Dear Parents and Community,

Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year.  As we begin this year, the first word that comes to mind is “different.” For the first time ever, “back-to-school” will actually mean returning to the continuation of online learning and seeing our images in a Google Meet. It is certainly not the ideal situation. However, given the global coronavirus health crisis and all the concerns related to it, virtual instruction is the most appropriate educational model to start the school year.  

Our top priority continues to be the health and safety of our students, staff, families, the entire community, and we hope to be in our classrooms and offices soon.  Further, our priority continues to be the intellectual and social development of our students and staff.  So, as we did during the spring, we will continue to prepare, empower, and inspire our students.  We have grown from our experiences and are better prepared to teach and learn this year. I’m confident that all of us involved in the virtual learning process will adapt and flourish. 

The first day of virtual learning will be Tuesday, September 8. Full, specific details are available here, and I encourage you to read through these carefully, so you’ll know exactly what to expect. In addition, here are a few general recommendations: 

• If possible, create a dedicated workspace for your child, and be sure they have all the necessary supplies. 
• Talk with your child, emphasizing that school is important. Whether they’re being instructed in-person or virtually, they need to do their best. 
• Each morning, try to ensure that your child is well-rested and has a meal. We want them to be as prepared for virtual instruction as they were for in-person instruction. The District will continue to provide 5 days worth of meals following a rotation schedule beginning on Tuesday, September 8. 
• Make sure both you and your child know how to reach out to the teacher, as needed, to ask questions. 
• Each day, discuss with your child what they are learning in school,what learning tasks they have completed and what they need to complete for the next day’s classes.

All of us in New Brunswick, from students and their families, to teachers and school district staff, to administrators and the community at large, are about to experience a school year like no other. The pandemic has impacted all our lives since March. However, considering the exceptional quality of our district’s educators and the deep commitment to education that I see among our parents and community, I know our students will succeed. They will do well and be ready to return to their school building as soon as it’s safe to do so. 

In the meantime, let’s all work together to Prepare, Empower, and Inspire lifelong learners and leaders! 

Thank you, 

Dr. Aubrey A. Johnson  
Superintendent of Schools 

Dear New Brunswick Public Schools Community,

As a follow-up to my June 30, 2020 communication, our district re-entry committees have been working diligently to construct a learning plan that includes both in-person and virtual instruction (hybrid model) for all students and staff for this upcoming school year.  This plan ensures the health and safety of our students and staff, while generating an environment conducive to both learning and instruction. 

Our preliminary decisions are grounded in the guidance provided by the New Jersey Department of Education, Road Back: Restart and Recovery Plan For Education, school configurations, and survey results from our parents and teachers.  Our re-entry plan is flexible and subject to change pending the current health pandemic, state and city guidelines, and individual school decisions based on school-level surveys and needs.  Our preliminary plan includes the following: 

HEALTH & WELLNESS

• All students and staff will be required to wear a face-covering/mask (unless prohibited because of a documented medical condition and must maintain a six-foot distance from others).
• We are planning for daily temperature readings and/or health screenings for all students, faculty, and staff.
• All district facilities will be deep-cleaned frequently, and all safety guidelines will be vigorously enforced.  
   

TRANSPORTATION

• We are planning to provide student transportation that will follow appropriate social distancing guidelines. Doing so will call for smaller numbers of students than usual to be transported during a single trip. We will continue to monitor the current pandemic conditions and, as conditions improve, will increase the number of students transported at a single time. Some bus routes may have more or fewer students and we will ensure all students are wearing a face-covering /mask.
   

MEALS

• For all student meals, the district will continue its current Grab and Go nutrition plan.  Each school will prepare its students’ meals on a daily basis.  Each student will receive meals during in-person instruction days and will be provided meals for virtual instruction days. 
   

TEACHING & LEARNING

• We have planned a multi-tiered instructional model that provides in-person and virtual instruction for all students. Models vary by grade levels and are based on student and school  needs, as well as school configurations. 
• We have planned a model to determine the percentage of students for in-person instruction at any one time. The model allows for the following percentages: Phase 1: 25%; Phase 2: 50%; Phase 3: 75%; and Phase 4: 100%.  During Phase 1, each student will have one day of half-day, in-person instruction, and will continue with virtual instruction once they return home. During Phase 2, students will have two or three days of in-person instruction and will resume virtual instruction at home. During Phases 3 and 4, students will have three to five days of full-day,  in-person instruction.
• Due to specific, current nature of the pandemic, we will begin the school year at Phase 1 for the majority of the school district, and at Phases 2 and 3 for our primary and elementary grades. These decisions allow for flexibility at the school level and are guided by current pandemic conditions.
• Students will be separated into four groups (Group 1, Group 2, Group 3, and Group 4) in order to create student cohorts that will attend school at the same time. Cohorts will be created to provide continuity across the district. Parents will be notified which group their children are in, as well as which day(s) that group will have in-person instruction. Parents and students will also receive advanced notification of dates and times of online classes/Google Meets. 

