NOTICE: OCTOBER 28, 2020 Meal Kit Pick Up Date Change! On Monday, November 2, 2020 schools are closed for Professional Development (PD) in HCPS. Be sure to pick up your meal kit the Friday BEFORE, on October 30, 2020. For additional information, visit https://hcpsmenus.com/. UPDATE: OCTOBER 27, 2020
This information will be sent directly to the HCPS community members with emails in our mass communication system at 4:00 p.m. As shared when the plan was released, HCPS anticipated adjustments may need to be made. As a result of the current attendance numbers in our schools, and the guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) recommending 6 feet of social distancing, the timeline to begin 2 days per week of in-person learning, must be re-evaluated. We do not anticipate the ability to expand the schedule for students currently attending one day per week to two days per week unless social distancing guidance is adjusted. HCPS has welcomed many students back to the classroom. Students who are already part of in-person learning cohorts, whether 5 days per week, or one day per week, will continue to attend in-person learning on their current schedule. We will add grade levels to the one day/week hybrid as described below. Looking ahead: November 4 1-day/week hybrid begins in Grades 3-5 (includes CSP students up to 5 days/week in those grades) 1-day/week hybrid begins in Pre-K November 16 1-day/week hybrid begins in secondary schools (Grades 6-12) CSP program begins in middle school up to 4 days/week TBD 2 day/week in-person learning *Please note that all key dates are contingent on metrics staying within the target range for Moderate Transmission as well as the school system's ability to adhere to CDC and Health Department guidance, like maintaining six feet of social distancing. Dates will be revised if needed. If you have questions about operations, like transportation, meals, cleaning protocols, playground use, etc. in the buildings when students return, please review the Continuity of Learning Plan. The plan will continue to be updated as needed.
UPDATE: OCTOBER 22, 2020
Updated Guidance From CDC: COVID-19 Close Contact Definition
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced an expanded definition of who is considered a COVID-19 close contact. We continue to follow guidance from the CDC and work in partnership with the Harford County Health Department. The new definition is: Someone who was within six (6) feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period* starting from two (2) days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, two (2) days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.
*Individual exposures added together over a 24-hour period (e.g., three 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes). Data are limited, making it difficult to precisely define “close contact;” however, 15 cumulative minutes of exposure at a distance of six (6) feet or less can be used as an operational definition for contact investigation.
Please note the significant difference is that now 15 minutes is measured cumulatively, rather than in one sustained time period.
Full guidance from the CDC may be found here.
For a printable version of the graphic included with this information, please click here.
UPDATED: OCTOBER 19, 2020 BOARD OF EDUCATION OF HARFORD COUNTY NOTICE OF PUBLIC COMMENT PARTICIPATION BUSINESS MEETING - OCTOBER 26, 2020 - 6:30PM The Board of Education of Harford County Business Meeting will be held on Monday, October 26, 2020, at 6:30PM in the Board Room of the A.A. Roberty Building with only Board Members, staff, and presenters in attendance. No public access will be permitted. The meeting will be streamed live and archived for later viewing on the HCPS Website. Public Comment Participation Call-In Process Community members who wish to provide comments during the Public Comments segment of the Business meeting are required to register by completing this form Public Comment Registration Form. Registrations must be received by 9:00AM on Monday, October 26, 2020. All fields on the registration form must be completed. -First and Last name -Mailing Address -Email Address -Phone Number 1. Registered speakers will receive an email from HCPS with a Call-in Phone # and a Conference ID #. 2. Registered speakers are required to Call-in and enter the Conference ID# at 6:30PM on Monday, October 26, 2020. 3. All speakers, regardless of affiliation, will receive two-minutes per speaker. Speakers will be notified when they have reached their 2-minute mark and callers will be removed from the meeting. 4. The Board has allotted two-hours for the Public Comments segment of the Business meeting. 5. If you are admitted from the virtual lobby to the meeting within the two-hour time constraint, you will be greeted by an HCPS staff member when it is time to begin your public comment. 6. Registration forms are limited to one (1) per person. 