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WRMS Weekly Update

September 18, 2020

WRMS WeeklyUpdateSeptember 18, 2020
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Weekly Updates

At the end of each week, please look for my weekly updates. Important information including upcoming events will be included.


Please also follow us on twitter (@wrmscardinals) or facebook (@WRMiddleSchool) for photos and announcements with the fun and educational activities we're engaged in!

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School-wide Remote Learning Information

Overall, it's been a great week! Students and staff are visibly happy to be back with one another! Monday was understandably difficult, but for the most part on Tuesday we hit our stride. Over the course of the week, teachers had students involved with a wide variety of creative activities to foster relationship building and help students navigate our new school-wide remote learning environment. I am so proud of our students and staff!!


As Dr. Gonzalez shared, unfortunately we will not have the requisite temporary certificate of occupancy (TCO) as hoped, thus preventing us from returning our staff and students to the building safely and responsibly. Therefore, we are extending the start date of our in-person instruction at WRMS until October 5.


In the meantime, all students in grades 6-8 will continue to engage in instructional activities remotely with their teachers as we work with the contractor to obtain the TCO. Our custodial, maintenance, and technology staff are also hard at work preparing and cleaning the spaces when they are available in order to get us back as soon as we have the green light to do so.


Once again, we understand the inconvenience and frustration that this may cause. Thank you for your support and cooperation through it all!


Please, also, see this resource on Setting and Troubleshooting Meet and Zoom from our tech department.

COVID-19 District Advisory

It has been brought to our attention that a sixth grade student tested positive for COVID-19. Although the Middle School is currently in full remote status, we are working closely with our local health officer at the Northwest Bergen Regional Health Consortium (NWBRHC) to assist with contact tracing in the community. If your child was directly impacted in any way, by the time you read this message, you will already have received a call from the school with further direction.


Given the nature of the virus, it is likely that this will not be the first incident we encounter; therefore, I strongly urge our entire community to work with us to assure the health and safety of our students and staff.


In all of our schools, we continue to implement our screening, cleaning, and disinfecting protocols while conducting in-person instruction with mandated mask requirements, hand washing / sanitizing, and social distancing measures. These efforts represent our greatest defense against infection and transmission.


To assist us, now more than ever, we ask that our families and students remain vigilant and continue to follow the CDC promoted safeguards while in our schools and community.


  • Conduct the Daily COVID-19 Screening and monitor your health for symptoms
  • Remain home when you are sick
  • Wear face coverings in school and public
  • Wash hands often with soap for at least 20 seconds
  • Cover coughs and sneezes
  • Avoid shared items and close contact with others
  • Practice social distancing when outside of the home


Last, but certainly not least, in partnership with our schools, it is essential that we maintain open and honest contact with each other and let the school know if your child was exposed to, may present symptoms of, or is confirmed positive for COVID-19. Armed with that knowledge we can work together to keep everyone as safe as possible.


We appreciate your support and cooperation. If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s school.

Attendance

Please remind your student that WIN/Advisory is a mandatory class. If your student misses WIN, they will be marked absent for the day and you will receive an automated phone call from the school notifying you of the absence.


If your child is unable to to participate in remote learning, please call or email Mrs. McDonough at sharon.mcdonough@wwrsd.org or 201-664-5560 x6000.

Mindful Mondays

The Counseling Office will be coordinating “Mindful Mondays” every week during the WIN/Advisory period throughout Remote/Hybrid Learning. Each week, students and staff will engage in a simple exercise or activity with your Advisory classes on Monday mornings. The activities will include simple ways for students to practice mindfulness and learn healthy ways to reduce stress and improve their wellbeing. WIN periods will not need to be extended, as the activities should only take a few minutes and are designed for students to practice on their own throughout the day. Please ask your student about it!

Days vs. Groups

There has been some, understandable, confusion related to the difference between A and B days and groups 1 and 2. The Middle School has an A/B Day schedule, this indicates which classes meet that day. In school-wide remote, we alternate between A and B daily, and the groups are not applicable. Once we go into a hybrid environment, the groups indicate what students will come to school each day. Both A/B days and groups 1 and 2 are in place in hybrid learning.


Please reach out to us with any questions!

Information on Distribution of Meals


A friendly reminder from food services, parents MUST fill out the "NOTE" section for which elementary school you would like to pick up lunch. Also, for right now, you cannot pre-order lunch on a cell phone. It must be on a computer. Through the cell phone, there are missing options including the complete button, and it isn't going through to food services. They are working on an app for cell phone pre-orders, but for right now, you can only use a computer.


Middle School parents should select "Full Remote" while we are in school-wide remote.


Please click here for information on pre-ordering lunch and on free and reduced lunch.

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Student Support

If your student is having difficulty, be is academic, technological, social emotional or more, please reach out to us! Our trained staff is here to support them whether we are in-person or remote!


Counselors:

Nurses:

Assistant Principals:

Media Center

Mrs. Koehler (Mormino) is available to help students virtually as our Media Center Specialist. Please visit her website for more information!

Hybrid Learning

As we get closer to transitioning to in-person learning, more information on hybrid will be communicated. At this time, school-wide remote is our focus. We are now on-pace for an in-person opening the week of October 5th.


As you are planning for in-person please remind your child to make sure they wear a mask each day while in the building. Gaiters, bandanas, scarves, and masks with one-way valves or vents are prohibited.


Also, please remember we will admit in-person students into the building at 8:05 and dismissal is at 12:36.

Daily Health Screening for Students

Once we are in-person, please conduct this screening at home, daily, prior to leaving for school. You do not need to print it out and bring it in. But if you are symptomatic or potentially exposed, please stay home and contact the school ASAP.
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Inappropriate Electronic Images

Please see below from the Westwood Police Department:


Dear Parents/Guardians,


Recently, the Westwood Police Department was notified that an inappropriate photograph of a student was electronically (cellular text message and e-mail) disseminated among students.


The possession and transfer of this photograph, or any photographs or videos of a similar and inappropriate nature, is a crime (NJSA 2A:4A-71). Parents should work with their children to delete any and all inappropriate pictures and videos from their child’s cell phone or other electronic devices (including cloud storage, backups and e-mail accounts) in a timely fashion. Parents must stress that pictures/videos of an inappropriate nature cannot and should not be taken or passed around among children. If a student is found in possession of and/or transmitting such photos or videos in the future, criminal charges may be filed.


We ask that parents ensure that all cell phones and other electronic devices be cleared of all questionable images or videos. In order for our children to thrive in a healthy environment, the cooperation between the schools, police, and parents is vital.


Thank you for your assistance in this matter.


Sincerely,

Westwood Police Department

Community Flyers

Please click here to access an online library of electronic flyers for our community partners.
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Save the Date!

Please mark your calendars for important upcoming events...


  • 9/24 - Board of Education Meeting, 7:30 PM
  • 9/28 - No School
  • October 5 - Anticipated return to in-person instruction
  • October 22 - Board of Education Meeting
  • November 3 - Per Executive Order-177, "All public primary and secondary schools shall be closed to in-person instruction on November 3"; therefore, we will schedule an "All remote" day of instruction for all groups. Please mark your calendars. Teachers work from home!
  • November 5 & 6 - District Closed
  • November 25 - Early Dismissal
  • November 26 & 27 - District Closed

Monday is a B Day!