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Back To School: Phase I - Optional Face To Face Instruction beginning September 8
Fulton County Schools is providing this as an option parents who wish to begin the transition back to in-person learning.
This is a voluntary opportunity for all students in PreK-2 (pre-kindergarten through second grade) to receive one 90-minute instruction and support session, one day per week. In addition, Students with Disabilities in Special Program Classes across grades 3 through 12 will be provided one 180-minute in-person instruction and support session, one day per week. All students in grades 3-12 will have the opportunity to receive additional support during Phase I by scheduling individualized, 1:1 meetings with their teachers. Meeting availability will be shared by the individual teacher or school.
Phase I Frequently Asked Questions
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Below are the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) regarding Phase I. If you have a specific question not addressed here, parents are encouraged to contact their student's school.
General Questions
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Which students have the option to come to school for Phase I?
Phase I is a voluntary opportunity for all students in PreK-2 (pre-kindergarten through second grade) to receive one 90-minute instruction and support session, one day per week. Students with Disabilities in Special Program Classes across grades 3 through 12 will be provided one 180-minute in-person instruction and support session, one day per week.
For general education students in grades 3-12, students will have the opportunity to receive additional support by scheduling individualized, 1:1 meetings with their teachers. These will be coordinated by the individual teacher or the school. -
Will every student in PreK – 2 have to go back to school during Phase I?
No, this is an optional experience for some students and families as identified above.
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What will Phase I look like for special education students?
Students with Disabilities in Special Program Classes across grades 3 through 12 will be provided one 180-minute in-person instruction and support session, one day per week.
Instruction will include a combination of academic and social-emotional activities, with a focus on IEP goals and objectives. Instruction should be provided to face-to-face students and remote students at the same time (simultaneous), by rotating supports between the teacher and paraprofessionals. -
What will Phase I look like for general education students in grades 3-12?
During Phase I, general education students in grades 3-12 will continue their URL schedule as planned. They will also be provided the opportunity to schedule voluntary 1:1 meetings with teachers. These will be coordinated by the individual teacher or school.
Phases III and beyond will offer students in grades 3-12 similar in-person opportunities to those being offered to PreK through second grade in Phase I. -
How do I know which day my student will attend?
The district will be following the below schedule for regular education students. Schools will be reaching out to parents to determine the session for children who opt in.
- Monday (Group 1) – A through E
- Tuesday (Group 2) – F through K
- Thursday (Group 3) – L through P
- Friday (Group 4) – Q through Z
Parents of special education students also will receive personal calls from their school. -
Will I be able to change my mind after initially saying “yes” or “no” to the Phase I option?
Yes. Call the school and they will arrange appropriate next steps.
If your child has an IEP that indicates he/she receives special transportation due to his/her disability and you change your mind about attending Phase I, please know that routing will take 5-7 days from the date it is submitted to our Transportation Department.
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If my student does not participate, what will my student do at home and what will they do on the days they are not at school?
Students will follow their normal Universal Remote Learning (URL) schedule and routine.
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Will the district provide meals or snacks during Phase I?
Snacks will be provided to those students attending school during Phase I.
The FoodStop meal delivery will continue on Wednesdays for all enrolled students who wish to participate. Parents can go to nutrition.fultonschools.org/foodstop for more information. -
Can students in grades 3-12 make multiple appointments for one day? How long will the meetings last?
General education students in grades 3-12 are being offered the opportunity to make 1:1 appointments with their teachers. This will vary by teacher availability. A typical meeting should last approximately 30 minutes.
Scheduling and Logistics
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What happens if my child misses their assigned session day and time? Can they come the next day to make it up?
No. Students cannot swap days or make up days based on grouping standards and the impact of social distancing practices.
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How will the teacher manage asynchronous and synchronous instruction simultaneously? What does that look like?
Our dedicated and skilled teachers are working to adjust instruction with the new reality of URL. For Phase I, that will include schools utilizing either a segmented or simultaneous teaching model. You can contact your school or teacher to find out the model for student.
- Segmented Model: Depending on the schedule of the school, the teacher will teach students in three unique blocks of time.
- Simultaneous Model: Based on the published school schedule, the teacher will teach both face-to-face and remote at the same time. In this model, the students would arrive and participate in the ongoing remote schedule. The teacher would utilize a small group instruction delivery model with the face-to-face students being one group.
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How do students request an appointment with a teacher?
You can reach out to your teacher via email or during a live TEAMS session.
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How will teachers manage instruction during scheduled class time and 1:1 meetings?
1:1 meetings are scheduled during either a teacher’s planning or office hours, not during instructional time.
Health and Safety
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What health and safety precautions will be in place to protect my student from COVID-19?
