Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

We were informed by the Department of Education that all schools are to remain closed until further notice. Therefore, students will not be returning on April 9 and at this time we do not have a date for their return. We will continue to keep you updated.

We will be offering another opportunity for students to borrow a device to use for online learning. This is for families who do not have technology or are having difficulties with the technology they currently have in the home. Pick up will be available this Wednesday, April 1 at the Middle High School front lobby from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.  Please be sure to adhere to social distancing guidelines by maintaining at least 6 feet between you and other people.

With today being the first official day of online learning, we expect that many families are experiencing a significant learning curve. I encourage everyone to work in small chunks so as not to get overwhelmed. This is a learning process for all of us which will require a significant amount of patience and support. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher and/or principal to let them know what challenges you are experiencing. This information will help us better provide the needed supports for our families.

Thank you and be well.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education has announced that all schools in the state will remain closed for students until April 9. As a result of this extended closure, the Northgate School District will move all instruction to an online platform using Google Classroom. The first official day of mandatory online instruction will be Monday, March 30. If you have not been receiving our emails, please complete this short form so we can update your information. Below you will find additional information about expectations for attendance and instruction.  

We recognize that this is a big shift for many of our families. Please be sure to communicate any difficulties you are experiencing to your child’s principal and teachers. We expect there to be challenges along the way and are committed to working with our families to address them.  

Attendance
Students will need to complete a short survey each day in order to be counted present for attendance purposes. The link to the attendance survey will be posted on each teacher’s Google Classroom, and each student needs to complete the survey once per day. Students do not need to complete a survey for each course.  

Instruction
While we are unable to meet face to face, instruction will be happening digitally. The platform that our district teachers are using is Google Classroom. Through this platform, teachers will be able to post multimedia resources for instruction, host real-time meetings, and collect student work. It is very important that students log on regularly, communicate with their teacher, and complete the work that is assigned.

Teachers will be available for regular office hours and to assist students who might be struggling with either the technology or the course content. A guide for accessing Google Classroom and all codes for accessing your students’ classes can be found on our website northgatesd.net. All other access questions can be answered by emailing your students’ teachers.

We want to make the most of this time and maximize student learning. This will require a team effort, and we appreciate your support at home. Please create a schedule for your students, encourage them to complete assignments on time, and communicate regularly with their teachers.

Home Internet:
We know that not everyone has the internet at their home, but right now this service is very important to the instruction that we are sending to our students. Comcast is offering a FREE option for all of our families during this difficult time.

As the country deals with the effects of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), Comcast is taking immediate steps to help connect more low-income families to the Internet at home. Effective Monday, March 16, anyone who signs up for Internet Essentials will receive two free months of Internet service.  Comcast is also increasing the speed of the program to 25 Mbps downloads, and 3 Mbps uploads for all new and existing customers.

After your first two free months expire, you can either cancel the service (which you can do at any time) or keep it as a regular paying Internet Essentials customer. You will receive an easy to use self-install-kit that includes a cable modem (to receive service at your home) with a WiFi router (to connect your devices without wires). There is no term contract or credit check and no shipping fee for equipment. Comcast contact for this program is 855-846-8376.

Communications
District communications will continue to be shared through robocalls, our website, Facebook and emails.  If you have not been receiving school emails, please go to our website to provide updated information. A short survey is posted on our website where you will be able to provide your information.

In closing, I want our families to know that we remain sensitive to the many hardships and challenges being faced by our community during these unprecedented times. Please know that we are here ready to assist you and your child. If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to myself, your child’s principal and teachers.  

All schools have been ordered to remain closed until Thursday, April 9. Therefore, we will begin regular online instruction on Monday, March 30. A letter is forthcoming which will provide more specific details about how online instruction will work.  

For families with children who do not have access to a device in the home, we do have a limited number of devices that we will be loaning to families. Please keep in mind that students do not have to be logged in at any certain time to access instruction. This is being done purposefully so families are able to share a device.  

For families needing to pick up a device, we will be distributing them this Wednesday through Friday in the front lobby of the Middle/High School. We are only allowing one device per household. For families with last names ending in A-M, pick up is Wednesday 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. For families with names ending in N-Z, pick up is Thursday 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. For anyone not able to pick up on their appointed day, we will have pick up available on Friday during the same timeframe.

When you arrive, please line up at the front door keeping a minimum of 6 feet between you and the person in front of you. Do not enter the lobby until the person in front of you has exited.

By now families should have received a packet of educational resources from the district. If you have not, please contact your building principal via email.

Moving forward, the Department of Education has now released guidance indicating schools can move to a fully online platform to provide instruction. These days will count towards the 180 instructional day requirement. We are in the process of planning for this should the school closure extend beyond two weeks. Currently, we are finalizing plans to get devices to our students who do not have them and we are working to ensure our students with disabilities have their needs met. Should the closure be extended, our first day of full online instruction will be Monday, March 30. In the meantime, we encourage our families to take full advantage of the resources that have been provided to help maintain academic skills.  

There have been some questions about upcoming events. At this time, no events have been canceled. The kindergarten registration event will be rescheduled. The spring musical will also be postponed to allow the cast and crew time to adequately prepare. As soon as we have updated dates for these events, we will communicate them to our families. At this time, Prom and Graduation are still on their regularly scheduled dates.  

Thank you for your patience as we navigate through these unprecedented circumstances.  

The first update is packets of educational materials are in the process of being mailed home. These packets contain Google Classroom information and, for the younger grades, hard copy materials.  Please use these resources to help your child maintain academic skills during the closure. Students are not required to complete these activities but we strongly encourage them to do so. Please note, all work provided during the closure will focus on review. We are not providing new instruction and no work will count towards a grade. 

The second update is that we are closing the third quarter effective this past Friday. If your child has make-up work to do, this can be completed and submitted at this time. Please contact your child’s individual teacher via email with any questions.

The final update is in regards to meal pick up. A “grab and go” lunch and breakfast for the next day will be provided for all students beginning tomorrow Tuesday, March 17. These meals can be picked up at the Middle/High School between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. When you arrive, please enter the cafeteria at the entrance marked A2. The pick-up will be immediately inside the door. After you pick up your meal, please follow the arrows to the designated exit door. If there is a line outside, please be sure to put space between yourself and the person in front of you. As a reminder, per federal regulations the child needs to be present to pick up a meal.

Families who need to pick-up prescription medications from the nurse's office can do so Monday, March 16 between the hours of 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. When you enter the building you do not need to check in at the office. You can go directly to the nurse's office. While we are discouraging people from entering the buildings, if your child left a necessary item in the building you may also pick it up during these times. 

The Northgate School District will be closed March 16 - March 27. We will begin offering free “Grab & Go” meals to ALL students in the district beginning Tuesday, March 17. The meals will consist of a lunch and breakfast for the next day. They will be distributed from the Middle/High School between 11 and 12:30 p.m. We have reviewed closely the recommendations and regulations set by the USDA in order to determine all of our options. Based on these, we are limiting distribution to the Middle/High School and the student must be present to pick up the meal as required by federal regulations.

Due to the growing concerns about COVID-19 and in consultation with regional school districts and other agencies, the Northgate School District will be closed for two weeks starting Monday, March 16 with students returning on Monday, March 30. We are currently finalizing plans for online learning, and we will be distributing instructional materials at the beginning of next week. More information regarding this will be available Monday. We have also submitted an emergency waiver to the Department of Education requesting permission to continue meal service for our students in the free and reduced lunch program.