Moorestown School District Presents Safe Return Plan

MOORESTOWN, NJ — With students in the Moorestown Public School District set to return to the classroom Sept. 8, the district recently presented its plan for a safe return to school this fall.

There are two areas in which the district will not have any control, though: masking and teacher vaccinations.

On Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced that all school staff in all pre-K through 12 schools must be vaccinated by Oct. 18, or they will be subject to weekly COVID testing. Read more here: NJ Teachers, State Employees Must Be Vaccinated Or Face Testing

Previously, it was announced that New Jersey students, educators, staff and visitors must wear masks in school buildings regardless of vaccination status. Read more here: NJ K-12 Students Must Wear Masks This Fall, Gov. Murphy Says

These are statewide guidelines as all 21 New Jersey counties hit a "high" transmission level of coronavirus for the first time since April 23, according to the latest rankings by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Read more here: NJ Hits High COVID Transmission Rate, First Time Since April

The district will provide mask breaks for lunch, recess, physical education and outdoor activities. Specific decisions about masking are to be made at the school level.

While the school day will be held fully in-person, students who must quarantine due to COVID-19 infection or exposure will learn remotely. Students will learn synchronously via Zoom or Google Meet, and paraprofessionals will help quarantined students when necessary.

If a student/employee tests positive, they will have to quarantine for 10 days past the positive test or 14 days past the onset of the symptoms.

Contact tracing will be performed in conjunction with the Burlington County Health Department.

In addition to mask wearing and vaccinations, the district will take additional precautions to prevent the further spread of the virus, including:

• Symptom screening, to be done by both parents and school nurses;
• Social Distancing;
• Classroom cohorting for lunch, but classes may mingle during outside recesses;
• Sanitizing Stations;
• Cleaning and Disinfecting;
• Promotion of hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette;
• Upgraded HVAC systems; and
• Contact Tracing procedures.

Masks must be worn on buses, and social distancing will be enforced where practicable, officials said. Buses will be sanitized between routes, and students will have assigned seating for contact tracing purposes.

Lunch meals will be free for all students, regardless of eligibility. A social distancing requirement of 3 feet will be observed, and there will be additional lunch periods to ensure those requirements are met. The cafeteria will be sanitized frequently.

The school year will open with a three-day series that focuses on social, emotional and academic support. This includes:

• Examining what students and staff have gained during the pandemic;
• Creating an environment in which students are seen and heard;
• Addressing trauma through discussions about what students and staff experienced in an unpredictable environment;
• Constructing spaces for all students through culturally responsive training;
• Assessing student needs through proper scaffolding and formative assessments; and providing daily engagement activities by grade level;
• Courage and Wellness Therapy will help parents explore vulnerability, courage and shame they experienced during the pandemic, and develop resilience skills;
• Special open houses will be held for students who were full-remote last year;
• Principals and staff will identify individual student challenges and provide support as needed; and
• A mental health professional will work with students and families who have COVID-19 related concerns.