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Coronavirus Update
Coronavirus Update April 7, 2020
School Closures- The State has announced that all schools in New York State will now remain closed through April 29, 2020 until further notice.
Coronavirus Update March 23, 2020
Students will not report to school buildings for instruction during this time. Schools are expected to reopen following Spring Recess on Monday, April 20, 2020.
As per DOE:
- Remote learning will launch for grades K-12. DOE will support schools at all levels of readiness to deliver remote learning.
- Electronic Devices If your child needs an internet-connected device to participate in remote learning, and you have not yet filled out a device request form, please visit coronavirus.schools.nyc/RemoteLearningDevices to request a device on loan from DOE. If you have not already received a device on loan from our school and you still require a device, please fill out the DOE survey.
- Regional Enrichment Centers will be available for the children of first responders, healthcare workers, transit workers, and our most vulnerable student populations, with more details to follow.
- Grab-and-Go free meals will be available at the entrance of select buildings.
Coronavirus Update March 13,2020
We know families are concerned and we’re taking swift precautionary action in the best interest of our PS171 students and staff. As part of our process during this situation, we are continuing to monitor and review information from the CDC, the Department of Education, and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
As per Chancellor Richard Carranza, City schools will remain open indefinitely, but we are continuing to collaborate with the city and district to share information, and review plans with local health officials to help protect our whole school community. Additionally, we are also working quickly to solidify plans on minimizing disruption of the educational process through remote learning packets and digital resources.
As for the option of closing schools, we have not received any notification that there have been exposures or confirmed cases in our attendance boundaries. Additionally, we are fortunate in our community that we have the technological infrastructure as well as teachers trained in a multitude of online platforms, applications, and instructional strategies.
It is my goal to continue to meet, monitor the situation, and communicate with all relevant information. Our custodial staff will continue to prioritize the daily disinfecting of desktops and high-touch points including the addition of two deep-cleaning nights. We are also providing our teachers with disinfecting wipes and sanitizers so that this process occurs consistently throughout the day. Teachers and staff are also incorporating mini-lessons or teachable moments to educate students on factual information regarding COVID-19 and the steps we can take to prevent the spread of the virus.
We understand this is causing high tension for all, but we are asking teachers and staff to assure families and communicate daily on how we are diligently practicing proper hygiene and enforcing preventive measures. Through transparency and open communication lines, we want to utilize all resources to provide comfort and ease for our students and families during this challenging time.
Coronavirus Update March 12, 2020
We understand the concerns of our students and staff regarding the COVID-19 (coronavirus) situation, and we want you to be aware of the steps we are taking to protect the health and safety of our P.S.171 community. Furthermore, we want to alleviate the levels of anxiety and stress of the virus for all of our students, families, and staff. We believe during this time, transparency and consistent communication are key.
We are working diligently to share any communication with all of our staff detailing the available resources and actions you can take for preventive and proactive measures. It is important that our students and faculty follow these guidelines. In addition, as we actively monitor the situation daily, if and when conditions change, we are prepared to make any adjustments accordingly as directed by the NYCDOE.
As a reminder, symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to those of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, and/or shortness of breath. Take the same precautions that you do during cold and flu season:
* Wash your hands often with soap and water (20 seconds or sing 'happy birthday song' for early childhood grades). Have hand sanitizer with you for situations when soap and water are not
available.
* Disinfect surfaces (doorknobs, tables, sink faucets, etc) or any objects that touch multiple surfaces (including phones, devices, etc).
* Cover your cough in your elbow.
* Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose, and mouth.
* Keep personal items personal, including toiletries, drinking glasses, and utensils, from others.
* Stay away from sick people and if you feel sick—stay home.
* Get a flu shot before (if you haven’t already).
If you have a fever, cough, and/or shortness of breath, it is important to be evaluated by a health-care provider immediately.
You can also follow up with updates through the NYCDOE page for Coronavirus Update
You can view the following letters for parents or the Parent Bulletin page for more updates
faqs-for-schools-feb11_final.pdf
wash-your-hands-fact-sheet-508.pdf
coronavirus-update-for-families_march-10-2020- 002.pdf
Coronavirus Update 03-11-2020
We are working diligently to share any communication with all of our staff detailing the available resources and actions you can take for preventive and proactive measures. It is important that our students and faculty follow these guidelines. Please check our Parent Bulletin Page for more updates
Parent Newsletter
Letter to Families From Chancellor Richard Carranza, April 7, 2020:
Dear Families:
None of us ever imagined what COVID-19 would bring: the closure of public school buildings, remote teaching and learning from home, and distancing from each other to remain safe.
