SWEDESBORO — The Swedesboro-Woolwich School District welcomed back their students on Sept. 8, offering their community two learning models: Hybrid Learning Model or Distance Learning Model. The community was able to decide what was best for their family and chose one of the two options.
For students enrolled in the Hybrid Learning Model, they attend school for two days and engage with virtual classrooms activities/resources during times when not on-site. Teachers will deliver support in a person-to-person format, and they will provide self-recorded and “live” instruction, too, when learning in a remote model.
This is known as synchronous and asynchronous instruction. Students, regardless of their learning modality, will have the opportunity to engage with at least one teacher during the day.
Families who opted for the Distance Learning Only Model, will benefit from a structured schedule and more online interaction as compared to the Spring 2020. Each model provides students with a minimum of four hours of instruction and learning engagement for each of the 180 school days as is required by the NJDOE.
The District is committed to implementing what is referred to as an “accelerated learning model.” Instruction and learning is happening according to school officials.
Even though school is in session, SWSD looks a little different this year. Masks are required at each school (students and staff exempt from wearing a mask have provided the required treating physician documentation), there are social distancing markers in the hallway, student desks are six feet apart, hand sanitizer is provided in every classroom, and all staff are on-site each day – even the District’s Distance Learning Only Staff who are instructing their students from empty classrooms.
On June 26, 2020, the Governor announced the phase-in reopening plan for New Jersey Public Schools. Over the Summer, the District formed an initial Re-Opening Committee, four building level Pandemic Teams, and a Hybrid-Remote Teaching Committee which all served to discuss and create a reopening plan that would best fit the needs of the Swedesboro-Woolwich learning community.
Members of these committees served as staff liaisons and gathered feedback from their colleagues throughout the process; they worked tirelessly to establish a plan, identify building health and safety needs, and create procedures and policies. Representatives from the committee held building virtual meetings, disseminated surveys, and reviewed plans before they were submitted to the NJ Department of Education.
As they continue the in-person and hybrid learning model, SWSD must be prepared to shift back to a complete remote learning model if health circumstances change across the state which impacts our ability to implement the 2020 – 2021 Reopening Plan.
SWSD families may send any and all questions to reopening@swsdk6.com.
