The instructional model chosen for Foundations Christian School will depend on what Gov. Cuomo allows in his August announcement. The following document includes details on each instructional model that are specific to FCS. The models we were asked to outline include: traditional in-person instruction, hybrid (in-person and online) learning and virtual (1oo% online) learning.
Traditional, In-Person Instruction:
*Due to spacing requirements, this instructional model does not include PreK*
We will open with this plan unless Gov. Cuomo directs otherwise
Capacity: Phasing and quantity of students, faculty, and staff allowed to return in-person, considering factors such as ability to maintain appropriate social distance, personal protective equipment (PPE) availability, local medical capacity, and availability of safe transportation.
Social Distancing:
OPTION A) With desk barriers = normal class set-up with 1:1 barriers, 8-12 students per class and teacher in mask.
OPTION B) # of Students: __25-30 # of Classrooms: 3-6 + Gym (as needed)
Example: 3 classrooms with 6 student’s each equal 18 Students. So, at any given time our students would spend half their time with their teacher in the assigned classroom. The other half of the assigned class (or cohort) would be in the gym, separated by cohort and socially distanced. Each class is separated by a partition in the gym with single door access to and from their classroom and the gym. The switching would occur periodically at the discretion of the teacher.
OPTION C) When A and B are not possible, masks will be worn.
PPE and Face Coverings:
Children will have a mask from home that they wear in the hallways and while entering and exiting the building. There will also be a supply of disposable masks in each classroom for those students who find themselves in need of one. Teachers will wear mask during one on one instruction, but if teaching the whole class from the front at a 6 ft distance, no mask is required. Hand sanitizer will be available in each classroom and around the public areas of the building.
Operational Activity:
There are separate rooms and assistants to accommodate any special instruction. Recess and playground access will be by one cohort at a time. In between each cohort, desks, chairs and high touch areas will be disinfected with an 80% alcohol-based solution in accordance with CDC standards. Any event (or trip) that involves multiple cohorts or classes, will be done with strict adherence to social distancing and PPE use.
Restart Operations:
The building that hosts FCS has been open and in use for the majority of this time. Housekeepers have cleaned the building and disinfected high touch areas and will continue to do so.
Hygiene, Cleaning, and Disinfection:
Cleaning of classrooms and hallways will take place every day after school is released. Disinfection of the desks and high touch areas will occur between each cohort. Signs reminding of proper hand hygiene, social distancing and mask usage will be posted around the building and in classrooms.
Extracurriculars:
FCS does not participate in school sports programs. Any extracurricular activities will be held with strict adherence to social distancing and PPE use.
Before and Aftercare:
FCS does not participate in before or after school care programs.
Vulnerable Populations:
FCS will provide a viable, online alternative to those students who cannot, for medical reasons, participate in in-person schooling.
Transportation:
Most FCS students are dropped off to school by family members. Those that ride a bus will be subject to the school district’s policies on bus behavior and usage
Food Services:
FCS students bring their own lunches. Social distancing and hand hygiene will be utilized during the lunch periods. FCS does not offer a breakfast or after school meal program.
Mental Health, Behavioral, and Emotional Support Services and Programs:
FCS staff will utilize the school district resources for understanding and monitoring the mental health of our students.
Communication:
Communication with parents and families will be done through signs, newsletters, the school website and the parent chat group set up for FCS staff and parents. Text and phone communication will also be used as needed between teachers and parents.
Monitoring: Includes protocols and procedures to track health conditions at schools. At a minimum, plans must incorporate the following:
Screening:
As students enter the building, they will have their temperatures checked with a touchless thermometer. They will also be asked age-appropriate questions to determine exposure risk. Anyone entering the school area of the building will have their temperatures checked and asked the appropriate screening questions. The school will be separated from the rest of the building via locked doors and access is only granted by permission.
Testing Protocols:
Parents or guardians of any symptomatic child will be notified and given directions to the testing facility of their choice. Parents will be educated on how to self-screen based on the DOH guidelines, and to keep the child home if there has been a possibility of exposure or positive symptoms.
Testing Responsibility:
Local Hospitals (Corning Hospital and Arnot Hospital) and clinics associated with those hospitals are official testing centers. The DOH will refer an appropriate provider if large scale, on-site testing is needed.
