I am pleased to report that as of the publication of this newsletter, it has been over 24 days since we received a report of a positive student or staff case of COVID-19 in our district. Through the collective effort of our schools and homes, the entire Westwood Regional Schools community has done an amazing job of working together to maintain the continuity of instruction and mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. The increased vaccination rates and decrease covid activity throughout the Region, County, and State provide us with a positive view of what's on the horizon for the summer and upcoming school year. We've made it this far through an unrelenting focus on health, safety, and educational continuity. Let's keep it up and finish the year #CardinalStrong.

FACE COVERINGS

The most common question regarding the recent June 8, 2021, Face Covering Update has been, "What is the definition of Extreme Heat?". Unfortunately, the Governor's announcement does not specify a definition of extreme heat. Per the CDC, "Extreme heat is defined as summertime temperatures that are much hotter and/or humid than average."

In practice, we realize that extreme heat may be person and context-specific. For instance, someone who is running around may be impacted by the heat differently than someone who is sedentary. Similarly, the diversity in our schools' architecture and infrastructure may make the outdoor temperatures feel different inside classrooms depending on where they are located in a multi-floor building or if air conditioning is present which mitigates the heat. Therefore, we ask that parents, staff, and students exercise reasonable discretion in consideration of personal and public health. Our school principals will closely monitor the activity in our schools and, if reasonable discretion is not being exercised, they are empowered to make determinations and adjustments necessary to support the public health of their building.

Please reach out to your child's teacher or principal if you have any questions.

SAFE RETURN UPDATE

The Executive Order allowing remote learning will be officially rescinded upon the conclusion of this school year, thus requiring schools to provide full-day in-person instruction once again. Therefore, while we continue to prepare for the close of the current year, we have also been working diligently to plan for the reopening in September.

At the June 17 meeting of the Board of Education, the administration will present an update of our safe return plans for the upcoming school year. Although there are still several outstanding questions, our schools will present what is known at this time and will provide continuous updates over the summer as further guidance is released by the Governor, Department of Education, and Department of Health.

On June 7, 2021, Governor Murphy announced, “School officials are empowered to relax masking among students and staff in their buildings given extreme weather conditions. In-School masking requirements include exceptions for extreme heat. School officials are empowered to make the best decision for their buildings and communities.”

Therefore, the purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest updates to our face-covering requirements in light of the Governor’s June 7 announcement, the forecast of high temperatures, the high vaccination rates, and low COVID activity.

Effective immediately and through the remainder of the school year, students and staff are permitted to remove their masks indoors and outdoors in extreme heat. Please keep in mind that we will continue to implement social distancing, hand washing and all other COVID-19 mitigation measures to support the health and safety of everyone. Parents are encouraged to discuss this with their children and reach out to their child’s teacher or principal if there are any specific requests.

On May 17, 2021, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) updated its guidelines for schools and then made changes again on May 19th, and May 20th. I will try to simplify some of the information they sent to clarify and avoid any further confusion.

WHAT STUDENTS CAN GET VACCINATED?

• The Pfizer 2 dose COVID-19 vaccine has been recently approved for anyone 12 years of age and older.

• The Moderna 2 dose vaccine and the J&J 1 dose vaccine are approved for anyone 18 years of age and older.

WHEN IS SOMEONE CONSIDERED FULLY VACCINATED?

• 2 weeks after the second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.

• If you don’t meet these requirements, you are NOT fully vaccinated. Keep taking all precautions until you are fully vaccinated.

CAN I TRAVEL?

Fully Vaccinated People: People who are fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine OR who clinically recovered from COVID-19 in the past 3 months do not need to be tested for COVID-19 before or after travel to New Jersey and do not need to self-quarantine, but should self-monitor for symptoms and self-isolate if symptoms develop.

• For domestic travel, no quarantine or test before or after travel is needed if you are fully vaccinated OR have clinically recovered from COVID-19 in the past 3 months. No quarantine or pre- or post-travel test is needed.

• For international travel, you should get tested 3-5 days after returning to the United States, but no quarantine is needed.

Unvaccinated or Not Fully Vaccinated People: People who are not fully vaccinated OR have recovered from COVID-19 greater than three months from your travel date need to follow the quarantine requirements.

• Defer travel until fully vaccinated, if possible.

• Before travel, get tested with a viral test 1-3 days before the trip.

• Travel to states other than Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, or Delaware requires quarantine upon your arrival back to New Jersey.

• Upon your return from travel, you may opt to get tested 3-5 days after travel. Stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel, even if the post-travel test is negative.

• If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected, and quarantine for 10 days.

• If you decide not to get tested after travel, stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel.

WHAT IF I RECEIVE A POSITIVE COVID-19 TEST?

• If you receive a positive COVID-19 test, whether you are fully vaccinated or not you must isolate and continue with a 10-day quarantine from either the first day of your symptoms or the first day of your test results.

WHAT IF I AM TOLD I AM A CLOSE CONTACT WITH A POSITIVE INDIVIDUAL?

• If you are fully vaccinated or have had COVID-19 in the past three months, you do not have to quarantine unless you become symptomatic.

• Presently New Jersey’s transmission risk is moderate/yellow. If you are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated, you have two options.

• If you choose to test between the 5-7 days of your quarantine, and the test is negative, the quarantine time frame is 7 days if you have not developed any symptoms. Even with a negative test, quarantine may not be discontinued earlier than day 7.

• If you choose not to test, and no symptoms have occurred, the quarantine time is 10 days.

ARE MASKS REQUIRED WHILE IN SCHOOL?

• Per Executive Order No. 175, face coverings are still required to be worn by students and staff while in school and participating in activities during school hours including sports-related activities during school hours, such as physical education classes, and outdoor recess.

• The NJDOH Guidance for Sports and Executive Order 241 outlines the parameters for face coverings for extracurricular sports activities.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• Middle School: 2 Students (Grade 6 and 7)

Given the nature of the case, there is no change to the status of in-person learning for our schools. Anyone who was required to quarantine already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• George School: 2 Students (Grade 1)

Given the nature of the case, there is no change to the status of in-person learning for our schools. Anyone who was required to quarantine already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• High School: 2 Students (Grade 10)

Given the nature of the case, there is no change to the status of in-person learning for our schools. Anyone who was required to quarantine already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• High School: 2 Student (Grade 10)

Given the nature of the case, there is no change to the status of in-person learning for our schools. Anyone who was required to quarantine already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• High School: 1 Student (Grade 10)

Given the nature of the case, there is no change to the status of in-person learning for our schools. Anyone who was required to quarantine already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• Brookside School: 1 Students (Grade K)

• George School: 1 Student (Grade 5)

Given the nature of the case, there is no change to the status of in-person learning for our schools. Anyone who was required to quarantine already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• Brookside School: 2 Students (Grades 1 and 2)

• High School: 1 Student (Grade 10)

Given the nature of the case, there is no change to the status of in-person learning for our schools. Anyone who was required to quarantine already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• Middle School: 1 Student (Grade 7)

Given the nature of the case, there is no change to the status of in-person learning for our schools. Anyone who was required to quarantine already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• George School: 1 Student (Grade 5)

• Middle School: 1 Student (Grade 7)

Given the nature of the case, there is no change to the status of in-person learning for our schools. Anyone who was required to quarantine already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• George School: 1 Student (Grade 3)

Given the nature of the case, there is no change to the status of in-person learning for our schools. Anyone who was required to quarantine already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• High School: 2 Students (Grade 9, 12)

Given the nature of the cases, there is no change to the status of in-person learning for our schools. Anyone who was required to quarantine already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• Berkeley School: 1 Student (Grade 4)

• George School: 1 Student (Grade 1)

• Washington School: 1 Student (Grade K)

• High School: 1 Student (Grade 9)

Given the nature of the cases, there is no change to the status of in-person learning for our schools. Anyone who was required to quarantine already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• Brookside School: 2 Students (Grade 3, 5)

• High School: 2 Students (Grade 11, 12)

Given the nature of the cases, there is no change to the status of in-person learning for our schools. Anyone who was required to quarantine already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• George School: 1 Student (Grade 2)

• Middle School: 2 Students (Grades 6 and 7)

Given the nature of the cases, there is no change to the status of in-person learning for our schools. Anyone who was required to quarantine already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since returning from break:

• Berkeley: 1 Student (Grade 4)

• Brookside: 1 Staff Member

• High School: 1 Student (Grade 12)

Given the timing and nature of the cases, there is no change to the status of in-person learning for our schools. Anyone who was required to quarantine already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since returning from break:

• Brookside: 1 Student (Grade 5)

• Berkeley School: 3 Students (Grades 1, 3, and 4)

• George School: 1 Student (Grade 3)

• Washington School: 1 Student (Grade 4)

• Middle School: 2 Students (Grades 6 and 7)

• High School: 4 Students (Grade 9, 11, and 12)

Given the timing and nature of the cases, there is no change to the status of in-person learning for our schools. Anyone who was required to quarantine already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

I’m also pleased to report that the feedback from the schools regarding the first day of our next phase was a resounding success. It is great to have our schools filled with smiles, laughter, and learning once again. The school principals will be sending out feedback to our school community regarding any lessons learned that can contribute to continued success moving forward. Please follow the guidelines closely and, as always, reach out to the school if you have any questions.

I hope this message finds you and your loved ones safe, sound, and rested. The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases that we received over the break:

• George School: 1 Staff Member

• High School: 1 Student (Grade 11)

Anyone who was required to quarantine already received a separate notification with additional details.

As we return back to school and enter the next phase of our reopening, it is important to note that the COVID activity level continues to rise in our State and area. According to the most recent NJ Department of Health COVID Activity Level Index, the entire State has transitioned back to high (orange) activity in all regions, with the case rate in the Northeast Region back to the levels we witnessed in December and January. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 activity in our schools and community closely with our partners at the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

In the meantime, it is crucial that we continue to do our part to keep our schools safe for in-person learning. To do that:

• Consult with your school nurse before returning to school if you traveled out-of-state over the break

• Conduct your Daily COVID-19 Home Screening Checklist for Students and Staff

• If students / staff members go for a COVID-19 test, they should not return to school until the negative test is confirmed.

• If someone in a student or staff member’s household exhibits symptoms, students / siblings / staff members must also stay home from school until the symptomatic individual receives a negative test result. If the symptomatic individual tests positive, the students/siblings/staff members will need to self-quarantine and must contact the school nurse for further instructions.

• Stay in contact with your school nurse to keep them apprised of your situation.

• Remember to wear face coverings

• Wash hands often with soap for at least 20 seconds

• Cover coughs and sneezes

• Avoid shared items and close contact with others

• Practice social distancing when outside of the home

We look forward to the start of our 5 days of in-person learning opportunities for our PreK through grade 2 students as we await the launch of our next phase for the remaining grades next week.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• George School: 1 Student (Grade 3)

• Washington School: 1 Student (Grade 3)

• High School: 2 Staff and 1 Student (Grade 12)

By the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 activity closely with our partners at the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission over the spring break.

Here's the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• Brookside: 1 Student (Grade 1)

• George School: 1 Student (Grade 5)

• Middle School: 1 Staff

• High School: 1 Student (Grade 10)

By the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time. As of this moment, there is no change to the status of our schools; however, we will continue to monitor the COVID-19 activity closely with our partners at the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission. If a subsequent change to in-person learning is required, we will notify you as soon as possible.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• • High School: 4 Students (Grade 10, 11, and 12)

By the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time. At this moment, there is no change to the status of our schools; however, we will continue to monitor the COVID-19 activity closely with our partners at the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission. If a subsequent change to in-person learning is required, we will notify you as soon as possible.

