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April 18, 2021

Good evening Lawrence Families,

I hope you were able to get outside and enjoy some fresh air over the weekend.

You may recall that on March 26^th and after the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) had relaxed their social distancing guidelines from six (6) feet to three (3) for schools the previous week, I contacted you about our plans. I related at that time that we would combine hybrid cohorts for grades PreK-6, and those students would attend school together beginning Monday, April 19. We’re looking forward to their arrival tomorrow. 

In the same letter, we mentioned that we would not combine hybrid cohorts for the middle and high schools at that time. This also was based on CDC guidelines of continuing to maintain six (6) feet social distancing for these grade levels as long as we were in the High (orange) or Very High risk (red) category for coronavirus. We said we would notify you when that status changes.

Late Thursday, April 15, we learned from one source that our area, as of the end of the week of April 10^th, was now in the Moderate (yellow) risk category. However, we saw a conflicting report showing almost all of New Jersey in the Very High (red) category as of April 15^th. We consulted our township health department and received word Friday, April 16 that we should follow the report stating we are in the Moderate category.

Thus, we are writing to let you know that we will combine hybrid cohorts A and B for Lawrence Middle School (LMS) and Lawrence High School (LHS), and students will attend school together beginning Monday, April 26. LMS and LHS principals will contact their families with details of the schools’ respective schedules.

School/schedules for grades PreK-6 students remain the same as what previously has been reported to begin April 19^th. 

We are excited to finally be able to welcome students in all grade levels back to school collectively...another step toward normalcy. Please note that the days continue to be shortened days, and no lunches will be served in school.

Respectfully,

Ross Kasun, Ed.D.

Superintendent

April 12, 2021

We hope you had a wonderful Spring Break and that the first week of remote instruction has gone well.

March 26, 2021

Spring Greetings, Lawrence Families! 

On March 19th, I shared that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) had reduced their social distancing guidelines from six (6) feet to three (3) feet. I also related that we were awaiting revised guidelines from the New Jersey Department of Education and the local department of health. We have since received revised guidelines from both.

We are eager to welcome our students into our schools for more days. Here’s what you need to know and is effective as of April 19th:

• We will combine cohorts for students in grades PreK-6. Thus, these students may return to school five days a week for shortened, in essence, early dismissal days.

• CDC and New Jersey Department of Health guidelines call for middle and high schools to maintain six (6) feet social distancing if the schools are in an Orange or Red risk category for COVID infection. Currently, Mercer County is rated Orange or High-Risk. On April 19th and if we are in Orange or Red, we will not combine cohorts for these two schools: Lawrence High School and Lawrence Middle School. We simply cannot maintain six (6) feet if both cohorts are in-person. If we are not in Orange or Red, we will combine cohorts for grades 7-12 hybrid students. Thus, the hybrid students would attend five days a week for shortened (early dismissal) days. As soon as we are out of a high-risk category, we will combine the cohorts and will share the updated status prior to April 19th.

• No lunches will be served.

• Masks must be worn, and frequent handwashing is encouraged.
• Requests for grades PreK-6 students to change from total remote instruction to hybrid, in-person instruction, or from hybrid to remote, should be sent to the PreK-6 principal by Wednesday, April 7. We will do our best to accommodate requests on a case by case basis. As we’ve said before and because of social distancing guidelines, it’s all about the numbers of students in a class and space available; thus, we may not be able to grant all requests. A student who changes from remote to hybrid or from hybrid to remote must remain in that instruction model through the remainder of this school year.
• Requests for grades 7-12 students to change from total remote instruction to hybrid cannot be accommodated at this time due to capacity limitations and six (6) feet social distance while in the Orange or Red risk category. Parents may send their request to the high school or middle school principal and the requests will be placed on a waiting list. Once Mercer County is in a lower risk category, we can move toward combining cohorts. If we change a remote student to hybrid, the student must remain hybrid for the remainder of this school year. Again, we will keep you informed prior to April 19th.

• Requests for grades 7-12 students to change from hybrid to total remote should be sent to the principals. It’s not a problem to make these changes. If a current hybrid student changes to total remote instruction, they must stay remote for the remainder of the school year.

• Qualtrics survey completion daily is required for a student or staff member who is attending school in-person. 

Our principals have worked hard and are eager to greet more students in their buildings. I met with principals again on March 24th and 25th, and they shared their plans for additional students on additional days. Please keep in mind that there may be days, depending upon how many students show up on a given day and the number of students in a class, when a class may need to move to an alternate location within the school. This may not happen, but it’s a possibility.

Principals will send schedules to their respective students prior to April 19th.

Other things to keep in mind:

• You must keep your child...and their siblings...home if the child is sick. And if anyone at home is sick, your child needs to stay home.

• The reduced social distance space increases the chance of a student becoming a close contact, in the event there’s a positive case in a room. This is not said to scare anyone. It stands to reason that closer proximity to someone increases the chance of exposure.

• As mentioned previously, there may be times when a whole class may need to take a COVID pause and be totally remote or a whole building may need to do so. Possible reasons include a positive case within a class and close contacts needing to quarantine and a lack of substitute teachers.

• There may be times when we cannot maintain the suggested social distance on a bus, depending upon the number of students on a route. We hung plastic shields between the seats months ago. Additionally, our buses and those for which we contract are sprayed with a cleaning solution after morning routes and, again, after afternoon routes.
• Our nurses have had extensive training on conducting contact tracing and have dedicated many hours to doing so, often in the evenings. We’ve learned that almost exclusively, our positive cases have come from outside exposure, such as a family member or attendance at a gathering like a wedding.

• Our facilities department gives particular attention to areas within our buildings when a staff member or student within a building tests positive. The department consults with the principal to learn in what parts of the building the positive case was on a specific day(s). There is a protocol for cleaning these areas in addition to the expanded cleaning protocol enacted since the beginning of the pandemic. More information is available in our Restart and Reopening Plan on pages 14-17. 

Our promise remains the same. We will do everything possible to keep our students and staff safe. We appreciate your patience, understanding, and flexibility as we continue to navigate uncharted waters. 

Best wishes for a wonderful Spring Break. 

Respectfully,

Ross Kasun, Ed.D.

Superintendent

 

March 9, 2021

We received several questions pertaining to the Superintendent’s letter that we shared yesterday. There are some areas in which we could have been clearer. Hopefully, the below information will provide clarity. 

Q. Are ALL special education students in grades K-12 required to attend school for in-person learning beginning March 22nd? May I keep my child who is in special education on Remote instruction? 

A. Yes, you may keep your student in special education on Remote instruction. 

Q. The letter states all hybrid instruction students will return in-person for five (5) shortened days beginning April 19th. Does this mean cohorts A and B will be combined for Fridays?

A. We are not combining cohorts. Hybrid students will attend in-person on Fridays on a rotating schedule. For example, if cohort A attends one Friday, cohort B would attend the next Friday. Principals will send their school’s respective schedule to their families. 

Q. Will high school sports have practices from April 5-16 when all instruction is remote after Spring Break? 

A. High school athletes who have not traveled during Spring Break and who pass the Qualtrics screening survey will have practices April 5-16. The high school athlete should contact their coach for details. 

Thank you to those who reached out to us for clarification. We apologize for the confusion and hope this information helps.

