Cherry Hill Schools Prepare For Launch Of Hybrid Learning Nov. 9

CHERRY HILL, NJ — The Cherry Hill Public School District made an important schedule change this week as it prepares to return to in-person learning Nov. 9.

Students in both the district’s elementary and middle schools were switched to an early dismissal schedule on Monday, meaning their day would end at 1 p.m.

The change was made after the district received a lot of feedback from parents and staff, and to get the students ready for the launch of the district’s hybrid learning plan, according to Cherry Hill Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joseph Meloche.

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The school district is set to return to its original plans for a hybrid model that had been discussed over the summer as part of its return to school plan amid the coronavirus pandemic. Read more here: Cherry Hill School Board Approves District’s Reopening Plan

Just before the year started, though, the district announced plans to open under a 100 percent remote option after the district received letters from Cherry Hill Education Association groups at each of the district's 19 schools over the weekend.

The district had also received a growing list of leave-of-absence requests from certified staff ahead of the start of the school year, and there was a lack of certified substitute teachers available for key areas. Read more here: Cherry Hill Schools Switch To All-Remote Plan To Start Year

As it prepares to return to the hybrid plan on Nov. 9, the district has hundreds of thousands of pieces of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in trailers, and the schools are already stocked with PPE in the classrooms, according to Meloche.

The district is also considering a later start time for the older students when they return to the hybrid model, the Cherry Hill Sun reports. That new schedule may remain in effect beyond the end of the pandemic.

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