7. In accordance with Board policy, if the number of speakers impede the ability of the Board to complete scheduled business, the Board reserves the right to reduce the amount of time allotted per speaker, or overall time allotted for public comment. 8. The Board expects that all comments will be submitted with the decorum and respect appropriate to the conduct of public business. 9. Topics such as personnel matters, pending appeals, specific student disciplinary matters or which constitute commercial solicitations are not permitted. 10. Disparaging comments, personal attacks, and inflammatory remarks about specific schools or personnel are not permitted. Speakers who engage in these comments will be reminded of the rules and the Board reserves the right to remove the speaker from the call. 11. All public comments submitted will be part of the records maintained by the Board office. Speakers are reminded that public comments are considered public information and, as such, are subject to the Maryland Public Information Act. UPDATE: OCTOBER 19, 2020 Meal Benefit Update This is an important update about the free and reduced meal benefit program. Currently, the USDA extended waiver provides free meals to all students, regardless of eligibility. This has now been extended through June 2021! HCPS still encourages families to submit meal benefit applications- more information can be found by clicking here. UPDATE: OCTOBER 14, 2020 The following information was shared with the HCPS community via email on Wednesday, October 14, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. As more students return to in-person learning in Harford County Public Schools, school staff will continue to track which students are in the buildings each day. To do this effectively and efficiently, there will be a change to the attendance app where students in grades 4 through 12 “check in” each day. Starting Monday, October 19, 2020, when your child “checks in” using the attendance app, your child will now be prompted to identify: “I’m here in the school building” or “I’m here at home." This will help school staff gather data quickly about which students are working from home or working from the school each day. As a reminder, students in PreK through grade 3 are not currently required to use the attendance app.
In addition, members of the Emotional Recovery Team, established to support students and staff through the pandemic, would like to share, "How to Talk to Your Children About Returning to School," as more students join us on Monday, October 19, 2020. Members of the team include school counselors, psychologists, nurses, school administrators, and more, who want to help guide conversations around any concerns or questions as students return to school. You can also call your child’s school counselor if you feel your child may need more support in this area. The resource can be found here on our website. UPDATE: OCTOBER 6, 2020 This message will be sent to middle and high school parents/guardians by your school with the specific survey/questionnaire linked at approximately 5:00 p.m. As we look to expand in-person learning and welcome additional secondary students into Harford County Public Schools, an FAQ for secondary schools, developed by a team of secondary school principals and HCPS staff to help as you evaluate the hybrid model and what it means for your student, has been posted on the website. Your secondary school will ask you to complete a survey/questionnaire by 12:00 p.m. on October 16, 2020 to let them know how your student(s) will proceed. If you respond to your school’s survey/questionnaire that your student(s) will participate in the hybrid schedule, they will provide more details about your start date after all responses have been received. If you choose to continue virtual learning, any changes necessary to your child’s virtual learning schedule will be communicated at the appropriate time. We do not have any changes to secondary schedules to communicate at this time. *Students returning to school must complete and return the COVID-19 Parent Acknowledgement Letter, available in the Required Documents on hcps.org/hcpstogether. We encourage you to watch the HCPS COVID-19 Safety video that includes safety guidelines you and your child will see in our school. It has been linked on the website as well as made available on our YouTube channel. You can also visit www.hcps.org/hcpstogether for additional resources like required documents and how-to videos. Thank you and we look forward to receiving your response to your school’s survey/questionnaire by noon on October 16. Your participation is essential to being prepared for the return of our students. UPDATE: OCTOBER 6, 2020
BOARD OF EDUCATION OF HARFORD COUNTY
NOTICE OF PUBLIC COMMENT PARTICIPATION, BUSINESS MEETING - OCTOBER 12, 2020 - 6:30PM
The Board of Education of Harford County Business Meeting will be held on October 12, 2020, at 6:30PM in the Board Room of the A.A. Roberty Building with only Board Members, staff, and presenters in attendance. No public access will be permitted. The meeting will be streamed live and archived for later viewing on the HCPS Website.
