COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
July 14, 2020
Dear Tapestry Family,
I hope this finds all of you well and enjoying these first weeks of summer.
Yesterday, Governor Cuomo announced the state’s criteria for regional school reopenings.
- Schools will open if the region is in Phase IV and the daily infection rate remains below 5% or lower using a 14-day average since “unPAUSE” was lifted
- The State will decide if the region has met these criteria the week of August 1-7
- Schools will close if the regional infection rate is greater than 9% using 7-day average after the August 1st determination has been made
We are projecting and planning that Tapestry will be reopening and we plan to submit our reopening plans for approval by the state’s deadline of July 31st.
The Governor’s Reimagine Education Advisory Council guiding principals state that flexible plans must be developed and in-classroom instruction must be prioritized. In addition, the New York State Department of Health released school guidelines yesterday.
Additionally, yesterday, the New York State Board of Regents reviewed the State Education Department’s reopening guidance, including a timeline for schools to submit reopening plans for approval. It is our understanding that the State Education Department’s guidance and the Governor’s guidance are complementary; regional infection rates will affect decisions regarding region-wide reopening while NYSED’s guidance impacts school-specific decisions. Further guidance from NYSED is planned to be shared tomorrow.
At Tapestry, we have been busy drafting our own school specific reopening plans based upon this guidance to be vetted and reviewed by our own stakeholder-rich Reopening Committee. As we finalize those members on this community-wide committee, we have established four Foundational Elements that will guide our thinking and decision-making for reopening. They are:
Ensure the safety and wellness of students and staff.
The safety and wellbeing of our students and staff remain our highest priority.
Holding tight to our core values.
We will remain focused on a three-dimensional view of student and teacher success, and on our continuous cycle of improvement.
We are crew, through and through.
Culture & Character and Social Emotional Wellness, and Academic Learning, are interconnected and interdependent; we will not separate these two.
Our commitment to equity.
We will ensure equitable outcomes for students and a commitment to social justice are held at the center of our decision-making.
As we progress through this important work this summer, you will be hearing from me on a regular basis so that we can inform you of our latest updates. As we look to the future and plan for students to return to in-person and/or virtual learning this fall, we must recognize and prepare for the ways the virus and the necessary public health response has changed and will change the way students learn. It is our intention to create a reopening plan that is robust and flexible and that will meet the needs of all our students and families. We are all in this together.
More updates to come.
We are crew.
Thank you,
Eric Klapper
Executive Director
