Metuchen School District

January 13, 2023 Good morning. I hope this message finds you well. This week, we reported 12 COVID cases: MHS=7, EMS=3, CES=1, and Moss=1. What a great day we had on Monday at the unveiling ceremony for the Edgar National Blue Ribbon banner. Here are some highlights: https://senatordiegnancom.wordpress.com/2023/01/09/edgar-middle-school-unveils-national-blue-ribbon-school-award-during-ceremony/, and a great video summary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwmCLeAEDtk. Referendum Did You Know: the estimated construction period is from January 2024 until August 2025. We are at the height of the winter sports season. All teams and student-athletes have dreams of wins and achieving individual goals. We very much appreciate your sacrifices and commitment to their efforts. The Edgar basketball teams are off to good starts and we have a new middle school wrestling team. The MHS girls basketball team is off to a 9-1 start. The wrestling team has upped its competition level and competing all over the area. Our high school and middle school swim teams are formidable as usual. And the winter track program won the state relay championship! The boys basketball team has created the Honor Conor Classic. The game is a Yellow-Out tonight at 6pm at MHS. Come support the boys and honor the memory of Conor McCadden. As a reminder, schools are closed on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr Day. I have read Dr. King’s speeches and letters, and today, I wanted to see how britannica.com characterized such an impactful life. Here is the introduction to their entry: Martin Luther King, Jr., original name Michael King, Jr., (born January 15, 1929, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.—died April 4, 1968, Memphis, Tennessee), Baptist minister and social activist who led the civil rights movement in the United States from the mid-1950s until his death by assassination in 1968. His leadership was fundamental to that movement’s success in ending the legal segregation of African Americans in the South and other parts of the United States. King rose to national prominence as head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which promoted nonviolent tactics, such as the massive March on Washington (1963), to achieve civil rights. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. While four sentences can’t possibly encapsulate his impact on America, this summary led me to additional reading about this inspiring and courageous leader. Dr. Vincent Caputo, Superintendent of Schools

January 6, 2023 Hello and happy Friday. I hope the first week of 2023 was peaceful and productive. This week, we reported 14 cases of COVID: 2 at MHS, 4 at Edgar, 7 at Campbell, 0 at Moss, and 1 other case. This is an increase and the highest weekly total in a while. We will continue to monitor the numbers closely. Influenza and RSV also remain high in our region. I would like to publicly thank a couple of local businesses and encourage you to shop there. Both Wegmans and Fresco by Jimmy are generously sponsoring our 2023 lecture series, “Celebrating Our Experts.” The initial three dates are set: January 11, February 9, and March 9, all at MHS at 3:30pm. The first two feature MHS students and the third highlights the work of one of our supervisors. See you there. Visit our website for more information about the speakers and the exciting topics. Superintendents have been asked to share the following information: The New Jersey Martin Luther King Jr. Commission continuously works to raise public awareness of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ideals and philosophy. The Annual King Holiday Commemorative Celebration is held each year in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. The Commemorative Celebration brings together a diverse group of people to celebrate Dr. King’s life’s work and legacy. It also allows New Jerseyans an opportunity to recommit themselves to fulfilling Dr. King’s dreams in the 21st century. Students in grades 6 to 12 are encouraged to visit this webpage for more information and to register for the event on January 16 (10am to noon): https://hopin.com/events/njmlkjr2023?utm_source=DOE&utm_campaign=DOE As part of Rutgers University’s R Heroes program, over 200 Metuchen staff and their guests will be in attendance for Saturday’s women’s basketball game. Go RU. Referendum Did You Know – in order to differentiate the current gym at MHS from the new gym to be constructed as part of the referendum project, we have informally taken to referring to the new gym as The Fieldhouse. The 2023 American Doll of the Year, Kavi Sharma, made appearances in district this week. We will continue to amplify the message of diversity and the power of representation. And finally, the celebration of Edgar’s designation as a National Blue Ribbon School continues on Monday. Staff, students, parents, and invited guests, including elected officials, will be on hand in the afternoon for the unveiling of the National Blue Ribbon banner. Have a nice weekend. Take time to tell your friends and family how much they mean to you. Dr. Vincent Caputo, Superintendent of Schools