March 8, 2021

Dear Lawrence Families,

Thank you to all who completed our Return to School survey.  We received 1,989 responses and out of those, 56.5% of students are in our hybrid program and 43.5% are remote only.  As noted by the results (summarized in the pie charts on last page), we are pleased that the majority of our families are experiencing a positive to very positive experience in both our remote and hybrid groups.  The survey has also confirmed that for many of our families, the current structure is causing difficulties.  We are working hard to improve the experiences for all students, and especially for those families for which the current structure is causing struggles.

One of the key components of the survey asked for your suggestions.  As you can imagine, the overwhelming majority of responses was clear: you want more students back in school for in-person instruction, and you want the students in for more days. That request mirrors the goals of the District, the Administration, our Teachers, and our staff, and that is what we are looking to achieve.  The hurdles to do so continue to be great, but we are making progress.  Please be assured that we are taking the steps we can, and we continue to modify our plans as much as possible in order to maximize our students’ experiences.

Based on the results of the survey and recent changes at the State and local levels, we are pleased to announce the following modifications to our student schedules:

March 22:  All special education students in grades K-12 and ESL students in grades K-6 will begin attending in-person instruction four (4) shortened days a week.  Consistent with our current schedule, afternoons will continue to provide remote instruction.  Fridays will continue to be asynchronous remote instruction for all students.

April 5-16:  All students/staff will be virtual with 100% remote instruction following Spring Break. This is a precautionary measure to provide for the required 10-day quarantine period for all students and staff that will travel during Spring Break.  This all-remote period will help to ensure the health and safety of our staff and students.

April 19:  At-risk students* in grades K-12 will attend in-person instruction five (5) shortened days a week.

* We are in the process of identifying at-risk students and determining the numbers involved.

Also, beginning April 19^th, Fridays will convert from an asynchronous remote instruction day to an in-person instruction day for all hybrid students.

Therefore,

• For students in the hybrid program as of April 19^th, in-person instruction will be provided five (5) shortened days per week. (Fridays will no longer be remote for the hybrid program students.)
• For students who elected to be or remain on remote instruction as of April 19^th, remote instruction will be provided five (5) days per week.

May - June:  We are exploring the possibility of combining the hybrid students’ A and B cohorts and offering in-person instruction more often.  The ability to do so will be based on the number of students and the social distancing rules in effect at that time.

Over the past several weeks, I have received several emails and phone calls from parents asking for, and in many cases pleading for, the District to expand in-person instruction.  As we approach the one-year mark of the initial pandemic closure of our facilities, COVID-fatigue is taking a toll on our families.  We know that the lack of in-person social interactions, reliance on extended screen-times, and the inability to let kids be kids, are having profound effects on many of our students.  This is creating additional stresses on families and is impacting student education.  We know this and we hear you.  However, circumstances outside of our control continue to restrict our ability to exponentially expand our in-person programs. 

Although infection rates were recently on a decline, they still remain high such that the State restrictions remain in place.  While we applaud the recent decision to include teachers for priority vaccinations, that decision was only made last week by the Governor and teachers continue to have difficulties obtaining vaccination appointments.  With the need in most cases to schedule two appointments, it will take several months before significant numbers of our staff are vaccinated.

Importantly, while we strive to return as many students as we can for full-week in-person instruction, our district’s greatest obstacle in offering more in-person instruction is basic: with approximately 60% of our families currently requesting in-person instruction, there simply is not enough classroom space to allow for significant changes in our schedules at this time.  We have an obligation to our students, staff, and their families to keep everyone as safe as possible.  As such, we are committed to following the requirements and guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the State, the Department of Education (DOE), and our local Health Department.  All continue to recommend six (6) feet social distancing requirements.  In doing so, we simply cannot accommodate or “fit” all who request in-person instruction on an everyday schedule.

Specifically, for most of our classrooms and under the current guidelines, we can generally accommodate approximately 10-12 students at a given time. Although in some instances, particularly at the High School, combining Cohorts A and B could be possible, for the vast majority of our classes, however, the social distancing requirements make doing so simply untenable (and for the High School, although individual classes may be able to fit, it is necessary to coordinate all class schedules to ensure that a return to everyday instruction does not overload other classes). Thus, for the immediate future, Lawrence continues to need a cohort approach to provide in-person instruction for those who desire it.  As part of the parent communications I recently received, several parents highlighted reintegration plans of neighboring districts, other districts throughout the state (and nation), and even those of local private schools, in order to compare our programs and express concern that Lawrence is “behind” what other districts are doing.  This is simply not the case.  Please know that I remain in contact with the DOE, other superintendents throughout the State, and with all of the Superintendents in Mercer County.  As such, we are aware of what other districts are doing and are always looking for ways to implement practices that can work here in Lawrence in order to expand in-person learning.  However, it is important to note that each district is unique, and differences in any number of factors can greatly impact a district’s ability to expand its in-person offerings.  

Additionally, we’ve had a few parents suggest that we should disregard the six (6) feet social distancing guidelines as a few other districts within New Jersey are reportedly doing as well as various other states. Although that would allow for larger class sizes, we do not feel that is a prudent or ethical approach, and such a move would violate our repeated vows to you to provide a safe as possible learning environment for your children...all children. 

In summary, please know that the above plan is, to the extent possible, based on current social distancing guidelines.  It continues to balance the safety of our students and staff while allowing us to continue our efforts at bringing more students back into our facilities and expanding our in-person instructional time.  Despite our efforts, there may continue to be circumstances in which we cannot offer in-person days to all who want them.  If such circumstances present, such as a temporary lack of staff or substitutes, we will notify the students impacted by the circumstance.  If the CDC, Health Department, DOE and/or the Governor reduce or relax current restrictions or the six (6) feet social distancing requirements, we will be able offer more in-person instruction.

We look forward to continuing to serve all of your children while welcoming additional in-person students into our schools. 

Respectfully,   

 

Ross Kasun, Ed.D.

Superintendent

 

February 22, 2021

Dear Lawrence Families, 

We hope this finds you doing well during the challenges of the pandemic and our snowy weather. 

Please take a few minutes to complete the brief survey linked below about our Remote and Hybrid instruction programs. Your input will help us to assess how we can modify our programs as we move forward. 

Deadline for completing the survey is Monday, March 1. 

https://forms.gle/Vd615SZGhB4pZQubA 

Further below are instructions about how to translate the form to a language other than English. 

NOTE:  If you would like to switch your child's instructional program from Remote to Hybrid or from Hybrid to Remote, please send your request to your child's principal by March 1. The change will be effective beginning April 19. We anticipate that this will be the last opportunity to switch instructional programs during this school year. 

Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey. We appreciate your input and support. 

Translate a Google Form to another language 

1. Right click in the form. 
2. Select translate Translate to English. 
3. Choose the language you would like it to be translated to. 

 

January 22, 2021 

Dear Lawrence Families, 

In the past few days, I shared with you that we received notifications about a couple of district staff members who tested positive for COVID-19. As more staff and students come into our buildings beginning Monday, January 25, when grades 4-12 students on hybrid instruction return, I imagine we will have additional positive cases from time to time. We will continue to keep you informed, as we receive notifications. 

