A monthly e-newsletter to keep you connected to your District
A NOTE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
It has been an extraordinary start to an extraordinary school year. I am extremely proud of our staff and students for working together to successfully transition back to teaching and learning. Likewise, I am grateful to our entire school community for their patience, cooperation, and flexibility during this time. I share in the frustration, anxiety, and stress expressed by many of you; however, I am confident that we are going to make it through this experience successfully.
During the September 24 meeting of the Board of Education, I addressed three main topics during my Superintendent's report that I would like to highlight for everyone.
Return to In Person Learning
After 185 days of being out of school, I am pleased to report that our return to the classroom has been a success. Reminders about social distancing, handwashing, and wearing masks are everywhere and reports from the schools are that the reduced capacity of our student population has made it easier to implement these measures with fidelity. Please be sure to conduct your daily home COVID-19 screening each day and contact your school as indicated on the form.
With each day, we are continuing to refine our teaching and learning in a hybrid model with teachers and administrators reflecting and receiving feedback on what works and what can be improved. If anyone is struggling, please reach out to the school immediately for assistance. Our teachers, nurses, counselors, and administrators are all here to help.
COVID-19 Case Protocol
Within these first two weeks of school opening, we’ve already had to face the impact of COVID-19 on our schools’ reopening plan. The following is a brief description of how the school district works with healthcare professionals to determine the appropriate steps to keep our schools safe when a positive case is confirmed.
Simply put, our local health department services are provided by the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Consortium (NWBRHC). They provide the public health services for both municipalities served by our school district along with several others around Bergen County in accordance with the requirements of the NJ Department of Health. In all COVID-19 cases involving our students and staff, we are required to consult with the NWBRHC and follow their recommendations. As a school district we do not make the decisions when it comes to public health, that is the role of the NWBRHC. We make the educational decisions and are required to follow the lead of our health department in order to help mitigate the transmission of the Coronavirus in our community.
In all instances, if/when we are notified of a COVID-19 positive case involving a student or staff member, we reach out to NWBRHC and provide them with as much information as possible and as requested. Once they have everything they need, they advise us of who can/cannot attend school and for how long. The schools then contact the families and advise them accordingly.
While I cannot presume to be an expert in all the intricate details behind the public health decisions that are made at the local or State levels, I can reshare the the New Jersey Department of Health COVID-19 Public Health Recommendations for Local Health Departments for K-12 Schools that has been released as an outline that all school throughout NJ follow.
We understand the challenges that some of these decisions pose to our community, but please know that they are being made in an abundance of caution and at the direction of the community health experts.
The Next Phase of Reopening
The NJDOE Restart and Recovery Plan required districts to develop a roadmap to ensure that our schools reopen safely and are prepared to accommodate students’ unique needs during this unprecedented time. As a first step, we have developed and implemented that plan.
Since the start of the school year, I've received several requests to change our hybrid model and more specifically return schools to full capacity; whereas, others have expressed a desire to hold off.
While our primary goal in all of this is to return to full in-person teaching, we must do so carefully and responsibly. Therefore, our schools work closely with their Pandemic Response Teams to regularly monitor the implementation of our plan to ensure fidelity and make revisions when and where appropriate. As we enter the coming months, we will also need to be mindful of the impact of the change in weather, flu season, and community transmission of the coronavirus before we make any major changes in the reopening phase.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recently told Gov. Phil Murphy that New Jersey is in “good shape” and “well positioned” compared to other states as the United States prepares for a second wave of the coronavirus this fall and winter, as long as the state continues to reopen its schools and economy “gradually, prudently, and carefully."
To date, the NJDOE has only provided guidelines for the reopening phase, but has not provided the requirements and/or metrics that are needed to return to a full-time and full capacity educational environment. Once I have more information, I will work with our school and district teams to gather the necessary data and feedback to devise an appropriate plan to share with you.