Public Comment Participation Call-In Process
Community members who wish to provide comments during the Public Comments segment of the Business meeting are required to register by completing this Public Comment Registration Form.
Registrations must be received by 9:00AM on Monday, October 12, 2020. All fields on the registration form must be completed.
1. Registered speakers will receive an email from HCPS with a Call-in Phone # and Conference ID #.
2. Registered speakers are required to call-in and enter the conference ID# at 6:30PM on Monday, October 12, 2020.
3. All speakers, regardless of affiliation, will receive two-minutes per speaker. Speakers will be notified when they have reached their 2-minute mark and callers will be removed from the meeting.
4. The Board has allotted two-hours for the Public Comments segment of the Business meeting.
5. If you are admitted from the virtual lobby to the meeting within the two-hour time constraint, you will be greeted by an HCPS staff member when it is time to begin your public comment.
6. Registration forms are limited to one (1) per person. 7. In accordance with Board policy, if the number of speakers impede the ability of the Board to complete scheduled business, the Board reserves the right to reduce the amount of time allotted per speaker, or overall time allotted for public comment.
Speakers are reminded that public comments are considered public information and, as such, are subject to the Maryland Public Information Act. UPDATE: OCTOBER 1, 2020 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL UPDATES This information is being sent to all parents/guardians of elementary students via our mass communication system. As we expand in-person learning and welcome additional students into Harford County Public Schools, many of you have reached out with additional questions. Please find a FAQ, developed by a team of elementary school principals and HCPS staff to help as you evaluate the hybrid model and what it means for your student. If you respond to your schools survey/questionnaire that your child will participate in the hybrid schedule, your school will provide your cohort start date. If you choose to continue virtual learning, any changes to your child’s virtual learning schedule will be communicated by your school. *Students returning to school must complete and return the COVID-19 Parent Acknowledgement Letter, available in the Required Documents on hcps.org/hcpstogether. In addition, students who currently attend Learning Support Centers in our elementary schools, will kick off our return to regular HCPS elementary school operating hours on October 12, 2020. Today, October 1, 2020 the School/Bus Locator application on www.hcps.org was updated to reflect the return to regular elementary hours of operation listed below. EVERY parent/guardian utilizing HCPS transportation for their child MUST visit the site- your child's bus pick-up and drop-off time, and/or bus number, WILL change when we resume our traditional operating hours on October 12, 2020. Elementary School Hours of Operation to resume October 12, 2020: Elementary School** 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. John Archer 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Prekindergarten A.M.*** 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Prekindergarten P.M.*** 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. ** Bakerfield, Bel Air, Deerfield, Forest Lakes, Havre de Grace, Red Pump and William S. James elementary schools operate on the 4th tier busing schedule, 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. *** 4th tier busing schedule for prekindergarten, 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.; 1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. In addition, we encourage you to click here for the HCPS COVID-19 Safety video that includes safety guidelines you and your child will see in our schools. We know that your school is sharing important information with you and encourage you to visit www.hcps.org/hcpstogether for additional resources like required documents and how-to videos. At this time, there has not been a change to the middle or high school operating schedule. UPDATE: OCTOBER 1, 2020 ATHLETICS This information is being sent to high school parents/guardians via our mass communication system at 6:00 p.m.
Harford County Public Schools is pleased to announce that Virtual Athletics for high schools will begin on October 12, 2020. This plan was created by high school principals, Athletic Directors, the Supervisor of Athletics, Executive Director and Director of Secondary Education, and HCPS student athletes. The Virtual Athletics schedule details weekly challenges and competitions in which your high school student(s) can compete. Visit the Athletics page on hcps.org on Monday, October 5, 2020 to register!
Watch here as Supervisor of Athletics, Debbie Basler, shares more information about Virtual Athletics!
