Summit Superintendent: Students Should Build Up 'Mask Endurance'
SUMMIT, NJ — Summit Acting Superintendent of Schools Robert Gardella issued a letter to parents in the district on Monday to help them prepare for students to return to school on Aug. 31 amid coronavirus precautions. Among other things, he asked parents to help their kids build up "mask endurance" by becoming more comfortable wearing a mask.
"Please find reusable/washable face coverings that your child is comfortable wearing and gradually build up the amount of time they can tolerate wearing them," Gardella wrote.
The Summit schools were among the first districts in the state to realize in March that they would close down long-term due to the coronavirus pandemic, and also may be one of the first districts in New Jersey to reopen, as their first day of school (decided two years ago) is Monday, Aug. 31.
Gardella cited recommendations both from the state and also from the American Academy of Pediatrics regarding students returning to in-person learning.
New studies have supported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation that mask-wearing is helpful in cutting down on (but not eliminating entirely) the spread of the virus, particularly if both parties near each other are wearing one.
His detailed letter said:
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DISTRICT PREPARATION PRIOR TO RECEIVING GUIDANCE
Our district was preparing for next year well before NJ Guidance was received. District level administration formed committees aligned with critical aspects of reopening: Health and Safety; Social Emotional Well Being; Instructional Planning; Special Education; Athletics; Technology; Facilities; and Operations.
Administrative leadership was assigned to each committee. These leaders mobilized approximately 160 Summit Public Schools staff members, who graciously volunteered their time this summer, into subcommittees. Subcommittees will address reopening at each level - Primary/Elementary, Middle, and High School. We identified topics, questions, and challenges, and paced our work with a goal of delivering a plan by August.
These preparations put us in an excellent position to receive the guidance that was released by the New Jersey Department of Education (DOE) on June 26.
GUIDANCE RECEIVED
The NJ DOE Guidance (The Road Back: Restart and Recovery Plan for Education) is over 100 pages. The guidance states that absent a shift in public health data, school buildings will open in some capacity for in-person instruction and operations in the fall. The guidance leaves flexibility for interpretation on how schools are required to operate when they open.
Shortly after the DOE guidance was released, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) delivered their guidance for reopening schools. This organization, albeit apart from the DOE, provides valuable perspectives that shape many educators’ practices. The AAP highlights the importance of having children attend school, and reminds us that the negative implications and consequences of not having students in school every day must be weighed against the current evidence about how COVID-19 affects school-aged children.
THE SUMMIT DISTRICT RESPONSE TO GUIDANCE
In light of the guidance received, and with knowledge of our district, its value and its commitments, Summit has brought the task at hand into sharper focus.
Summit will provide the best learning opportunities for our students. We will focus on creating gains while balancing and mitigating risks. We will do our very best to create learning environments that are safe using the precautions related to mitigating risk of transmission of COVID-19.
The Summit Public Schools has created the following guiding principles for development of a comprehensive plan:
● We will strive to maximize learning. Student achievement is always an important factor.
● We will make the overall health and safety of the students, staff, and community a priority. This includes physical, mental, and social-emotional health and well-being.
● We will do our best to ensure equitable access for all students, while respecting families that are concerned and/or high risk.
● We will communicate in an ongoing and transparent manner.
THE PLAN TO DATE
With these guiding principles in mind, our current plan is to offer in-person, 5 days a week learning to every student who would like to have that option. There will be an improved remote instruction program offered as an option for all families who have concerns about sending their children in person.
Our plans are being made based on what we believe is best for our educational community. The details and considerations below represent the foundation that we are building from, however all plans will be subject to additional input and approvals from the local Departments of Health and the Department of Education.
In-person instruction:
Confirmed in-person details to date:
● Students and staff will be required to wear face coverings, with accommodations made for those who cannot for certain medical or other conditions that preclude the use of face coverings.
● We will strive to create as much physical distancing as possible in classrooms, hallways, and other spaces.
● We will add measures and additional time during the day to allow for handwashing, mask “breaks,” snack, etc.
● Policies for daily screenings, handling of symptoms, and contact tracing will be developed and communicated as the summer progresses.
Other in-person considerations:
● The length of the school day has not yet been confirmed. It is possible that we may need to follow an abbreviated daily schedule. Factors that impact the length of the in-person day that are currently being thought through include how (if at all) to serve lunch, how to offer teachers time to devote to certain aspects of virtual instruction, and how to ensure that our custodial staff has ample time to sanitize the school on a daily basis.
Remote instruction:
We have received feedback from students, parents, and staff on ways to improve on our spring remote instruction. Our Education Department and instruction subcommittees are currently working on increasing the rigor, touchpoints, expectations, and consistency of our remote instruction. Details will follow once these plans are fully developed.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
We recognize the importance of community involvement as we continue to plan. Due to the aggressive timeline that we are on--we must deliver a plan by the end of July--we have developed a structure for community input and communication that will allow for streamlined information.
