EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT

Egg Harbor Township School Community,

Our teachers and staff spent this week engaging students in relevant learning experiences. Our mission to engage learners is ongoing and involves conversations, formative and universal assessments as we strive to differentiate instruction at all grade levels. Teachers will continue to work with students individually to learn more about their learning needs.

My wish is for everyone to stay positive in such an unwavering time in education. We are moving forward to the return of in person school for all, but let us not forget where we started in this process. As the largest school district in Atlantic County we collaborated with a huge number of stakeholders, reviewed a ton of feedback, listened to the ever changing knowledge/recommendations from the Governor, NJDOE, NJDOH, ACDOH, and have dealt first hand with the implications and tribulations of the virus itself. This has been a process from June 26th until now. As promised, my staff and I would be addressing every part and piece to the RBS. What was then may not be now and we are working to prepare schools for in-person instruction for more students. If you have questions or concerns about what we have been doing, I encourage you to follow our updates and progress on our website at the Superintendent’s Corner where you can read about our journey:

https://www.eht.k12.nj.us/superintendent_s_corner/superintendent_s_board_report_2020-2021

I fully understand that virtual teaching and learning is very different for all of us and can generate frustration for some, while for others, it is working quite fine. The Road Back to School plan is a living document where adjustments that meet the needs of the school community may be needed. As we have progressed through this journey, we have learned many new things about ourselves and others, we have found ways to be flexible, and learned how to make change in order to create the capacity for new change. We are continuing to collaborate and plan for the next phase of reopening schools, which involves the revised hybrid model that is inclusive of student groups (A), (B) and all (V)irtual learners. This week we released a survey for the return to school and our revised hybrid schedule. Our administration and IT staff made a few adjustments in order to meet the needs of our families in order to make this all work. Parents will need you to complete this survey as soon as possible; the data will need to be disaggregated and each school will have to build their hybrid schedules before being uploaded into our student management system. With approximately 7300 students, this will take time to do. We have trained pertinent staff to complete the task efficiently. Do know that we are committed to providing our students with the best learning experiences possible while adhering to the NJDOE Road Back to School plan.

You are encouraged to send any questions or concerns that you may have regarding teaching and learning to your child’s teacher, guidance counselor, assistant principal, principal, and/or child study team member. Using this contact process should provide you with relevant information and the quickest way to resolve the situation. Social media comments are opinions and do not always represent the district's philosophy or practice and at times are emotional reactions to frustration. If you are not satisfied with the answers that you received at the building level, my central office team and I are here to assist you. Items of concerns are always better resolved via live conversations. We stand by our mission to build healthy relationships with our community.

If you should have any questions for me or the central office staff, please feel free to email or call. I encourage you to read through this newsletter and take notice of the links that each principal provides for their school community and this district communication.

Together we will continue to be #EHTStrong!

Yours in Education,

Kimberly A. Gruccio

Road Back to School UPDATE: EHT is going LIVE! As we prepare to implement our Hybrid Instruction starting during the week of October 26th we will be able to offer "live streaming," and in-turn access to your child's teacher and classes.

The following link will allow students and parents to access each staff members Google Classroom Code. At the bottom of the spreadsheet the codes are listed by school on each tab. This link can also be found on our Virtual Learning - Parent/Teacher Resources Page. Additionally, each teacher should have their Google Classroom codes posted on their own webpage.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19Bp8GQfW3ILFk88Vps1_4qWQrhOHg_9i8GTPkw_JE0g/edit?usp=sharing

Need help joining your Google Classroom? This video explains how to find your EHT School District Google Classroom codes and how to add or "join" an active Google Classroom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzvUOJKkh3k&feature=youtu.be

For students looking to join their class for a live Google Meet session, this is a step by step of video of how to lactate and join the Meet from Google Classroom https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=i6lgBOh1YpU&feature=youtu.be

Egg Harbor Township School District now offers an internal email address for students in grades 6-12. This video will demonstrate how to access student email from the district website https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVutLPNRs9I&feature=youtu.be

This video offers some basic troubleshooting tips for those using a Chromebook or their own device in the virtual environment http://mvnt.us/m1154434

Covid-19 Parent Resource Webpage

For the latest parent resource information, announcement and quick links visit: https://www.eht.k12.nj.us/c_o_v_i_d19_-_parent_resources_and_information

Google for Education has a resource for parents/guardians to learn and navigate the Google Tools. Take a look at this pdf and click on the embedded links for tutorials and more: http://mvnt.us/m1112980

EHTNJ Schools - T A L O N S registration is now open for the 2020-21 school year! Visit the TALONS webpage for more information and to sign up.http://mvnt.us/m1141165

What does TALONS stand for? Talent And Learning Of Next-Gen Students

The culture of our schools includes our school improvement efforts to increase student achievement for ALL students. Where with Every Hand Together, Every child, Everyday is provided a relevant learning experience. Through professional development opportunities we are building an effective learning culture where students are provided a safe learning environment. Our teachers collaborate in professional learning communities to review student progress in order to provide ALL students with the opportunity to learn at high levels. We have a district -wide initiative that includes individualized interventions through the RTI process to assist ALL students with learning. We know that in order to successfully educate each student, we must be cognizant of each student’s individual learning needs. This can only be accomplished if we work together to eliminate any predictability of achievement disparities by race, ethnicity, gender, language, disability, and/or economics. All faculty and staff participated in equity training during our professional learning days. The high school multicultural club will be preparing to join the district equity committee to participate in collaborative discussions and event planning. Together, we can achieve more!

