Malverne, West Hempstead schools to remain closed

In an effort to minimize the spread of the coronavirus, students in New York state will not return to school for the rest of the year, and will instead continue with distance learning, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said last Friday afternoon.

The announcement came as Covid-19 hospitalizations and deaths continued a steady decline, but the state was still seeing nearly 1,000 new cases a day, which Cuomo said was unacceptably high.

The decision affects 4.2 million students statewide in 700 public school districts, 89 SUNY and CUNY colleges, and 100 private colleges.

In a recent letter to parents, West Hempstead School District Superintendent Daniel Rehman urged students to keep up with the district’s learning-from-home initiative. “Let’s treat each day as an opportunity to work out our brain and become a better reader, writer and thinker,” Rehman said.

West Hempstead High School was honored as a recognition school for high academic achievement by the New York State Education Department last month. In addition, the district’s pupil personnel services department was also recognized by NYSED for meeting all state and federal guidelines under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Making sure that students keep up with virtual assignments, Rehman said, is a daily task for teachers. He explained that each district school had, or would have, a new schedule posted for specific times at which students must be present. Some assignments can be done at a different time, Rehman said, but all students need to attend classes daily.

“This is a time when helping one another is even more important,” he said.

Malverne School District Superintendent Dr. James Hunderfund said that the district was waiting for details on how Cuomo’s decision would affect summer school. “We’re working hard to make the best of this situation,” Hunderfund wrote in a letter to parents. “Our goal is to ensure that all students receive essential learning and practice while schools are closed. As such, our approach promotes equitable learning access for all students.”

At Malverne’s primary and intermediate schools, students in every grade have engaged in a variety of print and digital activities, and used learning platforms such as Class Dojo, SeeSaw, Remind and WebEx to communicate virtually with their teachers. In addition to classroom assignments, district leaders have encouraged students to keep up with phys. ed., music, art and technology through other programs each week. Middle and high school students have used OneNote, Edmodo and Microsoft Teams, among other virtual learning platforms.

“Although there is truly no way to duplicate the wonderful things that take place in our classrooms,” Hunderfund wrote, “we are confident that this path forward will ensure that our students stay engaged with their teachers and on the right path.”

Last Friday’s actions, Cuomo said, would determine “the number of sick tomorrow” — hence the need to keep school buildings closed.

Colleges and school districts across the state must begin developing reopening plans, he said, which must be approved by state officials. Cuomo added that there had been no determination yet whether there would be summer school, and that that announcement would be made in the coming weeks.