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Families, learn more about our school reopening plan here!

The 2020-21 school year will be one unlike any that we’ve ever encountered – and it will be one that we will need to face together as a community. We know returning to school next year brings up a lot of questions, challenges, anxieties, and fears. We feel them too. Nothing is more paramount than the safety of our students and staff, and we did our best to honor that in these draft plans.

This document provides our best current thinking for how we’ll re-open schools in 20-21. School and network leaders worked together to develop this plan based on feedback from staff, students, and families about what worked and didn’t work during remote learning, and what our students need the most. We are hosting Town Halls across all of our regions between July 21-27 for both staff and families to get more feedback. As we incorporate your input and as the situation surrounding the pandemic changes, these plans will be refined.

All of our states (CT, RI, NY) have asked us to prepare for 3 scenarios:

  1. Most students return in-person: All of our students (whose families want them to) are able to return to in-person school each day.
  2. Reduced capacity: Some of our students are able to attend school in-person, but not everyone can due to the need for 6 ft social distancing in the classroom and thus smaller class sizes. In this scenario, our students rotate (example: in-person on M-Tu, at home on W-Th).
  3. Fully remote: All of our students are remote.

As public schools, we follow the rules set by the governors in our states. Right now, the governors in both Connecticut and Rhode Island have said they want us to plan to start the year with Option #1 (nearly all students back in-person each day) and, in New York, we have been asked to plan for Option #2 (where we operate with reduced capacity in person, and our students rotate days). While this is the guidance we have received thus far, it can always change as the situation develops.

Guiding Principles

When designing our plan for these scenarios, we began by asking ourselves: what do we want our scholars to say about the 20-21 school year? Our goal – regardless of whether a student is learning in-person or remotely – is for all of our students to say:

“I am known, safe, loved, and learning.”

In order to create this environment for our scholars, our plan follows several guiding principles.

  • Safety first

    • We will implement all state health guidance and safety measures – and, in many cases, go beyond them – in order to ensure the health and safety of our scholars, staff, and families.

  • Family choice

    • Our families should be able to choose whether they want to have their scholar learn remotely or in-person based on what they think is best, and we will ensure that both options are high quality.

  • Prioritize our youngest scholars

    • If we are not able to serve all of our students in-person, we will prioritize the in-person learning of our youngest scholars (K-2 especially) since they struggle the most during remote learning, and their families are often in the greatest need of childcare.

  • Flexibility

    • We don’t know everything that will happen next year, but we do know that things will change. We must build a flexible plan that can adapt based on feedback from scholars, families and staff – and that can move seamlessly between fully in-person, hybrid, and remote.

  • Strong socioemotional support

    • We must create an environment that builds love, connection, and relationships within our school community

  • Strong student learning

    • Our job is to provide engaging live instruction in all core subjects as well as opportunities for tutoring and enrichment to ensure our scholars continue to learn, grow, and achieve.

SCHOOL REOPENING FAQS & RESOURCES

Please see our School Reopening FAQs for answers to the most commonly asked questions about our reopening plan (available in Spanish and English). If your family is interested in learning more about health and other resources, please visit our coronavirus resource page.

Please see our full Safety Overview for the key headlines of how we’re making our school buildings safe in light of COVID-19. Our approach is designed to ensure the safety of all of our students and staff across three states and 37 schools.

Please review our Mask Policy for important information, including examples of acceptable and unacceptable masks for in-person instruction.

To limit exposure in school buildings, we have updated our Building Entrance and Visiting Policy.

