The Bayonne School District is shifting to a virtual instruction mode for all students, teachers and administrative support staff, according to Superintendent of Schools John Niesz. The move to go virtual coincides with the continued increase of COVID-19 cases in both the city and the state.
The district will operate remotely via virtual instruction from Monday, Jan. 3 to Friday, Jan. 7, 2022. The virtual school days will all be half days, Niesz said in his announcement on Dec. 29.
Need-to-know info
The district will offer grab-and-go food pick-up at all school buildings on Monday, Jan. 3, and Wednesday, Jan. 5. The pick-up time will be from 12 to 3 p.m.
All related special education services will be done virtually for the safety of students and staff during the week of Jan. 3. Related service providers will contact parents for specific arrangements next week. For any further questions or concerns, contact Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Vecchiarelli at jvecchiarelli@bboed.org.
During virtual learning, all district device repairs and exchanges will take place at Bayonne High School, Door #3, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. If a school device needs repair, parents and students can submit a repair ticket online at tinyurl.com/BBOEDTechTicket.
Mitigating virus spread
Prior to this, the district had been operating in person throughout the 2021-2022 school year. Last year, the district remained virtual until returning in person under a hybrid instruction model in May of 2021.
“As you are aware, COVID-19 is continuing its spread in our community and our northeast region of New Jersey currently has the highest case rate in New Jersey,” Niesz said, referring to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention online at covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/.
The move was not unexpected, with Niesz instructing students, faculty, administration, and employees to bring home all laptops and books over the winter break in case of this exact scenario. The district is planning a return to in-person instruction on Monday, Jan. 10.
“When we return to in person instruction, we are asking all students, faculty and staff to get tested, continue vaccination efforts and take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID,” Niesz said.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.Â
