14 Mar ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO, SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT FATHER LEAHY AND SUPERINTENDENT PEDERSON ANNOUNCE ESSEX COUNTY SCHOOLS OF TECHNOLOGY WILL SHIFT TO ON-LINE INSTRUCTION FOR TWO WEEKS
Published on March 14, 2020
Remote Learning Initiative to Help Prevent the Spread of COVID-19
Essex County, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., Essex County Schools of Technology Board of Education President Father Edwin Leahy and Essex County Schools of Technology Superintendent Dr. James Pedersen announced on Friday, March 13th that the school district will shift to on-line instruction for the next two weeks. Instead, lesson plans are being added to the district’s website to allow students to continue their studies remotely from home. This is being done as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
“After consulting with our school officials and public health officer, I believe keeping our students home and holding on-line courses are the right things to do. It is unfortunate that our students will be missing out on school sports, activities and camaraderie with their fellow classmates, but holding classes online will enable them to continue to learn,” DiVincenzo said. “By keeping students away from larger gatherings, we hope to prevent the spread of this virus,” he added.
The student bodies of the three district schools – Essex County Donald M. Payne, Sr. School of Technology in Newark, Essex County Newark Tech in Newark and Essex County West Caldwell Campus (temporarily housed at the former Bloomfield Tech campus) in Bloomfield – will attend on-line courses from Monday, March 16th to Friday, March 27th.
“Our main concern is to provide a safe environment for our students to learn. At this point in time, with all the events surrounding the virus’ spread, our best course of action to offer our classes on-line for a period of two weeks,” Father Leahy said.
“The Essex County Schools of Technology is fully committed to the success of each student and every effort is being made to offer continuous instruction during the period schools are closed. Our instructors have already created at least two weeks of learning tasks in each subject area, which students can access and complete online,” Pedersen said “Students without Internet access will be provided with hard copies of assignments and all students are expected to complete their assignments, which will be assessed so that they can be awarded the appropriate credit. Students and parents will also be able to communicate with instructors and school administrators through our Virtual High Schools portal to further support the online learning,” he added.
Since the district already has been utilizing Google Classroom to share information and lessons, the students should be familiar with how to use the application.
During the next two weeks, all students who receive free and reduced price breakfast and lunch will receive a food package every day that can be picked up at Payne Tech in Newark. Students must display their school IDs to receive their meals. Students who come to the school by car should come to the 11th Street entrance. Students who walk to the school should come to the West Market Street entrance. The daily meal pickup schedule is as follows:
Freshmen: 9:00 am
Sophomores: 10:00 am
Juniors: 11:00 am
Seniors: 12:00 noon
In preparation, Pedersen convened a meeting with all staff on Friday, March 13th to outline an education continuity plan and the expectations of students, instructional and non-instructional staff, and administrators. The role of central office staff was also outlined. Instructional staff also used the day to collaborate and further prepare learning tasks to be used during the period schools are closed.
For more information, visit the Essex County Schools of Technology website at www.essextech.org or call 973-412-2050.
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