Fall 2020 Opening

The first day of school will be Tuesday, September 8, 2020. All students will be dismissed that day at noon. Pre-K-1st grade students will visit school the week of Monday, August 24th to become more familiar with health protocols (hand washing, social distancing, navigating the classroom/building). Details will be sent directly to those families via email by their teacher in July. All students will complete a ‘dry-run’ the week of August 31 in order to prepare for the first day of school.

At this time, there will be no changes to the academic calendar that was distributed with re-enrollment agreements in March. Should conditions change during the school year, the calendar may be modified to ensure that learning objectives are met. The 2020-2021 one-page calendar can be found on the Parents page of the TPS website.

Our plan is to open the doors of Blairhame to students for an official start on September 8. At this time, we anticipate a traditional 5-day in-person schedule. Should conditions or NYS guidelines for K-12 schools change during the summer, we will modify our reopening plans as required. In accordance with NYSED requirements, TPS is creating a comprehensive plan for a schedule that includes in-person, remote and hybrid (in-person and remote) instruction scenarios. All models will ensure equitable and standards based instruction, continuity of learning, and substantive daily interaction between students and teachers. 

We are revamping our remote learning program, should we need to pivot. Students’ schedules will reflect the schedules they followed in school, including all daily classes, and there will be a balance of synchronous and asynchronous instruction each day. Primary school students will benefit from more specialty classes and small group/individualized instruction. All faculty will look to incorporate innovative and engaging assignments and tools into their programs. This summer, in addition to subject-related training, teachers are receiving professional development specifically focused on remote learning tools and curriculum design.

In the event a student cannot attend in-person classes (e.g., illness, family member who is quarantined, underlying medical condition), TPS will work with that student and family to ensure they are supported and can access the material needed for learning.  This will be handled on a case by case basis. We are exploring options for cameras in the classroom to accommodate students in this situation.  

As we do every year, grades, sections and advisory groups are assigned to ensure a small, intimate and manageable size in order to maximize student learning and engagement. An evaluation of class size and room capacity is being performed to ensure appropriate social distancing. As always, relationships between teachers and students will be a high priority. We may need to further revise our classroom plan once NYS guidelines are released.  

All classrooms and common spaces are being evaluated and capacity restrictions will be enforced. Different entrances will be marked and used for entering and exiting the school building-and child-friendly signage will be used if traffic patterns are necessary for stairways and hallways. In addition, we are evaluating passing times between classes and will modify if necessary.

• Parents will be required to complete a health screening using the remote Daily Parent Screening/Attestation Mobile App before placing their child on a bus.  If they have symptoms, they should not board the bus.
• While waiting for the bus, students will be expected to wait in their cars, or wear masks and maintain social distance. 
• Students will be required to wear a face covering at all times while riding a bus.  
• No food or beverages are allowed to be consumed on the bus as this requires a student to remove their face covering.
• Students will board the bus walking to the furthest seat from the front of the bus that is available.  Students must sit by themselves in a seat unless they are from the same family.  One row should be skipped between students, unless the driver instructs the students otherwise based on the number of passengers.
• Exiting the bus will occur opposite to boarding instructions.  Students closest to the front door will exit first, followed by each consecutive row working towards the back of the bus.  Students should remain seated until there is at least 6 feet (or 3 rows) of distance between the person in front of them. 
• Both school districts and bus companies will be wiping down the seats with disinfecting products before students enter and again after they exit.
• Public school district and private bus company rules are subject to the latest guidance provided by NYS and/or CDC, and any changes will supersede this policy.

Students will wash their hands with soap and water frequently throughout the day, especially before entering and exiting a space. Hand-sanitizer will be placed in every classroom and throughout the building. Cleaning routines are being enhanced to ensure thorough disinfecting of all surfaces and touch points throughout the day.  

The TPS family style dining program is a hallmark of the school and encourages faculty and student interaction, manners, and healthy eating. TPS will continue to provide nutritious lunches and snacks for our students. We are working closely with our food vendor, FLIK Dining, to develop best practices that are safe and aligned with our mission. We are also assessing dining room capacity, food delivery, and will have more information shortly. More information will be shared on this as the Reimagining Committee considers options and NYS guidelines are released.

Final decisions and protocols regarding face-coverings will be made and communicated once NYS guidelines are released.  Students (and faculty/staff) may need to wear face-coverings in classrooms and at times when social distancing cannot be maintained. 

The school’s health office routinely treats students who become sick after arriving at school. There will be separate rooms for students depending on their illness. We are currently evaluating options for this in the building and will provide more information once final decisions have been made. All sick children will be supervised by a caregiver until they can return home. 

Parents should check children for a temperature each day before leaving for school. Parents can also encourage children to wash their hands frequently and wear masks when social distancing cannot be maintained.  Please communicate with the school any symptoms or concerns when you have them.

We anticipate that there will be limitations on parents and visitors to the building, such as student only entrances.  While TPS has traditionally encouraged parents to visit for lunch and various activities, these practices will likely be suspended for the near future. At the beginning of the school year, we expect that most non-student events (e.g., PA meetings, committee meetings, Back to School Nights, Parent/Faculty Dinner) will be done virtually in an effort to keep everyone safe and healthy.

Athletics still remain in question. We expect further guidance on this issue in the coming weeks.

Due to our expansive outside campus, we anticipate students will be able to safely participate in PE classes. We are exploring options for a variety of uses of our two large indoor gymnasiums.