Attendance

ATTENDANCE IS TAKEN EVERYDAY!

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Please go to your Attendance class in Google Classroom (classroom.google.com), complete the form and submit between 9:00 am to 3:00 am. If you do not fill out the form, you will be marked absent for the day regardless of what work you submitted in other Google Classroom.

Food Pick-up

MEALS CAN BE PICKED UP IN ALL FIVE BOROUGHS!

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Free "Grab and Go" meals are available for all New Yorkers and don’t need registration, ID, or documentation.

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All three meals a day may be picked up at the same time and must be eaten off premises.

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Operating hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 1:30 pm.

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Here is a link to the school food page where you can enter your zip code and find all the locations for your neighborhood.

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www.opt-osfns.org/schoolfoodny/meals/default.aspx

 

Online Classes

Here is what we need from the MBA community to be successful:

Teachers will post assignments on their assigned mornings and will be available for students and parents via email, phone and video conference.  Teachers will use multiple online learning strategies to teach students such as YouTube, personal videos and zoom.  Teachers will grade assignments daily and update Pupilpath weekly so that students and parents can check their child's progress. 

Students must be on their google classroom in a quiet space to complete their on line learning.  Students must check in with teachers and complete their work by the end of each day.  It is important that students keep up with their classwork so they remain on track.  Students must communicate with their teachers and/or guidance counselors when they need support.

Parents need to be checking that students are on google classroom during the day and that they have the quietest place possible to complete their work.  We know hat many of us are dealing with close quarters and juggling a lot at one time.  Parents need to stay in touch with teachers and guidance counselors to inform them of any issues or concerns that arise.  We are here to help - communication is a vital part of the key to success during this uncharted time.

Guidance Counselors will be available all day for parents and students to check in with.  Guidance counselors will be doing tele-therapy, meetings by phone or video, to support students.  Guidance counselors will be checking Pupilpath to identify students who need more support to be successful with remote learning.  Please contact your child's guidance counselor, Jose Vasquez or Nicole Henningham, with any questions or concerns via Pupilpath or their MBA email.

Administration will be monitoring on line learning and supporting teachers and students in creating and completing assignments.  We will be accessible to all students, parents and teachers to problem solve any issues that arise.  We will be monitoring assignments and providing feedback to teachers.  If you have any concerns or questions do not hesitate to contact our Principal Karen Polsonetti, Assistant Principal Jerome Ortaliza, and Assistant Principal Michael Farrell.

MBA Remote Learning:  Let's make it a super successful day.  On Monday, Wednesday and Friday students have ELA, Science and Social Studies.  On Tuesday and Thursday students have Math, PE and elective.  Assignments must be turned in on the same day for teachers to grade them and return them in a timely fashion.  If students were in PM school or Saturday Academy, we are still having those classes on line to keep students on track.  If you were in these classes, you will see them on your google classroom.

 

Structure and Routines:  The Governor has extended our remote learning time through April 29 however it is uncertain when we will be returning to school.  For now, we have to move forward with this new way of learning.  It is important during this time that students keep a healthy schedule for sleeping and learning.  It has come to our attention that many students have switched their sleep pattern to sleeping in the day time and staying up at night to watch TV, play video games or to chat online with friends.  We are asking that you use this April Vacation week to reset your child’s sleeping and learning schedule.  Please talk with your child about a schedule that works for your family where your child can be engaged in school work between the hours of 11 a.m and 4 p.m.  Our teachers are committed to supporting all of our students in having a successful Quarter 4 however we need your support to set a schedule with your child to have a healthy remote learning experience.  Having a school-like schedule will also support the transition back to school when we return to a normal school day.