Safety First

  • Scholars and staff members will be asked to stay home and contact their medical provider if they are experiencing any COVID symptoms or live with someone who is experiencing COVID symptoms. 
  • If one of our scholars or staff members has tested positive for COVID or lives with someone who has tested positive, they must let AF know immediately. We will contact our local health department and follow their guidance (e.g., proper notification of individuals who they have been in contact with, thorough building cleaning, any required testing or quarantining).  We anticipate required 14-day quarantines for any staff member or student who has had sustained contact with the individual who has tested positive (the CDC defines “sustained contact” as anyone who has been within 6 feet for at least 15 minutes or direct physical contact).   
  • We will mandate that staff and students participate in daily symptoms check – including temperature checks. Anyone who is showing any symptoms of COVID-19 – including a fever of over 100 degrees – will not be permitted to attend in-person school
  • We are exploring the option of providing COVID testing for staff, and we are asking our staff for input on this and gathering final cost estimates.
  • Everyone – staff, scholars, and families – will be required to wear a mask during arrival, dismissal, and inside the school building (unless a doctor provides a documented reason not to).  Each school will provide up to 2 washable, reusable masks to scholars (and 1 to staff members); Scholars and staff are required to bring a mask with them every day.  We will build in strategic mask breaks during meals, recess, and at other times when social distancing can be clearly maintained and especially when students are outdoors. We are also exploring additional safety measures we can use for any staff member/scholar who is medically unable to wear a mask.
  • Scholar desks will be spaced apart and will face in the same direction, and – if weather and building conditions permit — windows and doors will be open. 
  • We have extended arrival and dismissal windows so that we can maintain social distancing during these times.
  • We will install signage and markings in our buildings to support social distancing, signs of COVID, handwashing tips, how to wear a mask, how to sneeze/cough into elbows, and other reminders of essential healthy behaviors.
  • Please see here for specific guidelines by region:
  • All students will be in the same small groups throughout the day—limiting contact with other students. Students will remain in one classroom at an assigned desk that will be just for that individual student so that we limit exposure to other surfaces. We will ensure safe movement and social distancing protocol during breaks (recess, PE, other breaks). As much as possible, we will work to have these breaks occur outside.
  • In elementary schools, most teachers will be assigned to a specific group and will not rotate. When that is not possible due to the need for specific content expertise (mostly middle and high school teachers), these teachers will be restricted to working with only one grade, wear masks, and keep their distance. There are a few exceptions (enrichment teachers, school leaders, etc.) who work across grades—these teammates will wear masks and take extra distancing precautions for increased safety.  
  • Scholars will eat all meals in their classrooms. They will, of course, be able to take off their masks during meal times, and will maintain 6 feet of distance between each other. Scholars will wash or sanitize hands before and after meals, and desks will be cleaned before and after eating. 
  • During recess, scholars will be able to go outside when weather permits and will continue to practice social distancing.
  • We will coordinate transitions/bathroom usage such that we avoid crowding in hallways. 
  • We will minimize visitor access to school buildings and schedule virtual meetings, school visits, etc. for families as often as possible
  • We will increase routines for scholars to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer at regular intervals throughout the day. This includes before and after meals and recess. 
  • Teachers and operations staff will sanitize high-touch surfaces (i.e., door handles) throughout the day. Classrooms will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected every evening. 
  • Every scholar will be assigned a Chromebook and set of supplies (i.e., pencils, pens) at the start of the school year that will stay with them and not be shared with others. 
  • All scholars should bring a water bottle to school daily.  Water fountains will be disabled.

Our Hybrid Learning Model

  • Reopening Timeline and Details (CT)

      • We believe in family choice and understand that our families will have differing levels of comfort in sending their scholars back to in-person school. As such, all families will have the choice of whether to have their scholar learn remotely or in-person next year. It is our job to ensure that our scholars have access to the education they deserve, regardless of whether they are learning at home or in a school building.
      • While so much about the 20-21 school year is unknown, we believe that the chances are extremely high that some of our learning will be conducted remotely. As a result, we will begin our school year on September 1 remote so that our scholars, staff, and families can get up to speed on our remote learning systems, begin to build strong relationships, and prepare for a safe beginning of in-person instruction. Students who need in-person instruction will begin phasing in to in-person learning on October 5 or later–the exact date of the start of in-person learning may shift based on the course of the pandemic. See below for the exact schedules for our first several weeks of school:
      •  Elementary Schools (Grades K-4)Middle Schools (Grades 5-8)High Schools (Grades 9-12)
        September 1 (half-day)Kindergarten (remote)Grade 5 (remote)Grade 9 (remote)
        Sept 2-4 (half-days)
        		Grades K-4 (remote)Grades 5-8 (remote) Grades 9-12 (remote)
        Sept 7Labor Day (No school for students & staff) Labor Day (No school for students & staff) Labor Day (No school for students & staff)
        Sept 8-29 Grades K-4 (remote M- Th = full days, F=half days)Grades 5-8 (remote M- Th = full days, F=half days) Grades 9-12 (remote M- Th = full days, F=half days)
        Sept 30 - Oct 2No School for scholars, PD/set up day for staff No School for scholars, PD/set up day for staff No School for scholars, PD/set up day for staff
        Oct 5-8In-person instruction phase-in days--exact schedule TBDIn-person instruction phase-in days--exact schedule TBDIn-person instruction phase-in days--exact schedule TBD
      • Within a “chapter” of the year (e.g., September and October), we ask that families honor their initial selection and have their child remain remote/in-person during that time period. If a family becomes uncomfortable with in-person school, they can request to switch to remote but we ask that they give the school a few days to make all the necessary arrangements.
      • We are committed to family choice, but we are also committed to safety. We highly recommend our remote option if that can work for our families. It will have “live” classes taught by a teacher all day long. For families that prefer in-person school, we guarantee that we will be able to provide 2 days a week of in-person instruction and 3 days of remote instruction. We are working to provide 4 days a week of in-person instruction as much as possible but will depend on whether we have the space and staff to make that happen—though, this is not guaranteed.

