March 16, 2020
Dear Parents/Guardians:
Today, Governor Murphy announced that all schools in the State of New Jersey are to close from March 18th until such time as deemed safe to reopen by health officials. It is very likely that we could be closed beyond the next two weeks. We will continue to be in regular communication with the Hunterdon County Department of Health to reevaluate when it is safe to reopen. We will keep you posted.
As we begin virtual learning tomorrow, March 17th, through Friday, March 27th, there are a few more details we needed to communicate to you that are listed below.
Schedule:
We will follow the two hour delayed opening bell schedule, including the rolling drop block rotation schedule, during virtual learning days. This will apply if teachers choose to do synchronous learning and meet virtually during their scheduled class period. Click here for bell and rotation schedules.
By the end of today, teachers will have emailed their students and parents information on virtual learning plans for their particular classes. Teachers are available via email throughout the school day while we are closed for any questions.
Lunches:
Limited lunch options will be available to all North Hunterdon-Voorhees district students on virtual instruction days. MySchoolBucks accounts can be utilized for food purchases, and students eligible for free or reduced-priced meals are encouraged to take part in this service. Lunches will be available for pickup from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm at the Voorhees High School front entrance. Please contact Rachel Saxton at Pomptonian (rsaxton@nhvweb.net) if you have any specific questions or concerns.
Technology Issues:
The technology department has been assisting students who do not have internet access at home or who do not have reliable internet service. If your child is unable to work from home on his/her Chromebook due to internet issues, please reach out to the technicians at your respective high school (NHHS – Chris Crilly, ccrilly@nhvweb.net or VHS – Mike Raimondo, mraimondo@nhvweb.net or Marguerite Betsill, mbetsill@nhvweb.net).
As Comcast serves the majority of our district residents, we are sharing the following recent announcement. If you have another provider, please check with them, as many companies are offering free services in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Xfinity WiFi Free For Everyone: Xfinity WiFi hotspots across the country will be available to anyone who needs them for free – including non-Xfinity Internet subscribers. For a map of Xfinity WiFi hotspots, visit www.xfinity.com/wifi. Once at a hotspot, consumers should select the “xfinitywifi” network name in the list of available hotspots and then launch a browser.
Students who have issues with their Chromebook while school is closed can still visit the Technology Resource Center at their respective high school from 9:45 am-2:30 pm. Please email the technicians listed above to schedule an appointment; this way we can spread out students and follow social distancing recommendations.
Activities and Sports:
As a reminder, all activities, events, and sports scheduled from March 16 through March 27 are canceled. I do not have information at this time if any events will be rescheduled.
If you have any other concerns that we did not address in recent communications, please let us know. In addition to teachers, all of our administrators and support staff members are available through email to assist you during our virtual learning days. This is uncharted territory for our district, and we greatly appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to continue education for our students during this public health crisis.
