American Rescue Plan, Safe Return Plan
Plan for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Service
June 2024 update
Universal and correct wearing of masks:
The district will continue to comply with recommendations from the New Jersey Department of Health and New Jersey Department of Education when recommending mask wearing in school during the school day.
Physical Distancing
The district will continue to comply with recommendations from the New Jersey Department of Health and New Jersey Department of Education when recommending physical distancing in school during the school day.
Handwashing and Respiratory etiquette
The Hawthorne Public Schools will continue to teach and reinforce hand hygiene to students at all levels. The district will supply hand sanitizer in classrooms and hallway spaces, monitor younger students washing hands before and after eating (lunch and snack), and reinforce proper respiratory etiquette. Signs will remain in common areas reminding students and staff of such practices including, but not limited to handwashing, covering cough and sneezing, and disposing properly of tissues and other personal hygiene trash.
Cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities, including improving ventilation
The district will continue to utilize the sprayers and EPA approved disinfectants to clean common spaces daily, including but not limited to: student desks and chairs, teacher desks, common tables, handrails and door knobs, bathrooms.
Contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, in collaboration with the State, local, territorial, and Tribal health departments
The district will continue to monitor the guidance provided by the New Jersey Department of Health and New Jersey Department of Education and make necessary and will contact trace and quarantine individuals when necessary.
Diagnostic and screening testing
The district will comply with recommendations from the New Jersey Department of Health and New Jersey Department of Education when recommending diagnostic testing to district families. Parents/Caregivers will be responsible for screening their children for COVID-19 symptoms on a daily basis using the District's screening protocol, which was shared previously and will continue to be shared with all families.
Efforts to provide vaccinations to educators, other staff, and students, if eligible
The district will continue to share recommendations from the New Jersey Department of Health and New Jersey Department of Education with regards to vaccinations.
Appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities with respect to health and safety policies
The district will follow guidelines for accommodations for children with disabilities as established by the New Jersey Department of Health, New Jersey Department of Education, as well as any relevant legislation or executive orders signed by the Governor of New Jersey for all students, educators, and other staff. This includes addressing individual student needs through IEPs, 504 Plans, individual medical plans, and other existing mechanisms as needed to ensure access to educational services for all eligible students. As accommodations for children with disabilities guidelines provided by the New Jersey Department of Health change, the district will adapt the practices accordingly.
Describe how the LEA will ensure continuity of services including but not limited to services to address students’ academic needs and students’ and staff social emotional mental health and other needs which may include student health and food services.
Academic needs include: Increased staff, curriculum revisions and pacing guides to help close learning gaps without a loss to current grade level goals. Before and after school programs to support struggling learners and reinforce skills and provide skill enhancement for K-12 students. SEL needs include partnership with Fiedeldey Consulting to focus ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences)and the Universal Mental Health Comprehensive Screener. Addition of crisis counselors. Lincoln, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Washington schools will employ three lunch periods each day.
Describe how the LEA sought public comment on its plan and how it took those public comments into account in the development of its plan. (480 of 1000 maximum characters used)
The district continues to provide updates on the allocation and spending of the ARP ESSER funds. In the June and July BOE meetings detailed reports were shared on how the final allocations were being spent prior to the September submission. The district sought public comment via questions at the board meeting or through submission of questions and feedback through the following email address: HawthorneBOE@hawthorneschools.org No public comments were received.
Describe how the LEA ensured that the plan is in an understandable and uniform format; is to the extent practicable written in a language that parents can understand or if not practicable to provide written translations to a parent with limited English proficiency will be orally translated for such a parent; and upon request by a parent who is an individual with a disability as defined by the ADA will be provided in an alternative format accessible to that parent.
The plan which was posted on the website has the ability to be translated to multiple languages including but not limited to: Spanish, Cantonese, French, German, Korean, Russian. Additionally, the overview from the presentation was also posted on the website and has the ability to be translated.