City School District of New Rochelle
News & updates
October 2, 2020
‌
District Shift
To Hybrid Plan
Proceeds
On Schedule
The City School District of New Rochelle continues to move ahead to begin phasing to a hybrid education model on Oct. 19.

This past week, more special needs classes moved into our schools. Jefferson Elementary School saw its first special education students today. Shortly, the District will set up distance learning hubs in individual schools, where students who face challenges participating in distance learning from home can come to sign on to computers and join classes remotely. The District received a hand in establishing these centers from the New Rochelle Public Library, which donated 40 MiFi units funded by the New Rochelle Public Library Foundation.

Acting Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero gave the New Rochelle Board of Education a presentation updating the Board in Tuesday's meeting.

Other developments, which are discussed in greater details in articles below, include the following:

  • The District is asking parents and guardians whether they prefer their children to remain in an all-remote model when other students return to learn in classrooms for part of each week.
  • Sports teams began practicing at New Rochelle High School on Tuesday.
  • The District continues to distribute free breakfast and lunch to students even on days when they learn remotely. A new location to pick up the meals will open on Monday.

“We know that the COVID-19 situation still presents uncertainties that could impact our plan and that we must monitor constantly,” Dr. Marrero said. “For the District’s part, we are moving deliberately and with a plan that we have spent day and night formulating, and we continue to reap the benefits that come when we trust the process and don’t rush the process.”
Hybrid or All Remote?Parents, Guardians
Asked Preference
Parents and guardians, please fill out the important questionnaire linked here, asking your preference of learning model for your child or children by noon Thursday, October 8.

“We ask that you fill out the questionnaire at your earliest convenience,” said Acting Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero. “Your answers will determine how we structure the District moving forward.”

The City School District of New Rochelle is scheduled to shift from mostly distance learning to a hybrid model starting on October 19. However, parents have the option to keep their students in an all-remote model with the new Distance Learning Academy.

The results of the questionnaire will be crucial in determining which teachers are assigned to hybrid or distance-only learning.

A Q&A on the options can be found at this link. The reentry options will also be discussed at the New Rochelle Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Join the meeting at 7 p.m. via the Zoom link here, or phone in to listen at 1 (646) 518-9805, ID: 928 0469 5086#. (If a passcode is also required, enter: 856340.)

The link and phone number to join the meeting will also be available on the District’s homepage, www.nred.org.
One student's response to a positivity challenge at Isaac E. Young Middle School
Start With Hello Week
Goes on, Virtually
Like everything else, Start with Hello Week was a bit different in this COVID-restricted year.

With teachers and students teaching and learning from their homes, three schools that had planned the annual celebration turned to social media, videos and emails.

Isaac E. Young and Albert Leonard middle schools and the Daniel Webster Magnet School all found ways to make their students feel welcome, even if most of them are not yet in the school buildings.

IEYMS faculty and staff wished their students well in videos. Students were also given a quote of the day and a positivity challenge. In one, students were encouraged to show their best colors: they wore their “brightest colors to celebrate kindness and positive energy” on Wednesday, purple yesterday and the school’s green and white colors today.

“Look out for all the activities and jump on board,” special education teacher Lana Ferraro urged in the first video.

The ALMS staff posted photos of themselves with “Hello” signs on Twitter and encouraged students to do the same.

“We hope you are doing well, remembering to smile, & always working to choose kindness & friendliness when given a choice,” the school tweeted to its students.

Webster sent a slide show with a video and activities for every day. Combining the event with International Day of Peace, the school encouraged students to make “pinwheels of peace.” The video teaches the picture book “Have You Filled a Bucket Today,” and encourages students to fill each other’s “bucket” of good feelings. A list of ways to do so was offered. Hold open a door for someone, smile at someone you don’t know, clean up a mess even if you didn’t make it, and more.

Start with Hello Week is a national project that encourages students “to help their peers in a fun and meaningful way,” the website says. “They take small but powerful actions to promote inclusion and to support students who are showing signs of loneliness or social isolation.”

It is generally held within September, but this year, in the City School District of New Rochelle, some activities stretched into the first two days of October.
NRHS Sports Teams
Take to the Fields
For Fall Season
The fields at New Rochelle High School came alive with student athletes again when the fall sports season began this week.

“It feels really good to be playing with the team again after being quarantined for so long,” said senior Teresa Deda, a co-captain of the girls’ varsity soccer team while her teammates played a practice game on McKenna Field on Thursday. “It’s good to come out to the field, see your friends and get some fresh air.”

Several teams returned to practice Tuesday, as permitted by rules announced by Section One earlier in September. The sports included in the season, modified for COVID-19 restrictions, are varsity and junior varsity boys’ and girls’ soccer, boys’ and girls’ cross country and girls’ varsity and junior varsity tennis.

“It’s great to have them back,” said Director of Athletics Steve Young. “They’re excited to be here. The coaches are excited. The athletes are complying with the safety precautions. It’s been a good start.”

The girls’ junior varsity team stretched and worked out on the other end of McKenna Field from their varsity counterparts, while the boys’ soccer teams practiced on the fields on the other side of the school. Their enthusiasm ran high, even with the new rules requiring them to wear masks and maintain social distance during breaks.

“It’s nice to see these guys, even under these circumstances,” said boys’ soccer team captain Tyler Manley, a senior.

Over the summer, the teams encouraged their members to keep exercising and to stay in shape. The boys’ soccer team members made time to run around the lakes by the high school as a workout, sometimes texting photos of themselves to their teammates to make it more of a shared activity.

“We’re building on that bond – that team chemistry,” said team member David Godoy, also a senior.

Girls’ soccer co-captain Barbara “Gabby” Meda said they also took care to follow the guidelines and rules for COVID-19 prevention over the summer. They wore masks, avoided large gatherings and refrained from traveling to states or other locations considered risky.

When starting up again, they had to follow rules that often changed. Soccer team players, for instance, were asked to bring their own soccer balls.

“It’s worth wearing a mask and bringing your own ball to have a season,” Meda said. “It’s especially important for the seniors. It’s good that we can make this possible.”
New Location Added
For Food Distribution
Free breakfast and lunch will be offered at a new site beginning Monday – WestCOP at 95 Lincoln Ave. – in addition to all school buildings.

As a reminder, all students in the City School District of New Rochelle are eligible to pick up free breakfast and lunch every school day they learn remotely. Grab-and-go meals can be picked up from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at WestCOP or any school building. It does not have to be the school the student attends.

“We will ensure that, even when students attend class remotely, they will have access to healthy, nutritious meals every school day,” said Acting Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero.

Students will need their student ID card or number to receive meals.

Please see our website www.nred.org for details.
City School District of New Rochelle | http://www.nred.org/