All-Remote Opening Day Just Around The Bend For Montclair Schools

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Montclair’s public schools are nearing a big date: Thursday, Sept. 10. That’s the day the district will reopen for students with all-online classes, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to change plans for parents, children and staff alike.

Montclair School Superintendent Jonathan Ponds issued an update about reopening progress on Thursday, just before the Labor Day weekend kicked off.

• See related article: Montclair Will Go 'Fully Remote' When Schools Reopen In September

“Every year brings change, challenges and opportunities,” Ponds wrote. “I think you most likely would agree that none of us could have anticipated the changes and challenges that we would face.”

“Our district staff is focused on academics, social emotional learning, and of course, preparing for when we will be back in person,” Ponds said.

The superintendent shared the following advice for parents and students gearing up for the new school year.

Before School Starts: Log On and Check Equipment

Please be sure to charge your device for at least 30 minutes before starting. After that select the power button located at the top right-hand corner of the device. Before the first day of school, please check out the following links to become familiar with some of the tools and platforms we will be utilizing during remote learning:

• Google Meet - https://meet.google.com/
• Zoom - https://zoom.us/
• See Saw - https://web.seesaw.me/

First Day of School

On September 10, the first day of school, teachers will be “meeting” with students and families to review routines, get to know one another, review expectations and procedures and go over the technology platforms they will be using. As a reminder, please check the Remote Learning Plan posted on our website for more details.

Facilities

Many of you have asked about the short- and long-term fixes for ventilation. The Board appointed EI Associates to do an in depth investigation as a follow-up to our initial assessment at its meeting last night. They have made short-term recommendations which include damper adjustments to increase outside air filter upgrades and needlepoint bipolar ionization technology. This short-term work has begun. Long-term fixes require more extensive remediation and include mechanical equipment replacement and supplemental mechanical equipment installation.

As we mentioned last week, we are planning on short-term repairs to be completed by November 1.

• See related article: Montclair Schools Tackle Ventilation, Prep For All-Remote Opening

Food Service

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new waiver that will allow states to extend the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) through December 31. The SSO option allowed districts that participate in the National School Lunch Program to serve meals at no charge to all students, regardless of pay status.

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA) has not provided guidance as of yet on any specifics on how it should be implemented. We are awaiting further direction from the NJDA. We will communicate in a separate email the meal service locations and times that will begin on September 10.

Addressing Student Engagement and Social Emotional Needs

During the summer a group of stakeholders comprised of administrators, teachers, and parents/guardians met to identify issues prevalent with student engagement in a remote academic setting and match those issues with appropriate interventions that promote the academic success and well-being of all students. The committee’s priorities were to ensure that the social emotional needs of all students would be addressed and that remote learning would be accessible, practical, and developmentally appropriate for students at each grade level.

The Healthy Minds committee is addressing the mental health and social emotional concerns facing our students, staff, and families. Surveys have been sent to stakeholders and responses analyzed. We will begin the year with addressing some of the needs voiced and continue to enhance our offerings. We have established partnerships with MFEE, the YMCA and the Montclair Public Library as well as mental health organizations to assist us with creating short videos to help parents/guardians help their children during this difficult time, formation of online book clubs, organizing volunteers to lead remote social groups and more.

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