Good afternoon, Parsippany Families.
As you have seen in the news and heard through friends and family in other NJ communities, many school districts are revising their plans for September with several choosing to begin the year fully remote as they address challenges in different areas.
Our district plan addresses the guidelines set forth by the NJ Department of Education. In response to a few concerns raised by parents and staff over the past weeks, however, I presented an updated Return to School plan at last night’s Board of Education meeting which contains the following adjustments:
For September 2 through October 2, students attending in-person will follow a half-day schedule. Remote learning will continue in the afternoon for all students.
Elementary SKIP will be offered before school and after school until 5:00 p.m. for students who are attending in-person during their assigned cohort week.
The district will continue to follow the Week A/Week B with Virtual Friday model.
Special education students in elementary self-contained classes will follow an AM/PM split day every week Monday through Friday. Special education students in middle and high school self-contained classes (MD, BD, Autism, and Transition) will follow a ½ day schedule every week Monday through Thursday through October 2 with Friday being virtual.
Full day and Transitional Preschool students will attend split AM/PM sessions Monday through Friday every week.
Half-day Preschool will be held with students following the Week A/Week B model.
A half-day allows students and staff to adjust to wearing masks for longer periods of time, gives teachers a chance to become comfortable with hybrid instruction, and allows everyone the opportunity to understand and follow new rules and behaviors that will keep us safe. Age-appropriate snack breaks will occur – outside, when possible. I will monitor health data over the next several weeks and, if appropriate, recommend a transition to full-day Week A/Week B with Virtual Friday model for October 5.
School principals are working with their teacher leaders and Pandemic Response Teams to finalize and communicate details about the instructional day. Parents may expect information from principals next week about picking up textbooks and materials for fully remote learners, Free and Reduced Meal access, transportation, and more.
Parents, I know this decision complicates your lives even further and I am truly sorry for that. This is a challenging time for us all and I believe that a half-day start to the school year will help to allay concerns about the length of the day, student lunches, and the hybrid instructional model. Please direct your frustrations to me and be kind to your principals and teachers who are working incredibly hard to create a safe and welcoming start to the school year.
Respectfully,
Dr. Barbara Sargent
Superintendent of Schools
