Covid-19 Response + Resources

Dear Lycée Parents and Guardians….or should I say, interim teachers, 

It is without a doubt that these are incredibly challenging times. While we focus our energies on making sure that our families are safe and healthy, we are also maneuvering the constant changes that seem to be the hallmark of this pandemic. As we continue to adjust our lives and respond to this in real-time, we must ensure that our children are fed, that they continue to learn and make academic progress, and that we do the best we can to provide them with a sense of calm and normalcy. Thank you to every single parent, teacher, administrator, staff member and volunteer who has made this possible so far.

I also want to thank you for your ongoing commitment and generous support of our community. Your encouraging messages and positive emails commenting on the work of our teachers and staff have been heartfelt on our end and we are grateful to have such a wonderful community.

The uncertainty presented by the coronavirus and its impact on our nation and communities has caused us to re-evaluate how best to achieve our mission in support of our students, families, and staff. Our goal is to strike the right balance between fulfilling our mission in a manner that has a positive impact on our students, families, and staff while planning for potential and continuous unprecedented disruption. We will creatively fulfill our commitment to students and families knowing that each family situation differs from one another. 

Here is a short bullet point summary of what we accomplished in the last couple of weeks:

• Provided food security: did you know that since March 17, we have served more than 6,000 meals? A HUGE merci to our hero staff members who are on the serving frontline everyday, making sure nobody goes hungry, and to staff, parents and Board members who offered to help! 
• In the quick span of a couple of days, our fantastic principals and academic leadership teams set up academic resources available to students online. Our IT department, researched platforms, trained teachers and staff, prepared videos to support parents and caregivers. Teachers prepared thoughtful videos and lessons so that kids can maintain their educational momentum. The launch of this new learning environment was successful, and we are refining and bettering as we go. We appreciate your patience. 
• Our fabulous SPED team developed a plan to serve all qualifying students and reached out to all within a very short period of time. 
• In order to provide an equitable learning environment, we surveyed all families on home tech capabilities. Staff members made hundreds of calls to families who did not respond to the survey. We are filling in needs as we speak. Also, our tireless IT department is working on preparing IT tutorials and videos in more than one language to support our families who are working with children.
• Our communication department launched a webpage for families or anyone who may need a one-stop-shop to retrieve essential information. Please visit COVID-19 Response and Resources 
• Staff initiatives: we communicate daily with staff via an evening newsletter containing relevant information. It is essential that our staff and teachers are well taken care of so they can continue to provide their best to your children. Our counselors have set up a series of Lycée-produced videos that focus on strategies to maintain a healthy sense of self while adjusting to new routines for living in isolation while teaching and working virtually. 
• We are working at procuring outside financial support to assist with the unknown that may derive from a disrupted school year. 
•  We have continued working on the Priestley project, which is also shifting to a virtual environment. Next week information will be communicated on the bid opening for the selection of a general contractor. Stay tuned! Board and Committee meetings will also soon resume in a virtual environment. 
• We are continuing with our plans to prepare for the 2020-21 school year, including enrollment and registration efforts, hiring, budgeting, and more. 

There is much more I could add, but these are the most important highlights for now. 

I once again want to express our deepest gratitude to Lycée family members and all who are fighting this virus on the front lines as health care or other essential service providers. Thank you for your sacrifice in keeping us healthy and safe and we wish you the strength to get us through it! Our best wishes to those who are affected by COVID-19 and fighting to get better. 

Please join me in thanking an incredible, committed and compassionate Lycée staff who is rising to the occasion in spite of personal and professional challenges. In the words of Martin Luther King: “The ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where they stand at times of challenge and controversy.” 

That spells Lycée!

With unwavering commitment, 

Marina

Dear Lycée families, 

I hope you are all doing well and adjusting to your new daily routines. All of us are going through an unprecedented life experience that can bring a lot of anxiety. The implementation of meaningful online educational opportunities aim to support students and parents in a time when most things are uncertain. The purpose of Lycée online instructional plan is to provide a structured framework so that students can maintain strong learning habits and continue to be exposed to rigorous academic content, especially in French. While we strongly encourage and recommend that students consistently participate in the online tasks created by their teachers, I want to clarify that participation is not mandatory and students will not be penalized if they cannot participate or complete tasks. 

