Dear Parents and Guardians,
Good afternoon! We hope everyone is healthy and well! Today's detailed communication will take the place of our usual Friday communication as there is a lot to digest!
We are so very excited to return to Hybrid learning, and we are thrilled to be able to offer movement in a safe and secure manner! We will first be welcoming a small select group of students back on Monday, February 1st, and the rest of our Hybrid students the following Monday, February 8th.
Some of the below information is a reminder as we have been out for several weeks now, and some is new as it relates to our new opening guidelines/schedule procedures.
Entry and Dismissal / Temperature Taking / Health Screening Forms - Attached please find the maps previously shared at the onset of the school year that outline each grade level's entry and dismissal doors. All areas for waiting and lining up are marked by grade level, and for grades 4 and 5, by teacher initials. Distancing signage, markings, and reminders will be visible onsite to assist. Students will have their temperatures taken prior to entering the school by staff, and all parents should complete the health screening form by 8:25 am in Parent Square on the days your child is coming into the building.
Groupings - As you are aware, while in the "Orange" level of transmission, we must do our best to limit cohorts, so the former "C" group of students, that attended on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays has now been dissolved and dispersed among the "A" group (in school Monday and Tuesday) and the "B" group (in school Thursday and Friday). If your child was in the "C" category and needed to be changed, you already received separate communications regarding this. We are currently working on a timeline to restore those former "C" group students to the in school 4 day week.
Wednesdays - Returning to the hybrid model means that Wednesdays will go back to being fully remote for all students and staff as the building will be cleaned more thoroughly between cohorts, and in addition to the daily cleaning by the custodial staff. Again, Wednesdays are remote for everyone, teachers, staff and students, but the schedule remains the same. Students attend periods 1-9 the same as they would on M,T,Th,or F.
Afternoons - The afternoon schedule of additional activity with the special area teaching staff will remain in place, and we hope to add to this list of activities in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for further information!
Office Hours - Teachers will continue to have 1 to 1 assistance and office hours in the afternoons. Those times will be communicated to students and parents by the teachers directly.
Attendance - Returning to Hybrid instruction will mean that on remote days, students should sign in on the Google attendance form provided by their homeroom teachers, and when attending in person, student attendance will be recorded by the teachers in class. Please read the full attendance information attached.
Current requirement for schools from the NJDOH - In the context of an ongoing state-wide second wave, New Jersey continues to experience COVID-19 transmission among school-aged children. In children, signs/symptoms are often mild, and it may not be possible to clinically distinguish COVID-19 from other illnesses. For this reason, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) recommends that any child with COVID-19 compatible symptoms should not return to school until they have either received a negative viral test (molecular or antigen) for SARS-CoV-2 or they have completed an isolation period of at least 10 days since symptom onset and at least 24 hours after resolution of fever without fever-reducing medications with symptom improvement.
Overall experience operating under "Orange" transmission levels - As we said, we are very excited to be able to offer safe movement for the students to enhance their in school experience, and we are working, as time progresses, to have additional movement as we work our way to normalcy. Below is how your child's days/weeks will be structured:
Middle School:
Grades 4 and 5 (A and B Cohorts):
Students working with the Child Study Team will/already have/had their specific schedules addressed and explained by members of the team. If there are any questions, please contact your child's case manager or Mrs. McGowan.
Other measures:
We are so excited to once again see the students in person, and we will continue to strive to keep the environment safe while providing the best academic experience possible for both hybrid and fully remote students! Being that we are opening and operating with strict safety guidelines and student movement, we ask for your patience and support as we iron out any small issues that may arise as we adjust and reacclimate the students.
Just like the obstacles we have faced before, with time, we will adjust and succeed.
As always, we will do this as a Milltown family!
WELCOME BACK!
Thank you, and be well,
Mr. Veit
Good afternoon! We hope everyone is healthy and well! Today's detailed communication will take the place of our usual Friday communication as there is a lot to digest!
We are so very excited to return to Hybrid learning, and we are thrilled to be able to offer movement in a safe and secure manner! We will first be welcoming a small select group of students back on Monday, February 1st, and the rest of our Hybrid students the following Monday, February 8th.
Some of the below information is a reminder as we have been out for several weeks now, and some is new as it relates to our new opening guidelines/schedule procedures.
