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Grades 5th-12th to Reopen Monday. New COVID-19 Tracker on NOLA-PS website.
(New Orleans – October 8, 2020) – As students in grades 5 – 12 prepare to return to in-person learning beginning Monday, October 12, NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) remains committed to the health and safety of our school community.
In collaboration with its medical advisors and city health officials, the District has continued to track the citywide health trends to inform reopening plans. Beginning next week, schools will be moving forward with reopening plans to return to in-person learning as outlined in NOLA-PS’ Roadmap to Reopening.
Following the same measured approach that schools took as they welcomed back students in grades Pre-K – 4, schools will begin bringing our older students back to campuses in a staggered manner. Schedules for reopening will vary by school based on their plans, the sizes and amenities of their facilities, and their semester calendars. Per the Roadmap to Reopening, students in these grades will return to school on hybrid schedules, with a mix of in-person and distance learning, which will vary campus to campus.
“Our 5th through 12th grade students and educators are excited to be heading back to the classroom. Nothing can replace the learning and personal connections that occur inside the classroom between teachers and students,” said NOLA-PS Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr. “In-person learning develops the whole child, academically and socially. It’s the reason the District is prioritizing in-person learning whenever possible. We are encouraging families to send their children to school if they feel comfortable and, of course, distance learning remains an option.”
The District plans to begin operating schools on October 12 under the Phase 3 guidelines established in the Roadmap, with some exceptions. For example, classroom size will be capped at 30 individuals, rather than the 50-person limit in Phase 3 as an extra precaution.
As the District has previously established, results of confirmed COVID-19 cases in our school community will be reported on a weekly basis. In tandem with our enhanced efforts to test more members of our school community, we have confirmed new cases of COVID-19. These new cases, however, remain a small fraction of our entire student body, teachers, and staff across the District.
“We were prepared for the trend we’re seeing, and I applaud our schools for taking appropriate steps when necessary to keep our children and educators as safe as possible,” Dr. Lewis said. “The low rate of positive tests remains encouraging, but rest assured, we will be vigilant and continue to support our schools as they adhere to the Roadmap.”
Our new COVID-19 Tracker can be found on the NOLA-PS website here. The District will update these data every Thursday at 4 p.m. throughout the pandemic.
NOLA-PS is ahead of the curve with coronavirus testing, compared to many school districts across the country. The District has established partnerships with LCMC Health Children’s Hospital and Ochsner Hospital for Children to provide frontline access to COVID-19 testing for students and staff experiencing symptoms. The testing is provided via a mix of mobile units, hospitals, and urgent care facilities.
Additionally, the District has worked with the Louisiana Department of Health to establish two additional surge testing locations in Orleans Parish to increase access for student and school-based staff to free COVID-19 testing. And the District continues to collaborate with all of the local health systems and national partners on how to increase access to regular testing moving forward. School-based staff also have access to LCMC Health’s Nurse Hotline for guidance on COVID-19 related situations and symptoms.
COVID-19 Cases
The District began tracking COVID-19 cases and quarantine requests on September 17. As of noon on Thursday, October 8, the District is tracking 12 active cases of COVID-19 among our school community’s students, staff, and teachers.
These data include positive cases reported for any student or staff member, regardless of where they contracted COVID-19. In one instance, for example, a single positive case associated with an extracurricular activity led to 1 other positive case and 71 individuals placed in precautionary quarantine.
Students, teachers, and staff in close contact with any confirmed case (defined as within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more) will be notified and asked to partake in a precautionary quarantine. This will require them to remain out of the classroom for a minimum of 14 days, per CDC guidelines.
The District is continuing to stay on top of updates, collaborate with state and local agencies, and work closely with our school leaders, task force, and community stakeholders to ensure a safe 2020-2021 school year.
Facilities COVID-19 Safety Inspections
NOLA-PS is working to ensure schools are safe for students, educators, and staff by conducting COVID-19 safety inspections. Inspections for all Elementary School facilities will be completed by October 9th. High School inspections will begin in mid-October or as students return to campus.
2020-2021 School Year Community Feeding Program Updates
While all schools offer daily meals to their currently enrolled students, many school locations have begun offering meals to any eligible student in the community whether they are enrolled in a District school or not. These sites that are providing the community feeding option may provide any student with a grab-and-go style breakfast and lunch.
For a list of available sites, please visit: https://nolapublicschools.com/covid19/nutrition
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ABOUT NOLA PUBLIC SCHOOLS: NOLA Public Schools is the public school district for Orleans Parish, which includes the district’s elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board and the district’s administration led by NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis Jr. NOLA Public Schools currently oversees 76 public schools.
For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.
