JERSEY CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Safe Return Plan 2022-2023 School Year

Newest Recommendations from the New Jersey Department of Education

Updated September 1, 2022

Dear Jersey City Public School Parents and Community:

Please allow the information below, while continually evolving, to provide guidance and support regarding how our schools are prepared to operate as the school year progresses. The information on this page is based on Governor Murphy’s lifting of the mask mandate and the lifting of the requirements that school districts maintain a policy requiring their unvaccinated staff to undergo routine testing, Executive Order #253, and the recommendations from the New Jersey Department of Education, and the most current information from the NJ Department of Health and the CDC. The District will continue to review Governor Murphy’s announcements and the New Jersey Department of Education's recommendations to adopt procedures and practices that mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus and promote the health of students and staff.

The chart below relies on guidance from the New Jersey Department of Health, the CDC, and the Department of Education. All topics included on this page are subject to revisions based on State and/or local health COVID-19 Activity Level Index (CALI), executive order(s), and Administrative Code 18A 40-10.

COVID-19 Guidelines as per the Recommendations of the New Jersey Department of Health and Department of Education

September 1, 2022

Frequently Asked Questions	Current information as of 9/1/22
Masks	Masks are optional for staff, students and visitors except in certain situations when a mask is mandated. During periods of elevated community levels – when COVID-19 Community Levels are High. During an active outbreak – during an outbreak or a general increase, short-term universal masking or masking in affected classrooms should be required to control the outbreak/increase in cases. After returning from isolation – students and staff who return to school after 5 full days of isolation should be required to mask during days 6-10 or until they test negative using two antigen tests collected at least 48 hours apart starting on day 6. After a COVID-19 exposure, individuals should wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days from the last exposure, regardless of vaccination status. When illness occurs in school/ECE – students or staff who become ill with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 while in school or care should wear a mask until they leave the premises
Social Distance	6 feet social distance
Instruction	Full Day of Classes
Cleaning & Sanitizing Practices	Continue increased daily cleaning of all frequently touched areas and additional attention to areas where an individual was identified as testing positive for COVID-19
Parents/Guardians and Staff Must self-check for COVID-19 symptoms:	People with COVID-19 have a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19: Fever or chills Cough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Fatigue Muscle or body aches Headache New loss of taste or smell Sore throat Congestion or runny nose Nausea or vomiting Diarrhea Testing is recommended for anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 as soon as possible after symptoms begin.
Vaccination	CDC recommends COVID-19 primary series vaccines for everyone 6 months and older and COVID-19 boosters for everyone eligible 5 years and older.
Staff Student Health	All students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should stay home, isolate themselves until test results are received, and consult the doctor.
COVID-19 Positive students and staff	Individuals, regardless of vaccination status, who test positive and individuals with COVID-19 symptoms who have not been tested and do not have an alternative diagnosis from their healthcare provider should: Stay home for at least 5 full days after the onset of symptoms or if asymptomatic after the positive test (the day of symptoms is day 0; if asymptomatic, the day the test was performed is day 0) And If they have no symptoms or symptoms are resolving after 5 days and are fever-free (without the use of fever-reducing medication) for 24 hours, they can return to school And Wear a mask for an additional 5 days (including participating in extracurricular activities). Medical clearance from the doctor after completion of the 5 days of isolation is required for return to in-person school/work for all individuals who tested positive with or without symptoms and consultation with the School Nurse and/ or District Nurse for return to school/work before returning. School setting guidelines are subject to change if the NJ Department of Health or the Department of Education revises the regulations.
Student/Staff (Regardless of Vaccination Status) Who Are Exposed to a Positive Individual	Wear a high-quality mask for 10 days from the last day of exposure and test on the 5th day. Monitor for fever (100.4 or greater), cough, shortness of breath, or other COVID-19 symptoms. If symptoms develop, test and see a doctor. Before return, consultation with the School Nurse and/or District Nurse is required.
Students/Staff with COVID-19 compatible symptoms in school	Based on the level of compatible symptoms, the School Nurse and/or Administration will advise staff or parent/guardian (for students) to seek medical clearance before return to work/school is granted.
Covid-19 Tests	A PCR or antigen test that is lab certified is an allowable measure to trace COVID-19. Home test kits for COVID-19 are permissible tests for return also.

The JCPS District’s goal is to provide high-quality instruction and support for our students and their families as we continue full-day in-person learning with the COVID-19 limitations. We will keep stakeholders informed as we navigate the Covid-19-related health concerns and the Governor’s mandates for educating our students. Your input and patience during this process have been crucial to our decision.

The COVID-19 Pandemic is a fluid situation and may require adjustments and changes with limited warning. Once again, we thank you for our continued partnership and look forward to a wonderful school year.

Dr. Norma Fernandez

Superintendent of Schools

The Remote Learning Plan for School District Closure during 2022-2023 will be available by the end of September.

The Jersey City Public Schools must be prepared to provide continuity of instruction if schools are closed for an extended period. Additionally, the District must ensure that all students are provided nutritious meals that can easily be picked up during the school closure.

