July 31, 2020

10 Av 5780

Dear PJA Families,

We are writing to follow up on our communication from Tuesday, July 28 regarding reopening school with distance learning. At this time we would like to share a bit more information with you about our plans. We are working closely with our teachers and administrative team “to ensure an academically rich environment which honors the whole child” even in a Comprehensive Distance Learning (better known at PJA as our COOL Distance Learning, CDL) environment. We are excited about building upon the success of our program last spring to ensure an active, fun and engaging start to the new school year. Our mission and middot (values) guide us as we continue to “nurture and inspire Jewish engagement, kavod/respect, and responsibility for the world in which we live,” and it is this guidance which will continue to frame all that we do as we plan for and implement CDL (remember, that’s COOL Distance Learning!).

As per the Governor’s announcement on Tuesday, July 28th, 2020, counties are required to meet a very strict set of metrics in order for their public and private schools to implement an in person or hybrid learning program. The metrics are based on the positive case rate within each county, as well as the positive test rate at the state and county level, over a three-week period. Unfortunately, Multnomah County does not currently meet those requirements and, as such, we will begin school with CDL only, in hopes that we will be able to bring students back to school in person in the not too distant future. In keeping with our mission as a Jewish Day School, we are guided by the Jewish calendar which, in the month of Tishrei, (coinciding with September and October) is filled with the beauty and richness of many Jewish holidays. These holidays fall over a 4 week period ending on October 11th with Simchat Torah. As such, we have determined that the first possible date of return to school in a hybrid model, and based on the staggered start schedule shared with you on July 24th, will be Monday, October 12th. By law, our return to school is based upon Multnomah County’s ability to meet the metrics set by the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Department of Education. Prior to finalizing our decision, we will consult with our medical advisory team, school administration and Board of Directors. Based on the current metrics, it is likely that we will be able to invite Kindergarten-3rd grade back to school for in person learning sooner than 4th-8th grade. Because of differences in the manner in which children under 10 contract and spread the novel coronavirus, and because the governor has prioritized the return to school of our youngest learners, this group follows different criteria for return. Please note that our Early Childhood program, both Infant Toddler and Preschool, will begin in person as scheduled on August 31.

We understand that school openings and closures create tremendous disruption to people’s lives and we have made the decision not to consider a return to school until at least October 12th in order to allow for families and teachers to plan ahead and make necessary arrangements. As stated above, we’ll review the situation on October 12th, guided by the Multnomah County health data metrics and advised by the OHA, ODE and our own medical advisory team, regarding the return to school for K-3rd grade and/or 4th - 8th grade, as appropriate. You can see the current weekly county metrics compiled by OHA here.

Our faculty and staff are planning a robust online learning program. Faculty and staff have been and will continue to engage in professional development to enhance their online teaching practice. We have been working closely with our technology team to provide new tools to support students, teachers and families. We are excited to share more information about our program in the coming weeks. Teachers return to school for inservice the week of August 24th and will prepare materials for students to use at home. We will share schedules for material pick up towards the end of August.

We are also working with the MJCC to plan for possible opportunities to meet in person by grade level for short periods of time at the start of the year, as permitted by State regulations. We know how important it is for our teachers and students to get to know each other and create community and are hoping to be able to provide such opportunities. Watch for more information about this in the coming weeks.

Bus Service

We continue to assess the need for bus service once we return to school. Due to the uncertainty regarding dates of return and numbers of students who will be allowed to return, we may not be able to run our bus service this school year. We will update you with more current information as it becomes available.

Afterschool Program

We are currently working closely with the Portland Public Schools to determine the nature of Afterschool programming for our students. We anticipate that the program will be a full-day program, five days per week, with no opportunity for part-time enrollment. You will be receiving information about the program and a survey to determine interest, in the coming week.

Technology Support

Watch for information about Family Technology Support sessions hosted by our Technology Integration Specialist, Matt Rosenberg. We have tentatively scheduled these sessions for August 18th for Kindergarten-3rd grade families and August 20th for 4th-8th grade families, 6:30-7:30 PM. We will share links to these virtual meetings soon.

Thank you all for your ongoing commitment to our school during this crisis and beyond, We greatly appreciate the trust you put in us to provide a rich and engaging education for your students that keeps Jewish life and learning at the center.

Shabbat shalom,