Following months of detailed planning for the 2020-2021 school year in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the CESJDS administration ultimately decided to begin the year with a completely virtual platform. The only exception will be the Lower School campus, which will hold full, in-person instructional days for children enrolled in its Gurim (pre-kindergarten) and kindergarten programs, while all other grades will remain online.

The administration plans to revamp the distance learning program that it used in the spring for middle and high school students. Some of the new measures for this year outlined in the school’s “Guide to Reopening,” which was sent to parents in August, include requiring virtual class attendance, holding more frequent synchronous class sessions each week and having mandatory Zman Kodesh Zoom sessions at the start of each day. In addition, students will have the opportunity to engage with clubs virtually during dedicated schedule blocks and attend optional in-person science labs on some Sundays.

While the school faced considerable pressure from the community to institute a hybrid model that would allow students to experience a balance of both in-person and virtual learning environments, JDS sided with the more cautious guidance of public health experts and the Montgomery County Department of Health.

Despite the temporary closure of the two campuses, the administration and athletics department have planned limited outdoor athletic activities and events for students in the fall, which will adhere to social distancing requirements.

As the school prepared throughout the summer for both hybrid and virtual models for starting the school year, local political and legal disputes interrupted the school’s plans in early August. On July 31, Health Officer and Chief of Public Health Services of Montgomery County Travis Gayles issued an order prohibiting both public and private schools from holding in-person activities until Oct. 1.

Just days later, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan reversed the order, stating that private schools had the ability to determine their own plans. Hogan’s order was at first rescinded by local health officials in Montgomery County but was ultimately agreed to by Gayles on Aug. 7.

Despite Gayles’ most recent order allowing private schools to reopen and hold in-person activities, JDS sent a community an email on Aug. 6 that affirmed its original decision to pursue virtual classroom plans in accordance with “guidance from our County public health officials,” according to the email.

In addition, the email detailed the prolonged planning process that the school underwent before arriving at this decision. The school put together a COVID-19 Medical Advisory Committee and has closely followed “guidelines from state, federal, and international agencies.”

Interim High School Principal and Dean of Students Roslyn Landy, who was part of the administrative team that led the planning efforts over the summer, described the organization process as fairly uncomplicated until local health officials and the governor publicly sparred over their respective orders.

Landy noted that before Gayles issued the controversial order to ban in-person activities at nonpublic schools in Montgomery County, which she was “shocked” by, the administration was planning to implement a hybrid model.

“We spent the majority of our time in June and July planning for opening school in a hybrid model because that is what we believed we would be doing. We had created a schedule for the hybrid model and made plans for Social and Emotional Learning on the day(s) we would be in the building. Then we were shocked by Gayles’ order,” Landy said.

Despite Gayles’ subsequent order that allowed nonpublic schools to reopen if they chose to, Landy said that the school opted to follow Gayles’ final recommendations, which strongly urged all schools to remain closed until at least October. Landy responded to those in the community who were upset with the school’s ultimate decision by raising the health concerns of many at-risk teachers and faculty members, which some have overlooked.

“People who are urging everyone to come back to school need to understand that there are many staff members who are not able to come back to the building, many of whom have compromising medical issues,” Landy said.

The decision was met with mixed reactions from the JDS community. Parent Lori Shell, who has one sixth-grader, one eighth-grader and one senior, was dissatisfied with the administration’s decision, especially once local directives permitted the school to conduct in-person classes and activities. She, along with many others, was pleased with the hybrid model that the administration put together and was disappointed when the school reneged on its original plans in early August.

“I feel like from an emotional and psychological standpoint for all kids, it’s beneficial to have some live interaction, live communication with the teachers for learning purposes .… I personally have a lot of faith in JDS and their ability to do the best that they can with the lowest risk possible in terms of Covid-19,” Shell said.

Senior Sami Himmelfarb, however, feels that holding a virtual school platform would be in the best interest of the physical health of the students and faculty, even though she is disappointed that she will not be able to take in-person classes for a significant portion of her last semester at JDS.

“Obviously not being able to learn in person is upsetting just because there are a lot of things that we are going to miss out on and it’s all just going to feel kind of weird, but people’s health and safety and well-being take precedence, so I think I’ve come to terms with the decision to return virtually this year and would say that I mostly agree with it,” Himmelfarb said.