Return To School: What To Expect In Holmdel With COVID-19 Spike

HOLMDEL, NJ — As COVID-19 numbers spike around the country and in New Jersey in particular, some school districts have made the choice to opt for virtual learning.

Students from Holmdel Township Schools will continue to go to class as per the most recent guidelines from the district.

While the Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced it would cut the recommended time for isolation in half and shorten quarantine, the Holmdel Schools announced that those guidelines did not apply to the learning setting just yet.

"We anticipate updated quarantine guidelines from the CDC and the NJ Department of Health soon, but must continue to follow existing guidelines until that happens," the district announced in a statement to parents. "We are continuing to work to prioritize in-person instruction in the face of the pandemic. We are ready to reopen our buildings and will continue to practice the multiple health and safety protocols that have been in place since the beginning of the school year."

According to the most recent information released by the district, on Dec. 22, a total of 232 students in the district were quarantined and 69 were COVID-19 positive.

Here are the quarantine guidelines set by the district (as of Dec. 31):

• If you are positive for COVID-19, you must stay away from school and school activities for 10 days.
• If you have COVID-19 symptoms but have not been tested, you must stay away from school and school activities for 10 days, unless you secure a negative test result or an alternative diagnosis from a doctor.
  If you have been in close contact (closer than 6 feet for longer than 15 minutes total over a 24 hour period) with someone who is positive for COVID-19, you may need to stay away from school and school activities as follows:
  • Fully vaccinated people (that is, someone who is at least two weeks from completing a full course of vaccination) and people who have had COVID-19 in the past 90 days do not need to stay away, but do need to monitor for symptoms. If symptoms occur, they should follow the guidelines for people with symptoms described above.Unvaccinated people must stay away from school and school activities for 10 days, but may return on the 8th day if they secure a negative test result administered on days 5-7.

As mandated by the state, there is an emergency contingency plan for virtual learning in case the decision to go back to remote learning is taken at a local or state level.

Here are some of the most important guidelines in that plan:

• Access to Technology and the Internet - All faculty have been issued district laptop devices, and all students have at least one Chromebook device. District-Wide Technology Survey results identified students in need of internet access and hot spots were purchased and deployed in preparation for staff/student potential internet access issues.
• Meal Services - The Holmdel Township School District has developed a plan with our Food Service provider, Chartwells, to arrange for students to receive their free lunch during these COVID times.
• Instructional Day - Every teacher in grades Pre-K-12 employs his/her own ZOOM/ Google Meet conferencing and Google Classroom to communicate with students about instruction. A daily schedule is posted each morning and includes a literary activity, art project, outdoor recommendations, and individual student work based on the classroom theme.
• Addressing Special Education Needs - The Holmdel Township School District Remote or Virtual Instructional Plan addresses the provision of remote/virtual instruction to implement Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) for students with disabilities to the greatest extent possible, including accessible materials and platforms.

View the full remote instruction plan here.

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