Metuchen School District

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

Good morning. It’s really April – no fooling. The spring season is underway, and flowers and trees are blooming. 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 two (2) COVID cases to the County Health Department. The breakdown is as follows: MHS=0, Edgar=2, Campbell=0, and Moss=0. Our rockstar nurses met this week and are supportive of ending the daily screening questionnaire for staff and students beginning Monday, April 4. Students, staff, and parents have become aware of the expectations, and we are confident they will continue to adhere to these guidelines without the mandate to complete the daily questions. While we will no longer be requiring staff and parents to complete a daily screener, the expectations for exclusion and communication with the school nurses regarding COVID related symptoms and exposure remain unchanged. Because we are taking off another mitigation strategy, it is extremely important that we watch out for each other and the students as colleagues, educators, and parents. The most important action we can all take is to stay home/keep the child home when sick. Two local districts returned to masking this week with sharp increases in positive cases. We constantly review our mitigation strategies and our local data, and we will keep the public informed of any further changes to our protocols. We are very excited to share that 51 MHS students qualified for the State Seal of Biliteracy. These students have studied and attained proficiency in at least one language in addition to English. Languages in which our students are proficient include Spanish, French, German, Chinese, and Japanese. Graduating seniors who have earned this honor are recognized with an endorsement with their diplomas. According to the NJDOE website, “this designation on a student’s high school diploma also provides employers and universities with a method of identifying bilingual candidates, students with 21st century skills, and those who have prioritized the study of other languages and cultures. Moreover, the State Seal of Biliteracy emphasizes the importance of both bilingualism, which facilitates improved communication and boosts the local economy, and cultural understanding, which promotes social acceptance.” Congratulations to these students and our world language teachers! Today, the Campbell School Green Team and distinguished guests will celebrate the ribbon cutting of Campbell’s new bike rack! This exciting addition was made possible by funds provided by the NJEA Sustainable Jersey Grants Program. The Campbell Team is so proud to offer this option for a more environmentally friendly way to get to school and look forward to it being used by generations of Campbell students to come. On that note, get your bikes out for a ride - and have a nice weekend! Dr. Vincent Caputo, Superintendent of Schools

Good afternoon. New Jersey and the state’s central-east region both remain YELLOW. That indicates a moderate level of COVID activity. This week we reported 4 COVID cases to the County Health Department. The breakdown is as follows: MHS=1, Edgar=3, Campbell=0, and Moss=0. Have a great afternoon and a relaxing weekend. Dr. Vincent Caputo

Hello there. New Jersey and the state’s central-east region remain YELLOW. That indicates a moderate level of COVID activity. This week we reported eight COVID cases to the County Health Department. The breakdown is as follows: MHS=2, Edgar=3, Campbell=3, and Moss=0. That’s a steep increase. We are watching the new BA2 variant very carefully. We know masking and vaccinations slow the spread of COVID. Stay vigilant. For Edgar students, the Newspaper program will run on Tuesdays on Thursdays after school. Sign up for one of the sessions. The start date is either Tuesday March 29 or Thursday March 31. For teachers and parents, you are invited to register for our third Annual Metuchen Technology Symposium on March 26. It will be a virtual conference emphasizing the use of technology that takes into consideration the students’ and teachers' whole being and their Social-Emotional learning. We are glad to announce we have a great line of presenters. Some of them are part of our Metuchen Family. Registration is FREE. There is no obligation to stay all day (9am-1pm). To register, click here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/metuchen-technology-symposium-2022-tickets-245821638137 Have a great weekend! Dr. Vincent Caputo

Earlier today, an Edgar School student made a statement to two (2) different students that caused the school and police to be become concerned. With everyone’s safety in mind and an abundance of caution, the police and school felt it was necessary to evacuate the school. Once police deemed the school safe, the students and faculty were able to return. This remains an open investigation at this time.

District phones are operating and we are able to receive calls. Thanks for your patience. VCaputo

Good morning. As of 8:20 this morning, we are not receiving calls from outside the district. We are working to resolve the issue. Please use email to contact the schools. VCaputo

Good afternoon, everyone. I hope you and your family are doing well. The situation in Ukraine worsens by the day. The war this week took an ugly turn when Russia attacked a hospital. Please show kindness to our neighbors in the borough and to those displaced Ukrainians who will need refuge here in the US and locally. The schools stand ready to help them and to support any of our current students or staff dealing with stress or anxiety. The CALI report for this week shows both the central-east region of the state, and New Jersey overall, still in YELLOW (moderate COVID activity). This week, we reported ZERO cases to the County Health Department. This is the first week with no cases since the week ending 11/11/21. See the Road Forward update on the website for details of the COVID protocols we have in place. You can also see weekly and historical data there. Be safe with the winter weather tomorrow. Don’t forget to change your clocks and check your smoke detectors. Baseball is back. We have college basketball games and brackets coming. Have a nice weekend! Dr. Vincent Caputo, Superintendent of Schools

