Dear Syracuse Academy of Science parents and guardians,

As a district, we have closely monitored the percentage of COVID-19 cases in our geographic area. It is clear that the number of COVID-19 cases are on the rise.

With the holiday season approaching and due to the increase of COVID-19 cases in our area, we will temporarily suspend in-person instruction and hold remote learning. At this time, hybrid instruction will continue through Friday, December 18, 2020. We will begin teaching all students remotely Monday, December 21, 2020 through Wednesday, December 23, 2020 before Winter break.

This decision was made as a safety precaution and is to ensure the wellbeing of our students and families during this difficult time. We are planning to resume in-person instruction on Monday, January 4, 2020 as we continue to monitor the progression, and number of COVID-19 cases in our area.

Please take this notice and our actions as a representation that we prioritize the health and safety of students, staff, and all members of our community to the fullest extent.

Sincerely,
Syracuse Academy of Science Administration

Dear Syracuse Academy of Science Elementary Families and Staff,

As you know, Syracuse Academy of Science Elementary School has been placed within the “orange zone” in Onondaga County. Those students that attend schools in an orange zone must begin testing for COVID-19. This means that 20% of their in-person staff and students must be tested each month (10% bi-weekly). In order for your child to attend in person learning on Monday, December 14th. please complete the school survey by clicking on the link below:

https://www.sascs.org/covidtesting

In order for students to remain "in-person" at any school in an orange zone in NYS, all parents will need to give permission for testing by filling out the survey which can be found at the link above. Any student that does not have a completed survey by the end of Sunday, December 13th 2020, must continue attending classes remotely.

Remote students will not be tested as the zone designation requires only those students and staff members attending school in-person must be tested.

If at any time a parent or guardian wishes to rescind their consent, they may do so by contacting their child’s school building before the time of the scheduled test. Again please be advised this will mean your child will no longer be able to attend in-person and must remain online only.

The tests are shallow nasal swabs, and they will be administered at no cost as the county has supplied each school. Results are known within 15-20 minutes. Anyone with a positive result will be sent home.

We will continue to provide updates via our school’s messenger system and on our school websites. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me using the “How may we help you?” form.

Sincerely,

Dr. Tolga Hayali
Superintendent of Schools

SANY in collaboration with Chartwells has developed a [contactless drive through] meal service that will allow students greater access to food while at home.

Please see below for pickup times and locations for 12/14/2020-1/7/2021.

Any questions about pick ups, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Who Qualifies

• All children 18 or younger are eligible to participate.
• Children do not need to be enrolled in SANY Schools to participate.

Registration and Pickup
Pre-ordering is not necessary but is helpful to ensure enough meals are ready! If the hours listed are not convenient for you, please call the school’s main office to arrange alternate pickup times between 8am-4pm. 

PICK-UP Locations and times:

• Tuesdays and Thursdays
• 10am - 12pm
• SAS High – 12/15, 12/17, 12/22, 12/29, 1/5, 1/7 10 am - 12 pm
• Meal pickups on 12/22 and 12/29 will be a box of food with 5 days worth of food.

Cost
Meals are free for all children up to 18 years old.

Dear Syracuse Academy of Science parents and guardians,

We are writing to share an important announcement, our school will resume hybrid learning, December 14, 2020.

We respect every family’s individual concerns and preferences. If you choose not to send your child to school on their designated hybrid days, and continue to do remote school work your child will not be counted as absent.

In an effort to effectively plan and collaborate fully with the Onondaga County Health Department, testing will be conducted next week. Information regarding dates, times and location will be sent later in the week.

We ask that all families who choose to send their student(s) complete the health screening survey prior to sending the student(s) to schools. In addition, we ask that everyone follow safety guidelines to ensure our staff, students, and families well being.

Sincerely,
Syracuse Academy of Science Administration

Dear SANY parent(s) and guardian(s),

As a district, we have closely monitored the percentage of COVID-19 cases in our geographic area. It is clear that the number of COVID-19 cases are continuing to be on the rise. 

