GALWAY CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT REOPENING PLAN
APPENDIX 1
AUGUST 14, 2020
This Appendix to the Galway Central School Reopening Plan is pursuant to the Interim Guidance for In-Person Instruction a the Pre-K to Grade 12 Schools during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Supplemental Guidance covers five key areas as outlined by Governor Cuomo: Stakeholder Communication and Outreach, Remote Learning, Testing, Contact Tracing and Public Meetings.
STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH
Galway Central School District has published the Jr/.Sr. High School Reopening Plan and the Elementary Reopening Plan on our website.
https://www.galwaycsd.org/district/covid-19_school_closure/reopening_plan_for_galway_junior__senior_h_s
https://www.galwaycsd.org/covid_info/reopening_plan_for_joseph_henry_elementary_school
REMOTE LEARNING
Explain how the Responsible Party will accomplish remote learning, especially considering closing inequity gaps. This must include details outlining the numbers of students, mode of remote learning, asynchronous and synchronous learning opportunities, internal and device access among students, and alternatives available for students who have neither a device nor consistent access.
To ensure equity, the Galway Central School District, regardless of the delivery method (e.g. in person, remote or hybrid) will provide:
1. Instruction aligned with New York State Learning Standards and assures equity as well as quality for all learners.
2. Regular and substantive interaction with an appropriately certified teacher.
3. Teachers will assess learning gaps and areas of need upon return to school. Formative assessments will be utilized before a unit of instruction to assess student understanding of prerequisite skills and skills necessary for students' success in future study.
4. When a remote or hybrid learning model is necessary, certain groups of students will be prioritized for in-person learning to the greatest extent possible. This includes, but is not limited to special education students, Career and Technical Education students, students who did not engage in remote learning during the spring 2020, and students with technology or connectivity needs.
5. If a parent or guardian has registered for a remote learning option, and the students attend a CTE program, the district will work with WSWHE BOCES to coordinate remote instruction for out of district CTE classes.
Access to Devices and Internet
1. Students Pre-K through 12 are assigned their own device, Ipads for Pre-K through 2, and Chromebooks grades 3 through 12.
2. Students without internet access at home will be provided with an internet hotspot if their address supports the device. We will also offer exterior wireless internet access in the Jr./Sr. High School parking lot and the Joseph Henry Elementary parking lot.
3. Families can receive technology support through a district setup managed support email account.
Platform and Logistics
1. Google Classroom is the primary platform for providing instruction and assessment.
2. The Galway Central School District has a common, coordinated set of guidelines for teachers to follow when using the platform with students.
3. Teachers will be teaching from their school building.
4. Student participation and performance will be documented.
a. Students will submit assignments through Google classroom, as well as via video, photo or scanned submission.
b. Students who cannot or do not connect digitally will be provided the same assignments in paper form, via US mail or hand-delivered, using our bussing and support staff. Assignments delivered in this way will be collected weekly by home visits from staff or picked up via a bus route schedule.
5. Attendance will be required and recorded in SchoolTool. Regular contact with families will be made to determine reasons for absence and to identify barriers to participation in class activities.
6. Grading practices will follow a standards-based framework designed to provide direct feedback regarding students' master of course content.
7. 1:1 phone calls and Google Meets will be provided for students who are struggling (supported by teachers and TAs). Parents can contact their child's principal with any questions related to the use of technology.
8. During remote instruction teachers will ensure that their students are directly engaged with them and their class peers in experiential learning on a regular basis.
Equity for Students With Disabilities
1. The Galway Jr./Sr. High School Reopening Plan and the Joseph Henry Elementary Reopening Plan provide a framework to ensure that all students with disabilities continue to have available to them a free appropriate public education (FAPE) that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living in the least restrictive environment (LRE) and is designed to enable transitioning between in-person, remote, and hybrid learning environments to ensure the provision of FAPE consistent with the changing health and safety conditions that exist.
TESTING
The plan needs to include where the testing will take place and who will be providing the testing and what circumstances the testing will occur, and describe how the district will work with local departments of health.
The Galway Central School District has designated Brita Donovan, Superintendent of Schools, as the COVID liaison between the district and Saratoga County Department of Health.
Individuals who have returned from international travel and/or a state designated through a New York State Travel advisory must complete the mandatory quarantine prior to returning to school.
