As the Coronavirus becomes a growing concern across Monmouth County and the MCVSD, the Inkblot will provide ongoing web coverage, following our original print story published on Mar. 9, in order to keep students and parents updated. This is the second installment in our series. 

On Friday Mar. 13, CHS will follow an early dismissal schedule to allow faculty to prepare for online-based learning and the implementation of an Education Continuity Plan, as the possibility of a Coronavirus closure remains a high-level concern. Students will be released at 12 p.m. and lunch will not be served. 

In the event of a closure, students would meet from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. online, with hour-long class periods and a 20-minute break between periods 3 and 4. Some classes have already begun testing Google Hangouts, the video-calling program to be used to hold classes remotely. Teachers are also encouraging students to bring materials such as textbooks and calculators home. 

Custodial staff are also introducing new precautions to keep students safe. For example, Head Custodian Ray Petersen began periodically wiping down classroom doorknobs. 

Extracurricuarly, CHS’s participation in the SkillsUSA state competitions planned for Mar. 13 was originally canceled in accordance with district policy. The national SkillsUSA organization then postponed all competitions.

 The Teen Arts trip to Brookdale Community College on Mar. 20 is also postponed indefinitely, while upcoming Shoprite bagging fundraisers for the freshmen and senior classes are tentatively canceled. 

“We’re trying to reschedule for the end of the year or early next year,” Freshman Class President Lucy Battista of Tinton Falls said. 

The Cultural Communications Club’s (CCC) weekly breakfast sales are suspended indefinitely following administrative request.

“Of course, we are disappointed about the postponement but if the administration feels that it’s necessary, we’re open to taking any measures to keep everyone safe and limit the potential spread of the virus,” CCC Co-Food Coordinator and junior Erin Burke of Allentown said.