Port Jervis Learning Community,
It is our hope that the final days of summer are providing opportunities for enjoying time with one’s family and friends. The new school year is nearly upon us, particularly with JV and Varsity sports beginning on Monday, August 23!
I am writing to our learning community to provide another update on our reopening plan. Our administrative team and Reopening Committee have reviewed the guidance documents from the American Academy of Pediatrics, Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and New York State Education Department (NYSED). Additionally, we have consulted with our school district’s Medical Director and the Orange County Department of Health. As a result, the following is an overview of the layered mitigation strategies, inclusive of the rationale, of the Port Jervis CSD Reopening Plan for the 2021-2022 school year.
Instructional Model
- In-person instruction for all students, five days per week
- The remote learning model is not being offered
Masks / Face coverings
- Masks will be required on school transportation and inside of the school buildings
- Masks will not be required when outdoors
- Mask break protocols will continue to be implemented
Physical Distancing
- There will be three feet of physical distancing between students in classrooms to the greatest extent possible and practicable
- When possible, physical distancing will be increased during mask breaks and while students are eating
Contact Tracing / Quarantine Protocol
- The CDC defines “a close contact as “someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period”
- “In the K-12 indoor classroom setting, the close contact definition excludes students who were within 3 to 6 feet of an infected student if both the infected and exposed student(s) correctly and consistently wore well-fitting masks” (CDC, NYSED)
- School personnel, in collaboration with the Department of Health, will conduct contact tracing, notify close contacts, and provide quarantine information, if applicable
Health Attestation / Temperature Screening
- Students, faculty, and staff will not need to complete the daily health screening form
- Temperature screening will continue to take place each morning during student arrival
Athletics
- While indoors, masks will be required for all students, coaches, spectators, etc.
- While outdoors, masks are not required
Rationale
The above overview of protocols allow our faculty, staff, and students to engage in the most productive and least disruptive educational model, providing instruction and services in-person in the school building, while minimizing the need to quarantine individuals and maximizing the safety and well-being of our learning community.
Thank you for the continued support and patience as we prepare for a school year that will allow for a safe and effective learning environment and increased opportunities for our students to participate in athletics and extra-curricular activities.
Sincerely,
Mike Rydell
Superintendent of Schools