Glen Rock Schools Release Proposed Fall Semester Plans

GLEN ROCK, NJ — The Glen Rock Board of Education has released their proposed plan for the fall semester at all schools.

Three committees and a parent survey — which is still active — guided the reopening plan for the fall semester, as did state guidance.

In short, students will be in the building in some capacity beginning in September, but for how long, and for how many days, depends on grade level.

One of the most obvious changes will be the appearance of students while in attendance. Students at all Glen Rock schools are required to wear a face mask, face shield, gaiter or cloth face covering throughout the school day.

There was no other way to insure the safety of students while in the building, Superintendent Brett Charleston said.

"We cannot properly social distance in schools, Glen Rock schools are not built for that," he said.

On July 27 the plan must be submitted to the county superintendent, according to Charleston.

At an Aug. 4 Board of Education meeting, the board will present and vote on the proposed plan.

Here's how the plan, if officially enacted in August, will look:

Elementary

Glen Rock elementary school students will follow a morning and afternoon model for in-person learning.

In the morning, a group of students would be present in the elementary buildings from 8:33 to 11:23 a.m. After an hour break, in which the school and classrooms will be cleaned, the afternoon shift will begin, scheduled from 12:28 to 3:18 p.m.

Half of the student body will be present during each of these shifts, and will supplement the in-person learning time with virtual learning in order to complete the 4-hour minimum requirement.

Students will remain in these groups, which will limit contact between students.

For parents with multiple students enrolled in Glen Rock elementary schools, siblings will be placed in the same session.

View the proposed plan in full here: https://bit.ly/2ZsrHYa

Middle School and High School

Middle and high school students in Glen Rock will split their time between learning virtually and in-person, based on an A and B schedule.

This means students won't attend school in-person every day, just on the days in which their group is assigned to do so.

Half of the students in each grade level will be "A-Day" students, while the other half will be "B-Day students." A calendar for these days has not yet been established, but will be prior to the beginning of the school year.

Like the plan for elementary school siblings, Glen Rock middle school and high school siblings will be placed in the same grouping.

Middle school classes will remain on the typical schedule, according to the proposed plan, which means students will be in the building from 7:50 a.m. to 3:07 p.m.

Hallway passing periods have been extended to six-minutes from four to accommodate restrictions.

For high school students, things change a bit more.

Students will continue to rotate through their periods, but none of them will "drop." To accommodate this, class periods will be shorter.

The school day will remain the same, according to the plan, but the schedule will shift forward 10-minutes to aid crowding, meaning students will be in the building from 8 a.m. to 3:04 p.m.

One change for students in both middle school and high school is that locker rooms will not be available for physical education courses. Now, the district is asking that students attend school dressed in "attire appropriate" to participate in physical activities.

Lunch will also be different for high school students, as The Pomptonian will not be serving lunch, according to the proposed plan, and students will be asked to bring lunch, except for those who qualify for free or reduced lunches.

View the proposed plan in full here: https://bit.ly/38W41Pa

Superintendent Brett Charleston recorded a video message to break down the plan, which you can view below.