 

NY State Regents Exams:  The NY State Board of Regents has cancelled the NY State Regents Exams in June.  This means that students who are scheduled to take a Regents exams this June will get credit for the exam under a COVID-19 exemption code.  What does this mean?  If your child is a senior and still needs one or more of the NY State Regents to graduate, they will be exempt from taking this exam and will meet the Regents requirement for graduation.  Students still need to meet the credit requirement for graduation, including the credits they are earning during remote learning.  If your child is not a senior but is scheduled to take a NY State Regents Exam in June, they will get credit for the exam under a COVID-19 exemption code.  We will be providing more information as it is provided to us by the DOE.  If you are a parent of one of our 12th grade students, please reach out to Ms. Henningham with any questions.

Grades and Credits:  April 20 is the start of Quarter 4 and we will be moving right into remote instruction to ensure that your child is set up for success. I suggest that you stay in weekly contact with your child’s advisor to check on the progress s/he is making in class.  Collaboration and communication between MBA teachers and families is key to ensuring that students remain on track with credits.  Your child's advisor will also be inviting you to join Google Classroom by sending you an email.  This will allow you to see the work that your child is receiving from their teachers and will allow you to monitor his/her progress on completing and submitting all assignments.  Now more than ever, we need your collaboration in providing time, incentives and space for students to do their work.

 

Remote Learning Resources

Parent Guide for Google Classroom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Iowi-gmbys

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Google Classroom Organization:

https://shakeuplearning.com/blog/how-to-organize-assignments-in-google-classroom/

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Internet

There are several options for free internet access, as follows: 

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  • AlticeUSA is providing free internet service for all students for 60 days. Please call 866-200-9522 to enroll. 

  • Comcast - Comcast is offering an internet essentials package for free. To sign up for a free internet essentials package for 60 days, applicants can simply visit www.internetessentials.com. The accessible website also includes the option to video chat with customer service agents in American Sign Language. There are also two dedicated phone numbers 1-855-846-8376 for English and 1-855-765-6995 for Spanish. 

  • Spectrum - Spectrum is offering free internet access for students. Beginning March 16, Spectrum is offering free internet for 60 days to households with K-12 or college students who don’t already have a Spectrum subscription. To enroll, call 1-844-488-8395. 

  • Charter - Charter is offering free internet for 2 months. 1 (877) 906-9121 

  • AT&T - AT&T COVID-19 response. AT&T will offer open hot-spots, unlimited data to existing customers, and $10/month plans to low-income families. 

  • Verizon - Verizon does not have special offers, but is following the FCC agreement. 

  • Sprint - Sprint is following the FCC agreement, providing unlimited data to existing customers, and, starting Tuesday, 3/17/2020, will allow all handsets to enable hot spots for 60 days at no extra charge. 

  • T-Mobile - T-Mobile is following the FCC agreement, plus unlimited data to existing customers, and, coming soon, will allow all handsets to enable hot-spots for 60 days at no extra charge. 

 

Culturally Responsive – Sustaining Remote Education

What are four (4) things that educators and families should be thinking about to minimize the socioemotional and mental toll of/anxieties caused by this social emergency?

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  • Breaks in between school work; have a well-planned day with every day routines established

  • Mindfulness (e.g., Liberate: Meditation and Mindfulness App: https://liberatemeditation.com/)

  • Regular check-ins and the giving of space for students to talk about how they are feeling and how they are adjusting to the change; create a safe environment to express feelings and thoughts (e.g., Pod Mapping for Mutual Aid; Source: the Bay Area Transformative Justice Collective: https://batjc.wordpress.com/pods-and-pod-mapping-worksheet/)

  • A virtual support group for parents (it can get overwhelming)

 

What are two (2) things that educators and families should be thinking about to maximize feelings of belonging, connectedness, worth, and learning?

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  • Ideas for parents on how to spend the day with their children being at home 24/7 (For example, parents should take advantage of their children being at home to help them to organize their area of work)

  • Strategies and structures for building remote communities through online platforms, video chats, conference calls, outdoor exercise, etc.

 

What do we need to know about culturally responsive-sustaining remote education?

 

Teachers need to know . . .

  • How race, ability, class, language, gender, and other systems of identity influence learning, access to learning, and how we should think about education

  • How power can translate to online environments (e.g., do boys and young men take up more space than girls and young women; does instruction privileged abled persons in ways that it does not privilege otherly abled persons, etc.?)