The academic team has worked and continues to work with teachers on building a program that offers meaningful educational opportunities that are as user-friendly and as simple as possible for the students and their families. All activities, videos, and instructions are posted on Google Classroom (with the exception of pre-k and K who are using Seesaw). While teachers will continue to post daily activities by 9:00am and make recommendations about completion target dates/times, we understand that many circumstances can prevent a student from participating and/or completing a task. We know that many students do not have continuous access to technology, that their daily schedule at home does not necessarily allow them to complete tasks according to the suggested schedule, and that parents have constraining schedules that prevent them from assisting with the online program at any given time. 

Parents, these online learning opportunities should not create another source of anxiety during these uncertain times. Please, encourage your child(ren) to participate and embrace the online plan as diligently as possible but know that it is also flexible. If a student is unable to access activities on a given day, he/she can complete them at a later date or simply restart with current learning opportunities. You should contact your child’s teachers for guidance when you find it challenging to follow the suggested schedule. Last week and this week, teachers did not and will not introduce any new instructional material. The focus has been put on strengthening learning skills, improving the appropriation of the digital tools, and fostering the adaptation to the new class routines. Changes in the instructional material will be communicated in a timely manner. It is important to understand that all scope and sequences for this school year will be revised and adapted due to this unprecedented situation, in which attendance and participation will not be sanctioned. 

Additionally, if you wish to increase your child(ren)’s exposure to French language at home, I am sharing a document with many supplemental online resources. These resources do not replace nor should not be used in place of the meaningful educational material created and sent daily by French teachers. The websites presented in the attached table simply provide options to watch more educational and recreational videos, read more age-appropriate articles, download digital books, or listen to podcasts all in French. Most of these websites are entirely in French and some of them can be a bit tricky to navigate. Unfortunately, teachers and support staff will not be able to provide technical assistance to navigate these sites as they are extra resources. 

Our teachers have created substantial instructional online opportunities meant to create structured and rigorous learning habits while students are at home. I strongly encourage following these well-thought plans as closely as possible. For any questions related to instructional material, please contact your child(ren)’s the teacher directly. For any technical issues, you can refer to the COVID-19 Response and Resources page on our website that contains several tutorial videos and useful links, and/or contact the IT department at support@lfno.org. For any questions with regard to the implementation and evolution of the online academic plan, please contact me directly.

Regards,
Sophie Capmartin
Director of Academics

scapmartin@lfno.org

Lycée Staff

Dear Lycée Families.

We are prepared to begin distance learning tomorrow morning. We thank you for your flexibility and understanding as we all navigate this new existence together. Teacher videos and posted materials will be available at 9:00 am each school day moving forward. Please see below for some guidance on getting your student(s) started with virtual distance learning.

Devices you can use at home:

• Smart Phones
• I -Pads/ Chromebooks / Tablets
• XBOX1 or PS4
• Desktop computers
• Laptop computers

Access to Learning Platforms: 

• 1st through 9th grade students will be using Google Classroom. Please view this video to help you learn how to navigate Google Classroom.

• PreK and K families will be using SeeSaw. Please review this description that walks families through how to use the SeeSaw tool.

How to login to Google Classroom:

• Login with your student’s LFNO Google account. You will not be able to login from another account.
• Go on the website google.com. Click on the blue rectangle on the top right that says “Sign in”.
• Enter the login and the password of your child: usually, it’s the first letter of the first name, followed by the last name (Example, James Wayne would be, jwayne.stu@lfno.org) and the password (usually a color and an animal and two digits like reddolphin45)
• If you don’t know your student’s login and password, reach out to your student’s teacher or the following administrators: for Patton, yaici@lfno.org, for Johnson, Upper Elementary jdaltoe@lfno.org, and for Johnson, Middle/High School ycolin@lfno.org 
• Once done, click on the 9 dots “waffle” icon on the top right of the page. Click on Google Classroom then click on student. When you see the class, click on join.

