School Re-Opening Update 6/26/2020

Message from the Superintendent: School Re-Opening Update 6/26/2020
Posted on 06/26/2020
Message from the Superintendent: School Re-Opening Update 6/26/2020

26 June 2020

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

Today, Governor Murphy and the Commissioner of Education announced that New Jersey schools are expected to re-open in September, with the adherence to guidelines set forth in the Department of Education’s The Road Back: Restart and Recovery Plan for Education, which are expected to be officially issued to school districts this afternoon.  

Our school district’s leadership team and staff, along with the other Northern Valley school districts, will be reviewing the issued-guidance and will work together with the Bergen County Department of Education and local health department to develop a plan for returning to school this fall. Shortly, I will be sharing with you a timeline for development, formation of workgroups, and anticipated finalization of our Re-Opening Plan.

To aid in our planning and, specifically, in meeting our students’ and community’s needs, I want to thank so many of you for participating in our District’s Your Voice Matters Survey. One-hundred thirty (130) family surveys were submitted, and 124 student surveys (Grades 2-8) were submitted.

I will be presenting fuller survey results at Monday night’s Board of Education Meeting, and that presentation will be posted online for your perusal. However, in the meantime, here are a few highlights, which are informing our work moving forward:

  • 75% of families said they are comfortable sending students back to school with no concerns or some concerns; 7% are not comfortable at all.
  • The top factors influencing level of comfort in returning to school are safety, face-to-face engagement with teachers, and students’ social-emotional needs.


Regarding e-Learning, here are a few highlights:

  • Families (48%) prefer a set schedule for live, synchronous e-Learning with teachers, and students (37%) prefer a combination of live, synchronous e-Learning and self-paced, asynchronous learning.
  • Families (71%) thought teachers organized learning so that expectations were clear and understood, and families (64%) felt their children were included in e-Learning with teachers and other students.
  • Students (94%) indicated that they knew how to access e-Learning materials, and students (97%) indicated that they knew how to connect with their teachers.


Your voices matter and will help to shape our Re-Opening Plan for the 2020-2021 school year, with health, safety, wellness, and high-quality instruction as the priorities.

At this point, approximately 40% of the 130 families who responded to our survey are interested in participating in a Summer Skill Booster Program. We will be finalizing our plans for this program, which will take place in August, and will be disseminating information to all families very soon.

Enjoy these beginning summer days and remain well.

Respectfully,

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

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