This has been hard work that wouldn’t be possible without your efforts and support. We know you and your children are moving mountains to keep learning going during this time, as are the more than 150,000 dedicated educators and staff at the NYC Department of Education. I am so grateful for the support you have provided your children as we all have quickly worked to adapt to this entirely new approach to education. These are disruptive and stressful times that have already come with many challenges and a constantly evolving landscape. But with your help, we are making progress every day.
In that context, I have important updates and reminders to share with you:
- School Closures: The State has announced that all schools in New York State will now remain closed through April 29, 2020.
- Regents Exams: The State has cancelled June 2020 Regents exams. Families of high school students will soon receive additional guidance regarding how this impacts graduation requirements. In short, students who planned to take Regents exams in June 2020 will be exempt from these exams in order to earn their diploma, but they still must complete the required course credits to graduate. Our goal is to make sure that students on track to graduate this year continue to remain on their path toward successful completion of high school.
- Math and ELA Tests: The State has cancelled math and English Language Arts tests for grades 3 through 8.
- AP Exams: The College Board has announced that AP exams will not be administered in school buildings, but students will be able to take AP exams at home. We will soon provide guidance to schools and students on how to implement these changes. If you are in need of a device and have not yet done so, we encourage you to complete DOE’s remote learning device survey.
- Remote Learning Tools: In order to best protect security and privacy, we are requiring schools to transition away from using Zoom as a virtual meeting tool for remote learning. We know this tool is already in use by many schools and we don’t expect it to happen overnight, but we are providing support to educators to help the transition to Google Hangouts Meet or Microsoft Teams—both of which are also in consistent use by many schools.
I believe that the professionalism and dedication of our educators has never been more apparent than throughout this extraordinary crisis. They have risen to the occasion, fundamentally transforming our learning model while also attending to the altered needs of their own families.
Likewise, your support and partnership have been critical in helping our students cope, remain safe, and learn—even as you have confronted enormous stresses of your own. Thanks to everything you and our educators are doing together, I am confident that our children will continue to meaningfully engage and progress during these times.
Like our educators during this ordeal, you are truly heroes. We know this is difficult as we all learn to navigate through this unprecedented time together. But we will continue to do everything in our power to support you every step of the way.
Sincerely,
Richard Carranza, Chancellor
Letter to Families From Chancellor Richard Carranza, April 3, 2020:
Dear Families:
Since closing school buildings and shifting to remote learning last week, all of you, in partnership with our more than 150,000 staff, have shown incredible resilience and fortitude as we leap into a new reality. Together, we have been transforming public education in the nation’s largest school system in ways we never imagined even a few weeks ago.
Throughout this process, we have approached every decision with the health, safety, and continuous learning of our students at the forefront of our minds. Through it all, I’ve emphasized that we need to operate with flexibility and patience for all our school communities.
Those values, along with the fact that social distancing remains an imperative for all New Yorkers, means we must take a new approach to Spring Recess, originally scheduled for Thursday, April 9 through Friday, April 17, 2020.
For the health and wellbeing of all New Yorkers, the City and the State are in agreement that schools must continue to offer remote learning, including during days that were previously scheduled as breaks. As a result, our schools will continue with remote learning through the time originally scheduled for Spring Recess.
We know that many New Yorkers plan to observe religious holidays on April 9 and 10. Any students and school staff who individually wish to observe those holidays may do so. However, these days will not be considered “days off” for the school system, and remote learning activities will continue for students who are not observing the holidays.
Here is additional important information for families during this time:
Remote Learning
We know that Spring Recess is a time of rest and recharging for our educators and students alike—and we know how hard all of our students and educators have been working to adapt to a new approach to learning.
With this in mind, we will offer schools remote learning resources that focus on daily themes and enrichment activities for all students for April 9-17. This will keep students and their teachers meaningfully engaged and connected with each other and ideas happening in the world around them—even as we all remain socially distant at home.
Resources will include “theme” days (e.g., wellness, world language, computer science, college and career readiness) and taking advantage virtually of the unparalleled educational and cultural resources right here in the city (e.g., museums, libraries, and cultural institutions).
More information on these activities will be shared with schools next week. We are confident that continuing remote learning will help ensure that families adhere to social distancing in the coming weeks, which is imperative to slowing the spread of the virus and keeping ourselves and our neighbors safe.
Regional Enrichment Centers
Regional Enrichment Centers (RECs) serve the children of first responders, healthcare workers, and other essential employees across the City. The majority of the REC sites will remain open from April 9-17. We will proactively communicate with families who may need to be temporarily reassigned to a REC during that time. Visit schools.nyc.gov/recs for more information.
Free Meals
Meal Hubs offer free meals to any New Yorker who wants them. The majority of our Meal Hub sites will also continue to operate. To find the nearest Meal Hub to you during this period or anytime, visit schools.nyc.gov/freemeals.
