Manasquan Offers School Reopening Plans Amid Coronavirus Crisis

MANASQUAN – Manasquan has offered school reopening plans, although the district noted that it's still a "work-in-progress" that could change based on the events of the coronavirus outbreak.

Manasquan officials said the district will likely transition between virtual, hybrid and full in-person instruction throughout the school year, depending on the health situation in the area.

The district said it will communicate with families, staff and the community in a timely fashion, and there is the option of signing up for full-time remote learning.

Here is what Manasquan is planning:

Parent Survey & Remote Learning Sign-Up

• The district will be surveying parents regarding their comfort level with returning their children to in-person school during the week of July 27. SURVEY DEADLINE: Friday, July 31
• Parents who do not feel comfortable with returning their child to in-person school may register for virtual learning during the week of August 3 and must complete this by Friday, August 7th. (Sign-Ups through Parent Portal) REMOTE LEARNING SIGN-UP DEADLINE: Friday, August 7

Guiding Principles

• Consider the safety and wellness of students and employees, first and foremost, by following the guidelines in the NJ Department of Education’s Restart and Recovery Plan for Education;
• Maintain the continuity of education and meet the rigorous educational standards of the district and state;
• Respond to the needs of vulnerable and high needs populations;
• Be adaptable and flexible with the ability to move throughout the academic year from one reopening plan to another based on public health needs;
• Maintain consistent communication with students, families and employees to ensure respect and success within the evolving situation.

Health & Safety - Student

• Social distancing and minimizing exposure
  • All desks in classroom are 6-feet apart
  • Social distancing visual indicators prominently placed in all hallways establishing direction of traffic and 6 feet distance from others.
• Cloth face coverings
• Reusable cloth face coverings provided by the district or can be brought from home.
• Students must wear face covering at all times except unless seated at desk in classroom or cafeteria.* (* unless doing so would inhibit the student’s health or the student is under two years of age)
• Hygiene
  • Hand-washing will be required upon entry to school and regularly throughout the school day with either hand sanitizer or soap and water.
  • Lessons on proper hand washing and hygiene will be taught to age-appropriate students.
• Monitoring for symptoms
  • Temperature checks will be conducted upon entry to the building of all students.
  • Verbal symptom screening of students will be conducted upon entry to the building of all students.
  • All staff will be trained in COVID-19 symptom identification to be able to effectively monitor students throughout the school day.
  • Any student exhibiting symptoms will be directed to an established isolation area until they can be removed from campus and must present a doctor’s note before returning to school.
• Protecting vulnerable populations
  • Reasonable accommodations will be provided for individuals that the CDC identities as having a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. (e.g. fully virtual school option)
• Social and emotional wellness
  • Students’ social and emotional well-being will be prioritized by school counseling staff.

Health & Safety - Employees

• Social distancing and minimizing exposure: Social distancing visual indicators prominently placed in all hallways establishing direction of traffic and 6ft distance from others.

• Cloth face coverings
  • Reusable cloth face coverings provided by the district or can be brought from home.
  • Staff must wear face covering at all times when on-campus except while eating, unless doing so would inhibit the individual’s health.
• Cleaning and hygiene
  • Hand washing will be required upon entry to school and regularly throughout the school day with either hand sanitizer or soap and water.
• Monitoring for symptoms
  • Temperatures checks will be conducted upon entry to the building of all staff.
  • Verbal symptom screening of staff will be conducted upon entry to the building.
  • All staff will be trained in COVID-19 symptom identification to be able to effectively self-monitor throughout the school day.
  • Any staff member exhibiting symptoms must leave campus and provide doctor’s note before returning to work.
• Protecting vulnerable populations
  • Reasonable accommodations will be provided for individuals that the CDC identities as having a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

Operations

• School Nutrition
  • Serve-and-go lunches will be available to all students every day.
  • Cafeterias and lunch spaces will be arranged with socially distant furniture.
• School facilities, water and ventilation systems
  • Bathrooms cleaned and disinfected hourly.
  • Classrooms disinfected during the school day and nightly.
  • Regular sanitization and disinfecting of all hard, nonporous surfaces and common touch points (e.g. door handles, water fountains, cafeteria tables) using EPA-approved broadband Q256 and RX75, hospital level disinfectants and virucides and Victory Electrostatic Sprayers which kill human Coronavirus within two minutes.
  • HVAC systems will use MERV-10 filters or windows will be open at all times the building is occupied.

Building Entry Protocol

• Use of multiple entrances at each school to minimize student contact at entry.
  • Multiple bus/parent drop-off points at high school.
  • Multiple entrance points by grade level at elementary school.
• Temperature, symptom screening, and hand-washing at entry.
• Elementary school students proceed directly to their classrooms upon entry.
• High school student arriving early procceed to designated areas where tables and desks are socially distanced and remain there until school begins.

Instructional Planning - High School

• Blended Learning Plan
• High school students will be divided into a blue group and gray group who attend school in-person on alternating days.
• On days when students are not attending school in-person they will be required to check-in and complete assignments virtually in the Canvas learning management system.
• A modified 9-period day schedule will be used for in-person students.
  • 8, 45-minute class periods
  • 25-minute lunch period
• Teacher schedules will provide dedicated time for virtual “office hours” where the teacher will be available online for student questions or extra help.

High School In-Person Alternating Schedule

Students will be designated as being in the “blue” or “grey” rotation group and attend school in-person on alternating days.

High School In-Person Bell Schedules

Instructional Planning - Elementary School

• Students attend full-day sessions every day following normal bell schedule.
• All classes are self-contained for the full school day.
• Special subjects and interventionists will “push-in” to self-contained classrooms to limit intermingling of student groups.