Safety Plan Appendices

Appendix 1: Listing of all school buildings covered by the district-wide safety plan

Warren St. Elementary School
Pleasant Ave. Elementary School
Glebe St. School
Knox Middle School
Johnstown High School

Appendix 2: Policies and Procedures for working with the Media

Information

Media interaction may be handled by: Superintendent or Designee
A law enforcement / emergency response agency PIO; or
Jointly, by both PIO’s listed above

Public Information Oﬃcer Information

Incident Commander and PIO functions may be handled by two diﬀerent persons.
The School District PIO may work under, over or in cooperation with law enforcement and emergency response agency PIO’s.
The PIO should set forth clear media guidelines and communicate these guidelines to the media in writing
The PIO should use a press release template for both a news conference script and/or a written press release.
The PIO should receive information and forms from the Incident Commander and other key function personnel on a regular basis throughout the emergency event

Student/Parent/Guardian Information

Students, Parents and Guardians should be mindful of the situation during an emergency event when approached by the media for an interview. Safety and security issues may be comprised
Students should not communicate with the media via cell phone or other type of communication when on campus during the following events:
- Lockdown
- Shelter in Place
- Evacuation
- Bomb/Biological Events
- Acts of Violence

Appendix 3: Forms

Parent Notification Letter

Dear Parents:

Should an emergency or disaster situation ever arise in our area while school is in session, we want you to be aware that the schools have made preparations to respond eﬀectively to such situations. Should we have a major disaster during school hours, your student(s) will be cared for at this school. Our School District has a detailed disaster plan, which has been formulated to respond to a major catastrophe.

Your cooperation is necessary in any emergency.

DO NOT TELEPHONE THE SCHOOL. Telephone lines may be needed for emergency communication.
In the event of a serious emergency, students may be kept at school until they are picked up by an identiﬁed, responsible adult who has been identiﬁed as such on a School District emergency card that is required to be ﬁlled out by parents at the beginning of every school year. Please be sure you consider the following criteria when you authorize another person to pick up your child at school:
1. they are 18 years of age
2. they are usually home during the day
3. they could walk to school, if necessary
4. they are known to your child
5. they are both aware and able to assume this responsibility
Turn to your local radio station / television stations for emergency announcements. If students are to be kept at school, radio / television stations will be notiﬁed. List of stations provided on school website and school calendar.
Impress upon your children the need for them to follow the directions of any school personnel in times of an emergency.

Students will be released only to parents and persons identiﬁed on the School District Emergency Card, you may be asked to provide proof of identiﬁcation upon arrival in order for the school to release the student(s). During an extreme emergency, students will be released at designated reunion location(s). Parents should become familiar with the School Emergency Disaster Plan and be patient and understanding with the student release process. Please instruct your student(s) to remain at school until you or a designee arrives.

Please discuss these matters with your immediate family. Planning ahead will help alleviate concern during emergencies.

Appendix 4: New York Brochure: “Protect Your Child From Violence

Copies of the Lieutenant Governor’s Brochure “Protect Your Child From Violence, A Resource For Parents” will be distributed to staﬀ, students and parent as deemed appropriate by the Superintendent.

Appendix 5: Bomb Threat Incident Form and Checklist

SED Bomb Threat/Serious Incident Report Form

Appendix 6: Emergency Remote Instruction Plan

Experiences during COVID-related school closures emphasized the importance of planning for emergency conditions that might require district- or school-wide remote learning. A recent amendment to Commissioner’s Regulation §155.17 requires districts add emergency remote instruction provisions to their annual District-wide School Safety Plan (DWSSP).

Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, all public school districts and boards of cooperative educational services (BOCES) must develop a plan that addresses six different regulatory components related to how they will provide remote instruction under emergency conditions.

ERI Plans must include the methods by which districts will ensure the availability of devices and internet access, provision of special education and related services for students with disabilities, and the expectations for time spent in different remote modalities, should an emergency require the district to transition to remote instruction.

ERI Plans must be informed by the district’s Student Digital Resources data collection, which is to be completed annually in the Student Information Repository System (SIRS). For more information in the Students Digital Resources data collection, please reference the related memos from June 2021, September 2021, and January 2022 or see the SIRS manual on the NYSED website.