For your reference, I am also providing a direct link to the most recent COVID-19 Public Health Recommendations from the NJDOH for local health departments working with schools. This updated document reflects the integration of the CDC’s latest recommendations that seek to balance the risk of disease transmission with the benefits of offering in-person instruction. To view the document click HERE.

Also, as we continue to experience COVID activity in our community, we would like to share testing location resources to assist in instances when staff and students develop COVID compatible symptoms. To get information on Coronavirus testing near you, check out the COVID-19 Test Site Finder.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• Middle School: 1 Student (Grade 7)

• High School: 2 Students (Grade 9 and 10) and 1 Staff member

As of this moment, there is no change to the status of our schools; however, we will continue to monitor the COVID-19 activity closely with our partners at the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission. If a subsequent change to in-person learning is required, we will notify you as soon as possible.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with updates regarding the transition to remote instruction for two of our schools and the latest COVID-19 positive cases:

REMOTE INSTRUCTION UPDATE:

I am pleased to report that investigations were completed for Washington and Jessie F. George and the results confirm our ability to safely resume in-person instruction tomorrow, March 23. We will continue to work closely with the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission (NWBRHC) to monitor the cases and provide updates if the status of in-person learning changes.

COVID Case Update:

• High School: 3 Students (Grades 11 and 12)

I understand the frustration and toll that the pandemic has had on all of us this past year. Although we are doing our best to move forward, the COVID activity has not subsided enough and may require occasional disruptions to in-person learning for individuals, classes, or entire schools. It is important to remember that, per the NJDOH Recommendations for Local Health Departments working with K-12 Schools, COVID-related closures for any period of time is a local decision that is made in consultation with the local public health department when there is a concern about the possibility of transmission in our schools. In some instances, a temporary closure may be necessary to facilitate further investigation and contact tracing, as was the case recently. Other times, the outcome of the investigation may require closure for a longer period to prevent or mitigate a possible outbreak. In all cases, after deliberating with the NWBRHC, the public health officials will make a recommendation and the school district will follow it to ensure the safety of our school community. Our collaboration with the local health department is particularly important when we are faced with multiple cases where the connection between cases cannot be easily identified or when we cannot confirm that the origin of the case is outside of the school. Given the disruptive impact closures have on our students, staff, and families, we don’t make these decisions lightly. For everyone’s sake, we rely heavily on the investigation by the local health department and their subsequent recommendation.

As always, if ever you have any questions, feel free to reach out to your school for assistance.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication and to notify you of the transition to remote instruction for two of our schools:

COVID CASE UPDATE:

• Brookside School: 1 Student (Grade 2)

• George School: 2 Students (Grades 3 and 5) and 1 Staff Member

• Washington School: 2 Students (Grades K and 2)

REMOTE INSTRUCTION: Jessie F. George and Washington Schools

A few moments ago, I received a notification from the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission (NWBRHC) to advise the school district that tomorrow, Monday, March 22, we must transition to full remote instruction at Jessie F. George and Washington School due to the recent cases and need for further contact tracing.

The transition to remote instruction for these two schools does not impact the operating status of any other school or program in the district at this time. We will continue to work closely with the NWBRHC to monitor the situation and provide updates to the status of our schools accordingly.

Please reach out to your school if you have any questions.

Happy Friday! A lot has transpired over the last several weeks and I am pleased to announce that we are moving forward with the next phase of our efforts to increase in-person learning opportunities for our students. Much of this has been discussed and/or presented during public Board meetings; however, I would like to highlight some of the most salient points:

What prompted the change?

• The most significant development that has opened up the possibilities for WWRSD is the March 5 announcement that school staff are immediately eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Subsequent to that announcement, we collaborated directly with Bergen County and the Borough of Westwood to successfully secure vaccination appointments for any school staff member who was in need. Since this protection for our staff did not exist previously, it could not be factored into our prior plans and timelines.

• In addition, and hot off the press, the CDC’s most recent revisions to their social distancing guidelines may also provide opportunities to assist us in our efforts to implement our next phase. Once we receive the corresponding guidance from the NJDOH we will review our plans to determine the impact and possible changes that may be possible and/or needed.

What has not changed?

• We remain steadfast in our commitment to keeping our students and staff safe while developing plans that can maximize learning across in-person and remote environments.

• As you can see by the frequent COVID case updates you receive, the activity in our school community continues; therefore, we have not abandoned our reliance on the NJ Department of Health’s COVID Activity Level Index (CALI) as a primary measure for decision-making and planning. Per the NJDOH, the CALI regional risk matrix helps to inform the collaborative work between local health departments and school districts. While the regional matrix does encompass activity across multiple counties, as confirmed by our local health department, it also reflects the level of activity in our own communities. Yesterday’s CALI report confirmed that the activity is still high as measured by State, County, and Local standards; therefore, we are still adhering to the NJDOH travel advisories and quarantine requirements. Our continuous review of public health data and consultation with our partners at Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission will be evermore important as we move forward with the implementation of our next phase.

• The other important item that has not changed at this time, is that parents still retain the option to select a full remote option for their child for the remainder of this school year in accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order 175.

So, what’s the plan?

In consideration of the vaccination of staff and the continued ability for parents to have a choice in the learning environment for their child, the next phase models were realigned in structure and time as follows:

• ALL school schedules will remain the same with a morning and afternoon of instruction.

• ALL schools will offer two options: 1) 5 days of IN-PERSON (merged cohorts) or 2) FULL REMOTE instruction

• Implementation Timeline as Follows:

  • PreK-2: Monday, April 5

  • Grades 3-12: Monday, April 12

Once implemented, the next phase will likely bring us to the end of the school year with the status of in-person learning being determined by the COVID-19 activity affecting our schools in accordance with Health Department Guidelines. It is important to keep in mind, by increasing the capacity of our in-person enrollment at this time, we are also increasing the risk that we may have to shut down classrooms, schools or the district due to a COVID-19 outbreak with greater frequency than we had to previously.

By now you should have received an email from your school’s principal with more information, including a survey and announcement of our upcoming virtual forums to get more information. In the meantime you can check out the WWRSD Reopening Plan "Next Phase" 2.0 overview that was presented during last night’s.

We thank you for your patience, support, and flexibility.

Have a safe and wonderful weekend.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• Brookside School: 2 Students (Grade 4)

• Washington School: 2 Students (Grade 1 and 3)

• High School: 2 Students (Grade 10 and 12)

As of this moment, there is no change to the status of our schools; however, we will continue to monitor the COVID-19 activity closely with our partners at the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission. If a subsequent change to in-person learning is required, we will notify you as soon as possible.

In the meantime, by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• Brookside School: 2 Students (Grade K and 4)

• George School: 1 Student (Grade 5)

• Middle School: 1 Student (Grade 7)

• High School: 1 Student (Grade 12)

Given the nature of the cases, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• Brookside School: 3 Students (Grade K, 2, and 5)

• Washington School: 1 Student (Grade 3)

• High School: 1 Student (Grade 12)

Given the nature of the cases, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• Brookside School: 3 Students (Grades 3, 4, and 5)

• Middle School: 1 Student (Grade 7)

• High School: 1 Student (Grade 12)

Given the nature of the cases, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• High School: 3 Student (Grades 9, 10 and 12)

Given the nature of the cases, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• Brookside School: 2 Students (Grade 1 and 4)

• George School: 1 Student (Grade 3)

• Middle School: 1 Student (Grade 6)

• High School: 3 Students (Grade 9) and 1 Staff Member

Given the nature of the cases, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive cases update since my last communication:

• Washington School: 1 Student (Grade 2)

• High School: 2 Students (Grade 12)

Given the nature of the cases, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive case updates since my last communication:

• Middle School: 1 Student (Grade 6)

• High School: 1 Student (Grade 10)

Given the nature of the cases, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive case updates since my last communication:

• Brookside School: 1 Staff Member

• Washington School: 1 Student (Grade 2)

Given the nature of the cases, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive case updates since my last communication:

• George School: 2 Staff members

• High School: 1 Student (Grade 12)

Given the nature of the cases, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 positive case updates* since my last communication:

• George School: 1 Staff Member

• High School: 1 Student (Grade 9)

Given the nature of the cases, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

*NOTE: All cases reported to the community via these updates represent laboratory-confirmed positive cases and/or presumed positive cases as reported by the local health officials who advise that we treat the cases the same as the laboratory-confirmed cases.

To assist us in our continuous efforts to reduce the spread of the coronavirus we ask that our families and students remain vigilant and continue to follow the CDC promoted safeguards while in our schools and community.

• Conduct your Daily COVID-19 Home Screening Checklist for Students and Staff

• Remain home when you are sick

• Wear face coverings in school and public

• Wash hands often with soap for at least 20 seconds

• Cover coughs and sneezes

• Avoid shared items and close contact with others

• Practice social distancing when outside of the home

• Please reach out to your school if you have any questions.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case updates since my last communication:

• Berkeley School: 1 Students (Grade 4)

• Brookside School: 2 Students (Grades 4 and 5)

Given the nature of the cases, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

Since my last communication, we have confirmed the following positive COVID-19 cases:

• Berkeley School: 1 Student (Grade 4)

Anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

Since my last communication, we have confirmed the following positive COVID-19 cases:

• Washington School: 1 Student (Grade 5)

• District: 1 Staff member

Anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case updates since my last communication:

• George School: 3 Students (Grades K, 3, and 5)

• Middle School: 1 Student (Grade 8)

• High School: 1 Student (Grade 9)

Given the nature of the cases, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case update since my last communication:

• Middle School: 1 Student (Grade 6)

• High School: 1 Student (Grade 11)

Given the nature of the case, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case update since my last communication:

• Berkeley Elementary School: 1 Student (Grade 4)

Given the nature of the case, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case update since my last communication:

• Brookside Elementary School: 2 Students (Grades K and 3)

Given the nature of each case, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case update since my last communication:

• Middle School: 2 Students (Grades 6 and 7) and 1 Staff Member

Given the nature of each case, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

Since my last communication, we have confirmed the following positive COVID-19 cases:

• George School: 1 Student (Grade 1)

• High School: 1 Staff member

Given the timing and nature of each case, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case update since my last communication:

• Preschool: 2 Student2 (Grades K and 2)

• Middle School: 1 Student (Grade 7)

Given the timing and nature of each case, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case update since my last communication:

• Preschool: 1 Student

• George School: 1 Student (Grade 1)

• High School: 1 Student (Grade 12)

Given the timing and nature of each case, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

Included in inclement weather announcement...

