Shamong Schools
Spring Break and Beyond Updates
April 9, 2020
Dear Families,


On March 15, 2020, I informed you of the joint decision in Burlington County to close schools until April 20 th . Since then, the Governor ordered all schools to be closed “indefinitely.” New Jersey Commissioner of Education Repollet stated he and the governor will not assess “the reopening of schools until at least April 17, 2020, at the earliest.” The buildings remain closed with no access for staff and students. Essential personnel will continue to operate the district as needed. 

Enduring weeks without a regular school routine and social interaction can be overwhelming. Please know that we are doing our very best to make decisions that are in the best interest of our students, teachers and families. We miss our students, families and the activities that keep us close as a school community.

Throughout this closure period, school lunches are being made available to eligible families. Also, approval was granted by the Department of Education to provide special education related services via telecommunication to eligible students.   

Thank you for your support, encouragement and dedication as we continue to educate our students together. 

Stay Well,

Dr. Christine Vespe
Superintendent of Schools 

IMMS Information from Mr. Carroll

During the school day, many students get into a really nice groove with their schedule. The routine can prove to be helpful to students and knowing what to expect each day can ease tension and worry. With that in mind, and to regulate the scheduling of live lessons and teacher check ins with students, we will be instituting the schedule below after Spring Break. When the schedule is able to be followed student work will largely be able to be completed by noon each day.

We realize that this schedule will not be the best option for all families and respect that. As a staff, we do recommend finding that ‘sweet spot’ of school time to integrate with your daily schedules. We also realize that many families are juggling students in multiple grades, sharing devices, and dealing with the stress of this pandemic. Our goal is to provide the highest quality instruction and support for each student while maintaining flexibility, caring, and empathy for everyone involved.
* This Schedule is for Middle School Students/Staff Only *

TECHNOLOGY

 
Dear Parents and Guardians,
 
Video Conferencing is a great teleschooling tool to use during these uncharacteristic times. However, sometimes these tools can be misused. Zoom video conferencing is currently headlining in the news in regards to improper use. The coined term is “Zoombombing” where uninvited guests join/hijack meetings. These encounters are arising due to public posting of meetings via Social Media, and/or generated meetings set as public. All video conferencing platforms are subjected to this exploit when public advertising of meetings exist.

To help mitigate this issue, Shamong Schools has taken the necessary steps, provided by Google, ZOOM, and the FBI to safeguard live video conferencing for our students:

Google Meet Security Protocols
  • Meetings are posted in Google Classroom or Moodle where ONLY staff and students can access to obtain meeting codes and links.
  • Some invites sent directly to parents if not posted in the Google Classroom or Moodle
  • Staff waiting until the last student is out of the meeting until ending the meeting

Zoom Security Protocols
  • Meetings are posted in Google Classroom or Moodle where ONLY staff and students can access to obtain meeting codes and links.
  • Some invites sent directly to parents if not posted in the Google Classroom or Moodle
  • Utilization of the Waiting Room before individuals can join.
  • All meetings are set to private
  • Screen sharing is set to “Host Only” at the beginning of the meeting
 
 
We encourage students to participate in live lessons, but understand it is not always possible.
 
 
Thank you for all your help and support!
 
   
Nelson Vasquez
District Technology Coordinator

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