 

PRELIMINARY SCHOOL SCHEDULES

Schedule for Pre-K: 

• All preschool classrooms will hold a full educational day in school in accordance with NJDOE guidelines. 
• As of July 15, the district has determined the maximum, safe number of students in a classroom should be between 10 and 15 students, not to exceed 15 students. 
   

Schedule for Elementary and K-8 Schools : 

• A multi-tiered, hybrid model will be implemented based on student needs. 
• Instruction will incorporate face-to-face and virtual learning with a limited number of students in each class.
• Students will be split into A/B groups, based upon class size, to keep groups as evenly sized as possible. 
• Students will attend school for in-person instruction from 8:50 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. every other day (A Day/B Day) and will engage in whole class virtual instruction, from home, beginning at 2 p.m. 
• Instruction will be delivered in the same classroom all day, whenever possible.
• Dismissal times  for students who require transportation may differ. 
   

Schedule for New Brunswick Middle School: 

• A multi-tiered, hybrid model will be implemented based on student needs. 
• Instruction will incorporate in-person and virtual learning with a limited number of students in each class during in-person instruction.
• Students will be divided into cohorts and will attend school for in-person instruction from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The number of days per week will be determined. 
• Dismissal times for students who require transportation may differ. 
   

Schedule for High Schools:

• A multi-tiered, hybrid model will be implemented in Grades 9-12.

• The high school will operate on a four-by-four, block schedule (i.e. four courses per half-year semester).
• Instruction will incorporate in-person and virtual learning with a limited number of students in each class during in-person instruction.
• Students will be divided into cohorts and will attend school for in-person instruction from 7:56 a.m. to 12:56 p.m. The number of days for in-person instruction per week will be determined. 

 

PARENTAL SUPPORT AT HOME

• During the next month, collect reusable and washable face coverings that your child is comfortable wearing. Click here for instructions on how to make face coverings at home. 
• While at home, consistently practice health and hygiene procedures such as temperature-taking, frequent hand washing, and using hand sanitizers whenever soap and water are not available.
• Ensure that you have more than one working thermometer in your home, along with alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
• Know how to protect yourself and others. 
   

Presently, our school-based re-entry committees -- which consist of school administrators, nurses, secretaries, teachers, security, custodians, technology liaison, parents, and a family liaison -- are creating plans specific to each individual school’s needs. These plans are not for the entire year but serve as a starting point and are subject to change as the year progresses.  Once our plan is approved by the New Jersey Department of Education, we will provide specific information relative to school routines, student schedules, after-school opportunities, and instructional supports.  During the next several weeks, the district will be releasing a new parent and staff survey that will be essential to our planning efforts.   We wanted to provide you with preliminary information that can assist you with planning for the beginning of the school year.    

Our entire school district -- faculty, staff, administration, and board members -- continue to do everything necessary to ensure that we are ready for the upcoming school year by providing a safe and nurturing learning environment for all our students.

Thank you.

Dr. Aubrey A. Johnson 
Superintendent of Schools

As you may be aware, Governor Murphy confirmed that all New Jersey schools will re-open in September with both in-person and virtual instruction for all students and staff.   Furthermore, the New Jersey Department of Education has released the Restart and Recovery Plan: The Road Back guidelines to ensure school districts open safely and are prepared to accommodate students.  Our school district has been preparing for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year and I would like to share with you the following key points:  

• Our district-wide “Re-entry Committee,”  which consists of 32 administrators, has been meeting regularly to develop appropriate plans related to school operations. 

• Plans are being developed to regularly screen students and staff for COVID-19, and to enhance all routine cleaning and disinfecting protocols. We are reviewing our district facilities to ensure they can support the necessary safety measures, including social distancing. 
  
• At the school level, we recently launched our “Return to School Committee,” made up of administrators, teachers, staff and parents. This group will help to ensure that our processes and procedures are in place for each school. 

• We are now assessing the results of parent and staff surveys, to gain insight for finalizing an effective, hybrid instruction model with elements both of in-person and virtual education.   
   

Our entire school district -- faculty, staff, administration, and board members -- are doing everything necessary to ensure that we are ready for the upcoming school year.  As the summer progresses, I’ll keep the community informed with regular updates on our progress.  

Thank you,

Dr. Aubrey A. Johnson
Superintendent of Schools