Rockville Centre
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VOL. 31 NO. 30
MLK Center holds summer program
Pool is open for RVC residents
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JULY 23 - 29, 2020
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Molloy College prepares for fall reopening By BRIANA BONFIGLIO bbonfiglio@liherald.com
Briana Bonfiglio/Herald
JACK RYAN, A student ambassador and resident assistant at Molloy College, left, and President Jim Lentini spoke about the changes the college is making in the interest of health and safety when students return in the fall.
Molloy College is gearing up to welcome students back to its Rockville Centre campus this fall, sanitizing buildings and implementing new procedures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. In September the college will offer a mix of virtual and in-person classes, and resident students will return to dorms with social distancing measures in place. Dr. James Lentini, the college’s new president, said he was optimistic about the com-
ing year despite the challenges it would bring. “I think we’re attacking this in a way that balances the two things that are a priority for me,” he said, “which are making sure you can [provide education] safely, and that it can be high quality.” Earlier this month, the college was beginning preparations for what will be a much different school year. Inside Fitzgerald Hall, one of three residence halls, cleaning company workers thoroughly sanitized every mattress. In the past there have been as many as three students in a room, but CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
RVC School District discusses possible reopening plans By JILL NOSSA jnossa@liherald.com
While the details of the 202021 school year are yet to be determined, the Rockville Centre School District is making plans to be prepared for a range of scenarios. The Board of Education has formed a Re-Entry Committee, and the district said it was aligning its plans with the recent guidance provided by the New York State Education Department. “In our planning, the safety of our students and staff is the top priority,” the district’s new superintendent, June Chang, said. “We want to ensure that
there are clear operational procedures of collecting information, gathering information and talking about specific areas to be able to focus on, and then bring those back to a smaller committee to start making logistical decisions as we move forward into planning for reopening.” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said earlier this month that schools could reopen in September if the local infection level were 5 percent or lower as of Aug. 1, and remained low for the following two weeks. If schools do reopen, however, students’ return will be different, with several models being considered, and districts must submit their plans to the state by
July 31. The Re-Entry Committee has been divided into four subcommittees: Safety; Instruction; Social and Emotional Learning and Mental Health; and Co-Curricular and Activities. There are 20 to 30 volunteers on each subcommittee — board trustees, parents, staff and administrators. Chang said the state requires districts to examine different models, and provided interim guidance last week. Each committee is focusing on questions about various scenarios for the upcoming school year, which include a return to school in the fall; a closure in the middle of the school year; remote learning at the
beginning of the year and a return to school later in the year; and remote learning for the entire year. “We’ve been working extremely hard in a short amount of time,” Chang said, “and have already gone through a series of committee meetings.” So far, he said, the Instruction subcommittee has discussed
three potential plans: the return of all students, following health guidelines; a hybrid model, in which students attend school in cohorts, or smaller groups, every other day or two or three times a week; or a remote model that is more structured, with mandated classes and attendance. The Safety subcommittee, CONTINUED ON PAGE 3