Quick Links:
- Remote Learning
- COVID-19 Testing (updated Aug. 31 to include Sullivan County School District Testing and Tracing Plan for COVID-19)
Remote Learning
Any family may enroll their child(ren) in the “Cohort D,” which is the fully remote model, by completing the district’s enrollment form by Aug. 15.
Elementary
Students participating in everyday remote learning will have a daily agenda of activity provided via web-based learning platform (Seesaw for grades K-2 and TEAMS for grades 3-5). Weekly physical education, music, art, and library tasks will be assigned with specific deadlines that do not conflict.
Remote learning students will be scheduled to have group (large or small) substantive interaction with an instructional staff member daily for approximately 10-20 minutes; additional time may be scheduled when there is a need. Socialization and core academic tasks (ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies) will be a focus during this time. Weekly socialization/community sessions will be held on Wednesdays that will include all remote and partially remote students. Additionally, academic support sessions of longer duration may be scheduled.
Remote instruction will include daily instruction in the below areas. Remote learning schedule recommendations will be shared with parents to enable support in structuring learning at home.
| Duration | Subject |
| 60 minutes | Math |
| 30-40 minutes | Math WIN |
| 90 minutes | English Language Arts |
| 30-40 minutes | ELA WIN |
| 40 minutes | Science/Social Studies |
| 40 minutes | Special Area Instruction: Library, Music, Art, Social Emotional Wellness, Physical Education |
| 40 minutes | Lunch, recess and required hygiene procedures |
Elementary Attendance Procedures for Students in Cohort D
Remote attendance will be recorded for students that demonstrate online activity either by participating in synchronous instruction or socialization with the teacher/staff; and/or demonstrate productivity by submitting completed tasks on or before an established deadline. It is worth noting here that learning task deadlines need to occur on a regular basis (daily is ideal) but learning task deadlines need to be arranged such that students have a reasonable workload. By having at least one assignment or academic task due for evaluation each day we will have a concrete means of measuring attendance when a student is participating remotely.
Robert J. Kaiser Middle School
Students participating in everyday remote learning will have a daily agenda of activity provided via web-based learning platform Teams. Weekly physical education, music, art, and library tasks will be assigned with specific deadlines that do not conflict.
Remote learning students will be scheduled to have group (large or small) substantive interaction with an instructional staff member daily
Teachers will provide their prep and conference period times to all parents/students with both school email address and school phone number with extension. Office hours will be required of teachers on Wednesdays for no more than 45 minutes. Remote only teachers will set up daily office hours of no more than 45 minutes.
Middle School Attendance Procedures for Students in Cohort D
Student/teacher engagement will be collected using several sources:
- Daily “Do Now” or Entrance Ticket question
- Learning Management System (LMS) TEAMS’ “insight” feature, which tracks students’ engagement and determines which assignments have been completed towards each scheduled class.
Monticello High School
Connections:
Time devoted for students to engage in their remote learning course assignments. Teachers may have the opportunity to circulate and check in with their students to provide instructional support. This time also creates flexibility to accommodate the safe and orderly arrival and dismissal of students.
Core:
Academic instructional time with the focus primarily being math, science, social studies and ELA. Variations will occur depended on student grouping.
Remote Learning Days:
The schedules presented for remote learning days are samples only and do not reflect what every student will have for their schedule. Student schedules vary according to their selected courses and when they will be offered.
Student Schedules:
Student schedules are anticipated to be developed during the weeks of August 24 through September 11 based on the commitment we receive from parents/guardians regarding their student’s learning model (Fully remote or hybrid). Guidance counselors will be calling students and parents/guardians during this period of time to resolve any conflicts.
Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism
Student attendance will be required and recorded daily. When students are working remotely, they will be expected to attend scheduled synchronous instruction. When students are working remotely on asynchronous instruction, teachers will utilize the Microsoft Insights application within Microsoft Teams to monitor daily student participation/attendance in their course.
Connectivity
The Monticello CSD conducted a Digital Equity Survey in March 2020 to assess students’ and teachers’ level of access to devices and high-speed internet. We found that approximately 103 students and 25 teachers did not have access to a device at their place of residence. In addition, approximately 104 students and 10 teachers did not have, or do not have sufficient, internet access at their place of residence. A cellular audit was also conducted throughout the district. Our findings showed that several areas, particularly in Wurtsboro Hills, Forestburgh, and along the outskirts of Bethel, have “dead zones” and cellular/internet service is not available.
