Dear LRHSD Families and Staff,

July was invigorating throughout LRHSD! Students were in our classrooms participating in extended school year opportunities and peer leadership trainings; they filled our halls with their families for school tours. And now, our campuses are coming back to life with student athletes and marching band members commencing practices. Such increased activity is a sign that fall is just around the corner, and this year, it has added significance that LRHSD is “Moving Forward” to fully reopen our schools. As we move closer to welcoming all students back for the first day of school on September 9th, we grow increasingly eager to make the 2021-2022 school year “Better Than Ever” through our commitment to best practices and experiences that promote students’ achievement.

To support our district’s success this year, we will follow protocols to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. There are some changes in protocols since last school year and even since my most recent communication. To easily identify and understand key differences, we created a chart comparing what we did last year with what to expect this year. Please pay special attention to the updated mask requirements, new procedures for contact tracing, and how a student can access virtual tutoring in the event they are identified as a close contact. Our daily schedule and cleaning disinfecting protocols have not changed since my last communication, as our students will be in school five full days a week, and our custodial crews will help ensure our students and staff can do that safely.

Please take a moment to review the chart as a family to prepare for a safe return to school for everyone in LRHSD. Parents, be on the lookout for our electronic “backpack” available soon through the parent portal. This contains all forms that need to be completed at the beginning of the school year, including a copy of the COVID-19 screening tool, which requires your one-time acknowledgement.

As we process how exhilarating the start of this school year is for many, we also are cognizant that some may experience trepidation or anxiety. The startling reality is our seniors are the only cohort of students who completed one full “normal” year in LRHSD!  Counseling centers in each of our schools are staffed each day in the summer with someone who can respond to any needs and questions you and/or your student have to help alleviate nerves and make the transition back to school a smooth one. Please take advantage of these services.

As of today, the NJ State Department of Health has yet to release its final recommendations for school operations. If anything needs to be changed, our school principals will review these changes with our school communities. If you have school-specific questions about anything else, please contact your school principal. We want everyone to be fully informed and prepared to make 2021-2022 “Better Than Ever” as LRHSD is “Moving Forward”!

Sincerely,

Carol L. Birnbohm, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Lenape Regional High School District