Metuchen School District

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

Good morning. Last week - a massacre at a supermarket. Yesterday - children slaughtered at school. Our safe places seem less safe today. My thoughts are with my family, your families, my friend, Ian Hockley (Sandy Hook parent). and of course, the families devastated yesterday in south Texas. This tragedy is too much to handle for many adults and students. Please know our counselors and clinicians are available to everyone in our community. I’ve been in touch with the mayor and police chief. There will be an increased law enforcement presence. Some of it you’ll notice; some of it you won’t. Please know that the health and safety of our our staff and students are always our top priority. With love, Vincent Caputo

Hello there. This week we reported 64 positive COVID cases to the County Health Department. The breakdown-by-school is as follows: MHS = 7 cases, Edgar = 25 cases, Campbell = 26 cases, Moss = 4 cases, and 2 cases classified as other. New Jersey and our central-east region of the state remain orange (high COVID activity) and the level of influenza is at an unprecedented high statewide for mid-May. Staff and student absences are high too. Masking is an effective mitigation strategy. While not required for next week, we hope to see our staff and students wearing them. We want as many of our students as possible to be healthy, so they can attend all the wonderful springtime and end of school year activities. Masking will also allow us to exclude fewer students. We received an email from the NJDOH, asking us to share the following information with our communities. At-home COVID tests sponsored by the federal government are available. All residential households in the United States are now eligible for an additional order of free at-home COVID-19 test kits through the United State Postal Service (USPS). Each order now includes eight (8) rapid antigen COVID-19 tests. Your order of eight (8) tests will come in two (2) separate packages, with four (4) tests per package. Each package will have its own tracking number. Packages will ship free through USPS. Order your tests here: https://special.usps.com/testkits. We are also in the process of setting up a vaccination clinic for those parents who want their children boosted. Stay tuned for details. Two new scoreboards are up on the back fields at MHS. We are so grateful to Hackensack Meridian Health – JFK for their generous sponsorship. Big news this week for Campbell School! Character.org recognized 50 schools and 2 school districts as 2022 National Schools and Districts of Character. “Each of these schools has put into place a comprehensive approach that inspires their students to understand, care about and consistently practice a set of core values that will enable them to flourish in school, in relationships, in the workplace and as citizens.” Campbell School joins Moss School (2018) with this designation. You can read more about it here: https://character.org/2022-national-schools-and-districts-of-character/. Congratulations to the entire school community on this fantastic accomplishment. Have a nice weekend and stay safe. Dr. Vincent Caputo, Superintendent of Schools

Good afternoon. Happy Friday! This week we reported 39 cases of COVID to the County Health Department. The school-by-school breakdown is as follows: MHS = 14 cases, Edgar = 15 cases, Campbell =4 cases, Moss = 5 cases, and one case classified as other. When the COVID-19 level of community transmission is high, the New Jersey Department of Education strongly encourages all LEAs to follow the NJDOH recommendations, including universal masking for all students and staff. I realize that much of society has essentially given up trying to reduce the spread of COVID. However, with New Jersey and our region of the state in orange (high COVID activity), with local cases at their highest since the January surge, with influenza at high levels unusually late in the spring, and with so many important springtime and year-end events and celebrations coming up, I have decided that, beginning Monday, masks will be required for everyone on school buses and everyone inside school buildings except for when eating. This requirement will be reconsidered on a week-by-week basis. Thank you for your understanding - and for your expected cooperation. Have a great weekend. We are in the middle of two Rutgers graduations for my son. His Rutgers Business School graduation was yesterday, and the university-wide commencement is Sunday. In addition, in his four years “On the Banks” (with essentially a year and a half of it on Zoom!), he also managed to complete a second major in criminal justice, and has a job as an accountant with EY that he starts in September. We are so proud of him. Congratulations to all those in the Metuchen community also celebrating graduations this month. Time flies! Dr. Vincent Caputo, Superintendent of Schools

