Morris School District Has A Way 'Forward' For Fall

MORRISTOWN, NJ - Although the plans are still not final, the Morris School District has shared the preliminary MSD Forward plan and it gives a sneak peek as to what school will look like Sept. 3 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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"We understand that families are anxious to receive all the details necessary to begin their own planning, and we appreciate your patience and partnership throughout this complex process. We continue to assemble the multiple components of our plan piece by piece, taking the time to consider all variables methodically and to consult broadly," the district said in a statement. "We are confident that the system we create for reopening will be flexible and sustainable so that we can scale up if health conditions improve or scale back if we need to."

Some details, based off of grade level:

• PreK: We are waiting for additional guidance on reopening preschools from the NJ Department of Education before we can proceed further with our plans.
• Grades K-5: We have the capacity to hold full-day, in-person instruction for all students each day in our seven elementary schools while maintaining six feet of social distancing in each class. The Sunrise/Sunset program will be offered.
• Grades 6-12: We have the capacity at the middle and high schools to hold in-person instruction for 50 percent of the student body at one time while maintaining six feet of social distancing. Therefore, both FMS and MHS will adopt an alternating schedule whereby each day 50 percent of their respective student bodies will attend in-person instruction in the school building while the other 50 percent engage in a virtual learning experience at home; the following day, the two groups will reverse. Through this alternating schedule, each student will have a day of in-school learning followed by a day of virtual learning.

In all instances, the district said it plans to incorporate feedback from stakeholders, and will share the details of what the school day schedule and protocols will look like.

Next Steps for MSD Forward:

• Review survey data
• Finalize plans for transportation
• Amplify building-level dialogue and feedback
• Continue to research, examine and prepare all logistical aspects of school reentry: cleaning protocols, health screening, outdoor learning spaces, arrival and dismissal procedures, hygiene practices, policy development, etc.
• Continue to shape format of PreK-12 in-person instruction with stakeholder input
• Create all-virtual pathways for students who cannot attend in-person instruction for health or other reasons
• July 20 Board of Education meeting: Superintendent Pendergrast will present the most up-to-date information on reentry plans
• Convene Restart Committee with representatives from all stakeholder groups. This committee will meet leading up to September’s reopening and throughout the fall to discuss issues related to our instructional and operational innovations and their implementation. We are fortunate to have well-established and highly productive relationships with our Teachers’ Association, Board of Education, HSAs, Parent Advisory Groups, and community groups from which to draw.
• Design and deliver summer professional development for MSD faculty and staff
• Hold community wide forums: Superintendent Pendergrast will address the evolving details and answer questions prior to Aug. 3
• Share final reentry plan with the community by Aug. 3

Those interested in sharing any suggestions, concerns, or questions can send an email to: contactus@msdk12.net with the subject line “FALL 2020.”

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