Verona High School
4th Marking Period Survey
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Dear Parents & Guardians,
I hope you and your family are well. The high school administration has been very busy listening to the feedback from parents, students, and staff. We appreciate everyone's input and patience throughout this process. The school schedule is a complicated issue and one in which there are many strong feelings. We understand that there are different opinions and we value everyone’s thoughts as we work to transition out of this pandemic.
I kindly ask that you please read this entire communication carefully and fully so that you can best communicate your choice to the high school administration.
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Please know that throughout this pandemic, the Verona Public School District has communicated that we must follow the guidance of the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH)/Montclair Department of Health. We have heard from many who have questioned why we follow the guidelines of the NJDOH/Montclair Department of Health. We follow their guidelines because we want to make sure that our students and staff are safe.
The administrative team and I have spent a great deal of time on safety procedures and improving the facilities for our students and staff. Additionally, we have made in-house childcare and PPE available for all of our staff members. We believe that our procedures throughout this pandemic are a large reason why we have been able to operate without any significant outbreak of Covid-19 in our school building.
In regards to physical distancing, the NJDOH released updated guidance for schools on March 24, 2021. As a result, the current guidelines at VHS remain at 6 feet of physical distance. We are prepared to transition the high school to 3 feet of physical distance within a few days should we drop below High on the COVID-19 Regional Risk Matrix and upon the guidance of the Montclair Department of Health. We also believe that 3 feet of physical distance would likely result in the school transitioning to 1 cohort.
If the change to 3 feet of physical distance happens prior to the 4th marking period, we should be able to get every student, who selected in-person learning for the 3rd marking period, into the building each school day for his or her morning classes.
Students who selected to be fully remote for the 3rd marking period must wait until marking period 4 to change their status.
Regardless of the physical distancing guidelines from the NJDOH/Montclair Department of Health and the resulting number of cohorts required, beginning in the 4th Marking Period (April 22, 2021), we are planning to transition the high school to a full day of in-person learning because of the feedback we have received from our students.
Please understand that the number of cohorts needed for the 4th marking period will depend upon the NJDOH/Montclair Health Department guidelines and the number of students who select in-person learning. If the guidelines remain at 6 feet of physical distancing, there will likely be multiple cohorts.
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Recently, we asked the students if they are in favor of returning to school for a full day of in-person learning. When we asked, 57% of students who responded said they want to return to school in-person for a full school day.
Please see those results below:
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We also surveyed the students as to why they have not been participating in in-person learning. Below are the top responses (making up 83% of responses).
When asked the #1 reason selected was:
- When in school, I still have to learn on my computer, so there is no point in coming in. 23.8%
The #2 reason selected was:
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I was concerned about Covid-19. 18.8%
The #3 reason selected was:
- Not applicable because I have been coming to school. 13.9%
The #4 reason selected was:
- School is not as fun as it was before the pandemic. 12.6%
The #5 reason selected was:
- My friends are not in school, so I do not like coming. 7.6%
The #6 reason selected was:
- I am more comfortable at home. 6.3%
Please see the graph below for more details:
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For the 4th marking period, we would like to give our parents 3 choices. The choices are independent of cohort grouping. The schedule for high school classes as it pertains to rotation and times will not change. These choices are outlined below:
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Choice 1:
Students go to school in-person, full-day (6 periods) (this could be in 1 cohort, 2 cohorts, or 3 cohorts depending on physical distancing guidelines). Parents are responsible for making sure that the student is able to eat lunch outside of the building and return from lunch so that he or she may resume in-person classes in the afternoon. Those who choose this option are expected to be physically in class each day.
Students who choose this option will be permitted to eat outside on the upper and lower fields. Students in grades 9-12 who select this choice will also be permitted to leave campus. Parents who select this choice for their child understand and give permission for their child to leave the school campus during the school day. The high school administration reserves the right to not allow the students to eat on the upper or lower fields on days when the weather is an issue. Students will have to be prepared to adjust based on the weather.
The high school administration will make the decision about lunch each day by 10:00 AM regarding the weather outside. If the high school must cancel outside lunch due to the weather, all students in Choice 1 will be remote for the remaining 2-afternoon classes on that school day. We are doing this so students can go home to eat lunch without the concern of returning to school in inclement weather. It is our hope that this is not a frequent occurrence. There will also be no option for students to eat lunch within the high school building this school year. Additionally, Pomptonian will have grab-&-go lunches available for students.