December 23, 2022 Happy Holidays! This week we reported 11 COVID cases, with a school breakdown as follows: MHS=4, Edgar=4, Campbell=1, Moss=1, and 1 other case. Consider masking and testing, and please stay safe and healthy. Referendum Did You Know: Spielze Architects will be conducting surveys of our schools next week. Over the next couple of months, they will be developing detailed final plans, required for all projects, that need state approval before we go out for bids from general contractors. Have a wonderful break with friends and family. Our MHS sports teams will be in action all over the state next week. Come out to MHS to support girls' basketball as they host their holiday tournament. Ice hockey also has a local game in Woodbridge next Friday. Good luck to all of our teams. Happy sixth night of Hannukah, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! See you all back here on Monday, January 2, 2023. Stay warm! Dr. Vincent Caputo, Superintendent of Schools

November 4, 2022 Hello and happy November. I hope this message finds you and your family doing well. This week we reported 3 positive COVID cases. The breakdown by school was: MHS=1, Edgar=2, Campbell=0, Moss=0. Public education is a keystone of democracy. And democracy depends on full voter participation. Please vote. Thanks. Enjoy your time off and see you back at school on Monday, November 14th. Dr. Vincent Caputo Superintendent of Schools

October 28, 2022 Good afternoon. My goodness. It’s the last weekend of October. Our first marking period is coming to an end shortly. Fall teams are in the post season. Voting season is upon us. This week we only reported 2 positive cases of COVID, both at Edgar. Have a great weekend. Happy Halloween! Dr. Vincent Caputo Superintendent of Schools

October 21, 2022 Good afternoon. This week, we reported 5 positive COVID cases: MHS=2, Edgar=0, Campbell=3, and Moss=0. Thank for your vigilance as we head into the fall/winter season where virus transmission typically increases. At this week’s County Superintendent Roundtable meeting, we talked about three really important topics. First, was a presentation on the American Heart Association’s Heart Challenge. You will be hearing more from us with recipe suggestions, the important of exercise, and signs/symptoms and prevention of heath disease. Vaping was the second topic. Just like in other districts, vaping is a significant problem right here in Metuchen. The third topic was a gun violence prevention partnership among county and local law enforcement and school districts. We strive every single day to ensure the health and safety of all the children in the Borough. We depend on - and appreciate - your support and on-going partnership. We are right in the middle of election season. Please vote! In our parent advisory board meeting this week, I spoke about how important voting is to me, and more importantly, to democracy. You have early and Election Day in-person voting and vote-by mail options. At Rutgers University’s Homecoming Football Game tomorrow, you may see extra Metuchen educators and their families there. As part of the R Heroes Program, donated tickets were offered to local first responders and educators. Say hi to your fellow Bulldogs wearing red tomorrow – and go RU! Dr. Vincent Caputo, Superintendent of Schools

