High School Parent Message
February 11, 2022
Important Dates
Feb 18: School closed for students - Professional Development Day
Feb 21: School closed - Presidents’ Day
Feb 22 - Feb 25: FFA Week
Feb 24: MS/HS Jazz Concert
March 7: Season begins for track, lacrosse and golf
March 11: Season begins for baseball, softball, boys tennis, & boys volleyball
Mask Mandate Update Message from Dr. Sarruda
Dear Parents and Faculty:
Earlier this week, Governor Murphy announced that he would be lifting the Executive Order that requires our students and faculty to wear masks while in the school buildings. This memo is to address NB’s planned response to this announcement.
First, a brief history is appropriate. Prior to the Governor’s issuance of Executive Order 251, the district’s “Road Forward” Plan allowed parents to make the choice regarding whether their child should wear a mask in school. However, when Executive Order 251 was implemented, it required all students, educators, staff, and visitors to wear face masks inside of school buildings, regardless of vaccination status. Therefore, as we welcomed back our students and faculty in September of 2021, NB’s ‘Road Forward’ Plan recognized the Executive Order and included the mandatory wearing of face masks for all students, faculty, and visitors.
In anticipation of the Governor’s announcement that he will be eliminating the mask mandate on March 7th, this notice is to advise our parents, faculty, and community members that as soon as the mandate to wear masks is eliminated, NB will not require students, faculty, and visitors to wear face coverings. NB will support and implement the “optional” use of face coverings while in school buildings.
As the specific guidelines from the State are developed and shared, NB will make appropriate plans and the administration will notify the community. As always, thank you for your patience during these difficult times.
Dr. James Sarruda
Superintendent
KN-95 Masks
The school district has been provided with a supply of KN-95 masks that we will make available to the students and staff. If a student would like a KN-95 mask, they simply need to stop by the main office during their lunch to pick one up. These masks are designed to be reused multiple times. However, as students need replacements, they should stop by the main office again.
Food Service/Lunch
Please be reminded that Door Dash and other food delivery services are not permitted. The cafeteria functions on a daily basis for all students. Students may only receive food brought by a parent/guardian. Parents must bring food to the main office. (Page 46 of Student Handbook)
Bathrooms
We understand that there have been some challenges with the restrooms this year. As a result, we revised our procedures and increased our supervision in the late fall. Regretfully, despite our efforts, we continued to experience challenges with students vaping in the bathrooms. Recently, we revised our procedures again and increased our supervision even more. We are also looking to install vape detectors in our restrooms. Thank you for your patience as we work to resolve these issues.
Parent Resources Workshop Recap
Last evening we hosted a parent resources virtual workshop. Teacher presenters provided guidance on Google Classroom, PowerSchool, learning calendars, and other various resources. We are pleased to share the presentation and recording of the event for future reference.
Stay Healthy
COVID Precautions: We continue to need your help to limit the spread of COVID. Please take the necessary precautions at home and reinforce the safety measures we have in school, such as social distancing (when possible), hand hygiene, and mask wearing. No one precaution is absolute, but layering the different measures helps to reduce the chances of COVID transmission.
Please check your children daily for any symptoms before sending them to school. When in doubt, students who are sick should stay home. The nurse’s are looking for the following symptoms with regard to COVID screening:
Any one of the following symptoms: cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, new loss of smell or taste.
OR
Any two of the following symptoms: fever (measure or subjective), chills, rigors (shivers), muscle aches, headache, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, congestion, or runny nose.
Students who come to school with a combination of these symptoms will be sent home by the school nurse and require a negative COVID test before they can return to school. So save yourself the trouble and simply keep your child home if they have any of these symptoms. You can report your child’s absence on the attendance line: 609.298.3900 x 2029.
Any questions, please contact our school nurses, Ms. Crane & Ms. Nocon mcrane@nburlington.com gnocon@nburlington.com please include both nurses in your email. Sometimes they must deliver bad news. Please know that the directions given are based on the information they have from the public health authorities. Please be patient as they navigate these many challenges and work to keep our school a safe place to be for everyone. Thank you :)
If you need it, the Burlington County Health Department is offering walk-in testing for COVID. Please follow this LINK for location and information.
Burlington County COVID Vaccination Sites: Of course, the CDC continues to recommend vaccination as the best way to prevent the spread of COVID. Please see this LINK regarding more information on vaccination sites in Burlington County.
PTSC
The PTSC is excited to be hosting our Spring Book Fair in the Middle School, coming up the Week of February 28 - March 4! If you have any time available, please consider signing up for a shift using the link below. Remember, we would not be able to run the book fair without our generous parent volunteers. https://www.signupgenius.com/g...
IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE PTSC TO OUR 2022 SENIOR FAMILIES:
If you have a Senior graduating this year please make sure that you become a member so that your child is eligible to apply for a Scholarship. You must be a member in order to be considered. There are other requirements which will be listed in the application but again, your family must be a member. The deadline for us to receive the membership is February 28th,2022. You can pay via check or PayPal by visiting our site through the Northern Burlington Webpage. Membership is only $10. If you have any questions please reach out to us via email at nburlingtonptsc@gmail.com.
PTSC and Amazon Smile: The Parent Teacher Student Connection (PTSC) has an Amazon Smile account for any community members who would like to support the PTSC while shopping online. Simply go to http://smile.amazon.com and search for the "Parent Teacher Student Connection" in the list of organizations (it is listed as being in Columbus, NJ) and then go through that portal to do your Amazon shopping. Amazon will donate 0.5% of all purchases to the PTSC. Please email nburlingtonptsc@gmail.com with any login questions.
