Morris District To Close Early Friday For Coronavirus Prep

MORRISTOWN, NJ - The encroaching coronavirus, or COVID19, has altered the Morris School District schedule for this week, according to officials.

As a result of the NJ Department of Education (DOE)'s guidance on virtual instruction, parent/teacher conferences originally scheduled for this week have been postponed and on Friday there will be an early dismissal day for all students, PreK-12, so that teachers can continue preparing for virtual instruction.

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The Morris School District has been developing plans for virtual instruction for the past month and submitted the final Virtual Education Emergency Plan, or VEEP, to the Morris County Superintendent and are fully prepared to deliver remote online learning in alignment with DOE requirements.

Last week the DOE provided guidance to school districts regarding extended closures. If the Department of Health directs officials to close schools, moving to virtual instruction based on a county-approved virtual learning program is the only way to have instructional time count toward the state’s 180-day requirement for public schools.

"Our immediate objective is to ensure that virtual online learning will be accessible, practical and provide continuity of instruction for students at each grade level," the district said in a letter to parents. "Our plan takes advantage of the existing digital and non-digital tools that are already familiar to our teachers, students and families."

In the event of closure, officials said they would send a SwiftK12 alert announcing the closing of schools, outlining next steps, and providing instructions to access virtual instruction at home.

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