UPDATE - NOVEMBER 20, 2020:

Dear Families,

Based on the rising number of positive COVID-19 cases throughout Erie County, all students will continue to participate in 100% remote instruction through December. All in-person extracurricular activities, including winter sports, are postponed until further notice. We reached this decision in consultation with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Pennsylvania Department of Health, and Erie County Department of Health, whose experts believe this is the most responsible course forward under the current conditions.

We continue to believe that the classroom is the best learning environment for our students, and have made every effort to make in-person instruction possible, including developing a detailed Health and Safety Plan that reflects the guidance and recommendations of the Pennsylvania Department of Education and our local and state health agencies. Our main challenge now is simply the sheer scope of this pandemic in Erie County: the Pennsylvania Department of Education has labeled Erie County a county with substantial community transmission. In continuing remote instruction, we are following PDE’s health and safety guidelines for counties with substantial community transmission.

We will continue to monitor local conditions and consult with state and local health officials with the goal of returning to in-person instruction as soon as it is safe to do so. Current PDE guidance recommends that in-person instruction not resume until Erie County falls within the “moderate” range of community transmission for 14 consecutive days.

To monitor levels of community transmission and other COVID-19 data, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Level of Community Transmission Table and the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard, both of which are accessible via eriesd.org/reopen.

We recognize that other school districts in our region are making or have made different decisions regarding operations and instruction. We also recognize that the decision to continue remote learning will impact families’ lives and schedules. For our teachers, it means continuing to do the hard work of engaging our students in a new, challenging way on a daily basis. But our first, most important job is ensuring the health and safety of our staff and students, and the way we do that is to work closely with and listen to our health and safety experts at the local and state level.

Please follow the latest masking requirements and continue to practice safe social distancing. Wash your hands properly and thoroughly. Take your temperature before coming to work. If you do not feel well, stay home. If you come into contact with someone who is positive for COVID-19, is awaiting a COVID-19 test result, or has been exposed to COVID-19, please, stay home. Ensuring that our schools and buildings are safe and healthy places for our families is going to take all of us working together.

Thank you,

Brian J. Polito, CPA

Superintendent, Erie’s Public Schools

UPDATE - OCTOBER 30, 2020:

Dear Erie’s Public Schools family,

Based on your response to our online commitment form, your child will participate in either hybrid instruction or 100 percent remote instruction for the second quarter of the 2020-2021 school year.

Please log on to your school’s main Schoology page beginning at 4 p. m. on Monday, Nov. 2 to view detailed information about your child’s schedule, including any change in teacher assignment. This is the same page you accessed to complete the online commitment form.

If your child will continue to participate in 100 percent remote instruction:

Your child should continue to log into Schoology each school day to participate in both synchronous and asynchronous instruction as they have done during the first quarter of the school year.

If your child will participate in the hybrid model of instruction:

Your child will attend school in person on Monday through Thursday of one week. The following week, your child will participate in remote instruction Monday through Thursday. On all Fridays your child will participate in remote instruction.

For students participating in hybrid instruction, classes have been assigned to either the “purple” group or the “gold” group to help determine class schedules. You will find your child’s group assignment in the class roster on their school’s main Schoology page.

In-person instruction for students assigned to the purple group will begin Monday, Nov. 9. In-person instruction for students assigned to the gold group will begin Monday, Nov. 16. If you haven’t already, you will be receiving a calendar that outlines the hybrid instruction schedule through the second quarter of the school year.

The calendar is also available at eriesd.org/reopen.

A note about teacher assignments: Several factors, including the number of students who chose the hybrid model of instruction and the number of students who chose to continue remote instruction for the second quarter of the school year, required that we change teacher assignments in limited instances, for both hybrid and remote students. You can find your child’s teacher assignment in the class roster on their school’s main Schoology page.

The COVID-19 pandemic has required us to change every aspect of our district operations, but we, like you, remain committed to ensuring you and your children have the supports they need to succeed. You should continue to reach out to your child’s teacher with any questions regarding attendance, academic progress or other concerns. For families awaiting transportation information: We are preparing that information for you now.

The district is constantly monitoring the pandemic and our response. We are in the process of developing parameters under which the district would close schools should the need arise, based on guidance from state and local health agencies. We will be communicating that information to you shortly. In the meantime, please review our Health and Safety Plan, available at eriesd.org/reopen, and stay connected to district information channels, including our website and Facebook page, for any updates on the status of our schools.

Thank you for everything you do to help make your child’s school year a success.  Should you have any questions or concerns, please call the assistant superintendent’s office at 874-6015.

Sincerely,

Brian J. Polito, CPA

Superintendent of Schools

Welcome back to another new school year, EPS family! We're so excited that we're together again, even if it's not in person. This school year is going to look a little different, and we know remote learning is going to present some challenges for our students and families. We're here to help you every step of the way. 

School begins remotely for all students on Tuesday, Sept. 8. All students are expected to log on to Schoology by the start of every school day. Are you ready? 

STEP ONE: Parents, please read this important letter from our teachers to better understand what remote instruction will look like. You can view sample school day schedules here. 

STEP TWO: Watch the videos below to make sure you're ready on Day One. Before you do, make sure you have the following information handy: 

• Your user name. This is your six-digit student ID number (same as your lunch number).
• Your password. Student passwords are assigned to students by their school and is the same password students used in the spring.

You'll need your user name and password to log into your Chromebook and to Schoology, which will serve as your online classroom. (Parents: If your child has forgotten their Student ID number or password or if your child is new to the district, please contact your school directly. Contact information for all schools can be found at eriesd.org/schools.) 

Joining Classes With Your iPad (PreK-1)

Click the image below to launch a video walkthrough.

1. Click on the Schoology shortcut icon on the iPad home screen. It looks like this: 
2. Click "Courses." 
3. Click on your class.
4. Click "Updates"
5. Click the link provided by your teacher to join the class.
6. Click "Open Link" if asked.
7. Wait until your teacher starts the class. 
8. Enter your name if asked

That's it, you're ready to go!

Joining Classes With Your Chromebook (Grades 2-12)

Click the image below to launch a video walkthrough.

1. Log into your Chromebook using your username and password. 
2. Click on the Schoology shortcut icon on the main screen. It looks like this: 
3. Click "Courses." 
4. Click on your class.
5. Click "Updates"
6. Click the link provided by your teacher to join the class.
7. Click "Open Link" if asked.
8. Wait until your teacher starts the class. 
9. Enter your name if asked.

That's it, you're ready to go!

If you're having trouble and need help after watching these videos, call our Helpline at 874-6801 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on school days. We'll get you connected to the right person to help! See our Troubleshooting Quick Tips here.