Early Warning Signs:
Metrics will be determined by the DOH and monitoring of those metrics will take place through daily screenings.
Containment includes protocols and procedures for how to respond to positive or presumed-positive cases, as well as preventative practices. At a minimum, plans must incorporate the following:
School Health Offices:
Anyone developing symptoms during the day will be separated and (if student) parents notified. The parents will then be notified of the availability and location of testing. The cohort of the symptomatic student will be isolated and re-screened. Parent’s will be notified and all areas where the symptomatic student was will be cleaned and sanitized.
Isolation:
Students who show symptoms will be brought to a designated isolation room to await their parents. A staff member will stay with them until parents arrive. Staff member and student will maintain proper distancing and PPE use.
Collection:
Isolation room will have direct access to the outside without having to go back through the building. Parents will be told where they can go to test and reminded to self-quarantine for 2 weeks or until test results come back as negative.
Infected Individuals:
Anyone who has tested positive must complete isolation and recovery in order to not transmit COVID-19 when returning to in-person learning. Discharge from isolation and return to school will be conducted in coordination with the local health department.
Exposed Individuals:
Anyone who was exposed to the COVID-19 virus must complete quarantine and have not developed symptoms before returning to in-person learning. Discharge from quarantine and return to school will be conducted in coordination with the local health department.
Hygiene, Cleaning, and Disinfection:
Any areas exposed to a symptomatic or Covid positive person will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. Anyone using that space will be notified of the exposure and cleaning.
Contact Tracing:
FCS will provide (within the boundaries of the law) information requested by the DOH for purposes of contact tracing.
Communication:
All plans developed by FCS will be available in print and on the school's website. Postings will also be in appropriate areas of the school building.
Closure includes contingency plans, protocols, and procedures for decreasing the scale or scope of in person education, and/or closing the school. At a minimum, plans must incorporate the following:
Closure triggers:
If notified by the State or if there is a large amount of symptomatic or positive people, the school will move to the posted plans for online education.
Operational Activity:
Upon direction of the State FCS will move to either the hybrid model or virtual model of education.
Communication:
All available communication methods will be used to update parent’s family and staff in the event of a closure.
Virtual Instruction:
*This model includes Grades 1-6 only*
If FCS is required to do 100% remote learning, the following will be in effect:
1: FCS will provide a private, online platform for each class. (Ex: Google Classroom)
2: Teachers will develop a curriculum and daily schedule to better interact with students.
3: The teacher will provide a video instruction of each lesson and simple question for each student to respond to (ex: a comment on the video). Every student will be responsible for responding to the question as this will be the way we identify attendance for each class.
4: Each lesson will be released on a pre-assigned schedule, thus giving the students a sense of schedule and normalcy.
5: Assignments and tests may be turned in: a) virtually via the online classroom b) scanned and emailed to the teacher or c) dropped off to the school in packets at pre-assigned times and intervals.
6: Periodic virtual meetings will be scheduled by the teacher to facilitate interactions with and between the students and enhance social and emotional learning.
7: Parent-Teacher conferences will be held on a regular basis via zoom or phone to ensure the students continued progress in the class and help identify potential problems to be addressed.
Hybrid In-School and Online Instruction:
1: School will be held in an alternating 2-week schedule.
2: Students will be assigned to a Cohort, either A or B.
Example (details still in progress):
Cohort A will be given In-School instruction (adhering to the guidelines set forth in the “Traditional, In-Person Instruction” portion of this document) on Monday, Wednesday & Friday of Week 1 and Tuesday & Thursday of Week 2. On Tuesday & Thursday of Week 1 and Monday, Wednesday & Friday of Week 2 the students will have a homeschooling day, consisting of doing the lessons taught and assigned by the teacher on the previous day.
Cohort B will be given the opposite: In-School instruction (adhering to the guidelines set forth in the “Traditional, In-Person Instruction” portion of this document) on Tuesday & Thursday of Week 1 and Monday, Wednesday & Friday of Week 2. On Monday, Wednesday & Friday of Week 1 and Tuesday & Thursday of Week 2 the students will have a homeschooling day, consisting of doing the lessons taught and assigned by the teacher on the previous day.