This document outlines the JCPS District's protocols to provide access to devices, instruction, and meals to support students during remote learning.

The goal of the JCPS is to provide a 2:1 ratio for students to have a device to use in school and an additional device to use at home for remote instruction.

The JCPS District is working to meet this goal in the following ways:

The District has purchased Chromebooks for every student to ensure a 1:1 ratio.
To reach the 2:1 ratio, the District has ordered a second Chromebook for every student in Pre K-12. Once the JCPS District receives the delivery of the additional Chromebooks, they will be distributed to achieve the full implementation of the 2:1 ratio.
Emergency Broadband Benefit Program information was distributed to parents to address the Internet network access divide. Families with free or reduced lunch status and those who saw their income reduced significantly during the Pandemic are eligible to apply. This benefit would allow for more reliable internet access than hotspots which have limited usage hours and are costly to replenish.
The District continues to provide hotspots to families requiring internet services.

Remote Instructional Day

To maintain the continuity of learning, students will retain their current full-day schedule. The length of the school day is following N.J.A.C.6A:32-8.3.

- - - 8:30 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. for Pre K-8
    - 8:30 a.m. - 3:05 p.m. for high school

Each school will post its student schedules to individual school websites and teachers' Google Classrooms (K-12) or CORAdvantage (Pre-K).

Each school will create a schedule to provide parents/guardians the opportunity to pick up the necessary student materials and devices for remote instruction.

Remote instruction will be asynchronous (off-screen) while the transition to synchronous (on-screen) remote instruction occurs. Asynchronous learning will not exceed three days.

Asynchronous remote instruction will transition to synchronous instruction once student materials and devices are distributed.

Asynchronous(off-screen)	Synchronous (on-screen)
Communication is through JCPSNJ email, Google Classroom, and/or COR Advantage (Pre-K).	Students are logged in virtually using the Google Meet link in Google Classroom (K-12) or COR Advantage (Pre-K).
Allows students to work at their own pace.	Allows for instant feedback and clarification.
Students can post their work once completed for teacher review and feedback.	Students can participate in the daily lesson and complete classwork in real-time.

According to the guidance provided by NJDOE, Pre-K students will participate in synchronous instruction for a total of 1 hour (four 15-minute sessions). The Early Childhood Department will provide teachers with their schedules.
Teachers, paraprofessionals, and students in grades K 12 will continue to remotely follow their regular full-day instructional schedule.
This includes all General Education and Special Education teachers, specialists(i.e., Art, Music, Physical Education, Library Media, World Language, Drama, etc.), ESL, counselors, and other related service providers(i.e., OT, PT, Speech, etc.).
Two 10-minute breaks should be included throughout the school day, as determined by school administrators.
The Jersey City Public Schools Attendance Policy, as outlined in the Code of conduct, will continue to be in effect. To address the remote learners' attendance, the following items will also be part of the attendance policy:
Attendance will be taken daily and recorded on Infinite Campus every day school is in session.
Students' cameras must remain on during a virtual session. Students may blur their backgrounds if needed.
As outlined in the JCPS Reopening Plan, remote learning is an extension of the classroom. Therefore, all students will adhere to the Student Code of Conduct when physically in the building or a remote learning environment. This includes but is not limited to; dress code, use of technology, HIB, sexting, other inappropriate uses of technology, academic integrity, etc. An addendum indicated that students should wear uniforms while working remotely from home.

In the event of District School closure, the following extended day activities would continue remotely:

MorningStars
Casper
ExtendedDayprograms (morning, afternoon, and Saturday)
High School Sports may continue, in in-person, depending on the circumstances.

Students' Access to Instructional Resources

Students are expected to have a district-issued device and the necessary instructional resources. Hotspots will be made available to any student who does not have internet access.
If the student does not have these resources, the school will be in contact to arrange for a safe pick-up of the necessary materials.
The Emergency Broadband Benefits is an FCC program to help families and households struggling to afford
internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please view instructions on how to access the program HERE.

Meal Service Distribution

In the event of school closings due to a Covid-19 outbreak, the JCPS is committed to ensuring that all students up to age 18 are provided nutritious meals throughout the closure. Meal distribution sites will be set up at convenient l locations so parents/guardians can pick up breakfast and lunch near their homes.

Meal Service will continue during remote instruction at the sites listed below. Families may pick up breakfast and lunch between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

The following students are eligible:

Children 18 or younger enrolled in a JCPS/contracted childcare provider.
Adults over 18 years of age are enrolled in school programs for persons with disabilities.

Ongoing Communication

The Jersey City Public School District will utilize the StraxAR app to enhance communication with parents, guardians, and the community. Please view instructions on how to download the app HERE. In addition, the district will continue to utilize the following platforms for communication:

District Website

Weekly Messages from Superintendent Walker
The information is posted as needed to the website newsfeed and linked to Social Media
District staff directory
StraxAR