26 October 2020
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s):
November is just around the corner! Without your ongoing support of our school procedures and routines, we would never have made it this far. We will be maintaining our school schedule as-is for a while longer. The faculty, staff, and I want -- more than anything -- for in-person instruction to continue without interruption. And, we are leaning on our reciprocal trust to keep it safely moving forward.
The month of November has several days off for students, including a long weekend for Teachers’ Convention and the Thanksgiving holiday. Although this year is different, we know that many families usually plan short trips during these times. If your family is planning a trip to a location on the travel advisory list, please call the school or email us to let us know about your plans. If you are planning a trip out of the country, please contact us, too. If it is necessary, we will plan to move your child to remote instruction during the quarantine period upon your return.
In addition to the open lines of communication about travel, we continue to be appreciative of the many families who are calling our school nurses for advice and who are keeping their children home when students or members of the household are ill. All of these honest, precautionary measures are critical this year.
As I mentioned in a previous correspondence, although I hope not to have to send you communication about positive Covid-19 cases in our schools at any point, I want us to be prepared and I want you to understand the parameters within which I will communicate. The District is required to notify the school community if there is a positive Covid-19 case related to a District staff member or student. I will communicate to the entire school community, even if the case only affects one school. I will include as much information as possible, while still protecting the person’s rights. If individuals or families need to receive more information, they will be contacted separately. Our District health team – nurses, principals, and school physician – works in concert with the local health department, Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission, on all decisions related to Covid-19, including when to notify the school community.
As a reminder, Tuesday, 3 November, will be a Virtual e-Learning Day for all students in the District. Not only will the students already know what to do, but Ms. Boyce and I will include the schools’ schedules in this Friday’s Weekly Wrap-Ups for TBD and CDW.
Thank YOU for trusting us and for helping us to make the best of this school year for all of our students!
Respectfully,
Danielle M. Da Giau, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Old Tappan Public School District