Since the last COVID Case Update, we have the following confirmed positive case:

• HIGH SCHOOL: 1 Student (Grade 9)

By the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case update since my last communication:

• BROOKSIDE SCHOOL: 1 Student (Grade 2)

Given the timing and nature of the case, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case update since my last communication:

• GEORGE SCHOOL: 1 Student (Grade 1)

• MIDDLE SCHOOL: 1 Student (Grade 6)

• HIGH SCHOOL: 1 Student (Grade 12) and 1 Staff Member

Given the timing and nature of each case, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case update:

• GEORGE SCHOOL: 1 Student (Grade 3)

Given the timing and nature of the case, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case updates:

• HIGH SCHOOL: 1 Student (Grade 11)

Given the timing and nature of the case, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case updates:

• BROOKSIDE: 1 Student (Grade 3)

• MIDDLE SCHOOL: 1 Staff Member

• HIGH SCHOOL: 1 Student (Grade 10)

Given the timing and nature of the cases, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case updates:

• WASHINGTON: 1 Student (Grade 5)

• MIDDLE SCHOOL: 1 Student (Grade 8)

Given the timing and nature of the case, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case updates:

• GEORGE SCHOOL: 1 Student (Grade 2)

Given the timing and nature of the case, there is no change to the status of our schools.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case updates:

• Berkeley: 1 Staff

Correction from yesterday:

• Washington: 1 Student (Grade 1)

Given the timing and nature of the case, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with latest COVID-19 case updates:

• Brookside: 1 Student (Grade 3)

• Washington: 1 Student (Grade 2)

• Middle School: 1 Student (Grade 7)

• High School: 1 Student and 1 Staff

By the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

Given the timing and nature of these cases, there is no change to the status of our schools at this time; however, we are continuing to monitor the quantity of cases in our schools and community with our public health officials at the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission. As mentioned previously, when determining the status of our schools, we will follow the lead of our public health officials based upon a variety of factors including, but not limited to, local health data regarding community rate of infection, the potential for increased infections, the need for multiple staff and students to quarantine, and the recommendations of the designation on the Regional Risk Matrix. If there are ever any changes to the status of our schools or district based upon their recommendation, I will notify you ASAP. In the meantime, please continue to conduct your daily health screenings and reach out to your school if you have any questions.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case update:

• Middle School: 1 Student (Grade 6)

Given the timing and nature of the case, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case updates:

• Brookside: 1 Staff Member

• Washington: 1 Staff Member

• Middle School: 1 Staff Member

• High School: 3 Students (Grades 9, 10, 12)

Given the timing and nature of each case, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with latest COVID-19 case updates:

• BROOKSIDE: 2 Students (Grade 1 and 4)

• HIGH SCHOOL: 1 Student

Given the timing and nature of each case, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time; however, I want to remind everyone to:

• Conduct your Daily COVID-19 Home Screening Checklist for Students and Staff

• If students / staff members go for a COVID-19 test, they should not return to school until the negative test is confirmed.

• If someone in a student or staff member’s household exhibits symptoms, students / siblings / staff members must also stay home from school until the symptomatic individual receives a negative test result. If the symptomatic individual tests positive, the students/siblings/staff members will need to self-quarantine and must contact the school nurse for further instructions.

• Stay in contact with your school nurse to keep them apprised of your situation

The purpose of this message is to provide you with additional COVID-19 case updates emanating from over the break:

• BERKELEY: 2 Students (Grade 1 and 5)

• GEORGE: 2 Students (Grade 1 and 4)

• WASHINGTON: 1 Staff member

• MIDDLE SCHOOL: 1 Student (Grade 7)

• HIGH SCHOOL: 3 Students

Given the timing and nature of each case, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with additional COVID-19 case updates from over the break:

• GEORGE: 1 Staff Member

• WASHINGTON: 1 Student (Grade 1)

• MIDDLE SCHOOL: 1 Student (Grade 7)

• HIGH SCHOOL: 3 Students (Full Remote)

Given the timing and nature of each case, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone who may be required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

Happy New Year! I hope this message finds everyone happy, healthy and well-rested. The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case updates from over the break:

• BROOKSIDE SCHOOL: One Kindergarten Student

• MIDDLE SCHOOL: One Grade 6 Student

• HIGH SCHOOL: One staff member

• DISTRICT: One staff member

Given the timing and nature of each case, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

As we prepare to reopen for instruction tomorrow, I want to remind everyone to:

• Consult with your school nurse, if you recently traveled out-of-state

• Conduct your Daily COVID-19 Home Screening Checklist for Students and Staff

• If students / staff members go for a COVID-19 test, they should not return to school until the negative test is confirmed.

• If someone in a student or staff member’s household exhibits symptoms, students / siblings / staff members must also stay home from school until the symptomatic individual receives a negative test result. If the symptomatic individual tests positive, the students/siblings/staff members will need to self-quarantine and must contact the school nurse for further instructions.

• Stay in contact with your school nurse to keep them apprised of your situation.

While we are encouraged by the news of the introduction and dissemination of COVID-19 vaccines, we must remain vigilant, patient, and supportive in the months ahead to see us through. I want to thank everyone for contributing to a safe in-person learning environment since the start of school in September. All of our social distancing, disinfecting, and mask-wearing protocols will continue to be our best offense in keeping our schools open and eventually increasing capacity and time in our schools.

Warm wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Stay Safe.

Since my last update, we received confirmation of an additional positive student case at the High School. Given the circumstances surrounding the case, there are no additional quarantine notifications required.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case update:

• Brookside School: One student (1st grade)

• Washington School: One teacher

Given the timing and nature of each case, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

Please continue to conduct your daily health screenings and reach out to your school if you have any questions.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case update:

• Brookside School: One student (4th grade) and one teacher

Given the timing and nature of each case, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

Please continue to conduct your daily health screenings and reach out to your school if you have any questions.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 update beginning with the latest confirmed positive cases:

• Brookside School: 4th grade student

• Middle School: 7th Grade

Given the timing and nature of each case, there is no change to the status of our schools and by the time you are reading this, anyone required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time..

QUARANTINE CLARIFICATION: We have received several inquiries regarding the CDC’s latest update regarding when to quarantine. Per their guidelines "Local public health authorities determine and establish the quarantine options for their jurisdictions". Given the substantial community spread of COVID-19 throughout New Jersey, the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission (NWBRHC) is currently not exercising any of the options to reduce quarantine and continue to recommend quarantine for 14 days if you have been identified as a close contact of a COVID-19 positive person. If/when that guidance changes, we will notify you accordingly.

According to the NJ Department of Health, the new cases continue to rise with the highest number in Bergen County. We are closely monitoring the COVID activity in our school community with our public health officials at the NWBRHC. When determining the status of our schools we will follow the lead of our public health officials based upon a variety of factors including, but not limited to, local health data regarding community rate of infection, the potential for increased infections, the need for multiple staff and students to quarantine, and the recommendations of the designation on the Regional Risk Matrix. If there are ever any changes to the status of our schools or district based upon their recommendation, I will notify you ASAP. In the meantime, please continue to conduct your daily health screenings and reach out to your school if you have any questions.

Last, but certainly not least, if you are interested in any of the regional testing opportunities available through the County of Bergen in partnership with Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, click HERE for details.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case update as follows:

• George School: Kindergarten

• Washington: 5th Grade

• High School: Preschool student

Given the timing and nature of each case, there is no impact to the status of our schools or need to quarantine any cohorts of students or staff.

We are closely monitoring the COVID activity in our school community with our public health officials at the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission. If there are ever any changes to the status of our schools or district based upon their recommendation, I will notify you ASAP. In the meantime, please continue to conduct your daily health screenings and reach out to your school if you have any questions.

In light of the COVID-19 activity associated with the Brookside School community and upon the recommendation of the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission (NWBRHC), Brookside School will be transitioning to full remote effective Wednesday, December 2 through Wednesday, December 16 with a return to in-person instruction on Thursday, December 17 to reduce the transmission potential of the coronavirus. The 14 day closure includes before and aftercare at Brookside School. The school principal, Mr. Conroy, will offer any additional building and grade level-specific updates over the course of the remote learning period.

The Brookside School transition to remote instruction does not impact the operating status of any other school or program in the district at this time. In the days and weeks ahead, we will continue to work closely with the NWBRHC to monitor the situation in all of our schools and provide COVID case updates accordingly.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with the latest COVID-19 case update as follows:

• Middle School: Presumed positive student in eighth grade.

• Brookside School: Confirmed positive member of the Champions Program community.

• High School: Confirmed positive student who is full remote.

In all instances, by the time you are reading this, anyone required to quarantine has already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time. For any questions related to Champions Before/Aftercare, please contact smathias@discoverchampions.com.

Please note that we are receiving feedback that it may be becoming increasingly difficult for families to find testing facilities and it is also taking more time to get results back which has resulted in delays in notification to families, the health department, and schools. As a reminder, the County of Bergen, in collaboration with Bergen New Bridge Medical Center has launched a new drive-thru COVID-19 testing program at Bergen Community College. You can find details in the November Cardinal Connection by clicking HERE. COVID-19 nasal, saliva, and antibody testing are also available by appointment at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center. To make an appointment please visit https://www.newbridgehealth.org/covid-19-testing/ for more information.

As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your school principal or nurse.

Since the start of the 2020-2021 school year our goal has been to reopen our district for in person learning safely and responsibly. To that end, we have faithfully implemented and continually refined all aspects of our plan that remain under our control in order to mitigate the transmission of the coronavirus inside our schools. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 activity outside of our schools continues to rise.

With each new case that is brought to our attention, our nursing staff and healthcare professionals have been hard at work with our school administration to determine the extent of the possible direct contacts and to discern the origin of each case to be sure that it is not emanating from within the school. In several instances, cases involve family members or others with whom our students/staff may have had close contact. Such instances also take time to investigate further. All together, these inquiries take countless hours and, as we have experienced, can occur any day of the week or time of day. We understand the impact that quarantining has on our families, thus we do not make those recommendations lightly or without direction from the health professionals.

To date, our decisions to close the district and/or a school have been directly connected to our need to do so for the safety of our students and staff by reducing the transmission potential of the virus. Furthermore, as of today, all of our schools are open for business. However, that may certainly change at any moment and as time progresses which is why we maintain close and constant contact with the Health Department. When determining the status of our schools we will follow their lead based upon a variety of factors including, but not limited to, local health data regarding community rate of infection, the potential for an increased infections, the need for multiple staff and students to quarantine, and the recommendations of the Orange designation on the Regional Risk Matrix.

In the meantime, while our schools remain open for in person learning, our families still retain the opportunity to transition their children to full remote instruction if they are uncomfortable sending them to school at this time. Please reach out to your principal if you would like to discuss that possibility further.

In closing, I wish to thank everyone for their patience and understanding during this time. Your continued support and cooperation is greatly appreciated.

COVID-19 HEALTH DEPARTMENT UPDATE

According to the COVID-19 Regional Risk Matrix, Bergen County has now been identified as a “orange/high risk” region, which requires public schools to follow new protocols. Below is updated and important information from the Department of Health that all staff, parents, and students must adhere to effective immediately.

Students and staff must stay home and notify the school nurse if they have:

• Tested positive (viral test) for COVID-19

• Exhibit COVID-19 symptoms:

  • Daily COVID-19 Home Screening Checklist for Students

  • Daily COVID-19 Home Screening Checklist for Staff

  • Potential exposure to COVID-19: Close contact* with a person with COVID-19 in the past 14 days.

*Someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.

• Travelled to an area with high levels of COVID-19 transmission in the past 14 days:

  • NJ travel advisory list

  • International travel advisory

• If someone in a student or staff member’s household exhibits symptoms, students/siblings/staff member must also stay home from school until the symptomatic individual receives a negative test result. If the symptomatic individual tests positive, the students/siblings/staff member will need to self-quarantine and must contact the school nurse for further instructions.

OUT OF STATE REQUIREMENTS:

Traveling Out of State:

• Families traveling to an area on the NJ travel advisory list will be required to have their child(ren) quarantine for 14 days upon their return to NJ.

• Please notify your building administration if you will be traveling to such an area so that your child can be set up for temporary remote instruction.

Receiving Travelers:

• Families receiving guests from an area on the NJ travel advisory list are not required to quarantine their children.

• Students only have to quarantine if someone in the house, resident or guest, becomes symptomatic and tests positive.