Health Precautions
We know our families are working hard to stop the spread of coronavirus. People who do not show symptoms may still be able to spread COVID-19, and therefore the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) recommends wearing a face covering or mask whenever you leave home. A face covering will not protect you from infection, but it can help others. A face covering can include anything that covers your nose and mouth, including dust masks, scarves and bandanas. Do not use health care worker masks, as those must be preserved for people in the health care system. Even if you have a face covering, continue to stay home as much as possible and avoid close contact with other people. Please visit nyc.gov/coronavirus for more information and an FAQ on face coverings, as well as other important information on the virus.
We continue to operate with health, safety, and high-quality learning as our top priorities for every child and adult in the DOE community across all five boroughs. Time and time again, you and your children—and all the educators who serve them—are proving that New York City has the best students and staff in the world, and that nothing will ever change that.
Please call 311 or visit schools.nyc.gov for any questions regarding Spring Break, RECs, Free Meals, and much more. As always, you should reach out to your teacher, principal, and others at your school for continued information about remote learning and your child.
Richard A. Carranza, Chancellor
New York City Department of Education
Parent Newsletter April 2, 2020
Dear Families,
We are excited to share with you our P.S./I.S.171 Social Media handles for Instagram and Twitter. We hope staying digitally connected can extend our relationships with our 171 families. Our goal is to share our best practices school wide and keep our families involved in the deep learning that occurs daily from our 3K-PreKindergarten to 8th grade! Please follow us on both platforms to receive up to date information on current events occurring within our community!
Instagram: PatrickhenryPrepnyc
Twitter: phprepnyc
Parent Newsletter March 30, 2020
Dear Families,
We are diligently working to provide you with updated lists of resources that are relevant to your and your family's needs!
Additional Resources for Families and Students.docx
NYS Reading Association Resources
Parent Newsletter March 24, 2020
Dear Families,
We are excited to announce high school offers and waitlists are available!
8th grade families can check online using your MySchools Account to:
- Get your offer letter
- If your child has more than one offer, you can accept or decline them
- See the waitlists your child is already on
- Add yourself to additional waitlists between now and the end of July
- Check where your child is on any waitlist
Schools will be in touch directly if they can make you a waitlist offer; you will have one week to accept or decline it. High schools' waitlists close at the end of July.
IF YOU Don't have a MySchools account or have questions about your child's offer PLEASE Email HSEnrollment@schools.nyc.gov. You can also get support with waitlist questions and requests at waitlists@schools.nyc.gov.
Please note that Family Welcome Center locations are now closed, but our staff is available to assist you! Please reach out to any member of the Administration Team OR contact any one of your child’s teachers to help you navigate your MySchools Account.
You can also visit https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enroll-grade-by-grade/high-school for more information on High Schools Admissions process!
Letter to Families From Chancellor Richard Carranza, March 22, 2020
-
- You can find instructions on DOE student accounts and getting started in Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams at schools.nyc.gov/learnathome.
- If you are having additional problems connecting, contact your school directly via email.Our Find a School tool can help you find contact info for your school as well, if you do not already have it: schools.nyc.gov/find-a-school.
•Electronic Devices: If your child needs an internet-connected device to participate in remote learning, and you have not yet filled out a device request form, please visit coronavirus.schools.nyc/RemoteLearningDevices to request a device on loan from DOE.Many of you have already received a device on loan from your school. If you have not and you still require a device, please fill out the survey.
Students with Individualized Education Programs(IEPs):If your student is recommended for integrated co-teaching, special class, or special education teacher support services, your school will make every effort to arrange for them to continue to receive instruction from the same special education teachers and classroom paraprofessionals that usually teach them. Someone from your school will contact you to discuss how instruction will be delivered.
- Your child’s IEP meetings will still take place; IEP meetings will be conducted by phone. To make a referral for initial evaluation or reevaluation, you can email your principal or specialeducation@schools.nyc.gov, or call311.
- For more on remote learning for students with IEPs,pleasevisitschools.nyc.gov/learnathome.
Free Meals: We will continue to offer free meals in the weeks ahead at more than 400 sites across the city.Food hubs will operate Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. through 1:30 p.m., and any student of any age can get 3 meals daily. Visit schools.nyc.gov/freemeals to find a site near you.
Regional Enrichment Centers: On Monday, March 23, the City will open Regional Enrichment Centers (RECs) for the children of front-line workers in the fight against COVID-19—including first responders and healthcare workers. If you believe your child may be eligible to attend a REC, please visit schools.nyc.gov/recs.
- Enrollment and Placement Support: Family Welcome Center staff are available by email, and are prepared to assist with enrollment and placement of new admissions, questions around admissions, information about offers, and waitlists. They do not handle REC enrollment.
