BHMS Principal's Update 4/26/21
Full Day Instruction and Updates
We are at that time where we are going full day in person with lunches. This has certainly something we haven't done in over a year and we're greatly looking forward to having your children back all day. We are also beginning to look at our May Calendar to see what events/recognition ceremonies we can have in person. Please know that some events continue to be virtual presentations because of the advance planning we had to do.
Moreover, as you read this bulletin, please note the time changes for beginning and ending time for middle school students. Refer to the info graphic, but the school day begins at 7:55 and dismisses at 3:00.
As always, I must thank you for your constant communication with us. Through everyone's collective efforts we have managed to have an incredibly low transmission rate in our school. Now that we're going back full time, this collaboration is even more essential.
Hope all is well with your families and thank you for all your help and support.
Mike D'Ostilio, Principal
In this Newsletter:
- April 26 to End of Year Bell Schedule
- Spirit Week
- Building Better Bulldogs and Student Discussion Panel
- BHMS "Team Up" in the News
- Spectator Protocols for Home Basketball and Field Hockey Games
- Library Re-opening
- April Instructional Changes and Q&A
- Reminder about April's Instructional Schedule
- Coronavirus Weekly Update (Informs families of our recent reports of COVID-19)
- PTO Updates
- Seeking Teachers out for Academic Support
- Academic Reminders
- Clubs, Activities, and Support
- Links to Past Newsletters and Correspondence
New and Important Information
- Most March and April Event Dates TBD based on new schedule. We are working with capacity regulations to assess what we can have in person. All of our formerly planned events need to be analyzed for safety. We will be sure to communicate with you as things surface.
- 4/26...Tentative plan to begin full day in person instruction. Lunches will be served. You can either partake in the school lunch or bring your own. Lunch is free to every student this school year.
- 4/26...Spirit Week Begins
- 4/30...Boys' Basketball Home Game 3:45
- 4/30...Field Hockey Scrimmage at OVMS 3:45
- 5/4...Teacher Appreciation Day
- 5/5...Nurse's Appreciation Day
Keeping Up with What is Going on at the Hill!!!
Spirit Week is Coming
Building Better Bulldogs (3Bs) Mission and Vision
This pandemic has created so many questions and concerns for students that are well beyond academics. We are committed to providing a safe environment where students can express themselves as they question the ebb and flow of their world around them. Please see below our affirmations about Buidling Better Bulldogs and the people we as Bulldogs aim to be.
Also included is below is correspondence from Mr. Bollendorf regarding the district stance to how to help students navigate this time.
See above: Check out Lily, our former Bulldog and the work BHMS does to enhance peer interaction.
Key Features in Letter and In Plan
4/12...Day we return from spring break...Collapse cohorts.
- Still in place...1/2 day schedules (pds 1-4 on M/Th, pds 5-8 on T/F, 1/2 hr pds on Wednesday)
- Students report to school same time...No change in bell schedule
- Students can attend 5 days per week
- Provisions for students who continue to opt to remain remote.
- Social distancing (6 feet) promoted but not guaranteed.
- Portable plexiglass to be purchased
- Varied class sizes depending on family decisions to have children return.
4/26...Return to Full Day 8 period day...Tentative plan depending on success of 4/12 plan.
- Students report to school by 7:55. Classes begin then and will dismiss at 2:55
- Bell schedule not yet developed
- Plan to serve lunches. More information to come regarding this in subsequent newsletters.
- Social distancing (6 feet) less possible
- Plexiglass will still be used
- Varied class sizes
- Lunches will be served.
Events
- Outdoor Sports will run. Basketball and Field Hockey Coaches are in the process of setting their schedules.
- Recognition events will be virtual or in person depending on the amount of people permitted to safely assemble per executive order.
- Music classes (band, chorus, orchestra, musical) performances will be offered as in person practice at times with a tentative virtual performance
- Clubs may take place after school after 4/26 per regulations and executive orders on safe numbers for assembly.
- Cancellations...Bulldog Bash, 8th Grade Trip, 8th Grade Dance, Dorney Park Music Festival
Below is a running list of questions asked by families regarding the recent information from Mr. Bollendorf
- First, you have to fill out the survey for the district. See Mr. Bollendorf's letter above for specifics as to how to access the survey through unified classroom. OR
- Go to wtps.org and follow the tutorial there.
- Second, you can also send an email to Dr. Muscelli (assistant principal) gmuscelli@wtps.org. Copy Mr. D'Ostilio (principal) on it - mdostilio@wtps.org. Explain what your intent is for your child. Although you must fill out the survey, we are happy to answer any questions you may have.
- You can decide at any time to have your child in person or remote. It may take a few days for me or Dr. Muscelli to finalize the details. Whatever you choose for the best option for your family, please remember to inform Mr. D'Ostilio or Dr. Muscelli of that decision.
- Moreover, especially 6th graders, if you need a tour of the building, Dr. Muscelli can set that up too.