• However, as a precaution, parents may choose to proactively self-quarantine their children.

• Anyone who proactively chooses to self-quarantine must notify their school immediately.

If you have any questions on these protocols, please contact your school nurse directly as they are the most knowledgeable members our staff who can answer your health and safety questions.

Last, but not least, to assist us with our contact tracing, if the school or local health department calls, please answer and provide any requested information to help identify anyone who may need to quarantine and slow the spread of COVID-19 in our schools and community.

BERGEN COUNTY COVID TESTING

The County of Bergen, in collaboration with Bergen New Bridge Medical Center has launched a new drive-thru COVID-19 testing program at Bergen Community College, 400 Paramus Rd, Paramus, N.J. The program will offer antigen nasal swab rapid COVID-19 tests that provide results in 24 hours or less on the following days below for the month of December:

• Tuesday, December 1^st 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

• Thursday, December 3^rd 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

• Saturday, December 5^th 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

• Monday, December 7^th 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

• Wednesday, December 9^th 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

• Thursday, December 10^th 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

• Monday, December 14^th 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

• Wednesday, December 16^th 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

• Thursday, December 17^th 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

• Saturday, December 19^th 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

• Monday, December 21^st 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

• Tuesday, December 22^nd 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

• Wednesday, December 23^rd 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

• Monday, December 28^th 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

• Tuesday, December 29^th 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

• Wednesday, December 30^th 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Testing is available to all county residents free of charge, regardless of health insurance status. Residents must schedule their test through an online portal which can be reached at www.BergenCOVIDTesting.com. Please note residents must bring their mobile device for check-in. Identification is necessary (driver’s license/ID card, social security card, passport, or birth certificate). Proof of Bergen County residency or proof of employment that you work for one of the 70 municipalities or are employed by a Bergen County public school is required (driver’s license, utility bill, employee work ID or paystub). If you have health insurance, please bring your insurance card.

The County of Bergen and Bergen New Bridge Medical Center remind all residents that mobile testing is only one way to get tested. COVID-19 nasal, saliva, and antibody testing are also available by appointment at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center. To make an appointment please visit https://www.newbridgehealth.org/covid-19-testing/ for more information.

The purpose of this message is to inform you that, this afternoon we received notification regarding two additional COVID-19 positive student cases -- a 3rd grader at Brookside and a 12th grader at the high school. Given the circumstance surrounding each case, no additional student/staff quarantining is necessary.

We are working with our public health officials at the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission (NWBRHC) to closely monitor the situation in our school community. At this time no school or district closures are necessary; however, if there are any changes to the status of our schools or district based upon the COVID-19 activity I will notify you ASAP.

The purpose of this message is to inform you that, since my last communication on Friday, we received confirmation of the following additional positive cases:

• Kindergarten Student at Brookside School: Given the circumstances surrounding the case, no additional students or staff are required to quarantine.

• 7th Grade Student at the Middle School: Anyone required to quarantine has already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

Upon our return to our in-person/hybrid schedule tomorrow, Monday, November, 30, including at the High School, please remember the following:

• Conduct your Daily COVID-19 Home Screening Checklist for Students and Staff

• If students / staff members go for a COVID-19 test, they should not return to school until the negative test is confirmed.

• If someone in a student or staff member’s household exhibits symptoms, students / siblings / staff member must also stay home from school until the symptomatic individual receives a negative test result. If the symptomatic individual tests positive, the students/siblings/staff member will need to self-quarantine and must contact the school nurse for further instructions.

• Stay in contact with your school nurse to keep them apprised of your situation.

The COVID activity remains fluid so we are working with our public health officials at the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission (NWBRHC) to closely monitor the situation in our school community. If there are any changes to the status of our schools or district I will notify you ASAP.

I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday. The purpose of this message is to inform you that, since my last communication, we have received confirmation of another confirmed positive case of a staff member at Berkeley and a presumed positive student at the HS, both of whom have already been in quarantine. Once again, given the timing of the cases, there is no impact to the status of our schools or need to quarantine and cohorts of students or staff.

Given the recent increase in COVID-19 activity throughout our region, elevated CALI index status from Moderate to High, and two-week closure announcements by neighboring districts we are working with our public health officials at the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission (NWBRHC) to closely monitor the situation in our school community. If there are any changes to the status of our schools or district I will notify you ASAP.

Stay safe.

As we come to the end of another week, this message is being sent to inform you that we received notification that a High School student who is currently in remote instruction, tested positive for COVID-19. Given the timing of the case, there is no change to the status of any of our schools or need to quarantine any cohorts of students or staff. We continue to work closely with our public health officials at the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission to monitor the coronavirus activity and COVID-19 cases in accordance with CDC and State guidance to keep everyone safe. If there are any new developments, we will be sure to communicate them to everyone accordingly.

In the meantime, our school-based Pandemic Response Teams have been meeting to consider plans for the days, weeks, and months ahead based upon the survey results that are being shared by the principals in their weekly e-blasts. Those proposals were presented to the District Reopening Committee for feedback and reported out at last night’s public meeting of the Board of Education. If you missed the live stream, you can view the report HERE. To keep us moving forward, next week our schools will be sending out surveys to gather input from our staff and families in order to refine our path ahead. Each of the surveys will include a more detailed description of the proposal and rationale to assist you in providing constructive feedback. Upon receipt of the survey, please reach out to your school principal or assistant principals if you have any questions.

Last, but not least, as we prepare for the upcoming Thanksgiving recess I urge everyone to use extreme caution and adhere to CDC guidance as we spend quality time with our loved ones. Remember, if you are traveling out-of-state or hosting guests from out-of-state, it is imperative that you follow CDC quarantine recommendations and consult with your school nurse prior to returning to school. It is only through our collective responsibility that we will be able to keep our families and communities safe while supporting the continuity of in person learning opportunities for our students.

This letter is to inform you that we recently received word that a Brookside student and Middle School student, both of whom have been in remote instruction, tested positive for COVID-19. Given the timing of the cases, there is no impact to the status of our schools or need to quarantine and cohorts of students or staff.

The district continues to work closely with our public health officials at the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission in accordance with CDC and State guidance to keep everyone safe.

The purpose of this message is to provide an update on our COVID cases and the effects on our schools and community.

• High School: In addition to the COVID cases reported previously, today we were made aware that a student who is in full remote status also tested positive for COVID. In consultation with the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission (NWBRHC) and in consideration of the activity of the past week, it was decided that the High School will transition to full remote instruction for 14 days returning to in-person instruction on Monday, November 30. This decision also includes the suspension of athletics and any in-person extracurricular programs during this time.

• Middle School: This morning we received notification that a 6th-grade student tested positive for COVID-19. There is no change in the status of the school at this time with the exception of those required to quarantine.

• Berkeley Elementary: This afternoon we received notification that a teacher at Berkeley Elementary School tested positive for COVID-19. There is no change in the status of the school at this time with the exception of those required to quarantine.

In all instances, by the time you are reading this, anyone required to quarantine has already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time. Furthermore, at this time the High School transition to remote instruction does not impact the operating status of any district department, the district Preschool or the Champions Childcare programs, nor any other school in the district.

As we continue to encounter the challenges of this public health emergency on a daily basis, it is essential to understand the impact that the virus is having on our school community. First and foremost, while the effects may vary across individuals, the severe and deadly potential ramifications of the virus require that we continue to do our part to mitigate the transmission within our schools, community, and families. Please consider the following important reminders:

• On the weekends and especially during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, we urge everyone to follow the CDC recommended guidelines and NJ travel advisory to keep everyone safe.

• Always cooperate with the school and healthcare professionals when notified that your child must transition to remote learning. These decisions are never made lightly, but they are made with the health and safety of everyone in mind. Experience has demonstrated that questioning through contact tracing may reveal the need to increase or lessen quarantine requirements for individuals or groups.

• Assist with contact tracing when called on to do so. Not returning calls or disclosing details about potential contact can put others at risk. We will do everything possible to preserve the confidentiality of the information shared.

• Conduct your daily screenings and if you are not feeling well or exhibited any COVID-related symptoms the day prior, please stay home and contact the school nurse for further guidance. Coming to school or work can also put others at risk.

In addition to the health impact, the ripple effect of COVID cases on our schools can be seen when in-person learning is disrupted due to student, staff, and/or school-level quarantine requirements. Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly difficult to secure enough substitutes to cover classes resulting in the need to temporarily reassign staff, such as our specials teachers, to provide adequate supervision for students who are learning in-person. We are thankful to all of our staff for their flexibility, but these actions pull them away from being able to deliver other valuable services or supports for our students.

Since the onset of the Coronavirus, we have been faced with a myriad of challenges and emotions, but most of all uncertainty about what lies ahead. One thing is for certain, we are committed to working with everyone to provide a clear path to “normalcy” safely and responsibly. Please maintain open lines of communication with your teachers and school so that we can support one another in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

We finally made it to the end of a long week. Please enjoy the weekend.

Stay safe and healthy,

Raymond A. Gonzalez, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

We just received confirmation moments ago that a staff member at the High School tested positive for COVID-19. Given the timing of the notification, we will be transitioning the High School to ALL REMOTE instruction tomorrow, Friday, November 13 for all High School staff and students to allow time for contact tracing and consultation with our partners at the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission. All athletics and extracurricular activities are also cancelled for tomorrow. These actions will provide us with sufficient time to determine who needs to quarantine and notify them accordingly as well as determining the next steps for the High School.

Please note: the High School transition to remote instruction does not impact the operating status of the District Preschool or the Champions Childcare programs nor any other school in the district at this time. A follow-up email will be sent to our community tomorrow to apprise everyone of any updates.

This afternoon we received confirmation that another HS student tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week. Per our usual protocol, we have been working with the NWBRHC to contact trace and notify families/staff accordingly. We are cancelled high school sports and after school activities this afternoon to allow for sufficient time to notify those impacted; however, there is no further change in school status recommended at this time. Anyone required to quarantine has already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

All members of our community are strongly encouraged to follow the CDC health guidelines and conduct their daily home screening before coming to school/work each day. It is important to remember -- if you are not feeling well or exhibited any COVID-related symptoms the day prior, please stay home and contact the school nurse. To keep our schools safe and reduce the transmission potential our hybrid model is designed to continue the educational experience for our students even if they cannot attend in-person.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to your school directly.

This message is being sent to confirm that the Westwood Regional High School, in coordination with the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission, completed the required contact tracing and will resume in-person instruction tomorrow, Thursday, November 12, 2020. Anyone required to quarantine has already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

This evening it was brought to our attention that siblings at the High School tested positive for COVID-19. Given the timing of the notification and the need for contact tracing in consultation with the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission, the High School will transition to ALL REMOTE instruction tomorrow, Wednesday, November 11 for all HS teachers and HS students. Likewise, all athletics and extracurricular activities are also cancelled for tomorrow. These actions will provide the administration and our health professionals with sufficient time to determine who needs to quarantine and notify them accordingly.

Please note: the HS transition to remote instruction does not impact the operating status of the District Preschool or the Champions Childcare programs nor any other school in the district at this time. A follow up email will be sent to our community tomorrow to apprise everyone of any updates.

All members of our community are strongly encouraged to follow the CDC health guidelines that we have been promoting for the last several months. This includes being thoughtful about social interactions and in-home events. Our schools will only be as open, available, and healthy as the surrounding community.

