Rye Schools Choose Hybrid Model for Opening

(PHOTO: Rye School Superintendent Eric Byrne during the August 11, 2020 Board of Education Meeting.)

The Rye City School District will follow the hybrid model of schooling, offering a combination of in person, remote live and remote assignment-based teaching. School boss Eric Byrne made the announcement Tuesday nigh during the board of education meeting.

What you need to know:

• Details are spelled out in the District’s reopening plan. Get a cup of coffee first, it is 80 pages long;
• There will be lots of Q&A sessions for parents over the next couple weeks – see below. There will also be “building specific” sessions for each school;
• There are some additions and modifications to the plan since one week ago based on community feedback including:
  • elementary level, there will now be live, in-person teaching in the buildings on Wednesday mornings to provide additional in-person instruction and socialization,
  • there will be a totally remote learning option for those families who desire it

See the full note issued by the school system Wednesday morning:

“Dear RCSD Parents and Guardians,

At last night’s Board of Education meeting, I announced that when we return to school, the Rye City School District will be following what is known as a hybrid model of schooling. A hybrid model combines face-to-face instruction with remote learning.  Students take classes with a teacher in a traditional manner several days a week, and on other days participate in live classroom instruction from home or engage in independent teacher-assigned school work.  A hybrid model will allow the District to reduce the number of students physically in our school buildings at any given time to allow for social distancing within the schools by moving some teaching online. The Board and I, in conjunction with the District’s medical advisors, believe that the hybrid model is the best option for our community with regard to both safety and education. For more details on the hybrid model, including preliminary schedules, please see the District’s reopening plan.

There will be some changes to the hybrid model outlined in the initial reopening plan. At the elementary level, there will now be live, in-person teaching in the buildings on Wednesday mornings to provide additional in-person instruction and socialization. Students in the hybrid groups will rotate each week coming to school on Wednesday morning.  Please see the updated schedule in the District’s reopening plan.  Wednesday afternoon will be retained as a remote learning time to provide teachers with the opportunity to prepare lessons, collaborate with colleagues, and engage in professional development. All students will learn remotely on Wednesday afternoon.

Based on significant interest from parents, we will be offering a totally remote learning option for those families who desire it. Families will have to make a commitment for a full semester (September-January) for their students to participate in a remote option. We will provide more information about this model and hold registration in the coming days.

The District will be holding a series of question and answer sessions for parents in the coming days (see below for details). I invite you to join us for one of the sessions either via Google Meet or by dialing in by phone. The sessions will also be recorded and posted to our website should your schedule not allow you to join one.

• Thursday, August 13, at 3:30 p.m. Meeting Link or join by phone: 1 502-530-1180‬ PIN: ‪205 291 977‬#
• Friday, August 14, at 2:30 p.m.  Meeting Link or join by phone: 1 941-270-3696‬ PIN: ‪649 880 671‬#
• Monday, August 17, at 11:15 a.m. Meeting Link or join by phone: 1 520-329-5608‬ PIN: ‪600 257 203‬#
• Monday, August 17, at 7:00 p.m.  Meeting Link or join by phone:  1 347-384-9897‬ PIN: ‪438 781 384‬#

We will schedule additional parent question and answer sessions by school, and we will reach out with those dates and times as soon as they have been scheduled.

Please continue to send questions and comments to [email protected]. The Board and I value your input and are reviewing each of the communications sent there. We are adding the questions you raise and providing answers in the Q&A section of our reopening webpage on a regular basis. Visit the reopening section of the District’s website for this and more information on the District’s reopening plans.

Sincerely,

Eric Byrne, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools”