From SOMSD:
January 11, 2021
Hello SOMSD Families,
Next week students will begin returning to our schools and classrooms for in-person instruction. Starting today and tomorrow, teachers have the option of voluntarily returning to their classrooms to teach and begin classroom preparation. On Wednesday, January 13, teachers will be back in their school buildings to teach virtually from their classrooms and to prepare for students returning for hybrid instruction.
In preparation for the implementation of our hybrid model, this week’s instructional schedule will have some changes. See below:
- Wednesday, 1/13 – District-wide Asynchronous Day: No live virtual instruction will take place, self-guided student instruction will be provided via Canvas and may include pre-recorded video lessons, independent game-based learning tasks, or pre-assigned work/assessments.
- Thursday & Friday, 1/14 – 1/15: No afternoon conferences will be held, your child’s teacher will provide more information on your child’s schedule for this time.
These modifications will allow time for teachers to reacclimate to their classrooms, learn new procedures and protocols for entering their buildings, test their technology and to begin classroom set-up for returning students. The school-level schedules below provide additional details on the re-entry schedule.
Also, please note, that by the end of the day tomorrow, Tuesday, 1/12, your child’s cohort placement designation letter will be uploaded to your PowerSchool parent portal. As shared in previous communications, if you need help accessing or have forgotten your login information, email: parentportal@somsd.k12.nj.us.
Reopening School: Hybrid Model for all SOMSD Schools:
More than 98% of SOMSD families submitted their preference for return to school instruction. At the elementary school level (PreK – 8) the breakdown is: 64% hybrid / 36% virtual; at CHS the breakdown is 61% hybrid / 39% virtual. In the hybrid model, most class sizes will average 6 – 10 students per class (possibly lower for classes that have smaller class sizes).
Students will wear face masks while in school with appropriate breaks depending on the age as outlined in our reopening plan (gaiters, bandanas, and masks with valves are not permitted). Please review the District’s Return to School FAQs for reminders on face masks and other important questions: [https://bit.ly/SOMSDFAQS]
Building Reopening & Re-entry Schedule:
As shared in previous communications, Phase 3 re-entry will begin with hybrid students in grades PreK – 2, 6th and 9th returning in small groups starting on January 19; the following week, our remaining elementary and HS students will begin their return to in-person instruction. See below for a detailed re-entry schedule for elementary, middle, and high school students for the weeks of January 11 – 25.
Cohort Key:
- Cohort A: *Students by last name A-L, 2 days in person (Mon/Tues)
- Cohort B: *Students by last name M – Z, 2 days in person (Wed/Thurs)
- Cohort C: ELL/Special Services Students, 4 days a week (Mon. – Thurs.)
*Based on # of students per cohort, sibling preference and other variables, cohorts by schools will not always follow alphabetical order conventions for splits
