Metuchen School District

Hello and happy Friday. I hope this message finds you well. Part one below is the COVID update. Part two is some good news. Part three provides some additional information on problem-solving for those interested. Part 1: COVID update - This week we reported 5 cases to the County: MHS = 1, Edgar = 3, Campbell = 0, Moss = 0, and other staff = 1. Statewide, the downward trend in cases continues. The CALI report shows the whole state and each of the six NJ regions in YELLOW (moderate COVID activity). Vist our website for the full weekly report and the historical data. Let’s all do our part to continue to drive down the number of cases. Thanks. Part 2: Good news in the schools - The MHS Asian Heritage Club continues to do great outreach work within the Metuchen community. Last Saturday, the Lion Dance Troupe performed at the Metuchen Lunar New Year Celebration at the Metuchen Town Plaza. Congratulations to all Asian Heritage Club members – we are proud of the work you do! At Edgar, our spring musical, School House Rock, will take place on February 25, 26, and 27. Tickets will be on sale for $5. They may be purchased in the office beginning Tuesday. Save the Date: The Third Annual Living Wax Museum hosted by the Campbell 3rd Grade Team will be on Friday, May 6. The rain date is Friday, May 13. More information about visiting and other grade-level events to come! Moss students celebrated the 100th day of school and were engaged in fun learning activities including making necklaces with 100 beads, completing 100 piece puzzles, doing 100 exercises, and 100 or more other ways to learn and have fun at the same time. Part 3: Problem-solving, Social-Emotional Learning, and Responsible Decision Making - For at least the last ten years, Metuchen School District has been working tirelessly to teach all students the social and emotional competencies that lead to increased student success at school and in life. One SEL competency that the district has embedded extensively into its core curricula and instruction is Responsible Decision Making. Research shows that teaching Responsible Decision Making is accomplished by providing all students with one overall strategy for decision making and problem solving across academic content as well as social and emotional contexts. We also know that the best way to teach SEL competencies like Responsible Decision Making is for adults to model what successful decision making and problem solving looks and sounds like. We do this as much as we can as a district in as many ways that we can. In response to last week’s message, I had some parents reach out to me about problem-solving strategies. The problem-solving steps we use include the following: select a focus, gather information, brainstorm possible solutions, act, and reflect. To learn more about how the district utilizes this problem solving / decision making strategy to develop all students’ emotional problem solving and coping skills, and to learn how we as adults can model this process for our children and work together towards this ever-important common goal, please register for our first Parent Academy series on how to develop independent coping skills here or use the web address: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe22j_rnFnlVF9OpjCZHp4rjeVpONBHaMPqeXe8N1M-M9OxnA/viewform. Thanks for your continued interest in and support for the Metuchen Public Schools. Have a great three-day weekend. Dr. Vincent Caputo

