Dear Parents and Guardians,
Although it has been a long journey to this point, we find ourselves at the last week of the school year. As we prepare to celebrate our seniors this Thursday, please join me in congratulating each and every one of them. We wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors; we know they will continue to make us Jenkintown proud! I would also like to recognize YOU! Our parents and guardians, who worked side by side with us in delivering our Continuity of Education plan to our children. I know this was not an easy task. Thank you for your support and partnership during this difficult time. We could not have done it without you.
As I am sure you are aware, Montgomery County is now in the “Yellow Phase” as the stay at home order has been lifted for aggressive mitigation. Please note, as the Secretary of Health explained, while the Commonwealth is allowing a loosening of restrictions, we should continue to practice safe social distancing, wear masks when in public, wash hands regularly (or have hand sanitizer available for instances when hand-washing may not be possible), avoid touching our face, and stay home when we are sick. In addition, large gatherings of more than 25 people continue to be prohibited.
Starting today, we are opening our fields to the public, with the exception of our playground, basketball courts, and tennis courts. These will be closed until further notice. Also, our stadium and track will remain closed until Friday, June 19th, as we prepare for our graduation ceremony on Thursday.
I am sure you have many questions regarding instruction for the fall. It is our sincere hope that we will be able to welcome your children into school full time in September with social distancing parameters and increased cleaning and safety protocols. However, we must prepare for various scenarios. The administrative team has been meeting with teachers to develop three plans for opening. These plans will align with the “Red, Yellow, and Green” phases for opening. We hope to have these plans finalized by mid-July. Although our plans are in developmental stages, I want to share with you our initial thoughts.
Green Phase of Opening Probable Scenario: All students will come to school full time in September with social distancing parameters and increased cleaning and safety protocols.
Yellow Phase of Opening Probable Scenario: Elementary schedule would most likely be a hybrid (2 days per week in school, 2 days at home, 1 day flexible for enrichment, remediation, and supplemental instruction). Most instruction would occur in school, but some virtual instruction is possible. Middle School and High School schedules would also be hybrids. We would try to get students into school as much as possible. A mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction is probable.
Red Phase of Opening Probable Scenario: Instruction would be virtual. Elementary instruction would be asynchronous, and MS/HS instruction would most likely be a mix of synchronous and asynchronous learning.
There are many details that we are working out and we will provide you with additional information as soon as possible. We will continue to follow guidance from the following health organizations:
World Health Organization – https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
Center for Disease Control – https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/index.html
Pennsylvania Department of Health – https://www.health.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx
Montgomery County Office of Public Health – https://montcopa.org/
As this pandemic evolves and guidance is updated, our instructional plans for next year might be altered. For instance, we may be in the “Green Phase” of opening, but still operate in a hybrid model, or we may move from one phase to another with little warning, as we did with a rapid closure this year. I know this can be frustrating and create issues for families. However, our number one priority is the health and safety of our students and staff. We have read all of the parent and staff survey responses regarding our spring instruction and are mindful of your feedback as we plan for instruction in September. If you would like to offer additional feedback, specific to your family’s circumstances regarding instruction in the fall, please email me takacsj@jenkintown.org, Mr. Roller rollert@jenkintown.org, or Dr. Hart hartp@jenkintown.org. It would be helpful if you could put “Considerations for Fall” in the subject line.
Since next year is uncertain when it comes to delivery of instruction, we are planning on maximizing our instructional time in core subjects. Therefore, we will be suspending our FLES program at the elementary level and will not be offering Elementary Spanish and French instruction during the 2020-2021 school year. Ms. Seweryn will be teaching Spanish at the MS/HS for next school year. We fully intend to reinstate the FLES program during the 2021-2022 school year. Also, we will not be offering our summer enrichment program this year, but intend to bring it back for the summer of 2021.
Our final food distribution is this Wednesday, June 17th. If your child/ren are NOT designated as Free and Reduced and you would like to take advantage of this assistance, you must fill out this form so that we can plan for the right amount of food Please come to the back loop on Highland Avenue between 12 PM and 1 PM and release your trunk. Bags of groceries will be placed in your trunk for your children. I would like to thank our Home and School Association for their generous support of food donations and gift cards during our distributions. Furthermore, I would like to thank those parents who donated to this cause, either with monetary donations or by providing paper bags.
I hope that the splendid weather we are experiencing continues and that your summer plans afford you time with family and friends. Please reach out to us with any questions and concerns. I will continue to keep you abreast of our reopening plans.
Stay safe and be well,
Jill A. Takacs
