Skip to main content
Main Menu Toggle

Principal's Message

Greeting PRCS Families, 

 

Thank you for your continued partnership and feedback as we work together to navigate these challenging times. We want to thank you extensively for your partnership, flexibility and engagement as we work to make the best decisions for our school community. Our paramount concern continues to be making sure our community is safe, nurtured, supported, and that students receive a robust and rigorous education.

 

We know this year has been challenging for everyone and the loss, fatigue and disruption to life associated with COVID-19 is a heavy burden. The resiliency and determination demonstrated by our students, families and faculty continue to be inspiring and we know that will continue to hold true as we navigate these extended circumstances together. There are some positive developments with the roll out of the vaccine and the potential for more coordinated leadership at the federal level in the coming months. We are writing with an update for Quarter 3 instruction, which we previously announced would be shared with you weeks before any potential transition in our instructional model. Prior to Winter Break, family surveys indicated that only 37% of families preferred to remain virtual through Quarter 3.

After careful review of stakeholder survey responses and the current public health data related to COVID-19, we have decided to continue virtual instruction through Quarter 3 for the following reasons:

 

  • The continued substantial spread of the virus across New Jersey and the nation
  • Vaccine distribution to health care workers, high risk individuals and Phase 1B recipients (School Staff) will not likely be completed until the Spring and we want to coordinate our reopening efforts to align with widespread vaccination
  • The concern associated with more contagious variants and resultant closures abroad that could impact public safety in the coming weeks
  • Potential disruption to education by opening and closing schools and the fact that teachers and students are acclimated to virtual learning and are best served by consistency at this time
  • Uncertainties around public transportation, especially during the winter months

 

We are confident in our school’s mitigation measures and safety for small group instruction, so we will open our Learning Center on March 1, 2021 where a group of students will be able to learn virtually with the assistance of adults in the school building. The Learning Center will be made available first to students with specific needs better served by this in building support structure. You will be contacted by a staff member before January 22nd if your child is recommended for the Learning Center. Weekly COVID-19 Testing will be a component of attendance. If we are able to make additional space available, we will contact families who indicated a preference for in person instruction.