Q What options do families have for returning to school in the fall 2020?
A The current plan calls for elementary students to attend school in-person daily and secondary students will have a blend of in-person and virtual learning. However, those who may not feel comfortable returning to an in-person educational environment have the option for full remote learning as well, as long as they notify the district of their plan by Aug. 24. Once a family has made their decision, students will be required to follow that plan for an entire semester. We will be sharing a survey with families to gather your choice in mid-August.
Q When will we know what the final scenario is?
A If parents are not comfortable sending their child to school, they will have the option to keep their child home for remote learning. This remote option may be staffed by North Colonie employees, by other Capital Region educators through a Capital Region BOCES collaborative, or a combination of the two. Once a family has made their decision, students will be required to follow that plan for an entire semester. Parents who are choosing the remote option will need to notify the district by Aug. 24 in order for us to plan accordingly.
Q What are options if parents don’t feel safe sending their children to school?
A Upon reopening, the number of students in each of our classrooms will be reduced to adhere to CDC guidance regarding proper social distancing. Class sizes will not exceed 15 students.
Q What if a family decides to send their child for in-person learning and then later decides they would like to do remote only? Is it possible to switch?
A Remote learning opportunities for secondary students will include a greater emphasis on synchronous instruction, with teachers finding ways to provide live instruction and lessons to students. Teachers will ensure that their students are directly engaged with them and their class peers in experiential learning on a regular basis
Q If students are in-person, how big will class sizes be?
A Student schedules will remain the same whether instruction is in person or remote so that students do not encounter conflicts wherein synchronous lessons for different subjects are offered simultaneously.
Q For the remote learning days, will the lessons be live and interactive for students to ask questions?
A Our academic supervisors are working on the best ways to achieve this, specific to their discipline.