If the student selects Choice 1 for the 4th marking period, then he or she is expected to be in the school building for all of his or her classes on the days and periods he or she is supposed to be in the building. For example, if we are under a 1 cohort model and the student selects Choice 1, the student is expected to be present in the school for his or her class the entire school day, every school day of the week. If we are still under a 2 cohort model, then the student would be expected to be present in the school building every other day for the entire school day. Choosing Choice 1 comes with a commitment.
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Choice 2:
Students attend school in-person for morning classes (first 4 blocks of school) and continue to take the afternoon classes (last 2 blocks of school) remotely (this could be in 1 cohort, 2 cohorts, or 3 cohorts depending on physical distancing guidelines). This option is the current in-person option we have at the high school. Those who choose this option will go home for lunch and not return to school for in-person learning in the afternoon. Additionally, Pomptonian will have grab-&-go lunches available for students. If the student selects Choice 2 for the 4th marking period, then he or she is expected to be in school, in-person for the 4-morning classes. The student will be expected to participate remotely in the afternoon classes.
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Choice 3:
The student chooses to take all of his or her classes remotely. Those who choose this option will not be in the building during the 4th marking period for classes.
If the student selects Choice 3 for the 4th marking period, then he or she is expected to be present remotely for all of his or her classes. Being present remotely means that the student has his or her camera turned on, that the student's full face is visible on the camera, and he or she is participating in the lesson. This applies to the Choice 2 students as well when they are learning at home remotely.
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Attendance in School:
We understand the amount of time and effort it takes for our teachers to develop engaging lessons for our students. We have heard from parents, students, and staff that in order to get more students in the building and return our school back to what it was before the pandemic, we need to hold students who selected in-person learning accountable for their attendance in school. This is important because approximately 30% of students whose parents chose in-person learning are absent from in-person learning each day. As a result, students will no longer be allowed to decide daily if they want to attend school in-person. We believe holding students accountable for attendance will result in better experiences for our students.
Attendance for Students who Select Choice 1:
If the student selects Choice 1 for the 4th marking period, he or she will be expected to be in the school building for all of his or her classes that are assigned to be taken in-person, in the building. If a student is scheduled to be in the building for in-person learning and has 3 instances where the student was absent unexcused from in-person learning, then the student will be converted to Choice 2 or 3 below for the remainder of the school year.
For Students who Select Choice 2:
If the student selects Choice 2 for the 4th marking period, then he or she is expected to be in school, in-person, for the 4-morning classes. The student will be expected to participate remotely in the afternoon classes. If a student is scheduled to be in the building for in-person learning and has 3 instances where the student was absent unexcused from in-person learning, then the student will be converted to Choice 3 below for the remainder of the school year.
For Students who Select Choice 3:
If the student selects Choice 3 for the 4th marking period, then he or she is expected to be present remotely for all of his or her classes.
*Being present remotely means that the student has his or her camera turned on, that the student's full face is visible on the camera, and he or she is participating in the lesson.
*Please know that the only absences that will be excused are the religious holidays that are already approved by the State of New Jersey, court appearances, death in the family, an approved college visit (grades 11 and 12 only), illnesses excused by a doctor, and those with prior approval from high school administration. Absences that occur as a result of travel or weather are not excused. As always, all absences (both in-person absences and remote absences) must be reported to the high school attendance office.
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Please select your choice by clicking the Orange button below.
Please Answer this Survey by April 7, 2021.
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What do we want learning to look like for the 4th marking period? |
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We have heard from our parents and students that a big reason they did not like in-person learning was that once in the school building, the student still had to learn on a Google Meet. We understand this concern. For this reason, for the 4th marking period, we will be asking our teachers to do their best to make sure that students are not always on Google Meet when they are participating in in-person learning. This means more group work, collaborative learning, etc.
This change means that remote learning may look different. We recognize that this change may present new challenges for our student's learning at home. For this reason, we will ask our teachers to find ways to creatively improve instruction in the classroom while maintaining the best remote instruction possible for our remote students.
Should your concern remain after speaking with the staff member, please contact their supervisor for more assistance. The following is a list of VHS Supervisors:
Special Education:
Nothing is changing for our special education population. Should you have a question, please contact your child's case manager.
Clubs:
The high school administration is happy to announce that clubs will once again be able to meet in-person during the lunch block. The only provision would be that the club activity must conclude by 12:30 PM so there is enough time for students to eat lunch and travel home.
Capstone:
If we are in a multi-cohort model for the 4th marking period, we will look at decreasing the cohort numbers once the senior students leave for Capstone on May 17, 2021. This transition would take a few days.
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We look forward to reading your responses.
Sincerely,
Mr. Cogdill
Principal
Verona High School
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