Status On Vaccinated Students, Masks, More: Chatham Schools

CHATHAM, NJ — With the School District of the Chatham’s Board of Education meeting coming up on Aug. 23, Superintendent Dr. Michael LaSusa has provided an update in advance of the meeting for families on the district’s vaccination rate for students, masking, school health screenings, lunch periods, remote instruction, back-to-school night, assemblies, field trips and other topics.

In his letter, posted on the district’s website in LaSusa’s COVID-19 updates section late Tuesday, he addressed the following about the 2021-2022 school year, which he said could be subject to change, because of guidance and directives from the State of New Jersey and local health departments.

Vaccinated Students

At the 7-12 grade levels, LaSusa said at least 81 percent of School District of the Chathams students are currently vaccinated, though that figure may be higher, with some healthcare providers not a part of the state’s registry.

Masking

Face masks will be required per Gov. Phil Murphy’s Executive Order 251, except in some cases where there are waivers due to heat, health conditions, when students are eating and drinking or playing an instrument and other instances, that are detailed in Murphy's order.

“Masks will not be required in outdoor settings, which include recess, outdoor physical education classes and outdoor extracurricular events,” LaSusa wrote.

Defying Murphy’s masking order as LaSusa said some parents have asked, he wrote, could cause “serious consequences for the school official and potentially for the district at large.”

Among penalties for going against an Executive Order, LaSusa said that there could be a disorderly persons charge that could result in fines, prison time or both.

The district could also experience losses in aid and ethics charges, he wrote.

School Hours

Each school is expecting to follow a “normal” in-person schedule, with full details here for every school, additionally detailed in his letter.

Remote Learning

Virtual learning will only be an option if a student has tested positive for COVID or for those who’ve been exposed to COVID-positive students or staff at school. Otherwise, remote learning won’t be an option.

“Running a hybrid classroom diminishes the learning experience inside the classroom by diverting the attention and demands of the teacher away from the students and toward the Chromebook at the front of the room,” LaSusa wrote.

The district would like students to experience a “sense of normalcy” and in-person exchanges.

Health Screenings

Parents need to agree at the start of the year, by completing a form on the Genesis Parent Portal, that they will monitor their child(ren) daily for symptoms and not send them to school if they’re sick.

Quarantining After COVID Exposure

Students and staff within the school district who have been vaccinated don’t need to quarantine after they’ve been exposed to a confirmed COVID-positive individual, as long as they’re asymptomatic, per New Jersey Department of Health guidelines.

LaSusa said the New Jersey Department of Health hasn’t set its guidelines on quarantining, but the CDC’s July 9 update for schools indicates that as long as students and staff are minimally spaced three feet from each other and have worn masks while exposed to a COVID-positive person, they don’t need to quarantine.

School Buses

Mask mandates are in effect on the school’s buses, with student seating tracked for contact tracing purposes.

School Lunch Periods

All schools will have lunch periods, with “picnic-style” lunches an option for K-5 students in the gym or all-purpose rooms.

Chatham Middle and High School students will be spaced further apart at their lunch tables.

For students who need additional accommodations, parents should reach out to the school nurse or counselor at their school.

Parent Visitors

Parents are allowed in school buildings, but need to be masked. Meetings between parents and school personnel can be take place by Google Meet.

Back-To-School Night

Though in-person back-to-school nights are planned to happen, the district recommends that parents attend virtually instead and watch video presentations. If parents would like to attend in-person, only one parent should attend per child.

School Assemblies

No indoor assemblies will take place at the PK-6 levels at the beginning of the year and will be allowed, under certain circumstances, in grades 7-12.

Field Trips

If trips happen in the 2021-2022 school year, they will be scheduled in the second half of the year.

To view LaSusa’s full letter, click here.

The School District of the Chatham’s next Board of Education meeting on Monday, Aug. 23 will be in an in-person format at the Chatham High School Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. There will additionally be a hybrid component with the meeting “live” at www.youtube.com/user/ChathamHighSchool.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.