Guidelines for School Closure

As staff and parents learned about the positive cases, we received inquiries asking if we should close a school. I am writing to relate guidelines provided by the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) regarding closing schools. 

The main clarification that correlates to mandated school closures relates to when there are two or more positives that are unrelated to each other in the same building. The specific clarification is that two or more positives in a building DO NOT mandate a closure if there has been no transmission within the building. 

For example: School X has three different employees or students found to be positive, but all are due to outside exposures and no transmission... no contacts within the school of the respective, positive employee or student led to another positive case in the school. In this example, the condition does not warrant closing a building.  Transmission means that neither person is believed to have been infected due to being in the school, nor has either person infected another in the school.  Guidelines specifically outline there would have to be two independent transmissions within a building…two instances in which a staff member or student became infected due to contact with another staff member or student who ended up testing positive…for this mandated rule to apply. This situation has not occurred in our buildings. 

In addition to following NJDOH guidelines, we will continue to work with our local health department to determine if there is an outbreak within a school and if a closure is warranted. Again, we pledge to keep you informed. 

Vaccine Update

We also have been asked about vaccines for our staff. We, in collaboration with the Lawrence Township Education Association leadership, have explored possibilities for setting something up for staff, but have not been successful as yet. We will continue to look for ways to get the vaccine to staff as quickly and conveniently as possible. In the meantime, we encouraged staff interested in receiving the vaccine to pre-register with the state so they are at least in the database. As you have probably heard in the media, there are vaccine shortages and delays in distribution. Hopefully, the availability and distribution will pick up soon. 

We are eager to see your children in grades 4-12 (hybrid model) in our schools next week! In the meantime, enjoy the weekend! As always, thank you for your patience and support. Together, we are #LawrenceStrong 

Respectfully,

Ross Kasun, Ed.D.

Superintendent

 

January 13, 2021

Dear Lawrence Families,

As we are settling into the new year and finalizing plans for reopening schools, I am writing to share important information as we move forward. I am sharing this information to help you prepare your schedules and to advise you on how we anticipate managing COVID-19-related scheduling issues.

As a reminder, here are the basics as mentioned in previous letters:

• Pre-K through grade 3 students who selected hybrid instruction and special education students in grades Pre-K through 6 who had previously returned in October or November will return to school on Tuesday, January 19.
• Grades 4-12 students who selected hybrid instruction will return to school Monday, January 25.
• Principals will keep families posted with information pertaining to their respective schools. The in-person school day for students in the hybrid option is approximately four (4) hours. No lunches will be served in school.
• Parents are encouraged to keep in close contact with their child’s teacher. Do not hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns.
• Transportation questions should be directed to transportation@LTPS.org, 609-671-5445, or 609-947-8738.

In my January 6^th letter to families, I mentioned that parents can change the previously-selected instruction option for their child, from hybrid to remote or remote to hybrid. We have received numerous change requests.

As you may imagine, changing from remote to hybrid requires more adjustments on our end due to class size limit, transportation, social distancing, cleaning, and staffing considerations. There are many moving parts. To assist our planning to return students and keep them and our staff as safe as possible, I am setting a deadline of Friday, January 15 at 3 PM for changing a child’s instruction option. Whatever choice is made or, if no change, is already in our system by that time, must remain in place until April 19th. We appreciate your understanding.

Parents wanting to change their child’s instruction option should send their request to their child’s principal or guidance counselor prior to the deadline. If you do not remember which option you previously chose, you may check in Genesis to see the option in place for your child.

Daily, if not hourly, we are getting information from staff who cannot come into the classroom for a period of time. They may have tested positive for COVID-19 or need to quarantine for another reason.  Additionally, we are hearing of students who have tested positive. Please know that none of these positive cases is school-related as we have not been in school.

I previously shared with you that there is a universal shortage of substitutes in our area. Due to COVID-19, parents of hybrid students must prepare themselves for remote-only days in the event we cannot get class coverage. Notice of these days may come the night before the remote day.

Daily Procedures for Students

• Qualtrics Daily Health Screener--parents of students in grades PreK-8 or students in grades 9-12 must complete the screener prior to riding a bus or entering the school building daily. A parent or a student in grades 9-12 will receive an email daily with a link to the screening survey.
• Masks--all students and staff must wear a mask, on the bus and in our buildings. Gaiters are not acceptable.

Managing Student Illness

The NJ Department of Health has issued new guidance regarding students who may present with symptoms of COVID-19. If a student has COVID-like symptoms and even if a doctor has issued a different diagnosis, e.g., strep throat or a cold, the child cannot return to school until a negative COVID test result is submitted to the school nurse or the student isolates at home for 10 days. In either case, parents should keep in touch with your school nurse.

Additionally, you should contact the school nurse if:

• your child has recently tested positive for COVID-19, or
• your child has to quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure or recent travel. 

Mercer County Testing Sites (Information at this site is subject to change.)

Travel/Quarantine Considerations

International Travel - 14-day quarantine

Domestic Travel - 10-day quarantine (except for travel to New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, or Delaware)

Centers for Disease Control Travel Guidelines

As we reopen schools and if we have positive COVID-19 cases, we will follow the New Jersey and Lawrence Departments of Health guidelines regarding if we have an outbreak in our schools and if we should close a school for 14 days. We will give parents as much notice as possible if this scenario arises.

COVID-19 Vaccine

You may now pre-register to receive the vaccine. Get vaccine information and pre-register.

More information that you may find helpful is in our LTPS COVID-19 Parent/Student Handbook.

I know these are a lot of considerations and you may feel we are somewhat in limbo, which we are. We will get through this, as we are #LawrenceStrong. We have many dedicated educators and support staff working hard to get your children and staff safely back into the classrooms. We are so looking forward to seeing your children within the next couple weeks!

Again, let your principal or guidance counselor know if you decide to change the instruction model for your child . . . remote to hybrid or hybrid to remote. The deadline is Friday, January 15 at 3 PM.

Thank you once again for your patience and support. Please contact me (rkasun@ltps.org) with questions or concerns.

Respectfully,

Ross Kasun, Ed.D.

Superintendent

 

January 6, 2021

New Year’s Greetings Lawrence Families!

I hope your Winter Break was exactly that...a step back and a break from the stresses of living in a COVID-19-dominated world.

Reopening Schools

As the calendar has turned to January 2021, we will proceed with our plan for reopening schools as outlined in my November 17, 2020 letter:

• Pre-K through grade 3 students who selected hybrid instruction and special education students in grades PK-6 who had previously returned in October or November will return to school on Tuesday, January 19.
• Grades 4-12 students who selected hybrid instruction will return to school Monday, January 25.
• Principals will send schedules to their students. The in-person school day for students in the hybrid option is approximately four (4) hours. No lunches will be served in school.
• Parents are encouraged to keep in close contact with their child’s teacher. Do not hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns.

Parents wanting to change the instruction option for their child, whether remote to hybrid or hybrid to remote, should contact their school’s guidance office. If you don’t remember which option you chose, you may check in Genesis to see the option in place for your child.