  • Reopening Timeline and Details (NY)

      • We believe in family choice and understand that our families will have differing levels of comfort in sending their scholars back to in-person school. As such, all families will have the choice of whether to have their scholar learn remotely or in-person next year. It is our job to ensure that our scholars have access to the education they deserve, regardless of whether they are learning at home or in a school building.
      • While so much about the 20-21 school year is unknown, we believe that the chances are extremely high that some of our learning will be conducted remotely. As a result, we will begin our school year on September 1 remote so that our scholars, staff, and families can get up to speed on our remote learning systems, begin to build strong relationships, and prepare for a safe beginning of in-person instruction. Students who need in-person instruction will begin phasing in to in-person learning on October 5 or later–the exact date of the start of in-person learning may shift based on the course of the pandemic. See below for the exact schedules for our first several weeks of school:
      •  Elementary Schools (Grades K-4)Middle Schools (Grades 5-8)High Schools (Grades 9-12)
        September 1 (half-day)Kindergarten (remote)Grade 5 (remote)Grade 9 (remote)
        Sept 2-4 (half-days)
        		Grades K-4 (remote)Grades 5-8 (remote) Grades 9-12 (remote)
        Sept 7Labor Day (No school for students & staff) Labor Day (No school for students & staff) Labor Day (No school for students & staff)
        Sept 8-29 Grades K-4 (remote M- Th = full days, F=half days)Grades 5-8 (remote M- Th = full days, F=half days) Grades 9-12 (remote M- Th = full days, F=half days)
        Sept 30 - Oct 2No School for scholars, PD/set up day for staff No School for scholars, PD/set up day for staff No School for scholars, PD/set up day for staff
        Oct 5-8In-person instruction phase-in days--exact schedule TBDIn-person instruction phase-in days--exact schedule TBDIn-person instruction phase-in days--exact schedule TBD
      • Within a “chapter” of the year (e.g., September and October), we ask that families honor their initial selection and have their child remain remote/in-person during that time period. If a family becomes uncomfortable with in-person school, they can request to switch to remote but we ask that they give the school a few days to make all the necessary arrangements.
      • We are committed to family choice, but we are also committed to safety. We highly recommend our remote option if that can work for our families. It will have “live” classes taught by a teacher all day long. For families that prefer in-person school, we guarantee that we will be able to provide 2 days a week of in-person instruction and 3 days of remote instruction. We are working to provide 4 days a week of in-person instruction as much as possible but will depend on whether we have the space and staff to make that happen—though, this is not guaranteed.

  • Reopening Timeline and Details (RI)

      • Governor Raimondo recently announced that the start date for schools in Rhode Island has been pushed back from 8/31 to 9/14.
      • We will not begin in-person school – even for scholars in Grades K-1 – on 8/31 as originally planned.
      • We’ve decided to begin the school year remotely for grades K and 5 on 9/1 and all other grades on 9/2. This will allow us to meet the needs of our scholars and families while also ensuring that our school communities are safe. While the state is changing its calendar, we are going to advocate to be able to continue to follow the AF calendar (v. the state-wide calendar). This will enable us to keep network-wide alignment on curriculum and PD, preserve all of our regularly scheduled vacations, and not have to push the end of the school year until the end of June.
      • Our original start date for in-person school for Grades 2-8 was 9/15. We are still working with the state to figure out if this is the right date to launch in-person instruction. We will not start in-person school until the state deems it safe.
      •  Elementary Schools (Grades K-4)Middle Schools (Grades 5-8)
        Sept 17K (in-person, for students attending in-person)

