Dear Parents/Guardians and Staff,
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Happy New Year! We have only just begun 2022, and we’ve already had a snow day! I hope you enjoyed the time off to relax and play.
This Monday the district is closed in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. While schools are not in session, many of our families are participating in a “Day On” of service such as collecting and delivering food items to local organizations. Please send photos to Jennifer Fusco for a feature on our website next week. Students are engaged in activities learning about and celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. King including a reenactment of peaceful civil rights marches, school-wide read-in, classroom activities and several virtual assemblies.
COVID Testing and Health Guidance Update
Today, from 4 to 6 PM, rapid antigen testing from Medi Mobile of Livingston is available at the Annex Atrium, 141 Park St. with parking in the rear on No. Fullerton. This service has no out-of-pocket cost, but please remember to bring your insurance card and ID.
We are pleased to announce that this testing will continue next week and run through February on Tuesdays and Fridays, 4 to 6 PM at the Annex Atrium. We hope that by offering testing at our school location without a lapse during the winter season will give you a level of comfort and convenience while we work to mitigate the virus transmission.
We have conferred with our medical professionals, and out of an abundance of caution we will continue to require a 10-day quarantine period. Students, teachers, and staff who come into close contact with someone with COVID-19, are asymptomatic and are in one of the following groups do not need to quarantine:
- People who are ages 18 and older and have received all recommended vaccine doses, including boostersand additional primary shots for some immunocompromised people.
- People who are ages 5–17 years and completed the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines.
- People who had confirmed COVID-19 within the last 90 days (tested positive).
Masking
As recommended by the CDC and mandated by Governor Phil Murphy in Executive Order 281, indoor masking will continue in our schools for all individuals including students, teachers, staff, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status.
Reminders:
Montclair Scholarship Fund (MSF)
MSF is seeking donations to help students in need have an opportunity to continue their education after high school. Help our students unlock their greatest potential by removing barriers for access and finding a pathway to college. No matter how much you give, every dollar counts.
If you have an opportunity on Monday, tune into TV34’s YouTube Channel at 7:30 AM for the premier of a virtual presentation of Montclair’s 33rd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Fund Breakfast. We are grateful for the contributions from the Scholarship Fund which have helped our seniors attend college and further their aspirations. I was honored to be invited to add my reflection in this video.
Have a great weekend!
Dr. Jonathan Ponds
Superintendent
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you, have to keep moving forward.”— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.