October 14, 2022 Good morning. I hope this email finds you well. This week we reported 5 positive COVID cases. The breakdown by school was: MHS=2, Edgar=0, Campbell=1, and Moss=2. Election season is here. You can vote in-person early or on Election Day. For those of you who will vote-by-mail, remember to turn the ballot over, where you’ll find the board of education candidates and the three referendum questions. Question #1 is for construction at all four schools, including AC, field lights, new cafeterias, and more. It also provides for the expansion of Moss School, which would allow us to offer full-day kindergarten and change the school grade configurations to preK-2 at Moss, 3-5 at Campbell, and 6-8 at Edgar. Question #2 provides the annual funds to staff and administer the new classes. The first two questions are connected and each must pass for the other to be successful. Question #3 is for a second gym at MHS and for new turf on the football field. That question can pass only if #1 and #2 both pass. Thanks for your consideration. To learn more about the referendum come out to the Farmer’s Market from 9:00am to 12noon tomorrow and check out the referendum website: https://sites.google.com/view/metuchenreferendum2022?utm_source=Google+Site&utm_medium=Google+Site&utm_campaign=Referendum+. This is another exciting time for our school sports teams. The Edgar teams are in-season. MHS field hockey and tennis have upcoming contests. Football plays tonight. Our MHS soccer teams have their first County Tournament games this afternoon: girls at home and boys on the road. And our cross-country teams have already locked up division titles and they have plenty of season left. Come out for some great competition - and to support our student-athletes. Speaking about our students, a group of MHS students has created an online tool, Myndful, to assist other students in navigating mental health resources. Visit it here: https://www.metuchenschools.org/o/mhs/page/myndful. Have a nice weekend. Hug and kiss your loved ones. Dr. Vincent Caputo, Superintendent of Schools

October 7, 2022 Good afternoon! I hope this message finds you and family doing well. This week we received 8 reports of COVID-positive individuals. The school-by-school breakdown was MHS=2. Edgar=0, Campbell=3, and Moss=3. Next week we will two host referendum open houses: Wednesday, October 12th at Edgar, and Thursday, October 13th at MHS. Both programs will run from 6:00 to 7:30pm. Come out and learn more about the referendum, review the architect’s drawings , tour the schools, and interact with administrators and board referendum committee members. You can also check out the referendum website and watch a video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bRQuVEMMzeo. And finally, this week I read and shared two really cool stories about members of our school community. If you missed them, here are the links: https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/coin-flip-helps-mariners-in-1995 and https://senatordiegnancom.wordpress.com/2022/10/04/varsity-student-athlete-heightens-awareness-about-importance-of-mental-health/. Have a great weekend! Go Bulldogs and Rutgers! And of course, LGM.

Hello and happy Friday. This week we reported 10 positive COVID cases. The school-by-school breakdown was: MHS=6, Edgar=2, Campbell=2, and Moss=0. Over the years, we have heard from the community. They want full day kindergarten. Unlike other districts with declining enrollment, we have increasing enrollment, and we don’t have extra classrooms and extra teachers. So we’d need more space and staff. We’ve heard that parents want their fifth graders at Campbell. We’ve also heard about the crowding at both Campbell and Edgar in the classrooms, halls, and cafeterias. The referendum would provide for that additional space by expanding Moss and adding on to the other buildings. We’ve also heard about lack of inside gym space in the Borough. Parents, staff, and students also express that they deserve to have air conditioned buildings for teaching and learning. We are in the midst of our Week of Lights, again to excellent reviews. These upgraders come at a cost. We know that is a big ask. Thanks for your consideration. You can learn more about the upcoming district referendum here: https://sites.google.com/view/metuchenreferendum2022?utm_source=Google+Site&utm_medium=Google+Site&utm_campaign=Referendum+ Speaking about voting, I received my vote-by-mail ballot yesterday. It is easier and more convenient than ever to vote. Whether you vote early or vote in-person on Election Day, thanks in advance for your patriotic participation. Thanks for all of your support of our schools. Fall Festival is tonight at Campbell School from 5:00 to 7:00. Attendance at Week of Lights has been good all week. Consider supporting the football team, cheerleaders, and band tonight at 7:00 for senior night. Your participation in back-to-school nights is appreciated. Another great way to be involved is through the PTO. Please join and participate. Have a nice weekend. Stay dry. Dr. Vincent Caputo Superintendent of Schools

