LIVEBLOG: The Day School Was Cancelled

Aine Pierre and Eli Weitzman|May 4, 2020

On May 4, 2020, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy officially announced the cancellation of in-person classes statewide. Throughout the day, Eastside followed the story, and collected any statements or information, compiled in this post. What follows in this post is a collection of tweets, updates, and statements regarding the closure as it developed throughout the day.

 

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Aine Pierre

Statement by Oliver Adler (‘20), Schoolwide SGA President

To the students of Cherry Hill East,

Today marks a difficult day for all of us. We all feel sadness over the loss of three months of precious time with our peers. In particular, today confirms the dread all students and faculty members had that we would not be going back to Cherry Hill East for this school year. I want to highlight my classmates, the seniors, who have not had and will not have many of the opportunities to which we have looked forward over these past few years. These events like prom and graduation were not only meant to serve as fun rites of passage, but meaningful moments that captured our hard work and perseverance over the years. These moments meant something different to all of us, and in their physical absence, those meanings do not disappear. The accomplishments and traits that led us to this point in our lives are still just as important. My hope is that the seniors can turn our attention to celebrating these moments in creative and innovative ways.

Despite the disappointment which we all feel, I ask that the seniors – and all the students – of Cherry Hill East continue to show their resilience over these following months. We have overcome so many challenges in the past as a school. Those moments will serve us well in the times that follow, strengthening us for our time at East and beyond. We will return to our lives stronger, tougher, and more appreciative of what we have. In the meantime, we can already reflect and be more thankful for the things that remain and the opportunities that have been granted. I am grateful for the continued health of my family and classmates, and I carry on with hope for the health of everyone in the East and Cherry Hill community. We can all do our part to ensure that those around us stay healthy by staying home, and when necessary, going out with the proper safety precautions.

For me, it has been a tremendous honor to serve Cherry Hill East as its Student Body President. Fighting for or against policies that affected students on a daily basis while representing my classmates has meant an incredible amount to me. The fighting spirit that I saw all around East continuously emboldened me to act the way that I did. Thank you for giving me this honor.

I wish everyone continued health, happiness, and ease over the weeks and months that follow.

Aine Pierre

“There’s a part of me that is absolutely crestfallen…I really like school. I like the school experience, I like the feel of a school year…the smell of the grass, the sound of the drums in a drumline..” said Superintendent Dr. Joseph Meloche Monday afternoon, hours after Governor Phil Murphy announced that New Jersey students would not return to school this academic year.

The announcement, which made New Jersey the 46th state to either order or recommend closures for the rest of the year, came two weeks after Murphy announced schools would close until at least May 15.

For the class of 2020, Meloche says he is keeping the option of a postponed, physical graduation ceremony on the table, even as the district considers virtual options.

“We had a meeting today to talk more…find out who’s available in terms of vendors and what’s available in terms of packaging…” said Meloche. “I think we have to be committed as a community and as a school district to recognizing and celebrating this senior class.” Meloche also indicated that the district will wait for guidelines from the state about in-person gatherings before making plans for an alternate graduation that could be as late as the second week of August.

For the Class of 2020, the extended closure also brings the cancellation of Senior Prom as it was planned for June 4. According to Meloche, Class of 2020 advisers Mrs. Susan Nicolazzo-Dollarton and Mrs. Erika DeWitt are scoping out potential alternatives. SGA representatives will also be meeting with Principal Dr. Dennis Perry later today.

Meloche also expects that, at least for seniors, online classes will begin to change and focus more on connectivity than learning, especially after the AP exams in the next two weeks.

For students with IEPs that require extended school years, it is expected that ESY programs will occur virtually. Meloche says he will be in contact with the district’s official special education advisory group and the Cherry Hill Special Education PTA, and he expects the topic will come up at the next board meeting on May 12.

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