A monthly e-newsletter to keep you connected to your District

May/June 2020

A NOTE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT

It is with great sadness and incredulity that I write about the recent senseless and preventable deaths that once again highlight the racially motivated violence and systemic racism that continues to exist in our great nation. As a school community who embraces and celebrates diversity, we are filled with a multitude of feelings about what is happening. We are scared. We are angry. We are confused.

Through it all, we must also remain steadfast in our condemnation of racism and violence. We must continue to support all our students, especially our students of color, to heal from this injustice and move forward. We must learn how we can come together to ensure that we do better as a community, nation, and world.

Despite not being in our buildings, Westwood Regional Schools remains here for you. If your student wants to talk about what they are feeling, our team of professionals are all here to listen, learn and support.

Let us not forget the innocent lives lost. In both word and action, let's reaffirm our commitment to equity, liberty and justice for all.

Sincerely,

-Dr. G.

Sydney McPherson

Once again, our students provide us with the greatest hope for the future. It is with great pride that we congratulate Sydney McPherson, Class of 2022, for receiving the Princeton Prize in Race Relations Certificate of Accomplishment which recognizes and rewards high school students who, through their volunteer activities, have undertaken significant efforts to advance racial equity and understanding in their schools or communities.

https://pprize.princeton.edu/

Community UPDATE

End of School Year: Friday, June 12 for students and Tuesday, June 16 for teachers and education specialists.

HS Graduation Ceremony: While our Class of 2020 will complete their academic career in Westwood Regional on June 12, the administration is planning on holding a graduation ceremony on Monday, July 6 (rain date: July 8), based upon the Governor's announcement permitting in-person events. We are awaiting further guidance and details regarding the culmination ceremony to ensure everyone's safety and compliance with the Governor's Executive Orders while also creating an event that is student-centered and meaningfully celebrates the momentus occasion. Many possibilities are being considered at this time, but nothing is finalized.

HS Sports: Per the Governor's latest Executive Order (EO #149) and a statement released by the NJSIAA, "interscholastic sports may resume in accordance with reopening protocols issued by the NJSIAA – which, in turn, will be based on Department of Health protocols. The executive order also notes that activities related to high school sports may not resume any earlier than June 30, 2020." The announcement is positive; however, we must await the guidelines to determine when and how we will begin.

Next School Year: Questions remain in all of our minds about what the re-opening of schools for on-site learning will look like in the fall. The lessons learned from other countries and states all indicate that we will not return to "education as usual" and that we should be prepared for changes to how we operate our schools, deliver instruction, and manage daily interactions. To help us prepare for the not-too-distant future, please provide your input via the follow survey below or click HERE to fill it out.

MAY MEETING highlights

Click HERE to view the agendas of our Board of Education meetings.

mAY 14, 2020

The public meeting of the Board of Education on May 14 consisted of our regular agenda as well as the annual motions which prepare us for the 2020-2021 school year. At the meeting, the Board also approved REVISED School Calendars for the Westwood Regional School District for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years including new start/end school times.

Click HERE to view the complete May 14 agenda or any of the agenda for our public meetings of the Board of Education.

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES REPORT

During our public meeting of the Board of Education, we were excited to welcome back our HS student representatives, Gabriella Dunay and Robert Lomer, to report out on the exciting news and activity of our Jr/Sr High School before and during the school closure. Here's what they reported this month:

5/14 BOE Meeting

NEXT BOARD MEETING

There will be two public meetings in June beginning at 7:30 PM. The June 11, 2020 public meeting will include some of our end-of-year recognitions, farewell to our graduating Student Representatives and the introduction of our new Student Representatives. The June 25, 2020 public Board meeting will conclude our school year and and prepare us for the opening of school in September.

Any policies currently under review by the Board can found here and ALL final policies and regulations can be found on the district website under the Board of Education drop down menu.

The following Board policies were approved at the most recent Meeting of the Board of Education:

POLICIES

P1581 -Domestic Violence (M)
P2422 - Health and Physical Education (M)
P3421.13 - Postnatal Accommodations-Teaching Staff
P4421.13 - Postnatal Accommodations-Support Staff
P3142 - Nonrenewal of Nontenured Teaching Staff Member
P3144.3 - Suspension Upon Certification of Tenure Charge
P3232 - Tutoring Services

P3372 - Teaching Staff member Tenure Acquisition
P3373 - Tenure Upon Transfer or Promotion
P4146 - Nonrenewal of Nontenured Support Staff
P5330 - Administration of Medication (M)
P7243 - Supervision of Construction (M)
P7522 - School District Provided Technology Devices to Staff Members
P8210 - School Year
P8220 - School Day (M)
P8462 - Reporting Potentially Missing or Abused Children (M)

REGULATIONS

R1581 - Domestic Violence (M)
R5330 - Administration of Medication (M)

important dates

2019-2020 upcoming dates

June

11: Board of Education Meeting
12: Last Day for Students
12: High School Graduation
16: Last Day for Staff
25: Board of Education Meeting

REVISED WRSD School Calendar 2019-2020 (approved 051420).pdf

2019-2020 School Calendar

At the January 16, 2020 meeting, the Board approved the school calendar for 2020-2021. The calendar is attached for your reference and can be found on the district website, HERE, along with the NJ Department of Education list of religious holidays permitting student absence from school.

REVISED WRSD School Calendar 2020-2021 (approved 051420).pdf