Good morning. This week we reported 35 cases to the County. The school-by-school breakdown is as follows: MHS=20 cases; Edgar=7 cases, Campbell=6 cases, and Moss=2 cases. Per this week’s state CALI report, New Jersey and the central-east region of the state are still YELLOW (moderate activity). The last four weeks have seen a surge in local cases. While masks are still not required in district, we welcome them, especially in indoor, crowded settings. By the way, influenza activity remains high in the state. This is relatively late in the spring to see such high activity. And this week we had (literal and figurative) ground-shaking events with the on-going Russian invasion of Ukraine and the leak of a forthcoming Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade. Coincidently this week we also received our vote-by-mail primary ballots. Voting is so critical. Please mark primary and election days on your calendars. And now for some good news from around the district: • MHS is proud to announce the honorees for this year’s MHS Star Awards, which recognizes students, faculty, staff, and community organizations that give back in a significant way to the school and community. Congratulations to our award recipients! See this year’s winners here: https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1203/MHS/2057819/Star_Awards_Announcement_-_May_2022.pdf. • The Edgar School 5th and 6th grade chorus performed to rave reviews at the Somerset Patriots game on Wednesday night. • With 100 volunteers already dedicated to Campbell School’s June 3rd Field Day 2022 don’t miss your chance to be part of the Volunteer Squad. The Campbell team has already met with local businesses, arranged music, obstacle courses, and more. If you’d like to be part of Field Day 2022, we’d love to have you. The sign-up, linked HERE, will be open through 5pm today. • We have a former employee and Metuchen parent doing a reading at Moss of her newly published book. Havoc in the Hamock - by Kelly Jaques. • And more good news: former student, Joel Nadler, had his book, Abandoned New Jersey, published. You can see him at the photo exhibit and book launch at Papillon & Company tonight from 5 to 7pm. Then he’ll be at the Metuchen Public Library on Tuesday, May 24 at 7pm. Finally, we keep adding new information to our referendum website. Take a look and let us know if you have any questions. You can find it here: https://sites.google.com/view/metuchenreferendum2022?utm_source=Google+Site&utm_medium=Google+Site&utm_campaign=Referendum+ Have a great weekend. Happy Mother’s Day. Dr. Vincent Caputo Superintendent of Schools

April 29, 2022 Good afternoon. I hope this email finds you well. This week we saw an uptick in COVID in the district. While New Jersey and our central-east region of the state remain in YELLOW (moderate level of activity), we did report 25 cases to the County Health Department. The breakdown by school is as follows: MHS=5, Edgar=6, Campbell=14, and Moss=0. We continue to do everything we can to keep staff and students safe. Masks are still optional and staff and students are encouraged to wear them as they deem appropriate. Have a great weekend. Dr. Vincent Caputo, Superintendent of Schools

Hello. I hope this message finds you healthy and happy. New Jersey and the central-east region of the state are in yellow COVID status (moderate activity) and this week we again had a significant number of COVID cases. We reported 24 positive cases to the County: MHS = 9 cases, Edgar = 4 cases, Campbell = 11 cases, and Moss = 0 cases. Student vaccination rates at the schools are as follows: MHS=75%, Edgar= 70%, Campbell=52%, and Moss=33%. We are watching the number of local cases and will also be guided by next week’s CALI report. As I communicated in early March when we shifted to mask-optional, while not likely, a possible return to masks is always under consideration. Following the break, look for an email from your school principal about the NJ School Climate Survey. All parents, students, and staff will be encouraged to participate. We will use the data to make our schools even better than they already are. Schools are closed tomorrow and next week. See you on Monday, April 25. Happy holidays and enjoy the spring recess. Dr. Vincent Caputo

Good afternoon. This week we’ve seen lows and highs - humanity at its worst and at its best. The atrocities and apparent war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine are simply gut-wrenching. On the other hand, we also witnessed the historic appointment of Supreme Court Justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson. Information comes at us so quickly. It’s hard to process it all. We are here to help you and your children the best we can. According to this week’s CALI report, New Jersey and the state’s central-east region both remain YELLOW. That indicates a moderate level of COVID activity. This week we reported nineteen (19) COVID cases to the County Health Department. The breakdown is as follows: MHS=4, Edgar=7, Campbell=8, and Moss=0. This is the highest number of weekly cases since late January, during the initial Omicron strain. We have been watching the BA2 variant cause sharp increases worldwide. Our vaccination status has remained stagnant, and if you are unvaccinated or not boosted, now might be a good time to consider speaking to your doctor. Shots reduce the severity of symptoms - at the very least. We also know masks significantly reduce airborne transmission, and we may want to consider masking in crowded indoor settings. We constantly review our mitigation strategies and our local data, and we will keep the public informed of any further changes to our protocols. The NJDOE has released the School Performance Reports. You can review a mound of data for every district and every school in the state. As a reminder, here is my letter to community: https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1987864/Performance_reports_2020-2021.pdf. And here is a direct link to the school performance reports website: https://rc.doe.state.nj.us/ The Metuchen Summer Institute brochure is available, and sign-ups have begun. See here for more information: https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1980863/Summer_Institute_Brochure_2022_.pdf This weekend the MHS Footlighters are presenting Working. Last night was opening night, but you can still catch the show tonight and Saturday night at 7pm at MHS. Tickets are $15. Baseball is back. Let’s Go Mets. Have a great weekend. Dr. Vincent Caputo, Superintendent of Schools