  • How to ensure full participation from all students

  • How to prioritize and address the questions/doubts raised during a lesson

  • How to set a structure around continuous assessment and progress monitoring

  • Lesson planning effectively with others (partnering with students, parents, and other educators) which provides scope and space for online activities and remote participation

  • Different students have different learning pace and requirements

  • Building student morale is very important as this is new and uncharted territory for students as well

  • How to use multiple online and social media platforms so they can be flexible with which ones work best for their students

  • How to communicate with and build meaningful relationships with families from different racial, cultural, linguistic, ability, and class backgrounds (Teachers need to pick up the phone and call parents and students; however, they rarely feel comfortable talking one-on-one and tend to lack the relationships necessary to get a clear picture of what families need)

  • How to integrate arts, culture, and creativity in their lessons

  • Techniques for student-centered, independent learning

  • How to adjust remote lessons plans to meet the different needs of students

 

Families need to know . . .

  • Changing dynamics require the creation of space for students to be actively involved in remote classrooms

  • How to talk to students about their concerns and doubts and help them navigate through the change including technology set-up

  • How to involve themselves in some sort of physical activity with students such as yoga, painting, etc.

  • How to spend more time with students (they might have a lot to talk about)

  • How to access free technology, free internet, and free tech support when things break down

  • How to navigate multiple online learning platforms

  • How to access other crisis supports such as food pantries, rent/mortgage/utility assistance, unemployment, etc.

  • Ways to support children emotionally during times of crisis

  • Contact information for other families in their child’s class/grade

  • That they are positioned to shape their child’s education (i.e., stay on top of school, remain informed, make demands in service of your child(ren)’s education, etc.)

 

School leaders need to know . . .

  • That race, socioeconomic status, ability, language, and other social forces exacerbate inequities in terms of access to resources, opportunities, power, culturally responsive instruction, and education writ large 5

  • How to even the playing field using targeted universal solutions that more heavily support students who require it (Hold high expectation, but also hold the ladder)

  • How to provide resources necessary to ensure access to and promote teacher competence around culturally responsive-sustaining remote education

  • How to manage and coordinate between separate units which are operating from remote locations

  • How to oversee the quality of communications between students and the teachers

  • How to ensure that community/parents needs are taken care of

  • How to ensure sufficient professional development opportunity for educators to help them navigate through changes

  • All the students and teachers have access to the technology and equipment

  • Academic assessments are designed keeping in mind the change in nature of the delivery of instructions and settings

  • How to focus more on continuous assessment, as this will enable educators to easily identify students who are struggling with the shift

  • How to regularly check-in with the staff members

  • All of the things under “what should teachers know,” and how to support teachers in doing those things

  • Effective outreach methods to families and students outside of the standard robocalls and emails—parent networks, community organizations, social media, community leaders, religious institutions, grocery stores, etc.

  • How to help students and families access free computers, internet and tech support

  • How to help students and families access mental and emotional support: online therapy, meditation, relaxation, arts, recreation, etc.

  • How to help families access crisis supports such as food pantries, rent/mortgage/utility assistance, unemployment, etc.

  • Knowledge and relationships in the school community so they can amplify and leverage resources and supports

 

Students need to know . . .

  • That the adults in their lives will protect them from harm as best as we can (They need to feel safe and supported)

  • How to access multiple online platforms

  • (For older students) Some of the same resources above (mental and emotional support, free technology and internet, food pantries, etc.)

  • Contact information for at least one trusted adult in their school (or a partner community organization) who can support them

  • That they are the greatest fund of knowledge during these times of online connection; that building upon their current ability to interact, communicate and learn through web-based platforms is critical

 

What should we be doing?

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Teachers should be . . .

