SCHOOL CLOSURE & REOPENING INFORMATION & UPDATES
Ocean State Academy will update this page to keep all our families and school partners informed of ongoing developments throughout the health crisis, along with all applicable school closure and school reopening information on our distance learning plan, school supports, community resources, and more. Do not hesitate to contact the main office of our school (401-423-4234) if you have any questions or concerns or need additional support of any kind.
UP-TO-DATE DOCUMENTATION
FOR 2021–2022 SCHOOL YEAR
- State of Rhode Island Playbook: Outbreak Response Protocols: Guidance on COVID-19 Outbreak Response in Pre K–12 Schools (version 6.1, August 2021)
- COVID-19 Testing in K–12 Schools (May 2021 Rhode Island Department of Education Policy Sheet)
- MASK POLICY: Click here for our ongoing mask policy as of May 2021 through the end of the school year
FOR PARENTS
- Letter to Our Providence Community: PVD Staggered Reopening Plan (9/4/2020) – Click here for Spanish version
- Parent Info Summary Sheet: Measures for Reopening (8/19/2020)
- Parent Questionnaire on School Reopening: Please Take ASAP!
- Letter to Parents/Guardians: July 30: Start of 2020–2021 School Year
- Letter to Families: April 2 Follow-up
- Letter to Families: March 23 School Closure
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Ask Our Social Worker: School Social Worker Support Q&A Form
Back-to-School Guidance for Parents:
- School Decision-Making Tool for Parents, Caregivers, and Guardians (considerations for your child’s return to school this fall from the CDC)
- Helping Children Cope with Changes Resulting from COVID-19 (guidance on supporting your child from NASP, the National Association of School Psychologists)
Remote Learning Help for Parents:
- The Parents’ Guide to the Google Classroom (PDF slides)
- Parents Guide to Google Classroom in 2020 (YouTube video)
Helping Students Stay Focused:
- Working from home can be difficult for adults—it’s no different for children. Keep them engaged with: 17 Apps to Help Kids Stay Focused
Talking to Your Kids About COVID-19:
- As public conversations around the coronavirus increase, children may worry about themselves, their family, and their friends getting ill. Trusted adults in their lives can play an important role in helping them make sense of what they hear in a way that is honest, accurate, and minimizes anxiety or fear. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has created guidance to help parents talk with their children about COVID-19 and how they can avoid getting and spreading the disease: Talking with Children About Coronavirus Disease 2019: Messages for Parents, School Staff, and Others Working with Children (also available in Spanish)
- The National Association of School Nurses and the National Association of School Psychologists have also created conversation guidelines: Talking to Children About COVID-19 (available in Spanish)
Community Resources:
- Fact Sheet: Parent/Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope with COVID-19 from the National Traumatic Child Stress Network (NTCSN)
- Guidance from CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) on social-emotional learning (SEL) and much more: https://casel.org/covid-resources/
- List of Local-Area Pharmacies Offering Medication Delivery
- Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training Workplace Fact Sheet. The department has also set up a COVID-19 Assistance Line (staffed Monday–Friday during business hours) and email to support people regarding COVID-19 and employment issues: 401-462-2020 / dlt.covid19@dlt.ri.gov
- Food Resources in Providence (PDF)
- For any parent/guardian without internet access, Cox Communications has provided a program—Connect2Compete—to assist during this time. The program provides an internet connection for FREE for 30 days to students who do not have residential Cox services. (Note that this offer does not apply to anyone who already has residential internet service through Cox.) For more information, visit: https://www.cox.com/ residential/internet/ connect2compete.html?sc
SCHOOL PLAN
- Click here for OSA’s Emergency School Health-Related Closure & Phased Reopening Plan. Please note that this plan is subject to change as the school year progresses and will be updated here as needed.
- Letter to Our Providence Community: PVD Staggered Reopening Plan (9/4/2020) – Click here for Spanish version
FOR STUDENTS
School Info:
Support & Education:
- ASL Video Series (a whole series of YouTube videos on COVID-related topics in American Sign Language)
- Feeling Sick: Coronavirus Social Story (an educational presentation for kids by the Autism Research Institute)
- Ask Our Social Worker: School Social Worker Support Q&A Form
PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS
HEALTH
Many resources are available at the State of Rhode Island Department of Health website, including the following fact sheets:
- 10 Things You Can Do to Manage Your Health at Home
- Isolation vs. Quarantine (English / Spanish)
- What You Need to Know About COVID-19 (English / Spanish)
- Share Facts About COVID-19
- Steps to Help Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 If You Are Sick
NEWS & RADIO
- LiveScience.com article: Coronavirus: What Is ‘Flattening the Curve’ and Will It Work?
- World Health Organization: Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic web page
- Rhode Island Public Radio
- Southeastern New England Public Radio
- CDC Key Facts
PODCASTS
- 30,000 Leagues, Special Edition: What We Know About Coronavirus with Dr. Philip Chan, Associate Professor, Brown University
- NPR: Coronavirus Daily