UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS CHARTER SCHOOL RE-OPENING PLAN

INTRODUCTION

Dear University Heights Charter School Parents and Caregivers:

As we are rapidly approaching September and the opening of the school year, I wanted to provide you with an important update on our next steps.

First and foremost, I want to stress that your child’s health and safety is our most important priority. Long before this global pandemic, each of you entrusted your child to the University Heights Charter School (UHCS) community. As seen last Spring, UHCS takes this responsibility with the highest seriousness and sensitivity. Even though we have seen a leadership change at UHCS this Summer, and I have yet to meet with many of you personally, I wanted to begin this letter to reassure you that our plans have remained seamless and unified.

As we looked to open the school year, our goal has been nothing less than to create a safe reopening that meets the needs of our scholars, staff, and families. Over the last few weeks, under my direction, our senior team and Board of Trustees have been in constant communication with city and state officials. Together, we have jointly assessed a variety of potential scenarios; outlined and invested in the highest safety measures; followed all federal and state guidelines; and constructed a customized and specific plan that has been approved by our Board and submitted to the state for approval.

Secondly, I want to stress that our planning, training, and continued communication with the state allows UHCS to remain fluid and flexible. Currently, we have a strong, organized plan. However, we want to stress that this is subject to change based on State of New Jersey and CDC Guidance and updates.

Third, we utilized survey data from parents and guardians to inform our re-opening plan. This plan attempts to accommodate concerns voiced in the survey.

Finally, for your review, we have defined our plan and expectations for opening the school year. Please note, this plan addresses and represents the current needs of our community. As we all know, the pandemic conditions we are facing are ever-changing, and we should expect and understand that this plan is subject to change.

With love and respect,
Dr. Christy Oliver-Hawley
C.E.O./Head of Schools

Download Re-Opening Plan (pdf)