Stay safe,

Raymond A. Gonzalez, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

This letter is to inform you that a HS student tested positive for COVID-19 over the extended weekend. Anyone required to quarantine has already been notified. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

The district continues to work closely with our public health officials at the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission in accordance with CDC and State guidance to keep everyone safe. To that end, please see their latest update below regarding Mobile COVID Testing and Flu Vaccines in our area.

Stay safe.

Regards,

Raymond A. Gonzalez, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

***********************************************************************

Dear Residents,

Please find below the updated testing information for the week of 11/9/20:

• Tuesday, November 10 (9am -2:30pm), Pascack Brook County Park, 150 Emerson Road, Westwood, NJ

• Saturday, November 14 (9am -2pm), Bergen County Special Services School District, 296 E. Ridgewood Ave, Paramus, NJ

• **Priority processing with Bergen County school ID for staff/faculty from 9AM-10:30AM**

Mobile testing is available to all county residents free of charge, regardless of health insurance status. Residents can get tested at any regional community testing location and all community mobile testing sites will offer the COVID-19 saliva test and flu vaccination. The COVID-19 saliva test is available to all county residents regardless of symptoms, as well as first responders, healthcare workers, public school teachers, and municipal or county employees who work in Bergen County with proof of employment.

For the COVID-19 saliva test, please do not eat, drink, smoke, or chew gum 30 minutes prior to arrival. Identification is necessary so please bring your driver’s license/ID card, school identification card, social security card, passport, or birth certificate. Proof of Bergen County residency or that you work in Bergen County is required so please bring your driver’s license, utility bill, pay stub, or work ID. If you have an insurance card, also bring that with you.

Stay well,

NWBRHC Staff

This is to inform you that since our return to in-person learning on Monday, November 3, we have received confirmation of another staff member testing positive for COVID-19 during our two week remote learning period when schools were not open for in-person instruction. We also received notification of a confirmed positive case of a student in the 6th grade who attended school on Monday.

By the time you read this message, anyone required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time. Upon further investigation and contact tracing, if additional notifications are necessary, the school or health department will reach out to our families and staff directly. In the meantime, the district is continuing to work closely with our public health officials in accordance with CDC and State guidance to keep everyone safe.

The status of coronavirus activity remains fluid, and we are monitoring it closely. Our containment efforts will continue to focus on targeting individuals, classes, and cohorts; however, temporary transitions to remote learning school or district-wide is always an extreme last resort if needed to contain the transmission of the virus. As mentioned previously, while the district will continue to notify the school community of cases that impact our district, please help us by staying safe, vigilant, and continue following the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention promoted safeguards while in and out of school.

NOVEMBER 2 RETURN & BEYOND

After a two week transition to full remote instruction, it appears we are all set to return to our hybrid learning schedule as follows:

• Monday, November 2: Group 1 in person

• Tuesday, November 3: Full Remote for Election Day

• Wednesday, November 4: Group 2 in person

The revised Hybrid Learning Schedule through December can viewed HERE.

RESPONSE TO CASES

Given the increased COVID-19 activity throughout the State and County, we will continue to work closely with the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission (NWBRHC) to respond to any cases brought to our attention. It is important to always keep in mind that a response to a confirmed/presumed positive case will vary according to the unique circumstances surrounding each instance. In some situations, we may only need to quarantine a single class; whereas, in other cases, it may become necessary to quarantine multiple classes. Upon consultation with NWBRHC, if/when conditions in the schools and community warrant, it may even necessitate a temporary transition to remote learning for a school or even the district as we recently experienced along with other schools/districts throughout the County. In all cases, we will reach out to those impacted as soon as possible and will provide a general advisory to the community. Furthermore, while we attend to the health and safety of our school community, learning will continue to take place with minimal disruption through the use of Google Classroom and all the online tools currently used today.

NEXT STEPS

Since the start of the school year, we have been focused on refining our hybrid model as outlined in our reopening plan with an emphasis on implementing our health and safety protocols while enhancing the instructional experience for our in person and remote learners through constant feedback. The most direct way to help us help your child is through ongoing communication with your teachers, counselors, and principals. More formally, our schools will be soliciting input from our stakeholders through the use of surveys. If you have not already received a survey from your school, you will shortly, so that you can continuously inform our efforts moving forward.

In the meantime, in the absence of specific guidance from the NJDOE or NJDOH regarding what’s next or how/when we can plan to transition back to full time and full capacity in our schools, our administrators will work with their school-based pandemic response teams to explore ways to phase in increased in-person learning when conditions are safe to do so. Feel free to share your specific suggestions with your building principal for consideration by the building level pandemic response teams.

This letter is to inform you that another district employee has tested positive for COVID-19. In response, the district is continuing to work closely with our public health officials and are following CDC and State guidance. Since we are already in full remote status, this development does not alter our current instructional schedule and anyone required to quarantine has been notified. Upon further investigation and contact tracing, if additional notifications are necessary, the school or health department will reach out to our families and staff directly. The status of this situation remains fluid, and we are monitoring it closely.

As mentioned in prior correspondence, while the district will continue to notify the school community of cases that impact our district, we are not able to provide the additional public health data related to the virus. That being said, as a piece of passthrough information, I am sharing a communication that was recently posted on our municipalities’ website containing a message from the Health Officer regarding COVID-19 in our communities. Click HERE to view the letter.

Stay safe and please continue following the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention promoted safeguards.

This letter is to inform you that a staff member at the Middle School, Central Office, and a district employee have all tested positive for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). As always, the District is coordinating closely with our public health officials and following CDC and State guidance in order to assure the health and safety of our community.

By the time you read this message, all families and any staff members who are required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time. Upon further investigation and contact tracing, if additional notifications are necessary, the school or health department will reach out to our families and staff directly. The status of this situation is fluid, and we are monitoring it closely.

We understand the level of concern regarding COVID-19. We encourage parents and students to continue following the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention promoted safeguards, such as:

• • • Staying home when you are sick;

    • Washing hands often with soap for at least 20 seconds;

    • Covering coughs and sneezes and properly disposing of tissues;

    • Limiting close contact with people who are sick and not sharing food, drinks and utensils;

    • Practicing social distancing (staying at least 6 feet apart);

    • Wearing a face covering while in school;

    • Continuing to monitor your health for symptoms; and

    • Reminding your friends, family, and neighbors of ALL THE ABOVE

As always, we appreciate our community’s support and cooperation. You can assist us by remaining vigilant but sensible in your approach to dealing with this health concern. Should you have any questions about this situation, please feel free to contact the school directly. Below are some resources that might be helpful.

RESOURCES

• • • NJDOH COVID-19 Information for Communities and the General Public: https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/covid2019_community.shtml

    • Get the Facts about Coronavirus: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

    • Symptoms of COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptomstesting/symptoms.html

    • Testing: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/testing/index.html; https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/testing

    • How to Protect Yourself: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-gettingsick/prevention.html

    • What to Do if You Are Sick: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/stepswhen-sick.html

Stay Safe,

Raymond A. Gonzalez, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Let me begin by saying that I share everyone’s frustration and concern with the challenges associated with this public health emergency and the impact it has had on all of our lives. We are acutely aware of the academic and social-emotional struggles of our students during this time and remain committed to working with our families to support their well-being. After my announcement yesterday, I received several inquiries requesting additional information surrounding the decision to transition to full remote learning in all our schools. While I cannot provide the level of specificity desired in all cases, I can share the following answers to the frequently asked questions.

Why was the decision communicated on a Sunday afternoon?

• The Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission (NWBRHC), our local health department, was investigating additional cases in the community over the weekend and reached out to me to set up a video conference at 2 PM on Sunday to discuss their concerns and a plan of action. An hour later, the Board of Education was notified, and less than after that, the community was notified.

What's the data behind the decision? How many cases are there in the district? Why won't the district share the information?

• As in the Spring, the district is not authorized to share public health data. That is the responsibility of the department of health.

• To view the latest statistics from the NJDOH, you can visit their COVID-19 Dashboard.

• The Department of Health is aware of more cases in the community than the school district is aware of which certainly factors into their decision-making. Furthermore, the fluidity of the numbers is based upon the number of cases that are reported, active, presumed, confirmed, asymptomatic, etc. with new cases and lab results coming to light even on the weekend.

Is my child at risk?

• Anyone who is required to quarantine will have received direct communication from the school and/or NWBRHC. If you have not received such notification, please continue to monitor your child’s health and reach out to your pediatrician if your child develops any symptoms.

• The transition to remote learning for 14 days was made specifically to reduce the transmission potential in our schools. While not in school, everyone is reminded to adhere to the CDC guidelines.

Who made this decision? Why didn’t the Board of Education vote on it?

• With regard to all decisions relative to public health, this decision was made by the Superintendent in consultation with the NWBRHC. Put simply, as the public health experts, the department of health makes the recommendation and the Superintendent follows it.

• The NWBRHC also consulted with the NJ Department of Education who concurred with the decision.

• The decision falls entirely in the realm of administration, not governance, which is the reason the Board of Education did not vote on the decision but was informed of it.

Why does this decision not follow the NJDOH K-12 Recommendations for Local Health Departments?

• Per the document, “Closure is a local decision that should be made by school administrators in consultation with local public health. While it is not possible to account for every scenario that schools may encounter over the course of the school year, the following scenarios may help inform the decision for when schools should temporarily close.”

• Based upon the recommendation of the NWBRHC, concurred by the NJDOH, the school district would transition to remote learning for 14 days to reduce the transmission potential in our school community.

While I am truly sorry for the inconvenience this situation presents to many of you, I can assure you that the public health and safety of our students and staff remain at the forefront of our decision-making. While I may not have all the detailed answers or expertise of our public health experts, I can confidently say that the NWBRHC have been amazing partners in supporting our efforts to keep our schools and community healthy. They have been working tirelessly with our staff and families to answer questions and conduct contact tracing to keep everyone safe.

As always, if you notice that your child is struggling and in need of mental health or academic supports, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your teacher, counselor, or administrator for assistance.

Stay Safe.

Raymond A. Gonzalez, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

This afternoon, in an emergency meeting with our partners at the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission, it was decided that all schools in the Westwood Regional School District* would transition to full remote instruction for the next two weeks. Principals will send school-specific details regarding the daily scheduling expectations shortly. The schedule for the return to in person learning would be as follows:

• Monday, November 2 for Group 1 in person

• Tuesday, November 3 Full Remote for Election Day

• Wednesday, November 4 for Group 2 in person

(*Any Westwood Regional students who attend out of district schools, will continue to follow their school’s schedule.)

We understand the inconvenience that this decision places on many of our families; however, the move to remote instruction was made in order to lower the transmission potential in our school community. This decision was precipitated by a number of factors including, but not limited to:

• the diversity of positive cases across our district,

• the increased cases documented throughout the State and region, and

• the NJ Department of Health’s most recent COVID-19 Recent Activity report that elevated the activity level from Low to Moderate and aligns our response with the K-12 COVID-19 Recommendations for Local Health Departments.

Please note that during this two week period, there will be no in person instruction, athletics, extracurricular activities, or Champions childcare, yet meal distribution will continue per the usual schedule.

While our school buildings are closed, our facilities department will take additional time and measures to implement deep cleaning protocols in our classrooms, common areas, and high touch surfaces.

We certainly understand the level of concern regarding COVID-19 and encourage parents and students to continue following the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention promoted safeguards, such as:

• Continuing to monitor your health for symptoms and checking with your physician if you are ill;

• Getting tested for COVID-19 if you suspect you may have it (Click HERE to find a location near you.);

• Washing hands often with soap for at least 20 seconds;

• Covering coughs and sneezes and properly disposing of tissues;

• Limiting close contact with people who are sick and not sharing food, drinks and utensils;

• Practicing social distancing (staying at least 6 feet apart);

• Wearing a face covering while in public; and

• Reminding your friends, family, and neighbors of ALL THE ABOVE.

