August 25th, 2021
Dear 75 Morton Community,
The 2021-2022 school year is quickly approaching. When asked this weekend how I feel about starting school again, I quickly replied, “excited!” I’ve been meeting with staff members this summer, and when asked what they’re looking forward to in the coming year, the response across the board has been “being in the building with kids!”
One important lesson from the past two years has been to expect the unexpected. Below is what we know and we can expect, with more information forthcoming from the DOE and our knowledge that the unexpected will occur. We will keep you updated as we know more and we appreciate your patience and flexibility.
Important Dates:
Meet ‘n’ Greet with Valerie - Wednesday, September 1st - 10am
First day of school - Monday, September 13th
Schools closed - Yom Kippur - Thursday, September 16th
After school programs begin - Monday, September 20th
Orientation for Families - Tuesday, September 21st
Staff and Student Updates
Students and staff are required to wear masks except when eating.
All staff are required to have their first vaccination shot by September 27th.
Students and staff are required to maintain 3ft social distance
All students, staff, and visitors must complete the DOE health screening everyday before entering the building. The heath screening will be posted outside the building and can also be accessed here
Building Safety
Our building meets and exceeds all air filtration requirements and has been inspected by the DOE.
All classrooms will have two additional air filtration units.
Students and staff are expected to use hand sanitizer upon entering classrooms and we will encourage frequent hand washing.
There are hand-sanitizing stations throughout the school and all classrooms have hand sanitizer and wipes.
We have the capacity to hold all of our students while meeting the 3ft requirement.
Clear hallway procedures and decals will be used to maintain 3ft.
School Procedures and Policies
Students will be moving classrooms and following a typical middle school schedule.
There will be no cohorts this year. All students will attend 5 days a week, there is currently no remote option.
DOE policy requires 3ft distance in all classrooms for students and teachers. Class size will be based on DOE-provided room capacity for this policy.
Students will be using lockers and following guidelines for maintaining 3 feet.
Odds and Ends
School hours are 8:40-3:00. Students may enter the building at 8:10 for breakfast in the cafeteria.
Per the DOE, no remote option will be provided for students.
There will be after-school programs - tryouts will be the week of September 13th and activities begin September 20th. More information to come!
We are awaiting guidance on the following:
We do not know if outlunch will be allowed. This will determine our lunch policies and procedures.
We do not know how often Covid testing will occur in the school.
The DOE has not shared the policies for when a student or teacher tests positive for Covid-19.
Check our website https://www.75morton.org/ for information on school supplies, my welcome letter, and other information regarding the new school year. We are currently working on updating our family handbook and that will be available soon. I will send an email each Tuesday (or more frequently if needed) until the beginning of the year.
As they say in High School Musical, “We’re all in this together!” And here we go!
Valerie