GCSD 2020-21 Reopening Plan: School Schedules

Special Education Services

Read the full Special Education section of the GCSD Reopening Plan

All K-12 students who attend the district’s self-contained special education programs will receive daily in-person instruction.
Students in grades K-6 will receive special education services as outlined on their individualized education plans (IEPs) via daily in-person instruction.
Students in grades 7-12 will follow the same hybrid model as their general education peers, supported by the special education faculty case manager.
Related services may be provided in person or remotely.

Grades K-5

The Guilderland Central School District, in conjunction with other Capital Region school districts, has made the decision to provide in-person and remote learning options for our elementary students in their home school. This will be a similar plan for 5th-grade students at the middle school. In an effort to provide socially distanced classrooms, students will maintain six feet of distance within their classrooms. Some classrooms may be able to accommodate more than 14 students based on the size of the classroom.

Elementary students will be assigned to grade-level teams of teachers in an instructional cohort model. Students will remain in their cohort within the classroom for all times during the day except Physical Education, outdoor recess, and personal visits to the nurse or bathroom.

Elementary Student Instructional Day

Grades K-2: 7:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.
Grades 3-4: 8:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Grade 5: 9:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at Farnsworth Middle School in their home school classrooms that are in close proximity to each other. These students will be taught by their 5th-grade teachers.

Grades K-5 Sample Cohort Schedule

Teacher	Instructional Cohorts
A	1	2	3	4
B	2	3	4	1
C	3	4	1	2
D (TA or Related Service Staff)	4	1	2	3

In addition to direct classroom instruction, students will receive instruction in their classrooms from Music and Library teachers. Art instruction will be in the Art rooms. Physical Education instruction will require 12 feet of social distancing and will be delivered in the gymnasium or outside.

Special Area Rotational Schedule

Each child will receive special area instruction according to the following weekly rotation:

Art – 1 time per week for 30 minutes
Music – 1 time per week for 40 minutes
Phys Ed – 2 times per week for 30 minutes each
Library – 1 time per week for 30 minutes

Grades K-5 Remote Learning

If a family chooses remote instruction, the family needs to provide their own technology for grades K-4 unless there is a case of hardship.
Remote instruction will primarily be provided using Google Classroom or SeeSaw.
All teachers will establish an online platform at the start of the school year (Google Classroom or Seesaw)
All remote teachers will provide a “class meeting” lesson every day to address social-emotional needs and develop relationships.
Need time at the beginning of the year to build relationships and teach tech skills. Daily google meets to build those relationships either the whole group or small groups/individual.
Instruction will be provided across all content areas: reading, math, social studies, science, and specials. This is new instruction moving forward in the curriculum.
Reading Instruction- 4-5x/week live instruction with small group breakout sessions.
Writing Instruction- 4-5x/week live instruction with small group breakout sessions.
Math instruction- 4-5x/week live instruction with small group breakout sessions.
Social studies or science instruction- 3x/week live instruction or asynchronous.
Office hours need to be provided to answer student questions.
Special Area instruction will be provided and students are expected to complete/engage in assignments.

Content	Grades K-1	Grades 2-3	Grades 4-5
Reading	4-5x/week. Live instruction followed by small group breakout. 10-15min Live mini-lesson whole group. (Teacher will meet with 1-2 small groups a day)	4-5x/week. Live instruction followed by small group breakout. 20-30min Live lesson. (Teacher will meet with 1-2 small group a day)	4-5x/week. Live instruction followed by small group breakout. 45 min live lesson. (Teacher will meet with 1-2 small group a day)
Writing	4-5x/week. Live instruction followed by small group breakout.	4-5x/week. Live instruction followed by small group breakout.	4-5x/week. Live instruction followed by small group breakout.
Math	4-5x/week. Live instruction followed by small group breakout	4-5x/week. Live instruction followed by small group breakout.	4-5x/week. Live instruction followed by small group breakout.
Social Studies	Maybe flip-flopped with science. 2x/week this may be live or asynchronous instruction.	Maybe flip-flopped with science. 2x/week this may be live or asynchronous instruction.	Maybe flip-flopped with science. 2x/week this may be live or asynchronous instruction.
Science	Maybe flip-flopped with social studies. 2x/week this may be live or asynchronous instruction. The same concepts may be taught but in a different manner.	Maybe flip-flopped with social studies. 2x/week this may be live or asynchronous instruction. The same concepts may be taught but in a different manner.	Maybe flip flopped with social studies. 2x/week this may be live or asynchronous instruction. Same concepts may be taught but in a different manner.
Class Meeting	Live every day 10-20 minutes.	Live every day 10-20 minutes.	Live every day 10-20 minutes.
Art	1xweek	1xweek	1xweek
Library	1xweek	1xweek	1xweek
Music	1xweek	1xweek	1xweek
PE	2 x week	2 x week	2 x week