The move to remote instruction is just one step to lower the transmission potential in our community. For this to be effective, it is imperative that everyone do their part by remaining vigilant and sensible in their approach to dealing with this public health concern. PLEASE adhere to mask wearing, handwashing, and social distancing protocols in all your personal, social, and recreational activities.

The status of this situation is extremely fluid, and we are monitoring it closely. As always, we appreciate our community’s support and cooperation. Should you have any questions about this situation, please feel free to contact the school directly. Below are some resources that might be helpful.

RESOURCES

• NJDOH COVID-19 Information for Communities and the General Public: https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/covid2019_community.shtml

• Get the Facts about Coronavirus: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

• Symptoms of COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptomstesting/symptoms.html

• Testing: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/testing/index.html; https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/testing

• How to Protect Yourself: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-gettingsick/prevention.html

What to Do if You Are Sick: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/stepswhen-sick.html

The school year started a month ago and each week we have had to address cases of COVID-19 in some way while implementing our reopening plan. Fortunately, our staff and families have been actively monitoring their symptoms and conducting their daily home screenings so that they do not attend school when they are not feeling well and notify the school immediately. Once someone is confirmed/presumed positive, we work with the Northwest Bergen Health Commission to identify staff or students who had direct close contact with the individual to quarantine for 14 days. Testing out of quarantine is not an option. A close contact is defined as someone who was within 6 feet of a confirmed case of COVID-19 for at least 10 minutes.

Since the most recent instance involves multiple schools, I am sending this message as a health advisory to our entire Westwood Regional School Community to make you aware that today we received notification of three related COVID-19 positive cases at the Middle School, High School, and Central Office. By the time you are reading this message, all families and any staff members who are required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details including the date of return to in person instruction. If you did not receive such a notification, no further action is required at this time.

Based upon our direct experience and the reports of cases throughout the area, County, State, and Nation, it is imperative that we all remain diligent about doing our part to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Everyone should continue to

• Conduct your Daily COVID-19 Screening and monitor your health for symptoms

• Remain home when you are sick and notify the school

• Wear face coverings in school and public

• Wash hands often with soap for at least 20 seconds

• Cover coughs and sneezes

• Avoid shared items and close contact with others

• Practice social distancing when outside of the home

• Remind your friends, family, and neighbors of ALL THE ABOVE

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your school directly.

This message is being sent as a follow up to the health advisory sent the other day to our Brookside School Community. We recently received confirmation that one of our students has tested positive for COVID-19. By the time you are reading this message, all families who are required to quarantine will have already received a separate notification with additional details including the date of return to in person instruction.

Once again, for everyone else, you are strongly encouraged to continue to be diligent about watching your kids and conducting your daily home screening as well as practicing all the CDC recommended mitigation strategies whenever possible.

Sincerely,

Tom Conroy

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 Commission (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.

COVID-19 ADVISORY

It has been brought to our attention that a sixth grade student tested positive for COVID-19. Although the Middle School is currently in full remote status, we are working closely with our local health officer at the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission (NWBRHC) to assist with contact tracing in the community. If your child was directly impacted in any way, by the time you read this message, you will already have received a call from the school with further direction.

Given the nature of the virus, it is likely that this will not be the last incident we encounter; therefore, I strongly urge our entire community to work with us to assure the health and safety of our students and staff.

In all of our schools, we continue to implement our screening, cleaning, and disinfecting protocols while conducting in-person instruction with mandated mask requirements, hand washing / sanitizing, and social distancing measures. These efforts represent our greatest defense against infection and transmission.

To assist us, now more than ever, we ask that our families and students remain vigilant and continue to follow the CDC promoted safeguards while in our schools and community.

• Conduct your Daily COVID-19 Screening and monitor your health for symptoms

• Remain home when you are sick and notify the school

• Wear face coverings in school and public

• Wash hands often with soap for at least 20 seconds

• Cover coughs and sneezes

• Avoid shared items and close contact with others

• Practice social distancing when outside of the home

Last, but certainly not least, in partnership with our schools, it is essential that we maintain open and honest contact with each other and let the school know if your child was exposed to, may present symptoms of, or is confirmed positive for COVID-19. Armed with that knowledge we can work together to keep everyone as safe as possible.

We appreciate your support and cooperation. If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s school.

MIDDLE SCHOOL DELAY TO IN PERSON INSTRUCTION EXTENDED

Unrelated to the health advisory just mentioned, the following is the formal confirmation of the extended delay of our in-person instruction at the Westwood Regional Middle School (WRMS). At this time, we will not have the requisite temporary certificate of occupancy (TCO) as hoped, thus preventing us from returning our staff and students to the building safely and responsibly. Therefore, we are extending the start date of our in-person instruction at WRMS until October 5.

In the meantime, all students in grades 6-8 will continue to engage in instructional activities remotely with their teachers as we work with the contractor to obtain the TCO. Our custodial, maintenance, and technology staff are also hard at work preparing and cleaning the spaces when they are available in order to get us back as soon as we have the green light to do so.

Once again, we understand the inconvenience and frustration that this may cause. Thank you for your support and cooperation through it all.

A NOTE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT

It has been 175 days since our schools have been open for in person instruction. 175 days since our halls and classrooms have been filled with the smiles and laughter of our staff and students. 175 days of trying to figure out how to live in the middle of a global pandemic. All of our lives have been impacted in varying degrees and my heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones during this time. As a nation and society, we are now faced with the task of balancing the restart of our "new normal" with continuing to do what we can to mitigate the transmission of the coronavirus any further. This is not a simple task. There is much we don't know and even more that we don't have control over. Nevertheless, we endeavor to move on the best we can.

Since the end of the last school year, Westwood Regional School District has been working tirelessly to find answers to the countless questions so that we can regain control over our educational environment that has been disrupted. Slowly, but surely, guidance was released by the Governor as well as the Department of Health and the Department of Education that shaped the road ahead. The result is the development of a reopening plan that has been approved by the County Office of the Department of Education as consistent with the health and safety guidelines set forth by the State. While we recognize that a single plan is unable to meet the individual needs of every member of our school community, our plan does present the best roadmap for us to return to in-person instruction safely and responsibly while also affording parents a choice to participate in a hybrid or full remote model of instruction. Our buildings have been cleaned. Supply orders have been placed and received. And our teachers are set to return next week to kick off the 2020-2021 school year before students arrive, in-person or virtually, on September 14.

Despite all of the work and preparations in place I still share the feelings of fear and anxiousness that public health crisis has stirred. However, I am also confident that we have a clear plan to return students and staff back to our schools safely and responsibly as long as everyone does their part. Together we have weathered many storms, literally and figuratively, and together we will continue to forge ahead.

Stay safe,

-Dr. G.

MIDDLE SCHOOL DELAYED RETURN TO IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION

As reported at the last Board meeting, the administration has been awaiting confirmation of our ability to safely return students and staff to in-person learning at WRMS. Unfortunately, while progress continues, we have not received such confirmation; therefore, we are delaying our return to in-person instruction at WRMS for two weeks until Tuesday, September 29 and remote instruction will begin for all WRMS students on September 14. This decision does not impact the reopening plan for any other school in the district.

We will continue to closely monitor and assess our ability to return safely, and if there is a need to shorten or extend the delay, we will notify the school community as soon as practicable. We understand and share the frustration and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our Middle School students, staff, and families. We are committed to doing what we can to return safely and responsibly .

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.

SCHOOL REOPENING RESOURCE PORTALS

Preschool

Elementary School

Middle School

High School

Out of State Travel Reminder

The State of NJ has issued a travel advisory that all individuals entering New Jersey from states with a significant spread of COVID-19 should quarantine for 14 days after leaving those states and not return to work. The list of states is updated regularly. While this self-quarantine is voluntary, compliance is expected. In addition, if you have travelled internationally in the last 14 days, the CDC recommends you stay home, monitor your health, and practice social distancing for 14 days after you return from travel. Contact the Human Resources Office if you have any questions.

Face Mask Guidelines

As required by the Governor and included in our reopening plan, all students and staff are required to wear face masks in our schools. The district will be providing one reusable cloth facemask to every student and staff member. Any mask that is brought from home must fit snugly around the nose, mouth, and under the chin. In general, homemade or store bought multilayered washable cloth face masks and non-medical disposable 3 layer mouth/nose masks are permitted. Gaiters, bandanas, scarves, and masks with one-way valves or vents are prohibited. If you have a question, feel free to reach out to your school nurse.

Expedited COVID Testing UPDATE

Just a quick update to inform all school districts that the testing information provided last week is temporarily suspended. The Bergen County Health Department is searching for a new location. In the meantime, they are sharing another testing resource:

PM Pediatrics

Rt. 17 Paramus

201- 262-5432

NJDOH COVID-19 Health Recommendations

This guidance document outlines NJDOH COVID-19 public health recommendations for schools to follow if/when cases of COVID-19 are confirmed in schools.

Daily COVID Home Screening

Parents / guardians must use the district-provided screening checklist to conduct a daily health screening each morning prior to sending their child to school for in-person instruction

With the 2019-2020 school year officially "in the books", we turn our full sights and energies to prepare for the opening of the 2020-2021 school year. On June 26, 2020, Governor Murphy announced and the NJDOE released the Restart and and Recovery Plan for NJ Schools. Per the document, "each district will be expected to develop, in collaboration with community stakeholders, a plan to reopen schools in the Fall that best fits the district’s local needs." While affording districts the flexibility to customize their plans, the 104 page guidance also outlines the “Anticipated Minimum Standards” in four key subject areas: 1. Conditions for Learning, 2. Leadership and Planning, 3. Policy and Funding, and 4. Continuity of Learning. In addition to the subjects outlined in the guidance, we are also guided by the following areas of focus:

• • • Focus on Academics: design an educational experience for student learning that provides meaningful teaching and learning in-person and remotely

    • Focus on Health and Safety: provide conditions for schools to reopen and operate in a safe, sanitized, and secure manner while also attending to everyone's social and emotional needs

    • Focus on Flexibility: create opportunities to maximize flexibility in decision-making while minimizing disruption whenever possible

To facilitate the development of the Westwood Regional School District Reopening Plan, our team of administrators have already begun working together, with their school-based Pandemic Response Teams (PRT) and the District Reopening Committee (DRC) to gain valuable feedback from parents, students, teachers, and other key stakeholders. Next week, the PRTs will be sharing a survey to gather your feedback on the models that are being proposed for September to help us gauge if we are on the right track and/or what else we need to consider.

In the meantime, we are also working on refining all of our health screening procedures and sanitization / disinfection protocols for September while preparing to support the social-emotional needs of our staff, students, and families who may be anxious about reentering our schools.

The following timeline identifies the milestones required to adequately prepare for the return to instruction in September:

• • • July 1-27: The district develops their reopening plan for submission to the Bergen County Office of the Department of Education. All plans are due by Monday, July 27. PRTs and the DRC will meet regularly with the administration to offer input and provide feedback.

    • July 23: Public presentation of the plan to the Board of Education

    • July 13-31: Surveying parents and staff to receive feedback 1) on the reentry plans and 2) to determine who does and does not plan to return to on-site teaching and learning in September

    • July 31: Public dissemination of the plan to the school community

    • August: Finalizing schedules and groupings for students to allow ample time for families and staff members to make any alternate arrangements.