September 23, 2022 Good afternoon. This week, all New Jersey superintendents received a request from The New Jersey Youth Suicide Prevention Advisory Council to share important information. Here is a resource for parents who are concerned about their children’s mental health: • Tel: (877-652-7624) • Web: performcarenj.org • On YouTube: DCF Children's System of Public Care Service Announcement (youtu.be/KgA7ms-kwoo) According to the letter, “New Jersey families still have little to no awareness of what the DCF’s. Children’s System of Care (CSOC) can offer. CSOC provides all children and adolescents - regardless of insurance status - with coordinated access to mental health supports, substance use treatment, and services for intellectual and developmental disabilities. Too often we hear about families dealing with struggling youth who do not know where to turn and get lost in the myriad of resources.” The letter continues, “Further, the Council is thrilled to report that New Jersey has created a learning portal, Prevent Suicide NJ, for educators, families, youth, and community partners to access resources and training. The portal is set to go live this month.” Remember too, that “988” is the three-digit, nationwide phone number to connect directly to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. By calling or texting 988, you’ll connect with mental health professionals. Also, know that our school counselors remain ready to assist parents and students. Please reach out to us. For the second time in 5 years Puerto Rico is experiencing brutal devastation because of a hurricane. Let’s do what we can to help our American neighbors, many who have relatives here in our area. This week we reported 25 positive COVID cases: MHS=3, Edgar=15, Campbell=5, and Moss=2. Over the next week, we have a number of exciting extracurricular events at Metuchen High School. Tomorrow, we are hosting Soccer for a Cause, a GMC-wide girls soccer festival. All proceeds will go to great local charities. This year the festival will support the Marisa Tufaro Foundation & Go4TheGoal. Both are pediatric cancer charities. On Sunday, we are hosting Beats in the Borough, a wonderful marching band competition. Then next week, our Week of Lights returns. Girls’ soccer hosts Sayreville on Tuesday. Boys’ soccer hosts Carteret on Wednesday. Field hockey hosts East Brunswick on Thursday. Football hosts Roselle on Friday. All games start at 7pm and will also be the teams’ senior nights. Come out and support all our students, all week long. Have a great weekend. Dr. Vincent Caputo, Superintendent of Schools

September 9, 2022 Good afternoon, and welcome back! We will continue to contact trace to the best of our abilities and continue to report out COVID cases weekly, at least to start the school year. This week we reported 12 positive COVID cases: 4 at MHS, 3 at Edgar, 4 at Campbell, and 1 at Moss. We’ve had a very good first week. I would say it’s been as smooth as any of my 11 years here in Metuchen. Thanks to the students, parents, and staff for making that happen. I have at least walked by every classroom and I am excited to report a high level of instruction already this first week. I have visited arrival and dismissal at our schools. I have attended class meetings and assemblies. I enjoyed the varsity home openers for the boys soccer and girls field hockey teams: both victories! Thanks to Manasquan Bank and HMH-JFK for the high school scoreboards. Both Metuchen and visiting fans commented on how good they looked. Come out to MHS on Saturday afternoon to see the band, the cheerleaders, and the football game versus state-power Hillside HS. Have a great weekend. Go Mets, Rutgers, Broncos, and of course our Bulldogs in various competitions. Dr. Vincent Caputo Superintendent

Tuesday, August 9, 2022 MHS will be open beginning at 6:30 tonight as a cooling/charging station. Stay safe. Dr. Vincent Caputo

Update 3:12pm on 7/18/22 Our phones are working for incoming and outgoing calls. VCaputo

Monday, 7/18/2022 Our phones are still down. No incoming or outgoing calls. Please continue to use email to contact us. Thanks. VCaputo

Good morning: District phones are down. No calls in or out. Please email the schools today if you need anything. If the phones are working before 1:30, I'll communicate again. Thanks. Dr. Vincent Caputo