  • Getting to know students and families, what they need and want, what they possess and can contribute to continued learning experiences (Use empathy interviews and Zoom-based focus groups for participatory planning and curriculum building)

  • Learning to teach students at a distance and be patient because these are challenging times for all involved

  • Developing talk sessions around different religions/cultures echoing the concept of unity

  • Developing talk sessions around various modern world role models 6

  • Reaching out one-to-one to families to build the relationships that are necessary to weather challenges

  • Connecting with students through platforms that students are already familiar with and asking questions to get student input

  • Identifying their own biases and assumptions when it comes to remote learning, and identifying how this might affect the learning experiences of students they teach

  • Requesting help when they need it, knowing that they are not alone, while also logging questions, best practices, and other insights that come up in the process of remote teaching (i.e., reflective practice)

 

Families should be . . .

  • Keeping in mind that this time is just as stressful for the child(ren) as it is for the adults

  • Building community in their apartment buildings, homes, classes, neighborhood, constituencies, etc. to provide mutual learning and support

 

School leaders should be . . .

  • Doing their very best to mitigate the possibility for COVID-19 to proliferate (particularly when working with vulnerable communities)

  • Acknowledging how COVID-19 has been racialized and surfaced racist attacks on Asian Americans, and systematically communicating that all forms of racial intolerance is unacceptable

  • Contributing things to the “what school leaders need to know” list above

  • Making sure the basic needs of all students and families continue to be met (e.g. providing bagged meals, as students are learning)

  • Identifying their own biases and assumptions when it comes to remote learning and identifying how this might affect the learning experiences of students

 

Students should be . . .

  • Learning in ways that are unbiased and builds on their social and cultural assets as digitally connected beings

  • Engaged in meaningful experiences and conversations with peers and educators around culturally relevant academic content and materials

  • Challenged in ways that match high expectations and rigor with high quality instruction and learning support

 

Mental and Physical Health

Stop Breathe Think

Stop, Breathe, Think is a free personalized mediation app that will ask you to do a physical and emotional check in before recommending a customized meditation for you.  It is user friendly, and I find it very helpful.  There is a subscription version, but the free access is great so you don't need to subscribe.

Breathly- Just Breathe

This is a simple and straight forward app that just visually helps you take deep breaths with a visual cue.  I suggest setting one time a day that you do it for 2 minutes!

 

VIRTUAL EXERCISE CLASSES

https://www.weareteachers.com/virtual-pe-classes/?utm_content=1584828120&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

 

CHILD-MIND INSTITUTE – COPING THROUGH COVID
https://childmind.org/


NASP: Helping Children Cope With Changes Resulting From COVID-19 (guidelines in English, Spanish, Chinese, Amharic, Korean, French, and Vietnamese)

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Health and wellness apps offer free services to help those coping with coronavirus

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Drawing Classes with Famous Illustrators (this one might be fun for you and the kids! Carson Ellis is one of our favorite illustrators and she has an amazing instagram thing going.)

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Talking with Children: Tips for Caregivers, Parents, and Teachers During Infectious Disease Outbreaks: https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/pep20-01-01-006_508_0.pdf

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Stress and Coping: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/managing-stress-anxiety.html

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Caring for Children in a Disaster: https://www.cdc.gov/childrenindisasters/helping-children-cope.html (snippet from artherapy.org)

 

Resources for the Public 

  • If you need help, please text SHARE to 741741 to reach a crisis counselor with Crisis Text Line. You can also call The Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 to be connected to free and confidential support and crisis resources for you or your loved ones.

  • Check out the Quarantine Family Toolkit by Kristin Ramsey, ATR-BC, LPC, which offers suggestions and resources on how to talk with children about COVID-19, a sample daily schedule for working/learning at home, online apps, podcasts and other resources for daily activities, mindfulness activities and short guided muscle relaxation script, as well as many art activities instructions and examples.

  • Resources for addressing COVID-19 — The National Council for Behavioral Health offers resources to help manage coronavirus-related anxiety and to communicate with your kids about this crisis among other topics. Behavioral health care workers will also find resources including telehealth best-practices and implications for certain vulnerable client groups.

 

Mental Health in the News

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