    • September 9: Teachers return

    • September 14: Return to instruction for students

To provide you with a preliminary glimpse of what is planned for September, the following sections outline the drafts of our school plans and general considerations. These plans have been developed in consideration of the requirements of the NJ Department of Education and Department of Health as well as the available resources available around the County, State, and Nation.

We understand that there are a plethora of unanswered questions at this time, but we are confident they will all be addressed once the plan is complete and details have been finalized. Patience, flexibility, and communication were keys to the success of our remote instruction experience in the Spring and they will be evermore important moving forward.

Thank you for your continued support of our students and schools.

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.

REMOTE INSTRUCTION FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SCHOOL YEAR

Yesterday, Governor Murphy announced that, guided by safety and science, schools will be closed for in-person instruction for the rest of the school year. Included in the announcement was the cancellation of all spring high school sports.

While remote instruction continues, the administration will work in earnest to plan the closure of the school year in the best way possible in accordance with all State, Department of Health, and Department of Education guidelines.

We expect to hear more information and will share more with you as it becomes available regarding end of year activities and the collection or return of instructional resources, supplies, or medicine. Principals will be providing further information in the near future.

STATUS OF SUMMER PROGRAMS

The Westwood Regional Summer Enrichment Progam, LEAD with STEAM, is cancelled. Any registration fees collected thus far will be refunded.

The district's federally funded English as a Second Language, Basic Skills Instruction, and Extended School Year (ESY) programs will continue via remote instruction. More information will be forthcoming.

MEAL DISTRIBUTION OPEN TO ALL

On April 24, 2020, we received confirmation from the NJ Department of Agriculture that, effective immediately, the school district is allowed to provide breakfast and lunch free of charge to all students enrolled in the school.

We currently offer meals for pick up between the hours of 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM at two school locations:

• Berkeley Elementary School - 47 Berkeley Ave Westwood, NJ

• Brookside Elementary School - 20 Lake Drive Westwood, NJ

If you are interested in participating in the program, please fill out this form so that the district can properly plan and prepare meals. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to keith.rosado@wwrsd.org.

I hope this message finds you and your loved ones happy, safe, and healthy. We have just completed Week 5 of our Continuity of Education experience and I am pleased to report that after the much-needed Spring Break respite, our return to remote instruction has been positive and productive. The expectations for teaching and learning continue to adjust and refine with each new experience and our students and teachers are to be commended for their flexibility and perseverance. Although we have not received much new information about the status of the school year beyond the Governor’s May 15 extension of school closures, I do want to share some information and updates with you in response to inquiries we have received.

What are the plans for what to expect when students return to the school buildings for instruction? Our transition back to on-site learning will depend on the guidelines, requirements, and restrictions set by the Governor and Public Health Officials as it pertains to social distancing, small and large group gatherings, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for students and/or staff, etc. and any additional guidance provided by the Department of Education. While we have more questions than answers at this time, one thing we are certain is that any transition plan for Westwood Regional Schools will focus on the academic, social-emotional, and physical health and well-being of our students. As with the pivot to remote instruction, a return to the school buildings will require patience, cooperation, and flexibility.

Are there any anticipated changes to our remote instruction plan? Inherent in the design of our remote instruction plan is an emphasis on flexibility in response to the uncertainty of the impact that COVID-19 is having on all of our lives. Therefore, the administration has been working closely with our teachers and education specialists to create experiences that allow learning to occur asynchronously so that our students can engage the content on their own time and at their own pace. The amount of time-based structure can be accommodated according to each family’s unique circumstances. We continue to increase our use of live video for whole group, small group, or individual contact where appropriate as well as providing access to recorded video for those who may not be able to attend in real-time. Understanding that this poses opportunities and challenges for everyone in different ways, we always encourage you to reach out to your teachers and principals for support and assistance.

Are there any planned changes to grading? There are no changes planned for the remainder of the school year with the exception of the elimination of Final Exams at the high school. Understanding the monumental shift that is taking place, our teachers will continue to exercise the same level of flexibility in their grading of students that they do in their remote instruction. No one will be penalized because of the impact of the Coronavirus. Our teachers, counselors, and administrators are reaching out to students and families directly when we notice a student may be struggling.

What’s going on with the Middle School? Construction on the Middle School continues slowly, but surely, including renovation work in the existing building. Crews are lighter than they had been, but those who are on-site are taking appropriate precautions for the safety of everyone. You can see the latest progress in FKA Architect's latest video at https://youtu.be/MgWcYLBAYlQ.

Has there been any decision about what’s going to be done with our unused emergency ‘snow days? No changes to the calendar have been made at this time; however, the Board will be discussing options at the April 30, 2020, public Board meeting. Any changes to the end of the school year would be announced only after the Board has taken formal action.

Will the Board of Education Meeting be online again? Yes. In light of the Public Health Emergency, the Board will be holding its regular public meeting and budget hearing entirely online on April 30, 2020, at 6:30 PM. Please check the district website on the day of the meeting for information on how to view and/or provide public comment during the meeting.

We have not received any new information since last week's update other than the Governor's indication that the topic of reopening schools will not be considered until after April 17; therefore, we are continuing with remote instruction until further notice.

In the meantime, the administration has been synthesizing the feedback provided through the staff and family surveys administered last week in order to make adjustments moving forward. We've also compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions based upon the common themes that emerged. The FAQs are included in this Cardinal Connection and the Remote Instruction Resource page of the WRSD Continuity of Education portal.

Thank you for your positive input and critical suggestions. Your open communication with our teachers and administrators is greatly appreciated and needed.

VIDEO CONFERENCING REMINDERS

The increased use of live and recorded video during the current health related school closure allows us to support a variety of academic, communication, and social emotional needs of our school community; however, the regular use of this technology still remains new for us all. Please take time to review the information and reminders listed below to ensure that the digital communication tools used offer positive and safe experiences for everyone.

If you allow your child to participate in video conferencing, your child’s teacher will post on their Google Classroom information on when and how to participate. For those unwilling or unable to participate in a live video stream used for general purposes, a recording of the live stream will be made available by the teacher.

REMEMBER: While your child is participating in video conferencing, we ask you and your child adhere to all Board of Education policies, including:

• • • 2361 - Acceptable Use of Computer Networks/Computers and Resources

    • 5516 - Use of Electronic Communication and Recording Devices

    • 3283 - Electronic Communications Between Staff Members and Students

    • 4283 - Electronic Communications Between Support Staff Members and Students

In addition, to ensure the privacy and safety of all students and staff, we ask that while video conferencing is taking place, all members of your household:

• do not record or take pictures of the video conference;

• do not post or stream video conferences to any social media accounts;

• utilize appropriate language at all times;

• dress appropriately;

• ensure anything displayed in the background is appropriate to a school environment;

• follow school and classroom rules;

• only the students in the class interact with the teacher and the other students; and

• log out of the session when the live stream is over and the teacher is no longer on line.

If the protocols above are not adhered to, your child may be subject to appropriate disciplinary actions.

If you would like your child to participate, but would not like them to appear on video, you can always choose the appropriate setting on the video conference platform to enable audio and not video.

Once again, all of these reminders and measures are intended to preserve the integrity of the interactions and promote positive digital citizenship for everyone. Negative interactions via video and online chats can still result in cyber-bullying if we are not proactive. Please speak to your child about these important reminders so that everyone can have a positive experience.

Good afternoon! I hope this message finds you and your loved ones healthy, safe, and ... sane. As we enter Week 2, I just wanted to share a quick update with answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.

How much longer will school buildings be closed? I wish I knew. Governor Murphy’s Executive Order 104 mandates that schools are closed until further notice. Therefore, we are moving forward under the assumption that we will continue to operate remotely through April 3 and will continue with remote instruction when we return from spring break on April 13. When we have further guidance we will send a notification to our school community.

Will we still have a spring break? Yes. Spring break will continue as scheduled. No work will be assigned during the week of April 6 - 10 in order to give our students and staff a much-needed break.

What’s going to be done with our unused emergency ‘snow days’? As of now, unused emergency snow days will be added to the Memorial Day weekend break per our Board approved calendar; however, as we receive further guidance from the NJDOE and State we will reassess our options accordingly.

What's the status of State testing? We just received word that the NJ Department of Education (DOE) applied for and was granted approval of a Federal waiver to cancel State testing for the spring 2020 testing window. The decision will not impact the graduation requirement for any student; however, we are awaiting further details regarding the full impact of the decision.

Is the Middle School construction continuing? Yes. Per the Executive Order, construction is permitted to continue. However, we are monitoring the progress closely as delays may arise due to the availability of subcontractors and needed construction materials.

What is the status of presumptive/confirmed Cases in our District? To date, we have received no notification of any presumptive/confirmed cases of COVID-19 among staff or students... for now. However, the NJDOE requires that we report any confirmed staff or student cases to the County Office of Education exclusive of personally identifiable information. Please notify the Superintendent, ray.gonzalez@wwrsd.org, or our Lead Nurse, deborah.penn@wwrsd.org, if you have received medical notification that your child is presumed or confirmed to have COVID-19.

We have also received guidance from the Bergen County Department of Education and Department of Health that school districts should refrain from making any public statements about the presumptive / confirmed status of staff, students, or parents. The Department of Health will be managing all communication in that matter. Therefore, given the communal spread of this virus, I implore everyone to maintain social distance, exercise preventative measures, and take note of your health / symptoms and those around you. If you have ANY concern that you or a loved one is symptomatic, reach out to your healthcare provider.

Is the Board of Education Meeting still on? Yes. In light of the Public Health Emergency, the Board will be holding its regular public meeting entirely online tomorrow, March 26, 2020, at 7:30 PM. Please check the district website tomorrow for information on how to view and/or provide public comment during the meeting.

How are we doing? Please take time to provide your input via our Family Feedback Survey on how our remote instruction is going so far and how we can adjust moving forward.

As always, please reach out to your school if we can be of any further assistance. We are here to help.

After a full week of remote instruction, the phrase “school closure” certainly doesn’t seem to come close to describing what has been taking place in the Westwood Regional School District for the last five days. Our students and educators have effectively flipped the educational switch by seamlessly transitioning from on-site to remote learning. Kudos to all of our students and their teachers for their active engagement throughout the entire week. The response has been overwhelmingly positive and the specific feedback for improvement helps us to refine our practice even more. The open lines of communication will keep us all motivated and moving in the right direction. Don’t forget to continue to share pictures of your child’s at home experience directly with your child's principal or Dr. Gonzalez and we’ll be sure to add it to our social media feeds and shared Google Photos album.

As we approach the weekend, here are a few updates and reminders:

Continuity of Operations: Since the start of this experience, our primary focus has been on the continuity of education through remote instruction; therefore, the vast majority of our staff are not in our buildings. However, during this initial phase, select staff remained on-site, following all necessary social distancing and preventative precautions, to clean and disinfect our facilities, support the daily distribution of meals and technology devices, and to serve as a resource to our school community while attending to all other known and unknown needs of the district. Moving into the next phase, effective immediately, we will also be focusing on the continuity of operations and move administrative, business, and human resource functions to a remote work environment, when possible, in order to reduce the number of staff on-site.

Online Portal: Don’t forget to check out our online Continuity of Education portal for district-wide information and resources. Recently we added a subsection to our RESOURCES tab for REMOTE INSTRUCTION which includes our state-mandated home instruction preparedness plan as well as some useful videos. We’ve also included a link to our shared album on Google Photos for you to peruse pictures shared by others or add photos of your own.

