While several Essex County districts will start the year remotely, Verona Public Schools will use a hybrid schedule for its students.
Charles Miller, the district's director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, presented a plan at a recent Board of Education meeting that allows the district to quickly transition depending on the status of the coronavirus pandemic.
The plan has four stages, with the district anticipating starting the school year at stage three.
"I believe we need to just continue to keep sight what is in the best interest of our students and our staff, and that safety must come first," said Superintendent Rui Dionisio. "These contingencies allow us to pivot to full or partial remote learning or entirely virtual learning."
Stage three has elementary students on an AB schedule with 50% attending the first part of the week, a fully remote day on Wednesday and the other 50% coming in for the latter part of the week.
Students will be able to have small group and one-on-one instruction with teachers, and the district's social-emotional learning sessions will continue, as will conflict resolution lessons.
On days the students are in school, they will be in class between 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., then go home for lunch. From 1:15 to 2:45 p.m., students will have activities such as small-group instruction, one-on-one learning and additional specials such as art. Miller said the specials will vary from week to week.
Middle and high schoolers will work on an ABCD schedule with 25% of the students in the school each day. Wednesday will be all virtual classes.
Middle school classes on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays will last 36 minutes, with three minutes between. Classes will begin at 8:30 a.m. and run until 1:05 p.m. Following lunch (at home), students will have 40 minutes to work on homework while teachers have preparation/planning time. On Wednesdays, classes will be 40 minutes with 10-minute breaks in between.
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The high school schedule has classes lasting 30 minutes with five minutes between each and an additional 40 minutes following lunch to work on assignments. School begins at 8 a.m. and runs until 12:35 p.m. when students go home for lunch. Classes on Wednesdays will be 36 minutes with 10-minute breaks and a 45-minute lunch.
Miller said the school's student information system, Genisis, will be used to balance classes at the high school level so cohorts may not be alphabetical.
The district has asked teachers to reduce homework because of how long students will be on computers.
"If students are going to be on a computer for four to six hours, they don't need another four to six hours of homework," Miller said.
Stage one has 100% remote instruction, stage two sharply limits the number of students allowed in schools, with most students learning remotely, and stage four is the return of all students to the schools.
Dionisio said families should prepare for transitions.
"The reality is that things will change," Dionisio said. "It's inconceivable that this public health matter will not worsen at some time as we move on."
The district worked with over 150 people, including parents and students, over the summer to develop the plan.
Dionisio said schools in the United States were designed "a very long time ago" and were made to accommodate a large number of students.
"By those standards and how schooling has evolved, we are now being tasked with doing the complete opposite, where the square footage of a room becomes a signification restraint," Dionisio said.
Miller said the eventual goal is the "new normal" where all students are able to do in-person learning when the public health crisis lessens and improves.
Kaitlyn Kanzler covers Essex County for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: kanzler@northjersey.com Twitter: @KaitlynKanzler8
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Verona schools will have in-person and remote instruction to begin school. Here's the plan - NorthJersey.com
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