Manual of Expectations
Stephen Decatur Middle School 35
The Magnet School of Leadership, Exploration, and the Arts
Manual of Expectations
Academic Year
2022 - 2023
Table of Contents
What is Remote Learning - Asynchronous? 3
What is Remote Learning - Synchronous? 4
Student Roles & Responsibilities 9
Student Attendance Policy 10
Questions & Help Desk Numbers 11
Parent/Guardian Roles & Responsibilities 12
Teacher Roles & Responsibilities 12
Grading Policy and Categories 12/13
Class Codes 14-16
Curriculum Overview
To ensure continuity of learning, Middle School 35 educators will have time to coordinate instruction and plan together. Planning periods will provide teachers who are working together to support a group of students (e.g. in person and all-remote, ICT, SETSS and, etc.) time to plan for a coordinated, seamless instructional approach.
In order to address the social-emotional needs of our students, we will begin our academic year by getting to know our students and their individual needs as well as establish a system of trust in their new way of learning. As noted in the Addressing Unfinished Learning after COVID-19 document the "social emotional well being, agency, identity, and belonging are more important than ever.” Indeed as focus narrows and there is re-commitment to what matters most academically. We will focus on the four learning mindsets that are important in addressing students' academic development: students' sense of belonging and safety, efficacy, value for effort and growth and engagement in work that is relevant and culturally responsive. Relationships are imperative to creating a sense of community, so students feel safe, engage fully, and work hard. Students need help knowing that caring adults believe in them and that their ability and competence will grow with their effort. Students need to see value and relevance in what they are learning.
English Language Arts and Social Studies Curriculum-Students will spend a lot of time actively reading content-rich, complex text. Close reading of complex text is concentrated, demanding work that helps students discover how to learn from reading (and grow their knowledge, vocabulary, and understanding of syntax).
Students should have a volume of reading to build knowledge and be exposed to academic language in the content areas. That volume of reading needs to be at a range of complexity levels so every student can read with minimal or no teacher support. Much of this volume should be with information-rich text, either full-length books or conceptually connected shorter texts (groups of texts that cohere together to create a picture of topic, historical event, etc.)
Mathematics and Science curriculums will account for and leverage human difference to promote rich and connected mathematics learning experiences and hands-on science virtual labs experience. Common shared mathematics and science learning experiences benefit all children. All children will have access to grade level mathematics content centered on learning mathematics with understanding, actively building new knowledge from their informal experiences and prior knowledge. Science instruction will focus on grade specific content as outlined in the Next Generation Standards. Interventions will focus on content that is connected with and promotes grade level curriculum through problem solving and reasoning and not just a review of basic facts or procedural skills or procedural applications.
All students will receive instruction on a weekly basis in Visual Arts, Dance, Physical Education, Health and French.
What is Remote Learning - Asynchronous?
During asynchronous learning, teachers provide materials, lectures, tests, and assignments that can be accessed at any time. Students may be provided with a timeframe in which they must complete the assignments. All educators will be required to post work in Google Classroom and assignment completion, date and time will be clearly indicated .
What is Remote Learning - Synchronous?
During synchronous learning, students and teachers are online at the same time. Lectures, discussions, and presentations occur at a specific time as indicated in Google Classroom. All students must be online at that specific time in order to participate.
What is Blended Learning?
Blended Learning is a style of education in which students learn via electronic and online media as well as traditional face-to-face teaching.
COVID-19 Safety Protocol
Fall 2022 COVID-19 Guidance
This guidance provides best practice considerations for schools for the 2022-2023 school year to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19 among students and staff.
- Vaccination: Vaccination is the best way to reduce COVID-19 risk. Encourage up to date COVID-19 vaccination for everyone six months or older.
- Vaccination Requirements:
- Vaccination is still required for all visitors entering school buildings
- Vaccination is still required for all DOE employees
- Vaccination is still required for other individuals who work in DOE buildings
- Vaccination is no longer required to participate in high-risk extracurricular activities including high-risk PSAL sports
- Daily Health Screener:
- No longer required to enter school buildings
- Stay home if sick: Students and staff should stay home if they show any symptoms of COVID-19 or other illnesses and get tested for COVID-19.
- Isolate if COVID-19 positive: Students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate for 5 days and can return to school on day 6 if they have no symptoms or symptoms are improving. They should wear a mask until day 10 after symptom onset or date of positive test, whichever is earlier. Masks may be removed during this period if the person has received two negative rapid tests 48 hours apart.
- These cases should be reported to their school so they can be report into the sit room for exposure notifications.
- Get tested if exposed to COVID-19: Students and staff who are exposed to COVID-19 should get tested.
- These individuals should receive home tests from their school and take two tests, at least 48 hours apart. All exposed individuals should monitor for fever and other COVID-19 symptoms for 10 days after their exposure. If symptoms begin, they should not attend school and should isolate and get tested for COVID-19 again right away.
- Testing:
- Starting the first day of school, schools will offer home test kits to those with a potential in-school exposure and those with symptoms
- In addition, each staff and student will receive 4 tests per month to take home. These tests can be used by school families for testing due to symptoms, exposures, high-risk activity (such as travel and large gatherings) and can give staff and students immediate results.
