Hazlet Schools Release 2020-2021 Reopening Plan

HAZLET, NJ – As promised by superintendent Dr. Scott Ridley in a video message last week, Hazlet Township Public Schools released its plan on Thursday for how students will return to school in person this fall.

Both in-person and completely virtual learning methods of instruction will be available for caregivers to choose from.

Parents will have the option for their children to receive instruction virtually Monday through Friday throughout the upcoming school year. Students who participate in the program will follow their assigned class schedule and meeting times in order to receive live virtual instruction and interact with classmates remotely. Caregivers have until Aug. 16 to inform the district if their child will be participating in the remote instruction program.

Those who enroll in virtual instruction who then wish to switch to in-person instruction will have to wait until the end of the marking period or trimester to do so. Further instructions about the fully-remote learning option will be revealed next week.

Per Ridley's Friday video message, the plan “won’t be perfect” and will require adjustment as the pandemic situation continues to unfold in the fall.

"It will be a living document designed to evolve and adjust as the medical world continues to pursue an antidote, and the world of education – our world – continues to tend to the needs of our students and staff," said the superintendent.

For each school's individualized plan, see below:

Sycamore Drive, Middle Road, Lillian Drive and Raritan Valley

• School will be held in-person five days a week, adjusted for an early dismissal schedule (8:50 a.m. to 12:55 p.m.)
• Plexiglass barriers and large instruction spaces will be utilized
• Social distancing practices will be enforced throughout the day, including when students are entering and exiting buildings
• Face masks will be required

“This plan was developed to maximize the time in school for our youngest learners which we, along with the State, believe is necessary during the formative years of education,” wrote Ridley. “Additionally, a virtual learning option will be available to all families choosing to keep their children at home.”

Beers Street and Cove Road

• School will be held in-person five days a week on an abbreviated schedule (8:10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.)
• Extended learning programs will be completed by students in the afternoon
• Additional teachers added to grade levels to lower student-teacher ratio
• Plexiglass barriers and large instruction spaces will be utilized
• Social distancing practices will be enforced throughout the day, including when students are entering and exiting buildings
• Face masks will be required
• Virtual learners will be expected to follow a synchronous schedule (during the afternoon, teachers will review the day’s lessons with virtual learners)

Hazlet Middle School and Raritan High School

• School will be held five days a week on an early dismissal schedule (Hazlet Middle School hours will be 8:10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., while Raritan High School will operate from 7:30 to 11:50 a.m.)
• At each school, students will be alphabetically divided into two cohorts (with the exception of Monmouth County Shared Vocational students, who will all be placed into Cohort 2)
• Each week, both cohorts will participate in two days of in-person instruction and two days of virtual instruction. This will last throughout the school year.
• Cohort 1 will attend in-person instruction on Mondays and Tuesdays
• Cohort 2 will attend in-person instruction on Thursdays and Fridays
• Wednesdays will serve as a virtual learning day for all students. Teachers will host virtual office hours on Wednesdays, small group instruction, support sessions, enrichment and more.
• Attendance will be recorded on virtual days.
• Face masks will be required

“The hybrid rotation allows for a reduced number of students in classrooms for in-person instruction, so that desks can be socially distanced,” wrote Ridley. “Students will follow their normal A/B schedule for all of their classes, both in school and when learning virtually.”

Special Services

Students enrolled in special education classes (preschool, disabilities or LLD) will be scheduled for in-person instruction Monday through Friday. Students in these programs will follow a modified schedule based on their school of attendance. Remote learning options will be available as well.

Caregivers will be sent a brief survey requesting hybrid or virtual-only instruction preferences on Friday, July 31 and will remain open until Sunday, Aug. 9.

Face masks

Students will be required to wear face masks for extended periods throughout the day per New Jersey Department of Education guidelines. Students will be mandated to wear coverings including (but not limited to): on buses, entering/exiting school buildings, walking in the hallways and in classrooms. Students will be able to take “face covering breaks at appropriate times during the day,” according to the plan.

Exceptions to the requirement may be applicable with proper documentation on a case-by-case basis. The school district urges caregivers to practice the use of mask-wearing to build up students’ tolerance to the coverings.

To read the district’s entire plan, click here.

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