Good afternoon. A couple of days of spring weather – I love it! This week we reported ten COVID cases to the county health department: MHS=2, Edgar=5, Campbell=2, and Moss=0, plus 1 other employee. Click here to see our historical COVID data: https://www.metuchenschools.org/browse/287960, or here to see the weekly summary data: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q1vFsZE72DyWToLxddLzQX0Rt9q-Ic7DI68U8ND4Sd4/edit. If you can’t access the information via the links, please visit the district website www.metuchenschools.org, and click on the COVID button for the data and all related information. We also all heard that Governor Murphy intends to drop the mask mandate for schools beginning March 7. It’s a great time to model the problem-solving steps that we teach our children. We know what the issue is: how should Metuchen best proceed since the Governor has said it will be up to individual districts to require masking or to switch to mask-optional. The next step (before diving into possible solutions,) is to gather information. So what else do we know? • COVID-19 is a respiratory virus primarily transmitted via breathing in virus particles expelled by an infected person • We initially closed down in March 2020, but we know COVID-19 was around during the last few months of 2019 (hence the name, COVID-19) • We are approaching one million American deaths attributed to COVID and tens of millions who have contracted COVID, ranging from asymptomatic to hospitalized patients • Vaccines have been highly successful in preventing deaths and serious illness • Masks have been highly successful in stopping transmission. If I wear even a lower-quality mask, I may be protected at least 30-50%. If we both wear high quality N95 masks, we are each 97 to 98% protected. • Our vaccination rates (to the best of our knowledge) are as follows: staff=95%, MHS students=73%, Edgar students=67%, Campbell students=49%, and Moss students=27%. • Regardless of decisions for inside school buildings, masks will still be required on all busses (including for sports) as this falls under federal law. • As of now, the World Health Organization still recommends indoor masking • As of now, the CDC still recommends indoor masking • Our Road Forward plan includes many required actions around close contacts and quarantines, and we are not yet aware of how the state plans to adjust those if masking becomes optional in districts • And we know that within a span of just four weeks, the NJ CALI status has gone from red to orange to yellow (for the first time since the week of November 20th) We also know that mask-optional is not a choice that can be made until March 7. While other districts, within hours of the announcement, made decisions to either continue to require masks or to go mask-optional, I don’t need to decide now. I can wait until March 7, but my plan is to inform the community on March 4 whether or not we will still require masks the following Monday. This decision will be informed after consulting with our school physician and our excellent school nurses. I will consider the CALI status, cases in the borough, and cases in the district. If we were to drop the mandate, I would continue to model best practice and wear my mask indoors. We’re all in this together. Those of us who have reasons for extra concern from COVID, want everyone masked and vaccinated. For those of us who want mask-optional, go get vaccinated and keep wearing your masks for the next month. See – it’s mutually beneficial. As Board President Brian Glassberg said at Tuesday’ meeting, we will handle this latest decision point with “optimism, compassion, and patience.” Have a great weekend. Enjoy leisure activities with family and friends. And good luck to our high school athletes in post-season competitions. Sunday is my wife’s birthday. (I also hear that there is a football game that day!) Dr. Vincent Caputo

Phone service has been restored to the District.

Good afternoon. I hope this message finds you well. This week, we reported 13 COVID cases, the lowest since the week ending 12/16. The breakdown by school (staff and students) is as follows: no cases at MHS, 6 cases at Edgar, 7 cases at Campbell, and no cases at Moss. The number of students excluded due to COVID is only 15 today, the lowest figure since 11/18. Positive cases are way down from just a few weeks ago. That’s great news. We are, however, keeping our guard up. Omicron variant BA2 is potentially more transmissible. Masking is still required and enforced. Vaccination is highly recommended. Currently, here is a breakdown of vaccination status in the schools: Staff = 95%, MHS students = 73%, Edgar students = 66%, Campbell students = 48%, Moss students = 27%. Help us to keep these numbers up to date. Thanks. In other news, Campbell School has been designated as a state School of Character!!!! Edgar School held a highly successful concert this week. Be on the lookout for information on ticket sales for their upcoming spring play. Metuchen High School’s Consumer Bowl Team was crowned champions in last week’s county-wide competition. MHS and Edgar winter sports are full-speed ahead and the teams and athletes are doing well. And Moss School Kindergarteners are making Valentine’s Day cards and posters for the Menlo Park Veterans Memorial Home. This is just a taste of some of the great curricular and extracurricular things happening in the district. Thanks always for your support! Have a nice weekend. Dr. Vincent Caputo

Our phone system is still down tonight. We are working with our phone service provider. They believe it is a broken Verizon line outside of the district and that the issue will be resolved sometime tomorrow. We don’t expect to have phones in or out for arrival time Friday. Contact us via email. Dr. Caputo

Good afternoon. As of 2:15pm this afternoon, the district phone system is down. We hope to have the situation resolved shortly. In the meantime, please contact us via email. Thanks. Dr. Vincent Caputo

