COVID-19 Policies and Procedures

During what is a most challenging and changeable time for us all, I would like to provide our parents with all the new developments related to the COVID-19 situation and to share with you our plans and policies surrounding the pandemic as we approach the next school year.

Let me first state that the health and safety of our students, staff, and families is our number one priority. Given this, it is also our intention to reopen the school, while allowing some families the option for distance learning due to health and safety concerns.

In making this decision, we first considered that COVID-19 may be with us for still quite some time. It is also in accordance with your desire as expressed through the responses to our recent survey. The policies and procedures which we plan to implement will provide a framework to keep everyone safe when the school reopens while providing some accommodation for those who may still feel uneasy to participate on-site. The CDC and NJ Department of Education have issued thorough guidelines on reopening that we will adhere to closely as set out in the following pages.

Currently, the key recommendations from public health agencies to prevent the spread of coronavirus are screening, hand hygiene, social distancing, face coverings, and that symptomatic individuals remain home. We echo this last recommendation and ask that students with any signs of respiratory illness or flu-like symptoms stay home. We have contracted with ServPro to conduct two deep cleanings this summer, one last week and another just before the school year. Regular cleaning and disinfecting will continue daily throughout the year. All staff will undergo COVID prevention training before the start of the year. PPE and cleaning supplies will be well maintained.

We appreciate the time that many of you took to complete our survey. From your responses, we see there is a desire for different options regarding your children’s learning. We will try to accommodate that desire as best we can in terms of offering direct links into the classrooms, recorded presentations, and take-home packets for children unable to come to the school physically. One-on-one virtual instruction will be offered as well for an additional cost.

To augment our online program, we have contracted with Defined Learning, which offers online learning services, and Google’s G Suite for Education which can link into our TeacherEase platform.

Finally, I would just like to acknowledge that this time has been stressful for all of us and would like to share some words of support:

·         Take breaks to ease your mind and invest in positive, enjoyable activities

·         Seek news only from reliable sources, and only in short stints

·         Maintain safe and healthy routines as much as possible

·         If possible, take a vacation this summer! Disconnect. Unplug, Recharge. You deserve it! 

We will be in touch with you regarding updates. I look forward to seeing you in September!

Robert Beebe, Ed.D., Principal