Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

July 30, 2020

At the Special Board Meeting on Wednesday, July 29, the Board of Directors approved a number of administrative recommendations. 

The first was an adjustment to the school calendar with the first day of school for students now Monday, August 31. Please note, we are not sending out printed calendars this year due to the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19. The calendar on our website is continually updated and is your best source of information.  

Due to conditions in the county, our opening of school will be fully remote for all students. Our goal is to have students return to classes under a hybrid model at the beginning of October or when conditions improve. We will continue to provide additional information as it becomes available. For families that will need childcare, the YMCA is setting up programming and we will share this information as soon as we receive it. 

The Board also approved contracting with Allegheny Health Network for consultation services on our return to in-person learning plan.

Finally, we will be moving to a 1:1 technology model over the course of this coming year. iPads will be provided to students in kindergarten and 1st grade. ChromeBooks will be provided to students in grades 2-12. Please note, there is a significant backorder time for devices due to the current situation. We will be sending out additional information about device deployment.

We know there are many questions out there and now that we have a definitive framework for the opening of school, we will be finalizing details and sending out additional information.

Sincerely,

Caroline Johns, Ed.D.
Superintendent

The Board of School Directors is reviewing the Phased School Reopening Health and Safety Plan and will be voting on it at the special board meeting on Wednesday, July 29. 

The goal of this special board meeting is to provide the administration with definitive direction so the can continue planning for reopening school this fall. 

The details included in the Phased School Reopening Health and Safety Plan will continue to be revised as new recommendations and guidance is issued. The Board will continue to review and discuss the plan at all upcoming board meetings.

July 21, 2020

At the Monday, July 20 meeting the Board of School Directors discussed reopening for the fall. The reopening committees recommended a hybrid plan which would allow for a mix of in-person and virtual learning with students in K-2 attending school five days a week. The Board has directed administration to also present a plan that would start school fully online.  

Regardless of which plan the Board ultimately selects, all families will have the option of online school. Click here to learn more about our Online Learning Academy. Students who opt to begin school online will have the option of returning to in-person schooling whenever they feel comfortable doing so and while online they will retain access to all Northgate services.

As conditions in our region have changed since the last parent survey, we will be sending another very short survey in an effort to gather updated parent feedback.

We want to thank everyone for their patience and support as we deal with this challenging situation. We recognize the strain this has put on many of our families and hope to have more definitive information out soon.

Sincerely,

Caroline Johns, Ed.D.
Superintendent

July 10, 2020 

Dear Northgate Families,

I hope this letter finds you well and healthy. As everyone is very aware, COVID-19 continues to present challenges to our normal routines and activities and as we get closer to the start of the school, we are anticipating many questions from our families. I will be communicating with our families throughout the summer to provide timely and accurate information. 

A couple of things we all need to keep in mind during the next few months is that conditions are constantly changing and we will be adapting our plans accordingly. Therefore, it is imperative that our families have updated information. We will be posting the most current information on the Coronavirus Response page on our website. If you have any questions, I strongly encourage you to reach out to your building principal directly. The administrative team is available during the summer months, and it is important to us that you have timely and accurate information. Our contact information is available by searching the directory on our website.

Here is an update on what has occurred in planning for reopening this fall and our next steps.

• Over the past few months, Allegheny County Superintendents have had bi-weekly meetings to review and discuss the latest recommendations from various public health organizations including the Center for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and county health departments. During the past month, representatives from the Allegheny County Health Department have joined these meetings to provide updates and answer questions.
   
• Based on these recommendations, we’ve created plans for our district to restart athletics and activities. The plans have been approved by the school board and practices have resumed. We continue to monitor conditions in the county and tweak the plans as needed.
   
• On July 20, the school board will vote on the first draft of our school reopening plan. This plan does two things: communicates our intent to pursue a full reopening in August and provides an overview of the precautions and procedures that will be in place. It is important to note that this plan will likely change as new guidelines and recommendations are released. More detailed plans are also being developed internally with input from various stakeholders.
   
• At this time, we are planning a full reopening but will offer a virtual option to all students. In early August, we will be asking parents to indicate if they are opting for in-person schooling or virtual. Students who choose to work virtually are welcome to return in-person at any time. 
   
• While we are planning a full reopening, I encourage all families with young children to have alternate plans in place in the event of an unexpected school building closure or if your child would need to be quarantined. If your child has close contact with a person with a confirmed case of COVID-19, the Allegheny County Health Department will most likely order a 14-day quarantine. During the 14-day quarantine period, your child will not be allowed to attend school, but we will continue to provide education through a virtual platform.

While there are many unknowns, we do know that during the next few months we will face challenges the likes of which we have never encountered. I want our families to know we are working diligently and in consultation with health experts in an effort to do all we can to provide a safe environment for our students and staff. We recognize that anxiety levels will be high and I encourage all of our families to reach out to us directly with any questions or concerns. I am confident that we can successfully meet this challenge by working together and supporting each other throughout the process. I believe that by doing this our children will be the ones who truly benefit from having our community working together to ensure their well being.

Sincerely,

Caroline Johns, Ed.D.
Superintendent