Good afternoon: I hope this message finds you and your family well. Stay safe this weekend with the impeding snowstorm. And thanks always for your trust and support. Snowstorm: School buildings will be open tonight for school and recreation activities. All schools will be closed on Saturday. We will do everything in our power to open again on Sunday for scheduled activities. NJ CALI score: Both NJ and our central-east region of the state dropped back to ORANGE (high activity) for the first time in over a month. We will be loosening the restrictions on some field trips and eliminating the limitation on spectators effective with today’s games. Operation vaccination: • 95% of staff is fully vaccinated • MHS – 533 of 726 report fully vaccinated (73%) – no change • EMS – 453 of 710 report fully vaccinated (64%) – up 1% point • CES – 319 of 693 report fully vaccinated (46%) – up 2% points • Moss – 36 of 137 report fully vaccinated (26%) – up 1% point Boosters: Boyt Drugs is administering COVID boosters at the store on Saturdays. Here’s a link to register if you are interested. https://form.jotform.com/210544012805140 COVID district data as of 11:00am on 1/28 Positive cases (students & staff) TOTAL since Sept 2020 = 655 Positive cases (students & staff) since July 2021 = 492 New cases this week MHS=6, EMS=7, CES=9, Moss=1, TOTAL=23 Students excluded today MHS=3, EMS=5, CES=13, Moss=0, TOTAL= 21 Data from testing on 1/24, 1/27 Since last report TOTAL PCR tests administered in district 45 3730 Positives from district testing 2 377 % positivity from district testing 4.44% 10.1% COVID testing: Testing in-district continues: 1/31 at Moss Gym, then 2/3, 2/10, 2/17, and 2/24 at MHS door 29. All testing times will be 4-5pm. Dr. Vincent Caputo Superintendent of Schools

Due to the expected combination of heat, humidity, and masks, the Metuchen Public Schools will operate on an early dismissal schedule for Wednesday, September 15, 2021.

We are still missing screener forms for many students starting ESY tomorrow. This is a reminder that any student starting ESY tomorrow, needs to have this screening form filled out tonight. If you completed it already, there is no need to do it again. https://forms.gle/ddZyMkBwU51WKevF9

Good afternoon. I hope my last weekly message of the school year truly finds you and your family happy and healthy. For the last fifteen months, I have been sending these weekly messages to keep you up-to-date in a crazy, once-in-a-lifetime year. I trust you found the information timely and helpful (and maybe even a little inspiring or encouraging). I will return to the practice of using our notification system as an as-needed tool during the summer. Our district and school offices are open all summer long. Contact us for anything you need. COVID testing: Our district facilitated COVID testing program concludes this week. Beginning on New Year’s Eve, we have offered testing weekly at MHS. We facilitated more than 2000 tests. Thanks to all who took advantage of the testing to limit the transmission of the virus. CALI reports: Overall, the state of NJ remains in YELLOW (moderate level of COVID activity). While two of the six regions have dropped to GREEN (low level of COVID activity), our central-east region is still YELLOW. You can continue to access the weekly COVID report at: https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/statistics/covid/ COVID cases: We have reported on 163 positive cases (staff and students) over the course of the school year. While even one case could be devastating, I want to thank all of families and staff for their efforts. From social distancing, and masking, to getting vaccinated as early as you did, you significantly limited the number of cases in the borough and therefore in the district. Stay vigilant now. Those still unvaccinated should continue to mask up. Learn the facts about vaccination and please consider getting vaccines for you and your children as they become eligible. Talk to your pediatrician and feel free to contact us if we can be of assistance. Schools this summer: The schools will see lots of activity this summer. As is typical, there will be regular and (some unique) maintenance projects going on at all four buildings. We will host our largest summer program ever this year. In addition to the special education Extended School Year program, we are providing a variety of offerings as part of Metuchen Summer Institute. This summer also sees the return of our STREAM program with over 140 students. Our gyms and fields will host summer workouts and camps. Summertime will see the transition from Mr. Peragallo to Mr. Porowski at MHS and the appointment of the next Campbell principal. We will be recruiting and interviewing for our teacher openings, too. We will certainly be busy this summer. We are proud to be a hub of activity in the borough. Happy end-of -the-schoolyear! This summer brings 21st and 18th birthdays for my children and a 27th anniversary for Lori and me. Late summer will also see my son return for his senior year at Rutgers University (double majoring in accounting and criminal justice) and my daughter begin her freshman year at Lafayette College (planning to study engineering/environmental science). For many of us, summer also means pools and beaches, and maybe even vacations and travel sports teams. For others, though, summer brings challenges like childcare, food insecurity and lack of entertainment/learning opportunities. We have posted information on the availability of summer food for anyone in need: https://www.metuchenschools.org/article/478346?org=msd. Check on your neighbors this summer. Take advantage of all the wonderful opportunities right here in Metuchen. Be well. With gratitude, Dr. Vincent Caputo

