A Letter to School Families from the Superintendent

Dear Parents/Guardians,
 
Facing the rapidly evolving coronavirus pandemic, the Diocese of Metuchen’s Office of Schools has been in regular contact and consultation with, and has been following the recommendations of, public health officials.
 
As you may have heard, in an effort to keep students, faculty and staff, and school families safe, and in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus in their local areas, a number of our schools have scheduled temporary closures. We are continually monitoring the progression of the spread of the coronavirus and the circumstances for each school will continue to be re-evaluated on a case-by-case basis, following the lead of their local school districts. We are committed to regularly communicating with you to ensure you are kept up to date with information as soon as it becomes available.
 
We recognize the significant impact these decisions will have on our students, our faculty and staff, and our school families, many of whom have obligations which extend well-beyond their vocation as a parent and/or guardian. I can assure you that these decisions are being made with prudence and with each school’s individual circumstances in mind. In addition, these decisions are only made after careful consideration and in consultation with local public health officials and the New Jersey Department of Education.
 
As was mentioned in my earlier communication to you, each school’s administration and staff has been diligently working to develop contingency plans to ensure that learning can continue at home, should that become a necessity. If you haven’t already, you can expect to receive more detailed information from your school’s administration about their plan for virtual learning and, if necessary, students can expect to receive instructions from their teachers as to what paper-based instructional materials they should plan to bring home, i.e. text books, guided reading texts, etc. Following protocol, our schools are taking precautions when cleaning and are giving extra attention to frequently touched surfaces.
 
Without question, this growing health emergency has quickly caused uncertainty and alarm for all of us, in all areas of life, but we recognize that its impacts are especially felt by those responsible for the care of others, including a child.
 
Thank you, in advance, for your continued support and prayers. Together, we are chartering unknown territory, but we will get through this. We will continue to provide you with information and updates as quickly as possible. For the latest up-to-date information and resources, please visit diometuchen.org/coronavirus.
 
In your kindness, please continue to pray for all experiencing changes caused by this pandemic – our students, our faculty and staff, and our school families – and certainly all who have felt the effects of the coronavirus.
 
Sincerely,

 Dr. Robert A. Lockwood
Superintendent of Schools