Thank you for your continued patience and support as we continue to navigate this very unique school year. I am writing to share some important information. Over the past week, we have seen a large increase in positive COVID cases and the number of students and staff quarantining in our schools and community. We are finalizing an HVRSD COVID dashboard for our website so you can track district-wide cases. In addition to the obvious safety concerns, these increases are impacting our ability to deliver a consistent program to our students.
With the holiday season approaching, we are meeting daily with the Department of Health and our school physician to review the data and determine the need for a short-term move to full-remote learning to help mitigate the possibility of additional spread. We will share any decision as soon as possible. Please be prepared for changes in our schedule. We are also working with the Hopewell Valley Y to provide accommodations for those families who may need childcare in the event of a short-term transition to remote learning.
14-Day Travel Quarantine
As we approach the holiday season and enter the winter months, I would also like to remind you of the 14-day quarantine for out of state travel. These states have been identified and continue to be updated by the State of New Jersey. Regardless of a possible short-term transition to remote learning, in an effort to protect our students and staff, we will adhere strictly to the State guidelines and Board policy.
Revised Daily Screening Questions
We are updating our daily screening questions related to COVID exposures. Please review them carefully each day prior to coming to school.
Social Distancing and Mask Wearing
As we enter the winter months and holiday season, I am writing to seek your assistance to protect our staff and students and control the potential spread in our community. To date, none of our cases were contracted or transmitted in school and many of the “close contacts”* being investigated are occurring outside of school. Please support our efforts to contain the virus in our community by encouraging everyone to adhere to social distancing guidelines and to wear a mask both inside and outside of school, whenever they are with non-family members.
Additional Resources
With a number of students returning from college and holiday gatherings, our community partner Princeton Nassau Pediatrics and the CDC have developed the following guidelines for our community:
Students returning from College
A COVID Thanksgiving
CDC Holiday Celebrations and Small Gatherings
You have my commitment that we will continue to provide information in a timely manner and we will work hard to ensure that we are doing all that we can to keep our schools, students, and staff as safe as possible.