Each day is kicked off at 7:30 am with a member of our school community stating the pledge. Every morning, I look forward to seeing who the guest presenter is and you can too by following our social media pages! @EHTNJSchools

@ehtnjschools is rolling out the "Welcome Mat" to our new staff! #ehtwelcomemat

Our school utilizes the SchoolMessenger system to deliver text messages, straight to your mobile phone with important information about events, school closings, safety alerts and more. Opt-in today!

JUST SEND "Y" or "YES" to 67587

• Do you need an EHT Parent Portal account?
• Do you have access to log-in?
• Not sure how to request a Parent Portal account?

Follow the easy steps outlined in this video. Check out this short video to learn how to request an account. https://youtu.be/bL1Qqs8sNm4

Families with an Infinite Campus Parent Portal account can log in and retrieve their child's MobyMax and Google Classroom login information. Check out this video to see where to access the information: http://mvnt.us/m1105711

The Mental Health Association has moved all services to a virtual platform for the health, safety and well-being of all. If you have questions or concerns (including help using zoom or the conference calling feature) you can call 609-652-3800 website- www.mhaac.info

See the following link for a daily list of resources: http://www.mhaac.info/uploads/3/4/4/8/34488857/mhaac_virtual_schedule_may_2020__updated_.pdf

As time passes, it can become difficult staying at home day in and day out. Some days may be easier than others in dealing with this national pandemic amongst other issues. Please know that our guidance counselors, social workers, student assistance counselors, school nurses, and our High School Teen Center serve as available resources daily to assist with any concerns, fears, and/or anxieties. Our district website and school websites provide contact information or call 646-7911 x 1001.

• Atlantic County Division of Public Health: “The Source” (linked)
  

• State and Local Aid Resource/Webpage (linked)

• Student resource card (Spanish/English)
  

• English Local and National Student Crisis Resource Card

• Spanish Tarjeta de Contactos Locales y Nacionales para Estudiantes en Crisis

The following link is a playlist from Every Hand Together: Pursuing Public Health and a conversation with Mr. Santilli, Assistant Superintendent and Johnny Roman, a Fitness Specialist: (Playlist) (Linked and Below)

Stockton University's Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning is running a Virtual Homework Completion Program. For more information, visit https://stockton.edu/engagement

The Egg Harbor Township High School Eagle Eye Newsletter is looking for alumni who are interested in being featured in an upcoming edition of the online publication. If you have a personal or professional accomplishment, a unique adventure or just something other EHTHS alumni may find interesting, please email:

alumni@eht.k12.nj.us

Comcast will continue offering 2 months of free service to new Internet Essentials customers in response to emergency measures associated with COVID-19. For all new and existing customers, the speed of the program's Internet service has increased. Visit www.internetessentials.com/covid19 for more details.

The Census determines funding for schools, parks, infrastructure, health care, and more. The self-response rate for Atlantic County in 2020 is at 56.5%. Census Enumerators will begin "door knocking" next week through September 30th to those that haven't responded yet. It only takes a few minutes to complete online. Click here to fill out the Census now: https://2020census.gov/

The Egg Harbor Township School District are looking for qualified candidates for the job openings pictured below. Continue to monitor our website at eht.k12.nj.us and social media @EHTNJSchools.

For more information you can see all job openings and apply online at: https://www.applitrack.com/eggharbor/onlineapp/

Egg Harbor Township School District is now hiring CDL licensed drivers for the 2020-2021 school year. Interested applicants can now apply online: https://www.applitrack.com/eggharbor/onlineapp/

We're hiring for rewarding opportunities in Egg Harbor Township School District! To apply, visit https://bit.ly/3gGjAxX

Meal Distribution Plan UPDATE: For questions and concerns, please contact 609-383-1464 or beckt@eht.k12.nj.us.

PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN DATE: Our EHT Food Service Program will be providing free breakfast and lunch for all students this TUESDAY, September 29th due to the holiday closure. We will be distributing food on Tuesday which will include 4 days of breakfast and lunch. In order to reach as many of our EHT families as possible, we are also now providing DELIVERY to several areas in the township. Please access all the images in this post to view the meal distribution stops and times. Additionally, the PICK-UP locations at Davenport, Alder and High School will remain open from 7:30am – 11 am and will also be providing 4 days of meals on Tuesday only.

