Back to Reopening Updates Page | Introduction | Communication & Engagement | Health & Safety | Facilities | Child Nutrition | Transportation | Social and Emotional Well-Being | School Schedules | School Activities | Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism | Technology and Connectivity | Teaching and Learning | Special Education | Bilingual Education and World Languages | Staff
Use the links below to view the various sections of Guilderland Central School District’s 2020-21 Reopening of Schools Plan that was submitted to the New York State Education Department. If you have any trouble accessing parts of this plan or have questions, please contact reopening@guilderlandschools.net and assistance will be provided.
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Introduction
On Monday, July 13, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that school districts in New York can follow plans to reopen for in-person schooling in September. Determinations about opening and closing schools as the COVID-19 pandemic continues will be made based on the state’s micro-cluster strategy.
Parents/guardians have the option to choose the remote learning model and must commit for the entire semester.
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- First Semester (Sep.-Jan.): Families needed to indicate their first-semester choices for each child by Aug. 10, 2020. Parents/guardians were notified on August 3.
- Second Semester (Feb.-June) Families needed to indicate their second-semester selections for each child by Nov. 20, 2020. Parents/guardians were notified on Nov. 5.
The plan outlined here is for the reopening and operation of schools in the Guilderland Central School District for the 2020-21 school year, following the building closure related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This plan includes procedures that will be followed in the following schools:
- Altamont Elementary School
Contact: Peter Brabant, Principal - Guilderland Elementary School
Contact: Allan Lockwood, Principal - Lynnwood Elementary School
Contact: Alicia Rizzo, Principal - Pine Bush Elementary School
Contact: Christopher Sanita, Principal - Westmere Elementary School
Contact: Dr. Beth Bini, Principal - Farnsworth Middle School
Contact: Michael Laster, Principal - Guilderland High School
Contact: Michael Piscitelli, Principal
The health and safety of our students, our staff and their families is our top priority. We want students and employees to feel comfortable and safe returning to school campuses. Our reopening plan incorporates recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and the New York State Education Department (NYSED).
It is possible that we may need to alternate between in-person and remote learning throughout the year due to recommendations and guidance from our partnering agencies, and stay-at-home orders from the Governor. The level of infection, the spread of the virus and response to the disease in our community will be at the forefront of our decision making as we move to open our schools.
Neil Sanders will serve as the district’s COVID-19 Coordinator. Neil will work closely with our local health department and will serve as a central contact for schools and stakeholders, families, staff and other school community members and will ensure the district is in compliance and following the best practices per state and federal guidelines.
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Communication and Engagement
The district will use its existing communication channels to communicate news, requirements and updates to students, parents and guardians, staff and visitors.
View the full Communication and Engagement plan here.
Health & Safety
The health and safety of our students, our staff and their families is our top priority.
View the full Health & Safety plan here.
Facilities
In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection in the district, facilities operations will be geared toward meeting social distancing requirements and cleaning frequently-touched spaces regularly.
View the full Facilities plan here.
Child Nutrition
School meals will continue to be available to all students, including those attending school in-person and those learning remotely.
View the full Child Nutrition plan here.
Transportation
The district will conduct transportation activities that are consistent with state-issued public transit guidance and NYSED School Reopening guidelines.
View the full Transportation plan here.
Social and Emotional Well-Being
The district will make available resources and referrals to address the mental health, behavioral, and emotional needs of students, faculty, and staff.
View the full Social and Emotional Well-Being plan here.
School Schedules
Guilderland Central School District will make every effort to maximize in-person instruction while decreasing density and congregation in school facilities and on school grounds.
View the full School Schedules plan here.
School Activities
As interscholastic sports and extracurricular activities are an important aspect of student life and the school community, it is our priority to maintain as many offerings as we can.
View the full School Activities plan here.
Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism
Student absenteeism during in-person instruction will be tracked.
View the full Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism plan here.
Technology and Connectivity
The district will administer surveys and other data sources to identify any families in need of internet access.
View the full Technology and Connectivity plan here.
Teaching and Learning
Students in grades K-6 will experience daily in-person instruction. Grades 7-12 will experience a hybrid of both in-person and remote instruction. All instruction will continue to be aligned to the New York State Learning Standards.
Remote learning information can be found here.
View the full Teaching and Learning plan here.
Special Education
The school reopening plan considers in-person services a priority for high-needs students and preschool students with disabilities whenever possible.
View the full Special Education plan here.
Bilingual Education and World Languages
Information about the ELL identification process required instructional units of study and communication with families of ELL and language access.
View the full Bilingual Education and World Languages plan here.
Staff
Information about teacher and principal evaluation systems, and certification, incidental teaching and substitute teaching.
View the full Staff plan here.