In-Person Programming at BSA

Dear BSA Community,


As you know, we’ve been engaged in planning the beginning of in-person learning for the 20-21 school year here at BSA. There are many reasons to bring students back to the building and many reasons to be concerned about bringing them back. This message, while lengthy, is not intended to answer all questions for anyone. There will be follow-up messages as well as meetings for parents and students to elaborate on many of the topics raised in a return to in-person learning.


In thinking about this, we’ve settled on a few assumptions to drive our actions. At this point, we are planning to start this limited in-person learning for:

  • 9th graders starting on March 15, 2021

  • 12th graders starting April 12, 2021

  • 10th & 11th graders starting April 19, 2021

  • COVID Testing is on M, T, Th, F at 10:00-12:00


Fundamental Assumptions-

  1. Safety: We will implement and maintain safety protocols that will promote the health & safety of all persons involved. Those protocols have been studied in depth and an overview is provided below.


  1. Academic Student Concerns: Some students are not doing well in their academic classes. The group that is struggling is smaller than most schools, but we must address this challenge with meaningful attention. Falling significantly behind in this pandemic year could have significant, life-long consequences.


  1. Social/Emotional Student Concerns: Isolation is a significant burden for many BSA students. Our students typically find support and collaboration in their artistic work. These experiences help strengthen them as they deal with all the challenges that teenage years present. The support this camaraderie offers is sharply limited by virtual learning.


  1. Complexity of Hybrid Format for Teachers: Teaching simultaneously in virtual and in-person environments is likely to be extremely challenging. At any rate, it is one more significant shift with a requisite learning curve and anxiety for all involved. It would be better to stay with the format we know. Students continuing in the virtual environment would see no significant changes in presentation or content.


  1. Maintain the Current Class Schedule: BSA would maintain the current virtual class schedule — Instruction on M, T, Th, F w/ 5 periods of instruction each day, requiring an A/B day, 10-period schedule.



Based on these observations, we have developed two core goals for a return to in-person learning:


Schoolwide Goals

  1. Support students who are struggling in remote academic learning with In-Person coaching during virtual lessons.


  1. Provide arts experiences that support social-emotional development and psychological well-being as well as continuing development in students’ specific arts disciplines.


We have planned to accomplish these two goals while observing the CDC guidelines to limit the spread of the virus. Here are some of the steps we would take:



Health Safety Measures

  1. Cohorts: Students will stay with a limited cohort (no more than 16 students) for all their time in school. Cohorts will not mix during class time or during their lunch period.

  2. Adult Proximity: Students would be in a closed cohort taught a maximum of 3 adults during any 48-hour period. Any given adult will not be in contact w/ more than 2 student cohorts with a 48-hour period.

  3. Building Entry: Students will observe social distancing when lining up to wait for health screening to enter the building

  4. Health Screening: All persons entering the building will be screened for symptoms with no-touch temperature recorded in the City Schools Health Screening Tracker.

  5. Masks: Everybody in the school building will be required to properly wear a cloth face covering or disposable mask at all times.

  6. Handwashing: Regular, thorough hand-washing (minimum of 20 seconds) will be promoted for all.

  7. Disinfectant: Stations with alcohol-based disinfectant are placed throughout the building.

  8. Social Distancing: Classes and class transfers will be organized to support social distancing.

  9. Air Purification: Instructional spaces will be fitted with air purifying devices to filter the classroom’s air 6 times per hour.

  10. Cleaning/Disinfecting: All instructional spaces will be cleaned with disinfectant after each day’s classes.

  11. Technology: Students will not share computers. Computers will be provided at the school. School technology will be disinfected via ultraviolet light at regular intervals.

  12. Food Services: Students who attend will receive and eat breakfast and lunch in their pods in a large room reserved for their pod.



Our Educational Plan

We will serve students in two overarching cohorts — an academic cohort and several separate arts cohorts. Students will participate in only one cohort of about 15 students (an academic or specific arts cohort). Cohorts will not mix.



Cohort #1: Academic Student Support

  • Students identified as failing a significant percentage of their 1st semester classes will be invited to attend one in-person academic class, followed by the remainder of the day’s virtual academic classes at BSA. This will be supervised by an administrator with specific coaching by academic content specialists.


  • A student would participate in (only) one academic cohort of about 15 students:

  • 9:30 to 2:30 on Mondays & Thursdays (12th grade students) OR

  • 9:30 to 2:30 Tuesdays & Fridays (9th grade students)


  • Assistant Principal Mary Evans will supervise these students with the assistance of a small rotating cast of academic teachers providing content-specific coaching. Students in a cohort (grade 9 OR grade 12) would not mix with other students.



Cohort #2: Student Art Instruction

  • Ninth grade students may elect to attend in-person classes on a schedule determined by the art department. Some students may be specifically invited, but there will be spaces for students to elect participation (20-25% of the class).


  • Students in a cohort coming for art instruction will not mix with other cohorts.


  • Ninth grade students will attend an arts cohort on Mondays and/or Thursdays 9:30 to 2:30, taking 3 or 4 periods of arts classes and 1 or 2 academic classes.


  • A school-based computer will be available for each student to participate in their single academic class of that day on-site. Similarly, 12th grade students will attend Tuesdays and/or Fridays, taking 4 instructional periods of art classes. We will also supply a school-based computer for these students to take their single academic class on these days.


ARTS DEPARTMENT SCHEDULE


Dance:

Selected students attend 1x a week from 9:10 to 2:30 on Thursdays (4 instructional periods)


Music:

Selected students attend 1x a week from 9:05 to 2:30 on Tuesdays

  • Freshmen attend 3 instructional periods

  • Seniors attend 4 instructional periods


Theater - Acting:

Selected students attend 1x a week from 9:05 to 2:30 on Mondays (4 instructional periods)


Theater - SD&P:

Selected students attend 1x a week from 9:10 to 2:30 on Mondays (4 instructional periods)


Visual Arts:

Selected students attend 2x a week from 9:00 to 2:30 on Mondays & Thursdays (4 instructional periods)


Film:

  • Freshmen attend 2x a week from 9:00 to 2:30 (4 instructional periods)

  • Seniors attend 1x a week from 9:00 to 2:30 (4 instructional periods)


If you have questions or thoughts about this plan, please feel free to share them in the meeting or by emailing: DistanceLearning@bsfa.org


Thank you,

Chris Ford, BSA

You can listen to the recording from the Parent Meeting on February 8, 2021 on Reopening Plan here.