July 17, 2020

5 Tamuz 5780

Dear PJA Day School Families,

As promised, we are writing to share more information about reopening in the fall. As with all decisions made for and about our PJA Kehillah (community), decisions are made through the lens of our mission and middot (values) to “honor the whole child” and with “kavod/respect, and responsibility for the world in which we live.” We are guided by the Jewish law of pikuach nefesh, saving a life, which states that the preservation of human life is of primary importance. As such, the safety and well being of our community is what drives all of our decisions .

We share this plan with full awareness that it may need to be modified, adapted, or changed altogether as conditions related to the Covid-19 pandemic in our region and country continue to evolve. At some point in the coming year, it may be necessary to return to a fully online program to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our community and/or to comply with State mandates. For now, our goal remains to have students and faculty in school as safely as possible starting on September 1st.

REOPENING COMMITTEE AND TASK FORCES

Our reopening plan has been developed in accordance with the guidelines provided by State and Federal authorities including the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Oregon Health Authority (OHA), and Oregon Department of Education’s (ODE) handbook Ready Schools Safe Learners 2020-21 Guidance (RSSL). In addition, we have relied on guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and have been in close consultation with our colleagues at the Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS) and PRIZMAH: Center for Jewish Day Schools.

The Reopening Committee and various Reopening Task Forces have already provided invaluable guidance and will continue to work on creating a safe and meaningful return to school.

Reopening Committee: Steve Albert, Merrill Hendin, Michael Hyde, Amy Katz, Sarah Glass, Erika Saiers, Natalie Haskins, Richard Boyd, Dr. Opher Nadler, Tamar Wyte-Lake, Sheri Blue, Jana Hopfinger, Lucy Schwimmer, Shahar Eden and Molly Slaon
Health and Wellness Task Force: Dr. Opher Nadler, Dr. Rachel Cohn, Dr. Mark Zeitzer, Dr. Mindy Zeitzer , Dr. Michael Gilbert, Sheri Blue, Steve Albert, Merrill Hendin, Michael Hyde, Amy Katz, Sarah Glass, Erika Saiers
School Program Task Force: Celinda Llanez, Lucy Schwimmer, Megan Hughes, Jana Hopfinger, Liz Phillips, Sara Morton, Marcie Brewer, Shahar Eden, Molly Sloan, Matt Rosenberg, Kim Schneiderman, Alisa Scudamore, Stephanie Rankin, Sandi Anslow, Lynne Meyerowitz, Deirdre O'Brien, Carla Caynon, Larisa Lerner, Merrill Hendin, Michael Hyde, Amy Katz.
Facility: Richard Boyd, Michael Hyde, Matthew Rosenberg, Erika Saiers, Merrill Hendin
Protocols and Procedures: Sarah Glass, Richard Boyd, Merrill Hendin
Documentation: Steve Albert and Sarah Glass

SCHOOL SCHEDULE

We are planning a slower, more staggered start to the beginning of the school year so we can gradually and carefully bring students back into the building. We are finalizing this phase-in schedule and will share it with you by July 24. During the phase-in period, students will be in school part-time to ensure that our procedures are working smoothly and to give time for students and staff to acclimate to new policies and procedures.

We have developed a hybrid schedule for all grade levels which includes both in person and online learning. What follows is an outline of this schedule. Our teachers and administrators are currently working on the details of these programs to be shared with you over the next two weeks.

KINDERGARTEN - 3rd GRADE
These classes will be in school for in person learning at least four days per week.

4th and 5th GRADES

Both 4th and 5th grade classes will each be split into two cohorts. Each cohort will come to school on an alternating A/B day schedule, Monday through Thursday. On Friday, all students in 4th and 5th grades will attend school in person. We will share more detailed schedules in the next two weeks which will give you information about when your child is expected at school and what learning will look like on the days that students are not attending school in person.

6th GRADE

As new middle school students, our goal is to have our 6th graders attending school in person three days per week to build community and orient them to middle school. Friday will be an online learning day for all middle school students which will include classes that allow for mixing cohorts such as wellness and exploratory classes. We are working with teachers on schedules and programs and will share that information in the next two weeks.

7th and 8th GRADES

Students in 7th and 8th grades will attend school in person on an alternating A/B day schedule two days per week. Friday will be an online learning day for all middle school students which will include classes that allow for mixing cohorts such as wellness and exploratory classes. We are working on plans for delivering instruction to all students on both in person and online learning days. We will share more exact plans including A/B cohorts in the next 2 weeks.

CLASSROOMS AND PHYSICAL SPACE

We have carefully measured our classrooms to ensure that we are able to accommodate all students in a cohort (or class in the case of K-3) in their classroom while maintaining a 6 foot distance from each other and more than 6 foot distance from the teacher. With the exception of Kindergarten, students will be sitting at single desks facing the front of the room as mandated by OHA and ODE. Specialists will, for the most part, come into classrooms, so that students will not move from room to room during the day. We will set up “outdoor classrooms'' to give students opportunities to be outside. All classes will have outdoor recess with only their classroom cohort.

FACE COVERINGS

Students will be required to wear face coverings or face masks while indoors. We will give mask breaks throughout the day and students will be allowed to remove their masks for snack, lunch and outdoor activities.

PROTOCOLS

We will have daily symptoms and temperature checks, and we are still finalizing the most effective and efficient way to implement these. We also plan to stagger the drop-off and pick-up times and locations for students in different grades to reduce crowding at the start and end of each day, and we are developing those schedules. We will attempt to create schedules and protocols that accommodate families with students in different grades.

EAST SIDE SCHOOL BUS SERVICE

We are working with First Student to determine whether we can offer bus service, and, if so, what the cost will be. We will be in touch with our East Side families as soon as we have more information to share.

AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM

We are working with the State’s Early Learning Division and Portland Public Schools, as well as ODE, to determine whether we can offer an afterschool program, and, if so, what parameters would apply.

We look forward to sharing additional details with you in the coming weeks.

Shabbat shalom,