will be in touch with you on Monday for pick-up information.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to our Parent Coordinator, Maria Hionas at MHionas@ps48r.org.
Sincerely,
Allison O’Donnell
Principal
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August 30, 2020
Dear Families,
Thank you for your continued cooperation and understanding as we prepare for the upcoming school year. Late last week, the Department of Education provided us with updated information regarding student schedules and what the students’ actual school day will look like for both remote and hybrid students. The administration is working tirelessly to develop comprehensive and safe plans for our school reopening. To that end, we have decided to reschedule Monday’s parent meeting.
Please join us at our rescheduled family meeting on Thursday, September 3, 2020. We will host two different sessions, one at 9:00 am and one at 7:00 pm. Please join us at the time that works best in your schedule. The information will be the same at each meeting.
If you would like to ask a question in advance of the meeting, please use this form to pose your question: CLICK HERE FOR FORM
Thursday, September 3 - 9:00 am - MEETING LINK
https://meet.google.com/iyn-kdmc-qen
Dial-in: (US) +1 262-372-9441 PIN: 353 878 741#
Thursday, September 3 - 7:00 pm - MEETING LINK
https://meet.google.com/idk-mtox-ymx
Dial-in: (US) +1 413-853-2767 PIN: 170 685 452#
Thank you for your partnership.
Sincerely,
Allison O’Donnell
Principal
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August 26, 2020
Dear Families,
By the end of the day today, Wednesday, August 26, all students will have received their assigned in school cohort information via their Google email address.
The administration has been working tirelessly to program the students to ensure siblings are together and that students with disabilities are grouped according to their mandates. This was not an easy task. As such, requests for changes in groups will not be granted. Please be reminded that if you selected remote learning, you can not switch to blended learning until the next quarter (November 16th). On the contrary, if you selected blended learning, you can switch to remote learning at any time
Our official school hours will be 8:30am-2:00pm. Details about arrival and dismissal as well as schedule and teacher details will be sent in an upcoming correspondence. Please note, at this time we still do not have information about bussing or aftercare.
Please join us for the next Parent Information Session on Monday, August 31, 2020. There will be two sessions on that day. One will be at 10:00am and one will be at 7:00pm. Please join the session that works best in your schedule. The information will be the same at both sessions. A separate google meet link will be shared shortly.
If you have any questions, please contact Parent Coordinator Maria Hionas at MHionas@ps48r.org
Sincerely,
Allison O'Donnell
Principal
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August 24, 2020
Dear Families,
I hope that you are finding time to rest and enjoy what is left of the summer with your loved ones. Our school community has been working closely with our families over the past few weeks to plan for the fall. I would like to thank you for your continued partnership through our school reopening planning process.
Our school has been approved to use blended learning Model 2 for the fall.
Students will receive their cohort information on Tuesday/Wednesday of this week in the following ways:
PreK and K - Parents will receive an email
Grades 1- 8 - Students will receive an email through their PS/IS 48 Google email account.
Please use the same credentials that students used to logon to their Google Classroom account in the Spring.
Your child’s email address looks like this: Last name. First name @ps48r.org Sample: Odonnell.allison@ps48r.org
The administration has been working tirelessly to program the students to ensure siblings are together and that students with disabilities are grouped according to their mandates. This was not an easy task. As such, requests for changes in groups will not be granted. Please be reminded that if you selected remote learning, you can not switch to blended learning until the next quarter (November 16th). On the contrary, if you selected blended learning, you can switch to remote learning at any time.
In the event that your child switches from blended to remote learning, his/her teacher and class will change. Similarly, if we all return to school full time or schools close and we become remote, then the teachers may change as well.
Our official school hours will be 8:30am-2:00pm. Details about arrival and dismissal as well as schedule and teacher details will be sent in an upcoming correspondence. Please note, at this time we still do not have information about bussing or aftercare.
Please join us for the next Parent Information Session on Monday, August 31, 2020. There will be two sessions on that day. One will be at 10:00am and one will be at 7:00pm. Please join the session that works best in your schedule. The information will be the same at both sessions. A separate google meet link will be shared shortly.
As a reminder, all contents of this letter are subject to change.
Please feel free to contact me at Aodonnell@ps48r.org or our Parent Coordinator, Maria Hionas MHionas@ps48r.org, if you have any follow-up questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Allison O’Donnell
Principal
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August 4th, 2020
Dear PS/IS 48 Families,
Thank you for your continued partnership. I hope that you are finding time to rest and enjoy the summer with your loved ones. As you know, DOE Central issued guidance to schools on blended learning and offered a series of program model choices that schools will use in the fall. As we continue the work to prepare for next year, I cannot stress enough the importance of our families being actively engaged in the planning process.
We have scheduled the following parent meetings to discuss our potential plans for the fall. The purpose of this meeting is to provide you with important information about the model choice that our school has selected and any other updates that we have received from DOE Central. This information session will also serve as a platform for you to receive answers to any questions that you may have. You can access the meeting here by following the link to your selected time. All meetings will have the same information so you only need to attend one. Please use the link attached to your meeting time:
Wednesday, August 5, 2020 - 5:30 pm (Grades PreK-2) https://meet.google.com/qtm-wift-whu
Wednesday, August 5, 2020 - 6:30 pm (Grades 3-5) https://meet.google.com/osc-egjn-bkz
Wednesday, August 5, 2020 - 7:30 pm (Grades 6-8) https://meet.google.com/vzh-jbpp-oic The School Leadership Team decided that Model #2 is the model that best meets the needs of our students and our families at this time. We will discuss this further at our upcoming meetings. Below is a brief outline of the model that was selected.
Three in-person cohorts, one remote.
Summary:
Three in-person cohorts, one remote.
Provides regularity on days per week with some variation by week (e.g. Group A is in-person every Wednesday, as well as on Monday in week 1 and Tuesday in week 3).
Because this model provides the greatest degree of regularity among the three-cohort models, it is the only option available for elementary schools and is "Chancellor Recommended" for middle schools that must program for 1/3 of their students.
Group A, Group B, Group C: in-person learning 1- 3 days per week (5 days every 3 weeks); remote learning for non-in person days. • Group D: remote every day; consists of students who opt out of in-person instruction.
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