I want to thank our school community as we move through these unchartered waters related to the COVID-19 concerns facing our nation and the world. Here, locally, the school districts across Bucks County have worked cooperatively from the onset of this challenge to support one another as we make tough decisions and move, temporarily, toward a new way of providing an educational program.
For Neshaminy, first and foremost in our thinking has been our students, staff and their families. We recognize that in these times of uncertainty we are being asked to juggle many new developments in our personal lives – new work expectations; possible loss of jobs and income; shrinking social activity; and children at home around the clock, asking serious questions about something that we, as adults, are desperately trying to learn more about ourselves on a daily basis.
We have learned new expressions – “social distancing” and “flattening the curve”. We now understand what these mean to saving lives here at home and all over our nation.
In the midst of all this, Neshaminy School District is committed to ensuring the continuity of the educational experience for our students. Our administrators and educators have rolled out two phases of online Learning Opportunities for all grades, details of which can be found on the District website. Teams of teachers and administrators are now preparing for Phase 3 of online instruction, which will include formal teaching and learning that is aligned with our grade-level standards. Specific communications about this phase will be shared with Neshaminy families starting this upcoming week.
We are also focused on our student’s emotional, social and physical well-being. Our nurses and counselors are available, and will be reaching out to those who we identify to be in need of support. Families that could use extra help should reach out to their school Principal.
We have been distributing “grab and go” breakfast and lunch packs for students enrolled in the federal Free & Reduced Lunch Program – including those who might newly-qualify due to recent changes to the employment status of a parent. We have increased the frequency of these meals to include weekends, as well as adding distribution sites.
Another important effort over the course of this closure has been to get Chromebooks into the hands of all of our students. Over 500 students received devices last week, and we are still taking requests and arranging Chromebook distribution to families that can use them.
I want to sincerely thank the many individuals who have been involved in our work helping to stabilize an uncertain situation and providing direction forward. I thank our custodians who have been on the front line of assuring that our buildings are clean. I thank the maintenance workers who have helped make our facilities safer. I thank our Food Service provider Aramark and our Neshaminy cafeteria workers for helping to establish and expand our vital food distribution program. Our District Technology Department is playing a critical role not only preparing and distributing the Chromebooks but also working hard to ensure that our technology “backbone” is configured and ready to meet new network and software demands as we move our curriculum online; I thank them for their hard work.
I would like to thank my District Cabinet members, each of whom is leading different aspects of organizing and managing all of these efforts. Finally, I want to thank our School Board members for their advice and support.
Together we shall remain strong. As a unified Neshaminy school community, we are ready to continue confronting this challenge.
Sincerely,
Joseph Jones III
Superintendent of Schools
At this point, Governor Wolf has indicated that all Pennsylvania schools are closed "indefinitely." We will begin our "Phase 3" learning on Monday, April 13. Teachers will be providing instructional activities for their individual classes and students will be expected to participate in these activities as assigned.
Can I retrieve something from a school building?
All Neshaminy school buildings are currently closed. If you need to retrieve something on an emergency basis (such as medication stored in the nurse's office), please call your child's school (Main Office voicemails will be monitored remotely).
Will school be extended into the summer?
No. The Pennsylvania Department of Education has relaxed the 180-day rule, and even with this indefinite closure, Phase 3 of our online learning plans will allow students to complete their grade-level requirements. The exact final day of school will be determined later.
Will the graduation date be moved?
Right now the graduation is still scheduled for June 10. At this time, we do not expect this date to change. Adjustments to the 2019-2020 school calendar will be a subject for discussion at a Board meeting scheduled for the end of April.
What is happening with standardized tests?
The Pennsylvania Department of Education has cancelled all PSSA and Keystone tests for this year. The March 14 and May 2 SAT test has been cancelled; check the College Board website for further details. The April 4 ACT test has been preliminarily re-schedule for June 13, check ACT.org for details and updates.
Is any childcare in District buildings available during the closure?
No, by state and federal order, all schools are closed.
What about spring sports?
No sports or practices will be held while schools are closed. A determination as to the fate of the rest of the season will be made by the PIAA and individual participating schools.
What about school trips?
Based on the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and the Pennsylvania Health Department, Neshaminy has cancelled all scheduled school trips for the remainder of the school year. Families who signed up for these trips will be contacted with cancellation and/or refund information as soon as the District receives it from the travel agents and venues.
Will the Neshaminy HS proms be held?
The NHS junior and senior proms have been cancelled. If they can be rescheduled after schools re-open, the District will make every effort to do so. But we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
How can I contact the District during the closure?
Phone messages can be left at each school Main Office. They will be monitored remotely and answered as soon as possible. Individual staff members will be communicating via email and student applications such as Clever and Canvas. You can also reach out to any school or District administrator by email.
I missed Chromebook distribution, can I still get one?
Yes, Chromebooks can still be requested. We are allowing one Chromebook per two students living in the same household. Visit this site for information and the request form.
All school activities have been postponed or cancelled, from school trips to spring sports. Families that have purchased tickets to the activities listed below or placed deposits on school trips will be contacted individually as soon as the District has information to share with them. The administration is busy working with travel organizers, venues and outside organizations.
- The Neshaminy HS junior and senior proms have been cancelled. Once school resumes, the District will make every effort to reschedule these, but cannot guarantee that will be possible.
- All school trips have been cancelled for the rest of the school year.
- PIAA spring sports AND practices have been cancelled until further notice.
- All PTO activities and fundraisers are cancelled until further notice.
- The STEAM Expo scheduled for April 1 has been postponed indefinitely.
- The Harlem Wizards game has been postponed possibly until the fall.
- The #StandUp Neshaminy Sunset Challenge 5K / 2K has been postponed, a new date will be announced in the near future.
Even in the new age of social distancing, Neshaminy staff and students have found multiple ways to stay connected to learn, enjoy each others company and share creativity online. Online webinars and meetings, once the mainstay of start-up business and corporate teams, have become the "go-to" way for teams of administrators, teachers and support staff to stay connected. Using a variety of tools, including Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and even the District educational apps such as Flipgrid, individuals are able to connect with video, screen sharing and text chat. Teachers are able to reach out to students on the District Chromebooks to review projects, deliver video lessons, or just say hello. Many have already loaded videos covering everything from reading and science challenges to juggling and yoga lessons to share with their students. Neshaminy administrators are holding team meetings to plan everything from online curriculum to employee support.
Neshaminy students are already well-equipped to share projects on their Chromebooks and other devices using such applications as IXL, WeVideo, FlipGrid, Nearpod and Clever and Canvas.
But just like the real world, it's not all work. Video and social media are important tools that are being used to maintain a sense of community and keeps students engaged throughout the District. Several schools have remotely produced staff greeting videos, offering messages of hope, inspiration or just plain fun from teachers and administrators to their home-bound students. Over 100 Walter Miller students captured short videos for a music compilation which were edited together and shared with their schoolmates.
Herbert Hoover Principal Dr. David Glennon has been posting a number of entertaining videos, including daily updates of his schedule, book reading, exercises, singing, and even a home fire drill on Hoover's Facebook page and Twitter feed. Several art contests have appeared on social media pages around the District, including one on the District's main Facebook page.
Some of these efforts are brand new, while some are just extensions of projects started during the school year. As the closure extends beyond its second week we expect to see many more Neshaminy connections built in the cloud.