- Please be Family Welcome Centers are processing high volume of questions at this time in connection to the release of high school admissions offer. We ask for your patience, and are aiming to respond to all requests within 48 hours. Here is how to receive direct support on these topics: •Bronx:bronxfwc@schools.nyc.gov•Brooklyn:brooklynfwc@schools.nyc.gov•Manhattan:manhattanfwc@schools.nyc.gov•Queens:queensfwc@schools.nyc.gov•StatenIsland:statenislandfwc@schools.nyc.gov.
- Parents can also call 311 and say "Schools" to be routed to someone who can help with school-related questions.
If you need help with a problem that cannot be resolved at the school level or wish to report a complaint, please reach out to your district superintendent’s office. Contact information for your district support team can be found here: schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/district-leadership. If you do not know the district in which your child’s school is located, please use the Find A School tool: schools.nyc.gov/find-a-school.
There will surely be bumps in the road as we all adjust to this new reality, and I want to thank you for the patience that will be demanded of you as we undertake this transformation together.
In just a few hours, we will all take a great leap together into uncharted territory. We will be successful if we continue to work together as a community of families, educators, and staff. We all share two key goals: a high-quality education for every single one of our 1.1 million students, and protecting health and safety of everyone in our school communities.
That means that public education in New York City is going to look tremendously different for the foreseeable future. But together, we will chart this path forward, and I have no doubt that we will eventually look back and say this was our finest hour: when we confronted this great challenge and overcame it, in unity, with shared strength and commitment.
New York City has the greatest students and staff in the world, and nothing will ever change that—today, tomorrow, or ever. I am excited to be on this journey with you. Together, I am confident we will learn and grow with boundless potential.
Sincerely,
Richard A. Carranza, Chancellor
New York City Department of Education
Parent Newsletter March 13, 2020
Dear Families,
In the event of a school closure, we want to be well prepared and planned. To support student learning during this time, we want all students to have access to independent learning applications and activities through remote learning packets. We want to assure all students are engaged in productive work to mitigate the impact of lost instructional time in the class.
During any circumstances where students are home from school, students will have access to grade-level, rigorous work – which can be found on our main school website: PS171.org Opens in a new browser tab. There will be grade-specific tabs/folders with enclosed performance tasks from different content areas and students can complete at their own pace.
Furthermore, we wanted to make sure students and families who have limited to no access to technology would not be excluded from participation, therefore we are backpacking these packets home with each student from PreK-8th Grade. Please ensure you safely keep these packets at home so that students can access this work in case there is a school closure. Packets are not meant to be completed until there is an official school closing. In addition to our ‘remote learning packets’, we have a multitude of digital learning applications available. You can find these resources on the opposite side of this letter. Students can access these websites at any time to facilitate learning at home.
If you have any questions and/or concerns regarding our remote learning packets, please reach out to me or any member of the Administration Team.
remote learning packet cover letter.docx
Remote Learning Platform
Dear Families,
At this time, schools are closed for all students until April 20, 2020, however all school-based personnel, teachers, paraprofessionals, counselors, related service providers, psychologist, social workers, OT, PT, and Administrative Staff are working daily and closely to ensure the transition to remote learning is feasible and manageable for our students and families. We are working quickly and efficiently to ensure our students will receive high-quality instruction during the next few weeks.
It is our promise to stay connected and best support the continuity of learning for all of our students. We will provide you with pertinent information and regular updates regarding our “Remote Learning Plans”. All students and families will have access to grade-level, rigorous work – which can also be found on our main school website: PS171.org. Once you enter our website, please locate the ‘REMOTE LEARNING’ Tab and please select the appropriate language for you and your child’s needs. There are grade-specific tabs/folders with enclosed performance tasks from different content areas and students can complete at their own pace.
In addition, students and families will have access to class-specific Google Classrooms using their Ps171 Gmail Account provided by your classroom teacher for all grades 3K-8th Grade. Step-by-Step Directions will be available through video tutorials and you can access these videos at any time.
All families are encouraged to sign up for a NYC Schools Account if you have not already done so. You can sign up for this account by entering basic details using this link: schools.nyc.gov/nycsa. This direct link will be posted on our school website as well.
We hold all standard expectations for online classwork and any remote learning tasks. Our teachers, support providers and school-based staff members are working collaboratively to skillfully design and create standard-based tasks that draw on students’ learning experiences and build on their conceptual knowledge.
If you have any questions and/or concerns regarding our remote learning plans, please reach out to me or any member of the Administration Team. Please also continue to check our PS171.org website and the NYCDOE website for daily updates.
Remote Learning Student Parent Handbook.pdf
How to Access Google Classroom2.mov
Bangla_ 2020-Parents-Guide-to-Google-Classroom pptx.pdf
Guia Familiar FINAL SPANISH.pdf
Important Month Reminders
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