In yet another missive to district parents, issued on Thursday evening, Haddonfield Superintendent Chuck Klaus announced that all of its members schools would be returning to hybrid education, effective Monday, Dec. 7.
Klaus lette read, “Since the decision was made to shift to five days of full-remote instruction at the beginning of this week, we have been monitoring both local and regional COVID numbers. This included a meeting with the Camden County Department of Health and the Camden County superintendents. Based on the Southwest Region remaining classified as “High Risk or Orange” and low incidents reported for Haddonfield students and staff, we are confident that the schools will be safe, and we will return to the hybrid model on December 7, as planned.
“The decision for a temporary move to full-remote learning was a difficult one, and today’s decision to return to in-person instruction has been no less challenging. Ultimately, this decision rests upon our confidence in the schools being safe environments and our strong belief in the value of in-person instruction.
“The November 25th decision to close schools for five days was made in part to reduce any potential need for widespread quarantines after the holiday break. In order to remain open for the remainder of December, we must promote a “community first” mindset. The school district implores families and staff members to complete daily screening forms with care and accuracy. If any student or staff person has symptoms of COVID-19, they should stay home and attend school remotely. Additionally, if you have been exposed to an individual who is symptomatic and/or exposed to those designated as close contacts, especially in your own household, you must not come into our schools.
“These difficult times require difficult decisions. Ultimately our goal is to remain in our hybrid model for the remaining 13 school days of December. This can best be accomplished if we all take responsibility and are cautious about potentially exposing others.”
In an effort to combat a sudden, sharp spike of COVID-19 cases in the community, Klaus had originally decreed that only Haddonfield Memorial High School would be returning to all-virtual learning in late November. Then, in a subsequent decision, he added the remaining four district schools to the ledger for the week immediately following Thanksgiving break.
Check back with the Sun as this story continues to unfold.
