At its most recent public meeting on Tuesday, July 27, Cherry Hill Public School Superintendent Joseph Meloche provided an update to the board of education on the district’s We Return to Learn plan and protocols for the upcoming school year.
“As we get ready for this process, it’s September 9, a return to full days of school for our kids,” Meloche stated on July 27.
Meloche outlined five main points of priority in preparing to return to five-day, in-person instruction for all township schools: a commitment to the health and safety of our students and staff members; regularly scheduled school days for all students; breakfast and lunch being available and scheduled for students; partnership with the state’s Department of Education and Department of Health along with the county Department of Health to maintain the status of community health; communicating information transparently with students, families, staff members and the community.
While Meloche is committed to having full regular school days for all during the upcoming school year, he admitted there are contingencies being written in case the district is required to transition to either a hybrid model or a full remote model.
“The only way we will not operate on regular school days, is for an Executive Order from the governor, or a written directive from the New Jersey Department of Health and the county Department of Health, based upon the community health situation. We’ll maintain our full days of school, unless directed by them to do otherwise,” he noted.
Meloche urged students and staff to continue to commit to initial health screenings at home on a daily basis, but admitted the district had not yet made a firm decision on masking as the information continues to change. One place masks will be worn is on district school busses, due to a federal mandate.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its updated guidelines in early July, which recommended that students would benefit from in-person learning, and that safely returning to in-person instruction in the fall is a priority.
“We agree wholeheartedly,” Meloche added.
The CDC also recommended that all individuals over the age of two who are not fully vaccinated should wear masks, especially in indoor or private settings.
Meloche additionally mentioned, just prior to the meeting per a New York Times article, the CDC recommended universal masking for all teachers, staff, students and visitors in schools, regardless of vaccination status and community transmission of the virus.
The following day on Twitter, Gov. Phil Murphy revealed that he and state DOH Commissioner Judith Persichilli “strongly recommend that both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents wear masks in indoor settings when there is increased risk.”
Examples of that risk included: indoor settings involving activities with close contact with others who may not be fully vaccinated; indoor settings where the vaccine status of other individuals in the setting is unknown, and where an individual is immunocompromised or at increased risk for severe disease.
Updated recommendations for the school district on masking are expected to be revealed prior to the start of the new school year.
Meloche also urged everyone involved with the district to become fully vaccinated before school begins. He cited a straw poll in which he asked district staff about vaccine status, which revealed 95 percent of 800 respondents replied they would be fully vaccinated by opening day.
For easy reference, Meloche said the district’s continuity of learning plan from the 2020-21 school year is still online. He added that a full revision of the plan for the upcoming year is happening currently, with a draft of that plan already shared with the board. Prior to the next board meeting, which is slated for Aug. 10, a draft of the plan will be posted on the district’s website.
“We’re going to be cautious. We’re going to take our time. And we’re going to be incredibly deliberative about all we do,” he said.