Plan Moving Forward

• Transportation questions should be directed to transportation@LTPS.org, 609-671-5445, or 609-947-8738.
• We will have a Lawrence High School (LHS) varsity winter sports season and will follow guidelines provided by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). LHS winter sports athletes will receive more information from our athletic director and/or coaches in the coming days.
• We will continue to offer free breakfast and lunch to all children under the age of 18 years regardless of current lunch eligibility payment status. This service will continue until further notice.  There is no sign up necessary; and free, reduced, and paid students, as well as siblings at home, are eligible for these free meals.  Parents, neighbors or students are permitted to pick up meals for families who cannot make it to our distribution site during the scheduled ho
• Meal Distribution: Five (5) breakfasts and lunches will be distributed at Lawrence High School (2525 Princeton Pike) every Wednesday from 12:30 to 5:30 PM. Schedule changes due to school holidays will be announced in advance. Enter from the bus port area (in the front of the building parallel to Princeton Pike) through the Commons door #27 during scheduled hours. For your own safety and that of the Food Service personnel, please wear masks when entering building and follow all social distancing protocols.
• The YMCA child care program will remain open. Please contact Jeff Hirschman at jhirschman@capitalymca.org with questions.

Staffing Considerations

Staffing challenges and the need to quarantine due to various COVID-19-related scenarios remain. The severe shortage of substitutes continues. Thus, we anticipate not always being able to fill a position when a teacher or aide is absent. When this happens, students in the class may either stay remote for the day, be shuffled to another class while maintaining social distancing guidelines, or learn asynchronously in a safe space in the school. Parents should be aware and prepared for any of these scenarios that may happen on short notice.

There is a renewed sense of anticipation and excitement about having your children back in our classrooms. And the availability of a vaccine provides hope for a more normal tomorrow. However, a word of caution. The possibility of a need to change plans is ever present. New Jersey’s incidence numbers remain high and a new, reportedly more contagious strain of the coronavirus is spreading. We will continue monitoring conditions and will notify you of any changes necessary to keep our students and staff safe. I appreciate your continued patience and support.

Sincerely,

Ross Kasun, Ed.D.

Superintendent

 

November 17, 2020

Dear Lawrence Families,

Most of the world is experiencing the beginning of the second wave of COVID-19. Combine colder weather, the beginning of a regular flu season, and holiday travel, and the positive case numbers are rising exponentially.

In my October 6^th letter, I related the schedule for bringing students who selected hybrid instruction back into the district. Thus far, students in grades PreK-3 have returned along with some of our special education students in grades 5-12, and I am pleased to report that the re-entry of those students to in-person instruction has gone very well. And we were so excited to see them!

Grades 4-12 hybrid students were scheduled to return November 30^th. However, due to the sharp and sobering increases in COVID-19 statistics, we will not be able to continue our move toward hybrid and in-person instruction.

Although I am saddened about not opening our schools for in-person instruction and reverting back to a complete remote model, I cannot, in good conscience, open as we planned. My responsibilities include being the steward of safety and learning. Both would be compromised by instituting what we previously planned.

Reopening Schedule

Around the time of the October 6^th letter, reported positive COVID-19 cases averaged about 760 per day. Currently and for the past 10 days, positive cases averaged 3,212 daily with no indication they will soon drop substantially. Thus, after careful consideration and an eye ever focused on the health and safety of our students, staff, and families, and providing the best instructional program possible, I am modifying our schedule as follows:

Beginning with November 25^th, the day before Thanksgiving, and continuing through January 18^th, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, ALL students will be on remote instruction. There will be no in-person or hybrid instruction.

• All students will follow the remote instruction schedule.
• The elementary principals (grades PreK-3) will send schedules for their respective schools to their students. 
• The current remote instruction schedules for grades 4-12 will remain the same.
• We anticipate returning to in-person hybrid instruction for Pre-K through grade 3 and our special education students who are currently receiving in-person instruction on Tuesday, January 19.
• The date for grades 4-12 students who selected hybrid instruction to return to school for in-person instruction is now anticipated to be Monday, January 25. 

Staffing Considerations

Staffing challenges and the need to quarantine due to rising COVID-19 cases are a major contributor to the need to modify our plan. This year, it is simply not possible to cover all classes with substitutes, as many are not available to work due to their concerns about COVID-19. Substitute availability is almost non-existent. When a teacher or aide is absent, we will most likely not be able to fill the position, which means that the students in that class will either stay remote, be shuffled around, or learn asynchronously in a safe space in the school. Having very few substitutes who are willing to work is a massive problem and a major disruption to learning.

Quarantines - The rules around when to quarantine are far more numerous than just when there is a positive case. Quarantines are mandated for many reasons:

• Positive COVID test - quarantine until at least 10 days have passed since symptom onset and at least 24 hours have passed fever-free without fever reducing medication and improvement of symptoms
• Person you live with tests positive - quarantine for at least 14 days 
• Exposure as a close contact of someone who tests positive - quarantine for 14 days
• Travel to almost anywhere - quarantine for 14 days
• COVID-like symptoms - without an alternate diagnosis - quarantine for 14 days

This year, we have already had over 40 staff members who have had to quarantine. If we were currently in-person with hybrid instruction, we would have had to switch to remote as we could not cover the classes.

Please be mindful that once we do return to again having hybrid, in-person instruction, and if a teacher has to quarantine, all students, including those students on hybrid instruction, may be remote during the teacher’s quarantine period.

Plan Moving Forward

• All instruction will be remote beginning November 25^th. We anticipate that hybrid instruction will resume January 19^th for students in grades PreK-3 and special education students who have been in under the current model.  We anticipate that it will begin on January 25^th for students in grades 4-12.
• We will close our buildings to all staff for two weeks following Thanksgiving (Nov. 30 - Dec.11) and the Winter Break (Jan. 4 - 15). Staff will work remotely.
• You are encouraged to keep in close contact with your child’s/children’s teachers.
• You will receive more information from your child’s/children’s schools in the coming days.
• The NJSIAA governing body for high school athletics is scheduled to release a statement about winter sports on November 20^th.  As the NJSIAA may move or postpone the season, we are not ready to decide on our winter season at this time.
• The YMCA child care program will remain open. Please contact Jeff Hirschman at jhirschman@capitalymca.org with questions.
• Meal pickups for those who have signed up for the program will continue as usual on the same schedule. If you are not already signed up for the meal program and wish to do so, please email lunch@ltps.org and/or breakfast@ltps.org to enroll. These are email addresses, not websites. Include within the email the ID number for each student that wishes to receive the meals and the school he or she attends. 

We will continue to closely monitor the course of this pandemic and will notify you of changes. We are heartbroken that we will not proceed on our initial reopening schedule, but are confident we are doing what’s best for keeping our students, staff, and families safe while providing the best educational program for our students. We knew it was a possibility that we may need to pivot from our plans during the school year, and this is one of those times. As always, I appreciate your patience and support.

Sincerely,

Ross Kasun, Ed. D.

Superintendent

 

Drogie Rodziny Lawrence,

Większość świata przeżywa początek drugiej fali COVID-19. W połączeniu z zimna pogoda, początkiem regularnego sezonu grypowego i wyjazdami wakacyjnymi, liczba przypadków dodatnich rośnie znacząco.

