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This page will be updated with new information as it becomes available as the pandemic and guidance changes.

last updated August 6, 2020

Fall 2020 School Model

Day-to-Day Workings

Building Coordination

Health and Safety

Frequently Asked Questions

Fall 2020 School Model

  • We are taking our experience from the “crisis teaching” that occurred in the spring and modifying our work come the fall.
  • We will be working very hard to have all students feel they are part of the community (whether they are in the hybrid cohort or full-time remote).
  • There will be regular live teaching interactions (including daily meetings that include all students who are hybrid and remote that day, fully-remote, and in-person) to ensure the students get to interact together as a class.
  • There will be office hours for students who are working remotely (full time or part time) to get support from teachers.
  • All students, whether they are hybrid or fully-remote, will have interactions with CWS teachers.
  • We will continue to discuss how the specifics for our day-to-day work will go (i.e. how attendance will be taken, etc.)

The DOE gave a few models for schools to choose from. Of the ones allocated for elementary schools, there was only one model that would work considering our school population size in relation to our building availability considering its shared space. Each class will be broken into groups with groups 1, 2, and 3 comprising hybrid learning and group 4 being fully-remote. Below is a breakdown of what the hybrid schedule would look like.

For students learning via a hybrid model, this table lists what days the students would be learning in-person in the school building. On other days students will be doing structured remote learning at home. All students will be learning five days per week.
MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday
Week 1 (hybrid)Group 1 in personGroup 1 in personGroup 2 in personGroup 3 in personGroup 3 in person
Week 2 (hybrid)Group 2 in personGroup 1 in personGroup 2 in personGroup 3 in personGroup 1 in person
Week 3 (hybrid)Group 3 in personGroup 1 in personGroup 2 in personGroup 3 in personGroup 2 in person
Each Week (full-time remote)Group 4 remoteGroup 4 remoteGroup 4 remoteGroup 4 remoteGroup 4 remote

Day-to-Day Workings

The DOE has stated:

  • that students will have instructional lunches. Meaning while students eat, they will be taught by teachers.
    • Because of this working lunch, students will have a shortened day at school (but not miss any instructional time). Student school hours will be from 8:40 am – 2:10 pm.
  • teachers will be coordinating with remote teachers every morning for 30 minutes before the students start their day.
  • all teacher preps will be in the afternoon and will be shortened to 30 minutes.
  • teachers will have 20 minutes of office hours right before their preps to check in with families as needed.

The DOE has just released a draft of what a daily schedule would look like in an elementary school setting. Below is their example.

PeriodStartEndLengthTeacher
8:10 am - 3:00 pm
6 hours 50 min day		Student Schedule
8:40 am - 2:10 pm
5.5 hours instructional day
08:10 am8:40 am30 minInstructional Coordination----------
18:40 am9:27 am47 minMorning Meeting / TeachingClass
29:27 am10:14 am47 minTeachingClass
310:14 am11:01 am47 minTeachingClass
411:01 am11:48 am47 minDuty Free LunchClass
511:48 am12:35 pm47 minTeachingClass (with instructional lunch)
612:35 pm1:22 pm47 minTeachingClass
71:22 pm2:10 pm48 minTeachingClass
n/a2:10 pm2:30 pm20 minOffice Hours----------
n/a2:30 pm3:00 pm30 minTeacher preparation period----------

Building Coordination

The three principals in the building met and decided on the following:

  • Arrival and Dismissal
    • CWS will be the only school using the lobby for arrival and dismissal.
    • S. 94 will be the only school using the cafeteria for arrival and dismissal.
    • EVCS will be the only school using the yard for arrival and dismissal (regardless of weather).
  • Bathrooms
    • CWS students will be the only ones allowed to used bathrooms on the 3rd
    • EVCS students will be the only ones allowed to used bathrooms on the 4th
    • S. 94 students will be the only ones allowed to used bathrooms on the 5th floor.
    • On the second floor (which is shared by CWS and EVCS)…
      • Our Pre K classes have their own bathrooms to use that no other students in the school (or building) will have access to.
      • The other bathrooms on the floor will become gender neutral bathrooms for the lower schools to use with the bathroom by the nurse’s office to be used by our classes and the bathroom by the EVCS office to be used by their classes.
    • Stairwells
      • Each school will have specific stairwells to be used only by our students and staff.
  • Shared Spaces
    • The three schools in the building are still discussing shared spaces, figuring out details but we will be using shared spaces (like the library and the small movement room) for service providers from all schools to use with their work for children.

Health and Safety

We will be following the guidelines set forth by the DOE.