A critical factor of our district reopening plan is to mitigate inequities in technology and internet access. To address the need to provide devices, all students, K – 12, will be issued a personally-assigned device. Our K – 8 students (approximately 1,900) will be issued 1:1 iPads at the beginning of the school year. Our 9 – 12 students (approximately 905) will be issued a personally-assigned laptop by October 5, 2020. We currently have 627 laptops that will be ready to be deployed at the beginning of the school year. Priority will be given to students that will work in a fully remote environment. We have ordered 490 additional laptops, however, with the current demand on manufacturers, we are unable to ensure availability at the beginning of the school year. We have also ordered and additional 250 laptops, with no anticipated delivery date, to begin to replace the aging high school laptops and provide additional devices for teacher use.
In addressing the need to provide internet access:
- Hot spots will be given to families when reliable internet access is not available or if families are unable to afford internet service.
- Monticello CSD will continue to work with internet service providers to expand/keep the free and low-cost home internet service options in our community.
- Through E-rate funding, we will begin to expand our Wi-Fi access signal to the school building parking lots.
- We will continue to notify families of where free public WiFi access is available
- We will make students who do not have internet access a priority for our 4-day, onsite learning model
- In the event that students still do not have reliable internet access, we will look at each case on an individual basis and develop plan to deliver equitable continuity of instruction.
COVID-19 Testing/Tracing
The district will follow the Sullivan County School District Testing and Tracing Plan, which was prepared by the Sullivan County Public Health Services in collaboration with the school districts of Sullivan County.
Daily Screening
Staff:
All staff and visitors will be required to complete a five-question survey prior to entering any district building, with the following questions:
- Have you had COVID-19 symptoms in the past 14 days? These symptoms include: sore throat, cough, chills, body aches for unknown reasons, shortness of breath for unknown reasons, loss of smell, loss of taste, or fever at or greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Have you had a positive diagnostic COVID-19 test in the past 14 days?
- Have you had close contact with a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case in the past 14 days?
- Have you been under quarantine and not cleared to return to work?
- Have you traveled to a state covered by the COVID 19 Travel Advisory in the last 14 days?
A poster with a QR code that links to the survey in English and Spanish will be posted at the entrance to each building, which will enable real-time monitoring with our security personnel. The survey will also be available as a paper copy in English and Spanish at the entrance of each building for staff and visitors who do not have the ability to access the survey digitally.
The MCSD security team will maintain a log of people completing the form, entering the building and a time stamp, but all specific responses will be wiped from the system daily.
Students:
Students will have their temperatures taken daily prior to entering the building, according to written district protocol, with appropriate social distancing measures in place. If the temperature reading is above 100° F, or if the student reports experiencing other COVID-19 related symptoms, the student will be quarantined or isolated in the building’s dedicated “isolation” room, and the parents/guardians will be notified. The student will wait in the isolation room until his or her/parents arrive. Each school building has designated an isolation room, apart from the nursing suite that will be monitored by nursing personnel if a student needs to be placed in isolation. Face masks and other PPE must be worn at all times in the isolation room. Nurses will be protected with N95 masks, eye protection, face shields, gowns, gloves and shoe covers.
If, during the course of a school day, students and/or staff develop any symptoms listed they must notify the following persons:
Staff: Email Human Resources at csapia@k12mcsd.net, and contact your physician for further guidance.
Students: Students who develop symptoms should contact their school nurse:
Emma C. Chase Elementary School
Susan Poli, RN/School Nurse
Phone: (845) 888-2471, Ext. 5
Fax: (845) 888-2029
George L. Cooke Elementary School
Nancy Soldwedel, RN/School Nurse
Cherie Degraw, LPN/Health Assistant
Phone: (845) 794-8830, Ext. 5
Fax: 845-796-5006
Kenneth L. Rutherford Elementary School
Michele Rosenstein, MSN/RN/School Nurse Teacher
Lorraine Gervais-Jones, LPN/Health Assistant
Phone: (845) 794-4240, Ext. 5
Fax: (845) 796-5036
Robert J. Kaiser Middle School
Kimberly Webalowsky RN/School Nurse
Jody Russell, LPN/Health Assistant
Phone: (845) 794-3058 Ext. 5
Fax: (845) 796-5035
Monticello High School
Jacqueline Jara-Cole RN
Ann Young, LPN/Health Assistant
Phone: (845) 794-8840 Ext. 5
Fax: (845) 796-5037