W liście z 6 października opisałem harmonogram sprowadzania uczniów, którzy wybrali naukę hybrydową z powrotem do szkół. Do tej pory uczniowie klas Pre K-3 powrócili wraz z niektórymi uczniami edukacji specjalnej w klasach 5-12 i mam przyjemność poinformować, że powrót tych uczniów do osobistej instrukcji poszedł bardzo dobrze. Byliśmy bardzo podekscytowani ich widokiem!

Uczniowie klas 4-12 opcji hybrydowej mieli powrócić 30 listopada. Jednak ze względu na ostry i wstrząsający wzrost statystyk COVID-19, nie będziemy w stanie kontynuować naszego ruchu w kierunku nauczania hybrydowego i osobistego.

Chociaż jestem zasmucony, że nie otworzyłem naszych szkół do osobistego nauczania i wracam do modelu całkowicie zdalnego, nie mogę z czystym sumieniem otworzyć tak, jak planowaliśmy. Do moich obowiązków należy nadzór bezpieczeństwa i nauki. Oba aspekty zostałyby zagrożone przez ustanowienie tego, co zostało poprzednio zaplanowane.

Harmonogram ponownego otwarcia

Podczas listu z 6 października liczba pozytywnych zgłoszeń COVID-19 wynosiła średnio około 760 osób na dzień. Obecnie, i przez ostatnie 10 dni, pozytywne przypadki wynosiły średnio 3,212 przypadków dziennie i nic nie wskazuje na to, że wkrótce będą znacznie spadać. Tak więc, po dokładnym rozważeniu i skupieniu się jak zawsze na zdrowiu i bezpieczeństwie naszych studentów, pracowników i rodzin oraz zapewniając najlepszy możliwy program instruktażowy, modyfikuję nasz harmonogram w następujący sposób:

• Począwszy od 25 listopada, na dzień przed Świętem Dziękczynienia i trwając do 18 stycznia, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, WSZYSCY uczniowie będą się uczyć zdalnie. Nie będzie osobistych lub instrukcji hybrydowych.
• Wszyscy uczniowie będą postępować zgodnie z harmonogramem zdalnych instrukcji.
• Dyrektorzy szkół podstawowych (klasy PreK-3) prześlą do swoich szkół plany zajęć studentów.
• Bieżące harmonogramy zdalnych instrukcji dla klas 4-12 pozostaną takie same.
• Przewidujemy powrót do osobistego nauczania hybrydowego od Pre-K do klasy 3 i uczniów programów nauczania specjalnego, którzy obecnie odbywają naukę osobiście we wtorek 19 stycznia.
• Data dla uczniów klas 4-12, którzy wybrali nauczanie hybrydowe aby wrócić do szkoły osobiście, instrukcje są obecnie jest przewidziane na poniedziałek 25 stycznia.

Uwagi dotyczące personelu

Wyzwania kadrowe i potrzeba kwarantanny z powodu rosnącej liczby przypadków COVID-19 są głównym czynnikiem przyczyniającym się do potrzeby modyfikacji naszego planu. W tym roku nie jest możliwe objęcie wszystkich klas zastepcami, poniewaz wielu nie jest dostępnych do pracy z powodu obaw związanych z COVID-19. Dostępność zastępstw prawie nie istnieje. Oznacza to, że pod nieobecność nauczyciela lub asystenta najprawdopodobniej nie będziemy w stanie obsadzić tych stanowisk, a uczniowie z tej klasy pozostaną w nauczaniu zdalnym, będą przesuwanie lub będą uczyć się asynchronicznie w bezpiecznej przestrzeni w szkole. Posiadanie bardzo niewielu zastępców chętnych do pracy to ogromny i poważny problem zakłócający naukę.

Kwarantanny - zasady dotyczące tego, kiedy poddawać się kwarantannie, są znacznie bardziej liczne niż tylko wtedy, gdy jest pozytywny wynik. Kwarantanny są wymagane z wielu powodów:

• Pozytywny wynik testu COVID - kwarantanna do co najmniej 10 dni od wystąpienia objawów i co najmniej 24 godziny, które minęły bez gorączki bez leków obniżających gorączkę i złagodzenia objawów
• Osoba, z którą mieszkasz, ma wynik dodatni testu - kwarantanna przynajmniej 14 dni
• Bliski kontakt z osobą, która uzyskała wynik pozytywny - kwarantanna przez 14 dni
• Podróżuj prawie wszędzie - kwarantanna przez 14 dni
• Objawy podobne do COVID - bez alternatywnej diagnozy - kwarantanna przez 14 dni

W tym roku mieliśmy już ponad 40 pracowników, którzy musieli poddać się kwarantannie. Gdybyśmy byli obecnie w opcji z  instrukcją hybrydową musielibyśmy przełączyć się na program zdalny, ponieważ nie moglibyśmy pokryć zajęć. Należy pamiętać, że kiedy wrócimy do ponownego korzystania z zajęć hybrydowych oraz instrukcji osobistych, a jeżeli nauczyciel musi poddać się kwarantannie, wszyscy uczniowie, w tym uczniowie na zajęciach hybrydowych, musieliby być nauczani zdalnie w trakcie okresu kwarantanny nauczyciela.

Plan dalszych działań

• Wszystkie instrukcje będą zdalne od 25 listopada. Przewidujemy, że będziemy mogli wznowić nauczanie osobiste 19 stycznia dla uczniów klas PreK-3 i uczniów szkół specjalnych, którzy byli w szkole w ramach obecnego modelu. Przewidujemy, że rozpocznie się on 25 stycznia dla uczniów klas 4-12.
• Zamkniemy nasze budynki dla wszystkich pracowników na dwa tygodnie po Święcie Dziękczynienia (30 listopada - 11 grudnia) oraz ferie zimowe (4 - 15 stycznia). Personel będzie pracował zdalnie.
• Zachęcamy do utrzymywania bliskich kontaktów z nauczycielami swojego dziecka / dzieci.
• W nadchodzących dniach otrzymasz więcej informacji ze szkół Twojego dziecka / dzieci.
• Organ zarządzający NJSIAA zajmujący się lekkoatletyką w liceum ma wydać oświadczenie na temat sportów zimowych 20 listopada. Ponieważ NJSIAA może przesunąć lub przedłużyć sezon, nie jesteśmy gotowi zdecydować się na nasz sezon zimowy w tym czasie.
• Program opieki nad dziećmi YMCA pozostanie otwarty. Prosimy o kontakt z Jeffem Hirschmanem pod adresem jhirschman@capitalymca.org z pytaniami.
• Odbiór posiłków dla tych, którzy zapisali się do programu, będzie kontynuowany według harmonogramu. Jeśli nie jesteś jeszcze zapisany do programu posiłków i chcesz to zrobić, wyślij e-maillunch@ltps.org i / lub breakfast@ltps.org, aby się zarejestrować. To są adresy e-mail, a nie strony internetowe. Prosze zawrzec w wiadomości e-mail numer identyfikacyjny każdego ucznia, który chce otrzymać posiłki oraz szkoły, do której on lub ona uczęszcza. Będziemy nadal uważnie monitorować przebieg tej pandemii i powiadomimy Cię o zmianach.

