May 6, 2020

Dear Parents and Guardians,

On Monday, May 4, 2020, Governor Murphy ordered all school buildings in New Jersey to remain closed for the duration of the school year to flatten the curve and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. While we remained hopeful that our doors could reopen to welcome your students, we must continue with our remote learning plan for the health and safety of our entire community.

Although our school buildings are closed, the District is still operating and remote learning will continue through June 18, 2020. Remote learning for this length of time is challenging for everyone. Our staff is available and ready to support any student who may be struggling to remain engaged. Please reach out by email if your student needs assistance.

Meals will continue to be distributed for eligible students for the duration of the time that we are engaged in remote learning. Distributions are scheduled for Mondays from 8:30 am – 10:30 am at DDE Middle School. Due to the Memorial Day holiday on May 25, 2020, meals for this week will be distributed on Tuesday, May 26, 2020. The final distribution for the school year will be on Monday, June 15, 2020.

As we approach the end of the school year, you may have questions about year-end events, returning books or devices and retrieving student belongings. Our administrative team will be in touch with more information as decisions are made.

The extended school year program will most likely be held remotely unless the Governor makes a decision to reopen schools prior to the start of the program. Information on these services will be forthcoming.

There has been a tremendous amount of creativity and kindness creating meaningful virtual connections. I am truly grateful for the efforts of our staff, students, parents and community as we continue this remote learning experience. Your patience as we all learn this new way of “going to school” is greatly appreciated. As always, if you have specific concerns, please contact your child’s teacher or building principal for guidance.

Stay safe and be healthy.

Sincerely,

Edythe B. Austermuhl, Ed. D.

Superintendent

Important Information About the Coronavirus

Click here for information: NJ's DOH website

What you need to know about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/2019-ncov-factsheet.pdf

What to do if you are sick: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/what-you-should-do.pdf

Stop the spread of germs – help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses like COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/stop-the-spread-of-germs.pdf

Mental Health Resources in Camden County: https://www.camdencounty.com/service/mental-health-and-addiction/youth-mental-health-resource/

For individual questions and concerns, you can call the NJDOH outline 24/7 at 1-800-222-1222

Welcome to Berlin Township School District!

MISSION STATEMENT

The slogan of the Berlin Township School District of “Educating Today for Tomorrow’s Success” is meant to focus the educational community on the broad goal of giving ALL of our children the necessary skills to be successful in all future endeavors. Student achievement is the major priority; the district prides itself on its creative approach to learning and its emphasis upon helping each student to discover his or her potential. Teachers use a variety of teaching methods to reach students with a wide range of abilities. Student engagement as volunteers in the learning process is our primary focus. It is our responsibility to create structures and systems where students are totally engaged in the instruction, which will then lead to deeper learning and understanding.

The Berlin Township School District commits itself to all children by creating a standards-based school district in which all students receive the very best educational opportunities possible. Each and every student will surpass the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards. To achieve this, the members of the district will focus on:

Establishing high standards of excellence for both staff and students.

Communicating openly and frequently within the district and with the community to foster a trusting relationship.

Ensuring a safe and orderly environment for staff and students.

Recognizing that a school district serves as a role model and has the responsibility to encourage high quality character behavior.

Introducing the Parent Portal and Video Reporting for NJ Student Learning Assessments

In response to suggestions from stakeholders, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) is pleased to announce a new and innovative method for presenting parents/guardians with individual student test results.

New Jersey Parent Portal

Earlier this year, the NJDOE introduced the New Jersey Parent Portal where parents/guardians can learn about their children’s performance on the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics (NJSLA-ELA/M). The New Jersey Parent Portal User Guide has information on how to create an account, log into the account and add claim codes to access student score reports and video of Individual Student Reports (ISRs). The portal will also allow parents/guardians to track their student’s scores from year to year, beginning with the spring 2019 results.

Video Reporting of Individual Score Reports (Video ISRs)

In addition to traditional paper ISRs delivered by the schools, video versions of the ISRs are currently available via the New Jersey Parent Portal. The video score report communicates information from the ISR through animations and a voiceover in New Jersey’s top five languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese and Arabic.

The printed ISRs that were delivered to districts/schools by September 11, 2019, include the claim codes that parents/guardians can use to access their child's performance results in the NJ Parent Portal. Parents/guardians must create an account on the New Jersey Parent Portal and use the claim code provided on the student’s ISR to add the results to their profile. Once parents/guardians create their accounts, they can add codes for additional students and/or administrations by adding new codes to their accounts.