29 April 2021

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

We are excited to return to full days of school next week!  Our faculty and staff are looking forward to the additional time in our school day, which will allow for increased in-person instruction in academic areas, lunch/recess periods, and greater exposure to the valuable social experiences that occur during class periods and the overall school day.

As reminders:

• Our arrival times and procedures will remain exactly the same.

• School dismissal procedures will remain exactly the same, too. TBD will stagger dismissal from 2:40 PM to 2:55 PM. The exact grade-level dismissal times have been listed in TBD’s Weekly Wrap-Ups. CDW will stagger dismissal from 2:55 PM to 3:00 PM. 

• Lunch will be part of the school day. Because the lunch periods will be more staggered than in a typical year and because our staff will be spread across so many locations, deliveries will not be accepted and lunches should not be dropped off. You must send your child to school with lunch each morning. Families will not be contacted to bring lunch during the day. We will have safe snacks to give to students who need something to eat.

Although we are returning to full school days, we will not be administering the State’s standardized assessments this spring. The New Jersey Department of Education has cancelled the administration of the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment (NJSLA) for the spring of 2021. However, in the early fall of 2021, we will be required to administer the Start Strong assessments in Grades 4 through 8. These assessments will be shorter, 60-minute tests in Language Arts and Math in Grades 4 through 8 and in Science in Grade 6. The purpose of these assessments will be to offer teachers an indication of the students’ current instructional levels. As we receive more information from the Department of Education, it will be shared with you.

As always, thank you for your ongoing encouragement this school year. With your support, our students and staff continue to succeed and grow.

Respectfully,

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