Mamy złamane serca, że nie będziemy kontynuować naszego pierwotnego harmonogramu ponownego otwarcia, ale jestesmy przekonani, że podejmujemy decyzje najlepsze dla zapewnienia bezpieczeństwa naszym uczniom, pracownikom i rodzinom, zapewniając jednocześnie najlepszy program edukacyjny naszym uczniom. Wiedzieliśmy, że istnieje możliwość, że w trakcie roku szkolnego będziemy musieli zmienić nasze plany, i czas ten nadszedł. Jak zawsze dziękuję za cierpliwość i wsparcie.

Z poważaniem,

Ross Kasun, Ed.D

 

17 de noviembre de 2020

Estimadas familias de Lawrence,

La mayor parte del mundo está experimentando el comienzo de la segunda ola de COVID-19. Combine un clima más frío, el comienzo de una temporada regular de influenza y los viajes de vacaciones, y los números de casos positivos están aumentando exponencialmente.

En mi 6 de octubre de ^XX carta, le relaté el calendario para llevar a los alumnos que seleccionaron volver instrucción híbrido en el distrito. Hasta ahora, los estudiantes en los grados PreK-3 han regresado junto con algunos de nuestros estudiantes de educación especial en los grados 5-12, y me complace informar que el reingreso de esos estudiantes a la instrucción en persona ha ido muy bien. ¡Y estábamos tan emocionados de verlos!

Grados 4-12 estudiantes híbridos fueron programados para volver de noviembre de 30 de ^ju . Sin embargo, debido a los fuertes y aleccionadores aumentos en las estadísticas de COVID-19, no podremos continuar nuestro movimiento hacia la instrucción híbrida y en persona.

Aunque me entristece no abrir nuestras escuelas para la instrucción en persona y volver a un modelo remoto completo, no puedo, en buena conciencia, abrir como planeamos. Mis responsabilidades incluyen ser el administrador de la seguridad y el aprendizaje. Ambos se verían comprometidos al instituir lo que planeamos previamente.

Horario de reapertura

Alrededor de la época de los 6 de octubre de ^XX carta, informó positivos COVID-19 casos promedio alrededor de 760 por día. Actualmente y durante los últimos 10 días, los casos positivos promediaron 3212 diarios sin indicios de que pronto caerán sustancialmente. Por lo tanto, después de una cuidadosa consideración y un ojo siempre enfocado en la salud y seguridad de nuestros estudiantes, personal y familias, y brindando el mejor programa de instrucción posible, estoy modificando nuestro horario de la siguiente manera:

Comenzando a noviembre 25 de ^XX , el día antes de Acción de Gracias, y continuando hasta enero 18 de ^XX , Martin Luther King, Jr., todos los estudiantes estarán en la enseñanza a distancia. No habrá instrucción en persona o híbrida.

• Todos los estudiantes seguirán el horario de instrucción remota.
• Los directores de primaria (grados PreK-3) enviarán los horarios de sus respectivas escuelas a sus estudiantes. 
• Los horarios actuales de instrucción remota para los grados 4-12 seguirán siendo los mismos.
• Anticipamos regresar a la instrucción híbrida en persona para Pre-K hasta el tercer grado y nuestros estudiantes de educación especial que actualmente reciben instrucción en persona el martes 19 de enero.
• Se anticipa que la fecha para los estudiantes de los grados 4-12 que seleccionaron la instrucción híbrida para regresar a la escuela para recibir instrucción en persona será el lunes 25 de enero. 

Consideraciones de personal

Los desafíos de personal y la necesidad de poner en cuarentena debido al aumento de casos de COVID-19 son un factor importante que contribuye a la necesidad de modificar nuestro plan. Este año, simplemente no es posible cubrir todas las clases con sustitutos, ya que muchos no están disponibles para trabajar debido a sus preocupaciones sobre COVID-19. La disponibilidad de sustitutos es casi inexistente. Cuando un maestro o ayudante está ausente, lo más probable es que no podamos ocupar el puesto, lo que significa que los estudiantes de esa clase permanecerán alejados, se moverán o aprenderán de forma asincrónica en un espacio seguro de la escuela. Tener muy pocos sustitutos que estén dispuestos a trabajar es un problema enorme y una interrupción importante del aprendizaje.

Cuarentenas : las reglas sobre cuándo poner en cuarentena son mucho más numerosas que solo cuando hay un caso positivo. Las cuarentenas son obligatorias por muchas razones:

• Prueba COVID positiva: poner en cuarentena hasta que hayan pasado al menos 10 días desde el inicio de los síntomas y al menos 24 horas sin fiebre sin medicación para reducir la fiebre y sin mejoría de los síntomas
• La persona con la que vive tiene un resultado positivo: poner en cuarentena durante al menos 14 días 
• Exposición como contacto cercano de alguien que da positivo: cuarentena durante 14 días
• Viaja a casi cualquier lugar: cuarentena durante 14 días
• Síntomas similares a COVID - sin un diagnóstico alternativo - cuarentena durante 14 días

Este año, ya hemos tenido más de 40 miembros del personal que han tenido que ponerse en cuarentena. Si actualmente estuviéramos en persona con instrucción híbrida, habríamos tenido que cambiar a control remoto ya que no podríamos cubrir las clases.

Tenga en cuenta que una vez que volvamos a tener nuevamente instrucción híbrida en persona, y si un maestro tiene que poner en cuarentena, todos los estudiantes, incluidos los estudiantes en instrucción híbrida, pueden estar remotos durante el período de cuarentena del maestro.

Plan para seguir adelante

• Toda la instrucción se empezaba a distancia de noviembre de 25 de ^ju . Anticipamos que la instrucción híbrido se reanudará de enero de 19 de ^ju para los estudiantes en los grados Pre-K-3 y de educación especial que han estado en el marco del modelo actual. Anticipamos que comenzará el día 25 Enero ^º para los estudiantes en los grados 4-12.
• Cerraremos nuestros edificios a todo el personal durante dos semanas después del Día de Acción de Gracias (30 de noviembre al 11 de diciembre) y las vacaciones de invierno (4 al 15 de enero). El personal trabajará de forma remota.
• Se le anima a mantenerse en estrecho contacto con los maestros de su hijo / a.
• Recibirá más información de las escuelas de su hijo / hijos en los próximos días.
• El órgano de gobierno NJSIAA para el atletismo de la escuela secundaria tiene previsto publicar una declaración acerca de los deportes de invierno de noviembre 20 ^º . Como la NJSIAA puede mudar o posponer la temporada, no estamos listos para decidir nuestra temporada de invierno en este momento.
• El programa de cuidado infantil de YMCA permanecerá abierto. Póngase en contacto con Jeff Hirschman en jhirschman@capitalymca.org si tiene preguntas.
• Las recolecciones de comidas para aquellos que se han inscrito en el programa continuarán como de costumbre en el mismo horario. Si aún no está inscrito en el programa de comidas y desea hacerlo, envíe un correo electrónico a lunch@ltps.org y / o breakfast@ltps.org para inscribirse. Estas son direcciones de correo electrónico, no sitios web. Incluya en el correo electrónico el número de identificación de cada estudiante que desea recibir las comidas y la escuela a la que asiste. 