- Situation Room:
- Schools will be required to report positive cases of COVID-19 to the situation room.
- The Situation Room will provide schools with standardized communications for their communities and will notify school communities of cases in their schools through daily email and the Daily COVID map.
- Masking- Face coverings are strongly recommended to be worn when indoors. Masks will be made available at the school for all those who need/want them.
- Students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a mask when:
- Returning to school on the sixth day after testing positive for COVID-19, through day 10 after symptom onset or date of positive test, whichever is earlier, including when traveling on a school bus. Masks may be removed during this period if the person has received two negative rapid tests 48 hours apart.
- Entering the school medical room, nurse’s office, or school-based health center.
- Exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 at school.
- Students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, are also strongly recommended to wear a mask:
- When they were exposed to someone with COVID-19, whether the exposure occurred in school or outside of school. The person should wear a mask for 10 days after their last day of exposure and get tested at least 48 hours apart.
- When they are moderately-to-severely immunocompromised, and masking is recommended by their healthcare provider.
- In crowded indoor settings
- Ventilation:
- 160K+ air purifiers distributed to schools – at least two in every classroom
- Monitoring ventilation in buildings on a daily basis and perform any required work in a timely manner
- HVAC upgrades in alignment with CDC guidance, including 110,000 MERV-13 filters installed
- School Building Cleaning:
- Routine cleaning of surfaces will be maintained
Get Tested
Rapid Testing at Home
Schools are distributing free, take-home COVID-19 rapid test kits to any students or staff who exhibit COVID-like symptoms or have been in a classroom where a positive case has been identified. Anyone who tests positive on a take-home test should immediately report it to the school and begin isolating. No proof of a negative result is required in order for these students to enter the school building.
Find a COVID-19 Testing Site
All New York City students and staff members are strongly encouraged to get tested. Working in partnership with the Test+Trace Corps, families and staff members can go to any City-run testing sites to get tested or pick up readily available at-home rapid tests.
Get Vaccinated Get more information about where to get vaccinated. Call 877-VAX-4-NYC). We strongly encourage the COVID-19 vaccination for all age-eligible students. Vaccination Portal Families are encouraged to record their student’s vaccination status in the DOE's COVID-19 . Submitting this information will support New York City’s pandemic response and recovery efforts, and help ensure that DOE schools and buildings remain safe places for all students and staff.
- Students and their families can access the Vaccine Portal with the student's DOE account login credentials (email and password).
- Visit the DOE Student Account page or help setting up or accessing your child’s account.
The Vaccine Portal will ask you to identify the type of vaccine, where you received it (in or out of New York City) and when you received the vaccine, and will prompt you to upload the image or screenshot of the proof of vaccine.
- Proof of vaccination can be an image of a vaccination card, NYS Excelsior Pass, or other government record.
- Take the image or screenshot and save it to your computer for uploading into the portal.
- The portal can be translated using Google Translate.
Privacy and Security
The privacy and security of your information will be protected by technical, physical, and administrative safeguards, including encryption. This information will be kept confidential in accordance with federal, state, and local laws. Technical Support If you encounter technical issues using the Vaccination Portal, please contact the DOE Help Desk by calling 718-935-5100.
School Visitor Policy
All visitors must show proof of at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination to enter a DOE school building. Visitors do not include students attending school or school related activities in a DOE school building. Acceptable proof of vaccination is one of the following:
- Photo or photocopy is also acceptable.
- or other official immunization record from within or outside the US, including from a health care provider. A photo or photocopy of this card is also acceptable.
- NYC COVID Safe App on Android
An acceptable COVID-19 vaccination includes one dose of any COVID-19 vaccine fully authorized or authorized for emergency use by the FDA
School Closure
Schools will be closed only when it is determined by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) that there is widespread transmission in the school. With the health and safety measures in place, we expect that school closures will be limited.
- To learn about what to do if your child tests positive see the Home Rapid Test Kits page.
- View the Daily COVID19 Case Map.
Ventilation
Good ventilation is essential to prevent COVID-19. Over the past year and a half, ventilation in every single classroom across the city has been inspected, updated, and repaired as needed. Every DOE room in use by students and staff for extended periods of time will have fully operational ventilation through either natural, mechanical, or a combination of means. As an added precaution, every classroom across New York City has been provided with two air purifiers. Cafeterias in bigger schools will be provided with large air units for added protection and window-based exhaust fans to provide additional air circulation, and we continue to increase ventilation in classrooms and schools. These measures meet or exceed guidance from the CDC. You can check the ventilation status of your child’s school online: use Find a School to locate your school's page, which includes a section on Building Ventilation Information. If a room in your child’s school does not have adequate ventilation, it will not be used.
Cleaning
All classrooms and common areas, such as auditoriums and gyms will have hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes available.