SAT Prep Program Registration
NB’s 6 week SAT Prep program continues in-person on Saturdays from March 12 - April 30, 2022. An afternoon session will be added if needed to meet all registration requests. The registration deadline is Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Spring 2022 Registration Form.
Medical Emergencies
When medical emergencies arise during the school day, administrators, faculty, and nurses quickly respond. The district handles a variety of medical emergencies almost daily. When appropriate, the administration will communicate information as necessary.
Looking to Spring Sports
We are now accepting Athletic Participation packets for the Sprinter/Spring Seasons. A link to the packets can be found here.
The anticipated start date is March 7th, for track, lacrosse and golf and March 11th, for baseball, softball, boys tennis, & boys volleyball. Packets must be submitted and approved by our school doctor before students are permitted to participate. This process can take several weeks due to the volume and the medical review of each one. Please plan to submit the packets at least three weeks in advance. All students must be medically cleared prior to participation. It is important to plan accordingly.
If your child’s physical exam is current on the first day of practice for their specific sport, please complete pages 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 of the packet and submit them electronically to highschoolathletics@nburlington.com
If your child is in need of a new physical, please contact your physician’s office at your earliest convenience to secure an appointment. Please take page 3, 5 and 6 of the packet with you so that your doctor can complete the physical forms. Please submit the entire packet (pages 1-7) electronically to highschoolathletics@nburlington.com
Spectators
Our region in the state of New Jersey is currently in the “High” category of COVID cases. As a result, we will continue to limit spectators at school events to two per participant.
SENIORS
Important Update on Cap & Gown Orders
Seniors received an invitation to order their Cap and Gown on the Class of 2022 Google Classroom. All orders will be placed through Jostens’ website. The site is now updated to accept payments for the caps and gown units which include a cap, gown and tassel. The standard Cap and Gown Unit cost is $23.05.
If you ordered prior to the payment option being open and your order was $0.00, an invoice from Jostens’ will be emailed to you. The Cap and Gown Unit is NOT free.
The Cap & Gown Units will be delivered to the school directly for distribution. All additional specialty items ordered through Jostens will be delivered to the address attached to the order.
PowerSchool Senior Form
It is important that we have students’ names correct for their diplomas. Therefore, we will be posting the following information in the Class of 2022 Google Classroom:
Seniors, please complete the form entitled “Class of 2022 Senior Diploma Form” in YOUR PowerSchool account no later than Friday, February 25th. In order to find this form - students need to locate Forms - then Senior Forms - then Class of 2022 Senior Diploma Form. Please consult with your parent or guardian when completing the form.
If you have any questions, please email Ms. Guevara at rguevara@nburlington.com.
Early Dismissal of Students
Please be advised that no student under the age of 18 can sign themselves out from school early even if they are drivers. As per our Board of Education Regulations:
5230 LATE ARRIVAL AND EARLY DISMISSAL
No pupil under the age of eighteen shall be released from school before the end of the school day except in the presence of the pupil's parent(s) or legal guardian(s) or an agent of the parent(s) or legal guardian(s).
2021-2022 Yearbook
Pre-order the 2021-2022 yearbook at jostensyearbooks.com
2020-2021 Yearbook
Limited copies of last year's yearbooks are still available for purchase. Please contact Tina Kim, tkim@nburlington.com for details.
Assessment Schedule 2021-2022
During the course of the school year, students will participate in various standardized assessments. Assessment Information and NB’s Assessment Schedule is available on the website: Student Assessment
Clinical Corner Spotlight:
Communicating Love Clearly to Teens – by Ken Ginsburg MD, MSEd - While we mark Valentine’s Day on the calendar as a day to show our love, it’s an emotion that we shouldn’t hesitate to express any day of the year. Love is timeless and everlasting. We can never be reminded too often of the impact it has in our children’s lives. Our love is perhaps the most protective, enduring force we offer our children. Why? Because it makes our children know that they are worthy of being loved. There are so many ways we demonstrate love for our children. All of them are meaningful and protective. Click the link to access the full article: Communicating Love Clearly to Teens
The Nurtured Heart Approach (NHA) trainings are being held through Partners For Kids and Families, in 2022. Please see link for the flyer - NHA calendar link. All trainings are virtual. For those who need a refresher on what NHA is: “The Nurtured Heart Approach consists of a set of strategies that assist children and adults in further developing self-regulation and has been found to be effective with individuals of all ages. It focuses on transforming the way someone perceives themselves, and the world around them.”
Care Solace helps our Northern Burlington community find mental health care providers and substance use treatment centers. Their Care Companion™ team is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and 365 days per year to quickly connect you to carefully verified providers in your community. Students, staff, and families may access Care Solace services in two ways:
Call (888) 515-0595 at any time. Support is available in 200+ languages. A dedicated Care Companion™ will help you every step of the way to research options, secure appointments, and follow up to make sure it is a good fit.
For an anonymous search, answer a few questions to get matched with an extensive list of care providers at https://caresolace.com/site/nbcrsd
Are you or your children in need of winter coats? Generations has new winter coats available in sizes 2T to adult XL. Please call 609-267-4001 to make an appointment to come in & pick up coats.
Looking for parent support for your child with special needs? The Mom2Mom Helpline connects parents of children with special needs to our trained counselors who are also parents. Talk to someone who understands you and your family. Call 1-877-914-MOM2 (1-877-914-6662).
Sally López, Ed.D.
Principal
Follow the Principal on twitter @nbc_hsprincipal
Follow the Superintendent on twitter: @NBCSUPER
Webpage at www.nburlington.com