Sparta Schools Restart And Recovery Plan For Fall

SPARTA, NJ - As New Jersey inches closer to the new school year, districts are preparing for an academic environment like none they have ever seen before. Acting Superintendent of Schools Patrick McQueeney has a preview of what it will look like.

"I wanted to share some updates as we continue to push closer to the reopening of our schools in September," McQueeney said in a release.

Some highlights of the plan include the following:

• Families will have the choice between attending school in-person on alternating weeks using a hybrid instruction model or attending school 100% remotely.
• All Spartan families and staff should be prepared for a transition to 100% virtual learning should the district be directed to close by the New Jersey Dept. of Health, the New Jersey Dept. of Education, the Governor’s Office or the Superintendent of Schools.
• An electronic form will be shared via our Genesis Parent Portal that will ask families to select whether their child(ren) will participate in the hybrid alternating weeks option or the 100% virtual option. Students choosing the 100% virtual option will be required to commit to the virtual option until December 9th to allow for proper planning and student population balancing. Each family’s Genesis Parent Portal account will be on hold until the forms have been completed for each child. We ask that you complete the form(s) for your child(ren) by Sunday, Aug. 9.
• Also included in the electronic form that will be shared via the Genesis Parent Portal will be a survey question asking if you will be sending your child(ren) to school on a district bus or will you be driving them to school each day. This will allow us to ensure that we are reducing the capacity of riders on all of our busses.
• Face coverings will be required on all busses and in all school buildings for all students, staff and visitors (after student dismissal). Mask breaks will be provided with teacher direction, as appropriate.
• Students and staff will screen for symptoms of illness at home prior to attending school. Students and staff with potential symptoms should stay home and attend school virtually.
• Social emotional learning (SEL) will be a focus of our return to support our students and staff as we transition back into learning.
• Daily instructional lessons will be provided each day on a shortened daily schedule. No meals will be served; to-go meals will be available to students from Sodexo, our food service provider.
• Attendance is required for all in-person and virtual instruction. Grading will follow traditional grading policies.

"These are the basic tenets of our Restart and Recovery Plan," McQueeney said, noting that the full plan is 89 pages of information that covers all requirements as stated in the New Jersey Department of Education’s The Road Back: Restart and Recovery Plan.

"In the weeks following the release of our full plan, each school building will be sharing additional building and program specific details," he said.

The presentation and plan details can be found on the district website.

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