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Grades 6-8

For the 2020-2021 school year, in order to ensure health and safety for everyone, we have had to relocate our 8th-grade students and staff to GHS. We are also excited to welcome our 5th-grade students to FMS this year. They will be located in our houses in classrooms that are in close proximity to one another. 5th-grade students will be taught by their 5th-grade teachers and follow a traditional elementary school schedule.

Grade 6

Students in 6th grade will attend classes at FMS every day from 9:00 am to 3:15 pm.
Students may be dropped off at 8:55 at the front of FMS.
Buses will begin letting students enter FMS from the rear of FMS starting at 9:00 am.
Students in 6th grade will continue to be members of a House and Team in keeping with FMS tradition, maintaining our “School within a School” atmosphere. Instructional groups will be small in order to ensure social distancing.
When 6th graders arrive, they will have a short homeroom time. They will then proceed into an 8 period school day that includes the same program of studies we have always offered at FMS.
The program of studies includes: English Language Arts/Reading, Math, Social Studies, Science, Music, Art, Technology, Family and Consumer Science, Health, World Language, and Physical Education. Additionally, some students may have Academic Intervention Services, Special Education Services, ENL Services, Enrichment, or take Band, Chorus, or Orchestra.

Sample 6th Grade Student Schedule

Time	A	B	C	D
9:10 – 9:20	Homeroom	Homeroom	Homeroom	Homeroom
9:20 – 10:00	ELA	SS	ELA	SS
10:00 – 10:40	Math	Science	Math	Science
10:40 – 11:20	Art/FACS	Health/Music	Art/FACS	Health/Music
11:20 – 12:00	PE/Tech	PE/Tech	PE/Tech	PE/Tech
12:00 – 12:30	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
12:30 – 1:10	WLC	WLC	WLC	WLC
1:10 – 1:50	ELA	SS	ELA	SS
1:50 – 2:30	Tutorial/ Reading	Tutorial/ Reading	Tutorial/ Reading	Tutorial/ Reading
2:30 – 3:10	Math	Science	Math	Science

Grade 7

Students in grade 7 will attend classes at FMS on an alternating day schedule from 10:00 am to 4:15 pm.
Students may be dropped off at 9:55 am at the front of FMS.
Students will continue to be part of our traditional House and Team structure.
Half of the students on each team will attend school in person each day.
The days that your 7th grader is at FMS will start with a short homeroom period with a Team teacher followed by an 8-period schedule that includes the same program of studies typically offered in 7th grade.
On the days that students are not at FMS, they will engage in remote learning activities planned and created by the same teachers they see on in-person days.
The program of studies includes: English Language Arts/Reading, Math, Social Studies, Science, Music, Art, Technology, Family and Consumer Science, Health, World Language, and Physical Education. Additionally, some students may have Academic Intervention Services, Special Education Services, ENL Services, Enrichment, or take Band, Chorus, or Orchestra.

Sample 7th Grade Student Schedule

Time	A	B	C	D
10:10 – 10:20	Homeroom	Homeroom	Homeroom	Homeroom
10:20 – 11:01	ELA	ELA	ELA	ELA
11:01 – 11:42	Math	Math	Math	Math
11:42 – 12:23	WLC	WLC	WLC	WLC
12:23 – 1:04	Tutorial	Tutorial	Tutorial	Tutorial
1:04 – 1:35	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
1:35 – 2:16	Art/Facs Health/Music	Art/Facs Health/Music	Art/Facs Health/Music	Art/Facs Health/Music
2:16 – 2:57	SS	SS	SS	SS
2:57 – 3:38	Science	Science	Science	Science
3:38 – 4:19	PE/Tech	PE/Tech	PE/Tech	PE/Tech