We understand the importance of athletics and other co-educational activities. As such, we want to align the introduction of these activities to our overall plan to return to in-person learning. Please mark your calendars with the following dates. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
November 16, 2020: HCPS is scheduled to begin offering in-person conditioning, training and intramurals.*
February 1, 2021: HCPS is scheduled to begin condensed athletic seasons* as follows:
*All key dates are contingent on metrics staying within the target range for Moderate Transmission. Dates will be revised if data moves beyond the target range.
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 25, 2020 Meal Benefit Application Reminder This is an important reminder about the free and reduced meal benefit program. Currently, the USDA extended waiver provides free meals to all students, regardless of eligibility. However, when the waiver runs out, HCPS will need to ensure free meals can be provided to students who qualify. All meal benefit applications from the previous school year will be expiring, and a new application must be completed. Don’t delay – you can even fill out the application online by clicking here! UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 LSC Entry Date Update This message was sent via our mass communications system on Thursday, September 24, 2020 to families with students scheduled to join the LSC on October 6; they will now join the LSC on October 12, 2020 This an important message for students scheduled to join our Learning Support Center on October 6. As you may be aware, at the Board meeting on September 21, Dr. Bulson released a Plan to Return to In-Person Learning in HCPS. Part of this plan includes bringing teachers back to our classrooms on October 12. The addition of teachers into our classrooms is exciting! We have faced staffing difficulties in the Learning Support Centers and know that moving your child’s start date to October 12 will allow us to best support them as they return to the school building, with their own teacher, in their own classroom. Again, students previously scheduled to join the Learning Support Center on October 6, will begin on Monday, October 12, 2020. UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 23, 2020 Return to In-Person Learning Plan: How to Continue Virtual Learning This information is being sent via our mass communication system to all parents/guardians with an email address on record at 4:30 p.m.
Harford County Public Schools announced a hybrid model to return to in-person learning at the Board meeting on Monday, September 21, 2020. This plan will begin introducing additional elementary students into schools on October 19 and students in middle/high school into schools on November 16, 2020. If you have reviewed this plan and would prefer to have your child continue virtual learning from home, please note the following: For students in elementary school:
Additional information about the plan to return to in-person learning is linked below in the September 22, 2020 Update.
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 Return to In-Person Learning Plan Released at BOE Meeting At the Board of Education of Harford County business meeting last night, Monday, September 21, 2020, Superintendent Bulson presented a plan to return students and staff to our schools. The Superintendent’s presentation will be available to watch in its entirety on the Board stream/archive page later today. At this time, we encourage you to watch an introductory video here. Return to In-Person Learning Plan Timeline: *Please note that all key dates are contingent on metrics staying within the target range for Moderate Transmission (defined in the attached presentation). Dates will be revised if data moves beyond the target range. October 12 Staff return to work sites October 19 Limited small-group activities begin STRIVE programs Life Skills programs John Archer School Some CTE hands-on groups Some English Language Learners *1-day/week hybrid begins in Grades K-2 (includes Classroom Support Program, or CSP, students up to 5 days/week in those grades)
November 4 1-day/week hybrid begins in Grades 3-5 (includes CSP students up to 5 days/week in those grades) 1-day/week hybrid begins in Pre-K November 16 1-day/week hybrid begins in secondary schools (Grades 6-12) CSP program begins in middle school up to 4 days/week 2-day/week hybrid begins in Grades K-2 December 7 2-day/week hybrid possible in all grades If you have questions about operations, like transportation, meals, cleaning protocols, playground use, etc. in the buildings when students return, please review the Continuity of Learning Plan. The plan will continue to be updated as needed. In addition, at the Board meeting last night, discussions included that parents/guardians may notify their teacher/school if they would like their child to continue virtual learning at home. As more details around any timeline or parameters to notify the school that you would like your child to remain at home for virtual learning are made available, we will share them here and through our regular communication channels. UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 Superintendent Bulson to present return to in-person learning plan to Board of Education of Harford County tonight This evening, at the Board of Education business meeting, Dr. Bulson, Superintendent of Harford County Public Schools, will provide additional information to the Board of Education and the community about the return to in-person learning in Harford County Public Schools. You can watch tonight’s presentation Live by visiting the Board of Education live stream page. You can also access Dr. Bulson’s introduction to the return to in-person learning plan from the September 14, 2020 Board of Education meeting, on the Board of Education Streaming Media Archive page. The Board of Education business meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. the agenda is available here. UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 18, 2020 Attendance Calls Reinstated September 21, 2020
As we look towards the third week of virtual learning, we want to remind parents and guardians that attendance, or “absence” phone calls will be reinstated on Monday, September 21, 2020. These calls will continue in the traditional format, letting you know your child is absent from their school, whether their learning is taking place virtually from home or in a Learning Support Center. The calls are scheduled to be sent at 12:15 p.m. If you have a question about your child’s attendance, please contact your school office.
