Dodger families,
I hope this message finds all of you healthy and well. With the first rounds of vaccine distribution underway, we can all enjoy a glimmer of hope that our public health conditions will begin to improve. Further, an exciting snowfall on the horizon this week may bring a welcome distraction to some. We must remain mindful, however, that both the coronavirus and severe weather systems bring about safety risks that must be taken seriously. Accordingly, please consider the following:
Last Thursday's CALI report shows our region remaining in "High Risk" trending slowly toward "Very High Risk."
Accordingly, we will continue our current rates of in-person learning while anticipating a possible shift to fully-remote operations should the "Very High Level" be reached. We are proud to have maintained in-person instruction to this point. So that we can continue operating safely, please consider the following COVID updates:
Families that travel out of state should adhere to travel-related quarantining guidelines - Further, families are encouraged to continue to exercise caution and engage in safe practices at all times. If you have any questions regarding quarantining practices related to travel, please contact your school nurse or Dr. Frank Santora at santoraf@madisonnjps.org.*
If anyone in your household experiences COVID-like symptoms, everyone should stay home - The Health Department has advised that COVID-19 appears to spread rapidly within households. Therefore, all students should remain home if anyone becomes ill and parents/guardians should contact the school nurse for further guidance.
The Health Screener now includes some unique travel exemptions - Please note that these exemptions will only apply to certain special cases. Please continue to exercise caution and consult your school nurse with questions regarding any such unique circumstances.
The school will modify its operations in anticipation of inclement weather this week.
There is an unusually high degree of certainty that Wednesday's storm will result in significant accumulations, impacting travel on Wednesday and Thursday, and likely Friday. To provide faculty and families with adequate time to plan, the district is announcing the following amendments to its operations in advance of the storm onset:
Early Dismissal on Wednesday, 12/16 - In-person learning will continue as scheduled, however afternoon sessions will be cancelled to allow time for faculty members to travel home safely before the storm begins.
Snow Day on Thursday, 12/17 - While the district intends to leverage remote learning to avoid using snow days, tomorrow’s storm is likely to bring power and internet outages that may preclude some students and faculty members from connecting remotely. To ensure equitable access for all students, we will use the first of our three scheduled snow days on Thursday.
All-remote Day on Friday, 12/18 - Typically, a delayed opening is necessary the day after closing for a major snowfall to allow time for sidewalks and roadways to be treated for residual snow and newly formed ice. This storm appears to be no exception. As our shortened school day prohibits our ability to delay the opening of school, all classes will be held remotely on Friday. We are making this decision early to allow families time to plan accordingly.
Thank you for your flexibility as we make these adjustments for safety and equity purposes. Please stay safe so that we can all remain Dodger Strong.
Mark Schwarz
Upcoming events:
- Tues, Dec 15 - Board of Education Meeting Public Session, 7pm
- Wed, Dec 23 - Early dismissal prior to Winter Break
- Dec 24-Jan 3 - Winter Break
- Tues, Jan 5 - Board Reorganization meeting, 7pm
- Wed, Jan 13 - Superintendent Coffee, 7pm
*This paragraph has been modified from its original version for clarity.