What You Need to Know When Schools Re-Open in NYC
With the recent influx of Covid-19 cases, it was not a surprise when Mayor Bill de Blasio made the decision on November 19 to shut down schools across New York City. Parents scrambled to get their children prepared for their return to remote learning.
Pssst…..if you are looking for ways to help your kids with online learning, check out: Back-to-School Tips to Protect Against COVID-19
Fortunately, within the last two weeks, de Blasio has just announced that the state will be re-opening schools next week, starting December 7th. While schools will still be requiring students and school staff to wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines, there still lies the question in everyone’s minds, “What is the school doing to reduce the amount of Covid cases?”
What Will Happen When Schools Re-Open
When schools re-open and in-person learning continues, the state has issued weekly, mandatory Covid-19 testing of school staff and students at random. This procedure will replace the random swabbings done once per month.
Parents who opt for their child to continue in-person learning, are required to submit a Covid-19 consent form. This consent form is basically requesting permission to allow your child to be subjected to random Covid-19 testing.
If you are looking for this consent form, there are two ways you can submit it. You can submit the form through your child’s NYCSA account by clicking the consent option, or you can print the consent form through the NYC Department of Education’s website and send the signed document with your child whenever they return to school. Some schools have the form ready at the entrance for families unable to print. Find this printable PDF file in ten languages on the DOE’s Testing Page.
Dates Schools Will Be Re-Opening
December 7: This includes students in 3K through the 5th grade, as well as District Pre-K Centers, K-8 schools, and K-12 schools. If your school is in the State-designated orange zone, the schools will remain closed. Click here to see if your child’s school is in an orange zone: NYC Department of Education: School Building Continued Closures.
December 10: If your child is a student in a District 75 school, that district will return to in-person learning on this date. This includes students in all grades.
Students in grades 6 through 12 will continue with remote learning until further notice.
Check back here for more details. For more information, check out: NYC Department of Education: Covid-19 Information and Updates