LFNO Distance Learning Technology Help Desk: 

• We are currently building a new link to our website with the many technology-related resources and FAQs, and that link will be shared soon.
• Please approach our first week with patience. If you need technical support accessing these tools, please reach out to the technology help desk at Support@lfno.org
• Content or instructional based questions should be directed to your student’s teacher

Resources for Internet Service

• Here is a link to resources available from different companies related to internet access. Additional internet access opportunities will be shared soon and will be available on our COVID Response and Resources page on our website.

We know that there will be challenges with this new format and we are committed to working as a community, now more than ever. We ask for all parties to do their best given the circumstances and to have grace for one another during this unique time. We will grow, learn, adapt, and become stronger (virtually) together!

Bon courage à tous!

Lycée Staff

Dear Lycée Families,

As you know, our school will be closed as of Monday, March 16, for a minimum of four weeks. Due to the closure, we are moving to a distance-learning format. We are in constant conversations with the LDOE as well as French educational agencies for guidance and resources that are becoming available, and we will communicate as soon as we have solidified the LFNO plan.

Academics: Our leadership and academic teams have worked incessantly to provide both logistical and academic plans in order to best serve our school community. Our academic plans are structured so that students can receive meaningful educational opportunities. AEFE (the French Agency for Teaching Abroad) has also provided guidance and recommendations for distance learning. We will be working with our teachers on Monday and Tuesday in professional development learning modules to review expectations, train on the needed platforms, and begin the rollout to families. Instructional services will start on Wednesday, March 18 for both campuses. Please understand that the school closure of this past Thursday and Friday did not allow us time to work with our teachers who need guidance in this new and temporary landscape. We will share details of our instructional plan by the end of the day on Tuesday. Please note that:

•       PreK and K students and teachers will use the SeeSaw online platform for

      distance learning – some work may be paper based

•       Students in grades 1st through 9th will use Google Classroom primarily

We are asking all stakeholders to be patient as this mode of instruction is new to all. It is important that parents stay connected and assist students, especially younger students who may not immediately be comfortable with digital tools. The first few days of distance learning will give us an idea as to what is working and what needs to be adjusted. We understand from the technology survey that most students have online access through devices shared with family members, so the structure and length of our current distance learning are with that in mind. We will be calling families that didn’t complete the survey to see how we can provide learning opportunities to all students during this unique experience. This is why communication is so valuable!

Special Education: For families of students receiving ESS services, the Director of ESS and ESS team members will be in touch with more specific information on services.

LEAP Assessment: We received guidance from the LDoE that no adjustment to LEAP statewide assessment will be made other than testing dates. The new dates are:

•       Beginning on April 27 for grades 3 to 8
•       No schedule changes for High School testing

Meal Service: We are working with NOLA Public Schools, Healthy Food School Collaborative and Pigeon Caterers in order to provide meals to students. More information will be sent out tomorrow however it will be helpful if you could fill out this survey if interested in the meal service and for our planning purposes.

Technology: The LDoE communicated that limited income households can apply for $5 to $10 per month internet access (AT&T Access, Cox Connect2Compete, CenturyLink Lifeline). Charter Communication will offer free Spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students who do not already have a subscription.

School Activities: Please know that all school-related, in-person activities are canceled. We are still planning on alternative plans for Nuit de la Musique, however, please know that it will not take place on Sunday, March 22nd. More to come.

 Health: We ask that you report to our school nurses any cases of COVID-19 so that, when it is time to re-open school, we do so in complete safety.

Patton Campus: kcoleman@lfno.org

Johnson Camus: pleblanc@lfno.org

Contact Information: It is imperative that we have your updated contact information. If you recently changed your email address, phone number or physical address, please let us know by contacting Keione Bastian, our data manager, at kbastian@lfno.org

Keeping Updated: On our new webpage COVID-19 Response and Resources, you will find all relevant information regarding our school response as well as resources you may find useful. We will populate the page on an ongoing basis. You will also find a detailed campus-specific directory with a list of all staff members should you need to communicate with any of us.

Thank you for exercising patience during this time, for helping your children with their work, following recommendations for community health, and taking care of yourself and others.

We are looking forward to working as a productive and supportive community as we, together, navigate through this difficult public health crisis.

