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 it’s 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.