Continuaremos monitoreando de cerca el curso de esta pandemia y le notificaremos los cambios. Estamos desconsolados porque no continuaremos con nuestro horario de reapertura inicial, pero estamos seguros de que estamos haciendo lo mejor para mantener seguros a nuestros estudiantes, personal y familias mientras brindamos el mejor programa educativo para nuestros estudiantes. Sabíamos que existía la posibilidad de que tuviéramos que apartarnos de nuestros planes durante el año escolar, y este es uno de esos momentos. Como siempre, agradezco su paciencia y apoyo.

Sinceramente,

Ross Kasun, Ed. RE.

Superintendente

 

November 5, 2020

Dear Lawrence Parents/Guardians,

On October 12^th and 26^th, we brought kindergarten and small groups of special education students back into our classrooms. I am pleased to report that their return to district has gone well. Students in grades 1 to 3 whose parents selected the hybrid option will join us in district on Monday, November 9^th. We are SO looking forward to seeing them as well as all remaining students in the hybrid option on November 30^th. I thank you for your continued patience and support as we navigate a return to school. 

Personal Protective Equipment and Supplies

With students and staff returning to our buildings, you may wonder what safety precautions we have taken. Click on the link in the above title to learn about our preparations. 

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Please remember that we have postponed the usual fall parent/teacher conferences. We will let you know once we have set new dates.

Social Distancing and Mask Wearing

As is reported throughout the media, COVID-19 cases are spiking and a regular flu season is fast approaching. I ask that you continue to be vigilant and take all measures to protect yourself and others as we try to control the potential spread of the pandemic within our community. Please support our efforts to keep students and staff safe by encouraging everyone to observe the basic guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) including social distancing, wearing a mask, and washing hands frequently, both inside and outside of school.

For more guidelines, please consult the LTPS COVID-19 Parent/Student Handbook - 2020-2021. Questions about information in the handbook should be directed to your school nurse.

14-Day Travel Quarantine

November and December routinely bring several breaks from school. Between the New Jersey Education Association's two-day convention and the Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks, there are many days when families travel, get together with people outside of our area, and take advantage of schools being closed. Please remember that there is a 14-day quarantine for out of state travel, as outlined by New Jersey’s Quarantine Advisory. The 14-day quarantine applies to travel from certain areas identified as those that have a positive COVID-19 test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents or have a 10% or higher positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average ("impacted states."). To protect our students and staff, we will adhere strictly to the State guidelines. Thus, students and staff who travel to states on the advisory list or internationally must stay home for 14-days. Additionally, children of parents having COVID-19-like symptoms should also quarantine for 14 days. Quarantined students in the hybrid instruction model will be on remote instruction during their quarantine. 

As always, I appreciate your patience and support as we work together to keep our community safe. Please direct your questions to me at rkasun@ltps.org.

With gratitude,

Ross Kasun, Ed.D.

Superintendent

October 23, 2020

Greetings Lawrence Families!

I am writing to provide an update to information that I included in my October 12, 2020 letter to parents, and to clarify information about the number of minutes of direct, synchronous instruction that hybrid and remote only students will receive within the schedule.

During the last week, I have heard from several parents of children in grades K-6 who voiced concerns about the instructional schedule linked within that letter.  Most questions surrounded the perceived difference in the number of minutes of direct instruction that hybrid students would receive versus the number remote only students would receive. 

I truly appreciate those who took the time to reach out to me, our Board members, my office, or our principals with questions and a sincere desire to work together on a schedule and instructional program that is equitable for all students.  We do listen and act on such information when it is in the best interest of all of our students.  We made some changes based on that feedback.  For instance, there will be time each morning for students who are not in-person that day to connect with their teacher to set learning expectations and ask questions.  In addition, there will be staff available to help students who are at home in the morning and need further support. 

On a separate document that I am including with this letter is a breakdown of contact time students in grades K-6 will have with their teachers.  Included with the tables is information outlining the number of minutes of direct, synchronous instruction that students in Hybrid Cohort A, Hybrid Cohort B, or Remote Only will receive during the week.

We will continually monitor, evaluate, and adjust as needed.  As our teachers need time to adjust and enhance their expertise in this next phase, the majority of instruction on Fridays will be asynchronous, so our teachers have additional time to plan, prepare, and collaborate with each other.  We will reevaluate this in January, and we may make some modifications to our schedule.

In my October 12th letter, I stated, “Currently, it looks like students whose last name begins with letters A-L will be in cohort (group) A, and those whose last name begins with M-Z will be in the B cohort.”  Now that we have parents’ choices for hybrid or remote, the distribution is better for us to use A-K for Cohort A and L-Z for Cohort B.

Also, in the October 12th letter, we stated that parents need to keep their child(ren) in the hybrid or remote option chosen through the current phase.  Our new model and schedule offer flexibility; therefore, beginning in January, we will establish periods during which parents can re-evaluate their choice and change from hybrid to remote or vice versa.

Please know that we continually monitor this pandemic, and we are aware that there is a current increase in positive cases in New Jersey.  We are in constant contact with our Health Department and the surrounding school districts.  Our anticipated dates of reopening schools for in-person instruction may need to be altered and adjusted to ensure the health, safety and wellness of our students, staff and families.  We will keep you updated.

Respectfully,

Dr. Kasun

Instructional Contact Time Breakdown

K – 3

Monday – Thursday

	Hybrid in School (Cohort A) Monday & Tuesday	Hybrid Out of School (Cohort B) Wednesday & Thursday	Remote only Monday thru Thursday
Morning Meeting	20 minutes	20 minutes	20 minutes
Math	60 minutes	60 minutes	60 minutes
Language Arts	60 minutes	60 minutes	60 minutes
Special	30 minutes	30 minutes	30 minutes

 

• Cohort A students are in-person, in school on Mondays and Tuesdays while Cohort B students are out of school on those days. The two cohorts switch mid-week: Cohort B is in-person, in school on Wednesdays and Thursdays and Cohort A is out of school.
• Remote only students have the same schedule Monday thru Thursday.

On Fridays, all students have a 20-minute Morning Meeting.  In addition, the remote only students have a 45-minute direct, synchronous instructional contact time with a teacher.  Thus, remote only students have 65 minutes of contact time with a teacher on Fridays versus the 20 minutes that Cohorts A and B each have on Fridays.

 

4 – 5

Monday – Thursday

	Hybrid in School (Cohort A) Monday & Tuesday	Hybrid Out of School (Cohort B) Monday & Tuesday	Remote only Monday thru Thursday
Morning Meeting	30 minutes	30 minutes	30 minutes
Math	60 minutes	45 minutes	45 minutes
Language Arts	60 minutes	45 minutes	45 minutes
Science or Social Studies	30 minutes	15 minutes	15 minutes
Special	30 minutes	30 minutes	30 minutes

 

• Cohort A students are in-person, in school on Mondays and Tuesdays while Cohort B students are out of school on those days. The two cohorts switch mid-week: Cohort B is in-person, in school on Wednesdays and Thursdays and Cohort A is out of school.
• Remote only students have the same schedule Monday thru Thursday.
• For Math, Language Arts, Science or Social Studies, Cohorts A and B each will receive a total of 300 minutes of direct, synchronous instruction and remote only students will receive 240 minutes. The difference will be made up for remote only students on Fridays with the additional 45 minutes of instruction (referenced below) that they receive and asynchronous activities throughout the week.