The Administrative Team

Dear Lycée Community, As you may have heard, today Governor Jon Bel Edwards signed a proclamation that effectively closes all K-12 public schools in the state of Louisiana, until April 13th. We want to make sure you received this information in order for you to make relevant plans for your family. At this time, it is important that we stay in daily communication, especially once buildings are closed. Lycée will communicate via School Messenger, email or social media as appropriate. Later today we will go live with a page on our website dedicated to our COVID-19 response. The link is www.lfno.org/covid-19. Stay tuned for communications with information on distance learning plans and other relevant information.

Stay safe,

The Administrative Team

Dear Lycée Community,

we have been informed that there is NO exposure to the COVID-19 virus from a self-reporting Lycée community member. This was confirmed by testing which came back negative and we are happy to share the good news. We will continue to be vigilant and proactive with steps to detect and contain and will continue with our buildings sanitation efforts. A follow up message will be sent tomorrow with communications about next week. I hope you and your family will be able to enjoy this beautiful evening.

Sincerely,

The Administrative Team

Dear Lycée Community,
as always, LFNO is committed to put student, staff and families safety first. As a follow up to the previous message, we want to reiterate that we have NO confirmation of direct exposure on a first person basis, and have NO information to indicate at this point that our students or staff have been directly exposed to Covid-19. We are committed as always, to go above and beyond to make sure potential exposure is minimized: we want to take every precaution possible. We will take the opportunity, on Thursday and Friday, to sanitize the school campuses and ensure a safe return to school on Monday. Please understand that, for reasons of privacy, we cannot identify the member of our community in question; however, rest assured we will follow up with updates.

The Administrative Team

Dear Lycée Families and Staff,

We have received notice of an unconfirmed but possible community exposure to the coronavirus not due to international travel. Out of an abundance of caution, and for the safety of our students, families, and staff, tomorrow and Friday (3/12 and 3/13) our school will be closed. We will communicate more details as soon as available.

Dr. Lisa Tropez-Arceneaux , LFNO Board Chair  
Marina Schoen, CEO

Link to Email

Dear Lycée Families,

As we continue to work with the State and our community of New Orleans Charter Organizations/Schools to ensure we are fully prepared for all COVID-19 contingencies, we would like to give a brief update on student attendance and truancy.

First and foremost, and in accordance with CDC recommendations, if your child is sick please keep them home and schedule an appointment with your general pediatrician.

Secondly, as of now, the LDOE has not provided specific direction on policy changes regarding attendance and truancy as it relates to parents choosing self-isolation in avoidance of potential exposure. At this time, and under these circumstances, parents may reserve the right to keep their children at home, however the absence will be marked as an unexcused unless a  doctor’s note is provided, as per our current policy. We will continue to work with the State regarding guidance to school districts, charter organizations, and families in addressing attendance and truancy considering the potential severity and fluidity of the situation. Please expect more detailed information which we will update as needed.

Lastly, and in order to streamline resources, this upcoming Friday we will go live with a ”COVID-19 Response and Resources” page on our www.lfno.org website where we will post updates and resources you may find useful. We ask that you check the page to find information or responses to your concerns before contacting Lycée staff or administrators. This will assist us in streamlining resources at this challenging time.

We thank, again, all those who offered insightful and useful comments, resources and assistance. We also appreciate your kindness and understanding as we navigate this novel and difficult challenge, and most of all the positive feedback you offered regarding our school’s response.

The Administrative Team

Dear Lycée Families,

We hope this message finds you all happy and healthy. LFNO has been gathering information and preparing potential plans should schools be advised to close temporarily due to COVID-19. At this point we do NOT plan to close school but we are following all recommendations from the Louisiana Department of Education and the Center for Disease Control.

We ask that you please complete one form for EACH LFNO student in your family immediately.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeYchWaFzxpABlUKUPb7W_Oy4ccohjbWMotwRBvXtNsF22bkA/viewform

The Administrative Team

Click to view 3.6.20 edition of Être à la Page

Dear Lycée Community,

We want to provide an update regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) following Saturday, February 29th correspondence, to inform you of some of the preventive measures we have taken, and provide you with some resources you will hopefully find of interest.
As of today, there are no confirmed coronavirus cases in Louisiana. We will continue to monitor the potential impact of the virus and the recommendations set forth by the Louisiana Department of Health http://ldh.la.gov/index.cfm/page/3835 and the Center for Disease Control (CDC )https://www.cdc.gov/. The Louisiana Department of Education is also providing recommendations for Pre-k-12 schools.