The Saratoga County Department of Health indicated they will work with our school nurses on COVID-19 related protocols.
1. Primary care providers are the first line COVID-19 testing contact.
2. A number of primary care providers can test in their offices.
a. Saratoga Hospital has capacity for testing.
3. New York State testing site at University at Albany
4. Galway Central School District Physician is able to assist with a referral.
5. Galway Central School District will contact the Saratoga County Department of Health should there be questions if there is a positive case or suspect case.
CONTACT TRACING
Provide details about how each school will work with, support, and supplement the contact tracing efforts of their local health department. Plans must include protocols for symptomatic individuals and positive cases in school, and proximate contacts; and a determination for how students and or staff need to be tested to adequately isolate and mitigate additional exposure to COVID-19. The plan must also specify the roles the Responsible Party's staff will perform and who among the staff will perform these tests.
Upon request, the Galway Central School District will provide information on the past locations of applicable students and staff to the New York State Contact Tracing Program, including, but not limited to room locations, persons in the room, and transportation. The Galway Central School District will maintain accurate records with regard to contact tracing. Upon request, the Saratoga County Department of Health will be provided with these records. Confidentiality will be maintained as required by federal and state law and regulations. Galway Central School District will cooperate with all state and local health department contact tracing, isolation and quarantine efforts.
The Galway Central School District nurses will participate in the John Hopkins University contact tracing initiative. Although the Galway Central School District nurses will not be responsible to lead a contract tracing program, it will provide information on how the process works and the rupe of information that will be needed when contract tracing occurs. The online training program and assessment covers the following key concepts for contract tracing:
1. COVID- 19/SARS-CoV-2 Overview
2. Basics of Contact Tracing for COVID-19
3. Steps to Investigate Cases and Trace Their Contacts
4. Ethics and Technology for Contract Tracing
5. Skills for Effective Communication and Embracing Complexity
The course is hosted by the online platform Coursera. It takes 5 hours to complete with quizzes to be completed after each module and a final assessment at the completion of the course.
Protocols when Staff/Students Exhibit Symptoms
1. Staff and students exhibiting symptoms are directed to stay home.
2. Staff developing symptoms during the school day will be sent home to seek guidance from their health care provider.
3. Students developing symptoms during the school day will be sent to an isolation room until a parent/guardian can pick them up.
4. A deep cleaning will be performed in all areas the staff member or student occupied.
5. The Saratoga County Health Department will be notified as appropriate.
6. Parents will be asked to check with their child’s primary care physician to determine if testing is necessary.
7. Determinations about testing will be made between physicians and and/or the Saratoga County Department of Health.
8. Testing will occur at designated sites.
Protocols when Staff/Students test Positive for COVID-19
1. Students and staff who test positive for COVID- 19 must remain at home until cleared by the Saratoga County Department of Health to be able to return to school or work.
2. Regardless of whether the person is symptomatic or asymptomatic, the student or staff member may return to work upon completing at least 10 days of isolation from the onset of symptoms, or 10 days of isolation after the first positive test if they remain symptomatic.
3. Saratoga County Department of Health will release the person from isolation and provide a letter of release for them to copy and provide to the Galway Central School District.
PUBLIC MEETINGS
Parents Meetings will take place or have taken place as follows:
1. August 5, 2020 at 6:00 pm
2. August 5, 2020 at 7:00 pm
3. August 6, 2020 at 6:30 pm
4. August 20, 2020 at 5:30 pm
5. August 20, 2020 at 7:00 pm
Faculty Meetings will take place or have taken place as follows:
1. July 15, 2020 at 2:00 pm
2. July 22, 2020 at 1:00 pm
3. July 22, 2020 at 2:00 pm
4. July 28, 2020 at 1:00 pm
5. July 29, 2020 at 2:00 pm
6. August 5, 2020 at 1:00 pm
7. August 5, 2020 at 2:00 pm
8. August 12, 2020 at 10:00 pm
9. August 12, 2020 at 2:00 pm
Student Meetings will take place or have taken place as follows:
1. August 11, 2020 at 10:00 am
2. August 12, 2020 at 2:00 pm
3. August 13, 2020 at 2:00 pm
Board of Education Meetings will take place or have taken place as follows:
1. August 6, 2020 at 6:30 pm
2. August 20, 2020 at 6:30 pm
Submitted by Brita Donovan, Superintendent of Schools
August 14, 2020