The six regulatory components are listed below, specific to the Greater Johnstown School District. The GJSD Emergency Remote Instruction Plan (ERI Plan) will serve to ensure that there is a common understanding about remote instruction amongst district staff, teachers, families, and students.

Emergency Remote Instruction Plan The following items are the components required by regulation.

1. Required Component: Policies and procedures to ensure computing devices will be made available to students or other means by which students will participate in synchronous instruction. §155.17(c)(1)(xxi)(a)

Our long-range technology plan ensures that all students in Grades 5-12 are equipped with a Chromebook as a one-to-one device that are brought home on a daily basis for the school year. All students in Grades PK-4 are assigned a Chromebook for the school year; however, these devices remain in classrooms for classroom use. Students will be able to take the devices home in the event of a closure requiring remote learning.

Based on the Digital Equity Survey, families in need of internet access are provided with a wireless hotspot to use for purposes of synchronous learning. The District also assists families with accessing affordable internet connectivity programs in our region.

In the event a need to distribute computing devices to students exists, the District will create pick-up points for any student in need of a computing device for remote instruction. The District will use our communication pathways (i.e. ParentSquare, social media, website) to disseminate instructions to families.

The GJSD Technology Department is charged with ensuring support to our families on the use of devices, connectivity, and servicing/replacement of devices. Specific locations at school buildings with office hours will be designated should a device issue arise that must be addressed in person (the District will adhere to all Public Health protocols).

Suggested Considerations:

How will the district ensure that all students have access to a computing device? How will the district disseminate computing devices to students?

How will the district communicate with families about the dissemination of computing devices?

How will devices be serviced and/or replaced?

If not using computing devices, how will students participate in synchronous instruction?

Is your plan consistent with the information provided by families in the Student Digital

Resources data collection?

2. Required Component: Policies and procedures to ensure students receiving remote instruction under emergency conditions will access internet connectivity. §155.17(c)(1)(xxi)(a)Based on the Digital Equity Survey, families in need of internet access are provided with a wireless hotspot to use for purposes of synchronous learning. The District also assists families with accessing affordable internet connectivity programs in our region.

Further, the District will use our communication pathways (i.e. ParentSquare, social media, website) to solicit the needs of our families as they relate to connectivity.

The Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) team will coordinate with Social Services and other community organizations to ensure that our families have the resources they need for remote learning.

Suggested Considerations:

How will the district determine the need for access to internet in students’ places of residence?

How will the district ensure that all students have access to internet?

How will the district work with community organizations and local public spaces to ensure students have access to Wi-Fi access points?

Is your plan consistent with the information provided by families in the Student Digital

Resources data collection?

3. Required Component: Expectations for school staff as to the proportion of time spent in synchronous and asynchronous instruction of students on days of remote instruction under emergency conditions with an expectation that asynchronous instruction is supplementary to synchronous instruction. §155.17(c)(1)(xxi)(b)The District will follow the guidance as set for the by the New York State Education Department should remote instruction become necessary. Further, the District will ensure that the total number of instructional hours are met for elementary and secondary schools, and in collaboration with our teachers’ collective bargaining union.

All instructional staff are provided with a laptop and Chromebook that can be used at home and/or school. Other devices are provided as necessary (i.e. document cameras and monitors). In the event of remote instruction, staff will be instructed to take their devices home, and to inform the Technology Department if other devices and/or internet connectivity is required at home in order to deliver synchronous learning.

The following lists the minimum expectations for synchronous learning:

Students in Grades PK-4: A minimum of two hours per day will be spent on synchronous instruction. The District will follow the homebound instruction requirements set forth by NYSED and ensure a minimum of 10 hours per week are synchronous learning.

Students in Grades 5-12:Students will follow a schedule that mimics their current period based schedules using the buildings 2-hour delay schedule. The District will follow the homebound instruction requirements set forth by NYSED and ensure a minimum of 15 hours per week are synchronous learning.

