• By now I am sure that each of you and your parents/guardians has received confirmation that the Manasquan School District will be closed through March 27, 2020. I wanted to reach out to you immediately in order to discuss a few things, now that the decision has been made to close.

    First and foremost: take a deep breath. We have been discussing the possibility of this closing, and preparing for the same, for over a week, and I am certain that we are ready to handle this very unique situation. Furthermore, please know that this closing is not in response to any new cases, nor is it a reaction to any new circumstances surrounding the disease. This is a precautionary measure, taken to ensure the safety of you and your families. You all did extremely well during Friday's practice of online learning, and it is clear that our day-to-day proceedings during the closing will run smoothly.

    With that being said, as stated in the message from the school district, the school will be open tomorrow from 7:30-2:00 for students to come and retrieve any items they may have forgotten or they have discovered they need with them during this closing. I wanted to inform you that I will be in school on Monday, in room 306, for anyone that may have questions or concerns they feel need to be addressed in person. I will also be there especially for any student that was absent on Friday to come and retrieve their copy of our new novel, The Pigman. which you will all need for the entirety of the closing. Furthermore, I will be available to meet with parents/guardians that may have questions or concerns about the structure of online-learning during the closing, as will all members of our school administration.

    (I am also going in to bring home my plants. I don't want to leave Morgan Seedman and his brothers and sisters alone for too long...)

    Lastly, I want to take a moment to tell you how proud I am to be one of your teachers. I have seen you all handle this very unique situation with maturity and grace, and for that I applaud and thank you. Please believe me when I say that WE can handle this. We will carry on with our lessons as we have all year, the only difference being that we will be outside the walls of 306. I am still your teacher, and I am still here for you if you need anything at all during these strange and trying times.

    Please make sure that you have your tablets and chargers, as well as your Pigman books home with you, and make sure you are logged on to Canvas first thing Monday morning. I look forward to working with you all, and cannot wait to see you again back in room 306.

    Best,

    Dr. Pape