-Do you anticipate a big increase in the number of students returning for in-person instruction?
- We have 75-80% of the students coming to full in person. Still a significant number of children will be remote.
What happens if we go on vacation? Do we have to quarantine for 10-14 days before we send our children back?
- The guidance we receive from the NJDOH (Gloucester County) is that if you travel out of state, you should quarantine upon your return. This is recommeded guidance, not mandated. Here at the school, Nurse Keane and Mr. D'Ostilio will always recommend the quarantine, asking for the parents cooperation. In the end, we cannot impose that as it is not an executive order. We ask parents to strongly consider it.
- If you decide to quarantine, please make sure Nurse Keane and Mrs. Callahan (attendance secretary) know. bkeane@wtps.org and tcallahan@wtps.org
Based on the social distancing in the classroom, how is contact tracing done? Quarantine?
- If a student tests positive or is "presumptive positive", we begin contact tracing and we review seating charts. Anyone who is less than 6 feet of someone who is either positive or presumptive positive will have to quarantine. The whole class wouldn't be required to quarantine. As students move in the hall, they are never with the student for 15 minutes or more. Since students do not stop by their lockers, it mitigates some risk.
Are the students still going to wipe down desks before and after each class?
- Students wipe their desks upon entering class. They can also wipe their shields if they choose. This will be the same during lunch
Will there be lunch served and how will that work?
- Our cafeteria holds 288 students. We are going to have no more than 75-85 students in at a time. That is less than 30% capacity. Students will bring their shields down with them to eat. They will sit socially distanced (6 feet), eat, then the teacher will escort them to class. Immediately after each group of students is dismissed by the teacher, the surface of the tables is cleaned and sprayed with Virex. Students take their shields back to class.
- Students will take their masks off as they eat. Once the entire table finishes eating, they will be sent to their class.
- Cafeteria staff will serve the lunch to the students at their tables.
- Meals are still free until 9/30 and remote pick up will still be on Mondays at the high school at the 9/10 side.
- Everyone can choose to take a lunch or bring a lunch from home.
once the cohorts are combined and students are 3ft or less from each other....what happens if someone tests positive? does that whole class have to quarantine? and how does that work since they switch classes?
I can confirm we are able to social distance in the cafeteria. We have 24 tables that seat 12 normally. However, for us in this time, we will only sit 4 at a table. All students will have assigned seats.
Are all the classrooms now equipped with approved HEPA filters for Corona virus? If not, is there a plan to install them?
- The forced air in the rooms comes from the hall HVAC system to the rooms. Therefore, right outside each classroom, we have MERV-13 filters which are the recommended filters to fend off the micron particles of COVID-19
How far apart do you anticipate the desks being away from each other in the classrooms?
- It will be 3 feet where possible. I can't guarantee the social distancing. Each student will receive a portable shield on 4/12.
Is there deep cleaning of the schools, and if so how often per week?
- There is no routine "deep" cleaning. However, we disinfect the rooms regularly. Each morning and night, the custodians spray each room with a disinfectant called Virex. Virex works within 3 minutes on surfaces. It's a hospital grade cleaner. Additionally, each student is given a wipe to wipe their desk before they sit down.
Will the students be allowed to use their lockers?
- Students will be able to use their lockers only twice per day. That is in the morning to get their shields and in the afternoon to return the shields to the lockers. Students will be allowed to carry a back pack this year and will need minimal school supplies as we are not giving out handouts per se.
- Students will not use gym lockers or the locker room.
Will anyone be monitoring the hallways while the kids are at their lockers to ensure that no one is "hanging out" , pulling masks down, or taking masks off?
- No one will be going to their lockers during the school day only in the morning and afternoon at dismissal. We don't have that problem with people being flippant with their masks now. Regardless staff and administration will frequently monitor the halls.
- Dismissal and arrivals will not be a problem since we stagger dismissal and not every child arrives at the same time. For the class changes, we will still have one directional and we have the largest hallways. Approximately 80% of our students are returning so it is likely the upstairs hall will be more crowded.
If my child is remote, what time should they be logging into class to start the day?
- All students staying remote should make it a point to be logged into their first class by 8am.
Information in Addition to the Tracker
BHMS had 3 cases reported while on spring break with a verification that no transmission to another individual occurred. As a result:
- 41 since Sept 2020
- Includes Staff and Students
Most Recent Report of an Individual Who Tested Positive for COVID-19
- April 19, 2021
Number of In-School Transmissions (Person transmitting to another while in the building)
- 2
Get Involved by Joining a Club...Families Please Review this Information with Your Children
Bunker Hill Middle School: Home of the Bulldogs
Email: ddijohn@wtps.org
Website: https://www.wtps.org/bunkerhill
Location: 372 Pitman Downer Road, Sewell, NJ, USA
Phone: 856 881 7007
Facebook: facebook.com/OfficialBHMS
Twitter: @Official_BHMS