South Orangetown Central School District

COMMUNICATION AND ENGAGEMENT

Communications Strategy and Plan
The State Education Department has issued guidance to school districts regarding the opening of school. Central to this guidance, NYSED is requiring school districts to provide regular and frequent communication between schools, families, and the wider community to encourage family and community engagement. When considering the impact of communications efforts, it is important to remember that communication is only deemed effective when information is delivered, received, and understood by all stakeholders. (NYSED 2020)

Reopening with public confidence can be optimized with regular communications. Health and safety issues must be communicated transparently, while still protecting the privacy of students, staff, and families. A targeted communications strategy is critical to ensuring public confidence in all COVID-19 mitigation strategies. Consistent with its general communications approach, SOCSD will communicate reopening information to external audiences (parents and community members) using multiple tools and platforms. (RBOCES 2020)

Engagement and Training

Stakeholders
The Board of Education, district administration, staff, students, families and the larger community comprise our stakeholder groups. The District will target our communication to our stakeholder groups to ensure effective community engagement.

Reopening Webpage
The Reopening webpage (www.socsd.org/reopening) was published in June to serve as the primary hub for District reopening information. The page will be updated on an ongoing basis with updates and resources for families and the general public. SOCSD reopening plan is posted on the website and will continue to be updated as changes are required.

SOCSD Summer Update e-blast
The SOCSD Summer Update e-blast launched July 10, several weeks earlier than usual, to keep families and community members connected to the District. The Update, sent at 4PM on Fridays, contains information and announcements regarding reopening and standard back-to-school information. The Update format has been changed to be more digest-like, with shorter blurbs which link to the website or District social media feeds, in order to be published in both English and Spanish.

Reopening Postcard
A Reopening postcard will be produced and mailed to all South Orangetown residents the first week of August to direct them to www.socsd.org/reopening starting August 14 for information regarding reopening, virtual continuing education programs for fall and Google Calendars with updated dates. The postcard contains both English and Spanish copy. A blurb to encourage community members not directly connected with the school to subscribe to the Community Communications List to receive District e-blasts. Also included: a reminder to new residents to register their students for the new school year with contact information.

Reopening Reference Sheets
At-a-glance, downloadable reference sheets will be produced in English and Spanish for posting on the Reopening webpage starting August 14 to convey key aspects of the District’s reopening plan in simple language (with infographics for limited literacy users). Reference sheets will be developed in close collaboration with subcommittee chairs who will provide content for their respective areas:

• Screening questionnaire with guidelines for keeping students home from school and exposure/symptom reporting protocol
• Curriculum format/schedule for general and special education students
• Social distancing in classrooms and common areas
• Social distancing on buses and transportation procedures for all students
• Food service for in-person and remote students
• Transmission reduction efforts taken to reduce transmission (see Health & Safety Section): on the bus (e.g., distancing and frequency of cleaning/sanitization), in our schools generally, and in our classrooms. Will also include parent, staff and student roles in reducing transmission risk (i.e., staying home if sick, hand washing, wearing masks, etc.).

Community Partners
Ongoing engagement with the leadership of our Board-approved community partners–SOCES PTA, SOMS PTA, TZHS PTSA and the TZ Red & White Sports Booster Club– has included consistent, two-way and year-round communication. Administrators met with these leaders prior to the public release of the District’s draft reopening plan to walk them through the plan and answer questions so that they have the information they need to respond to families and direct them to District resources, as well as to support and inform District communications.

Instructional Videos
Short videos will be produced to provide students and families with visuals of reopening transportation and school environments and key information about protocols. As always, videos will be captioned to be accessible for the hearing-impaired. We are also making videos accessible for primary Spanish speakers, some of whom are low literacy. Production is planned to begin the week of August 10, to allow for any required changes to the District’s submitted draft plan. Final videos will be posted on the Reopening webpage, on District social media feeds and shared via e-blast with families.

Social Media
District social media feeds (Facebook and Twitter) will continue to share general District news and information throughout the summer. However, starting in August, content will increasingly focus on reopening preparations and expectations. Posts regarding summer professional development and student programming will include references to how these efforts are helping to shape the structure and delivery of instruction for fall.

E-Blasts
E-Blasts will continue to be used to share and reinforce information. However, to minimize disruption and stress associated with hypervigilance (students and families feeling that they need to constantly monitor email so they don’t miss something), every effort will be made to send non-emergency, District e-blasts at 4PM on weekdays.

School Messaging
Robocalls in English and Spanish will also be used, as key information is posted, to direct families to important information posted on the District Reopening page.

Other Considerations
According to school and District staff, distance learning in the spring resulted in most previously no or low-tech access families connecting via provided devices and hotspots. For years, the District has relied on Spanish language robocalls, backpacked materials and texts from school social workers and staff as the primary means to contact hard-to-reach families.

Additional Resources
The Dual-Capacity Framework for Family-School Partnerships