The Plan
Planning for 2021-22
To apply for additional federal funding, the Rutherford Public Schools were required to submit a detailed plan for school operations as part of the application. The plan had to address mask wearing, social distancing practices and other regulations that were in place this past year.
The plan we submitted will be posted on our website as a condition of the grant, but it will not reflect the public safety rules that will evolve for Fall 2021.
When we learn what will be required this fall, Rutherford Public Schools will determine how to best work within the guidelines and we will communicate them to the parents and the community.
Read the “Plan for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services."
the plan we presented to reopen in 2020-21
PHASE 5 - 03-4600 Rutherford Public School District (1).pdf
Fewer furnishings
In addition to our usual summertime cleaning, we cleared filing cabinets, reading nooks, bookshelves, and anything else that was not absolutely necessary to run a classroom. With this work, we can demonstrate how students can be seated at their desks with 6 feet of space between them. Excess furnishings are removed, and many class sizes are smaller.
In Rutherford's old buildings, not all classrooms are the same size and not all will accommodate the same capacity within social distancing guidelines. But we have given close thought to the ways we can modify our facilities to meet our core goals of having students in school as much as possible, while preserving the safety of all students and staff.
Additionally, we know the students and staff notice when an entire grade is out of school for a field trip; the hallway traffic is noticeably lighter. The Rutherford Reopening plan relies on staggered schedules and, for most grades, half of the student population in-person per day.
Pre-Kindergarten
Our youngest students do best with in-person instruction, and through space accommodations in classrooms and schedule adjustments, they can be in school daily. Students in Pre-Kindergarten will follow the normal daily schedule. Every classroom in the district has been measured to determine the maximum number of students it can accommodate while maintaining six feet of distance between them.
Students will be required to have their own reusable, washable face coverings to attend school. Face coverings will be worn except for designated breaks. Accommodations will be made for students with certain medical or other conditions that prohibit the use of a face covering.
Children will stay in the "bubble" environment of their classroom, except for outdoor exposure and gym. There will be no field trips or assemblies for the foreseeable future.
The Pre-K Full Day program will maintain its usual schedule, with lunch eaten in the classroom to maximize the "bubble" benefit.
Fully remote learning will be a combination of face-to-face online instruction, independent work, and recorded lessons. We have developed some details about specific plans for those interested this option.
Kindergarten Center
Our youngest students do best with in-person instruction, and through space accommodations in classrooms and schedule adjustments, they can be in school daily. To safely bring all of our Kindergartners into the classrooms, we will revert to a half-day program with morning and afternoon sessions. Every classroom in the district has been measured to determine the maximum number of students it can accommodate while maintaining six feet of distance between them. When regulations allow, we will return to full-day kindergarten.
Students will be required to have their own reusable, washable face coverings to attend school. Face coverings will be worn except for designated breaks. Accommodations will be made for students with certain medical or other conditions that prohibit the use of a face covering.
Lunch will not be part of the schedule for either the AM or PM session, but students can order a "grab and go" meal, which will also be provided to students who qualify for free/reduced-price meals.
Children will stay in the "bubble" environment of their classroom, except for outdoor exposure and gym. There will be no field trips or assemblies for the foreseeable future.
We plan to offer some form of Before-School and After-School Care, and we are using results of a parent survey to determine the details and the feasibility.
Fully remote learning will be a combination of face-to-face online instruction, independent work, and recorded lessons. We have developed some details about specific plans for those interested in this option.
Lincoln & Washington
Our youngest students do best with in-person instruction, and through space accommodations in classrooms and schedule adjustments, they can be in school daily. Students in grades 1-3 will attend school for a full day, five days a week. The full plan will indicate how students will have minimal movement between rooms throughout the day, and how room utilization and staffing assignments will allow for proper social distancing. Each room has been measured to ensure proper social distancing will be maintained.
A staggered schedule will be implemented by grade in order to limit the number of students entering and exiting buildings at the same time; to minimize and control vehicular traffic; and to improve efficiency of the drop-off lane.
Students will eat lunch in their classrooms.
Students will be required to have their own reusable, washable face coverings to attend school. Face coverings will be worn except for designated breaks. Accommodations will be made for students with certain medical or other conditions that prohibit the use of a face covering.