Due due the forecast for high temperatures and humidity plus the masking requirement, the Metuchen Public Schools will operate on an early dismissal schedule on Wednesday June 9, 2021. Bussing will be provided. Lunch will not.

Due due the forecast for high temperatures and humidity plus the masking requirement, the Metuchen Public Schools will operate on an early dismissal schedule on Monday, June 7, 2021. Bussing will be provided. Lunch will not. The Edgar athletics dinner will still take place as scheduled. As a reminder, Tuesday is already an all-remote, early dismissal day with all four building being used as polling places. Wednesday and Thursday are full days. Friday starts three consecutive scheduled early dismissal days for students. The Edgar promotion exercises are on Friday evening at MHS. The MHS graduation is Tuesday, June 15th.

Hello. I hope this email finds you well. Our central-east region of the state and New Jersey are still in YELLOW status, indicating a moderate risk of transmission. Below are some updates regarding our practices: Temperatures checks The district will no longer conduct temperature checks on students and staff. Daily Wellness/COVID Screening Forms The district will continue the use of daily screening forms for all students and staff. Guidelines continue to require some form of a screening process to confirm that students and staff are free of COVID symptoms. Summer Programs Temperature checks will not be required for district summer programs. The need for wellness forms will be reassessed over the following weeks, depending on updates from the NJDOH. Masks The mask mandate is still in effect for schools. There are no changes. Close contacts Vaccinated individuals are not required to quarantine if identified as a close contact of a COVID-positive person. Proof of vaccination will be required. Unvaccinated individuals need to quarantine. Travel Vaccinated individuals are not required to quarantine following travel. Proof of vaccination will be required. Unvaccinated individuals still need to quarantine. Testing · The last district sponsored Covid Testing for the school year will be on Thursday June 10th. Thanks to all the staff and families who took advantage of this testing to help slow the spread of the virus. MHS play: Little Shop of Horrors. Go to Mhsfootlighters.com. Performances: Friday June 4, Saturday June 5, and Sunday June 6, each one at @ 7:00 pm. Performances will be viewed online. There is no on-demand option. Tickets - $12.00 - sold online. Check it out! Edgar Promotion · Friday, June 11th at MHS · Rain date is Monday, June 14th at MHS · 5 guest tickets per eighth grader (two for on the field and three for the bleachers) · Only ticketed guests will be permitted on school grounds · The event will be livestreamed MHS Graduation · Tuesday, June 15th at MHS · Rain date is Wednesday, June 16th (and then June 17th, 18th, etc) at MHS · 5 guest tickets per graduate (two for on the field and three for the bleachers) · Only ticketed guests will be permitted on school grounds · The event will be livestreamed Tuesday June 8 is an all-remote early dismissal day because all four school buildings are being used as polling places.

Hello. I hope you are enjoying your Friday off and will have a nice holiday weekend. On Monday, please take a moment to remember why we are off – to honor those in the military who have died while serving to keep us free. Our central-east region of the state and New Jersey are still in YELLOW status, indicating a moderate risk of transmission. Below are some updates regarding our practices: Temperatures checks · Starting June 1st, the district will no longer conduct temperature checks on students and staff. · As the outdoor temperatures soar, it is likely that thermometers will record elevated temperatures, resulting in false positives and causing unnecessary alarm. Daily Wellness/COVID Screening Forms · The district will continue the use of daily screening forms for all students and staff. · The NJDOH guidelines have not changed. · Guidelines continue to require some form of a screening process to confirm that students and staff are free of COVID symptoms. Summer Programs · Temperature checks will not be required for district summer programs. · The need for wellness forms will be reassessed over the following weeks, depending on updates from the NJDOH. Masks · The mask mandate is still in effect for schools. · There are no changes. Close contacts · Vaccinated individuals are not required to quarantine if identified as a close contact of a COVID-positive person. Proof of vaccination will be required. Unvaccinated individuals need to quarantine. Travel · Vaccinated individuals are not required to quarantine following travel. Proof of vaccination will be required. Unvaccinated individuals need to quarantine. Let’s go Mets! And Knicks fans, “We here!”

