To Our School Community:

The plan you will find below represents the work of our District's Restart Committee and reflects our best efforts to re-open schools safely and within the parameters we will need to operate. As we move closer to the re-opening of school in September, we will be updating this plan and providing additional details.  Please understand our re-opening of school is a work in progress and being planned carefully with the health and safety of our students and staff at the forefront.

Frank Kasyan, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools

Introduction

• It’s important to note that we will likely transition between virtual, hybrid, and full in-person instruction throughout the school year, depending on the health situation in our area. As we move through these different plans, we will communicate with families, staff, and the community in a timely fashion.
• As a reminder, if you are not comfortable sending your child to school for any in-person instruction in the fall, the District is offering an opportunity for your child to sign up for our remote learning plan for a full semester of remote, at-home instruction.

Parent Survey & Remote Learning Sign-Up

• We will be surveying our parents regarding their comfort level with returning their children to in-person school during the week of July 27.
  SURVEY DEADLINE: Friday, July 31
• Parents who do not feel comfortable with returning their child to in-person school may register for virtual learning during the week of August 3 and must complete this by Friday, August 7th. (Sign-Ups through Parent Portal)
  REMOTE LEARNING SIGN-UP DEADLINE: Friday, August 7

Guiding Principles

• Consider the safety and wellness of students and employees, first and foremost, by following the guidelines in the NJ Department of Education’s Restart and Recovery Plan for Education;
• Maintain the continuity of education and meet the rigorous educational standards of the District and State;
• Respond to the needs of vulnerable and high needs populations; 
• Be adaptable and flexible with the ability to move throughout the academic year from one reopening plan to another based on public health needs;
• Maintain consistent communication with students, families and employees to ensure respect and success within the evolving situation.

Health & Safety - Student

• Social distancing and minimizing exposure
  • All desks in classroom are 6ft apart
  • Social distancing visual indicators prominently placed in all hallways establishing direction of traffic and 6ft distance from others.
• Cloth face coverings
• Reusable cloth face coverings provided by the District or can be brought from home.
• Students must wear face coverings at all times while in school buildings with certain exceptions.
  (Changed 8/3/20 based on amended NJDOE Guidace)
• Hygiene
  • Hand washing will be required upon entry to school and regularly throughout the school day with either hand sanitizer or soap and water.
  • Lessons on proper hand washing and hygiene will be taught to age appropriate students.
• Monitoring for symptoms
  • Temperatures checks will be conducted upon entry to the building of all students.
  • Verbal symptom screening of students will be conducted upon entry to the building of all students.
  • All staff will be trained in COVID-19 symptom identification to be able to effectively monitor students throughout the school day.
  • Any student exhibiting symptoms will be directed to an established isolation area until they can be removed from campus and must present a doctor’s note before returning to school.
• Protecting vulnerable populations
  • Reasonable accommodations will be provided for individuals that the CDC identities as having a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
    (e.g. fully virtual school option)
• Social and emotional wellness
  • Students’ social and emotional well-being will be prioritized by school counseling staff.

Health & Safety - Employees

• Social distancing and minimizing exposure
  • All desks in classroom are 6ft apart
  • Social distancing visual indicators prominently placed in all hallways establishing direction of traffic and 6ft distance from others.
• Cloth face coverings
  • Reusable cloth face coverings provided by the District or can be brought from home.
  • Staff must wear face covering at all times when on-campus except while eating, unless doing so would inhibit the individual’s health.
• Cleaning and hygiene 
  • Hand washing will be required upon entry to school and regularly throughout the school day with either hand sanitizer or soap and water.
• Monitoring for symptoms
  • Temperatures checks will be conducted upon entry to the building of all staff.
  • Verbal symptom screening of staff will be conducted upon entry to the building.
  • All staff will be trained in COVID-19 symptom identification to be able to effectively self-monitor throughout the school day.
  • Any staff member exhibiting symptoms must leave campus and provide doctor’s note before returning to work.
• Protecting vulnerable populations
  • Reasonable accommodations will be provided for individuals that the CDC identities as having a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

Operations

• School Nutrition
  • Serve-and-go lunches will be available to all students every day.
  • Cafeterias and lunch spaces will be arranged with socially distant furniture.
• School facilities, water and ventilation systems
  • Bathrooms cleaned and disinfected hourly.
  • Classrooms disinfected during the school day and nightly.
  • Regular sanitization and disinfecting of all hard, nonporous surfaces and common touch points (e.g. door handles, water fountains, cafeteria tables) using EPA-approved broadband Q256 and RX75, hospital level disinfectants and virucides and Victory Electrostatic Sprayers which kill human Coronavirus within two minutes.
  • HVAC systems will use MERV-10 filters or windows will be open at all times the building is occupied.

Building Entry Protocol

• Use of multiple entrances at each school to minimize student contact at entry.
  • Multiple bus/parent drop-off points at high school.
  • Multiple entrance points by grade level at elementary school.
• Temperature, symptom screening, and handwashing at entry.
• Elementary school students proceed directly to their classrooms upon entry.
• High school student arriving early procced to designated areas where tables and desks are socially distanced and remain there until school begins.

Instructional Planning - High School

• Blended Learning Plan
• High school students will be divided into a blue group and gray group who attend school in-person on alternating days.
• On days when students are not attending school in-person they will be required to check-in and complete assignments virtually in the Canvas learning management system.
• A modified 9-period day schedule will be used for in-person students.
  • 8, 45-minute class periods
  • 25-minute lunch period
• Teacher schedules will provide dedicated time for virtual “office hours” where the teacher will be available online for student questions or extra help.

High School In-Person Alternating Schedule

Students will be designated as being in the “blue” or “grey” rotation group and attend school in-person on alternating days.

High School In-Person Bell Schedules

Instructional Planning - Elementary School

• Students attend full-day sessions every day following normal bell schedule.
• All classes are self-contained for the full school day.
• Special subjects and interventionists will “push-in” to self-contained classrooms to limit intermingling of student groups.
• Updated 8/3: We have further investigated options for performing “pull-out” safely using desk coverings and maintaining student cohorts.  Therefore, certain small-group “pull-out” activities will take place for students requiring these interventions.

Communications

• This plan is based on the most current guidance from the New Jersey Department of Education and Centers for Disease Control.
• We recognize that modifications to this plan may become necessary as the public health situation requires.
• We encourage all parents to monitor our website and digital communications (email, Honeywell alerts, etc.) for the most up-to-date information.

Questions?

• We welcome your questions via email to: restart@manasquan.k12.nj.us
• We will make every effort to respond as quickly as possible.