Children will stay in the "bubble" environment of their classroom, except for outdoor recess and physical education class. There will be no field trips or assemblies for the foreseeable future.
We plan to offer some form of Before-School and After-School Care, and we are using results of a parent survey to determine the details and the feasibility.
Fully remote learning will be a combination of face-to-face online instruction, independent work, and recorded lessons. We have developed some details about specific plans for those interested in this option.
Pierrepont
Due to enrollment, building size and classroom size, as well as the daily academic schedule, Pierrepont students will follow a hybrid model of on-site and distance learning. Additionally, students in grades 4-6 will follow a one-session day schedule. By splitting each grade into two groups -- only one of them on-site at a time -- we can safely accommodate students with desks that are six feet apart.
Students will be placed into cohorts named “Blue” and “Bulldog,” and we will make every attempt to arrange the cohorts by alphabet so that siblings follow the same schedule. “Blue” will attend school on Mondays and Wednesdays. “Bulldog” will attend school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Fridays will alternate week to week. On days that their cohort is not in the building, students will log in for lessons via distance learning.
Students in a self-contained special education class will attend school for a full-day, with lunch and a normal bell schedule five days a week. This arrangement is in line with the programming needs for those students. Additionally, these class sizes are smaller and can meet social distance guidelines.
Students will be required to have their own reusable, washable face coverings to attend school. Face coverings will be worn except for designated breaks. Accommodations will be made for students with certain medical or other conditions that prohibit the use of a face covering.
Lunch will not be part of the schedule, but students can order a "grab and go" meal, which will also be provided to students who qualify for free/reduced-price meals.
There will be no locker assignments, field trips or assemblies for the foreseeable future.
We plan to offer some form of Before-School and After-School Care, and we are using results of a parent survey to determine the details and the feasibility.
Fully remote learning will be a combination of face-to-face online instruction, independent work, and recorded lessons. We have developed some details about specific plans for those interested in this option.
Union, High School & Bulldog Academy
Due to enrollment, building size and classroom size, as well as the daily academic schedule, Union and High School students will follow a hybrid model of on-site and distance learning. Additionally, students in grades 7-12 will follow a one-session day schedule. By splitting each grade into two groups -- only one of them on-site at a time -- we can safely accommodate students with desks that are six feet apart.
Students will be placed into cohorts named “Blue” and “Bulldog,” and we will make every attempt to arrange the cohorts by alphabet so that siblings follow the same schedule. “Blue” will attend school on Mondays and Wednesdays. “Bulldog” will attend school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Fridays will alternate week to week. On days that their cohort is not in the building, students will log in for lessons via distance learning.
Students in a self-contained special education class or Bulldog Academy will attend school for a full-day,with lunch and a normal bell schedule five days a week. This arrangement is in line with the programming needs for those students. Additionally, these class sizes are smaller and can meet social distance guidelines.
Students will be required to have their own reusable, washable face coverings to attend school. Face coverings will be worn except for designated breaks. Accommodations will be made for students with certain medical or other conditions that prohibit the use of a face covering.
Lunch will not be part of the schedule, but Union students can order a "grab and go" meal, which will also be provided to students who qualify for free/reduced-price meals.
There will be no locker assignments, field trips or assemblies for the foreseeable future.
Fully remote learning will be a combination of face-to-face online instruction, independent work, and recorded lessons. We have developed some details about specific plans for those interested in this option.
Learning Models:
"Hybrid" describes Rutherford's plan to provide students in grades 4-12 with a combination of on-site instruction and home-based learning.
"Fully remote" will allow students to be enrolled in the district and to receive instruction from its teachers, but their learning would be done 100% from home. We have developed some details about specific plans for those interested in this option. To preserve our "bubble" approach to bringing students and staff back safely, students who are part of the hybrid model can only convert to in-person instruction at the transition point between phases.
"Homeschooling" has always been an option for parents who prefer to teach their children at home. To choose this option, parents must complete paperwork acknowledging that their child is being withdrawn from the public school district and they are taking full responsibility for at-home instruction. Any parent who commits to this choice accepts that students cannot enroll for in-person instruction until the transition point between phases.
The District Reopening Plan is an ongoing process and subject to change as directed by the New Jersey Department of Education or as dictated by changing circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.