The Metuchen Public Schools will operate on an early dismissal schedule on Wednesday, May 26, 2021 due to the unique combination of high temperatures, high humidity, and the indoor masking requirement. See your school websites for the early dismissal schedules. After-school sports will continue as scheduled. I understand that this decision creates child-care issues for many families, and I carefully weighed that against the benefits of an early dismissal. Thanks for your understanding. Stay cool and check on your neighbors and the elderly.

May 21, 2021 Happy Friday! I hope this message finds you well. It looks like we have a summer-like weekend ahead of us. Please enjoy the outdoors and your families. For the first time all year, this week we reported zero staff/student COVID cases. The state CALI report still has us in YELLOW (moderate risk of transmission) but we are definitely heading in the right direction. Here is a summary of the mandates for K-12 schools as of May 19, 2021: TRAVEL · Students and staff who are unvaccinated should quarantine for 7 days (if they have a negative PCR Covid test 3-5 days after travel) or quarantine for 10 days without a test. · Vaccinated students and staff returning from domestic travel do not have to quarantine. SPORTS Regardless of vaccination status, social distancing should be followed by athletes, when not actively playing, and by coaches, referees, trainers, and spectators. Masks are not necessary outdoors. SCHOOL Masks must be worn outdoors for physical education class and outdoor recess. EXTRACURRICULAR · Outdoor extra-curricular activities and outdoor events on school property, such as graduation ceremonies and other end of the year events held outdoors: masks are not required regardless of vaccination status. · The guidance states that schools may implement more restrictive precautions if they desire to do so. We reserve the right to mandate masks if/when we deem them appropriate. DISTRICT NOTES Our school nurses still encourage masks whenever feasible. For more information, here are the controlling documents: · https://www.state.nj.us/health/cd/documents/topics/NCOV/RecommendationsForLocalHealthDepts_K12Schools.pdf · https://nj.gov/health/cd/documents/topics/NCOV/COVID_GuidanceForSportsActivities.pdf · https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2021/may/19/NJDOHTravelandMaskingClarificationsforK-12Schools.pdf NOTE: The indoor mask mandate is still in effect. There are no changes. REMINDER: Tuesday, June 8th is primary election day in NJ. As such, we will have an all-remote, early dismissal day. Dr. Vincent Caputo

May 14, 2021 Good afternoon. I told you the nice weather was coming (eventually). I hope this message finds you well. The board of education approved an update to the current district calendar. Tuesday, June 8th is now an all-remote, early dismissal day. In addition to the usual safety challenges that primary election day brings, we also cannot require voters to wear masks. Our students and staff have been so diligent in masking that it has become necessary to allow the buildings to be used exclusively as polling places on June 8th. As a reminder, the last three days of the school year (June 11, 14, and 15) are all early dismissal days for students. Details will be forthcoming from Mr. Peragallo and Mrs. Azevedo, but here are some important dates to keep in mind: Edgar promotion will be June 11th at MHS (note those changes) with a rain date of June 14th, MHS graduation will be on June 15th (rain date is June 16th), and MHS Project Graduation will be held June 15th even if outside graduation needs to be postponed due to rain. New Jersey’s CALI report puts the six regions of the state, and New Jersey as a whole, in YELLOW (moderate risk of transmission). All schools remain open for everyday in-person attendance. Here is what I sent to staff earlier this morning regarding masks: #1 - the CDC mask announcement yesterday does not apply to schools, and #2 – the NJDOH has not even adopted these guidelines for the general public, much less schools. So, the result is no change. Mask up. Stay safe. Happy Friday. VCaputo

