Morristown High School

• We are in the process of finalizing school start and end times. We do know that our schedules will closely resemble our traditional early dismissal schedule, with an approximate start time of 7:45 am and an approximate dismissal time of 12:00 pm. We will share the official start and dismissal times as soon as they are finalized and approved. 
   
• Please watch this video presentation by Principal Manning and Principal Uglialoro outlining how the instructional schedule of the FMS and MHS 50/50 Hybrid Model will operate when schools reopen in September. Click here for the video presentation in Spanish, which includes voiceover narration in Spanish. 
  • Our schedule follows the familiar pattern of A Day, B Day, A Day, B Day, etc. 
  • 50% of the student body attends in-person instruction in the school building for two successive days while the other 50% accesses instruction virtually through Google Meet. The two cohorts of students then switch. This infographic provides a visual overview of our 50/50 Hybrid Model for FMS and MHS, as described above. Please click here for the Spanish version.
  • Each class meeting will simultaneously include both in-person students and virtual students, all of whom are engaging in the same instruction at the same time.
  • Teachers will be logged into Google Meet from their classrooms so that the cohort at home can view instruction and follow along. Using screen sharing, videos, document cameras, and other methods, teachers will keep all students connected to learning and to each other, whether they are accessing instruction in school or at home.

Arrival times for buses and drop-offs will be staggered, and multiple entry points will likely be used to allow for safer entry into the building. Precise times will be posted in late August.

DIsmissal times for buses and drop-offs will be staggered, and multiple exit points will likely be used to allow for safer exit from the building. Precise times will be posted in late August.

Please click HERE for the August 2 communication from the Pupil Services Department.
NOTE:  Personal Protective Equipment (PPE: masks, face shields, plexiglass) will be utilized in all of our self-contained classrooms across the district 

Related Services

• Services will be provided in small-group homogeneous sessions in a clean, neutral room

MHS In Class Support and Reading Support

• Special Education teachers work with co-teachers to modify instruction
• Parallel teaching may occur during this time with modifications appropriate to students’ needs
• Reading Interventionist will work with individual or homogeneous groups at times identified by students’ schedules/IEP services in a pull-out setting

MHS Resource Replacement

• Teachers will meet on a rotational basis with students to provide modified academic content

MHS Multiple Disabilities, Concepts and Colonial L.I.F.E.

• Students will attend every day
• Students will work 1:1 or in diads with teachers and ABS staff to achieve IEP goals through their individual program books

Since lunch will not be served during the instructional day, "Grab & Go" meals containing both breakfast and lunch will be available at all schools for any student who wants one.  Meals for virtual students are also available for pickup (see below).  There will be no charge for meals.

Students in school will be offered a daily “Grab & Go” meal at dismissal, containing 1 breakfast and 1 lunch. Distribution will be in the main atrium adjacent to the main office, in the hallway outside the auxiliary gym near the art wing and in the hallway by the auditorium by the “Senior Stairs”.  Students attending in person can pick up meals for their two at-home days of virtual learning.

Clubs and organizations will have virtual meetings in the afternoons throughout the year. Fall athletic practices start on 9/14 and games are expected to begin in October. We will continue to follow guidelines from the NJSIAA regarding return to play. All required safety measures will be followed to minimize contact and sharing of equipment.

Social-Emotional Learning is an ongoing District Priority. The Morris School District will continue to infuse social-emotional learning into district curriculum, professional development, and counseling practices, and will also include it in the synthesis of multiple forms of achievement data, in order to empower students to marshal the metacognitive skills necessary to develop a positive, future-looking self-narrative.

This academic year, particular attention will be paid to students' social and emotional well being in the specific light of the current public health crisis and its ongoing impact on young people. Amplified supports are in place for students who may be experiencing difficulty coping at home or at school.

Our Spring 2020 SEL Newsletter provides helpful strategies and resources for families.

At present, we are planning for an all-virtual alternative, called “Enhanced Virtual Learning,” in order to accommodate those students who cannot attend in person for health or other reasons.

In Enhanced Virtual Learning:

• Students will be required to log into each of their classes via Google Meet at the same time the class is meeting in school.
• Attendance will be required and will be recorded in each class.
• Students will engage in each class online as if they were attending in person.  
• Students will view their teachers providing instruction on the day’s lesson in real time, take notes, participate in discussions and activities, complete assignments, etc.
• We are also exploring opportunities for students to have additional time to meet with teachers individually or in small groups.

Virtual Students Meal Distribution (UPDATED 1/6)
All students can pick up “Grab & Go” meals Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  Friday's meal will include meals for Saturday and Sunday. There will be one location for pickup: Morristown High School (50 Early Street) will distribute meals from 8:00 am-9:00 am and again from 11:30 am-12:30 pm in the back of the building near the flagpole.

Students in Enhanced Virtual Learning can still participate in any extracurricular activities, including sports, that are offered after school; however, the District will not provide transportation from students' homes back to the school.

Please click HERE for the August 2 communication from the Pupil Services Department.

Related Services

• Related services and consultation will be provided virtually to student/parent

MHS In Class Support and Reading Support

• Specialized instruction will be designed to include accommodations and modifications within a specified, assigned Google Classroom. 
• Google Meets with parents/students will be set up to provide Special Education reading intervention per students’ IEPs
• Small-group Meets with students to check in, clarify, ask questions, and review work 
• Special Education Reading interventionist may schedule groups with online students 

MHS Resource Replacement

• Students will be provided with lessons via online playlist and completion will be checked by teacher
• Students will have online meets to check in and receive instruction from the identified teacher 

MHS Multiple Disabilities, Concepts and Colonial L.I.F.E.

• Students will be provided with lessons via online playlist and completion will be checked by teacher
• Students will have online meets to check in and receive instruction from an ABS or teacher staff
• Data on learner progress will be taken daily

We continue to explore ways to incoroporate SEL into virtual instruction and to provide opportunities for students to develop and strengthen positive relationships with each other and with their teachers while they are learning virtually. Connection to the school community is paramount during these unprecedented times, when students who are learning remotely may feel increased moments of isolation.