Brick Elementary Schools Set For 5 Days In Person April 12

BRICK, NJ — Brick Township elementary school students and staff will have five days a week of in-person instruction when they return from Spring Break on Monday, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down school buildings in March 2020.

The district announced the plan to move to five days a week, with early dismissal, in mid-March, to give parents and staff time to prepare for the change.

Brick's students at all grade levels have been attending four days in person with early dismissal since early March. The elementary students have been in the buildings four days a week since Feb. 22.

Superintendent Thomas Farrell said the hope is middle and high school students will move to five days in person within a few weeks.

Virtual instruction remains in place for parents who want their students to remain on remote instruction, he said.

With the shift to more in-person instruction, Farrell urged parents, students and staff to be diligent about efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

"(The Brick Township Public Schools are) continuing to employ mitigation strategies to keep our school community healthy and safe," Farrell said. "We ask all staff, students, and parents to partner with us in this effort as we enter the last quarter of the 2020-2021 school year."

He urged everyone to adhere to the following:

• Stay home when sick and/or being tested for COVID-19
• If you came in contact with a COVID positive individual
• If you have traveled and/or attended a large gathering and are awaiting negative test utilizing the recommended travel guidance from NJ. The district follows the state and county guidelines in regards to quarantining according to the COVID-19 Regional Risk Matrix.
• Quarantining is non-negotiable if you’ve come in contact with a COVID-19 Positive individual. While Ocean County remains in high risk, quarantining remains 14 days.

The state Department of Health reflects many of the mitigation strategies outlined by the CDC, however, the state still recommends the following:

• Maintain social distancing and group cohorts
• Maintain a minimum of 6 feet social distancing at the middle school and high school level to the extent practicable.
• Maintain a minimum of 3 feet social distancing at the elementary Level to the extent practicable.
• When assessing the risk of the spread of COVID-19 due to a COVID-positive individual schools need to evaluate the following:
• Ability to adhere to social distancing requirements in regards to both physical proximity and length of time.
• Class and program cohorts
• Activities which require shared materials and/or equipment.
• Mitigation strategies being employed.

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