February 1, 2021; 19 Shvat 5781

Dear PJA Families,

During the past weekend, we received a number of questions about reopening. As we indicated on Friday, we will be sending out the details of our reopening plan by the end of this week. We are anxious to bring students back in-person as quickly and safely as possible, and, at this time, we want to share a little more information about the rationale for phasing-in our transition to hybrid learning.

As independent and public schools plan to reopen in a hybrid mode (i.e. one that meets the needs of students who choose to return in-person as well as those who choose to continue with remote learning), a phased-in approach that begins with an expansion of Limited In-Person Instruction is emerging as the most typical approach. Most of the Portland-area NWAIS independent schools are adopting this approach, as are small public systems (such as Riverdale schools). The reasons why this is the best approach for PJA include the following:

In order to provide effective supervision of both in-person and remote students, we must hire additional staff;
In order to fully support remote students in the months ahead, we must train teachers and students to use new technology that can be more effective than Zoom in a hybrid environment;
PJA has been advised that we are obligated to allow employees to move further along in the vaccination process before requiring them to spend the majority of their day on the campus;
The operation of our large Early Childhood program, and the reopening of the MJCC (which was authorized last week), greatly complicate the rules surrounding use of and access to spaces (such as entrances, exits, restrooms, stairwells, and hallways), and will require student training and practice to ensure a safe, healthy, compliant environment.

There are many, many other factors that complicate our reopening, mostly related to the need to adhere to a complex array of requirements from the Oregon Department of Education and Oregon Health Authority. Some requirements, such as those related to on-site testing, are still not finalized.

We are fully aware that with very careful planning, there remains the possibility of a student or staff member contracting COVID-19, and we believe that a phased opening will reduce the likelihood of such an incident. We will follow all required protocols and guidelines should that occur. It is our sincere hope to remain open for the duration of the year.

We know that you have questions and that more questions will arise as we roll-out more details of our reopening plan. We want to encourage you to join us during our “administrative open office hours.” We have an upcoming session scheduled at 9 am on Thursday, Feb. 4 on Zoom, and are adding a session at 8 pm on Tuesday, Feb. 9, also on Zoom, for those who prefer evening hours.

Thank you for your continued support and patience. We look forward to providing more details later this week.

L’shalom,

Steve & Merrill