School Facilities, Fields, and Playgrounds are Closed: During this time all school facilities, fields, and playgrounds are closed to the public.

Last, but certainly not least, on behalf of the Administration and the Board of Education we want to thank EVERYONE for the love, support, patience, and flexibility. We are going to get through this together!

Have a GREAT weekend!

REMOTE INSTRUCTION UPDATE DAY 1

Our first day of remote instruction is about to come to a close and the reports from around the district have been extremely positive. Teachers are posting their assignments and our students are actively engaging in meaningful learning experiences. To help everyone feel connected during this time, feel free to share photos of your child's remote learning experience so we can post them on our social media feeds. You can email them directly to your child's principal or the Superintendent.

Here's some additional information and update from today.

TECHNOLOGY

Since Friday, we have handed out over 800 Chromebooks and continue to do so for families who complete the TECHNOLOGY NEEDS SURVEY. Furthermore, if you require technical support because some aspect of the Chromebook is not working email tech.help@wwrsd.org.

CONTINUITY OF EDUCATION PORTAL

The district website now has a direct link to our Continuity of Education resource portal via the COVID-19 button located on the top menu bar. Click the button to be taken directly to the central location for all district-wide information related to teaching, learning, and operations.

DISTRICT HOURS OF OPERATION

To assist with our transition to remote instruction, beginning tomorrow, all school and central offices hours of operations will be from 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM daily. If you need to speak to someone during that time, please call or email. School visitors should call in advance of coming to a school or office. We will change our hours of operation over time as needed.

WELLNESS

Last, but not least, don't forget to reserve time each day to take care of yourself. Take frequent breaks and deep breaths. Keep an eye on loved ones and encourage them to do the same.

WE MADE IT! I am pleased to report that due to the cooperation and collaboration of our entire school community, our historic transition to remote learning is officially underway.

• Throughout the day, approximately 600 Chromebooks were distributed to students in grades K-7 (and parents continue to submit requests).

• Emails were sent to families who qualify and are participating in the Free and Reduced Meals Program to advise them of our offer to provide breakfast/lunch for pick up daily.

• After dismissal, staff remained until the end of the school day to finalize their plans for next week and ask/answer any questions.

• The Administrative Leadership Team has been video conferencing daily to answer questions and set expectations.

• Offices will have a skeleton staff in place starting Monday to coordinate the communication and management needs of the schools/district during normal business hours. We will reassess the needs as time goes on and consider a modified schedule to ensure coverage while adhering to the social distancing recommendations of the CDC.

Although we fully anticipate hiccups along the way, I am confident that we are ready for next week and what lies ahead. In the meantime, I will be sharing our Continuity of Education online portal as part of today's update to the community. Feel free to check it out. This site will serve as a repository for all information related to the Westwood Regional School District's management of the COVID-19 public health emergency. This portal will supplement, not replace, our standard electronic communications protocols. Additional information will be shared as it becomes available.

As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to your school for assistance.

Regards,

Raymond A. Gonzalez, Ed. D.
Superintendent of Schools

This evening, the Bergen County Executive held a press conference to inform the public that effective 3 p.m. Friday, March 13, all Bergen County Schools will be closed for two weeks at a minimum. The school closure includes all after-school activities and events.

Therefore, tomorrow, Friday, March 13, we will be implementing our early dismissal schedule for students so that they may collect any final resources needed during our remote instructional period. Staff will remain until the end of the school day in order to finalize their instructional plans.

The early dismissal schedule for tomorrow is as follows:

• Pre-School will be dismissed at 12:05 p.m.

• Grades K-5 will be dismissed at 12:45 p.m.

• Middle School will be dismissed at 12:36 p.m.

• All Jr./Sr. High School students will be dismissed at 12:16 p.m.

• NOTE: Lunch will not be served in any building

AFTERCARE:Champions will stay open for 1 hour after dismissal at each school to allow additional time for families to pick up. No Before/Aftercare services will be available while schools are closed.

TECHNOLOGY: For families who expressed a need for a district-supplied Chromebook via the Technology Needs Survey, devices and chargers will be sent home with students tomorrow.

FREE / REDUCED MEALS: Students who qualify for free/reduced breakfast/lunch will be contacted by the district to coordinate the continuation of this service

More information with be forthcoming with additional updates. In the meantime, reach out to your child's teacher or the school administration if you have any questions about the remote instruction plans.

Dear Westwood Regional School Community,

The news, information, and questions surrounding the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to grow. As a school district, Westwood Regional has been in consultation with our State and Local Health and Education agencies in order to comprehensively understand the current and potential impact on our schools. This letter will update you on the latest information as well as provide important reminders so please read through to the end.

CURRENT

Status of Novel Coronavirus in our Schools:

• As of the day/time that this letter is being written, we do not have any presumptive or confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our schools. However, due to the diligence of our staff and families who have reached out to administration and nurses, we have experienced unrelated instances in our schools involving scenarios that have resulted in students or staff being advised to remain home while their case is evaluated by the Department of Health. None of the scenarios include students/staff having direct contact with individuals who have been tested or who are symptomatic; however, due to family/travel/work/college circumstances their loved ones may have been exposed to someone who has tested positive, is being tested, or is symptomatic.

Each case is evaluated based upon the unique circumstances and we are taking direction from the Department of Health and CDC guidelines in consultation with our school physician. In all of the cases, the recommendations are being made in an abundance of caution as we continue to navigate this unchartered territory. Once again, we do not have any presumptive or confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our schools at this time.

Preventative Measures:

• Disinfection: Our custodial and maintenance team is implementing a strict protocol for enhanced cleaning and disinfecting our schools. The wipes and chemicals to disinfect frequently touched objects, surfaces, handrails, doorknobs, supplies, etc. throughout the day, is confirmed by the manufacturer to effectively neutralize the Coronavirus. In addition, all of our schools are equipped with electrostatic sprayers to apply chemicals more effectively and consistently. Our bathrooms are fully stocked and replenished with hand soap to accommodate the increased and frequent handwashing.

• Hygiene practices: The most common and effective preventative measure to mitigate the risk of infection and spread of the virus is the promotion of basic hygiene practices:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

  • Stay home when you are sick; keep children home when they are sick.

  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

Field Trips: Until further notice, all field trips are canceled with the exception of travel to other public schools for interscholastic competition or learning experiences.

End of Year Celebrations: School and parent-group sponsored celebrations such as proms, end-of-season dinners, etc. hosted at off-site venues are provisionally permitted as long as there is confirmation that appropriate measures are in place to protect the health and safety of attendees. Event organizers must work closely with school personnel throughout the planning process.

Travel Plans: As a reminder, please inform your school nurse if any student/staff member is traveling abroad and/or their family members returning from out of the country. The nursing staff will monitor these cases and contact families if necessary.

FUTURE POSSIBILITIES

Per the guidance received from the NJ Department of Education (NJDOE) and the NJ Department of Health (NJDOH) schools may be directed to close by the NJDOH preemptively or reactively, therefore schools should plan and prepare accordingly. Furthermore, “Any day in which students impacted by a public health-related closure have access to home instruction services ... will count as a day in which the board of education has provided public school facilities toward its compliance with the 180-day requirement in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:7F-9.”

Remote Instruction Planning

• Technology: In the event we receive a Department of Health directive to institute a public-health related closure of schools, we are fully prepared to provide instructional services to K-12 enrolled students and primarily facilitated through the use of technology and Google Classroom. We are fortunate to have the inventory and infrastructure in our district needed to offer Chromebooks for home use to any student or staff member who may need it during school closure. If you foresee the need for a district-supplied Chromebook and/or a means of Internet access (WiFi) that you currently do not have, please complete this Technology Needs Survey.

• Instructional Activities and Expectations: In order to provide remote instruction to our students, teachers in all content areas are planning experiences that are sufficient to continue the student’s academic progress as follows:

  • Grades K-5: Approximately two hours (grades K-2) and four hours (grades 3-5) of activities are being planned which will encompass each of the content areas taught on that particular day including specials. Assignments will be posted on Google Classroom each morning on a daily basis.

  • Grades 6-12: Approximately four hours of activities are being planned which will mimic the schedule that would be in place if students were in school. Assignments will be posted on Google Classroom each morning on a daily basis.

Daily activities will be designed to include some sort of demonstration of learning to be completed at the end of the daily experience and homework may still be assigned for reinforcement.

• Staff Engagement: In the event of a school closure, all certified school staff including teachers, counselors, related service providers, etc. will be available for assistance electronically via email or through Google classroom during typical school hours. Teachers will provide feedback and grades in a timely fashion.

• Special Education: Every effort will be made to provide accommodations and modifications according to students’ Individualized Education Plans. Teachers in specialized programs, as well as related service providers, will also send individualized activities aligned to student IEP goals. Please reach out to your teacher or service provider directly if you have any questions.

School Activities:

If school is canceled, ALL school activities, sponsored-events, sports, etc. are also canceled including before/aftercare provided by Champions.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• Talking to Children about Coronavirus

• Tips for Caregivers, Parents and Teachers

• Coping with Stress During Disease Outbreak

• For any questions or concerns regarding COVID-19, call the New Jersey Department of Health’s 24-hour hotline at 1-800-222-1222.

In closing, I want to thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we navigate these unchartered waters. I assure you that the health and safety of our school community is paramount while we endeavor to provide our students with continuous quality learning.

Very truly yours,

Raymond A. Gonzalez, Ed. D.
Superintendent of Schools

Our nursing staff is maintaining close surveillance of all illnesses in our schools and our custodians have been regularly cleaning desks, door handles, lockers and surfaces that might be a source of contamination. We have also received confirmation from the manufacturer of our disinfectant products that they are effective in killing the Coronavirus.

What you can do to help:

• • • The best way to prevent infection is frequent hand washing and covering the mouth when sneezing or coughing.

    • Sick students/staff members with a fever should not attend school until they are free from fever without medication for at least 24 hours.

    • Avoid close contact with those who are sick.

    • Please inform your school nurse if any student/staff member is traveling abroad and/or their family members returning from out of the country. The nursing staff will monitor these cases and contact families if necessary.

Additional Information and Resource Links:

• • • CDC's Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Summary Updated Frequently

    • CDC Coronavirus Fact Sheet

    • NJ Department of Health: Communicable Disease Service re: COVID-2019

    • NJ Department of Health: Communicable Disease Service re: School Health

If you have any concerns or questions, feel free to reach out to your building nurse or principal. Thank you for your cooperation and assistance in maintaining the health of everyone in our District.

Dear School Community,

The recent Coronavirus outbreak in Asia is being globally monitored and our District Medical Department wanted to pass on some general information. Please be cognizant that the Nursing Staff is diligently maintaining close surveillance of all illnesses in our schools.

Since the cold and flu season began, custodians in each building have been advised to increase the cleaning of desks, door handles, lockers and surfaces that might be a source of contamination. Additionally, we have received confirmation from the manufacturer that the disinfecting products we use are effective in killing the coronavirus.

Please inform your school nurse if any student is traveling abroad and/or their family members returning from out of country areas. The Nursing Staff will monitor these cases and contact families if necessary.

Below I have attached two information fact sheets from both the CDC and the NJ Department of Health.

If you have any concerns or questions, feel free to reach out to your building nurse. Thank you for your cooperation and assistance in maintaining the health of everyone in our District.

Warm Regards,

Debbie Penn

• NJ Department of Health K-12 Schools Factsheet

• CDC Coronavirus Fact Sheet