Due to the increase of COVID-19 cases in our area, we will continue to temporarily suspend in-person instruction. At this time, the week of December 7, 2020 through December 11, 2020 will be remote learning for all students. We will monitor the data, and will make a decision next Wednesday or Thursday regarding the weeks ahead. 

This decision was made as a safety precaution and is to ensure the wellbeing of our students and families during this difficult time. We are planning to resume in-person instruction on Monday, December 14th, 2020 as we continue to monitor the number of COVID-19 cases in our area. 

Please take this notice and our actions as a representation that we prioritize the health and safety of students, staff, and all members of our community to the fullest extent. 

Sincerely, 
Science Academies of New York Administration

Dear SANY parent(s) and guardian(s),

As a district, we have closely monitored the percentage of COVID-19 cases in our geographic area. It is clear that the number of COVID-19 cases are on the rise. 

Due to the increase of COVID-19 cases in our area, we will temporarily suspend in-person instruction and hold remote learning. At this time, hybrid instruction will continue through Friday, November 20th, 2020. We will begin teaching all students remotely Monday, November 23rd, 2020 and Tuesday, November 24th, 2020 before Thanksgiving break. We will continue to teach remotely the week after Thanksgiving Recess, starting from Monday, November 30th, 2020 through Friday, December 4th, 2020. 

This decision was made as a safety precaution and is to ensure the wellbeing of our students and families during this difficult time. We are planning to resume in-person instruction on Monday, December 7th, 2020 as we continue to monitor the number of COVID-19 cases in our area. 

Please take this notice and our actions as a representation that we prioritize the health and safety of students, staff, and all members of our community to the fullest extent. 

Updated Calendar:

Sincerely, 
Science Academies of New York Administration

As of November 9, 2020, the Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School is part of a COVID -19 "Yellow Zone," as identified by Governor Cuomo.

We are now required to have 20% of our students and staff tested for COVID-19 on a weekly basis in order to keep schools open for in-person learning. The test is called BinaxNOW, and is a nasal swab that produces results in approximately 15 minutes.

All parents/guardians of hybrid students are asked to complete this survey, indicating whether or not you consent for your child to be tested. Testing would be free and would occur approximately once a month if you were to consent. If your child is currently learning remotely, you do not need to complete the survey.

Survey is at https://www.sascs.org/covidtesting

Surveys must be completed by the end of the day Friday, November 13, 2020.

Thank you in advance for your participation in this important survey.

Administration
Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Influenza, or flu, cases are being diagnosed across New York state as flu season has officially started.

Flu spreads easily and can make people very sick, especially children. Flu symptoms include:

• Fever or chills
• Body aches
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Headache
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Fatigue

Some people, especially children, may have stomach problems and diarrhea. Unlike a cold, the flu comes on very suddenly.

Flu symptoms are very similar to COVID-19 symptoms. It’s important for families to know that the Science Academies of New York (SANY) is required to follow the guidance in the New York State Department of Health Pre-K to Grade 12 COVID-19 Toolkit when determining if a student can attend school and when staff can go to work.

Please refer to the toolkit for help in determining if your child can attend school, return to school after an illness and whether your child needs a COVID-19 test to return to school.

“There is a large overlap between flu and COVID-19 symptoms,” said Diane Montgomery, a local physician who is supporting the district as its COVID-19 Medical Supervisor. “Our school nurses are required to follow the state Department of Health protocols, and families should know that a COVID-19 test may be required for their children to return to school after an illness or symptoms of an illness.”

If your child does need a COVID-19 test, please check the Onondaga County COVID-19 Testing website for testing information.

More information

• Fight Flu at Home and School (New York State Department of Health)
• The Flu: A Guide for Parents (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Everyday Preventive Actions Can Help Fight Germs, Like Flu (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Similarities and Differences Between Flu and COVID-19

Monday, August 17, 2020—The opening day of school for students for the 2020-2021 school year will still be Tuesday, September 8th. All students, K-12, will begin on September 8th with remote learning.