        Grades 1-4 (remote, for students attending remote)         		Grade 5 (in-person, for students attending in-person)

        Remote
        Sept 18
        		Grades K and 1 (in-person, for students attending in-person)

        Grades 2-4 (remote, for students attending remote)         		Grade 5 (in-person, for students attending in-person)
        Sept 21
        (half-day)        		Remote half-day and PD day.Remote half-day and PD day.
        Sept 22-25
        		Grades K-5 (in-person, for students attending in-person)

        Grades K-4 (remote, for students attending remote)         		Grades 5-8 (in-person, for students attending in-person)

        Grades 5-8 (remote, for students attending remote)

  • State Submitted Reopening Plans

  • Strong Socioemotional Support

    • We want our school buildings to be joyful, caring environments where scholars and adults have positive relationships. Here’s how we’ll make that happen:
      • Advisory / Morning Meeting
        • Our school day will begin with an Advisory / Morning Meeting for all scholars. This time in the day will create an environment that supports the social/emotional wellbeing of our scholars, while also helping to build habits that will allow students to thrive.
      • On-site Support
        • Each school will have a social worker or school counselor trained in recognizing signs of distress and helping students develop healthy coping strategies for both in-person and remote scholars.
        • We have partnered with an expert outside organization (Ramapo for Children) so that a team from all AF schools will receive training on how to support scholars dealing with trauma.
      • Family Support and Partnership
        • Schools will continue to create open lines of communication with families, frequently seek input/feedback, and work in partnership with families to support scholars.

  • Strong Student Learning

    • Whether in-person or remote, we must provide engaging live instruction in all core subjects as well as opportunities for tutoring and enrichment to ensure our scholars continue to learn, grow, and achieve.
      • Live instruction with teacher and student interactions (both remote and in-person)
        • Scholars will receive daily instruction in all content areas where teachers will deliver lessons in real-time either in-person or via Zoom. Based on your feedback from the Spring, for elementary and middle school students, there will be no solely “video-based” learning where scholars watch a video and perform work independently of a class/teacher. We have shifted to more actively engaging lessons in response to staff and family concerns around passive screen time. Remote classrooms still require significant screen time, and the research is clear that the more actively engaged students are during screen time, the better it is.
        • For high school students, most courses will be split between live classes in the morning and independent work in the afternoon.  The high school design team wanted to use this time to build our scholars’ academic independence, which we have found to be an essential college success factor.
      • Thoughtfully structured school day
        • The school day will be similar for both our “remote” and “in-person” scholars.  See below for specific schedules for our elementary, middle and high schools.
        • For all of our scholars, we have structured the day such that students have frequent breaks and opportunities for movement.
        • In addition to academic content, scholars will also have time for tutoring and enrichment daily
        • Though social distancing may change the format of extracurricular activities (e.g., no live choir practice), our staff are working to adjust our existing extracurricular activities for MS and HS scholars to allow for as many activities as possible to continue remotely in 20-21.
      • Supporting all scholars
        • Specially designed instruction and accommodations will be provided to scholars who require them based on their IEP/504 Plan in both remote and in-person. Scholars will also receive testing accommodations both remote and in-person
        • We will continue to provide related services (counseling, speech, OT, and PT).
        • We will continue with all formal special education processes (e.g., IEP meetings)
        • We are still waiting for guidance on how to implement behavior intervention plans and, in NY, how paraprofessionals will be able to provide services to scholars.
      • Familiar Tech Tools and Platforms
        • Building on our Spring remote learning efforts, we will use many of the same tools and programs, including Zoom and Google Classroom.
        • In addition, our Teaching and Learning Team researched the top tech platforms for each specific content area.
  •  

    Elementary
    Schools

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    Middle
    Schools

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    High
    Schools

  • These are our draft in-person and remote schedules for all academy levels. Please note that the start and end times are not finalized, are for example purposes only, and may vary by school. We are still working with our districts, bus companies, and co-located schools, and school communities to finalize timing.

Want to see what a day in the life of a remote or in-person scholar will look like in 2020-21? Watch this video!

¿Quieres ver cómo será un día de clases en persona o remoto en el 2020-21?
¡Abre el video!

This information provides our best thinking based on guidance from public health officials, district best practices, and—most importantly—the input of our school community. In partnership with our school community, we have faith that we can provide our scholars with the safe and meaningful experience, education, and community they deserve.