Coordinated through the Curriculum and Instruction Office and the Technology Department, more than 50 professional development sessions geared towards technology and remote learning were offered to teachers starting in July. The response was overwhelmingly positive and teachers are working diligently to prepare and familiarize themselves with the varying technology platforms to support a robust remote learning experience. Additionally, the Virtual Learning Platform was developed to support teacher professional development and has a variety of resources for staff. This can be accessed by all teachers through www.chclc.org

The term "cohort" refers to the grouping of our students into 2 smaller groups, called Cohort A and Cohort B. These cohorts  allow for social distancing among those who have chosen the hybrid learning model and to facilitate synchronous (live) and asynchronous (not live) in an organized fashion.

All students – those who have chosen the hybrid and those who have chosen all remote –  have been assigned a cohort.

If a student has chosen hybrid learning, the student's cohort determines when he/she reports to school in person and when he/she logs on for remote learning. If a student has chosen all-remote learning, his/her cohort assignment determines when he signs on for live learning and when he participates in independent learning.

Charts explaining what a week looks like for each cohort are available on the WE Return to Learn homepage.

All students – those who have chosen the hybrid and those who have chosen all remote –  have been assigned a cohort (either A or B) to facilitate synchronous (live) online learning and asynchronous (not live) online learning in an organized fashion. Your son’s cohort assignment determines when he signs on for live learning and when he participates in independent learning. When hybrid students are in school in person, the all-remote students in their cohort will log on for live learning. You may find more information about the cohort system, including a graphic with an explanation of what a week looks like on the hybrid schedule, on the WE Return to Learn page of the district website.

Specific questions regarding your child should be directed to his principal.

Synchronous instruction refers to instruction delivered online in which the teacher is teaching live and interacting with the students who are attending the class remotely. Asynchronous instruction refers to instruction delivered online in which the teacher is not teaching live – the teacher could be on recorded video, could have posted assignments online, could have assigned work via Google Classroom or other platforms, etc.

As of this date, there are no proposed changes to the 2020-2021 academic year calendar.

That is not the intention. CHPS teachers work daily to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of students. There is an emphasis on core competencies for each content area to ensure we are implementing the Cherry Hill curriculum and the New Jersey Student Learning Standards.

Devices for students who are fully remote will be distributed prior to the start of school with other curricular materials.  The date will be communicated by the building principal to families.

Devices for students who are hybrid will be distributed on the student's assigned A or B hybrid day. 

The District is following the guidelines and protocols that have been developed and communicated by the New Jersey Department of Education, the Camden County Department of Health, the CDC, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The combination of the requirements and guidelines have provided a structure for the development of the WE Return to Learn Plan. The District must be in compliance with the guidelines established by the State of New Jersey.

The District has a comprehensive cleaning program schedule for every custodial position in the District - both day and night positions. The current cleaning program schedules for day custodians have been revised and enhanced to allow for additional cleaning and disinfecting in high touch areas such as main offices and lobbies and in student bathrooms, both at mid-morning and mid-afternoon.  In addition, cafeteria tables and serving lines will be sanitized in between each lunch period. The nurses’ offices will continue to be cleaned and disinfected as often as necessary, based upon usage.  Physical education class equipment needed for multiple classes will be disinfected in between classes and disinfected in the evening by the night custodial staff. Elementary school all-purpose rooms will be disinfected at the conclusion of the School Age Child Care (SACC) program in the morning and before it begins in the afternoon.

The schedule for night custodians will be modified so that all building cleaning is completed by 9:00 p.m. each evening. This will allow time for the use of electrostatic sprayers throughout the entire building to disinfect and sanitize all spaces, furniture, equipment, toys and high touch areas. Our custodians received hands-on training on August 17, 2020 to learn to use the electrostatic sprayers. Each custodian will have an electostatic sprayer of his/her own.

Cleaning will be monitored by three night custodial supervisors who will inspect schools each evening. Inspection sheets will be completed nightly and forwarded to the Custodial Manager for daily review and any concerns will be addressed. In addition, the Head Custodian of each building will inspect all parts of the school building prior to the start of the school day.

The primary disinfectant product that will be used is Alpha HD by Diversey. The second disinfectant product that will be used is Shockwave by Fiberlock.  The primary sanitizer product that will be used around food service areas and on cafeteria tables/seats is J-512 by Diversey.

Cleaning and disinfecting will take place every day in our schools.

A fabric mask is being provided to each employee. Hand sanitizer and disposable wipes are being provided for each classroom.  For special education  teachers: face shields in addition to the masks, gowns and shoe covers for those who must be one-on-one or change diapers/assist children in the restroom. Sneeze guards will be provided for one-to-one interaction with students (counselors, child study team members, etc).

Yes

We currently are fully stocked with hand sanitizer for every classroom, office and bathroom.

Yes. Disposable wipes will be provided. High-touch areas (bathrooms, main offices, entrances etc.) will be cleaned mid-morning and mid-afternoon. 

Yes, students will have the opportunity to borrow a Chromebook. A parent survey will be disseminated through Genesis beginning on July 28, 2020. 

A survey will be disseminated to families beginning on Tuesday, July 28, 2020, regarding: full remote learning/hybrid option, technology needs, and transportation.

Requests for changes should be made to your building principal and will be considered on a case by case basis.

Yes, screen time is a consideration in the planning that is taking place. The full remote option will not require students to be in front of a computer screen for a straight 6 ½ hours.

Yes, snack time will be built into the school day. Students will be permitted to have a snack at an assigned time either in their classroom or outdoors.

Based upon the current schedule that is being proposed and discussed, students who have chosen a full remote option for learning will still be assigned to an A or B cohort. The alternating day schedule will allow time for the teachers to dedicate attention and feedback time directly on the cohort with whom they are working for the day.

This option was discussed but was ultimately discarded in favor the hybrid model, utilizing an alternating A day/B day schedule.

We did consider an AA/BB scheduled, but the A/B model is more conducive to the district overall. We are not using Wednesday as a "deep cleaning" day. Rather, we are committed to disinfecting our buildings daily. Our cooperative learning day each Monday is designed to increase collegiality among the classes, ground the students for the week's work and for the teachers to provide clarification to the entire class. It allows everyone to start the week in the same place.

Yes. We have planned the hybrid model to be in compliance with the directive from the NJ Department of Education to offer in-person instruction for our students. All-vitual learning remains an option for our families. We are fully prepared to pivot to an all-virtual model should the state's directive change to that.

Yes, students with disabilities will have a fully remote option regardless of their special education program. Students and families will need to be in contact with the classroom teacher to finalize the students schedule to maximize live instruction and interactions.

We will have additional supports available if needed, which we can provide virtually. We encourage parents to stay in communication with their child's teachers, guidance counselors, case managers if appropriate, and principals so that concerns can be addressed right away.

The statement regarding students completing work independently does not pertain to parents or caregivers who provide support; it is for parents and caregivers who complete the work and submit it for students. We had numerous examples during the spring where the work submitted was not reflective of the students' ability, even if in a remote setting. The work was clearly completed by someone else. Our teachers monitor and know the baselines for their students' work. We also use a platform called Turn It In to monitor for plagiarism.

The live streaming of classes will be done through a closed online platform and will not be broadcast for the public to see.

Students residing in the same household will be placed in the same cohort.

The full remote option is scheduled through the end of January 2021. The District will begin considering the extension of the option in December 2020, based upon the available data and additional information and guidance provided by the Department of Education and the Department of Health.