Dear Parents/Guardians,

In order for your child to return to in-person learning, you must submit the consent form for in-school COVID-19 testing by the first day your child returns to their school building.

Mandatory in-school testing will happen weekly for a random selection of staff and students in all reopened school buildings. In order for your child to return to in-person learning, you must submit the consent form for in-school COVID-19 testing by the first day your child returns to The Cobble Hill School of American Studies.

• Submitting consent to have your child tested for COVID-19 in school is quick and easy. If you have already submitted consent, we encourage you to do so again to ensure your child has the latest form on file. There are two easy ways to submit:
• Fill out the form online using a New York City Schools Account (NYCSA) (Open external link)
  • If you already have a NYCSA account linked to your child: Log in, click your child’s name, click “Manage Account,” and then when a dropdown menu appears, click “Consent Forms.” Read the page, and then choose the consent option at the end for your child.
  • If you do not already have a NYCSA account: 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. 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.
• Print and sign the form and bring it to your child’s school on the first day they are back in the school building. A printable PDF file is available in ten languages, under Consent Forms below.

The test is easy, quick, and safe. Instead of the “long swab” that goes in the back of the nose, this test is a short, small swab (like a Q-Tip) that goes just in the front of the nose. Later this school year, it is possible that tests will be administered by collecting a small amount of saliva (spit). The whole test will take about two minutes.

We want to assure you that if your child is selected for testing but is uncomfortable or unable to be tested, we will not test your child and will work with you to address any concerns so that they can participate in future testing. We are focused on making this a brief, and gentle experience for our students, led by trained testers.

If your child is tested, DOE will let you know they were tested and when and how you will receive the results, which will typically be provided within 48-72 hours.

Visit the Supplemental Information for Parents About DOE Agreements With Outside Entities to read answers to a number of questions vendors provided about their privacy and data security practices. The vendors are BioReference Laboratories, Fulgent Genetics, and Somos Healthcare.

https://meet.google.com/sua-deza-qvz

This has been an eventful and challenging year on so many levels. With your efforts and contributions, our school buildings have been safe places for teaching and learning for hundreds of thousands of students over the past several weeks. To date, we have seen a COVID-19 positivity rate of only 0.19 percent out of more than 120,000 students and staff tested. This has been a reassuring sign that our schools are safe, and we are grateful for the tireless work you do to ensure this is possible.

As you are aware, the City is experiencing elevated rates of COVID-19. Last summer, as we prepared to open our school buildings for in-person teaching and learning, we established a threshold of 3% COVID-19 test positivity rate for the City using a 7-day rolling average as a trigger for closing our school buildings and transitioning to fully remote learning. We established this threshold because of our commitment to health and safety for all of our DOE community above and beyond everything else.

As of this morning, November 18, the City has now reached this threshold of test positivity citywide and, as a result, the DOE will temporarily close down all public school buildings for in-person learning, Thursday, November 19. This action, along with other city-wide measures, is a key component to address the concerning rise in COVID-19 transmission rates. This closure of buildings is temporary; we will work diligently alongside other City agencies and every New Yorker to bring this transmission rate back down and get back to in-person learning as quickly and as safely as possible.

To ensure a smooth school transition from blended learning to fully remote learning for all students, first, please distribute the attached letter to your families immediately. Translations of the family letter will be available very shortly on the Messages for Families page on the website. Second, please notify your staff; see attached checklist for considerations to include in your staff communication. A letter to all staff will be sent shortly. Last, refer to the attached checklist for other important items and reminders. This list is meant to help school leaders transition to temporary full-remote learning for all students. This list is illustrative, not exhaustive, so please continue to identify and solve for your school community’s needs during this transition to fully remote teaching and learning. Please continue to refer to Principals Digest for any additional guidance. You will also continue to receive updates and information from the Office of the Chancellor and Office of the First Deputy Chancellor on the status of our school buildings, including guidance and next steps for your school when we are able to re-open.

Our DOE community has been our greatest asset during these challenging times, and we will continue to support every one of you as this public health condition continues to evolve. We know that for many of you, our staff, and our students and families, a temporary system-wide school closure and transition to fully remote instruction is challenging to hear. We know that many of our students and families need and want a blended learning model, and we too are eager to keep offering in-person learning for as long as it is safe and healthy to do so.

We are here to support you. For questions or support with remote learning, contact your BCO Remote Learning Champions (RLCs)— a citywide cohort of BCO staff with expertise in both technical and instructional strategies and practices to support the remote learning classroom experience.

As I’ve said before to you, we have faced these challenges before and are prepared for any situation that comes our way. New Yorkers have proven they are ready and willing to do the collective work to fight against this virus. Thank you for continuing to provide our students with the most enriching and engaging educational experience possible in the midst of all the challenges caused by the pandemic. I am so grateful for your tireless efforts, and I know our students and families are too.

In unity,

Richard

 Checklist_Preparing for Temporary Fully-Remote Learning_November 18 2020.pdf  Update for Families_November 18 2020.pdf 

Dear Cobble Hill Families and Students:

Fall is upon us and I can’t help feeling grateful for the warmer temperatures we have been having,  the pumpkin pie being sold in the stores,  as well as for the sense of community being established with our students. Our character trait of the month for October was caring - caring for self as well as caring for others, and as a school community, we are living that trait every day.  This month, students are exploring the character trait of citizenship and how they can use their voice and actions to affect others for the greater good.  For those of you who may not know, these seminars and circles occur in our AVID classes across grades and are facilitated by Wediko staff and our AVID teachers.  It warms my heart when I see our school mission and vision come alive in our classrooms.  

I have a few updates I would like to share with you.  Last week, we held grade-wide assemblies after school, sharing with students our expectations, the new grading policy, graduation, and credit requirements as well as information about all the extracurriculars currently in progress, such as student government, moot court, Opening Act, Wediko daily after school activities and senior committee.  We are also launching peer forward once again this month, as well as our Civics-for-All initiative,  in our government classes.  Our HOSA students are also attending training this month and will continue to work with Ms. O'Connor.  Ms. Leborious is currently working with the 9th grade in the practices for mindful communication and supporting BLM poetry/spoken word after school facilitated by student Precious Brooks.   I also want you to join me in congratulating Mr. Megna and Mr. Serman on their work with the moot court team.  Freshmen Elizabeth Derry Oliver Nixon and Caillyn Miller competed on Tuesday and did an amazing job!   They were so well-spoken, articulate, and assertive in making their statements and arguments.  I was so proud of them!  

Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place over the course of the next week and culminate on Friday, November 20th. Your child’s teachers will be reaching out to you to schedule an appointment to discuss your child’s performance. 

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s grades on their report card, please feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher via PupilPath or to me by emailing me at amule@schools.nyc.gov.

Please join us at our next PTA meeting on Monday, November 23rd, as we talk about ways to navigate your child’s Google Classroom. 

Please continue to check our school website for information and updates. 

Enjoy the day!  Warmly,

Anna Maria Mulé

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