Haddonfield Schools To Offer In-Person, Remote Learning

HADDONFIELD, NJ — The Haddonfield Public School District is proposing options for families to send their children back to school part-time or have their children engage in full remote learning when school resumes in the fall amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Their proposed plan was presented during Tuesday night's Board of Education meeting, and the document detailing the plan was sent to families Wednesday morning.

Under the hybrid portion of the plan, students in all grades will be split into two groups, with one group attending class in-person on Monday and Tuesday, and the other attending in-person on Thursday and Friday.

On days in which they are not in school, children will engage in remote learning. All students will engage in remote learning on Wednesdays.

Students will be separated based on last name, with last names that begin with A-L attending on Mondays and Tuesdays and students with last names that begin with M-Z attending on Thursdays and Fridays.

Students in Grades 1-5 will attend 8:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Kindergarten students will attend from 8:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Students in grades 6-8 will attend school from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., and high school students will attend from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Class lists may be adjusted in an attempt to balance classes and to ensure students can fit in the classroom using the guidelines for social distancing. Modifications are likely for how students with special needs are placed into a cohort, as this may not rely strictly upon last name.

Specialized populations will follow a more intense schedule that takes into account their disabilities, and letters will be sent home to their parents.

There will also be a 100 percent remote learning plan after Gov. Phil Murphy said the Department of Education would provide guidance for parents to allow for them to opt for all-remote learning for their children this fall. Read more here: NJ To Offer Remote-Learning Option For Schools Amid Coronavirus

Students will have access to all learning materials. Families will be required to pick up materials on designated days by appointment only to ensure social distancing and safe delivery of materials. Based on the number of students choosing this model, the delivery of instruction is subject to change.

Parents will have until Aug. 3 to fill out a survey informing the district of their choice. They will do so by logging onto the Genesis portal. A plan must be selected for each child. Parents will not be able to change their plan until a new marking period begins, and they must notify their school’s principal two weeks before the end of the marking period.

The school will then finalize what the plan will look like, and the 2020-21 school year will begin on Sept. 8.

And of course, as the coronavirus pandemic evolves, schools may be forced to move to an all-remote learning environment as they did for the 2019-20 school year.

On Monday, Murphy said that "every education expert has confirmed that in-person education is critical, and remote learning is only an acceptable substitute when absolutely necessary." Read more here: Gov. Murphy: In-Person NJ Education 'Critical' Amid Coronavirus

On Tuesday, the head of the state teachers union said it's "not plausible" to open up on time in September amid the coronavirus crisis, contending that the Garden State's educators, staff and administrators don't have nearly enough time to get ready. Read more here: NJ Teachers Union: Not Safe To Open Schools On Time Amid COVID-19

Safety is an important measure school districts are taking into account across the state as they plan to reopen. Anyone who gets sick during the day will have to go to the nurse and the nurse will notify the parents, who will then pick up their children. The Camden County Department of Health will then provide the district with guidance on next steps, including the possibility of targeted and/or full closure. The district has published a Decision Tree For People with COVID-19 Symptoms Found in Students, Staff, and Families.

Parents will be asked to take their child’s temperature, and keep anyone who has a fever of 100.4 or higher home. Anyone with symptoms of the coronavirus (fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea) must follow up with a medical provider with a clearance note before returning to school.

The district is taking steps to prevent students and staff from getting sick. All students must wear face coverings unless they are exempt due to health conditions. Disposable masks, provided by the district, will also be available. Students who cannot wear a face covering for medical reasons will be provided a desk shield and/or face shield.

Students and staff will wash their hands for at least 20 seconds at regular intervals, including before eating, after using the bathroom, and after blowing their noses/coughing/sneezing. When hand washing is not available, hand sanitizer should be used.

The number of students in bathrooms will be limited and every other stall will be in use.
Students will remain in classrooms when possible; teachers will travel.

Portable sneeze guards will be available for small group instruction. Sneeze guards will be available in each classroom, one of which can be used for the teacher’s desk.

Face coverings are mandatory for staff. They will have the option to wear a face shield as an additional precaution. Face shields and disposable masks will also be available and provided by the district.

N95 masks and gowns are available in the nurse’s office for all staff, and coronavirus screening will take place daily.

Visitors will not be allowed during the school day. Masks are required for emergency school visits.
Water fountains will not be in use. Bottle filling stations will be available.

Isolation rooms will be set up in every building. Hand sanitizing stations will be in each classroom and throughout buildings. Physical guides will be installed to help ensure that staff and students remain at least six feet apart.

Bathrooms and high-touch points, including rest room and common areas, will be disinfected three times while students are in buildings. All classrooms and office areas will be disinfected once nightly, and buses will be disinfected at the conclusion of each transportation run.

The district has increased the state minimum of 10 percent fresh air circulation to a 20 percent minimum of fresh air at all times. While the minimum will be 20 percent, based on the weather, this can reach as high as 100 percent.

The district will also be running its HVAC systems in the evenings and on weekends to increase the fresh air circulation. Odorox hydroxyl generators have been purchased for all district nurse's offices. These devices generate hydroxyls and other molecules that naturally kill bacteria, viruses, and mold.

Finally, the district is currently exploring upgraded the filters for our air units to improve the efficiency of filtration.

To view the full plan, including a detailed schedule, review the Return to School document that was created by the district.

See more stories about New Jersey's coronavirus recovery.

This article originally appeared on the Haddonfield-Haddon Township Patch