Dear Port Jervis Learning Community,
We are very excited to transition to Instructional Phase 2 on Monday, September 21, 2020! This transition will include the return of students to the classrooms and we have been preparing for this for several months. These efforts were focused on planning and preparing for the safest learning environment possible, and resulted in some aspects of the school day being noticeably different from previous openings. We are proud of the additional efforts invested by our entire faculty, staff, and administration to also ensure that many of the traditional or “normal” aspects of the school experience were also preserved.
Each of our school buildings have shared building-specific information and protocols over the past few weeks, but I wanted to share two significant changes to protocol that will be implemented across our school district as we are transitioning back to the in-person learning model.
COVID Screening Form
An essential first step in our protocol is the completion of the COVID Screening Form by all individuals entering school buildings. Faculty, staff, administration, and any visitor to a school building have completed this form on a daily basis since the beginning of the school year. Prior to the school day, students will be required to complete this form online regardless of whether they are scheduled for in-person or remote learning. This easy to complete form will provide the school with important information regarding the status of potential symptoms in our learning community.
The form can be accessed using the yellow “COVID Screening Form banner on the District website, www.pjschools.org
Temperature Screening
In addition to the symptom and temperature screening that is being done at home prior to completing the COVID Screening Form, each student that arrives at school will have their temperature scanned using a touchless forehead thermometer. This scanning will be completed prior to entering the school building. Any student who has a temperature over 100 degrees will be referred to the school nurse.
Each of our school buildings are equipped with temperature scanners located at the main entrances that will be used by our students. These scanners will provide our staff with a second temperature reading of all students, employees, and visitors to the building. Again, if an individual has a temperature that exceeds 100 degrees, they will be referred to the nurse for further evaluation.
Our collective goal is to have our students in our schools and classrooms. These safety measures will provide all involved with simple, but valuable steps to begin each school day. These steps will assist in providing the safest learning environment, keeping our learning community healthy, and allowing us to continue in the hybrid model.
As we are beginning the transition with approximately 25% of our students on any day next week, we are confident that our students will learn the processes for entry in the school building and once we are in Phases 3 and 4, this will simply be part of their daily routine.
Again, we are looking forward to a great opening and seeing our students back in the classrooms!
Sincerely,
Mike Rydell