3: Holidays and vacations will be taken into account when developing the full year schedule.
4: Teachers will be available for questions for the students who are at home learning.
Traditional, In-Person Instruction:
*Due to spacing requirements, this instructional model does not include PreK*
We will open with this plan unless Gov. Cuomo directs otherwise
Capacity: Phasing and quantity of students, faculty, and staff allowed to return in-person, considering factors such as ability to maintain appropriate social distance, personal protective equipment (PPE) availability, local medical capacity, and availability of safe transportation.
Social Distancing:
OPTION A) With desk barriers = normal class set-up with 1:1 barriers, 8-12 students per class and teacher in mask.
OPTION B) # of Students: __25-30 # of Classrooms: 3-6 + Gym (as needed)
Example: 3 classrooms with 6 student’s each equal 18 Students. So, at any given time our students would spend half their time with their teacher in the assigned classroom. The other half of the assigned class (or cohort) would be in the gym, separated by cohort and socially distanced. Each class is separated by a partition in the gym with single door access to and from their classroom and the gym. The switching would occur periodically at the discretion of the teacher.
OPTION C) When A and B are not possible, masks will be worn.
PPE and Face Coverings:
Children will have a mask from home that they wear in the hallways and while entering and exiting the building. There will also be a supply of disposable masks in each classroom for those students who find themselves in need of one. Teachers will wear mask during one on one instruction, but if teaching the whole class from the front at a 6 ft distance, no mask is required. Hand sanitizer will be available in each classroom and around the public areas of the building.
Operational Activity:
There are separate rooms and assistants to accommodate any special instruction. Recess and playground access will be by one cohort at a time. In between each cohort, desks, chairs and high touch areas will be disinfected with an 80% alcohol-based solution in accordance with CDC standards. Any event (or trip) that involves multiple cohorts or classes, will be done with strict adherence to social distancing and PPE use.
Restart Operations:
The building that hosts FCS has been open and in use for the majority of this time. Housekeepers have cleaned the building and disinfected high touch areas and will continue to do so.
Hygiene, Cleaning, and Disinfection:
Cleaning of classrooms and hallways will take place every day after school is released. Disinfection of the desks and high touch areas will occur between each cohort. Signs reminding of proper hand hygiene, social distancing and mask usage will be posted around the building and in classrooms.
Extracurriculars:
FCS does not participate in school sports programs. Any extracurricular activities will be held with strict adherence to social distancing and PPE use.
Before and Aftercare:
FCS does not participate in before or after school care programs.
Vulnerable Populations:
FCS will provide a viable, online alternative to those students who cannot, for medical reasons, participate in in-person schooling.
Transportation:
Most FCS students are dropped off to school by family members. Those that ride a bus will be subject to the school district’s policies on bus behavior and usage
Food Services:
FCS students bring their own lunches. Social distancing and hand hygiene will be utilized during the lunch periods. FCS does not offer a breakfast or after school meal program.
Mental Health, Behavioral, and Emotional Support Services and Programs:
FCS staff will utilize the school district resources for understanding and monitoring the mental health of our students.
Communication:
Communication with parents and families will be done through signs, newsletters, the school website and the parent chat group set up for FCS staff and parents. Text and phone communication will also be used as needed between teachers and parents.
Monitoring: Includes protocols and procedures to track health conditions at schools. At a minimum, plans must incorporate the following:
Screening:
As students enter the building, they will have their temperatures checked with a touchless thermometer. They will also be asked age-appropriate questions to determine exposure risk. Anyone entering the school area of the building will have their temperatures checked and asked the appropriate screening questions. The school will be separated from the rest of the building via locked doors and access is only granted by permission.
Testing Protocols:
Parents or guardians of any symptomatic child will be notified and given directions to the testing facility of their choice. Parents will be educated on how to self-screen based on the DOH guidelines, and to keep the child home if there has been a possibility of exposure or positive symptoms.
Testing Responsibility:
Local Hospitals (Corning Hospital and Arnot Hospital) and clinics associated with those hospitals are official testing centers. The DOH will refer an appropriate provider if large scale, on-site testing is needed.
Early Warning Signs:
Metrics will be determined by the DOH and monitoring of those metrics will take place through daily screenings.
