Parents and students should be aware of two new requirements for the 2020-2021 school year highlighted below that are included in the district’s reopening plan.
Mask Requirement:
All students are required to wear a mask or face covering while riding the bus and throughout the school day. Mask wearing will be strongly enforced. Students are required to bring their own masks/face coverings. Students should bring a back-up mask, though the schools will also have a supply of masks if a student’s mask breaks or is soiled during the school day.
Per new guidance released by the Hunterdon County Department of Health on 8/28/2020, acceptable masks/face coverings include: surgical masks, cloth mask or face covering, dust masks, and clear masks. Masks/face coverings that are unacceptable are gaiters, bandanas and any masks that have a vent or valve as these are the least protective types of masks or face coverings – these types of masks will NOT be allowed to be worn in school by students or employees. Please see health guidance below.
In The Road Back guidance from the NJ Department of Education, exceptions to the mask requirement include: 1) wearing a mask would inhibit the student’s individual health and 2) a student’s documented medical condition or disability as reflected in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) precludes the use of face covering. If your student cannot wear a mask for health reasons or disability, you must submit a doctor’s note to the school health office (NHHS fax 908-713-4403 or ktriglia@nhvweb.net; VHS fax 908-638-6512 or eosullivan@nhvweb.net).
COVID-19 Pre-Screening Form:
The Road Back guidance also requires school districts to implement a pre-screening of all students and staff. A parent/guardian MUST complete a pre-screening form for their child before the child comes to school. Once form is completed, a confirmation email will go to the parent as well as to the student’s school email. If a pre-screening is not complete, your child will be pulled out of his/her first class and sent to the nurse’s office for the pre-screening. (* Students on virtual instruction who are not coming to the school for athletics do not have to complete the pre-screening.)
Each morning at 5:30am an automated email will be sent to the parent/guardian emails that are listed in Aspen. If you have multiple children, you will receive multiple emails. The link in the email to the pre-screening form is specific to each student. The email sender name will be North Hunterdon-Voorhees RHSD and the email will come from “noreply@qemailserver.com”. If you don’t see the email in your Inbox, please check your Junk or Spam folder and make sure “noreply@qemailserver.com” is not marked spam by your email client. If you do not receive the pre-screening email and it’s not in your junk or spam folder, there is a back-up option in Aspen. Click on Family top tab, click on student’s name, then under Demographics tab next to your parent name, you will see a link for Health Screener. (Please use the Aspen option ONLY if you do not receive the pre-screening form in your email.)
* Starting September 14th, parents/guardians of athletes who are on virtual instruction on a given week or 100% of the time MUST complete the pre-screening in order for their athlete to participate in sports practice or games per NJSIAA rules. Parents/guardians of Fall sports athletes must also complete the pre-screening on Saturdays during the season.
We appreciate your cooperation in following the two requirements explained above.
