Manchester Middle, High Schools Moving To 4 Days In Person

MANCHESTER, NJ — Manchester Township middle and high school students are set to move to four days of in-person instruction beginning next week, and district officials said the hope is to shift to five days for the fourth marking period.

To get there, however, parents are being warned to adhere to travel restrictions to help prevent a spike in coronavirus cases.

"We have had a very successful transition to a four-day schedule in our elementary schools due to the outstanding planning of our staff and the cooperation of our parents and students," Superintendent David Trethaway said in a letter to parents posted on the Manchester Schools' website. "It is important that we continue to practice the safety guidelines we have in place to continue meeting with our students on this four-day schedule."

The district's elementary students shifted to four days a week on March 1, and the shift of secondary students to four days comes just over a year since schools across the state were completely shut down as a result of the pandemic.

"Eventually, the goal will be to move to a five-day schedule as we approach the fourth marking period," Trethaway said. "I ask that as we transition to more in-person instruction ... please be careful during the spring break and take the proper safety precautions."

The state Board of Health continues to impose restrictions on travel outside of New Jersey, including quarantine guidelines.

Parents who have chosen the four-day schedule as well as the hybrid schedule for their middle school and high school students will be contacted regarding assignments and bus schedules. Students will be required to wear masks on buses because the 6 feet of social distancing cannot be achieved.

Parents who choose to drive their child to school or whose students wish to drive to school should notify the school of their intention, he said.

Middle school and high school start and end times will remain the same and lunches will be provided on a grab-and-go basis.

"We will be installing the desk dividers in both schools where appropriate to provide safeguards when the 6 feet (of) spacing cannot be maintained," Trethaway said.

The letter shared reminders about the state's travel restrictions and guidelines:

• New Jersey strongly discourages all non-essential interstate travel at this time. At this time, individuals who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 should continue to follow the State's travel advisory.
• Travelers and residents returning from any U.S. state or territory beyond the immediate region (New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware) should self-quarantine at their home, hotel, or other temporary lodging following recommendations from the CDC.
• If travel is unavoidable, travelers should consider getting tested with a viral test (not an antibody test) 1-3 days before the trip and again 3-5 days after the trip.
• If travelers test positive, they should self-isolate for at least 10 days and should postpone travel during that time.
• If travelers test negative, they should quarantine for a full 7 days after travel.
• If testing is not available (or if the results are delayed), travelers should quarantine for 10 days after travel.

The advisory does not apply to individuals:

• who are returning to New Jersey after traveling outside of the state for less than 24 hours or those traveling to New Jersey for less than 24 hours. Even where travel is less than 24 hours, however, individuals are still discouraged from engaging in non-essential travel to other states to the extent possible.
• who are in transit through the state to another destination, provided that the time spent in the state is only the amount of time necessary to complete the transit, make use of travel services, such as a highway rest stop, or make necessary travel connections.

"People who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 3 months and recovered do not need to quarantine or get tested again during that three-month period as long as they do not develop new symptoms. If new symptoms develop after travel, people should follow instructions for what to do if you're sick," the letter said.

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