Good afternoon. I hope this email finds you and your family healthy. My thoughts have been consumed with the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. The situation is tragic, and the immediate outlook is grim, with many lives lost. The Ukrainian people are showing unbelievable courage in the face of an assault on their infrastructure and their democracy. My prayers are with Ukrainians here and abroad. After reviewing the CDC and NJDOH guidance issued last week and in consultation with our school physician, the Metuchen Public School District will implement a mask optional school environment beginning March 7, 2022. All key metrics used throughout the pandemic, including current local conditions, were considered in the decision-making process. Cases in the district have dropped significantly during the past 2 months. This week we reported four positive cases to the County. The breakdown (students + staff) is as follows: MHS = 2, Edgar = 1, Campbell = 0, and Moss = 1. The four cases are the fewest for a week since November 18. This mirrors cases across the Borough: in the last seven days, there were eleven cases, also the fewest since mid-November. The NJDOH CALI score lists Central East region is in the “moderate” (yellow) risk range: https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/statistics/covid/#1. The new CDC COVID-19 Community Level report shows Middlesex County in the “low” (green) range: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html. Hospitalizations around the state have continued to decline to mid-November levels, prior to the spread of Omicron. Please note that there are several times when masks must be worn: anytime in the nurse’s office, when returning early from isolation following a positive diagnosis (or presumed positive) or from quarantine following a close contact exclusion with nurse clearance on days 6-10 (unless you return on day 8 with a negative test result from day 5-7). The district reserves the right to reinstate masking at any time. Situations that might warrant reinstating the mask mandate include, but are not limited to, the weekly CALI report showing high COVID activity (orange status), high level of COVID activity within the Borough, or outbreaks in specific classes or school buildings. We may also require masks for a specific school or district event. The updated Road Forward plan is linked here: https://www.metuchenschools.org/article/675549 and will be discussed at Tuesday’s board meeting. Given the age of our students, we are mindful that the decision of whether to wear a mask will be at the discretion of parents and caregivers. Kindness is expected, and bullying related to masking will not be tolerated. Respectfully, I also request that you refrain from asking school staff whether your child is (or other children are) wearing a mask throughout the school day as their primary focus is on the delivery of instruction and services. Our staff members will not be able to monitor and report out masking information to parents. A few other reminders: we will continue to contact trace to the best of our abilities; staying masked reduces COVID transmission and reduces the likelihood of non-vaccinated individuals being excluded if exposed to a positive person; and we need to continue our partnership around all mitigating factors (vaccinations/boosters, staying home when sick, social distancing, and cleaning/ventilation) Be prepared for the temperature roller coaster again this weekend. And enjoy some college basketball (Go Rutgers!). Dr. Vincent Caputo, Superintendent of Schools

Good afternoon: It feels like we are faced with unprecedented and historical events at a dizzying pace. I think about our kids often. I’m going to spend a few minutes this weekend learning more about Ukraine’s long history, it’s (relatively) short time as part of the old Soviet Union, and the grave peril that it faces today. A sovereign nation is under attack and there will be terrible loss of life. Any time democracy comes under attack at home or abroad, we need to educate ourselves and fight back. I appreciate our history/social studies teachers, many of whom had to alter their plans this week to address the most significant military conflict in Europe since World War II. I’ve said that 2020 will have its own chapter in future history books. It looks like this trend continues into 2022. This week we reported 5 cases to the County. The breakdown was as follows: MHS=0, Edgar=1, Campbell=3, Moss=0, and 1 other employee case. You can visit the website to see the weekly data chart and the historical COVID data. The most current CALI report shows that New Jersey is yellow (moderate activity) and our central-east region is also yellow. We got some updated recommendations from NJDOH this week which correspond to the Governor’s announcement that, beginning March 7, masking will be up to individual districts. We are just reviewing these recommendations and we will continue to follow trends locally and more broadly. Next Friday, I will announce a decision about masking here in the Metuchen Public Schools. This week, our board of education approved the school district calendar for next year, the 2022-2023 school year: https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1882759/2022-23_School_Calendar_Approved_2-22-22.pdf. Conferences will be added at a future date. And finally, here is a reminder about the last days of the current school year. This is not a change – just a reminder. The last three days of school will be half days for students and full days for staff. Without snow days, the last three half days would be 6/16, 6/20, and 6/21 (6/17 is Juneteenth observed). Snow days would extend the year. For example, one snow day would mean the half days are 6/20-6/22; two snow days means half days on 6/21-6/23. Regardless of snow days or not, MHS graduation is 6/24. Here is the approved calendar for this year: https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1499151/Copy_of_2021-22_School_Calendar_updated_12.22.2021.pdf. Back to winter this weekend after a one-day spring teaser on Wednesday. Stay safe. Be well. Dr. Vincent Caputo, Superintendent of Schools

The metuchen public schools will operate on a delayed opening schedule for Friday, February 25.