COVID Update For West Orange Schools: Classes, Masks, Testing

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The West Orange Public School District continues to make progress on a full-time return to classrooms, administrators say.

Last week, Superintendent Scott Cascone gave the school community an update about the district’s COVID-19 status. Read More: West Orange HS Goes Half-Remote After 'Uptick' In COVID Cases

Cascone’s full message follows below.

I hope this message finds you all well and having had a joyous holiday recess and a Merry Christmas. I wish you all the best for a happy and healthy new year.

As it is now evident, the number of daily cases of COVID-19 are presently at nearly all-time highs. While by most accounts, the hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and fatalities remain relatively low as compared to previous spikes, we may all surmise that quarantines associated with confirmed cases and close contacts will continue to be a disruptive force to the daily effective and safe operations of our schools.

Therefore, in an effort to be proactive with respect to the school district’s opening next week, please find details relative to the district planned approach.

Monday, January 3, SCHOOLS CLOSED/DISTRICT OPEN

"The schools will be closed Monday, January 3 for a non-instructional emergency day. This will provide the district and school administrations and nursing staff time to perform an accurate accounting of any newly disclosed cases for staff and students, the corresponding contact tracing and quarantining protocols necessary, and to make the necessary substitute staffing arrangements. Further, it will provide time for families to procure any necessary technology needed for their children who may be required to quarantine post-holiday break due to a recent positive case or exposure.

COVID Testing Prior to Returning to School (Strongly Suggested)

Post holiday break: The school district is strongly encouraging all students and staff members to secure a PCR test in advance of returning to school on January 4th. This remains an effective precautionary measure to ensure that, upon our return on January 4, we minimize disruptions due to quarantining and ensure the greatest degree of health and safety.

In addition to your local healthcare provider, free PCR Testing is available at the linked locations as well as on a walk- in basis at the K-Mart located at 236 Prospect Avenue. Appointments are not necessary and results are provided within 24-36 hours. Please Note: The K-Mart facility will be closed December 31st through January 2nd.

As previously shared and strongly encouraged, this free walk in testing remains a valuable resource for families whether to obtain testing in the event that your child is dismissed from school due to the exhibition of COVID-like symptoms, or in the event you wish to add an additional layer of protection for your child and/or family by obtaining weekly or even biweekly testing for your child.

Tuesday, January 4 - Friday, January 7 - HALF DAY SCHEDULE

For the days of Tuesday, January 4, through Friday, January 7 all schools grades Pre-K through Grade 12 and our 18-21 program will operate according to half-day schedules as follows in order to reduce the amount of time in the buildings and, in most school settings, remove lunch as a consideration where students tend to be more closely oriented and without masks and also provide additional time to clean and sanitize buildings, execute all contact tracing procedures through to fruition, and ensure schools are properly staffed for the following day:

The week of January 10, full-day instruction will resume. Students in Grades 6 to 8 may pivot to cohorts, grades 9-12 the 18-21 program may continue to operate in a cohort model.

Further, over the course of next week, the technology department will be working in collaboration with building principals to ensure that all students currently not in possession of a district issued device have one at their disposal.

The Technology Department will continue to distribute chromebooks to parents who completed the ECF survey over summer. Parents who completed the survey should check their email for notifications from the Technology Department regarding additional pick up times that have been scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, December 31 and Monday, January 3. The Technology Department is also preparing loaner chromebooks to distribute to students who do not have a personal device at home. The chromebooks will be distributed from two locations: Liberty Middle School and Roosevelt Middle School. The Technology Department will send out a broadcast via school Messenger on Monday with more information, including location/time for chromebook pick up.

Parents, guardians, or caretakers who wish to elect for their child to attend virtually may do so from Tuesday, January 4 through Friday, January 14, but must ensure that there is a device available in the home solely for their child to use while the district works to distribute devices. In these cases, parents/guardians must communicate this to the school principal. Teachers will share the Google Meet links via their Google classroom pages. Virtual learning will occur as it has been this year to date, with students learning from home, having a window or access to the daily proceedings of classroom instruction. Students in attendance virtually will be considered present. Students not in attendance either in school or virtually will be marked absent, the standard parental notifications will be sent.

If you opt for your child to remain virtual and your child receives a Related Service (i.e. Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy), we ask you to please be patient with your child’s Related Service provider, as it may take some time for the providers to accommodate students who remain virtual for the time period.

It is important to convey that our district physician and local health department shared that the New Jersey Department of Health will likely be adopting the CDC guidance, specific to COVID-19 isolation and quarantine periods for both healthcare workers and the public. Kindly review the updated guidance.

We ask everyone to continue to wear masks, for visitors to refrain from entering buildings unless it is absolutely necessary, and to notify the school main office in advance of such a need. Please monitor your child for COVID-19 symptoms, which can include the following:

• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficult breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea/Abdominal pain

Students with COVID-19 compatible symptoms are defined in NJDOH K-12 school guidance as follows:

• ●At least two of the following symptoms: fever (measured or subjective), chills, rigors (shivers), myalgia (muscle aches), headache, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, congestion or runny nose; OR
• ●At least one of the following symptoms: cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, new olfactory disorder, new taste disorder.

Per the district physician and local health authorities, symptomatic students should not return to school unless they have had a negative regular or rapid PCR test. (A negative rapid antigen test will not be accepted).

Symptomatic students must be fever free without fever-reducing medications for 24 hours with symptom improvement (in both cases referenced above).

You may expect follow up communication from building principals with additional school-based information and advisories.

We thank you for your continued patience and support as we navigate these unprecedented challenges.

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