Please join us for a virtual screening & discussion
Wednesday, October 7, 2020
7:00pm - 8:30pm
Angst is a film-based education program designed to raise awareness around anxiety, with an emphasis on youth and families. The film includes interviews with kids, teens, experts, and parents. Our goal is to help people identify and understand the symptoms of anxiety and encourage them to reach out for help. We will be showing the film, which will promptly be followed by a panel discussion and include access to further resources and materials.
Learn more at www.angstmovie.com
Parents of Students in Grades K - 12, and students ages 10 and up, are encouraged to register for the event HERE with further instructions to follow.
REOPENING SCENES
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Arrival & Visual Screenings
With plenty of staff, visual reminders, and the cooperation of our students and parents, the arrival and screening of students is effective and efficient.
Mask & Snack Breaks
We are maximizing our instructional time with our students while focusing on their health and wellness by integrating snack and mask breaks into their daily routines.
Hybrid Learning in Action
@BinderSabbagh5
@BerkeleyWWRSD
@MrsTadWestwood
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Preparing for our Return
While our students and staff have engaged in remote learning, we have been working feverishly to prepare for the return to in person learning and the opening of the Grades 6 to 8 Middle School on October 5.
New Gym
New Classroom
New Hall and Lockers
New Media Center
HIGH SCHOOL
Arrival & Transitions
The reduced capacity of our in person enrollment increases our ability to maintain greater social distance upon arrival and in the hallways and stairways throughout the day.
Hybrid Learning in Action
@WestwoodRegHS
@WestwoodRegHS
@WestwoodRegHS
September 24, 2020, marked the return to in person meetings for many members of the Board of Education while wearing masks and maintaining social distance. However, due to the Executive Order regarding indoor gatherings, public participation remains virtual via Zoom.
The following are some highlights of the September 24, 2020 Board of Education meeting (click HERE to view all the agenda documents).
Awards and Recognitions: Several students were recognized for their performance on the PSAT and AP exams from the prior year. A summary of the achievements are as follows:
AP Scholar Program: The College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) Program offers students the opportunity to take challenging college-level courses while still in high school. Successful performance on the end-of-course AP Exams potentially qualifies students to receive college credit, advanced placement, or both, at colleges and universities worldwide. Annually, the College Board grants the academic distinction of AP Scholar to students who receive scores of 3 or higher on multiple AP Exams.
15 students were recognized as AP Scholars for earning scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams.
7 students were recognized as AP Scholars with Honor for earning an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.
14 students were recognized as AP Scholars with Distinction for earning an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.
1 student was recognized as a National AP Scholar for earning an average score of at least 4 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams.
2020 National Merit Scholars Program: The National Merit Scholarship Program is an annual academic competition for recognition and scholarship that is open to all U.S. High School students who meet published entry requirements. Over 1.5 million students entered the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2019 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).
4 students were named Commended Students in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program.
NEXT BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING: October 22, 2020
No new Board policies were approved at these meetings, however, 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.
Kindergarten registration
The Westwood Regional School District will open online Kindergarten registration for the 2021‑2022 school year on Tuesday, December 1, 2020. This is a pre-registration only; students will not be considered enrolled until parents/guardians submit the required documentation at an in-person registration appointment.
Your child must reside in the Borough of Westwood or Township of Washington and be five (5) years old on or before October 1, 2021 to enter Kindergarten next September.
For more information, click here.
Notification of Standardized Assessments
2020-2021 Parental Notification of Standardized Assessment(F0ct1).pdfPursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:7C-6.6, school districts must provide parents and guardians information on any State assessment or commercially-developed standardized assessment that will be administered in that school year. To view the information for the Westwood Regional School District, click on the document to the left. Unless otherwise indicated, students take each assessment once during the school year.
important dates
November 3, Election Day: All Remote
Per Executive Order-177, "All public primary and secondary schools shall be closed to in-person instruction on November 3"; therefore, we will schedule an "All remote" day of instruction for all groups. Please mark your calendars.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
October
22: Board of Education Meeting
November
3: All Remote
5-6: District Closed
19: Board of Education Meeting
25: District Early Dismissal
26-27: District Closed
REVISED WRSD School Calendar 2020-2021 (approved 051420).pdfDon't forget to Follow and Like us on social media!
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