The News Flash

As you are aware, guidance from the Governor and the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) continues to evolve. This week, as a result of Executive Order 175 issued on August 13, 2020, the Governor announced that districts may start the school year fully virtual if they prove they are unable to address issues related to health and safety standards.

At this time, a decision has not been made to alter the FTSD reopening plan in which we will offer both Hybrid and All-Virtual instructional models to begin the 2020-2021 school year.

The District has worked tirelessly to prepare for the school buildings to reopen to students on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. Our re-entry plan was created in accordance with state requirements outlined in the NJDOE Road Back planning document. Our reopening plan was presented and approved at the July 29, 2020 Board of Education meeting and was submitted to the Burlington County Superintendent thereafter. The full plan can be found at https://www.florence.k12.nj.us/

Using survey data received from 76% of our school community a few short weeks ago, 45% of our families selected an all-virtual instructional model, while 55% opted for hybrid instruction. Those students who did not complete the survey were placed on the hybrid schedule. Regardless of which model you requested, there may be changes to the reopening based on the recent guidelines. We will evaluate health conditions and reopening challenges and every effort will be made to prioritize the safety and wellness of our students and staff as we continue to provide a robust educational environment for learning.

In a review of the Executive Order, the FTSD administration and reopening committees will continue doing our due diligence to determine if any alterations to our reopening plan are necessary. We will continue to listen to and consult with our health professionals to assess our readiness and ability to safely resume in-person instruction on September 8. We will not waiver in our focus to open safely with clear health protocols in place to protect our students and staff. The safety of our students and staff remains our top priority.

Each day the COVID-19 pandemic is continuously changing in our district, county, state, and nationwide. These changes directly impact our plans and the reopening of the district. The possibility of adjustments and alterations to the opening of the school district will be an ongoing theme as long as the health crisis lasts.

This afternoon the district opened Genesis to allow families to see the cohort to which their child is assigned. If you have any conflicts or questions regarding your child(ren)’s assignment please contact the building administration directly. Over the next few weeks, we will be sending out more detailed information regarding school procedures, childcare, scheduling, transportation, and more. Please continually check social media and your emails so you are aware of the ongoing changes that may occur.

As always, we appreciate your patience and support during this unprecedented time.

Sincerely,

Dr. Donna Ambrosius,

Superintendent of Schools

Genesis is now open to allow families to see the cohort to which their child is assigned. When you log into Genesis, you will see a designation: Blue Group, Gold Group, Blue & Gold Group, or Full Virtual with a check mark located under the student’s picture. If you did not complete the survey, your child was placed into the Hybrid Group (Blue or Gold).

Please then refer to the image below with Blue/Gold Calendar to see what week your child will be “in person” at school. Genesis also shows when your child is virtual or in person underneath the student name.

If there is an error with your choice of learning environment (Hybrid or Full Remote) or you wish to change, please email the building principal ASAP. Class placement, schedule details and school supplies for students will be shared in the coming weeks.

All information regarding the specifics of our Reopening Plan can be found by visiting www.florence.k12.nj.us