Admin

July 21st letter from Mrs. Payne

July 21, 2020

 

Parents and Community Members:

I hope this finds you and your family well and enjoying some summer fresh air and sun. At North Hanover Schools, we have been working around the clock to make plans for the 2020-2021 school year. We currently have a Steering Committee and 14 working groups meeting regularly to examine, discuss and make recommendations about what it would take to provide a healthy, safe and high quality instructional experience for your children next year. Our goal is to offer you both an in-person option and a full virtual option. In order to meet social distancing guidelines, and ensure all health and safety measures are in place for students, the extent/number of days of the in-person option will be dependent on the percentage of students who enroll in the full virtual option.

As you can imagine, this is complex work compacted into a very short time frame. Rest assured that we are considering all aspects: transportation, food service, cleaning protocols, entrance and egress from the building, high quality and well aligned virtual/in school learning experiences, teacher training, medical protocols, health and safety procedures, technology, culture and climate, connectedness, equity, communication and more. 

I intend to present the findings of these work groups and recommendations to the Board of Education on Friday, July 31, at 11:00 am at their scheduled Board meeting. Information about that meeting will be posted on the district's website. You will receive information shortly following that meeting regarding the district's options for students, how you will communicate your choice to us, and the full schedule of upcoming opportunities for parent question and answer sessions.

This is truly unprecedented and we appreciate your patience and confidence as we work to "reinvent" school under trying conditions in very short order.  I am confident we will offer the best we possibly can, in the safest and healthiest way possible, and will leverage this period of time as one of growth, change, and possibility.

Best regards,

Helen Payne
Superintendent
North Hanover Township School District