From the Morris School District:
March 9, 2020
- Last week the NJ Department of Education (DOE) provided guidance to school districts regarding extended closures due to COVID-19. According to the DOE, the decision to close a district as a result of COVID-19 will be made by the local Department of Health. As of this writing, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Morris County or in the Morris School District.
- If the Department of Health directs us to close schools, moving to virtual instruction based on a county-approved virtual learning program is the ONLY way to have instructional time count toward the state’s 180-day requirement for public schools.
- As communicated in the Superintendent’s February 27 update, the Morris School District has been developing plans for virtual instruction for the past month. We have submitted our final Virtual Education Emergency Plan, or VEEP, to the Morris County Superintendent and are fully prepared to deliver remote online learning in alignment with DOE requirements.
- Our immediate objective is to ensure that virtual online learning will be accessible, practical and provide continuity of instruction for students at each grade level. Our plan takes advantage of the existing digital and non-digital tools that are already familiar to our teachers, students and families.
- In the event of closure, we will send a SwiftK12 alert announcing the closing of schools, outlining next steps, and providing instructions to access virtual instruction at home. Working parents may wish to begin investigating childcare options now.
Important Calendar Change for Week of March 9-13
- As a result of the DOE’s guidance on virtual instruction, we are making adjustments to our calendar for the week of March 9-13 as follows:
- Friday, March 13, will be an early dismissal day for all students, PreK-12, so that our teachers can continue preparing for virtual instruction. Early dismissal schedules may be viewed here.
- Parent/teacher conferences originally scheduled for FMS and MHS on Tuesday, March 10, and Wednesday, March 11, will be postponed until a later date, to be determined. As always, if you have immediate concerns, please contact your child’s teacher. Tuesday and Wednesday will now be full-day school days for students.
What Families Can Do To Assist Our Efforts
- Do not send sick children to school, especially if they present with fever (above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, or 37.7 C). Children should be fever-free (without fever-reducing medication) for at least 24 hours before returning to school. Please check your child before school each morning for signs of respiratory illness, especially fever, persistent cough, or shortness of breath.
- Notify the school principal or school nurse immediately if your child or member of your immediate family/household has been to a Level 3 country (China, Iran, Italy, South Korea) and has recently returned to our community. This includes any siblings who have been sent home from college study abroad programs in a Level 3 country.
- Follow CDC recommendations for proper hygiene to reduce viral transmission at home and at school. Please see details in the March 3 update on the MSD Coronavirus Update Center.
- Please read promptly and carefully every communication from the Morris School District or your child’s school regarding COVID-19.