As a reminder, there’s an attendance policy on hcps.org/hcpstogether along with directions on how students in grades 4-12 are expected to check in through the attendance tile on the start page- the landing page where students begin when they login. Please encourage your student to continue checking in through the attendance tile, Monday through Friday.
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 16, 2020
PUBLIC NOTICE FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE BOARD OF EDUCATION BUSINESS MEETING FOR SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 On September 21, 2020, at 6:30PM, the Board of Education of Harford County Business Meeting will be hosted virtually. The Audio Live Stream will be available on HCPS.ORG/BOE/LIVESTREAM. Public Comment: Community members who wish to submit public comment must do so by submitting comments in writing using the following link: Contact Board of Education . Deadline to submit comments is 12:00 Noon on Monday, September 21, 2020. The following information must be included in the contact form when submitting comments:
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 HCPS Learning Support Centers Click here to watch a brief video that takes you into two of the multiple Learning Support Centers that opened September 8, 2020 throughout Harford County Public Schools. This is the first step to reaching our ultimate goal of having all students return to the classroom. https://youtu.be/SOkUgSryAl8 UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 The following message will be sent to all email addresses in our mass communications system at 5:00 p.m. As students and staff finish Day 2 of Virtual Learning in Harford County Public Schools, we would like to announce that we have added an applications “Status” on the students landing page (where your student accesses the tiles/apps). Students will see if itsLearning and Office 365/Microsoft Teams are functioning as expected (green), if there are any issues with the service (yellow), or if there is a system-wide outage (red). Our goal is to provide students and families with this information as soon as we are aware of any technical issues in itslearning or Office 365/Microsoft Teams. We are working on establishing a way to share this same information on www.hcps.org so parents/guardians have access to the information, too. UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 8, 2020
PUBLIC NOTICE FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE BOARD OF EDUCATION BUSINESS MEETING FOR SEPTEMBER 14, 2020 6:30PM On September 14, 2020, at 6:30PM, the Board of Education of Harford County Business Meeting will be hosted virtually. The Audio Live Stream will be available on HCPS.ORG/BOE/LIVESTREAM. Public Comment: Community members who wish to submit public comment must do so by submitting comments in writing using the following link: Contact Board of Education . Deadline to submit comments is 12:00 Noon on Monday, September 14, 2020. The following information must be included in the contact form when submitting comments:
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 USDA EXTENDS WAIVER FOR FREE MEALS FOR ALL STUDENTS
The following message will be sent to the HCPS community via our mass communication system tonight, at 4:30 p.m. On Monday, August 31, 2020 the USDA provided an extended waiver so that all students are eligible for free breakfast and lunch. When the USDA waiver timeline is finalized, we will notify you when the end date is confirmed. Meal sites will operate:
Additional information can be found on our website, www.hcpsmenus.com. For additional questions, contact HCPS Food and Nutrition at 410-638-4078.
