SOMSD School Reopening Updates
SOMSD School Reopening Updates:  Phase 5 to Begin on Monday, May 3
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A District That Celebrates

Tuscan

Virtual Welcome to Middle School Events for 5th Grade Families

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Dear Parents/Guardians of 5th Grade Students,

You are invited to preview the middle school experience, with Principals Dara Gronau, Maplewood Middle School (MMS) and Lynn Irby, South Orange Middle School (SOMS). Each school will host a virtual welcome event, where they will provide you with an overview of what you need to know as you prepare for the next chapter of your child's educational journey, including:

  • Scheduling
  • Curriculum Overview
  • Academic Placement
  • Wellness Initiatives
  • Extracurricular Activities

View the event information and/or download the respective flyers for each school's respective "Welcome to Middle School" event below:

South Orange Middle School

Date:  Wednesday, April 21 | 7pm - 8:30pm

Event Link: http://bit.ly/SOMSWelcome

Event #: 129 873 2412

Password: Village2021 (84552432 from phones)

Call-in #: 408-418-9388

Download:  SOMS "Welcome to Middle School" flyer

Maplewood Middle School

Date:  Thursday, April 22 | 7pm - 8:30pm

Event Link: http://bit.ly/MMSWelcome

Event #: 129 920 6828

Password: Maplewood2021 (62753966 from phones)

Call-in #: 408-418-9388

Download:  MMS "Welcome to Middle School" event flyer

Sincerely,
Dara Gronau, Principal, Maplewood Middle School
Lynn Irby, Principal, South Orange Middle School

SOMSD School Reopening Updates for Phases 3 – 5 & Superintendent Video Message

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SOMSD School Reopening Video Message Update from Superintendent, Dr. Ronald G. Taylor

Dear South Orange & Maplewood School Community,

Over the past several weeks, we have had ongoing conversations and negotiations about reopening with our various stakeholders.  Today, on behalf of the Board, our Administration and our teacher’s union, SOMEA, we are happy to announce that we have reached a resolution that resolves health and safety concerns regarding building ventilation issues that will allow for significantly more instructional spaces to expand the roll-out of in-person hybrid instruction for students whose families have opted in over the next few weeks.

Our reopening plans (as also discussed and supported by our local health departments) will begin on Monday, April 19 as detailed in the chart below.  Updates to our reopening plan are guided by the Governor’s recent announcement reducing social distance for elementary grades, while keeping the six-feet social distancing guidelines intact for middle and high school students.

As a reminder:  Parents/guardians of incoming “new to hybrid” students, please remember to send your child to school with an appropriate face mask (pack 1- 2 extra face masks for your child), hand sanitizer, and a water bottle [Click here to view District requirements for face masks:  bit.ly/SOMSDFAQs]

Explanation of Phases & Timeline

The consolidation of cohorts and additional grade levels returning will be a significant adjustment for Phase 3.  It marks the return of some of our younger students (PreK - 2) whose families have recently opted in; as well as the return of our older students (8th and 12 graders) who will be transitioning out of their schools and who all have not been in school since March 2020.  Our logic for the two-week gap between Phase 4 and Phase 5 students’ return to in-person instruction are two-fold:

  1. The gap will help new students transition back to the normalcy of attending school in-person again (while allowing our local Departments of Health time to monitor the possible impact of community spread). 
  2. It will allow time for staff to be returned to their assigned classroom (due to the recent concerns with SOMEA a subset of teachers were working in different spaces, i.e., 2nd graders in 4th grade rooms), however, with ventilation concerns being addressed, teachers will need to be relocated back to their classrooms to make room for the incoming student population.

COVID-19 Health-Related Rationale for SOMSD Updated Reopening Plan

We have been in discussions with our local health departments as well as District health leads and have updated our reopening plan based not only on state guidelines, but are also factoring and monitoring Essex County and local COVID positivity rates and spread. The NJ Essex County COVID-19 Activity Level Index (CALI) Score is presently “3” which is orange or high, which it has been since November 13, 2020.  Since the week of January 22, 2021, when we began the District Dashboard, we’ve had 81 confirmed reported cases that were contracted from community exposures (outside of school). There is no evidence of SOMSD in-school transmission.  

  • Click here [bit.ly/2PM9zGO]  to read a more detailed explanation from our health care professionals as well as more information on who should get tested for COVID-19 and the new testing location in Maplewood open from April 5 - 30.