The following lists the minimum expectations for asynchronous learning:

Students in Grades PK-4:

- 90 minutes of asynchronous instruction per week to be completed on our math learning platform iReady.
- 20 minutes per day of literacy activities to be completed asynchronously (via Google Classroom or learning packets).
- Additional 30 minutes per week for both Science and Social Studies (via Google Classroom or learning packets).
- Teachers will provide optional office hours for 1 hour per day for any student who may require support with their asynchronous instruction.

Students in Grades 5-12:

- Students will be assigned 20-30 minutes of asynchronous learning by course using Google classroom.Instruction will be personalized to support students’ individualized needs, including, supporting ELL/MLL students by:
  - ELL/ML Students will have the same services listed above; and in addition, our ENL provider will provide the same level of services needed through:
    - Individual Google Meets
    - Small Group Google Meets
    - Phone calls
    - Home visits (if allowable by Public Health)

Suggested Considerations:

How will the district ensure that school staff has the necessary tools, including device and Wi-Fi, to deliver emergency remote instruction from their places of residence?

What portion of the school day will be spent on synchronous instruction?

What portion of the school day will be spent on asynchronous instruction?

How will instruction be personalized to support students individualized needs, including supporting ELL/ML students?

What training is provided to teachers in order to help adapt their instruction to the district expectations?

4. Required Component: A description of how instruction will occur for those students for whom remote instruction by digital technology is not available or appropriate. §155.17(c)(1)(xxi)(c)

The District will work with building principals, Pupil Personnel Services and School Based Intervention Teams to determine which students for whom remote instruction by digital technology is not available or appropriate.

Following then current Public Health guidelines, the District will provide opportunities for in-person instruction (i.e. bring small classes into the building and offer synchronous instruction).

Moreover, the District will prioritize providing instruction in other ways to those students who are in self-contained classrooms or require additional services that would be limited by service through digital means.

Further, the District will use our communication pathways (i.e. ParentSquare, social media, website) to solicit the needs of our families as they relate to connectivity.

Suggested Considerations:

How will the district determine which students for whom remote instruction via digital technology is not appropriate?

How will the district provide synchronous instruction for those students for whom remote instruction by digital technology is not appropriate?

How will the district provide synchronous instruction for those students who do not have adequate internet access?

5. Required Component: A description of how special education and related services will be provided to students with disabilities and preschool students with disabilities, as applicable, in accordance with their individualized education programs to ensure the continued provision of a free appropriate public education. §155.17(c)(1)(xxi)(d)

Students with Disabilities in Grades PK-12, will be provided with the same synchronous and asynchronous learning as regular education students as outlined in Number 3 above. Additionally, special education students in PK-12 will be provided with:

Office hours offered with general education, special education teachers and related service providers.
Special education providers will provide Resource Room and AIS as appropriate, and as indicated on Individualized Education Plans.
Related Service Providers will offer remote therapy sessions.
Packets will be provided for students to work on if unable to complete assignments remotely using technology.
Providers will offer support to families to assist their children- phone calls, consults, virtual meetings, etc.

The Director of Pupil Personnel Services will meet virtually weekly with all Special Education teachers, service providers, and support staff to review progress of each student with an Individualized Education Plan to ensure consistency and quality of the services provided.

Suggested Considerations:

How will the district ensure that special education and related services will be provided remotely?

How has the district coordinated with special education teachers, support staff, and service providers in the district to ensure that each

student with an IEP is receiving the same quality of services that would occur in an in-person environment?

6. Required Component: For school districts that receive foundation aid, the estimated number of instructional hours the school district intends to claim for State aid purposes for each day spent in remote instruction due to emergency conditions pursuant to section 175.5 of this Chapter. §155.17(c)(1)(xxi)(e)

The District will follow the guidance as set for the by the New York State Education Department should remote instruction become necessary. Further, the District will ensure that the total number of instructional hours per school year are met for elementary and secondary schools, and in collaboration with our teachers’ collective bargaining union. This may include adjustments to the school calendar in terms of length of the school year and number of in-person instructional days, once remote instruction requirements end.

Please see Number 3 above for specifics on the number of hours per day the District will provide synchronous and asynchronous learning to students.

Suggested Considerations:

This provision allows for districts to determine the number of hours per day that the district plans to provide instruction during emergency remote learning.

How many hours of instruction will the district plan to claim for each day of an emergency closure?