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 Parent Academy Real Talk: Asynchronous Learning During this Parent Academy Real Talk on Asynchronous Learning, Mr. Rob Deleva, principal of the Alternative Education Program at the Center for Educational Opportunity, and Mrs. Becky Pensero, coordinator of eLearning, provide parents an overview of how some HCPS students will participate in blended asynchronous learning during the fall semester. Click here to watch a brief video message from Dr. Bulson, Superintendent of Schools, as he addresses the impact of device shortages on Harford County Public Schools. Text of the video message: As we look to start the 2020-2021 school year, I want to thank you for your engagement, support, and continuing advocacy for our all of our students. As a community, we have faced many challenges through COVID-19, but through it all, we have planned for the eventual return of students. One of the greatest challenges is the continuously changing environment- both locally and nationally. In May, ahead of many other districts across the country, we ordered enough devices to ensure each student would have one to start the school year. Through the spring and summer, we were reassured by our vendor we’d have enough for all students to start the school year. But, we’ve seen during this pandemic that supply lines on everything have had unexpected delays. It wasn’t long ago that a shortage of paper towels and other essentials were affecting all of our lives! At our August 10 Board meeting, I announced we would not receive all of the ordered devices in time; we would be 15,000 short. To the understandable frustration of many, we’ve now made 3 central appeals to our community, not to mention those made by individual schools, to fill out surveys in an effort to help us secure enough devices for every student. While we have sent these appeals asking the community to opt-out of accepting school system devices, it hasn’t yielded enough. We’ve scoured the schools to come up with devices, but they’re too old and we cannot get enough of them in working condition. So, we are at a point now where we have to finalize virtual learning plans- you need to know how we are moving forward. You need to know how your child will receive virtual instruction beginning the first day of school, on September 8. As a result of our device shortage, we will be distributing HCPS devices to all students in Grades 4 through 12 who have not opted out. We will not be able to provide students in kindergarten through grade 3 with an HCPS device prior to the start of the school year. While this is not what we had planned for, I feel encouraged our schools are determined to find a solution. Despite the lack of devices, it is essential that every teacher will still be delivering live, online instruction from kindergarten through grade 12 for any student who can access it. For families with children who can’t participate in the live online learning schedule for any reason, we have developed asynchronous instruction options, too. We will provide additional information in the form of a Parent Academy video on Monday on the HCPS Together webpage. For those families who requested asynchronous learning in their intentions form, we’ll be reaching out directly with more information and instructions early next week. Elementary schools are still distributing textbooks and other materials of instruction from September 1 through September 4 for students at all grade levels. If your student does not have access to a device to start the school year, please communicate that information when you go to the school to pick up your other instructional materials. Our Chromebook supplier has indicated the delayed devices will arrive by mid-October; we’re cautiously optimistic. Between now and then, we will give any functioning device we can get our hands on, to the schools to provide to the students who need them most. We know the pandemic is still impacting our lives in many different ways, but we will get through this, HCPS Together. UPDATE: August 27, 2020 At a press conference on August 27, 2020 at 4:00 p.m., the Governor of Maryland, the Honorable Larry Hogan, and the State Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Karen Salmon, shared their desire for all Maryland schools to open for in-person instruction this coming school year. We have started to hear from concerned parents, guardians, and staff who want to know how this will impact our plans for the beginning of the school year. On September 8, Learning Support Centers in our school buildings will open, welcoming more than 5% of our student population across the county. We have safety protocols in place to closely monitor the Learning Support Centers to ensure bringing students and staff into our school buildings does not contribute to increased transmission of the Coronavirus. We are working with the Harford County Health Department and the Board of Education to develop plans for safely and gradually returning additional groups of students to in-person instruction, if conditions permit, this Fall. We agree that there is no substitute for in-person learning. While we want to do this expeditiously, every phase of students returning requires intensive and thoughtful planning that ensures the safety of all of our student populations. Until then, we will begin the school year with virtual instruction as planned. Sincerely, Sean Bulson, Ed.D Superintendent Harford County Public Schools
10/28/2020 2:23:16 PM