Please check out this infographic for a summary of the District's extensive COVID-19 safety protocols
Employees will continue to perform health self-checks daily per FCS protocols. All families are requested to check the temperature of their child each day prior to leaving their home to go to school and should stay home if sick or have a fever at or above 100.4. FCS will also randomly check the temperature of students. Time is scheduled between sessions for enhanced sanitation procedures in the classroom and on the bus. Social distancing standards will be in place. Also, water fountains will be restricted.
For students with IEPs in program classes (Autism Self-Contained/Support Classes, Intellectual Disability Classers, Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Classes, Orthopedic Impairment Classes, GNETS Classes, Pre-School Self-Contained Classes, Kindergarten Self-Contained Classes, LIFE/Project Search Classes) staff and student will be provided safety guidelines that include various supports/supplies to support health and safety while in the classroom. -
Will my student be required to wear a mask?
Yes, all students will be required to wear a mask. If they do not have one, one will be provided.
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Will students be required to wear a mask for the 1:1 meetings?
Yes. We are asking everyone who visits a school or FCS facility to wear a mask.
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Will my student have to take a coronavirus test or take other precautions?
Students will not be required to take a coronavirus test to attend Phase I in-person instruction. All persons, including students, who are sick, have tested positive for or been exposed to COVID-19 are expected to stay at home. Parents should monitor their students for signs of illness, including temperature and other symptoms.
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What happens if my child contracts COVID-19 from someone in the school? What happens if a student or teacher who has COVID-19 is around my child?
FCS has taken precautions and promoted safety measures for staff and students to prepare for this phase. In the event a positive test is reported at your student's school, FCS will work with public health officials and follow their protocols for reporting the case(s) and next steps.
Those who become sick at school or have a fever at or above 100.4 will be sent home immediately. Anyone reporting to the clinic will have their temperature taken. All schools will have a room to isolate symptomatic persons.
Transportation
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Which students will receive bus transportation during Phase I?
Phase I allows parents of PreK through second grade students to choose whether to send their child to school for a once-a-week, 90-minute in-person session with their teacher. Special education students also are included in Phase I for a once-a-week, 180-minute session.
Transportation will be provided for these students only during Phase I. Future phases will allow grades 3-5, and all middle and high school students to return for face-to-face instruction opportunities, with transportation included. -
How do I find the pick-up and drop-off times for my student?
PreK-2nd grade parents can access bus route information starting mid-day August 31 (Monday) by visiting the Bus Stop Info (Edulog WebQuery) page on the District's Transportation website. Parents/Guardians of Special Education program class students will receive a call the week of August 31 that will provide bus route information.
Once on the Edulog WebQuery page, be prepared to follow these steps. These are also posted on the site.- Enter the student's information and click "Go." WebQuery allows you to enter a partial street name and this helps match with known addresses in the database. For example: if you entered “2555 Lex” it would match “2555 Lexington Avenue.”
- You can also use this WebQuery tool to determine the approximate time your student will be transported to (picked up) and from (dropped off) their assigned bus stops.
- Your school will communicate whether your student is scheduled to attend program Session 1 (SES1) or program Session 2 (SES2). Enter your address and select "Program" on the top right. Then select either “SES1” or “SES2” from the drop-down menu.
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Are face coverings required on buses? What other safety precautions are being taken?
Yes. We ask that you and your student wear a face covering and practice social distancing at your assigned bus stop. Your bus driver also will wear a face covering, and he/she will ask your child to use the hand sanitizer provided at the front of the bus before coming aboard.
To keep your child as safe as possible, all buses will be disinfected before each morning run as well as in the afternoon once students are transported home. Once the district moves to Phases III, IV and Full Return to Face-to-Face Instruction, each bus will be sanitized between each elementary, middle and high school run. -
My child stays with another family member/attends daycare/etc. Will transportation pick them up from and drop them off to this location?
No. Transportation will only be provided from and to the household residence/bus stop of the students located in Infinite Campus.
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What if I have more than one student and they are in different schools?
Students in grades PreK-2 will be assigned a day of the week for their 90-minute session based on last name; however, schools will make adjustments to student schedules using household addresses in Infinite Campus. This means children with different last names but living in the same household will attend school on the same day.
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What other things should I know about bus transportation during Phase I?
Please know that we will attempt to arrive at each bus stop at the time displayed on the Bus Stop Info page, but since there are much fewer students riding the bus during Phase I, the bus route may move along more quickly.
Your child’s bus could arrive sooner than anticipated, so please plan to be at the bus stop 15-20 minutes before the displayed time. As Phase I continues and we have a better understanding of how many children will be participating, the Transportation Department will fine-tune the stop schedule.
We appreciate your support and patience as we travel this journey together. If you have additional questions, please call 470-254-6060 for Zones 1, 2, and 3 schools (South Fulton) or 470-254-2970 for Zones 4, 5, 6, and 7 (North Fulton).
Resources
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Fulton County Board of Health Reports
FCS Plan for Face-to-Face Instruction
- Reopening Matrix (updated 9/9/20)
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Closing Matrix (Updated 9/9/20)
Key Reports