The High School of American Studies at Lehman College

In-Person Learning Plan Fall 2020

The High School of American Studies at Lehman College has completed its fall in-person learning plan based on the rules, regulations, and guidelines established by CUNY, Lehman College, and the New York City Department of Education. The plan conforms to expectations established by all three bodies.


In-Person Instruction: The maximum in-person capacity is 52 students, plus faculty and staff.
Frequency of Attendance: Cohorts of no more than 52 students will attend one day every other week (i.e. approximately two times per month).
Class Size: Depending on the square footage available in each room, the maximum in-person class size will be two to eight students, plus a teacher. Room capacity will be clearly posted on each door and will not be exceeded. See Page 6 for additional information.
Programs: The program will minimize the necessity for students to change classrooms throughout the day, though this may occasionally be necessary, especially in the upper grades. In most cases, students will remain in the same room and teachers will rotate among the rooms. The school will have a clear schedule of which students and teachers have access to specific rooms on specific days. Attendance will be carefully tracked.
Social Distancing: Ten feet inside of the building at all times as required by CUNY/Lehman College, except as permitted or required by CUNY, NYC, and NYSED regulations; Twelve feet during PE activities; Six feet outside while on line at morning entry.
Personal Protective Equipment: Masks are required at all times. Any exceptions must be certified by a physician, as indicated by DOE policy. As per a Chancellor's directive, any student who refuses to wear a mask will be barred from attending in-person classes and may be subject to consequences under the NYC DOE Disciplinary Code. Masks and other PPE will be provided and replenished by NYC DOE and/or brought by students for personal use. Sanitizer stations will be provided and replenished by NYC DOE, along with posters and plastic barriers for the security desk and the main office.
Classroom Arrangements: Students will sit at desks at least ten feet apart from each other and from the teacher. Classroom windows will be kept open. The HVAC system will be on.
Time Schedule: Students will arrive between 8:00 AM and 8:30 AM and will depart by 2:00 PM (tentatively). Faculty and Staff will have work schedules between 7:00 AM and 4:00 PM. See the next page for entry and exit procedures.
Meals: Students will not be permitted to consume food or drink in the building. Grab-and-go breakfast and lunch will be provided by the Office of School Food on entry and/or departure. Students will not eat in the cafeteria. Provisions will be made to eat in the school's garden when possible.
Physical Education: In good weather, classes will use the South Field. Twelve feet of social distance will be required for any athletic activities, as per DOE. Contact sports are not permitted. Students will be escorted by faculty to and from the field. In inclement weather, up to 25 students plus a teacher will use the Old Gym. Classes in the Old Gym will consist of non-athletic activities. Masks are required both indoors and outdoors.
Restrooms: Based on social distancing requirements, the maximum capacity of each restroom is three. The faculty restroom has a maximum capacity of one. Capacity is posted on the entrance to each facility. Closed stalls and sinks have been closed or taped off.
PSAL: The fall season is postponed.
Campus Access for Students: No student will be permitted on campus without a faculty escort or a written note from the principal or assistant principal.
Additional Space: Use of the lower cafeteria for up to ten faculty and staff, with at least ten feet between all personnel. Occasional use of the Art Room (only by the art teacher and not by students). Possible use of classrooms in Gillet Hall (to be discussed at a later date if necessary or in case of emergency).
Entry and Exit Protocols: Prior to arrival, faculty and staff complete an on-line health screening form that contains nearly identical questions to those on the CUNY screening form. Based on the information provided, faculty and staff who receive a response of "green" are cleared to enter the building. Those who receive a "red" response are not permitted to enter. The protocol for certifying pre-screening of students has not yet been finalized by the DOE, though all families have received guidelines for how to conduct pre-screening at home, prior to departure. (We will advise once this information is available.) Upon arrival, students will line up in the North Lot, maintaining six to ten feet of social distance at all times. Students will enter through the side entrance in the North Lot. Faculty and staff will enter through the main entrance on Goulden Avenue. At morning entry, temperatures will be taken for all students and staff. Students whose temperature is greater than 100.0 degrees will be directed to the nurse and the isolation room (see below). Faculty and staff whose temperature is greater than 100.0 degrees will be sent home immediately. Students, faculty, and staff will be directed to clean their hands at a sanitizing station. See Page 4 for additional information.
Health Protocols: A student who feels unwell or has a temperature greater than 100.0 degrees will be escorted to the nurse's office. Upon evaluation, students who display symptoms consistent with COVID-19 will be escorted to a supervised isolation room. The student's parent or guardian will be called to pick him or her up. The student will not be allowed to return to school in-person until he or she presents proof of a negative COVID test. The same policy applies to faculty. The College will be informed of any suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19. The College will also inform the high school of any cases on campus. See Page 4 for a full description.
Random COVID Testing: Starting October 1, the DOE will implement a random COVID testing policy that applies to faculty, staff, and students. Up to 20% of the school population will be tested randomly. Faculty and staff who refuse to submit to an exam will be automatically placed on unpaid leave. Students whose parents do not provide permission for a test will be switched to remote instruction. Details forthcoming.
Emergency Drills: Drills are required but participants must maintain ten feet of distance during "staggered" lockdown and evacuation drills.
Cleaning: High touch surfaces (outside of each classroom) will be cleaned by college staff throughout the day. The school will be responsible for disinfecting keyboards and electronic equipment. The College will thoroughly disinfect and clean the entire building each night.

Health and Safety Rules

These rules apply to students who attend school in-person. Failure to follow these rules may constitute a disciplinary infraction and may result in consequences consistent with the DOE’s Code of Student Conduct, including revocation of the ability to attend school in person.

