On Sunday the Morris School District announced that the Frelinghuysen Middle School is switching to remote learning for at least one day — Monday, Oct. 26, 2020–while the Normandy Park and Woodland elementary schools will go all-virtual for 14 days because of positive tests for COVID.
Another case of the coronavirus has been identified at Morristown High School–which closed for several days in late September and early October–but district officials said closure is not warranted this time.
Any student not attending in-school instruction can pick up free breakfast and lunch either at the high school or middle school. Details are below.
Here is the latest statement from the District:
- Individuals at Morristown High School, Frelinghuysen Middle School, Normandy Park, and Woodland have tested positive for COVID-19. No connection has been identified among these cases, and they are not a result of any school-related activity. The District continues to partner with our local health department for guidance and contact tracing. We are communicating directly with anyone who may have been exposed in school or on the bus. Anyone identified as a close contact or impacted by possible exposure will complete the required 14-day quarantine at home. Please be aware that because of health confidentiality laws, we cannot provide additional information.
- All-virtual instruction for FMS on 10/26. While we await additional information, FMS will be closed to in-person instruction on Monday, October 26, and all students will follow an all-virtual schedule for that day. Red Cohort students will return to Frelinghuysen on Tuesday, October 27, to resume in-person instruction.
- All-virtual instruction for Normandy Park and Woodland from 10/26-11/4. In light of increasing rates of transmission state wide and the elevation of Morris County’s coronavirus risk status to the “moderate” level, two or more unconnected cases within 14 days of each other at the same school warrants closure of the school for 14 days from the date of last possible exposure. Accordingly:
- Normandy Park School will be closed to in-person instruction for 14 days beginning Monday, October 26; students will return to the building on Monday, November 9. All students will access their instruction virtually during this time through Google Classroom.
- Woodland School will also be closed to in-person instruction for 14 days beginning Monday, October 26; students will return to the building on Monday, November 9. All students will access their instruction virtually during this time through Google Classroom.
- Please note that only students who have been identified as close contacts or impacted by possible exposure need to quarantine at home for 14 days. These families will be communicated with directly and should follow all instructions provided to them by the building principal. The remainder of the school does not have to quarantine at home during the period of all-virtual instruction.
- Schedule at MHS is not impacted. The individual at MHS has not been in school since Friday, October 16, 2020, which exceeds the timeframe for the transmission period based on the test results as per Department of Health guidelines. Therefore, there is no reason to suspect that anyone at Morristown High School was exposed through any school-related activity. The evidence suggests that the infected individual contracted the coronavirus in the community and not at school.
- Meal Service Changes 10/26-11/9. From 10/26 until 11/9, any student not attending in-person instruction (including students enrolled in all-virtual learning as well as those affected by the above school closures) can pick up free breakfast and lunch at either Morristown High School or Frelinghuysen Middle School. There will be two service times each day at both locations, from 8:30-9:30 AM and again from 2:30-3:30 PM. Service days will be Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Morristown High School service will be located at the rear circle by the flagpole off of Atno Avenue. Frelinghuysen service will be in the front of the building.