Outdoor Learning
Last year, 840 schools took advantage of the innovative Outdoor Learning Initiative to expand their students’ “classrooms”. Schools will continue to use school yards, street space, and parks to provide additional space for learning. Schools in areas hardest hit by COVID-19 will continue to receive priority for the program. Medically Necessary Instruction Every year, there are some students with medical conditions that necessitate interim educational services outside of the school building. These services are offered for school-aged children (from 3K to grade 12) in all five boroughs, and can include individual in-person instruction by a certified teacher, or individual and group instruction by certified teachers through digital platforms. Taking COVID-19 into consideration, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) has determined that students who have one of the following conditions would be provisionally approved for medically necessary instruction:
- Active Cancer
- Chronic Renal Diseases
- Sickle Cell
- Gastro/Crohn’s Disease
- Thalassemia
- Leukemia
- Metabolic Disorders
- Heart Conditions
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Adrenal Disorder
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Liver Disease
- Tumor
- Congenital Lung Disease
- Congenital Heart Condition
- Lymphoma
- Cerebral Ataxia
- Seizures
- Stroke
- Multiple Sclerosis Any family with a student who is immunocompromised due to a medical condition or treatment for an orthopedic, non-orthopedic/medical, or psychiatric reasons a medical condition may apply for medically necessary instruction. Applications from families with any condition not listed will undergo review to determine eligibility.
Clean your hands often
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. This is especially important after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to the bathroom; and before eating or preparing food.
- Students will wash their hands upon entering the building and prior to entering the breakfast designated classrooms. Students will again wash and/or sanitize their hands prior to entering the instructional classroom.
- Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
Avoid Sharing Personal Items
- Do not share any personal items!!! Example - pencils, pens, notebooks, masks, lotion, etc.
- Sanitize these items thoroughly after using them with a sanitizer wipe, disinfectant spray and/or soap and water.
Student Roles & Responsibilities
As an active participant in the learning process, and to ensure your success, you must adhere to the following policies and procedures:
- The instructional day begins at 8:00 a.m.
- ALL students must wear their uniform when they are in the school building.
- ALL students must submit their assignments on the date that it is due.
- ALL students must check Google Classroom, JupiterEd, and their ms35k.org accounts for any updates from their educators Daily.
- ALL students must ensure that they are submitting quality work by following the rubrics that are provided for each content area assignment.
- ALL students are expected to be actively participating during the instruction time.
Attendance Policy
Attendance is taken on a daily basis, no later than 9:30am. Attendance will continue to be reviewed on a daily basis by the attendance committee and principal to check for accuracy.
The attendance committee designates personnel to send letters to the homes of those who are chronically absent and or late during their weekly meetings. These letters are followed up with phone calls, emails, mailings and parent meetings are scheduled with school personnel to review attendance data and set up interventions for improvement. In cases of no contact, home visits and additional outreach methods will be utilized.
School Associates and/or Paraprofessionals make the initial call when a student is absent. If there is no response and that child is still absent, the Attendance Committee follows up on the third day of absence. The Committee attempts to reach the student's home through phone calls, emails as well as mail correspondence. If no contact has been made and the student is still absent, the attendance teacher receives the referral for further outreach.
Please feel free to contact a member of the attendance committee with any questions and/or concerns regarding your child’s attendance via emailing them directly or on Jupitergrades. The attendance committee members areas follows:
Ms. Harris, Ms. Scott, Mrs. Perpignan and Dr. Bond. You can also reach out to them via email. [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected]
Questions & Help Desk Numbers
Learning Schedule
Parent/Guardian Roles & Responsibilities
- Check JupiterEd daily for school updates and communication from teachers.
- Establish routines and expectations with your child. Example: class start time, organization of school materials, completion of assignments by designated due date.
- Assist your child with identifying a space where they can work without distractions.
- Monitor your child to ensure that they are checking their Google class pages daily and completing assignments in a timely manner.
- Engage your child in daily discussions to determine if they have any questions or needs support.
- Ensure all contact information (phone numbers, email addresses) are updated via Emergency Contact Card (Blue Card), and JupiterEd.
Teacher Roles & Responsibilities
- Teachers will provide both synchronous and asynchronous instruction to students Monday through Friday.
- Provide students and their families with regular communication and updates per parent preference. For example, email, text, Google Classroom postings, Jupitergrades, etc.
Grading Policy
Grading Categories
Log-In Guide & Information
Google Classroom
In our commitment to ensure that students continue to receive effective instruction, we have decided to use Google Classroom. With the use of Google Classroom, we will be able to deliver uninterrupted instruction to your child on a daily basis. Each student is expected to join the Google Classroom for each one of their instructors in order to receive the assignment for that class.
All students at Middle School 35 will be provided with a Middle School 35 email address.
Username and password should be written down and also given to your parent or guardian
Log-In Guide & Information
First Initial, Lastname @ms35k.org
If you have trouble logging on please contact Mrs. K. Lewis at [email protected]
or your educator immediately so no instructional time is lost.
Please understand that if your child has already joined their instructor’s Google Classroom, there is no need to join it again. The codes to join the specific Google Classrooms are listed below:
6th Grade Class Codes
7th Grade Class Codes
8th Grade Class Codes