Thomas Jefferson School

January 15, 2021
A Message from Our Principal


Dear TJ Families, 

I hope this finds everyone healthy, doing well and able to manage during these challenging times and this slightly unstable week, to put it one way. In my own household (for those of you who I confuse on a weekly basis as you try to keep up with your own family ‘comings and goings’ and my family updates, I apologize!), my wife started back in-person in her own district this past week, while our kids’ district remain vully virtual. This coming week finds us all going back to in-person….at least for now (we all know how that goes!). Ok...let’s all breathe together! 

During the last two weeks, when we’ve seen unrest in our nation’s capital to health concerns in our own local school district, it can certainly throw us for a loop and shake things up a bit. But, I absolutely must commend our students, families and staff and entire Thomas Jefferson community for their incredible resilience and flexibility. From the day to day and minute to minute changes in national, local, state and county health protocols, changes in school programming and the domino effects and challenges it causes to our school, and our families at home, it has not been easy to stay caught up. However, opportunities for vaccines are on the horizon and more information is forthcoming to combat the coronavirus. We hope that getting through the Winter months and into the Spring will give us the opportunity to bring back more students to in-person instruction in a safe way. This is the end goal. So, please stay tuned to us and we will continue to work in keeping you informed and in the loop. In last week’s Newsletter, I noted important contact information and I am again placing it below, in this addition. 

This coming week, the second marking period concludes on Thursday, January 21st with report cards released digitally on Monday, January 25th. Please remember that Monday, January 18th is a professional day for our staff so students do not have school. As an additional note for our 8th grade families, Ms. Gurgone, our counselor, is meeting with our 8th grade families to work on High School scheduling. If you have not yet made an appointment with her, please feel free to reach out, as her contact information is below. She is reaching out to families, as well.
 
Please remember to stay connected with us and also with your kids. Try your best to make time for a board game here and there, read a book together or draw a picture. Take a break from screen and tech time. Ask your kids how school is going. In our busy lives time is precious and it is sometimes harder to find a spare second than it would be to find a needle in a haystack, but that family time is more important in these hard times for us all, than it ever was before. 

Please be well and enjoy your weekend. 

Thank you for your partnership,
David

Facebook: Thomas Jefferson Middle School-Rockaway Borough
Instagram: tjprincipal
Twitter: Principal of TJ
Phone Number Main Office: 973 625-8603
Nurse: 973 625-8603 ext. 305
Counselor: 973 625-8603 ext. 331

A Very Important Note

Dear Rockaway Borough Families,
The health and safety of our school community is a shared responsibility between home and school, and all stakeholders must do their part. Please know we are counting on everyone to help keep all members of our community safe.
If you have not done so already, a parent/guardian must fill out a COVID-19 screening certification form, certifying that the student and family will follow the district’s health screening protocols. The form can be accessed by clicking the link below. This is a one-time certification for the 2020 - 2021 school year. 
Failure to fill out the certification form will result in a student being placed on all virtual learning.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter and as always, please stay safe and healthy.
Sincerely yours, 

David Waxman
Principal
Nurses Update


IMPORTANT COVID-19 UPDATED INFORMATION FOR STAFF AND STUDENTS

Our region continues to be in the “High Risk” activity level for COVID-19 by the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH). Please read through the NJDOH guidelines for attendance and exclusion from school for staff and students that apply while we are in the High Risk level.

Anyone who becomes ill with “COVID-19 Compatible Symptoms”, (at least two of the following symptoms: fever, chills, shivers, muscle aches, headache, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, congestion or runny nose; OR at least one of the following symptoms: cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, new loss of sense of smell, or new taste disorder), must not come into school and must stay home until at least 10 days have passed since symptom onset OR must have proof of a negative CVID-19 test and have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without use of fever-reducing medications and other symptoms must have improved. We can accept either molecular/PCR or antigen test results. A doctor’s note stating an alternate diagnosis in the absence of a negative COVID-19 test is no longer permissible to return to school under the latest NJDOH guidelines.

Close contacts or household members of an individual with the above “COVID-19 Compatible Symptoms” must be excluded from school through 14 days from date of last contact, or until the ill individual tests negative for COVID-19. A “close contact” is defined as someone who was within 6 feet of a person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24 hour period starting from 2 days before symptom onset or positive COVID-19 test. Therefore, students and staff who have been a close contact or household member of anyone with any of the above symptoms must remain at home until the ill person has been cleared as per the criteria above. If someone in the student’s or staff member’s household is being tested for COVID-19, the student or staff member should stay home until the household member’s test result is received.

