(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.
NEW ORLEANS – (Sept. 15, 2020) – NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) is announcing that all distance learning classes will resume on Wednesday, Sept. 16th and the reopening of the NOLA-PS central office and school buildings.
Additionally, this past Monday, some schools were set to begin in-person instruction for PreK-4th grade students, yet those plans are delayed through at least Wednesday of this week. Those schools that planned to reopen in-person instruction this week have made adjustments, with some schools planning to initiate in-person instruction starting Thursday, Sept. 17. Families impacted should receive communications from their schools on the revised reopening timelines for those grades. Grades 5th -12th will remain in distance learning per the current re-opening plans laid out by the District earlier this month.
Food service will resume on Wednesday, Sept. 16th.
NOLA-PS reminds everyone to stay weather aware as Hurricane Sally may still continue to impact our community.
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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 78 public schools. For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.
DISTRICT STILL REVIEWING SITUATION TO DETERMINE IF CLOSURES WILL BE NECESSARY.
NEW ORLEANS – (Sept. 13, 2020) – NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) is announcing that no in-person instruction will begin across school campuses tomorrow due to TS Sally, as previously scheduled. All schools will remain on distance learning through at least Wednesday of this week. The District will continue to monitor TS Sally over the next 24 hours to determine if full school closures will be required.
Given that the District had set Monday, Sept. 14th as the beginning of PreK-4th grade students returning to in-person learning on campuses, those plans are delayed through at least through Wednesday of this week. The return to in-person learning for these grades will be determined as the District continues to monitor the evolving weather situation.
Food service will continue on Monday, but will discontinue later in the week if and when school closures are ordered.
The District will continue to monitor the storm and will reassess needs for additional closures as we continue to learn more on the potential impacts to our area.
NOLA-PS reminds everyone to remain vigilant and to monitor the City’s announcements for updates regarding the TS Sally. NOLA-PS will post all storm related announcements on its social media as well.
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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 78 public schools. For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.
NEW ORLEANS – (Sept. 14, 2020) – NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) is announcing the cancellation of all distance learning classes along with the closure of NOLA-PS central office and all school buildings for Tuesday, Sept. 15 due to Hurricane Sally.
Given that the District had set Monday, Sept. 14 as the beginning of PreK-4th grade students returning to in-person learning on campuses, those plans were delayed through at least Wednesday of this week. The return to in-person learning for these grades will be determined as the District continues to monitor the evolving weather situation.
Due to building closures, food service will not be offered to families for pick-up on Tuesday, Sept. 15. Announcements will be made when they resume.
The District will continue to monitor the storm and will reassess needs for extended closures or announce a return to classes as we continue to learn more on the potential impacts to our area throughout the day tomorrow.
NOLA-PS reminds everyone to remain vigilant and to monitor the City’s announcements for updates regarding Hurricane Sally. NOLA-PS will post all storm related announcements on its social media as well.
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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 78 public schools. For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.
NEW ORLEANS – (Sept. 3, 2020) – In an effort to provide timely updates about the current academic school year and any changes due to COVID-19, NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) will issue weekly updates to the public with developments every Thursday.
Throughout the coming weeks and months, NOLA-PS will continue to partner with health experts to monitor the latest health data as we prepare for a phased return to in-person learning and provide regular updates to our school community. If any significant changes occur, decisions related to reopening will be reconsidered.
As always, NOLA-PS maintains the authority to close any school building and revert to distance learning at any point it becomes necessary in order to safeguard students, teachers, staff and their families.
UPDATES REGARDING RE-OPENING CAMPUSES TO STUDENTS
In conjunction with Phase 2 in the City of New Orleans, all Orleans Parish public schools are currently practicing distance learning. Last week, the District announced that the City’s current health data is exceeding all health and safety criteria and, unless our progress towards these goals changes, the District will begin a phased return to in-person learning, beginning with PreK through 4th grade students, starting between Sept. 14th through Sept. 25th.
The decision for a measured return to in-person learning was made following weeks of carefully tracking the latest health indicators – including a sustained decrease in the daily number of new COVID-19 cases at or below Phase 2 targets, a positive test rate of 5 percent or below and increased testing capacity. The District continues to carefully monitor these health metrics in coordination with City officials and our Medical Advisors.
As stated in last week’s press conference, one new factor that the district and city officials continue to track is the impact of high volumes of routine testing from recently opened universities. As with large increases in testing it is expected that the number of new cases may increase and our focus will remain on the city’s positive test rate and ensuring that it is at or below 5 percent, regardless of the volume of new tests.
Middle and high school students in grades 5th through 12th will continue distance learning until at least mid-October. At that time, if health data trends remain positive, these students will return on a hybrid model of in-person and distance learning. The reopening plan, guided by NOLA-PS’ Roadmap to Reopening, was announced with support from local public health officials.
Additionally, last week, NOLA-PS announced a multi-layered COVID-19 testing plan that focuses on providing acute responsive testing that will help increase the ease, accessibility and frequency of testing for both NOLA Public School students and staff. Please click here for list of FAQs about NOLA-PS' Reopening Plan.
HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS
Earlier this summer, the District has provided schools with Supplemental Guidance on matters surrounding Operational Health and Safety Standards, Learning Resources, Guidance for Specialized Populations, What To Do When Someone Gets Sick and other resources. Those guidance documents are available to the public for review at nolapublicschools.com/covid19/roadmapguidance.
Additionally, each NOLA-PS school has received a kit with 4,800-9,200 disposable and reusable face masks; 200-750 face shields per site; 8,000-16,000 nitrile gloves per site; 10 gallons of hand sanitizer and 20 hand sanitizer stations; 4 no-touch thermometers; 40 thermal-insulated food storage bags; and 40 gallons of disinfectants per site. We will continue to work closely with schools across the district to ensure they have adequate PPE to ensure the health and safety of their students, teachers, staff and their families.
UPDATES ON COVID-19 CASES ACROSS THE DISTRICT
Schools are required to report positive cases of COVID-19 found on their campus to the District as well as the Louisiana Department of Health as they are found. We will include a round-up of any positive cases reported to us each week in these weekly press release updates once students return to in-person instruction on campuses.
OTHER DISTRICT NEWS - NOLA-PS DONATES CARE PACKAGES FOR ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS AFFECTED BY HURRICANE LAURA
This week, NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) announced the donation of more than 400 care packages for elementary and secondary school students affected by Hurricane Laura.
NOLA-PS staff, along with the support of community partners from LCMC Health and the U.S. Census Bureau, stuffed backpacks with much needed school supplies, personal hygiene products, toiletries, face coverings and more. Additionally, NOLA-PS staff, along with OPSB President Ethan Ashley, delivered the care packages to the City’s relief distribution center at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center this afternoon. More info available here.
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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 78 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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