Re-Opening Our Campus: A roadmap to making it happen with proper safety and education.
ספר בית ם ל זרי חו
Mission Statement Through the light of Torah and academic excellence the Hebrew Academy inspires each and every child to improve the world.
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חוזרים לבית ספר 2020-2021
Campus will reopen on August 24, 2020
OPTION A
RETURN TO CAMPUS Hebrew Academy plans to RE-OPEN and populate our campus five days a week while taking every safety precaution and providing academic excellence for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year.
OPTION B
VIRTUAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE For those unable to attend school for health or other reasons, HA will equip classrooms with the highest technology possible and with the level of education they are accustomed to.
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Value Proposition Hebrew Academy treats each student as an important member of a family, where each individual and family is valued. The kind of student that the Hebrew Academy strives to create is a resilient individual with a strong moral value, and ethical compass. Additionally, our students have a love of Torah, the Jewish people and the State of Israel. This process is achieved through the rigorous educational standards and the warm environment that the Hebrew Academy provides on a daily basis that cannot be recreated elsewhere. Whether on campus or learning from a distance, the character and middot of each Hebrew Academy student shines as a beacon of light; an example through every interaction they have with others.
Fluidity Statement Although we are planning to re-open on August 24, with certain protocols in mind, circumstances require us to be flexible. All information herein is subject to change. As information develops, and/or changes, this handbook will be adjusted accordingly to reflect those changes.
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HEALTH, SAFETY, & WELL BEING
OPERATIONS & LOGISTICS
COVID-19 PLANNING COMMITTEE
EDUCATION
PARTNERSHIP & COMMUNICTAION
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TASK FORCE: SAFETY & EDUCATION
Four different committees all focused on two main areas.
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Health, Safety, and Well Being Committee
Monitoring evolving Federal and state guidelines. Seeking out best practices under such circumstances. Establishing protocols and guidelines. Screening & Security. Cleaning & Sanitation. Ensuring the health, safety and well being of our students, faculty, staff and parent body.
Education Committee
Focused on academic excellence in both Judaic and Secular Studies Innovating constantly and holding ourselves to the highest standard. Deployment of new technology for multiple learning models. Enriching teaching and learning under the “new normal." Identifying and responding to academic COVID-slide. Increased professional development.
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Communication and Partnership Committee Regular open and clear communication with all stakeholders. Hygiene Training: Faculty, Student, Parent. Staff Training for New Opening Rules.
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Business, Operations, and Logistics Committee Spacial design for optimal program. Stockpile supplies. Installation of new equipment.
*Subject to change based on updated guidelines for our school
5 MIDDLE SCHOOL ENTRANCE
SCHOOL ENTRANCE ZONES
GRADES 2-5 ENTRANCE
WEST CAMPUS
KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE ENTRANCE
EAST CAMPUS
EARLY CHILDHOOD ENTRANCE
HIGH SCHOOL ENTRANCE
Each entrance will have a painted lane on the floor for students to walk on towards their zone:
ECE: Enters through the door farthest to the right near the gate. Kindergarten and 1st: Enters through the middle gate and walk around the Welcome Center towards ECE to enter their zone. The Infant room is currently in this zone. Grades 2-5: Enter through the middle gate and walk around to the left of the Welcome Center to the stairs. Middle School: Enter through the farthest left gate and enter into the auditorium and cafeteria. Middle School can only use the outdoor staircase to go up to the classrooms to avoid entering the ECE Zone. High School: Enter through the two main gates. 6
INTERIOR SCHOOL ENTRANCE ZONES WEST CAMPUS
EARLY CHILDHOOD ENTRANCE
KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE ENTRANCE
GRADES 2-5 ENTRANCE
MIDDLE SCHOOL ENTRANCE
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S A F E T Y
PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY ON CAMPUS
Daily Health Screenings Before entering campus every child will be screened for any signs and symptoms of any communicable disease and their temperature will be taken: Parents and guests will not be permitted on campus for the time being. For the time being, therapists and tutors will not be permitted on campus. We recommend that families quarantine after vacation and airplane transportation.
Sick Child Protocols Please have someone available to pick your child up as soon as possible should fever or illness be detected. DO NOT give your child fever reducing medications prior to school, i.e.Tylenol or Ibuprofen for any reason. If you think your child may need medication for any reason, please keep them home. If your child was diagnosed with a communicable disease (i.e. cold, flu, etc) we must have a doctor’s note prior to allowing your child in class. 8
Sick Child Protocols Continued... If your child needs to be dismissed from school due to illness, the School Nurse will notify you. Do not come to school if child calls via their cell phone. Students and staff showing signs and symptoms of COVID-19 will be required to have a COVID test. Hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, and soap and water, will be readily available to staff and students. We will closely monitor student and employee absenteeism for early signs of a larger health concern. Contact Tracing Protocols - Should a student, parent, or staff member be diagnosed with COVID-19, diligence will be taken to alert those who may have been in contact with instructions for quarantine. The privacy of sick students, staff, or parents, will of course, be respected. If your child is suspected of having COVID-19, they will be kept in an isolation area until pick-up.