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Reopening Update
Since the city’s health data continues to improve, the District is still on track for its previously communicated plan to bring students in grade 5 through 12 back to in-person learning in mid-October. Much like how schools reopened to students in grades PreK – 4th, schools will begin bringing our older students back to campuses in a staggered manner. Schedules for reopening will vary by school starting October 12th, based upon various school-based plans and semester calendars. Per the Roadmap to Reopening, students in these grades will return to school on hybrid schedules, with a mix of in-person and distance learning which will vary campus to campus. More details on those plans and the ongoing steps NOLA-PS and schools will be taking to welcome students back to campus in a safe manner will be forthcoming next week.
While the City of New Orleans has moved its COVID-19 response to Phase 3, the District plans to remain operating schools under Phase 2 guidelines established in the Reopening Roadmap as we carry out this next stage of reopening. The District will announce any updates to operational restrictions as needed.
COVID-19 Cases
Between Friday, September 25, and noon on Thursday, October 1, two confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported. (Moving forward, we will continue to report confirmed cases in the following manner):
| School | Students | Staff | Number of Close Contacts |
| Mary D. Coghill | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| Success Preparatory at Thurgood Marshall ES | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 2 | 10 |
Students, teachers, and staff in close contact with any confirmed case (defined as within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more) will be notified and asked to partake in a precautionary quarantine. This will require them to remain out of the classroom for a minimum of 14 days, per CDC guidelines.
Facilities COVID-19 Safety Inspections
NOLA-PS is working to ensure schools are safe for students, educators, and staff by conducting COVID-19 safety inspections. Inspections for all Elementary School facilities will be completed by October 9th. High School inspections will begin in mid-October or as students return to campus.
2020-2021 School Year Community Feeding Program Updates
While all schools offer daily meals to their currently enrolled students, 23 school locations have begun offering meals to any eligible student in the community whether they are enrolled in a District school or not. These 23 sites that are providing the community feeding option may provide any student with a grab-and-go style breakfast and lunch.
Meals will be available at the following locations Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 AM – Noon. The information can be found, via this link: https://nolapublicschools.com/covid19/nutrition
• Ben Franklin Elementary on Nashville – 401 Nashville Ave., New Orleans, LA 70115
• Bethune Elementary Charter – 2401 Humanity St., New Orleans, LA 70122
• Mary D. Coghill Elementary – 4617 Mirabeau Ave., New Orleans, LA 70126
• Hynes Charter School: Lakeview – 990 Harrison Ave., New Orleans, LA 70124
• Hynes Charter School: UNO – 6101 Chatham Drive, New Orleans, LA 70122
• Lusher Charter School – 7315 Willow St., New Orleans, LA 70118
• Robert Russa Moton Charter School – 8550 Curran Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70127
• Noble Minds Institute for Whole Child Learning – 1333 S Carrolton Ave., New Orleans, LA 70118
• James M. Singleton Charter School – 2220 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70113
• Warren Easton Charter High School – 3019 Canal St., New Orleans, LA 70119
• Ben Franklin High School – 2001 Leon C. Simon Drive, New Orleans, LA 70112
• Lusher High School – 5624 Freret St., New Orleans, LA 70115
• New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) – 2800 Chartres St., New Orleans, LA 70117
• Foundation Preparatory Charter School – 3121 St. Bernard Ave., New Orleans, LA 70119
• Esperanza Charter School – 4407 S Carrolton Ave., New Orleans, LA 70119
• Lafayette Academy Lower School – 2733 Esplanade Ave., New Orleans, LA 70119
• Lafayette Academy Middle School – 9330 Forshey St., New Orleans, LA 70118
• Andrew H. Wilson Charter School - 3617 General Pershing Street, New Orleans, LA
• Alice M. Harte Charter School - 5300 Berkeley Drive, New Orleans, LA
• McDonogh 35 High School - 4000 Cadillac Street, New Orleans, LA
• Booker T. Washington High School - 1201 S. Roman Street, New Orleans, LA
• Frederick A. Douglass High School - 3820 St. Claude Avenue, New Orleans, LA
• John F. Kennedy High School - 6026 Paris Avenue, New Orleans, LA
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ABOUT NOLA PUBLIC SCHOOLS: NOLA Public Schools is the public school district for Orleans Parish, which includes the district’s elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board and the district’s administration led by NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis Jr. NOLA Public Schools currently oversees 76 public schools.
For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.
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(New Orleans – September 23, 2020) – Twelve exceptional teachers in the NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) family were honored, during tonight’s virtual 2020 New Orleans Excellence in Teaching Award (NOETA) ceremony. Each educator received a $2,500 or $1,000 prize, thanks to generous $10,000 grants from both the Allstate Sugar Bowl and the College Football Playoff Foundation (CFP Foundation).
“Congratulations to all NOETA finalists and grand winners,” said NOLA-PS Superintendent of Schools Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr. “These amazing teachers value their profession and dedicate their lives to educating students. This is our way of honoring them and thanking them.”
