Berkeley Superintendent Issues Back-To-School Reminders

BERKELEY, NJ — Starting Tuesday, Berkeley Township students will be back in classes five days a week.

Superintendent James Roselli issued some reminders to parents, staff and students ahead of that return, including about the mask mandate issued by Gov. Phil Murphy for the start of the school year.

Read more: Back To School: Berkeley 2021-22 School Calendar

“We must work together to protect the health and safety of our students and staff,” Roselli wrote in a letter. “We understand the not everyone agrees with all the mitigation strategies in place regarding COVID-19, however, our goal remains to keep our schools safely open while following the guidance promoted by the CDC.”

Roselli said that guidance includes:

• Staying home when sick
• Washing hands frequently with soap for at least 20 seconds
• Practicing social distancing
• Wearing a mask as per Executive Order 251, with safe and appropriate mask breaks provided throughout the day

Roselli also noted that COVID-19 cases “increased significantly” in Ocean County over the past few weeks, according to the state Department of Health’s COVID-19 Activity Report.

The latest report can be found here. Ocean County was among four counties with a “high” COVID-19 activity level last week, while the 17 remaining counties reported moderate levels.

“It is extremely disappointing as we felt we were returning to normal as school came to a close in June,” Roselli said. “It is our hope that it will not be long before these restrictions may be lessened and eventually removed. Until that time arrives, we are asking all families to cooperate with us on these matters and complete the COVID-19 Student Questionnaire daily on the Parent Portal.”

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