As established parent representatives in each of our school communities, the PTO Presidents will play a key role in our communications. Furthermore, because our guiding principles include our commitment to equitable access, I will follow this communication by establishing connections with various community groups in order to ensure opportunities for input. These connections include, but are not limited to diversity groups, local childcare providers, and groups that support the District with financial and other resources.
District Restart Committees: As referenced earlier in this letter, staff components for these committees are already in place. We will add the PTO President Council Leadership, the Board of Education, local emergency management officials, the police and City officials to ensure that all input is received.
School-Based Pandemic Response Teams: The school-based pandemic response teams are already established via our existing School Safety Teams (SSTs). We will include the PTO Presidents on the SSTs to ensure that we have clear and efficient information flow with the District Restart Committees.
NEXT STEPS AND FAMILY PREPARATION:
● IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED - Your input is needed to advance our plans. It is imperative that you respond to this less than 5-minute survey (https://forms.gle/jPxphe4vrjSopRda6) regarding your child’s in-person attendance in the fall by Friday, July 10.
● Start building “mask endurance” in your student(s). Please find reusable/washable face coverings that your child is comfortable wearing and gradually build up the amount of time they can tolerate wearing them. Masks are an important component of our health, safety, and risk mitigation plans.
● Have a working thermometer in your home, personal supplies of hand sanitizer (alcohol-based) that your child can carry to school, and any other personal items that you think will help your children feel comfortable back in a school environment.
It is important for everyone to understand that the bulk of our work is still ahead of us. This message is intended to give you current information and a sense of direction, as well as to collect your initial input. I will be updating the community on our progress in the coming weeks. Our full plan will address many other issues and considerations with respect to school routines, instruction and assessment, curricular resources, technology support, health and hygiene practices, and more. We will deliver this information to you by the end of the month.
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Summit coronavirus statistics, testing, resources, and updates
On Friday, July 3, the city of Summit reported one new case of coronavirus among residents after a week without a new case. The last report of a new case before that was on Saturday, June 26.
The new case reported Friday brought the total cases among residents to 216.
On Monday, the city said there had been two more cases, bringing the total to 218.
The city's last reported death among residents was announced in a report on Wednesday, June 17. A city spokesperson said in a release that day, "The Westfield Regional Health Department has confirmed the 17th fatality associated with the COVID-19 coronavirus in Summit, NJ. The deceased is a resident that had previously been hospitalized."
Statewide, numbers are declining, but the virus is still spreading and claiming lives.
Before the holiday weekend, on Wednesday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said there had been 423 new cases of the virus statewide in the previous 24 hours, and 45 more deaths. That meant that the number of cases has risen to 171,928, and 13,244 deaths.
This was down from New Jersey's peak: a high of 460 deaths in 24 hours on April 30, or one person every three minutes.
Additional Summit statistics are available at https://www.cityofsummit.org/coronavirus.
To find out more about city rules, how to get help, and the like, click here.
Here are some other recent Summit coronavirus updates:
TESTING
The schedule for the Union County drive-through testing center has changed several times. For more information, click here.
If you're a Union City resident, you can make an appointment at the testing site by calling 908-214-7107.
LOCAL BUSINESS/JOBS
The Garden State had planned to start allowing bars and restaurants to reopen for indoor dining on Thursday at 25 percent capacity — but Murphy pulled back last Monday, citing coronavirus spikes in other states where indoor dining opened earlier, as well as photos of Jersey shore bars packed with patrons.
However, outdoor dining started June 15. Here is a map of places to eat in Summit.
Hair salons and other personal care businesses were able to reopen June 22. State rules can be found here.
Read more about unemployment, small business, and other coronavirus regulations and benefits in New Jersey here.
Turtleback Zoo has job opportunities in guest relations, paddle boats, Treetop Adventure, parking and maintenance, must be 18 years of age. Please visit the link for a list of available jobs and how to apply: https://buff.ly/2QWodaV
HOSPITALS/NURSING HOMES
New Jersey residents have become alarmed at the high number of residents who have passed away in nursing homes, rehabs, and similar facilities, and have charged that the facilities are undercounting the numbers and not adequately protecting residents and staff. The state has faced questions for weeks from the press about how they will address the problems.
There is now a state website with numbers for people at individual nursing homes.
You can report immediate issues with long term care facilities here, or if you suspect coronavirus related misconduct that should be reported to the Attorney General, here.
Some nursing homes have begun allowing socially distanced visits.
Local hospitals updated their visitor guidelines last week. Read more here.
GIVING AND GETTING HELP
To find out about help for the needy and seniors, or get food or food bank information, contact your town via the town website.
To read about Feed the Front Lines, click here.
Here are additional statewide coronavirus resources:
NJ COVID-19 Information Hub: https://covid19.nj.gov/
General COVID-19 questions: 2-1-1
NJ COVID-19 hotline: (800) 222-1222
Got news? Email caren.lissner@patch.com. Don't miss Westfield and statewide news alerts when they are announced. Sign up for free Patch breaking news alerts and daily newsletters.
This article originally appeared on the Summit Patch
