Family and Staff Forums for ’21 – ’22 School Opening
(August 23, 2021) On Friday, August 20 and Saturday, August 21, 2021, the Rochester City School District held staff and family forums for all RCSD stakeholders to learn more about the upcoming ’21 – ’22 school year. At each forum, District representatives gave a presentation on what students, families, and staff should expect when it comes to health and safety.
In both of these forums, District representatives fielded questions from families and staff on issues related to masking, social distancing, eating and drinking, personal protective equipment (PPE) and supplies, cleaning, ventilation, COVID-19 testing, transportation, technology, visitors, contact tracing, a pivot to remote learning, and staying connected.
Superintendent Lesli Myers-Small said, “Our decision to go 100 percent in-person starting on Wednesday, September 8, is based on CDC guidance that says students benefit from in-person learning. Safely returning to in-person instruction in the fall of 2021 is a priority. In addition to universal indoor masking, the CDC recommends that schools maintain at least 3 feet of physical distance between students within classrooms to reduce transmission risks.”
There were over 500 participants in the staff forum and more than 200 participants in the family forum. Presentations for both families and staff are available on our website. Additionally a back-to-school guide for RCSD families and a return to work guide for staff are available on the District’s website. The family forum was also translated in real time in Arabic, Nepali, Somali, and Spanish.