It has been a long road.  However, as we begin to see light at the end of this journey, we are extremely happy to have a plan in place that will allow for all of our students/families who have opted-in to hybrid instruction, to attend the last few months of school in-person.  We again thank our students/families for their patience, our building administrators, staff and teachers for their hard work over the past-year, as well as our partners SOMEA for helping to move the needle forward to this point.  

Additional updates will follow as needed from the District (i.e. regarding YMCA aftercare updates) and forthcoming return to school logistic details will be provided to families by your building principals.

SOMSD Updated Phased-In Reentry Plan for In-Person Hybrid Students

Reminder: Middle School Math Course Selection is due by Friday, March 26 | Parent Q&A Pop-In Office Hours Available

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SOMSD 5th, 6th and 7th Grade Families,
As a reminder, Middle School Math Course Selection is due by Friday, March 26.  Make your selection in Forms in PowerSchool.  Below is information to assist in your decision-making.
Ms. Beane the Math Supervisor will hold pop-in office hours for parents to ask questions on the following dates below:
  • Tuesday March 23, 6:30pm – 8pm
  • Wednesday, March 24, 8am – 9am
  • Wednesday, March 24, 4pm – 6pm
  • Friday, March 26, 4pm – 6pm
Connect with this link: meet.google.com/jmx-gqkr-mck

SOMSD Statement on Violence Against AAPI Community, March 22, 2021

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Dear SOMSD Community,

We have been following the events and senseless acts of violence that have occurred against the Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in Georgia, New York and across our country. As a community, our hearts are broken. We are disheartened over the senseless loss of life of eight human beings, six of whom were women of Asian descent. 

Over the past year, we have witnessed how words, fear, intolerance, and lack of empathy have led to a rise in hate crimes, injustice, discrimination, harassment, and bullying against the AAPI community.   Hate crimes against the AAPI community have been on the rise since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. A report released by “Stop AAPI Hate” revealed that there have been at least 3,795 hate incidents targeting the AAPI community between March 2020 and February 2021; more than 500 occurred in 2021.

The Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Ronald G. Taylor, shared, “On behalf of the Board and District leadership, we condemn any acts that would seek to diminish the worth of any one group due to their race, gender, nationality or heritage….”  The deaths of these eight people, six of whom were Asian American women, on Tuesday in Atlanta was an unspeakable tragedy for the families of the victims, first and foremost, and also for the AAPI community, who have been faced with high levels of racial discrimination.”

As a District, we stand in solidarity with our AAPI community, our staff, students, families, community partners, and any group that has faced injustice and racism. There is no place for hate and discrimination in our community and schools.  The victims of this shooting were mothers, wives, daughters, aunts, friends, a grandmother, an Army veteran, and a husband. We will not forget the names of those whose lives were tragically cut short on Tuesday, March 16, among them:

  1. Soon Chung Park, 74;
  2. Hyun Jung Grant, 51;
  3. Suncha Kim, 69; 
  4. Yong Ae Yue, 63;
  5. Delaina Yaun, 33;
  6. Xiaojie Tan, 49;
  7. Paul Andre Michels, 52; and
  8. Daoyou Feng, 44.

Internal Resources for Students:

We encourage members of our student/parent community to reach out to their school social workers and/or counseling department for individual & group counseling services for students.

  1. Elementary Schools:  Click here for more information: bit.ly/SOMSDElemSW
  2. Middle School & High School:  Your child’s  Guidance Counselor can provide counseling for your child, connect you with resources available in the Secondary Schools as well as provide referrals to an outside therapist.  Students with IEP’s should contact their case manager.

Additional external resources.

Dr. Ronald G. Taylor, Superintendent of Schools

Dr. Gretel Perez, Assistant Superintendent, Access & Equity

South Orange & Maplewood Board of Education

Long Range Facilities Updates: Four Elementary Schools Approved to Bid Process

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The District submitted six elementary school construction plans to the state for approval, we are happy to announce that we received approvals for four locations. Approvals to bid additions and renovations were received for Clinton, Jefferson, Seth Boyden, and Tuscan elementary schools. On March 11, construction bids were advertised for Clinton Elementary and Jefferson Elementary schools. Subsequent bids for the remaining two schools will be advertised in the coming weeks.  Construction plans for Marshall, South Mountain Elementary and South Mountain Annex are still in the approval process.

For more information on the LRFP project visit: http://bit.ly/3c1KwaS

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