Dear LMC Families:
I hope this email finds you well. I’ve received a few emails from 7th and 8th graders who are itching to return to school. I am excited to return as well. Below are a few important announcements as we prepare for the 2020-2021 school year.
Programming
The Learning Preference revealed that almost half of our 7th and 8th graders have opted into full remote learning. We will still use model 2 (with three in-person cohorts), but we will dedicate each day to only one grade. As with every decision, the safety of our students and staff was our primary concern.
Cohort A – 6th Grade
Cohort B – 7th Grade
Cohort C – 8th Grade
Cohort D- All remote
LMC Program – MODEL 2 with Cohorts
Pros
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All LMC teachers who teach students during blended learning will also be teaching those who are fully remote.
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Student pods (a group of 8-10) will only be assigned 2 teachers over the course of a day. This helps protect students and teachers and we can easily track any COVID-19 related cases.
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Students who commute together within the same grade can do so now easily.
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It allows teachers more planning time to address the learning needs of students in their subject area and pods.
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Some consistent scheduling for teachers and all students on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Cons
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If you have children in different grades at LMC, this is not in your favor. I will contact you by Friday to discuss some options to address this issue.
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Most Art and PE classes will be held virtually. This would happen for any model since these teachers serve all our students and our objective is to decrease the number of contacts made between students and teachers.
Special Education Services
In the letter from the chancellor, parents of students with IEPs are asked to complete the DOE survey https://www.nycenet.edu/
I was not given any additional information about LMC’s role in this plan, but as soon as the information is shared with me you will be notified. The results might also impact our class configuration.
Opting in for Full- Remote or Blended
Please complete the survey https://www.nycenet.edu/
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School fees this year will be used for online instructional tools that complement the curriculum and to purchase art supplies. Examples of online programs are Desmos, Parlay, Newsela, Padlet and vimeo for teacher-made instructional videos.
Thank you again for your patience and for sending me uplifting emails throughout the day. Below is the most recent update from the chancellor about school reopening. Letters: English, Chinese, and Spanish
Thanks again,
Shanna