The NOETA finalists represent the top educators based on the following criteria: student achievement, strong student relationships, constant learning, and impact on community. School leaders, teachers, coaches, and other academic or cultural leaders at any New Orleans area public school/network were eligible to nominate exceptional teachers for this citywide award.
Dr. Lewis, Jr., along with Orleans Public School Board (OPSB) President Ethan Ashley and Board Member Leslie Ellison, recognized the 2020 NOETA finalists during the online ceremony.
“Throughout the pandemic, our teachers stepped up to ensure that our students, including my own kids, are able to learn virtually,” said Mr. Ashley. “I’m extremely proud of and grateful to our hardworking educators and excited to celebrate their excellence!”
Allstate Sugar Bowl President Ralph Capitelli, whose organization has been a proud sponsor of the New Orleans Excellence in Teaching Award for the past two years, also joined the celebration and provided the opening remarks.
“On behalf of the Allstate Sugar Bowl, I want to thank New Orleans Public Schools for the honor of participating in another NOETA event. Through our partnership with the College Football Playoff Foundation, we’ve had the tremendous privilege of assisting teachers in the region as they carry out their vital mission,” said Mr. Capitelli. “A cornerstone of that assistance has been our ongoing effort to recognize excellence in education. That’s why the Sugar Bowl Committee is pleased to commend the 12 teachers honored Wednesday evening for their influential and inspiring work with the children of our city.”
NOLA PS is grateful the Allstate Sugar Bowl and the CFP Foundation continue to partner and invest in this recognition program that supports great teachers. As part of the organizations’ impact and engagement strategy when the championship game comes to New Orleans, they create local partnerships to help sustain lasting teacher programs that fit their mission. The NOETA Awards is one of those initiatives.
“We’re honored to be a part of this fantastic annual tradition in New Orleans, celebrating exceptional teachers who have gone the extra yard for their students,” said CFP Foundation Executive Director Britton Banowsky. “Retention and recruitment remains a primary focus, and that starts with making sure teachers have the resources they need and are supported by everyone involved. Thank you to our great partners at the Allstate Sugar Bowl and NOLA Public Schools for their dedication to the teaching profession.”
Together, the Sugar Bowl and CFP Foundation funded a total of $20K in grants for the following 2020 NOETA honorees:
Grand Winners:
• Jennifer Boyce, Opportunities Academy
• Alexandra Mossing, Edward Hynes Charter School – Lakeview
• Eric Schroeder, Morris Jeff Community School
• Tara Thomas-Antoine, Martin Behrman Charter School
• Marla Williams, Martin Behrman Charter School
Finalists:
• Robert Bassler, Abramson Sci Academy
• Talisha Bryan, Eleanor McMain High School
• Jennifer Comeaux, Benjamin Franklin Elementary School
• Henry Dreyfus, Benjamin Franklin High School
• Joseph Krafcynski, Rooted School
• Taaqua Lacy-Williams, Dwight Eisenhower Elementary School
• Blake Thompson, Livingston Collegiate Academy
The NOETA Award was created in 2015 by New Schools for New Orleans. In the fall of 2018, OPSB took over the planning and execution of the program to help honor more outstanding public school teachers throughout all of our public schools in New Orleans.
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ABOUT NOLA PUBLIC SCHOOLS:
NOLA Public Schools is the public school district for Orleans Parish. It includes the district’s administration and elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board. NOLA Public Schools currently oversees 78 public schools and is led by Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr.
For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.
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NOLA Public Schools takes the health of our students, educators, and staff seriously, and
we are committed to doing everything we can to ensure the district and our schools are supported through the duration of the pandemic.
Students/teachers/staff in close contact with any confirmed case (defined as within 6 feet for 15 or more minutes) will be notified and will need to be quarantined at home for a minimum of 14 days, per CDC guidelines.
To that end, the District will provide weekly updates on any changes related to COVID-19, such as the number of coronavirus cases and updates to the Community Feeding Program.
When:
The updates will be issued every Thursday at 4 PM, via a media alert.
Updates:
COVID-19 Cases
Since in-person learning began last Thursday for many of our Pre-K – 4th graders, there is only one reported confirmed COVID-19 case – as of Noon, Thursday, September 24th. (Moving forward, we will continue to report confirmed cases by school):
School Students Staff Landry-Walker High School 0 1 Total 0 1
All schools are required to report positive cases as they are found to the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) and the District. The district is continuing to stay on top of updates, collaborate with state and local agencies, and put district resources behind our on-going response. We are also closely collaborating with our school leaders, task force, and community stakeholders to ensure a safe 2020-2021 school year.
Thirty-eight percent of Pre-K – 4th grades students in the District have opted to continue distance learning. The rest have returned to in-person learning. Grades 5th – 12th will continue distance learning until at least mid-October, as long as health data trends continue to remain positive. These students will participate in a hybrid model of in-person and distance learning starting in mid-October.