Tenga en cuenta el cambio de fecha. Nuestro Programa de Servicio de Alimentos EHT proporcionará desayuno y almuerzo gratis para todos los estudiantes este MARTES 29 de septiembre debido al cierre de vacaciones. Estaremos distribuyendo comida el martes que incluirá 4 días de desayuno y almuerzo. Con el fin de llegar a la mayor cantidad posible de nuestras familias de EHT, ahora también ofrecemos ENTREGA a varias áreas del municipio. Acceda a todas las imágenes de esta publicación para ver las paradas y horarios de distribución de comidas. Además, las ubicaciones de PICK-UP en Davenport, Alder y High School permanecerán abiertas de 7:30 am a 11 am y también ofrecerán 4 días de comidas los martes solamente.

Atlantic County Food Bank Resources: Please see the list here linked for Atlantic County Food Bank Resources

If your family's circumstances have changed you could be eligible for the District’s free and reduced meal program. To apply, visit this link: http://mvnt.us/m1107777

The School Store is now online and open for business! Check out "The Nest @ EHTHS" to get all your #ehtpride gear. For a limited time, get FREE local delivery to EHT for any size order. Check out their online store at http://shopthenesteht.com

Until further notice, Board meetings will continue to be held on designated Tuesday evenings at 7pm, however will now use the Google Meet tool.

The Board of Education Regular Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, September 22nd will be held virtually. A live broadcast of the meeting will be accessible on the district homepage: http://eht.k12.nj.us.​ During the broadcast, public comments will be accepted by dialing 609-653-0100 ext 1417.

Student-athletes and band members participating in Phase 1 summer session can find guidelines and information on the website at http://ehthsathletics.weebly.com

You can also directly access information on the Return to Play Document (linked)

Our fall athletic teams and band have been out on the fields practicing for their upcoming competitions. All student athletes and coaches are required to adhere to a health screening prior to joining any practice. A nurse and athletic trainer will be on site to conduct the temperature checks and questionnaire process. Athletes are reminded to come dressed and equipped for participation in practices. This includes having a personal water bottle. Our tennis team begins competition on September 28th with other teams beginning competition on or near October 1st. There will be no long trips, out of state trips, or state championships. Please know that if you are attending a soccer, field hockey , cross county, or tennis match, you must social distance and wear a mask.

The track and turf are closed until further notice and we ask for your cooperation in staying off the surfaces. Construction will begin any day now and the area will be deemed a construction zone.

Sept 28 - Tennis games begin

Oct 2 - Football games will begin

Oct 1 - All other sports games will begin

Volleyball was moved to the Spring.

Good luck to all of our student athletes and band members as they embark on the 2020 Fall season! Play with pride ! Do your best ! Reach your Goal!

GO EAGLES!

#EHTPride #EHTStrong

Dr. Gruccio

NJSIAA:

• 9-17-20 NJSIAA Media Guidelines/Fall 2020 Season (linked)
• 9-16-20 NJSIAA Announces Postseason Football Plans (linked)

• NJSIAA WEEKLY UPDATE MEMO: 9-4-20 (linked)
  

• NJSIAA Covid-19 Fall Season Guidelines (linked)
  

• 8-28-20 NJSIAA revises guidelines related to transfers and spectators attending games (linked)

• 8-25-20 The Case for High School Sports (linked)

• 8-20-20 NJSIAA Updates Plan for Returning to Play (linked)

• NJSIAA STATEMENT – UPDATE ON SUMMER WORKOUTS/FALL SPORTS

• NJSIAA builds on Return To Play plan, provides updates on fall sports season
  
• NJSIAA provides return-to-play guidelines - Phase 1

NCAA

• NEW: NCAA Eligibility Center: FAQ’s 2020-2021 Academic Year

• If you are a student athlete you can visit the following NCAA COVID-19 Resource page
  
• NCAA Social Series: “Focusing on Mental Health”
• NCAA Eligibility Center COVID-19 Response FAQ Addendum (linked)

Each week our principals share an update on what is happening in their respective schools. Check out the Weekly Digital Newsletters linked below.

Week of September 20, 2020

High School

Eagle

Alder

Fernwood

Miller

Davenport

Slaybaugh​​

Swift​​​​

EMBRACE-ENGAGE-EDUCATE

"Our mission in the Egg Harbor Township District is to embrace families and their students to provide a safe, rigorous, and relevant learning experience while students are engaged and educated to become responsible for their own learning."

Email: ehtsd@eht.k12.nj.us
Website: www.eht.k12.nj.us
Location: 13 Swift Drive, Egg Harbor Township, NJ, USA
Phone: 609-646-7911
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EHTNJSchools/
Twitter: @EHTNJSchools