Hello and I hope this message finds you well. There is good news on the COVID front. Vaccinations are on the rise and readily available for those 16 years and older, and approval for usage in younger children seems to be right around the corner. Cases are down statewide and locally. The state’s CALI report this week shows that the state and our central-east region of the state are both in YELLOW status. We will continue to welcome all students who want to attend in-person, regardless of their A week/B week designation. Of course, you may also remain hybrid or all-remote. This week, we had the following in-person attendance averages at the four schools: MHS=29%, Edgar=57%, Campbell=77%, and Moss=58%. Please follow notification protocols at each school for changing your child’s designation among remote, hybrid, and fully in-person. Have a great weekend. Happy Mother’s Day. None of us would have been anything without our moms.

April 30, 2021 Good morning. I hope this message finds you and your family well. I am happy to share with you that the district can welcome back all students in our four schools who choose to attend school in-person, both weeks, starting on Monday, May 3rd. Campbell was already scheduled to allow both cohorts to merge on Monday. Now we will do the same at Edgar. The latest COVID-19 Activity Level Index (CALI) Weekly Report from the NJDOH indicates that our region has moved out of the high-risk transmission range (ORANGE) and into the moderate-risk transmission range (YELLOW). As a result, and in accordance with the current NJDOH guidelines, both elementary and secondary students can now attend school “with a minimum of 3 feet of physical distancing between students maintained in classrooms with strict adherence to mask-wearing.” You will continue to receive information from your building principals with additional details about arrival, dismissal, lunch, and more. Remember, we are not out of the woods yet. Should the CALI status return to ORANGE, students are Edgar School would return to hybrid A week/B week status. Keep social distancing. Keep wearing a mask for public health and as a show of solidarity for our neighbors who are not vaccinated and for our friends around the world, like in India, where COVID cases are spiking. Please take advantage of our district COVID testing at MHS each Thursday and Saturday, with no out-of-pocket cost. Thanks, and have a great weekend.

April 23, 2021 Good morning and happy Friday! Spring sports are underway. We have an eye towards exciting year-end events. And like many parent of high school seniors, we are down to the final three colleges before my daughter decides by next week. She’s got great choices and we are so proud of her. Bussing starts Monday for eligible Campbell and Edgar students. You will receive an email today or tomorrow with your bus assignment information. The bus pass will follow next week. Monday is A week. Busses will pick up eligible A week and fully in-person students at their assigned bus stops beginning Monday, April 26th. COVID testing continues at MHS every Thursday afternoon and Saturday morning. Please take advantage of the convenience and get tested. In addition, encourage social distancing and mask wearing. Let’s drive these numbers down so we can finish the school year strong and head into hopefully and well-deserved and enjoyable summer break. Five of the six regions of the state (including central east which includes Metuchen) and the state as a whole, remain in ORANGE status. This means there is a high risk of transmission of COVID-19. With those conditions in mind, I want to provide updates for those parents waiting for the chance to send their children in-person every day, both A week and B week. At Metuchen High School, since we have room to accommodate the relatively low in-person enrollment and maintain six-feet of social distance, we continue to allow students to attend in-person every day if they choose. While NJ is still in ORANGE status, we cannot make the necessary accommodations at Edgar School to allow any more students to attend in person. If/when we move into YELLOW status (and I think numbers are trending in a better direction this week), then I will make the decision to allow Edgar parents to send their children in-person every day. The earliest that could happen now would be 5/3. I will assess the conditions next Thursday and let everyone know if we can allow that. If we are still ORANGE, then I will re-assess each subsequent Thursday to make a decision for the following Monday. The NJDOH guidelines are very clear in the requirements for high/middle schools versus elementary schools. Speaking of which, last night I made the decision to allow parents to send their Campbell children to school in-person every day, A week and B week, beginning Monday, May 3rd. Campbell parents will get school-specific notification of any changes to procedures. And finally, this coming Monday, April 26th, parents of Moss students will be able to send their children in-person every day regardless of A week/B week designation. I am grateful to the Moss staff and am confident in their plan. Have a great weekend. Dr. Vincent Caputo