Earlier today Archway Programs received confirmation of the first positive COVID-19 exposure on the Archway Schools’ Main Campus located in Atco, New Jersey. The student who tested positive attends the Archway Upper School which is across the Main Campus Lake located in Evesham Township. Archway has developed a carefully thought-out plan for what to do in the event a student, client, resident, and/or staff member tests positive, and is now implementing that plan. As part of that plan, the Archway student who was confirmed positive, as well as others who may be positive based upon their exposure and symptoms, will complete a fourteen-day quarantine as of today and will need to be cleared by a medical professional prior to returning to Archway Programs.
“Our top priority is to ensure the safety, health and wellness of our staff, individuals we serve and our community. Archway Programs is committed to protecting our students, clients, residents, and employees. I am confident that Archway will continue to push through these uncertain times together, and grow stronger and more resilient,” said George Richards, CEO/CFO of Archway Programs.
Archway programs has served adults and children with disabilities for over 55 years. When the pandemic modified Archway’s Approved Private Schools for Students with Disabilities in addition to other programs offered at the organization, in mid-march, Archway’s leadership team immediately began designing a detailed, comprehensive plan to safely re-open the Archway Schools and other programs. Archway’s Re-Opening plan is based on guidance and recommendations from the CDC, the state health department and the New Jersey.
Due to the population Archway serves, it is extremely difficult, if not possible, to only offer remote learning to our students with learning disabilities and technology difficulties. The parents of our students rely on Archway to provide a detailed learning plan combined with various therapies and/or related services tailored to each student, which in most cases cannot be implemented in a virtual/remote setting. Given these circumstances, Archway Programs made the decision to re-open the Archway Schools’ on a hybrid schedule, offering in-school learning (Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday) combined with remote learning (Friday). Parents also had the choice to opt for all remote learning. Archway Programs understands that each individualized need is different for each student and made this decision to support parents and give them the choice to choose what is best for their families during these unprecedented times.
Archway Programs recently completed its six week Extended School Year (ESY) Summer Program and served a total of 192 students. Of the 192 students, 63 completed in-school learning and 129 opted for remote learning. During this time, Archway Programs thankfully did not have a single positive reported COVID-19 case. Archway Programs will continue to work with local authorities and re-evaluate our plan for the remainder of the school year. The September 2020 Re-Opening plan for the Archway Schools is updated weekly based on the evolving changes the pandemic has caused and can be found online at www.ArchwayPrograms.org/COVID19.
Any questions about the Archway Schools should be directed to Susan Lafferty at via email at susan.lafferty@archwayprograms.org or via phone at 856.767.5757 Ext. 220.