Ridgewood Schools Reopen This Week; Here's What We Know

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — Starting Wednesday, Ridgewood Public Schools students will begin the next year of their academic career.

In addition to the typical list of school supplies and, potentially, new shoes and an outfit, students likely spent some time picking out what mask they'll wear to their first day of in-person learning.

The district has instituted a hybrid learning model for students to return to academics amid the coronavirus pandemic, something that Superintendent of Schools Daniel Fishbein feels confident in (or at least as confident as anyone in his position could feel).

"While our reopening plan is not perfect, it was carefully developed with a safety-first approach to return students to the classroom, advance them academically, and address social and emotional issues that have occurred as a result of this pandemic," he wrote in a recent letter to the community.

"I genuinely wish we could have satisfied everyone’s needs, but that is impossible under these unprecedented circumstances."

These circumstances have bred heightened health and safety protocols throughout the school buildings in Ridgewood, Bergen County and across the state.

"We have more hand sanitizer, hand soap, paper towel dispensers, and disinfectant in the district than you can imagine. This has been a herculean task, and I thank the administrators, staff, custodial, and maintenance staff who made it happen," said Fishbein.

Before students in Ridgewood enter their respective school, parents will be expected to complete a daily electronic symptom questionnaire. Then, if the child fulfills the health requirements of the questionnaire, they will line up to have their temperature taken before entering the building.

Once they're inside the building, students and staff will be required to wear masks, with exceptions for medical exemptions.

Spare masks will be available if a student's mask was to break during the day.

Neck gaiters, which at one point were a popular alternative to cloth and disposable masks, will not be allowed.

Though Fishbein doesn't mention this specifically in his community letter, a recent study published by Duke University determined that, in fact, wearing a neck gaiter may actually be worse than wearing no mask at all.

In addition to these mandates, the district is asking parents to follow these three guidelines:

• "If your family has recently traveled internationally or to a state on New Jersey’s travel advisory list, your child may not attend school until the 14-day quarantine period has ended.
• If someone in your household who has had close contact with your child is waiting for COVID-19 testing results, don’t send your child to school until you receive a negative test result.
• If you receive a positive COVID-19 testing result, please contact your child’s school nurse so that the next steps can be explained.

Further, parents can expect a letter from their child's principal further explaining the school-specific protocols.

Read our story about the specifics of the reopening plan here: Ridgewood Public School's Reopening Plan Takes Shape

Statement on Racism

In Fishbein's most recent letter, he spoke directly to racism that has long plagued discussions about the coronavirus pandemic.

Here are his comments, in full:

"Before closing, I would like to address the abhorrent rhetoric concerning the origin of COVID-19. COVID-19 is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by a virus and is spread by human transmission. Borders do not stop it; only we can. The Ridgewood Public Schools will not tolerate slurs against anyone or discrimination in any form. Recent events have shed light on the darkest aspects of society, but they have also sparked the rise of voices calling for action and change. Learning about racism and its impact on people is one of the most important goals for the district this year. We must be part of the solution. Everyone who enters our doors or steps foot on Ridgewood Board of Education property should feel comfortable about who they are and how they are treated."

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