Containment includes protocols and procedures for how to respond to positive or presumed-positive cases, as well as preventative practices. At a minimum, plans must incorporate the following:
School Health Offices:
Anyone developing symptoms during the day will be separated and (if student) parents notified. The parents will then be notified of the availability and location of testing. The cohort of the symptomatic student will be isolated and re-screened. Parent’s will be notified and all areas where the symptomatic student was will be cleaned and sanitized.
Isolation:
Students who show symptoms will be brought to a designated isolation room to await their parents. A staff member will stay with them until parents arrive. Staff member and student will maintain proper distancing and PPE use.
Collection:
Isolation room will have direct access to the outside without having to go back through the building. Parents will be told where they can go to test and reminded to self-quarantine for 2 weeks or until test results come back as negative.
Infected Individuals:
Anyone who has tested positive must complete isolation and recovery in order to not transmit COVID-19 when returning to in-person learning. Discharge from isolation and return to school will be conducted in coordination with the local health department.
Exposed Individuals:
Anyone who was exposed to the COVID-19 virus must complete quarantine and have not developed symptoms before returning to in-person learning. Discharge from quarantine and return to school will be conducted in coordination with the local health department.
Hygiene, Cleaning, and Disinfection:
Any areas exposed to a symptomatic or Covid positive person will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. Anyone using that space will be notified of the exposure and cleaning.
Contact Tracing:
FCS will provide (within the boundaries of the law) information requested by the DOH for purposes of contact tracing.
Communication:
All plans developed by FCS will be available in print and on the school's website. Postings will also be in appropriate areas of the school building.
Closure includes contingency plans, protocols, and procedures for decreasing the scale or scope of in person education, and/or closing the school. At a minimum, plans must incorporate the following:
Closure triggers:
If notified by the State or if there is a large amount of symptomatic or positive people, the school will move to the posted plans for online education.
Operational Activity:
Upon direction of the State FCS will move to either the hybrid model or virtual model of education.
Communication:
All available communication methods will be used to update parent’s family and staff in the event of a closure.
Virtual Instruction:
*This model includes Grades 1-6 only*
If FCS is required to do 100% remote learning, the following will be in effect:
1: FCS will provide a private, online platform for each class. (Ex: Google Classroom)
2: Teachers will develop a curriculum and daily schedule to better interact with students.
3: The teacher will provide a video instruction of each lesson and simple question for each student to respond to (ex: a comment on the video). Every student will be responsible for responding to the question as this will be the way we identify attendance for each class.
4: Each lesson will be released on a pre-assigned schedule, thus giving the students a sense of schedule and normalcy.
5: Assignments and tests may be turned in: a) virtually via the online classroom b) scanned and emailed to the teacher or c) dropped off to the school in packets at pre-assigned times and intervals.
6: Periodic virtual meetings will be scheduled by the teacher to facilitate interactions with and between the students and enhance social and emotional learning.
7: Parent-Teacher conferences will be held on a regular basis via zoom or phone to ensure the students continued progress in the class and help identify potential problems to be addressed.
Hybrid In-School and Online Instruction:
1: School will be held in an alternating 2-week schedule.
2: Students will be assigned to a Cohort, either A or B.
Example (details still in progress):
Cohort A will be given In-School instruction (adhering to the guidelines set forth in the “Traditional, In-Person Instruction” portion of this document) on Monday, Wednesday & Friday of Week 1 and Tuesday & Thursday of Week 2. On Tuesday & Thursday of Week 1 and Monday, Wednesday & Friday of Week 2 the students will have a homeschooling day, consisting of doing the lessons taught and assigned by the teacher on the previous day.
Cohort B will be given the opposite: In-School instruction (adhering to the guidelines set forth in the “Traditional, In-Person Instruction” portion of this document) on Tuesday & Thursday of Week 1 and Monday, Wednesday & Friday of Week 2. On Monday, Wednesday & Friday of Week 1 and Tuesday & Thursday of Week 2 the students will have a homeschooling day, consisting of doing the lessons taught and assigned by the teacher on the previous day.
3: Holidays and vacations will be taken into account when developing the full year schedule.
4: Teachers will be available for questions for the students who are at home learning.
