Dear Mendham Borough School Community:

I hope this communication finds you and your loved ones healthy and safe. As you have already heard the Governor has closed schools for the remainder of the school year. Although I understand the reasoning behind the decision, I know the announcement was disappointing to many of us.

As we continue to await guidance from the Department of Education and the public safety authorities regarding events that will be permissible, we will begin to make deliberate plans to preserve some of our end of year activities that celebrate our students and are such an important part of our school community traditions. The principals will be sharing additional information as it becomes available.

Planning for the remainder of the year will also include additional opportunities to connect our teachers with our students. The student-teacher and student-student connections that occur naturally through meaningful interactions in schools are an essential part of the learning process. It may also be the most difficult to replicate in a virtual environment. As the administration continues to plan collaboratively with our faculty we will seek to identify creative ways to accomplish this in a safe and secure way.

I continue to receive calls and emails from colleagues in districts within and outside of our county that have heard of the successful implementation of our remote teaching and learning plan.  Our success is a result of the commitment and dedication of our entire school community.  Thank you for your continued support.

Finally, the Board of Education approved the 2020-21 proposed budget at last night’s Special Meeting. We understand that the budget may need to be adjusted once we receive information regarding the changes to the State budget for the 2021 fiscal year and the subsequent impact on education appropriations for our district. Unfortunately, we anticipate that the information may not be available until late summer.

Respectfully,

Dr. Mitzi N. Morillo
Superintendent of Schools