Week of September 13–17, 2021
We were thrilled to welcome students back to the classroom—and in-person learning—this week! It was a joyous homecoming as students, teachers, school staff, and families reconnected in schools throughout the city. We are proud to once again be serving our students in safe, healthy, supportive classrooms where they can grow socially, emotionally, and academically. Please visit our website for the most up-to-date information on the historic 2021-22 school year: schools.nyc.gov/homecoming
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Important Forms
- COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing
- COVID-19 Quarantine Protocols and Remote Instruction
- Get Help
Important Forms
Health Screening Tool
Before entering school buildings each day, every student and staff member must complete the Health Screening Form to confirm that they are not experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, have not recently tested positive, and are not currently required to quarantine based on close contact with an infected person.
We recommend bookmarking healthscreening.schools.nyc on your device so you can quickly and easily complete the form before sending your child to school each day.
Submit an Updated Testing Consent Form for Your Child
In order for your child to participate in the in-school COVID testing program, you must submit an updated testing consent form to your school.
- You can fill out the form using your NYC School Account (NYCSA): schoolsaccount.nyc.
- Download the form online at schools.nyc.gov/covidtesting
Stay Connected with the New York City Schools Account
Stay up-to-date on important announcements from the DOE, including school closures, policy updates, and events happening in your district or citywide! There is a new way for you to stay connected to your student’s education and more in the new NYC Schools Account (NYCSA)
Portal. One sign-in will allow you to:
- See your student’s grades, test scores and more
- Take classes in Parent University
- Access forms for your child
- Reset your child's DOE account password
COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing
Vaccination
Vaccination is the most important step you can take to protect you and your family from COVID-19,
and all New Yorkers ages 12 and older are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. If you
have a child who is at least 12 years old and not yet fully vaccinated, the Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and the DOE strongly encourage you to make a vaccination appointment
for them as soon as possible by visiting vaccinefinder.nyc.gov. For the latest DOE vaccination information, visit schools.nyc.gov/covid19.
Students ages 12 and older participating in high-risk extracurricular sports and other high-risk extracurricular activities are required to be vaccinated in order to participate in those activities during the 2021-22 school year. For more information, please visit our website:
School Visitor Policy Reminder: All visitors aged 12 and older must show proof of at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination to enter a school building. Visitors do not include students attending school in a DOE building.
Department of Education (DOE) Vaccination Portal
Using your child’s DOE account information, you can upload an image of your child’s vaccination card or NYC Excelsior Pass to the DOE’s vaccine portal at vaccine.schools.nyc. Submitting that information will support New York City’s pandemic response and recovery efforts, helping to ensure that our school communities remain safe and healthy.
COVID-19 Testing in Schools
Continuing the safety measures introduced in the previous school year, we will be conducting regular COVID testing of unvaccinated students grades 1 through 12. That way, action can be taken right away to protect the school community if there’s a positive case. In order for your child to participate in the in-school testing program, you must submit an updated testing consent form for your child to your school. You can fill out the form using your NYCSA account (schoolsaccount.nyc) or download the form online at schools.nyc.gov/covidtesting.
COVID-19 Quarantine Protocols and Remote Instruction
If There is a Positive COVID-19 Case at Your Child’s School
We know how important it is to keep our schools and classrooms open for learning, and we are committed to the health and safety of our school communities and reducing disruptions in your child’s education. There may be times when your child is asked to quarantine due to exposure to COVID-19. If there is a positive case in a classroom:
- Elementary Schools: if all students in the class are instructed to quarantine, they will receive remote instruction while they quarantine (see more information in the “Remote Instruction” section below).
- Middle and High Schools: students who are at least 12 years old, vaccinated, and:
are encouraged to take a COVID-19 test three to five days after exposure.
o showing symptoms will be directed to quarantine for 10 calendar days. These students will have access to remote learning while quarantining.
o Unvaccinated students will be directed to be quarantine for 10 calendar days
and will continue their learning remotely. On day five of their quarantine students
may take a
COVID-19 test, and with a negative result, return to school in-person after day seven.
Schools will be closed only when it is determined by the DOHMH that there is widespread transmission in the school. With the health and safety measures in place, we expect that school closures will be limited.
Remote Instruction
In the event of an emergency school or classroom closure, whether due to health or weather-related emergencies (for example positive COVID-19 cases, or a snow day), classes will shift to
remote learning for a period of time.
- When an entire classroom or school is closed, teachers will conduct lessons remotely and in real-time (synchronous instruction).
- In some cases, there may be a partial classroom closure, where only a subset of students in a classroom will be required to quarantine and others will continue to attend school in person.
o Students who are able to attend school in-person will continue to receive regular in- person instruction.
o Students who are required to quarantine will have access to instructional material (asynchronous) in their digital classrooms.
o Students who are required to quarantine will also be able to interact live with teachers during specified office hours. Students are not required to attend office hours
and can contact their teacher with questions if they are not able to attend. During those office hours, teachers may offer individual or small group tutorials, check
in on assignments,
and answer students’ questions.
On Election Day—Tuesday, November 2—school buildings will be closed but students will receive
remote asynchronous assignments.
Get Help
Enrollment
Still need an elementary or middle school for your child? Find your zoned school at
Email ESEnrollment@schools.nyc.gov (for grade K - 5) or MSEnrollment@schools.nyc.gov (for grades 6–8) with your child’s name, date of birth, grade, and address.
If you have not received a 3-K or pre-K offer, add your child to programs’ waitlists at
MySchools.nyc: there’s no limit on how many waitlists you can join! If a program can make your child an offer, they will contact you directly.
Language Access
You have the right to receive information or communicate with your child’s school in you
language. If you or someone you know needs help, tell your school’s principal or parent coordinator, call the DOE at (718) 935-2013 or email Hello@schools.nyc.gov. You can find more information and important resources, including the Parent Guide to Language Access, at schools.nyc.gov/hello.
Parent Coordinator
The parent coordinator at your child’s school can help you learn more about school programs and
resources, complete important forms, and work with the principal to address any concerns you may
have. You can find information for your child’s school using the Find a School tool:
schools.nyc.gov/find-a-school. Contact information for the school’s parent coordinator is on each
school’s page under General Information.
Technology Support
In the past year, the DOE has distributed over 500,000 digital learning devices with more on the way. Families should work with their schools to ensure their child has the device that works best for
them. For information on devices, including how to get them repaired and how to return them to the
DOE, please see the DOE website: schools.nyc.gov/DOEdevices.
To login to DOE systems, including Zoom, Google, and other learning platforms, each student has
a OneAccount4All account (DOE account): schools.nyc.gov/studentaccounts.
Families that need technical assistance should fill out the online form at