  • Students will be required to wear masks that fully cover their noses and mouths at all times (unless they are eating during lunch). Masks must:
    • Fully cover the nose and mouth and secure under the chin
    • Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
    • Be secured with ties or ear loops
    • Based on guidance from health authorities, neck gaiters, open-chin triangle bandanas and masks containing valves, mesh material or holes of any kind are not acceptable face coverings
  • Students and staff will have opportunities for frequent handwashing and/or sanitizing. 
  • Small daily groups and reconfigured classrooms will allow for physical distancing.
  • Due to the age of our building, we do not have an air filtration system. In lieu of that, the DOE has said we should keep our windows open to encourage air flow in the classrooms.
  • Temperature checks will be done randomly each day, all students/ staff will not be checked every day.
  • It is encouraged (though not required) for teachers to get tested for COVID before the start of the school year and at regular intervals.

The DOE released the chart below regarding its process for positive COVID cases.

Conclusion of InvestigationDuring Investigation (for at 24 hours)After Investigation
One confirmed case Close classroom, transition to remote learning Classroom remains closed for 14 days; students and staff in close contact with positive case self-quarantine for 14 days.
At least two cases linked together in school, same classroom Close classroom, transition to remote learning Classroom remains closed for 14 days; students and staff in close contact with positive case self-quarantine for 14 days.
At least two cases linked together in school, different classrooms Close school building, transition to remote learningClassrooms of each case remain closed and quarantined for 14 days, additional school members are quarantined based on where the exposure was in the school (e.g., the locker room)
At least two cases linked together by circumstances outside of school (e.g., acquired infection by different setting and source)Close school building, transition to remote learningSchool opens after investigation, classrooms remain closed for 14 days
At least two cases, not linked but exposure confirmed for each outside of school setting Close school building, transition to remote learningSchool opens after investigation, classrooms remain closed for 14 days
Link unable to be determined Close school building, transition to remote learningClose school for 14 days

Frequently Asked Questions

We will continue to update these answers as more information becomes available.

  • Can we have outdoor teaching/classes?
    • The DOE has said they are still looking into the idea of having tents outside for schools to be able to use that space. Request for street closure has also been put in.
  • Can we request a specific group for our child to be in?
    • We will be reaching out to families with siblings in the school to find out if they would like siblings on the same schedule and we will do our best to accommodate those wishes. We will not be accepting other requests. CWS has always been committed to inclusive and diverse student groupings when class configurations are made. We want to ensure the groups of students we do have in the building represent our diverse community and encourage students to expand their circles of friendship and engagement.
  • Will the CWS curriculum be used during remote times (whether it’s the fully-remote students or during the days the hybrid students are remote)?
    • Yes, regardless of whether a student is doing fully-remote work or is remote as part of the hybrid schedule, the work they will be doing will be using the CWS curriculum.
  • Will there be non-CWS teachers teaching students remotely?
    • This is a possibility. If we need more staff to support the remote work, the district will have other teachers who are working remotely throughout our district work with our students. Please note, if we need/get these teachers, they will be working with ALL students who are doing remote work – both the hybrid students and the fully-remote students. CWS teachers will be very involved with any of the non-CWS teachers, ensuring they are supporting our school vision and expectations.
  • What will the schedule look like for fully-remote students? For hybrid students on their remote days? 
    • We are still working on developing these plans and will share them as soon as they’re available. There will be elements of live teaching each day of remote learning for both hybrid and fully-remote students, which students are expected to attend. This is different than expectations from last spring. Even if students are not physically in the classroom, they are expected to be working and learning during the same school hours of 8:40 am – 2:10 pm.
  • If we are doing fully-remote learning, and keeping our residence in the city but are temporarily staying elsewhere due to the pandemic can we still be enrolled with CWS?
    • Yes! As long as you keep your NYC residency, you can still be a CWS student while doing the fully-remote work from a different location.
  • Will there be live teaching during remote learning?
    • Yes, there will be live teaching for students working remotely including (but not limited to) daily meetings with the entire class joining virtually and in person.
  • Is the DOE organizing COVID testing for students?
    • That is not currently happening; however, school nurses will be able to provide the closest testing sites available.
  • Will school lunch and breakfast be provided?
    • Yes. More details will be forthcoming on school meals for in-person and remote students.
  • How is CWS addressing IEPs, ELL, etc.?
    • All teachers, but especially our amazing special education team, will continue to work hard to provide supports for students with IEPs and students who are English Language Learners (ELL). Our ELL teacher will continue to work with students on her caseload and the DOE has said they will give us more direction as to how we can specifically support our students with IEPs with the varying schedules.
  • Is there any option for 100% in-person for children of essential workers
    • Unfortunately, no. We do not have the staff or space to be able to do that.

Additionally, there are other questions that we have and are still awaiting additional guidance from the DOE. Those include:

  • When will we know for sure what will be happening this year?
  • Are we going to get the report that analyzed our air quality and flow?
  • What reassurance do we have that deep cleaning is occurring?
  • Will teachers be provided with an alternative to commuting by public transportation such as carpooling or buses?