If a student or staff member is tested for COVID-19, they must remain at home while awaiting the results. We can accept either molecular/PCR or antigen test results. A copy of the test result is needed in order to return to school.

If a student or staff member has been determined to have a close contact or household member of someone who has COVID-19, please notify the school nurse. Close contacts of someone diagnosed with COVID-19 may not return to school until their New Jersey Department of Health recommended period of quarantine of 14 days has ended. Those sharing a household with a COVID-19 positive person who is unable to isolate themselves will need to quarantine for a longer period of time, (14 additional days AFTER the COVID-19 positive person’s 10 day isolation ends). Please be advised while we are in the “High Risk” level, shortened quarantine time for close contacts does not apply and close contacts must adhere to the full 14-day quarantine.

If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, please notify the school nurse. Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 will be readmitted to school after the recommended period of isolation as New Jersey Department of Health guidelines, (10 days from the start of symptoms, or 10 days from date of positive test if asymptomatic). Re-testing of COVID-19 positive individuals is neither required or recommended. Any other close contacts in the household must also remain at home for the New Jersey Department of Health recommended period of quarantine.
                 
Thank you for your continued cooperation and support with keeping our school community safe and healthy!

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Savercool, Thomas Jeffrerson School Nurse, at 973-625-8603, extension 305, or at lsavercoo@rockboro.org.


Mrs. Savercool RN, BSN, CSN














































































Updated Daily Screening Tool


Parents/Guardians: Please review this form daily before sending your child to school and report your child’s information to the school nurse, (Mrs. Linda Savercool, RN, at lsavercool@rockboro.org or call   973-625-8603 x 305), if any of the symptoms or close contact/exposure fields are checked off.

Section 1: Symptoms
Any of the symptoms below could indicate a COVID-19 infection in children and may put your child at risk for spreading illness to others. Please note that this list does not include all possible symptoms and children with COVID-19 may experience any, all, or none of these symptoms. Please check your child daily for these symptoms:
Column A                                            Column B
___ Fever (100.0F or higher)           ___Cough
___ Chills                                             ___ Shortness of breath
___Rigors (shivers)                             ___ Difficulty breathing
___ Myalgia (muscle aches)                             ___ New loss of smell
___ Headache   ___ New loss of taste
___ Sore throat                                                                         
___ Nausea or Vomiting
___ Diarrhea
___ Fatigue (feeling tired)
___ Congestion or runny nose
Students who are sick (e.g. fever, vomiting, diarrhea) should not attend school in-person. If TWO OR MORE of the fields in Column A are checked off, or AT LEAST ONE field in Column B is checked off, please keep your child at home and notify the school for further instructions.

Section 2: Close contact/Potential Exposure
Please verify if in the last 14 days:
_____Your child had close contact (within 6 feet of an infected person for 15 or more minutes during a 24-hour period) with a person with COVID-19.
_____ Someone in your household is diagnosed with or is being tested for COVID-19
_____ Your child has traveled from any U.S. state or territory outside of New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, or has traveled out of the country.

If any of the fields in this section are checked off, contact the school nurse, Mrs. Linda Savercool, RN at: lsavercool@rockboro.org or 973-625-8603 x 305 for the most current exclusion recommendations before sending your child to school. Contact your child’s healthcare provider or your local health department (973-537-7118) for further guidance.                     


Roadtripping?


If your family plans to travel out of state or out of the country beyond the immediate region (New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware) please inform the school nurse as your child will need to remain home for the recommended quarantine period upon return to New Jersey.  Your child may participate in school remotely during the recommended quarantine period and will receive full credit for attendance.

Please contact Mrs. Savercool, School Nurse for further information if you have any questions, at 973-625-8603, ext. 305 or lsavercool@rockboro.org.




JANUARY 2021 CYCLE CALENDAR




Cast Call




TJ students in grades 6-8, you are invited to join the Drama Club in creating our spring virtual production of: 



 "[Connecting through] The Sound of Music, A Musical Revue"  

Opportunities will include acting, singing, dancing, and video production. If any or all of these things interest you, please join us!

Email Mrs. Love with interest or questions at hlove@rockboro.org (please use heading "TJ Musical") and/or join the TJ Musical Google Classroom using code: 3ocpnsq


Please respond by Jan. 15th  




HOME & SCHOOL


Please check back for future events
8th Grade Fundraiser

Please check back for future events

LOCAL ACTIVITIES





















What's New in Our Schools and in Our Community
Respect Yourself and Others
Achieve Excellence
Make Good Choices
Stay Safe
Thomas Jefferson School - 95 East Main Street, Rockaway NJ 07866 - Phone: 973-625-8603