Dear Parents & Guardians,
Out of great concern for the health and welfare of Bergen County residents and all school staff during this Coronavirus/COVID-19 health crisis, the Bergen County Executive has called for ALL school buildings in this county to be closed, indefinitely, beginning on Monday, March 16, 2020.
On behalf of Teaneck Public Schools, I am appreciative of this decision. Although we currently have no presumptive positive cases in the District, we will close all of our school buildings next week. Our district office (at the Glenpointe – 300 Glenpointe Centre “East” building – 7th Floor) will remain open with limited staff each day. In the likely event that we will need to close our school buildings beyond the coming week, I will communicate that to you by the end of next week.
IMPORTANT EXPECTATION: During this difficult time, all school districts are required by the NJ Department of Education to continue to educate our children through a “learning from home” protocol. To that end, please be aware of the following important actions that we are taking:
Continued Education
Over this weekend, you will receive an email from our Curriculum & Instruction staff outlining how to access your child’s lesson plans/assignments – by grade – via our district website: https://www.teaneckschools.org
Middle school and high school students will be expected to work “virtually” (through the internet) and will be guided by their teachers in “Google Hangouts” throughout this process. All of our middle and high school students were provided a Chromebook to take home. If you do not have internet access at home, please contact your child’s school principal on Monday, March 16. They will be in the school building on that day from the hours of 11am-1pm to print home instruction packets for families. After Monday, you will not be able to enter the school buildings. If needed, you can visit the District Office at the address above.
For all other grades, the lesson plans provided will help guide you through the daily, two hour per day requirement. For our parents with children of special needs, you will receive further information from our Special Services department this weekend.
The email you will receive will provide more specifics and will even include “how to” videos. Just know that our expectation is for your child to complete their daily assignments. It is best to complete these over the next one to three weeks; but please note that in order for your child to receive credit for these instructional days, they MUST complete all assignments by the end of this school year. Also, if you have any questions at any time, you should contact your child’s teacher via their district email address and expect a response within 24 hours. If you do not receive a response within that timeframe, please let your school principal know and he/she will ensure that you receive an immediate response.
Afterschool & Evening Activities
While our school buildings are closed, there will be no afterschool or evening programs – including our before and aftercare (SACC) program. High school athletics will be suspended unless otherwise notified by our Athletics Director. The March 18th Board Meeting is our one exception – it will take place as scheduled (beginning at 7:30 pm). Any special recognition ceremonies previously planned for this meeting will be rescheduled.
Food Services
Although the school buildings will be closed, we will be distributing box lunches to any district family in need. Beginning Monday, March 16, you can come to Teaneck High School from 11 am – 1 pm to pick up a boxed lunch. There will be a tent area by the Cranford gym (facing the back parking lots). You will be asked for your child/children’s names. Our focus is on the health of our children. This includes ensuring they receive a nutritional meal!
COVID-19 Resources
As we all continue to follow the CDC’s guidelines on preventative measures such as washing our hands and “social distancing”, if you have any questions, please visit the following websites:
https://www.cdc.gov/
Additionally, Teaneck Township is providing its residents with a resource to obtain information about the Coronavirus/COVID-19 by sending an email to covid19@teanecknj.gov. A member of the Teaneck Health Department will answer your question(s) as quickly as possible.
Moving Forward
By Friday, March 20, I will let you know about our plans for the following week. Parents and guardians should continue to make childcare plans as I expect that we will likely be closed. Our faculty have prepared lesson plans for this second week and will be working on lesson plans for a possible third week of school closings.
I realize this is an extremely difficult time and will present great hardships for our families. I appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work together to stay healthy while continuing the critical work of educating our children.
Thank you Teaneck parents and guardians! I truly appreciate each and every one of you.
– Dr. Christopher Irving, Superintendent of Schools
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