Communication and Family Engagement

We designed a multi-layered approach to planning that emphasizes collaboration, and includes more than 100 people from across the district working in teams to make sure that our plans are comprehensive and minimize health risks to students, staff and families. Each of these teams, which includes the Board of Education, a stakeholder committee (including a physician), three specially designed working groups, our Administrative Council, and our Shared Decision Making teams in each building, will meet on-site and will contribute to the mosaic of thought that is essential to effective planning for September.

Each of our three specially designed Working Groups comprises 15 – 20 members, including clerical, maintenance, teachers, administrators, transportation, mental health professionals, food service, teacher aides, nurses and parents. Each group will plan for restarting school under three possible configurations; fully remote, hybrid/density-reduced, and fully on-campus. The three Working groups are:

• Instructional Services –curriculum/instruction, class schedules, optimizing student learning, grading/assessment, professional learning

• Social Emotional Learning – taking a “whole person” approach to meeting the mental/physical/emotional health needs of our students and staff, professional learning and instructional implications, family/community engagement

• District Operations – transportation, food service, facilities/maintenance, and finance

A timeline of the meetings is included below:

Communicating the important elements of the plan will require a team effort, and a sophisticated communication strategy designed to assure frequency and intensity of particular messages to specific audiences. Among the elements of the strategy are:

• Frequent communication to families by the Superintendent using all media

• Communication to staff

• Continuing stakeholder engagement

• Social media

• Daily announcements in each school once school begins

• Extended first period in the secondary schools for training and announcements

• Continued engagement with shared decision making groups at each schools

• PTSA forums with the Superintendent

• Static and interactive signage

• Principals communicate to their school communities frequently, across many platforms

The Hamburg Central PTSA will host three virtual parent forums to discuss the reopening of schools. These online forums will be:

• August 19th @ 9am

• August 19th @ 6pm

• August 20th @ 12pm

Parents must pre-register for the forum of their choice to receive a Zoom link to participate. Questions for the forum, to be answered by Superintendent Michael Cornell, should also be submitted at the time of registration.

Register and submit questions by emailing questions@hamburgptsa.com or by using this url: https://forms.gle/ADB7MKoD6x5HT19C6

The deadline to register/submit questions is 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 18.

The District will host in person staff forums to discuss the reopening of schools. These forums will be:

• August 19th @ 11am - High School Staff

• August 19th @ 1:30pm - Charlotte Ave and Union Pleasant Staff

• August 20th @ 9:30am - Armor and Boston Elementary Staff

• August 20th @ 2pm - Middle School Staff