Entry and Dismissal / Temperature Taking / Health Screening Forms - Attached please find the maps previously shared at the onset of the school year that outline each grade level's entry and dismissal doors. All areas for waiting and lining up are marked by grade level, and for grades 4 and 5, by teacher initials. Distancing signage, markings, and reminders will be visible onsite to assist. Students will have their temperatures taken prior to entering the school by staff, and all parents should complete the health screening form by 8:25 am in Parent Square on the days your child is coming into the building.
Groupings - As you are aware, while in the "Orange" level of transmission, we must do our best to limit cohorts, so the former "C" group of students, that attended on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays has now been dissolved and dispersed among the "A" group (in school Monday and Tuesday) and the "B" group (in school Thursday and Friday). If your child was in the "C" category and needed to be changed, you already received separate communications regarding this. We are currently working on a timeline to restore those former "C" group students to the in school 4 day week.
Wednesdays - Returning to the hybrid model means that Wednesdays will go back to being fully remote for all students and staff as the building will be cleaned more thoroughly between cohorts, and in addition to the daily cleaning by the custodial staff. Again, Wednesdays are remote for everyone, teachers, staff and students, but the schedule remains the same. Students attend periods 1-9 the same as they would on M,T,Th,or F.
Afternoons - The afternoon schedule of additional activity with the special area teaching staff will remain in place, and we hope to add to this list of activities in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for further information!
Office Hours - Teachers will continue to have 1 to 1 assistance and office hours in the afternoons. Those times will be communicated to students and parents by the teachers directly.
Attendance - Returning to Hybrid instruction will mean that on remote days, students should sign in on the Google attendance form provided by their homeroom teachers, and when attending in person, student attendance will be recorded by the teachers in class. Please read the full attendance information attached.
Current requirement for schools from the NJDOH - In the context of an ongoing state-wide second wave, New Jersey continues to experience COVID-19 transmission among school-aged children. In children, signs/symptoms are often mild, and it may not be possible to clinically distinguish COVID-19 from other illnesses. For this reason, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) recommends that any child with COVID-19 compatible symptoms should not return to school until they have either received a negative viral test (molecular or antigen) for SARS-CoV-2 or they have completed an isolation period of at least 10 days since symptom onset and at least 24 hours after resolution of fever without fever-reducing medications with symptom improvement.
Overall experience operating under "Orange" transmission levels - As we said, we are very excited to be able to offer safe movement for the students to enhance their in school experience, and we are working, as time progresses, to have additional movement as we work our way to normalcy. Below is how your child's days/weeks will be structured:
Middle School:
A Cohort -
Monday/Tuesday - Moving locations, attend class in person periods 1 -4, move to period 5/6 and remain in period 5/6 - 9 for the remainder of the day. (Students with a period 4/5 class remain for the duration of the double period)
B Cohort -
Thursday/Friday - Moving locations, attend class in person periods 1 -4, move to period 5/6 and remain in period 5/6 - 9 for the remainder of the day. (Students with a period 4/5 class remain for the duration of the double period)
The following week:
A Cohort -
Monday/Tuesday - Remain in period 1 for periods 1 -4 and then move locations to attend periods 5/6 - 9 in person. (Students with a period 4/5 class would leave after period 3 to go to their period 4/5 where they'd stay for the duration of the double period)
B Cohort -
Thursday/Friday - Remain in period 1 for periods 1 -4 and then move locations to attend periods 5/6 - 9 in person. (Students with a period 4/5 class would leave after period 3 to go to their period 4/5 where they'd stay for the duration of the double period)
Grades 4 and 5 (A and B Cohorts):
Grades 4 and 5 will follow the same outline as grades 6-8 as it relates to the class periods that they will travel, and stay in their homerooms (This will allow for travel to special area classes). However, for the time being, grades 4 and 5 will remain in their homeroom for their switch classes (Math and Language Arts).
Students working with the Child Study Team will/already have/had their specific schedules addressed and explained by members of the team. If there are any questions, please contact your child's case manager or Mrs. McGowan.
Other measures:
- Noise cancelling over-the-ear headphones to minimize classroom excess noise while stationed in one room for a portion of the schedule
- Outside (weather permitting) mask breaks
- Face shields in addition to face masks worn when in a class of 10 or more people.
We are so excited to once again see the students in person, and we will continue to strive to keep the environment safe while providing the best academic experience possible for both hybrid and fully remote students! Being that we are opening and operating with strict safety guidelines and student movement, we ask for your patience and support as we iron out any small issues that may arise as we adjust and reacclimate the students.
Just like the obstacles we have faced before, with time, we will adjust and succeed.
As always, we will do this as a Milltown family!
WELCOME BACK!
Thank you, and be well,
Mr. Veit