17 March 2020

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

Thank you for your cooperation and flexibility with today’s first e-Learning Day. Our faculty and staff are working diligently and creatively to navigate this new territory with you and your child(ren). Please do not hesitate to contact the teachers, the principals, or me. We are available to answer questions and to hear your thoughts. The more conversations that are shared, the better our e-Learning Days will become, and, ultimately, our students will benefit. We always will be better together!

As you know, our schools will remain closed for a minimum of two (2) weeks. Once the District receives guidance on the closure’s timeline, I will be certain to share that with you. Please know that, at this point, there are no known cases of COVID-19 among our students, faculty, and staff. If that were to change, the Health Department would notify me, and I would, in turn, send notification to you swiftly.

Throughout this public health-related school closure, it is imperative that you and your child(ren) continue to practice social distancing. Joining together with friends may only cause the situation to worsen. We all need to do our part to help “flatten the curve” of this outbreak. As a reminder, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) calls for social distancing to be maintained at approximately six (6) feet from others whenever possible. Social distancing is critical because, as we have learned, even if you or your child(ren) do not show symptoms of COVID-19, you could be a carrier of the virus to others and/or the virus could take time to develop and present itself.

While social distancing, managing your child(ren) at home, and possibly working from home, may present its own challenges, you may want to consider setting a schedule with your child(ren). Ask them to help with the schedule’s creation. As you start to think about how to structure your days, consider including wake times and bed times, academic times, independent reading time, fresh air time, exercise time, game time, and free choice time. Use meal times as opportunities to talk with each other. If you are interested, here are some conversation starters for children. You might also want to consider playing a homemade version of Scattergories after mealtime or during free time with older children. If you need a refresher on how to play Scattergories, click here.

During this social distancing and school closure period, I encourage you and your child(ren) to continue to find ways of connecting with friends and family. Make a phone call, enjoy a video chat, write an e-mail, or send a handwritten note.  Here are some children’s writing tips and activities, if you are interested:

How to Write A Letter (or even an e-mail) - Short Video

Writing Letters of Gratitude - Simple Lesson from Scholastic

Writing to the Elderly - Simple Lesson from Scholastic

If at any point during our school closure, you find that your child(ren) would like to talk with someone at the school, please know that we are always available. Our principals, counselors, and nurses are available to support our students. Please email any of us, and we will get back to you quickly. Also, I will be in the Board Office every day from 8:00 AM – 12 noon. 

E-Learning Reminders: When, How, and What If?

When will e-Learning take place?

• The teachers will be posting the activities by 8:30 AM every day.
• The learning is asynchronous, meaning that the students do not have to log in at 8:30 AM. We understand that your at-home and/or childcare schedule requires us to be flexible.

How will my child find out about the e-Learning Activities, and what if my child needs help?  

• To find the e-Learning Activities, go to: oldtappanschools.org
• Then, you will select the school from the top left of the site.
• Then, you will click on the tab “Teacher Webpages.”
• Find the teacher and click on the name.
• Once on the teacher’s website, click on the “e-Learning Activities” tab.
• Follow the directions.
• If your child has any questions about the activities, please email the teacher or the principal or your child can send a Private Comment through Google Classroom if he/she is using that platform. Teachers and principals will be checking e-mails and will respond.  

What if my child is sick and cannot complete the e-Learning Activities?

• If your child is too ill to complete the e-Learning Activities on any given day, please call the attendance line for your child’s school, email the nurse, or email the school secretary. Follow the normal absence reporting procedures.
• These e-Learning Days are school days, so we will follow our regular absence procedures.

Thank you, again, for your partnership. I will continue to communicate with you, as new information becomes available and to share at-home ideas and resources with you. 

Stay healthy and safe.

Respectfully,

Danielle M. Da Giau, Ed.D. 
Superintendent of Schools
Old Tappan Public School District