Sanitization Multiple hand washing stations will be installed around campus. Our Maintenance Team will clean and sanitize door handles, railings, light switches, community tables, and other high-touch areas continually during the school day. Drinking fountains will be eliminated. Please send your child to school with bottles of water daily. Student and staff bathroom use will be staggered and bathrooms will be cleaned frequently throughout the day. Signage will be posted on the proper protocols for hand washing. Hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, soap and water will be available to staff and students. There will be staff and student training on hand washing, sanitation, and the proper procedures for wearing and removing masks.
*Subject to change based on updated guidelines for our school 9
Masks and Hygiene Requirements and Training We are following the advice of our Medical Advisory Committee as to best practices in this area for our community. Masks will be required for all students. Masks for Early Childhood students are still being decided as we are learning more. Students must provide their own masks. Students should bring extra masks to school in the event the mask they are wearing falls off, gets wet, or dirty. PE classes and recess will allow for a mask break.
Social Distancing Students and staff will practice social distancing when possible. We will hold virtual training sessions about protocols this summer. Opportunities for teacher meet and greets will take place before the start of the school year. In class and around campus: Desks will be social distanced. Lockers are being eliminated.
Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning - HVAC WEST CAMPUS Classrooms that have their own HVAC units: All ECE Classrooms. All Elementary Classrooms. All original Middle School Classrooms. The Welcome Center is one unit. The Cafeteria and Auditorium, operate individually with their own chill water air conditioning and ductwork. Beth El operates on its own central air conditioning unit. HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING 1st Floor has two separate units; one for the cafeteria and one for the offices. 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Floors: Each floor is divided into East and West and operates off a chilled water system and has a separate aid handler system and ductwork. The 5th Floor has its own unit.
*Subject to change based on updated guidelines for our school 10
Zones Students will be placed into cohorts. Each cohort will have a specific corridor/classroom zone. Paths of Egress Each zone of students will have a different entrance onto campus (see page 8 for map). Placement of color coded signs and physical guides on floors or sidewalks. Staggered cohort transition times so fewer groups are in the hallway at one time.
Recess, PE and Speciality Classes Recess will occur daily with social distancing and the ability for students to take their masks off. PE classes will occur regularly with social distancing in place and the ability for students to enjoy a mask break. Speciality classes will be integrated into each classroom.
Athletics, After School Activities and Field Trips Athletics Hebrew Academy is a part of the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSA). At this time, the FHSA plans to begin the 2020-2021 athletic season as usual. We will monitor our community and our student cohorts and zones to determine if following suit is the right decision for our school. After-School Activities No decision has been made at this time as to the start of the After School Activities Program. We will monitor our student cohorts and zones to determine the safest time and manner to begin our after school programming. Early and After Care As we begin the school year, early and after care will not be available; however, as we move through the year these programs may be reintroduced. Field Trips As we re-open campus, there are no plans for off-site field trips; however, as the year progresses we will revisit the ability to confidently offer our students off-site learning opportunities. 11
Lunch Service Students may purchase a kosher hot lunch from our cafeteria, or bring a dairy or pareve brown bag lunch from home. Hot Lunch will be in the form of a packaged box lunch prepared on-site by J-Cafe, our school caterers, and will be delivered to classrooms or other designated student cohort lunch areas. There will be no late brown bag drop-off, and students will not be permitted to order food from outside restaurants. Lunch service may be in classrooms, in alternative areas on campus, and we will utilize outdoor spaces when possible. Students will wash hands or use hand sanitizer before and after eating. Food Insecurity - We recognize that some families may have difficulty providing meals for their children. We want to help. Please contact our Operations Director for more information at rweinberger@rasg.org.
Bus Service & Carpool Registration for the school bus has not yet begun. We are closely monitoring guidelines pertaining to distancing requirements for student transportation. Until that time, parents may opt to drive their own children to school or join in a carpool with other families in their child’s cohort. Carpool Registration for families who need help finding an appropriate carpool will take place later in the summer.