June 16, 2022 Good afternoon. This week we reported 9 COVID cases. The school-by-school breakdown was as follows: MHS = 4 cases, Edgar = 1 case, Campbell = 4 cases, and Moss = 0 cases. Schools are closed tomorrow in observance of Juneteenth. Monday and Tuesday are early dismissal days for students. Kindergarten graduations will be held during the day on Monday. The eighth-grade promotion ceremony will be Monday evening. The MHS senior awards program is Tuesday evening. And next Friday, we will celebrate the class of 2022 with the MHS graduation program. Both the Edgar promotion and the MHS graduation programs will be live-streamed: on the Metuchen Public School District Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/metuchenschools, on the Metuchen BOE YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzI0xcO85WtxrBZ6EQ1ZLIA, and on Optimum, channel 15. This will be the last scheduled weekly update for a couple months. During the summer, I will of course communicate as warranted. The schools will still be quite busy this summer. We have building maintenance scheduled, including HVAC work that will require some rooms and offices to be out of service. We will be working all summer on the November district referendum details. Please contact us with any questions that you have. We have our Extended School Year program beginning on July 5. We also have a number of our Metuchen Summer Institute programs that will run at various times throughout the summer. Many of the students will be involved with camps and sports and summer league teams. Some will travel and all will have the opportunity to take advantage of the many summer activities and programs right here in the Borough. Please know that our 12-month employees are available all summer to assist you with anything you need. Just reach out to us via phone or email. Have a nice weekend, a great last two days of school, and an enjoyable start to the summer! Dr. Vincent Caputo

June 10, 2022 Good afternoon. This week we reported 11 cases of COVID in the district. The school-by-school breakdown is as follows: MHS=4, Edgar=2, Campbell=5, and Moss=0. New Jersey and our central-east region of the state remain ORANGE (high COVID activity). As we approach the end of the school year, here are some important calendar reminders. Next week we have full days on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Next Thursday (6/16), plus the following Monday (6/20) and Tuesday (6/21), the final three days of school, are scheduled early dismissal days. Remember, next Friday, June 17, 2022, the district is closed in observance of Juneteenth. To learn more about Juneteenth, check out history.com: https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth. Enjoy the weekend. Dr. Vincent Caputo, Superintendent of Schools

June 3, 2022 Good afternoon. I hope this message finds you well. COVID activity remains high in New Jersey and in the central-east region of the state. This week, we reported 43 cases to the County. The breakdown by school is: MHS = 34, Edgar = 5, Campbell = 3, Moss = 0, and 1 case classified as other. Influenza activity finally dropped to moderate this week. Tuesday, June 7, 2022 will be a remote day for teachers and students. The state has given this option to districts where schools are used as polling places. As you know, all four of our schools are used for voting. Voter laws restrict us from limiting access to our buildings, and therefore safety is that much harder to ensure on that day. This will be a regular (full) day of virtual instruction. Make sure you have your device at home. Thanks for your understanding. Have a nice weekend. Dr. Vincent Caputo, Superintendent of Schools

Due to forecast highs in mid 90s, the Metuchen Public Schools will operate on an early dismissal schedule for Tuesday, May 31, 2022.

May 27, 2022 Good afternoon. This week we reported 21 positive COVID cases to the County. The breakdown by school is as follows: MHS=4, Edgar=5, Campbell=8, and Moss=4. Both COVID and influenza activity remain high. We have partnered with Boyt Drugs for a Pediatric Covid Vaccine Clinic on Saturday, June 4th from 9am to 11am at the Moss School Gym. This is for children ages 5-11, for either their first, second, or booster shot of the Covid vaccine. Here is a link to make appointments. https://form.jotform.com/221425696415155 If the slots fill up, we will add a third hour at 11 am. Any questions, please email CovidTesting@metuchenschools.org. Thank you! We’ve reached that time of the year. It’s the unofficial start of summer. Athletes are earning championships. Students are performing in concerts, and many attended the prom. Culminating projects and finals are right around the corner. It’s an exciting time for the year for sure. Here is a short list of some of the events on my calendar: • June 1 – SEL family night – MHS football field • June 3 – Field Day – Campbell school • June 8 - Edgar Arts festival • June 20 – Moss K graduation – all morning • June 20 – Edgar 8th grade promotion – 6pm • June 21 – MHS senior awards night 6pm • June 24 – MHS graduation 5pm Have a great weekend. Hug your loved ones a little extra. Dr. Vincent Caputo Superintendent of Schools