March 5, 2021
Dear Springfield Public Schools Community,
Happy Friday!
Two weeks ago, on February 26, 2021, we shared our announcement to expand learning. The schools are now in the process of preparing the classrooms for additional students, and we are looking forward to beginning the expanded model on Monday, March 15, 2021! As a reminder, our PK-8 classrooms will be remote on March 9th , 10th, and 11th, for parent-teacher conferences. The purpose of this letter is to provide some updates and ask for your help as we look to our future.
First, this week President Biden and Governor Murphy have announced initiatives to increase access to vaccinations and prioritize school staff. We are grateful to the group of parents that are volunteering their time to connect our staff to available appointments, and hope that such access provides the necessary protection to keep our staff safe and healthy as we move forward with expanding learning opportunities for our students.
Please know, our school principals will make every effort to arrange for class coverage in order for the teachers to receive the vaccination while continuing synchronous in-person learning. However, in the case that class coverage will not be possible, the affected class may switch to a remote learning day, and the teacher may utilize asynchronous learning for some period of that day. We will make every effort to provide as much notice as possible, and appreciate your understanding and support of our staff as we work to support vaccination efforts.
Second, we have received many inquiries regarding Spring Break travel. While we have been told that new guidance regarding quarantines and travel will be shared by the New Jersey Department of Health, we have not received any updates as of today. We are monitoring how continued requirements of quarantine may impact our schools, and will provide additional guidance as soon as it is available.
Third, while we work to increase in-person learning time during this school year, the Board of Education and the leadership team have been working to identify the values and goals that will guide our work in the future. We are excited to invite you to share your ideas, perspectives, and feedback as we plan for the future! Please take a few minutes to share your ideas on the Defining Our Path Forward Survey. You can find it here: https://forms.gle/kCxvn5VSX9hU8t1dA
Finally, there is no question that we are hopeful that with Spring, we will see a reduction of positive cases, but there is no question that COVID-19 is still impacting our community. It is essential that families report on a timely basis if their child has tested positive. Please remind them to wear their masks anytime they are outside of home, to help us continue in-person learning and minimize the need to quarantine classrooms.
Thank you for your grace, patience, and support as we move forward. Have a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Rachel Goldberg