Parents able to request schedule changes
Abington schools have announced initial sorting plans for students going back to school in September.
The school system has adopted a hybrid plan for classes this fall in an effort to allow students back in the classroom while hopefully reducing the risk of a major COVID-19 outbreak. Parents can also opt to have their children learn via remote learning.
According to an email from Schools Superintendent Peter Schafer Thursday afternoon, students with a last name starting A through L will be part of the “Green” cohort that will attend school Mondays and Tuesdays and learn from home on Wednesdays , Thursdays and Fridays.
Students with last names starting M through Z will be part of the “Wave” cohort that will learn from home Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and attend school Thursday and Friday.
Parents who would like their child switched to a different cohort are asked to fill out this request form.
The full text of Schafer’s email to parents can be read below.
The first day of school in Abington is scheduled for September 16.
August 20, 2020
Dear Abington Community:
Within the Abington Public Schools hybrid learning model, students are being divided into cohorts that will attend school on different days. Students with last names beginning with A-L will be assigned to the Green cohort (attending school Monday & Tuesday, remote days Wednesday through Friday) and students with last names beginning with M-Z will be assigned to the Wave cohort (attending school Thursday & Friday, remote days Monday through Wednesday).
We understand that the alphabetical cohort assignments do not fully represent the makeup of families and the students they care for and that there are families or individuals that may wish to make necessary adjustments to their student’s cohort. APS will make the best effort possible to honor cohort requests while adhering to necessary safety protocols, however, based on enrollment, the district reserves the right to change cohort assignments.
Families wishing to submit a request for a specific student to join a cohort other than their assigned alphabetical cohort placement should fill out the form linked here: APS Cohort Request Form. Please fill out a separate form completely for each student you are requesting a cohort change for. The deadline for these submissions is Tuesday August 25th
High Needs students (EL and Students with Disabilities) who may require additional days on campus will be contacted separately by Special Education liaisons.
Some students who receive special services may be moved to the opposite cohort by the school to assist in service delivery – these families will be notified individually shortly.
Families can anticipate that students in grades K-4 will be assigned according to the alphabetical groupings noted at the top, and are prompted to submit waivers should changes be necessary.
Some students in grades 7-12 may be moved by the school to balance classes. Cohort change requests for grades 7-12 will be incredibly limited, with priority given to keeping students in the same household with different last names in the same cohort.
Families in grades 5-12 can find their cohort placement within the Aspen X2 Parent Portal. To access the portal, click the following link: https://ma-abington.myfollett.com/aspen/logon.do After logging in (using the same username and password students use to login to school computers), click the My Info top tab and your cohort assignment will be the last entry on the page, at the bottom of the second column. If you and your student do not know your log on information, please contact the AMS or AHS office.