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Friday, August 7, 2020
Vol. 80, No. 32
SERVING BETHPAGE, OLD BETHPAGE, AND PLAINVIEW
MACARTHUR CLASS OF 2020
Plainview-Old Bethpage ready to implement reopening plan BY GARY SIMEONE
The class of 2020 at MacArthur High School marked its graduation with seven intimately sized commencement ceremonies on July 27th held outdoors on the Levittown athletic fields. Above, graduates Mackenzie Fielding, Krisent Heinmink and Sofia Escobar celebrate graduation.
Hicksville Schools post reopening plan In a Special Meeting of the Board of Education held on July 30, Board members approved a resolution to accept Hicksville Public School’s Reopening Plan under the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan was introduced at a joint public meeting of the Board of Education and the District’s Reopening Task
Force on Monday, July 27. Under the plan, the district has prepared for different scenarios, depending on the spread of the coronavirus. Families will be given the option of in-person elementary education or remote instruction only. For in-person education, the district has prepared contingency plans in case the
district has to fully or partially shut down. All high school students may be able to return to school if the danger of virus spread remains low. A hybrid instruction model which splits the students into two cohorts would allow two days a week of in-person instruction, with the See page 14
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New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo is set to announce school district reopening plans for Long Island later this week. He and the State Education Department have reviewed reopening plans that were sent by each individual school district throughout the state and will impose the necessary guidelines. Plainview-Old Bethpage School District Superintendent Dr. Mary O’Meara said the district is fully prepared and has taken all the necessary safety precautions to reopen schools in September. “Planning for our reopening in September began in May with a lot of thought and input from our administrators teachers parents school nurses and our district doctor,” said Dr. O’Meara. “We are so fortunate that we have a supportive community and Board of Education to help us in these unprecedented times.” She said that when the Governor allowed for Extended School Year (ESY) programs to be offered on-site in June, it helped the district adjust the necessary safety precautions. “We opened our doors to students on July 7th for our ESY programs, and over the course of a month, that has allowed us to see how we can operate on a smaller scale,” said Dr. O’Meara. “We’ve been able to see how we can function with new safety hygiene transportation and cleaning protocols in place.” The district’s ESY program has nearly 60 students who meet in person with school staff during the week. There are also a handful of students who meet remotely online to stay up to date with their courses. Dr O’Meara said each school district has their own ESY program and that it requires a full year of education for vulnerable students. “These students are most at risk for regression if they don’t have twelve months of education. When the schools closed in March, we were doubtful we could keep this program going. To see it come back, I think, is an important first step to get to where we want to be.” She said that since the program restarted last month, there have been no cases of COVID-19 amongst students or staff members. Once the district is given the go-ahead by the governor to reopen, a directive will be sent to all families to decide if they want their child to participate in in-person or remote learning. “The district has been planning and working with school committees to provide all of our students with optional learning programs, both in person and online,” said Dr. O'Meara. See page 14
All Star athlete earns scholarship PAGE 3 Serving up pizza at ACE program PAGE 6