Posted on August 19, 2022
Categories: News from SDP

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Dear School District of Philadelphia Students and Families,

The first day of school is just 10 days away! We are truly excited to welcome our students, families and staff to the 2022-23 school year, which starts on Monday, August 29. If you haven’t yet seen our back-to-school ad on television, you can watch it here.

Here are a few reminders to help you prepare for a successful start to the school year:

  • Health & Safety Protocols – as shared last week, all students and staff will be required to wear masks while indoors in school for the first 10 days of the new school year – from August 29 through September 9 – regardless of the COVID-19 Community Level. This is an extra precaution for everyone’s health and well-being since increased end-of-summer social gatherings may heighten the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Masking may then become optional under specific circumstances. You can visit our COVID-19 Information Hub to register for an upcoming Health and Safety Town Hall, access a what-to-do quick guide for families and read the General COVID-19 Protocols for SY2022-2023.
  • Questions? Contact School Staff Who Can Help – this easy-to-use directory provides contact information and resources to assist you with getting the help you need with your child’s education, classroom and school. You can also access our multilingual hotlines here.
  • Back-to-School Checklist – by now, you should have received this checklist in your mailbox with tips to help you prepare. Be sure to review it before school starts.
  • 2022-2023 Calendar – you can find the calendar online here. Be sure to note the days throughout the year when schools will dismiss three hours early or be closed for students to allow our educators extra time for professional development and instructional planning.
  • Extreme Heat Protocol – this summer, Philadelphia has experienced record-breaking temperatures. If extreme heat occurs after school starts, we want you to know what to expect as we work to protect the health and well-being of everyone in our school buildings.
    • Our building engineers actively monitor the temperature inside each school building whenever outside temperatures are forecasted to reach 85℉ or more, or when a heat index of 90℉ or higher is projected.
    • We are extra vigilant in school buildings (see list below) that currently have window-based air conditioning units instead of central air conditioning systems that can consistently regulate temperatures in instructional spaces.
    • If we expect temperatures inside the school building to reach 90℉ or higher, we then work with the school leader to determine whether a temporary shift to virtual learning is necessary for everyone’s safety. Our goal is to make that decision as early as possible, preferably the day before, to minimize last-minute disruption for our students, families and staff.
    • Be sure to review this Keeping Kids Safe When Temperatures Soar resource for other helpful tips.

Our Operations Team continues to work diligently to make District-wide building improvements that will support safe and comfortable learning environments in every school. We look forward to sharing the Facilities Master Plan, which will be presented to the Board of Education in the spring of 2023 and will highlight our overall plan to support great teaching and learning environments for all of our students and staff. Until then, we will continue our progress to update air conditioning systems in schools.

Thank you for choosing the School District of Philadelphia for your child’s educational needs. We look forward to seeing you on August 29.

The School District of Philadelphia 

Office of Communications

 

*Schools in Need of Air Conditioning and/or Electrical System Upgrades
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