Dear Families,

We hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. We are writing to you today with an exciting update: we will be reopening Hillcrest High School for all students who chose In-Person Learning in the Fall on March 22!

Since the beginning of the school year, we have heard from many of you who are eager to have your child return to a physical classroom. We are so pleased that we can now invite students in grades 9-12 who selected blended learning in the fall back to the classroom. As students and staff in other grades have returned to school buildings, we have developed strong practices to help keep school communities healthy and safe, and to maximize in-person learning time for students learning in our buildings.

More information about activities, such as sports and extracurriculars, will be shared soon. For now, here is what you need to know about how Hillcrest High School will return for In-Person learning:

Bell Schedule for In- Person Learning.

*Students will be offered breakfast and lunch which will be distributed to their classrooms during the course of the school day.

Blended Learning Requirements:

Any student returning for In Person learning selected this option in the Fall.
Any student who selected remote learning in the Fall will stay on remote learning.

*This selection cannot be changed at this time.

Any student returning to in person learning must provide a completed Covid-19 consent form.
Any student who does not have a consent form on file will be moved to fully remote instruction.

Again, the guidance above applies to students in blended learning, who have already chosen to learn in the school building. Students who chose fully remote learning prior to building closures will continue to learn remotely full time.

Attendance:

Please note that students in blended learning are required to attend in-person on a consistent basis. Hillcrest High School will reach out if your child is not attending in-person regularly, and will transition your child to fully remote learning if irregular in-person attendance continues. This will allow schools to maximize in-person instructional days for students who are attending in-person.  

Covid Consent Forms

All students returning for in person learning must complete a Covid-19 Consent form. If your child comes to school on their first day back for in-person instruction without a consent form on file, principals and school staff will contact you to obtain consent. After that, students without consent forms on file, who do not have a medical or disability-based exemption submitted, must be moved to fully remote instruction.

How do I submit consent?

Submitting consent to have your child tested for COVID-19 in school is quick and easy. Even if you have already submitted consent, we ask you to do so again to ensure your student has the latest consent form on file.

There are two easy ways to submit:

1) Fill out the form online using a New York City Schools Account (NYCSA) at mystudent.nyc.

If you already have a NYCSA account linked to your student(s): Log in, click your student’s name, click “Manage Account,” and then when a dropdown menu appears, click “Consent Forms.” Read the page, and then choose the consent option at the end for your student.

If you do not already have a NYCSA account: You can create one right away! If you have an account creation code from your school, you can create a full account in approximately five minutes, and then provide consent as described above. If you do not have an account creation code from your school, you can still provide your consent right away by clicking “Manage Consent” under “COVID-19 Testing” and filling out your and your child’s information to provide consent.

2) Print and sign the attached form and bring it to your child’s school on the first day they are back in the school building. A printable PDF file is available in ten languages at schools.nyc.gov/covidtesting. As a reminder, social distancing guidelines will be in effect, temperatures will be taken, and all individuals entering DOE property will be required to wear a mask and complete our health screening survey. Please download the link, and answer all questions on the survey prior to your return to school..

https://healthscreening.schools

If You Travel:

Spring break begins on Monday, March 29. Please remember that students and staff who have recently traveled outside of New York to a place on the State’s travel advisory list must quarantine for 10 days, or test out of the 10-day quarantine based on the State’s guidance, which can be found at coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19- travel-advisory. 

No matter where your child is learning, we are committed to ensuring they receive a strong, supportive education. We know how important school is for your student, whether blended or remote—and our dedication to them remains unwavering during this challenging time.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any further questions or concerns.

Thank You,

Eliot Finkelstein, A.P.

Efinkel@schools.nyc.gov

718-658-5407 ext. 1180

Please check PupilPath every day to check out your updated program and take your Daily Attendance using our Google Form under Students Tab.