Morning Entry

  • Students will be advised not to attend school if they are feeling unwell or have any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19. Students should also stay home if they may have been exposed to someone with COVID or if they have traveled to any of the destinations that require home quarantine upon return to New York.
  • Students must take their temperatures before leaving the house and may not come to school if they have a fever.
  • The pre-screening protocol for students has not yet been released by the DOE.
  • Faculty complete pre-screening by completing an on-line form each day. If the result is “green,” faculty are permitted to enter the building. If the result is “red,” faculty are barred from entry. The pre-screening form is substantially identical to that used by CUNY.
  • Upon arrival, students will line up six to ten feet apart in the parking lot at the back door of the building.
  • At 8:00 AM (TBD), the doors will open. Each student will have his or her temperature taken with a digital thermometer. Faculty may enter through the main entrance after 7 AM and will have their temperature taken as well. Students whose temperature is greater than 100.4 degrees will be escorted to the nurse. Faculty and staff whose temperature is greater than 100.4 degrees will be sent home.
  • Upon entry, students and faculty will clean their hands at one of the sanitizer stations. Students and faculty will be instructed to clean hands well and frequently throughout the day. Students and faculty may wear gloves if they wish.
  • Classroom assignments will be emailed to students prior to the first day. Upon entry, each student will proceed immediately to his or her assigned classroom and be seated. Students may not congregate in the hallways or in the lobby.
  • In order to reduce hallway congestion, students will not have access to lockers, apart from removing materials stored since last year.

During the Day

  • Students, faculty, and staff must wear a mask at all times and may bring one from home. The school will have extra masks on hand if needed. As per a directive from the Chancellor, students who refuse to wear a mask may not stay at school and will be switched to remote instruction. Students who have a medical condition that prevents wearing a mask must provide documentation from a physician.
  • Each student will remain in his/her designated classroom throughout much of the day. It may occasionally be necessary to change rooms, but, for the most part, teachers will be rotating among the rooms, rather than the other way around.
  • Capacity in student restrooms will be controlled. Maximum occupancy is three, and every other stall and sink will be closed. Capacity is clearly posted on the entry to each facility. Public safety officers will monitor capacity from the main security desk, which is adjacent to each restroom. If the restroom is fully occupied, the student will wait outside the door, making sure to stay ten feet away from everyone else on line.
  • Food and drink are not permitted in the building. On arrival, students may pick up a “grab and go” breakfast and eat it in our garden. As they depart at the end of the day, they may pick up a grab and go lunch. When the weather is nice, teachers may permit a snack break in the garden. Students who wish a brief drink of water during the day may ask for permission to go to the garden.
  • At all times, all building inhabitants will maintain at least ten feet of distance between them and everyone else.
  • The maximum capacity for each classroom will be posted at its entrance. No one may enter a room if that means the capacity will be exceeded.
  • When walking down the hallway, all inhabitants will stay as far to the right-hand side as possible.
  • Students who feel ill must notify a teacher immediately. They will be escorted to the nurse’s office to be evaluated. If the nurse determines that the symptoms might be associated with COVID-19, the student will be isolated. A parent or guardian will be called to pick the student up. Students may not return to school in person without first submitting proof that they have taken a COVID test and the result is negative. Parents may choose to bring students to the COVID testing center adjacent to the school.
  • Unless escorted by a teacher, students are not permitted anywhere on the college campus. Most campus facilities are closed, including the library, the cafeteria, and the APEX. We will use the South Field for supplemental PE activities. Teacher will escort students to and from the field. While walking to the field, students must maintain ten feet of distance between themselves and all other students or teachers. Students may never be on campus alone.
  • The school will maintain a schedule with class lists and accurate attendance records so as to assist in contact tracing if there are any suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19.
  • As mentioned previously, the DOE will conduct random screening of up to 20% of the school’s population each month. Details forthcoming.
  • The school will inform the College of any suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19, and the College will inform the school of any cases on campus. In order to assist in contact tracing, the school will also provide information as to the location of the confirmed case (which classroom or facility) and vice-versa.

Dismissal

  • Starting at 2 PM (TBD), each classroom will be dismissed separately over the PA.
  • When each room is called, students must depart the building immediately and may not congregate on school or campus grounds.
  • Once clubs and other after-school activities resume, most meetings will be virtual.

Capacity Calculations

We have calculated the capacity of each classroom, based on the total square footage of each space (provided by the College), minus unusable space, such as access ways, window sills, etc. Based on these calculations, the total capacity of the building is a maximum of 52 students, plus faculty and staff. The capacity of each room, noted below, ranges from two to eight students, plus a teacher.

ROOM

104

106

108

120

124

126

128

134

133

127

125

119

117

T

A0

720

705

709

1673

855

657

956

672

706

701

689

782

788

10,613

B’

50

12

12

25

12

15

35

25

66

12

20

38

39

361

B’’

30

10

30

450

225

25

100

70

10

40

90

50

30

730

B’’’

 

 

 

 

 

 

90

 

 

 

 

 

 

90

AA

640

683

667

1198

618

617

731

577

630

649

579

694

719

9002

CL

4

4

4

8

3

3

4

3

4

4

3

4

4

52

CH

2

2

2

5

2

2

3

2

2

2

2

2

3

31

(capacity calculations exclude one teacher per classroom)

  • A0 = area provided by Lehman College
  • B’ = sill area (estimate)
  • B’’ = fixed storage area (estimate)
  • B’’’ = narrow corridor area (estimate)
  • AA = adjusted area
  • CL = student capacity, socially distanced 125 sq ft/person, adjusted area
  • CH = student capacity, socially distanced 179 sq ft/person, adjusted area

back to top