Additionally, per the District’s Roadmap to Reopening, any family may choose to remain in our schools’ distance learning programs. Resources on safety precautions and guidelines in schools are available via the Roadmap as well.
2020-2021 School Year Community Feeding Program Updates
While all schools offer daily meals to their currently enrolled students, starting Monday, September 28, 19 Orleans Parish school locations will begin offering meals to any eligible student in the community whether they are enrolled in a District school or not. These 19 sites, providing the community feeding option, may provide any student with a breakfast and lunch, grab-and-go style meal.
Meals will be available at the following locations Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 AM – Noon. The information can be found, via this link: https://nolapublicschools.com/covid19/nutrition
• Ben Franklin Elementary on Nashville – 401 Nashville Ave., New Orleans, LA 70115
• Ben Franklin Elementary on Jefferson – 1116 Jefferson Ave., New Orleans, LA 70115
• Bethune Elementary Charter – 2401 Humanity St., New Orleans, LA 70122
• Mary D. Coghill Elementary – 4617 Mirabeau Ave., New Orleans, LA 70126
• Hynes Charter School: Lakeview – 990 Harrison Ave., New Orleans, LA 70124
• Hynes Charter School: UNO – 6101 Chatham Drive, New Orleans, LA 70122
• Lusher Charter School – 7315 Willow St., New Orleans, LA 70118
• Robert Russa Moton Charter School – 8550 Curran Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70127
• Noble Minds Institute for Whole Child Learning – 1333 S Carrolton Ave., New Orleans, LA 70118
• James M. Singleton Charter School – 2220 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70113
• The Bridge Middle School – 2405 Jackson Ave., New Orleans, LA 70113
• Warren Easton Charter High School – 3019 Canal St., New Orleans, LA 70119
• Ben Franklin High School – 2001 Leon C. Simon Drive, New Orleans, LA 70112
• Lusher High School – 5624 Freret St., New Orleans, LA 70115
• New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) – 2800 Chartres St., New Orleans, LA 70117
• Foundation Preparatory Charter School – 3121 St. Bernard Ave., New Orleans, LA 70119
• Esperanza Charter School – 4407 S Carrolton Ave., New Orleans, LA 70119
• Lafayette Academy Lower School – 2733 Esplanade Ave., New Orleans, LA 70119
• Lafayette Academy Middle School – 9330 Forshey St., New Orleans, LA 70118
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ABOUT NOLA PUBLIC SCHOOLS: NOLA Public Schools is the public school district for Orleans Parish, which includes the district’s elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board and the district’s administration led by NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis Jr. NOLA Public Schools currently oversees 76 public schools.
For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.
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(New Orleans – September 21, 2020) — All 26 high schools in the NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) district will partner with various local organizations to encourage students to register and vote.
With the 2020 Elections around the corner, schools within the District are committed to teaching civic responsibility to students with the goal of producing responsible citizens and active participants in community and government. It’s part of NOLA Public Schools’ vision to ensure all students are prepared for civic success.
“We want to teach our students that their voices matter. That they can be heard loud and clear when they vote,” said NOLA-PS Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr. “District-wide, it’s imperative we educate students on the importance of voting and the process. We must create excitement, enthusiasm, and empower our youth to become fully engaged in the electoral process, in order for them to ‘be the change we want to see in the world.’ ”
To that end, local partners will be co-hosting virtual registration week events with national guests and locally hosting virtual candidate forums for students. Local partners include:
Engaging New Voices & Voters • Delta Sigma Theta • L9 - Lower 9th Ward Voter’s Coalition • Urban League of New Orleans, Young Professionals • Links Pontchartrain • Links Crescent City • Links New Orleans • NAACP Youth Council
Many of these organizations work in partnership with the national organization When We All Vote on its initiative, "National Voter Registration Week of Action", which takes place Saturday, September 19 - 27, 2020. The week kicked-off this past Saturday when the Urban League of New Orleans, Young Professionals hosted an HBCU Virtual Registration Pep Rally in collaboration with Southern University of New Orleans.
When We All Vote is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization that is on a mission to increase participation in every election and close the race and age voting gap by changing the culture around voting, harnessing grassroots energy, and through strategic partnerships to reach every American.
NOLA-PS high schools have been participating in voter registration drives since 2018, when the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) passed a resolution to have a voter registration week in every high school. The District collaborated with the Lower 9th Ward Voter’s Coalition and the City of New Orleans Office of Youth and Families to hold voter registration drives in the high schools.
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About NOLA Public Schools: NOLA Public Schools is the public school district for Orleans Parish. It includes the district’s administration and elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board. NOLA Public Schools currently oversees 78 public schools and is led by Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr.
For more information, visit www.NolaPublicSchools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on
@NOLAPublicSchools, @nolaps, and @NOLAPSchools.
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