What is happening at Lycée? In order to promote general good hygiene, we embarked on a campaign for our students to wash their hands, well and often. Based on advice from the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and local medical professionals, we are teaching, reminding, and implementing practices that will lead our school community to be less susceptible to viruses. Hand sanitizer is available all over the school, to be used when hand-washing is not immediately available, and the facilities team is disinfecting commonly touched surfaces several times a day. We are guiding students in the cafeteria to stop and wash their hands before eating lunch and after all recesses. There is signage in each restroom reminding students about the importance and proper technique for good hand washing. Teachers have been asked not to send students to the nurse’s station unless absolutely necessary. Additionally, we have made posters with guidance for good hygiene to remain healthy. Lastly, nurses have begun or are making plans to visit classes to discuss rules of good hygiene with students.

We want to assure our community that no one is present at the school that has traveled to countries with health notices (we polled our staff before our return from the Mardi Gras break), and that we rigorously follow ALL recommendations about prevention and detection from health officials. As mentioned in last week’s message, we ask families to report health concerns to our school nurses. We ask to follow self-quarantine guidelines for the recommended 14 days from the day of arrival to the US if international travel to countries with health notices took place. Currently, there are no known reports of illness nor contact with ill individuals among members of our community.

We would also like to share two documents that may provide pertinent health information and how to discuss this with your child. One is a parent guide from the National Association of School Nurses: https://files.constantcontact.com/7b77b947001/9a9f6799-c325-4263-a498-018b4de22737.pdf

The other is a different approach, for students who may be displaying more anxiety or who may need some visuals, like comics. You can print and fold – NPR Just for Kids – exploring the new corona virus. https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/02/28/809580453/just-for-kids-a-comic-exploring-the-new-coronavirus

We thank all parents and community members who have provided feedback and resources. It feels good to work through this as a supportive community.

The Administrative Team

Dear Lycée Community,

As we welcome you back from a fun and hopefully restful Mardi Gras break, we want to address the issue of the global emergence of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) that has generated a great deal of news and questions over the last few weeks. Please rest assured that we are taking essential precautions to respond to outbreaks of communicable diseases within our schools and that we will follow the recommendations of the CDC (Center for Disease Control) listed below. Since knowledge about prevention and detection is of the utmost importance, we have also contacted the public health epidemiologist at the Louisiana Department of Health to make sure we follow local recommendations, if any. We will continue to diligently monitor the situation and follow their instructions, as well as communicating with families by email and phone using our school messaging system if there are changes. Please feel free to reach out to our school nurses if you need to communicate specific concerns that may affect our community. You may find this link to the CDC useful: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/

What can I do to prevent COVID-19 infections in my school?

Schools do not need to take any special precautions beyond what is normally recommended to prevent the spread of viruses in schools. You can help students and staff reduce their risk of getting and spreading viral respiratory infections, including the flu and the common cold, by encouraging them to take simple steps which will also prevent COVID-19. These include:

Staying home when they are sick.

Frequent handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after they blow their nose. Help young children do the same. If hands are visibly dirty, use soap and water to clean hands.

If soap and water are not readily available, using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

Advising persons to avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Following the school’s routine cleaning and disinfection program. Emphasizing cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Covering coughs or sneezes with a tissue, then throwing the tissue in the trash and cleaning hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer (if soap and water are not readily available).

Urging students and staff to get a flu shot during the flu season.

Providing adequate supplies for good hygiene, including clean and functional handwashing stations, soap, paper towels, and alcohol‐based hand sanitizer

We will continue to work with our custodial staff and contracted third parties to make sure adequate cleaning and disinfecting procedures are followed daily. We will use germicidal disinfectant to treat all surfaces, bathrooms, rails, doorknobs, light switches, counters, and other surfaces. Additionally, we will provide staff with extra sanitizing wipes and gels to use as needed. We will continue to monitor the CDC recommendations and update our plans accordingly.

The Administrative Team