Hybrid learning will start on Monday, September 14th for SAS Elementary and Middle school, and the Citizenship Elementary School. The SAS High School will remain remote. ENL and SPED students will be offered to come in to the school for four days of instruction with the hybrid model.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate these unique circumstances. For more information on the Full-Time Online or Hybrid school models click here.

Dear Science Academies of New York Community:

Thank you to our Reopen SANY Task Force, our administrative team, staff members, parents, and board members who contributed to our draft reopening plan for the 2020-2021 school year. A copy of the plan is available via the following link: http://reopening.sany.org Please be sure to review this draft plan.

Once you have read our reopening plan, please complete a survey for each student in your home indicating your preference for instruction this fall by Friday, August 14th. The link to the survey follows: https://sites.google.com/sany.org/reopening/select-your-model

In accordance with the Governor’s directive, the district has created a draft of two different opening plans:

1. Full-time Online Education Model
2. Hybrid In-Person/Online Education Model

The district developed this reopening plan in accordance with guidance from the New York State Health Department and New York State Education Department. Our number one priority is the safety and security of our students and staff. We are fortunate to have small class sizes, large classrooms, and technology resources that are readily available so that students can benefit from instruction whether they are inside of our schools or learning from home.

All students in grades K-7 in Syracuse and grades K-8 in Utica will have both hybrid and full-time online education options. Parents need to take the survey to indicate their preference for either 1) Full-time Online Education Model or 2) Hybrid In-Person/Online Education Model. 

Students in grades 8-12 in Syracuse and grades 9-12 in Utica will have only full-time online education opportunities. 

SANY will offer to all ELL and Special Education students in grades K-12 to attend hybrid learning 4-days per week. We will periodically reassess the effectiveness of online instruction for all students in order to maximize learning. We may make adjustments to students' learning model (online or hybrid) by reassigning students to increase in-person learning opportunities based on their individual learning needs and CDC guidelines.

In order to encourage social distancing on school vehicles, we are asking families to consider transporting their own students to reduce capacity on school buses. If you are planning to send your child to school for hybrid in-person instruction, please be sure to review all of the safety precautions that you and your child will need to take, some of which include:

1. Completing a health screening each morning and not coming to school when you are sick. Please be aware that minor symptoms such as repeated coughing or sneezing, or a fever will result in children not being allowed to attend school.
2. Wearing a mask to prevent the spread of germs.
3. Practicing social distancing at all times (staying 6 feet away from others).
4. Washing your hands and practicing appropriate respiratory hygiene.

If you are indicating a preference for full-time online education for safety or other reasons, please also be aware of the following:

1. Attendance will be taken and your child will be expected to attend classes during normal school hours
2. Your child will be expected to follow the school schedule
3. Live interaction with teachers and assistance will occur during school hours

Again, please be sure to review the draft reopening plan prior to completing the survey. The draft plan has been submitted to the New York State Health Department and New York State Education Department. Governor Andrew Cuomo will make a determination during the first week of August regarding the ability of schools to reopen. Once the Governor has made a decision and the district has reviewed survey results from families, we will make a final decision regarding our ability to reopen and follow up with additional information. Please also be aware that as circumstances relative to infection rates and hospitalization rates change in our community throughout the year, we may need to adapt and adjust which may require a return to online education for all students.

This reopening will require some heavy lifting and we will need everyone to work together. I realize that parents, students, and staff members have questions, concerns, hopes, and fears relative to reopening schools during this challenging time. It is going to take everyone working together in a positive and cooperative manner to develop solutions that meet the needs of our students and staff.

Please be sure to read our draft plan, complete the survey by Friday, August 14th, and stay tuned in August for additional information. We believe that by each of us doing our part that we can reopen schools in a safe manner. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Tolga Hayali
Superintendent
Science Academies of New York