I hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. I am writing to you today with an exciting update: we will be reopening our high schools for in-person learning on Monday, March 22, 2021.
Since the beginning of the school year, I have heard from many of you who are eager to have your child return to a physical classroom. I know you and your child have seen their peers in other grades return to in-person learning, while your student has continued to do the hard work of remote learning. I am so pleased that we can now invite students in grades 9-12 who selected blended learning in the fall back to the classroom.
As students and staff in other grades have returned to school buildings, we have developed strong practices to help keep school communities healthy and safe, and to maximize in-person learning time for students learning in our buildings. More information about activities, such as sports and extracurriculars, will be shared soon. For now, here is what you need to know about how your school will return to in-person learning:
Weekly COVID-19 Testing and Mandatory Consent
- All schools will have 20% of students and staff randomly tested on a weekly basis.
- All students who have not already done so are required to provide consent for testing by their first scheduled in-person learning day in order to learn in person.
- Families are encouraged to submit consent through your NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) at MySchools prior to their child’s first day of in-person learning.
If you already have a NYCSA account linked to your student(s):
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- Log in, click your student’s name, click “Manage Account,” and then when a dropdown menu appears, click “Consent Forms.”
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- Read the page, and then choose the consent option at the end for your student.
If you do not already have a NYCSA account:
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- You can create one right away! If you have an account creation code from your school, you can create a full account in approximately five minutes, and then provide consent as described above.
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- If you do not have an account creation code from your school, you can still provide your consent right away by clicking “Manage Consent” under “COVID-19 Testing” and filling out your and your child’s information to provide consent.
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- You can also print and submit the form attached to this letter.
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- Students who do not submit consent will be immediately transitioned to fully remote learning.
Learning Preference and In-Person Schedule
Those of you who chose blended learning as your child’s learning preference, either prior to the beginning of the school year or during the November opt-in period, will soon be contacted by your child’s school with their new schedule.
If you previously selected blended learning but wish to stay fully remote, you may do so by changing your preference as soon as possible on our Learning Preference web page.
Attendance
Please note that students in blended learning are required to attend in-person on a consistent basis. Your school will reach out if your child is not attending in-person regularly, and will transition your child to fully remote learning if irregular in-person attendance continues. This will allow schools to maximize in-person instructional days for students who are attending in-person.
If You Travel
Spring recess begins on Monday, March 29. Please remember that students and staff members who have recently traveled outside of New York to a place on the State’s travel advisory list must quarantine for 10 days, or test out of the 10-day quarantine based on the State’s guidance.
- DOE students continue to have access to priority testing at NYC Health+Hospitals sites across the City.
No matter where your child is learning, we are committed to ensuring they receive a strong, supportive education. We know how important school is for your student, whether blended or remote—and our dedication to them remains unwavering during this challenging time.
Sincerely,
Richard R. Carranza
Chancellor
