PS 34 School Year 2020-2021 COVID 19 PLAN

We will be implementing Model 1B which will allow most classes to be split into 2 groups, (Cohorts) and attend school 2-3 days a week.

We are starting the school year with a "Blended AB learning "schedule. That means that your child will be in school for some days and working from home for some days. Please note that if officials consider the infection rate to have reached unsafe levels the schools will close, and all students will return to remote only instruction. Check this page for updates. 

• Group A will be in school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays with alternating Mondays and working from home Thursdays and Fridays. 
• Group B will be in school on Thursdays, Fridays with alternating Mondays and working from home Mondays and Wednesdays. 
• If you need to switch your child's in-school learning days, contact  Assistant Principal, Alain Beugoms at Abeugoms@schools.nyc.gov 
• If you would prefer a 100% online learning schedule for your child this year, we are offering that as an option. Contact Deise Kowalski, Parent Coordinator at Dkowalski@schools.nyc.gov.   
• The school day will run from 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

 Take a look at our PS 34  September 2020 calendar updated 9-9-2020.pdf 

If you have any questions about the COVID-19 plan, please contact:

Ms. Deise Kowalski, Parent Coordinator,  Dkowalski@schools.nyc.gov

Mrs. Carmen Asselta, Principal,  CAsselt@schools.nyc.gov

Mr. Alain Beugoms, Assistant Principal, Abeugoms@schools.nyc.gov

Phone
718-389-5842

We have put safety procedures in place to keep our students and staff healthy. 

• Masks: Masks must be worn at all times by all adults (teachers, staff, and visitors) and by students while in the building.
• Handwashing: Students and staff are expected to wash hands thoroughly before and after eating, after using the bathroom, if exposed to body fluids (like saliva or a sneeze), and at other times necessary throughout the day.  
• Drop-off and pickup procedures: Please maintain social distancing between families during drop-off and pickup. Parents are not allowed to enter the building with their child unless arrangements have been made in advance with the office. Please move through the drop-off and pickup line as quickly as possible to make room for families behind you. 
  • We will be using both schoolyards for arrival and dismissal more information coming soon. 
• Visiting our school: We are limiting visitors to the school during this time. Parent and community volunteer and in-person programs have been suspended until further notice. Most parent-teacher conferences and other meetings can be held virtually. All visits must be pre-approved and scheduled with the office.  
• While in the building: When you enter the building, please check-in at the front desk. Make sure to bring a valid ID. During check-in, you will be given a nametag and reminded to wear your mask at all times.
• Traffic flow through the school and common areas: Please keep at least 6 ft. distance between yourself and others and follow the arrows and sign instructions for moving through the building. 
• Illness: Students and staff exhibiting signs of illness or having a fever must stay home. If you or someone you know has COVID-19 (or shows symptoms of COVID-19 such as coughing or fever), it is required that you stay home or at a designated care facility for a minimum of 14 days. Please contact us via phone or email as soon as possible.
• Directions for local COVID testing: Please visit the NYS Coronavirus Find a Test Site page to find a test site closest to you.

In addition to asking everyone to wear masks, wash hands, and maintain social distancing, our school has taken several steps to improve the safety of our staff and students.  These steps have been recommended by local health authorities to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 and other illnesses.  

• Change in class sizes:  We've reduced the average class sizes. Classrooms with in-person instruction have been reduced in size by 50%.
• Increases in Cleaning Frequency: Our custodial team is committed to cleaning all classrooms daily. In addition, all classroom teachers are provided with sanitizing wipes to wipe down surfaces and shared resources on an as-needed basis throughout the school day.
• Hand sanitation: All bathrooms have been stocked with extra soap for frequent hand washing. In addition, we have provided teachers with hand sanitizer for the classroom and added hand sanitizer for the classroom and added hand sanitizer stations in common areas. 

How Blended Learning Works

"Blended learning" combines in-class instruction and at-home learning.  This allows us to limit the number of students in the building each day for safe social distancing, while still ensuring that students can benefit from direct interaction with teachers and classmates. 

• When students are in the school building for their class day the teacher will provide direct whole-class instruction and small group instruction. These days will be used primarily to introduce new topics, provide small group and one-on-one instructional support, and conduct assessments to monitor student progress towards standards.
• Students will be assigned additional activities to work on independently for their at-home learning days. These activities will allow students to apply and practice what they learned in class. There may be a combination of technology-based learning activities and offline worksheets, projects, and writing assignments. At-home learning activities are an important part of the learning process and will be graded. 

Take a look at the Checklist for Parents on Planning for In-Person Classes  Back-to-School-Planning-for-In-Person-Classes.pdf 

Remote Learning Expectations

During hybrid or 100% remote learning, your child is expected to complete all assignments provided by the teacher. At the same time, we recognize that working independently at home is different and difficult for many students, so we want to provide flexibility. 

• Students and families should check Class Dojo and Google Class daily for important updates from their teachers. You can find your teacher's email in the Staff Directory. 
• At-home assignments for the week will be posted in Google Class
• When signing in for virtual classes or meetings, students are expected to be on time, appropriately dressed, and ready to learn. We suggest signing in 5 minutes before class starts. Please try to reduce background noise and distractions as much as possible.