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TUITION OUTLOOK 2020-2021 We are excited to return to school on August 24, and are doing everything in our power to remain open. Should we need to close school we will confidently return to virtual learning utilizing what we have learned from our previous experience and implementing many improvements we have proactively set into place. Although our campus did not reopen after its closure in mid-March, education for both Judaic and General Studies was uninterrupted with creative live and independent learning and will continue to do so as we move into the 2020-2021 school year. During the campus closure, the school’s leadership came together to review expenses and evaluate the costs of everything within the existing school budget. As it stands, our overall expenses did not decrease. In fact, with all of the new adjustments, improvements, standards, and requirements that need to be met to ensure the continued educational experience as well as the health and safety of everyone at the Hebrew Academy, the expenses have increased. Much of the budgetary increases come from new curriculum platforms to accommodate distance learning, along with the technological hardware and software necessary to accommodate these platforms. Additional teacher training has been necessary and continues throughout the summer, campus improvements have carried on including extensive sanitation measures, PPE for staff, and other precautionary installations. School furnishings have been refined and upgraded to allow social distancing for students, which includes detailed signage for pathways through campus, health equipment for daily wellness screenings, and additional hand washing stations being set in place. The new Middle and High School Complex is moving forward with much excited anticipation, as well. Additionally, the number of scholarship applications have increased and our grants and philanthropic giving has decreased. We have responded to the increased financial burden by providing more scholarships. We have been successful in requesting and obtaining a PPP loan and expect that a large percentage of it will be forgiven. In addition, we applied for Federal grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Federal ESSER funding, Florida Public Assistance grant, and State of Florida Security Funding to be used for many new COVID related projects. We also applied for three different scholarship grants through the JCRIF through Prizmah, as well as a massive educational grant. Hebrew Academy also set up a COVID-19 Relief Fund. We hope that through our fundraising and grant applications, we will be able to continue managing our budget and delivering an outstanding education. In the event of a transition to distance learning over a longer time period and a full campus closure, we will continue to make every effort to further reduce our operating costs. As mentioned above, even as we have been able to sharpen our pencil in some areas, our overall expenses have increased. If it becomes possible we will do everything we can to pass along savings to our families. At present, it is too early to provide all the details needed to decide the exact savings, but we hope to provide a response by August 1. 13
TUITION OUTLOOK: INCOME VS. EXPENSES 2019-2020 3.6% 5.1%
As with most private schools, tuition does not cover the cost of operating a school. This chart demonstrates our income and expenses so you can better understand how our school budget is balanced.
4.1%1% 1% 4%
3.5%
5.5%
Tuition plus State Based Scholarships Grants Contributions
INCOME
Resource/After School/Summer Other
1.5%
85%
1.5% 9.5%
86.3%
1%
9.5%
10%
10% Payroll/ Benefits/Taxes* Educational & Program Expenses Building, Operating, and Utilities*
EXPENSES
Fundraising/Marketing/ Admissions/Recruitment. Other *If our school is 100% virtual we save roughly about 1%.
78% 78%
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SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING
The social and emotional development of our students is definitely on our minds. Students may indeed experience separation anxiety, be fearful of germs, and may experience fatigue when returning to a full day of school. Our school wonderful team of school psychologists, Mrs. Reena Rabovsky and Dr. Susan London, will work with students and staff to address these valid concerns. If you need more resources, our school psychologists have put together this website for all your social and emotional needs. 15
E D U C A T I O N MAINTAINING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
These five pillars are more important than ever - they cannot be replicated in such an integrated and thoughtful way in any other program. For the 2020-2021 Academic year, we are strengthening all five areas!
LIGHT OF TORAH & ISRAEL
CHARACTER & MIDDOT
Torah has been the only constant that has led to our survival through challenging times. Torah is our eternal anchor and blueprint for how we live our lives.
Our children need to be part of a community that focuses on helping each student thrive beyond academics , socially, emotionally, and spiritually. We aim to further strengthen our Social-Emotional learning.
BLENDED & PERSONALIZED LEARNING
INNOVATORS LEADERS & ENTREPRENEURS
While we are proud to say that we achieved success with virtual school because of our past investment in Blended Learning, we will take that much further in the coming year.
The world needs future leaders, problem-solvers and innovators. We will continue instilling in our students desire to learn, grow and question.
STEAM
Continue to strengthen STEM, robotics, and computer programming.
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ADVANCING EDUCATION DISTANCE LEARNING & ON CAMPUS
Education Work with a Blended Learning coordinator to further strengthen all instructional models (fully virtual model, remote access for students and/or staff, and hybrids). The Academic Enhancement Program (AEP) will continue for students in kindergarten to 12 grade this year in accordance with the zones. Focus faculty professional development on specific tools to improve teaching and learning in this current landscape. Improve fully virtual program (if school is physically closed) through increased instructional time, expanded digital tools, more targeted instruction, and clearer communication. Create remote access option by equipping classrooms with audio/video to simulate in-class experience. Identify and address student performance and minimize learning slide due to COVID-19 disruption. Introduce additional opportunities to support student overall well-being (social, emotional, spiritual, etc.). Design schedules (both in-school and fully virtual) that balance educational, developmental, and safety needs of students and staff.
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VIRTUAL LEARNING SCHEDULES 2020-2021 In the event we need to close campus we will seamlessly return to virtual learning with these schedules, click to view:
ECE, K-1: These virtual schedules are currently in development and will be made available soon.
Grades 2-5 Middle School High School
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