On Fridays, all students have a 30-minute Morning Meeting. In addition, the remote only students will have a 45-minute direct, synchronous instructional contact time with a teacher. Thus, remote only students have 75 minutes of contact time with a teacher on Fridays versus the 30 minutes that Cohorts A and B each have on Fridays.

 

Grade 6

Monday – Thursday

	Hybrid in School Cohort A Monday & Tuesday	Hybrid Out of School Cohort B Monday & Tuesday	Remote only Monday thru Thursday
Morning Meeting/Owl Time	30 minutes	30 minutes	30 minutes
Math	35 minutes	35 minutes	35 minutes
Science	35 minutes
Language Arts	35 minutes	35 minutes	35 minutes
Social Studies	35 minutes
Special	30 minutes	30 minutes	30 minutes

 

• Cohort A students are in-person, in school on Mondays and Tuesdays while Cohort B students are out of school on those days. The two cohorts switch mid-week: Cohort B is in-person, in school on Wednesdays and Thursdays and Cohort A is out of school.
• Remote only students have the same schedule Monday through Thursday.
• The total weekly amount of math/science direct, synchronous instruction for hybrid students is 210 minutes and remote only students have 140 minutes. The total weekly amount of language arts/social studies direct, synchronous instruction for hybrid students is 210 minutes and remote only students have 140 minutes.  The difference will be addressed with the additional 90 minutes of instruction (referenced below) that remote only students receive on Fridays and asynchronous activities throughout the week.

On Fridays, all students have a 30-minute Morning Meeting. In addition, the remote only students have 90 minutes of direct, synchronous instructional contact time with teachers. Thus, remote only students have 120 minutes of contact time with a teacher on Fridays versus the 30 minutes that Cohorts A and B each have on Fridays.

October 19, 2020

Revised start date: The YMCA afterschool program and transportation will begin on October 26, 2020.

Parents interested in participating in the program should contact the Capital Area YMCA. Email Jeff Hirschman at jhirschman@capitalymca.org or call (609) 643-4231.

October 16, 2020

We have received some questions regarding the YMCA full day and afterschool child care programs.

Beginning November 15, the YMCA will run the afterschool program at LIS (for all students Grades K-6).

The program may open at the other 4 locations (Eldridge Park, Ben Franklin, Lawrenceville Elementary, and Slackwood) when the YMCA has enough subscribers for those locations.

The school district will transport students from the four PreK-3 schools to LIS at dismissal until the other program opens at those sites. Parents MUST complete aftercare transportation forms and file them with the Transportation Department if they want their children transported from the PreK-3 schools to LIS.

The YMCA will continue to run the full day program at LIS until schools reopen full time.

Parents interested in participating in the program should contact the YMCA. Email Jeff Hirschman at jhirschman@capitalymca.org or call (609) 643-4231.

October 15, 2020 - Survey Deadline Extended

Greetings Lawrence Families!

The deadline to complete the survey in the Genesis student information system is extended until Monday, October 19 at 4 PM. This survey is the one Dr. Kasun mentioned in his October 12^th letter to Lawrence families. Within this survey, parents can choose if they want Hybrid or Remote instruction for their child as we move forward into the next phase of our reopening plan.

It is important for us to have this information so we can plan for considerations such as staffing, classroom space, and transportation for those students who return to the district as well as for those who continue on remote instruction.

Take the survey in the Genesis Parent Access portal. Log in using your email address and password. You need to use the email address you first used when accessing the parent portal. If you need help, please contact your school’s guidance office.

Parents need to complete a brief survey for each child.

Thank you in advance for assisting us as we plan to safely move forward in our reopening plan.

Be well!

Lana Mueller

October 12, 2020

Greetings Lawrence Families!

This morning we welcomed back into school about 40 of our special education students at Lawrenceville Elementary and Ben Franklin. It was wonderful to see them!

In preparation for proceeding with the return to school schedule for various grade levels that I shared with you in my October 6th letter, we are conducting a brief survey (questionnaire). We need to know parents’ choices for their child’s instruction moving forward. How many parents want the Hybrid Model for their child to have a combination of in-person and remote instruction on an A/B rotating schedule? How many parents want their child to remain totally on Remote Instruction? This information will determine how many students and staff we need to prepare for their being in our buildings.

Parents should consult the A/B rotating schedules for the Hybrid Model for various grade levels as well as the Remote Instruction schedule so they can make an informed choice in the questionnaire. Students in the Hybrid Model will receive approximately 4 hours of in-person instruction (synchronous) as well as some remote and asynchronous (independent) instruction in the afternoons. On the days when the students are not in school, they will receive live remote instruction (synchronous) for a portion of the day. No lunches will be served in school.

Students in self-contained or PreKindergarten classes have either already received or soon will receive schedules from their respective schools.

Currently, it looks like students whose last name begins with A-L will be in cohort (group) A, and those whose last name begins with M-Z will be in the B cohort. Students in the A cohort of the Hybrid Model will attend school in-person on Mondays and Tuesdays. Those in the B cohort of the Hybrid Model will attend in-person on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The exact cohorts will be decided based on the survey results and how many families choose the Hybrid Model.

All students, whether hybrid or remote, will have asynchronous (independent) instruction on Fridays until January. This will allow time for planning and professional development for staff.

It is important that parents take the brief Return to School questionnaire via the Genesis student information system.  Please log into the Genesis parent access account for your child just as you would if you were checking your child’s attendance or grades. (See photo on page 2 to see the location of the questionnaire within Genesis.) The 3-question questionnaire should be completed for each child that you have in our district so we know the number of students who will be in our buildings as well as transportation needs. We realize this is an additional step, but it is important that we have an accurate response for every student.  Contact your school’s guidance office if you are not sure how to log into Genesis. 

Important:

• We are using a daily health screening tool for staff and for each child who comes into our buildings. If you choose the Hybrid Model for your child, you will need to complete the brief health screening daily prior to your child’s boarding a school bus or entering a school building. One of the questions on the survey in Genesis asks for the email address to which you want the daily health screening email sent. A link to the health screening will come very early in the morning to the email address you designate and will have a link to the short health screening. A second, reminder email will come later if you don’t respond to the first email. The actual link to the health screening will only be in the first email. Check your junk mail folder if you don’t see the email in your inbox initially. The email will come from “Lawrence Township Public Schools.”
• If you choose the Remote Instruction option, your child will remain in remote instruction while we are in the current hybrid schedule.

Please complete the questionnaire by 4 PM on Friday, October 16th. I thank you in advance for your input and for helping us prepare for and welcome our students and staff back into the district. There are many moving parts to return students and staff, and I thank you for your patience throughout. One thing we have learned for sure from this pandemic is that conditions can change quickly.

Best wishes for your health and safety.

With gratitude,

Ross

 

Translate the Genesis survey by scrolling down to the left bottom corner of the survey page and selecting the preferred language from the Select Language drop down menu.

October 6, 2020

Please read Superintendent Ross Kasun's letter regarding implementing Phase Two of the district's Restart and Reopening Plan.

 

August 12, 2020

Superintendent Ross Kasun gave a presentation about the Lawrence Township Public Schools Restart and Reopening Plan at the August 12, 2020 Board of Education (BOE) meeting. Within the same meeting, the BOE approved the Restart and Reopening Plan.