Grade 8

Students in grade 8 will attend on an alternating day schedule at GHS from 10:00 am to 4:15 pm.
Students will continue to be part of a team, and all 8th-grade teams will be located in one wing at GHS in order to replicate the usual house structure.
Half of the students on each team will attend school in person each day.
The days that your 8th grader is at GHS will start with a short homeroom period starting at 10:10 am which will be followed by an 8-period schedule that includes the same program of studies typically offered in 8th grade.
On the days that students are not in person at GHS, they will engage in remote learning activities planned and created by the same teachers they see on attendance days.
The program of studies includes: English Language Arts/Reading, Math, Social Studies, Science, Music, Art, Technology, Family and Consumer Science, Health, World Language, and Physical Education. Additionally, some students may have Academic Intervention Services, Special Education Services, ENL Services, or take Band, Chorus, or Orchestra.

Sample 8th Grade Student Schedule

Time	A	B	C	D
10:10 – 11:36	ELA	ELA	Math	Math
11:43 – 1:34	Lunch/SS	Lunch/SS	Lunch/Science	Lunch/Science
1:41 – 2:19	PE/Tech	PE/Tech	PE/Tech	PE/Tech
2:19 – 2:57	Tutorial	Tutorial	Tutorial	Tutorial
3:04 – 3:42	Art/FACS Health/Music	Art/FACS Health/Music	Art/FACS Health/Music	Art/FACS Health/Music
3:42- 4:20	WLC	WLC	WLC	WLC

Grades 6-8 Remote Learning

Students in grades 6 – 8 who will be fully remote will follow a daily schedule which will include the same required coursework as those students who will be attending school in person.
Students choosing the fully remote option can expect to complete a full day of school and will be expected to participate in regular synchronous (i.e., live) instruction.
There will be a blend of live instruction facilitated by the classroom teacher with offline activities and assignments to be completed by the students.
Daily attendance will be taken.
Students will be graded using the same system used for those students who will be in person.
The primary difference from the spring will be that students at home will be expected to follow the full curriculum as students in the school will follow.

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Grades 9-12

Students will be dropped off at the high school at approximately 10:00 A.M. and busses will depart at approximately 4:30 P.M.
The high school will be running our master schedule created based on last year’s student requests. All scheduled courses will run and be taught in this hybrid model.
Students will be broken into two groups: Group 1 and Group 2.
Each group will come to school for face to face instruction every other day.
When one group is in person for instruction the other group will be on remote instruction.
Students will follow their schedule whether in school or in remote instruction and attendance will be taken for both groups.

Grades 9-12 Sample Student Schedule

Week 1

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Letter Day	A	B	C	D	B
Block 1 10:10 – 11:36	Algebra 1	Algebra 1	English 9	English 9	Algebra 1
Block 2 11:43 – 1:34	Biology	Biology	Biology	PE	Biology
Block 3 1:41 – 2:57	Global 9	Global 9	Study Hall	Study Hall	Global 9
Block 4 3:04 – 4:20	Studio Art	Studio Art	Spanish 2	Spanish 2	Studio Art
Group 1	In-Person	Remote	In-Person	Remote	In-Person
Group 2	Remote	In-Person	Remote	In-Person	Remote

Week 2

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Letter Day	A	D	C	A	B
Block 1 10:10 – 11:36	Algebra 1	Eng 9	Eng 9	Algebra 1	Algebra 1
Block 2 11:43 – 1:34	Biology	PE	Biology	Biology	Biology
Block 3 1:41 – 2:57	Global 9	Study Hall	Study Hall	Global 9	Global 9
Block 4 3:04 – 4:20	Studio Art	Spanish	Spanish	Studio Art	Studio Art
Group 1	Remote	In-Person	Remote	In-Person	Remote
Group 2	In-Person	Remote	In-Person	Remote	In-Person

Grades 9-12 Remote Learning

Students on 100% remote instruction will still be a part of their assigned class and will be assigned to a group (Group 1 or Group 2). They will follow the schedule for their classes.
Instructional strategies for remote learning may include but will not be limited to:
- Live video teaching
- Pre-recorded video teaching
- Individual or Group Google Meet Check-In
- Google Meet discussions
- Live Google Documents
- Project work

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