Superintendent's Message
Dear PC Manchester Regional High School Students, Faculty, Parents, and School Community,
I hope you are all enjoying a restful summer and had an opportunity to reflect on the past year. At MRHS, we have been hard at work planning for the year to come. Earlier in the summer, Governor Murphy and the New Jersey Department of Education released The Road Forward: Health and Safety Guidance for the 2021-2022 School Year, which states that “all districts must plan to provide full-day, full-time in-person instruction for all students for the 2021-22 school year.”
Our Safe Return to School Plan follows the guidance provided by the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and our local health officials. It will ensure the continuity of services in addressing students’ academic and social/emotional learning which also include student health and food services. Additionally our school leaders continue to meet and collaborate with stakeholders on the comprehensive plan to safely restart school, co-curricular activities, athletics, and every other aspect of our district’s operation. I encourage you to review the full plan on our website, but below is a summary of our mitigation strategies in place:
● Vaccination: According to CDC guidance,” Vaccination is the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic.” Twelve and older students are eligible for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and are encouraged to procure a vaccine before the school year begins. All staff members are required to be vaccinated or tested weekly by October 18th.
● Symptom Screening: It is essential that parents screen their child(ren) before every school day and keep them home if they show signs of illness.
● Masking: As per the governor’s executive order 251, all public and private school students, educators, staff, and visitors must wear face coverings indoors for the start of the 2021-22 school year. Students and faculty must wear face coverings on all district transportation. Face coverings must cover the nose and mouth while in use.
● Social Distancing: The Road Forward emphasizes that schools provide full-day, full-time instruction with lunches for all students. The district will distance three feet when possible as one mitigation strategy in classrooms, cafeterias, and other common areas while also ensuring that all students benefit from full-day, full-time instruction.
● Contact tracing: All quarantine procedures will follow the NJDOH guidance. Under the current recommendations, this means that vaccinated staff and students will not be required to quarantine following exposure to an individual that tests positive for Covid-19, unless they are also symptomatic. For unvaccinated students, we will continue to consult with the health office to determine the students or staff that have been in close contact, and communicate with their families regarding the quarantine process.
MRHS is committed to providing full-day instruction for every student during the 2021-2022 school year. Although September will present challenges, collectively, we can work together to provide high-quality education utilizing the safest format possible. Please look for more specific information about the start of the school year from your student’s principal, which will arrive within the week.
The past year has presented us with unimaginable challenges, but also incredible opportunities for big change. With that in mind, I cordially invite the school community to participate in our strategic planning process in the fall (detailed information will be shared in the near future).
Also, the MRHS campus is in the midst of an exciting transformation:
● The Fitness Center has been renovated
● A renovated computer lab with state of the art equipment
● Apple Computers and iPads have been added to enhance the TV/Video studio and computer programming room
● The completion of the bid process for a new turf field with lights set to break ground on November 1st.
I am so excited for the return of our entire student body. I am honored to share this journey with you and your child, and look forward to reconnecting as we approach the beginning of the school year.
Warm regards,
Gary Lubisco, Jr.
Superintendent
PC Manchester Regional School District
