Central Regional Schools To Combine In-Person, Remote Learning

BERKELEY, NJ — The Central Regional School District will combine in-person and virtual learning this fall. The district will split students into two groups and have them physically attend school on alternating days, according to Superintendent Dr. Triantafillos Parlapanides.

Students with last names beginning with letters A through L will attend on one day, while students with last names starting with M through Z will go on the next day. When not in school, students will learn remotely, according to a letter Parlapanides sent Tuesday to parents and guardians.

The district will require students and staff to wear masks during the school day.

Splitting the student body will help provide social distance in the hallway, classrooms and buses, Parlapanides told Patch. The precise days each group of students attends may change.

"We are going to alternate each day, since you have holidays and if there is an outbreak," he said. "You might have to close for an additional cleaning day or days. So to keep the days even, we are just alternating each day."

The middle and high schools will move to a "4 by 4 Block" schedule, meaning each student will only have four classes for the first 90 days and four classes for the second half of the school year.

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From home, students will have to sign in for each period and be virtual with the in-person class, Parlapanides said. The district allocated 12:30-1:30 p.m. each day for teachers to better prepare for virtual lessons and assist students who may need it.

"Last year our teachers did a great job of adapting on the fly, since we were just thrown into the virtual," Parlapanides told Patch. "This year, we are having teacher academies and setting time to make sure our teachers have the right tools from the job."

The teacher academies began Tuesday and run until Aug. 13.

The district will send a survey within the next two weeks in which parents can indicate their intentions for their children in September. The plan may also change based on evolving data from Governor Phil Murphy, the New Jersey Department of Education and the Ocean County Health Department, Parlapanides says.

Officials will present the middle and high school reopening plans at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 10, 12, 17, 19, 24 and 26 in the high school presentation room. Capacity is limited. To reserve a seat, call 732-269-1100 ext. 3206. Use the east gate in the first parking lot on your right.

Read the full letter here.

Read more: NJ Coronavirus, Reopen Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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