Opening of the 2020-2021 School Year

With input from our Reopening Committee, our faculty and staff, our Covid-19 Medical Advisory Committee, in consultation with our Board of Directors, and in following the guidance of the Chief Public Health Officer of Montgomery County, we have decided that JDS will begin the new school year in distance learning with opportunities for programming in small groups outdoors and on campus in line with County guidelines.

We plan to revisit this decision on November 1st and will remain flexible to reduce or extend our period of distance learning depending on public health guidance.

The School, along with AISGW and JCRC, are seeking information from Dr. Gayles to find out what metrics he is using to determine when it is safe to reopen the schools.  At this point, the number of new cases is too high and we would like to know on what he is basing his decision, but we have not heard back yet. 

The current recommendation from Montgomery County health officials is that is not safe for schools to open. 

The governor has determined that county officials may not issue a blanket order for all schools to close and has issued orders to enable independent schools to make their own decisions regarding reopening. At the same time, the chief public health official of Montgomery County is strongly recommending that schools not reopen in person, given the current health environment.

Please click on the links below to find the schedule for each division. 

Lower School

Middle School

High School

• All information in Magnus Health must be updated for this school year and all NEW and 6^th grade students must have approved physical exams and immunizations uploaded into Magnus before they can come on campus.
• Health Screening: Students should not come onto campus if they have a temperature 100.4 or higher, sore throat, runny nose, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, vomiting or abdominal pain. Students should not come onto campus if they have had a close contact with anyone with a positive Covid-19 test recently or have a pending Covid-19 test. The on campus nurse will review this screening and take temperatures.
• Students must arrive wearing a well-fitting mask or face covering that covers their nose and mouth and must keep it on at ALL times outside and inside the building.
• Students must remember to stay 6 feet apart from other students and staff. If they would like to greet another student or staff member, we suggest a friendly wave.
• Please remember to send your student with any Emergency Medication that they might need, including an Epipen and Inhaler.
• We also suggest each student bring their own water bottle as water fountains are closed off at the School.

Originally Dr. Gayles' order listed November 9 as the date at which he would determine if it was safe for schools to reopen. He later changed that guidance to October 1. JDS is maintaining its flexibility to reduce or extend distance learning based on current conditions and recommendations of public health officials.

The majority of families would like to return to in-person learning as soon as possible. A sub-section of the community does not plan to return at this time, and many families have shared that they are uncertain if they will return.

Our outstanding faculty is the foundation of exemplary and inspiring general and Jewish education. Just as parents and students are concerned about a return to on-campus learning in the current environment, teachers share these concerns and anxieties and want to ensure that both they and their students are safe and healthy.

At this time, the School is focusing on opening the 2020-2021 school year in distance learning. We will share our hybrid instruction plans in the coming weeks. 

JDS maintains flexibility to reduce or extend the period of distance learning. If health conditions and guidance allow, we will move into a hybrid model before November 1. 

Learning Spaces: Learning Spaces Many building modifications will be in place to help ensure the health and safety of our faculty and students. Buildings will be marked with physical distancing reminders and for traffic control. Hallways will be directionally marked for traffic, and doors will be marked for ingress and egress. Signage throughout the buildings will remind us of safety and hygiene practices. Classrooms on the Lower and Upper School campuses will be reconfigured to allow for six feet of physical distancing of students, with a reduced number of students per classroom. In certain rooms or spaces, plexiglass separators will provide protection where six feet of physical distancing may not be possible. Tents and large shade tarps will shelter outdoor learning areas.

Lunch Service: When hybrid learning is in place, our cafeterias will not be able to open in their usual manner for food service or for students to eat in the cafeteria. Students will need to bring lunch or pre-order boxed lunches. Lunch will be in their classrooms, outdoors, or in designated areas. When eating indoors, sanitizing will occur after lunch, before classes resume. 

Transportation and Carpool: Sidewalks along carpool lanes will be marked for physical distancing and traffic flow will be controlled. Parents are encouraged to avoid carpooling and to drive their children to and from school to limit cross-contact.

When buses are in service, ridership will be prioritized for those who have no alternative transportation for their children. Capacity will be adapted to limit riders to one per seat, with siblings sitting together on the same seat. Students and drivers will be required to wear face coverings on buses, and drivers will complete daily health screenings prior to beginning their route. Windows will be open to permit outside airflow, and daily cleaning and sanitizing of buses will support a safe and healthy transportation environment.

Building Modifications: Touch-free faucets have been installed in all restrooms. Water fountains will not be in use, but additional touch-free water bottle fillers have been added on each campus. Throughout the buildings, ample supplies of hand sanitizer will provide easy access for hand hygiene. Our HVAC system is undergoing a thorough inspection and will be repaired and upgraded to maximize ventilation and outside airflow. Isolation areas have been established in case symptomatic individuals need to be segregated from the school population.

Cleaning and Disinfection: Our daytime janitorial team will be expanded to include dedicated crew members trained in hightouch surface (HTS) cleaning and disinfecting. Nightly janitorial services will also include HTS cleaning and disinfection. As an added measure, electrostatic disinfecting will provide an additional layer of protection. Between classes and as needed, sanitizing wipes will be used to disinfect high-touch surfaces in classrooms.

Our Gurim program is licensed separately as an early childhood program, and because, at this time Montgomery County permits Gurim to be open, we are planning for full five day a week in-person learning in smaller cohorts. As Kindergarten is part of early childhood education, we are permitted to open the grade for in-person learning. 

When hybrid learning begins, we have planned for a supervised distance learning program that would allow Lower School students to come to campus on any day that parents need care. At this time, community conditions do not allow for this level of density of students and staff on campus.

Due to liability issues we cannot offer in-person learning when county health officials say it is not safe to do so.

Students in our ESS program will have access to the support and accommodations that they need to thrive in their learning. Learning specialists will support students both in groups and in individual meetings.

If parents are experiencing significant challenges with the cost of child care when distance learning is in place, they may apply for the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. 

The JDS Board of Directors has approved a subsidy for parents who must obtain child care to complete their work at the School. The benefit will be avialable for any months that a child's school is in distance or hybrid learning during the 2020-2021 school year. 

Please complete this form. We will respond to you via email as soon as we can.